Signs Preceding the End of the World

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. What is Makina’s job?

2. How does Makina “have a hand in the world”?

3. Why does Makina take the train in Big Chilango?

4. For what reason did Makina’s brother leave home?

5. What gruesome sight does Makina see in the beginning of Chapter 3?

6. In Makina’s memory in Chapter 3, what was the reason for the man’s cell phone not working?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are the rules Makina lives by? Describe how these rules affect other people’s opinion of her.

2. Identify and briefly describe the three “top-dogs” that Makina visits in Chapter 1. Why does she make these visits?

3. Describe Makina’s day at the border town. Where does she stay and what does she do?

4. Who is Chucho? How does he help Makina in Chapter 2?

5. Summarize the altercation in Chapter 3. What is the outcome?

6. What is in Makina’s sack? What is her reasoning for traveling this way?

Paired Resource

“Aztec Mythology”

• This teacher-facing resource from Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute summarizes the journey of the underworld (See: Full Essay Assignment 3).
• This resource may help students to see connections to the theme of History as a Palimpsest.
• In which ways does Makina’s journey to the North parallel the Aztec myth about reaching the underworld, Mictlān?

“Diana, Hunter of Bus Drivers”

• Herrera’s 2013 article focuses on the case of a woman who killed two bus drivers in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
• This resource may help students to see connections to the themes of Violence and Racism in the Borderlands.
• How does Herrera incorporate strong women into his narratives? How does the tone and mood of this resource compare to the novel?

Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. Why does Makina feel guilty in Chapter 4?

2. Where does the old man drop her off?

3. What are the three reasons why Makina likes the “intermediary tongue” she hears in the North?

4. How does Makina describe the city she moves through as she searches for her brother?

6. What is at the address that the old man gave her?

7. Where does Makina sleep in Chapter 6?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Describe Makina’s reflections while at the supermarket. What does she determine about the patrons she observes?

2. Who is Mr. P? Why does Makina meet him?

3. Summarize the messages that Makina’s brother sent home. How does he describe life in the North?

4. Describe the circumstances under which Makina meets the woman in the restaurant. What information does she give Makina?

5. What experience makes Makina feel wishful as she heads to the military base?

Paired Resource

“A Majority of Americans Say Immigrants Mostly Fill Jobs US Citizens Do Not Want”

• Pew Research Center’s 2020 article reports the misperceptions of migrant employment in the US.
• This resource may help students to see connections to the theme of Translation and Communication.
• Based on the novel as well as the above resource, what types of jobs do migrants work in the US? How are views of both legal and undocumented immigrants similar, according to the results of the Pew Research Center’s survey?

Chapters 7-9

Reading Check

1. Why doesn’t Makina want to call the cops?

2. Why does the soldier approach Makina’s brother to talk about women?

3. What does Cora’s note say?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Describe the bargain Makina’s brother made by enlisting in the military. What was the outcome of his bargain?

2. Summarize the situation in the beginning of Chapter 8. How does Makina support the “homegrown” man? What is the result of her action?

3. Whom does Makina see in the park? Where does this person lead her?

4. What does Makina receive at the end of the novel? What is her reaction?

Recommended Next Reads 

Kingdom Cons by Yuri Herrera

• Herrera’s 2017 novel centers on the drug lord “King” whose cartel becomes his “palace.”
• A shared theme includes Violence and Racism in the Borderlands.
• Kingdom Cons treats topics of Mexico and the South and drugs and violence in a fairy-tale narrative style.

“Borders” by Thomas King

• King’s 1993 short story follows a First Nation boy and his mother’s obstacles crossing the US–Canada border; it was adapted as a graphic novel in 2021.
• The shared themes include Translation and Communication and History as a Palimpsest.
• The story considers topics of border crossing, identity, and the power of communication.
• “Borders” on SuperSummary