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LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 1 NIAS: KAMALA MARKANDAYA (PP. 10-12)
1. In which village was Kamala Markandaya born?
a. Mysuru
b. Chimakurti
c. Baliakheri
d. Amawar
e. Niloha
2. Kamala Markandaya’s father was a
a. construction laborer
b. medical doctor
c. transport officer
d. prison guard
e. college professor
3. At the age of 16, Kamala Markandaya attended
a. University of Delhi
b. University of Madras
c. Nalanda University
d. Osmania University
e. Manipal University
4. Kamala Markandaya decided to take a pen name after
first publishing
a. historical essays
b. short stories
c. personal letters
d. romantic poems
e. lyrical ballads
5. Which war prevented Kamala Markandaya from
receiving a degree?
a. World War II
b. Sino-Indian War
c. Second Boer War
d. Korean War
e. Vietnam War
6. Who was Kamala Markandaya’s husband?
a. Edward Stevens
b. Bertrand Taylor
c. Henry Kendall
d. Owen Luder
e. Arthur Erikson
7. Where did Kamala Markandaya spend MOST of her
life?
a. Pakistan
b. England
c. Ireland
d. Nepal
e. India
8. In which year did Kamala Markandaya die?
a. 2005
b. 2008
c. 2002
d. 2001
e. 2004
9. How many novels did Kamala Markandaya publish?
a. ten
b. eight
c. seven
d. nine
e. six
10. Which of Kamala Markandaya’s novels was published
FIRST?
a. Nectar in a Sieve
b. Some Inner Fury
c. A Silence of Desire
d. A Handful of Rice
e. The Nowhere Man
11. In terms of popularity, Nectar in a Sieve can BEST be
compared to
a. The Sun Also Rises
b. A Tale of Two Cities
c. The Grapes of Wrath
d. The Good Earth
e. Heart of Darkness
12. Kamala Markandaya published her last novel in
a. 1982
b. 1986
c. 1988
d. 1978
e. 1984
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 1 PAGE 2 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. Which of the following authors is NOT considered a
Commonwealth Writer?
a. Derek Walcott
b. William Golding
c. Wole Soyinka
d. Nadine Gordimer
e. Chinua Achebe
14. Wole Soyinka’s play Death and the King’s Horseman is
MOST similar to Nectar in a Sieve in that it dramatizes
a. women’s roles in a patriarchal society
b. colonialism’s effect on indigenous village life
c. a migrant group’s religious and social traditions
d. poor farmers’ living conditions
e. soldiers’ wartime sacrifices
15. Which author is BEST known for writing about difficult
relationships between mothers and daughters?
a. Salman Rushdie
b. Mulk Raj Anand
c. Jamaica Kincaid
d. R.K. Narayan
e. Raja Rao
16. A Commonwealth Writer would be LEAST likely to
explore themes of
a. migration
b. heroism
c. colonialism
d. identity
e. nationalism
17. Why did the label “Commonwealth Writers” fall out of
favor?
a. Writers did not want the label as they moved to
new locations.
b. Writers had different experiences under British
colonialism.
c. The title was viewed as derogatory.
d. Writers who used this title were not paid as
much as other writers.
e. A new label was given to writers from former
British colonies.
18. Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s native language was
a. Creole
b. Hindi
c. Lomwe
d. Gikuyu
e. Swahili
19. Which of the following words BEST describes how
Kamala Markandaya felt about English as her literary
language?
a. enthusiastic
b. unreliable
c. comfortable
d. flawless
e. dejected
20. The MOST ambiguous aspect of Nectar in a Sieve is
a. the amount of time that passes in each chapter
b. the location of the village
c. whether the events occurred before or after
independence
d. the meaning of the title
e. whether the protagonist is content with her life
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 2 NIAS: HISTORICAL CONTEXT – BRITISH COLONIALISM AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS (PP. 12-14)
1. Queen Victoria nicknamed India the
a. “jewel in the crown”
b. “emerald of the equator”
c. “land of milk and honey”
d. “pearl of the orient seas”
e. “kingdom in the sky”
2. Vasco de Gama traveled to India in order to
a. warn India about the European invasion
b. introduce the English language to Indian
villages
c. establish peace agreements
d. share the religion of Christianity
e. monopolize European access to Indian
products
3. Who chartered the British East India Company?
a. Queen Mary
b. Queen Elizabeth
c. King Charles
d. King James
e. Queen Victoria
4. When did the British government remove the East
India Company’s charter?
