Question

they were traveling through a part of sudan still plagued by war. the fighting and bombing were worst during the day, so salva decided that the group should hide when the sun shone and do their walking at night.
but in the darkness, it was hard to be sure they were headed in the right direction. sometimes the boys traveled for days only to realize that they had gone in a huge circle. this happened so many times that salva lost count.
they met other groups of boys, all walking south. every group had stories of terrible peril: boys who had been hurt or killed by bullets or bombs, attacked by wild animals, or left behind because they were too weak or sick to keep up.
when salva heard the stories, he thought of marial. he felt his determination growing ....
i will get us safely to kenya, he thought. no matter how hard it is.
he organized the group, giving everyone a job: scavenge for food; collect firewood; stand guard while the group slept. whatever food or water they found was shared equally among all of them. when the smaller boys grew too tired to walk, the older boys took turns carrying them on their backs.
there were times when some of the boys did not want to do their share of the work. salva would talk to them, encourage them, coax and persuade them. once in a while he had to speak sternly, or even shout. but he tried not to do this too often.
it was as if salva’s family were helping him, even though they were not there. he remembered how he had looked after his little brother, kuol. but he also knew what it felt like to have to listen to the older ones, arik and ring. and he could recall the gentleness of his sisters; the strength of his father; the care of his mother.
most of all, he remembered how uncle had encouraged him in the desert.
from linda sue park, a long walk to water. copyright 2010 by linda sue park
which of the following themes is developed in the passage?
a strong leader can unite a group of people.
helping others is more fulfilling than helping oneself.
fear and threats can motivate others.

Explanation:

To determine the theme, analyze the passage: Salva organizes the group (gives jobs, shares resources, encourages members). This shows his leadership uniting the boys. The other options don't fit: the passage doesn't emphasize helping others vs self, and Salva uses encouragement more than fear/threats.

Answer:

A. A strong leader can unite a group of people.