71 pages • 2 hours read
Paul KalanithiWhen Breath Becomes Air
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
During Reading
Reading Questions & Paired Texts
Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.
PROLOGUE-PART 1, SECTION 2
Reading Check
1. What symptoms initially cause Paul to see his doctor?
2. What college is Paul’s friend Leo accepted to?
3. In which two areas of study does Paul achieve undergraduate degrees?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. What scheduled vacation did Paul and Lucy have planned, and why does Lucy end up not going?
2. What feeling is “nagging” Paul upon his undergraduate graduation, and what choice does he make in response to this feeling?
3. What degree does Paul pursue at Cambridge, and what circumstance allows for this opportunity?
Paired Resource
- This website from the American College of Surgeons, a professional medical association for surgical team members, explains the process of becoming a surgeon.
- This resource connects to the theme The Patient-Doctor Dichotomy.
- Much of Part 1 of When Breath Becomes Air focuses on Paul’s journey toward becoming a surgeon: his education, training, and residency program. How does this website help contextualize Paul’s experience and clarify the process of becoming a surgeon?