a. during the construction of the Taj Mahal
b. after the Indian Rebellion of 1857
c. before the Battle of Plassey
d. after the first Indian National Congress
meeting
e. during World War I
5. A zamindarship was a(n)
a. legalized system of tax farming
b. temporary rank of the military
c. official document of colonial rights
d. organized petition of the rural poor
e. funded voyage of the aristocracy
6. Who wrote “Minute on Indian Education”?
a. George Bernard Shaw
b. Arthur Conan Doyle
c. Thomas Babington Macaulay
d. Lewis Bernstein Namier
e. Frances Hodgson Burnett
7. Where did Mahatma Gandhi FIRST question the
unfair British colonial system?
a. Saudi Arabia
b. Ethiopia
c. South Africa
d. Cambodia
e. Algeria
8. The colonial education system in India focused
MOST on
a. science
b. literacy
c. mathematics
d. economics
e. history
9. The dominant religion of India is
a. Hinduism
b. Jainism
c. Sikhism
d. Buddhism
e. Islam
10. India became an independent nation in
a. 1943
b. 1950
c. 1945
d. 1947
e. 1948
11. The Partition of India led to a division between
a. Bangladesh and Pakistan
b. India and Pakistan
c. India and Bangladesh
d. Pakistan and Nepal
e. Nepal and India
12. Which conflict MAINLY fueled the Partition of
India?
a. political disputes
b. language barriers
c. ethnic diversities
d. religious differences
e. educational philosophies
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 2 PAGE 4 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. Diwali is known as the Festival of
a. Prayer
b. Stars
c. Life
d. Lights
e. Colors
14. Which god is MOST likely celebrated during
Deepavali in Nectar in a Sieve?
a. Rama
b. Krishna
c. Matsya
d. Kalki
e. Balarama
15. British colonialists helped codify the Hindu
a. reincarnation process
b. sacred texts
c. system of deities
d. caste system
e. devotional rules
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 3 NIAS: HISTORICAL CONTEXT – RURAL POVERTY AND WOMEN’S ROLES (PP. 14-15)
1. On an Indian bride’s wedding day, her family was
expected to
a. provide a monetary wedding gift
b. find a new house for the husband and wife
c. locate a new job for the husband
d. prepare the wedding dress
e. share their land with the new relatives
2. Approximately how many people died of starvation
from the 1943 famine of Bengal?
a. 1,500,000
b. 5,000,000
c. 4,500,000
d. 2,000,000
e. 3,000,000
3. How did Indian farmers earn money to pay their annual
rent to landowners?
a. building government infrastructure
b. harvesting and selling crops
c. collecting rent from subtenants
d. seeking jobs in cities
e. selling artisanal wares
4. Under British colonization, landowners relied on their
tenants’ rent to
a. pay taxes
b. tithe to the temples
c. purchase land
d. support their families
e. buy food
5. Which term BEST describes the indirect rule of the
British in India?
a. hawala
b. zamindarship
c. satyagraha
d. adibasi
e. diwani
6. In Nectar in a Sieve, which event BEST illustrates the
effects of industrialization?
a. the tannery’s arrival
b. the hospital’s construction
c. the bank’s opening
d. the church’s construction
e. the school’s closing
7. Which group of people earns the HIGHEST wages in
Nectar in a Sieve?
a. school teachers
b. tannery workers
c. newspaper writers
d. tenant farmers
e. village merchants
8. In rural Indian society under British colonialism, a
farming family’s male child would be LEAST likely to
a. stay on the land and work
b. move to a city to do basic labor
c. leave his village and never return
d. become an indentured servant in another
country
e. find employment in a new industry
9. Which commodity do Nathan and Ruku cultivate in
Nectar in a Sieve?
a. corn
b. bananas
c. rice
d. coffee
e. sugar
10. Which of the following economic systems does Nectar
in a Sieve BEST illustrate?
a. socialism
b. syndicalism
c. libertarianism
d. capitalism
e. feudalism
11. A commodity can BEST be defined as a(n)
a. good that is produced by hand
b. resource found in rural areas
c. object with an exchange value
d. necessity for survival
e. gift given to a volunteer
12. To a landowner, the ultimate purpose of rice is to
a. share with neighbors
b. create capital
c. forge trade bonds
d. feed his family
e. save for celebrations
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 3 PAGE 6 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. Into which caste was Kamala Markandaya born?
a. Vaishya
b. Shudra
c. Brahmin
d. Kshatriya
e. Dalit
14. The MOST important aspect of an Indian woman’s life
was her
a. religion
b. fertility
c. daughters
d. loyalty
e. job
15. A dowry is a(n)
a. article of clothing worn by a bride
b. payment given to a husband’s family
c. type of food made for a wedding
d. item given to a bride for her home
e. tool used to cultivate the land
16. Family life in rural India was MOST often based on
a. ethnicity
b. caste
c. religion
d. wealth
e. kinship
17. Which of the following responsibilities would a woman
living in colonial India MOST likely fulfill?
a. cultivating the land
b. cleaning the house
c. finding a husband
d. working in a factory
e. voting in an election
18. Indira Gandhi was MOST exceptional for
a. providing food to the poor
b. introducing a new religion
c. helping end colonialism
d. discovering a cure for typhoid
e. participating in politics
19. Traditionally, Indian women were expected to
a. organize their village religious ceremonies
b. work in the field with their husbands and sons
c. find their own husbands during village
gatherings
d. leave their birth families and join their husbands
e. provide income for their families
20. In Nectar in a Sieve, Ira’s husband rejects her for her
a. inability to conceive
b. refusal to sell their land
c. murder of their neighbor
d. indiscretion with another man
e. failure to find work
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 4 NIAS: PLOT SYNOPSIS AND SETTING (PP. 15-16)
1. Who narrates Nectar in a Sieve?
a. Ira
b. Rukmani
c. Kuti
d. Kunthi
e. Janaki
2. Who does Rukmani marry?
a. Nathan
b. Kenny
c. Puli
d. Biswas
e. Arjun
3. How old is Rukmani on her wedding day?
a. 14
b. 16
c. 12
d. 15
e. 13
4. For how many years after she gives birth to a daughter
is Rukmani infertile?
a. five
b. eight
c. seven
d. four
e. six
5. Rukmani’s husband is a
a. farmer
b. shaman
c. merchant
d. priest
e. builder
6. Rukmani gives birth to
a. five sons and four daughters
b. four sons and three daughters
c. six sons and one daughter
d. seven sons and two daughters
e. eight sons and three daughters
7. Which of the following events has the largest economic
impact on Rukmani’s village?
a. the village elder’s death
b. the tannery’s construction
c. women’s rights
d. a new religion’s arrival
e. the hospital’s opening
8. Which character is rejected by her husband in Nectar in
a Sieve?
a. Ira
b. Ruku
c. Kunthi
d. Janaki
e. Old Granny
9. Two of Rukmani’s sons leave their village to
a. search for wives
b. fight in a war
c. get jobs
d. find a doctor
e. look for their brother
10. The country of Ceylon is presently known by the name
a. Nepal
b. Sri Lanka
c. Bangladesh
d. China
e. Pakistan
11. A tannery official kills one of Rukmani’s sons because
he
a. is caught stealing
b. starts a petition
c. asks for higher pay
d. tries to burn down the tannery
e. is late for work
12. Which of Rukmani’s sons is apprenticed to Kenny?
a. Selvam
b. Arjun
c. Raja
d. Thambi
e. Murugan
13. How does Rukmani’s youngest son die?
a. disease
b. starvation
c. drowning
d. murder
e. suicide
14. Rukmani and Nathan leave their village to
a. reunite with their parents
b. seek help for their daughter
c. work at a tannery
d. find their son
e. escape the flood
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 4 PAGE 8 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
15. Rukmani adopts
a. Puli
b. Kuti
c. Murugan
d. Sacrabani
e. Raja
16. Which language do the characters in Nectar in a Sieve
speak?
a. Oriya
b. Kannada
c. Telugu
d. Tamil
e. Marathi
17. In which geographical region of India is Nectar in a
Sieve set?
a. east
b. central
c. south
d. west
e. north
18. Kamala Markandaya chose NOT to specify a location
for Nectar in a Sieve because she
a. did not have direct knowledge of the area
b. did not want to attract people to the region
c. wanted to leave the reader questioning
d. wanted to emphasize the story’s universality
e. wanted to protect her hometown village
19. All of the following clues indicate the possible time
period for Nectar in a Sieve EXCEPT the
a. mention of indentured labor
b. power of white men
c. social role of zamindars
d. names of local villages
e. presence of capitalism
20. After Rukmani and Nathan travel to the city to find
Murugan, Rukmani
a. receives money from her fourth son
b. sends money to her village friends
c. decides to live at the temple
d. plans to build a new hut in her village
e. returns home with an adopted son
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 5 NIAS: CHAPTERS 1-15 (PP. 16-19)
1. The narrative point of view in Nectar in a Sieve is
a. third-person omniscient
b. second-person
c. alternating person
d. first-person
e. third-person
2. The first sentence in Chapter 1 of Nectar in a Sieve
indicates
a. Ira had a baby
b. Ruku adopted Puli
c. Ruku is pregnant
d. Kenny is a doctor
e. Ruku’s husband is dead
3. Who is Ruku describing when she says, “the child I
clung to who was not mine”?
a. Arjun
b. Kuti
c. Puli
d. Raja
e. Sacrabani
4. In the first few paragraphs of Nectar in a Sieve, Ruku
a. reflects on how she learned to read and write
b. describes the interior of her childhood home
c. shares her experiences of getting her first job
d. remembers how her mother prepared food
e. recalls her own childhood with her sisters
5. Why does Ruku marry a poor tenant farmer?
a. They were introduced by her grandmother.
b. She is granted some land to farm.
c. She meets him at the temple.
d. Her family lacks a dowry for her.
e. Her father meets him in a field.
6. Ruku and Nathan’s marriage is described as
a. “the golden partners”
b. “an unhappy coincidence”
c. “a poor match”
d. “a perfect pair”
e. “the lucky ones”
7. Which action comforts Ruku while she is pregnant?
a. painting
b. dancing
c. singing
d. sewing
e. writing
8. Ruku is MOST disappointed at her first child’s birth
since the child is
a. fatherless
b. albino
c. sick
d. female
e. starving
9. Ruku FIRST visits Kennington to
a. proposition him
b. see if he has jobs for her sons
c. find a cure for her infertility
d. seek help for her ill mother
e. ask for food to feed her family
10. Which character in Nectar in a Sieve says, “bend like the
grass that you do not break”?
a. Kenny
b. Ruku
c. Nathan
d. Ira
e. Old Granny
11. Who is the “matchmaker” in Nectar in a Sieve?
a. Ruku
b. Old Granny
c. Janaki
d. Kenny
e. Kunthi
12. The same year Ira is married, Ruku’s village is
a. renamed for political reasons
b. rioted by tannery workers
c. attacked by foreigners
d. burned to the ground
e. destroyed by a monsoon
13. Kenny is MOST angry with Ruku and the villagers
because they
a. dislike the tannery
b. do not want the hospital
c. do not ask for help
d. do not accept him
e. beg him for money
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 5 PAGE 10 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
14. Who are the FIRST villagers to work in the tannery?
a. Puli’s parents
b. Ruku’s neighbors
c. Kunthi’s sons
d. Kenny’s workers
e. Selvam’s friends
15. Why does Janaki’s family leave the village?
a. Kenny gives her family land.
b. Kunthi attacks her and her family.
c. She connects with her parents in the city.
d. Her sons hear about jobs in another country.
e. Her husband closes his shop.
16. The indigenous villagers in Nectar in a Sieve are
a. Hindu
b. Jain
c. Buddhist
d. Muslim
e. Christian
17. Ira’s husband returns her to her family after he finds
out she
a. is dying of starvation
b. wants to return home
c. bears an albino child
d. has been unfaithful
e. cannot conceive children
18. Which of Ruku’s sons MOST openly rebels against
tenant farming?
a. Selvam
b. Raja
c. Thambi
d. Kuti
e. Arjun
19. In Chapter 11 of Nectar in a Sieve, Nathan leaves the
village to
a. see a doctor
b. sell rice
c. find his son
d. buy land
e. attend a funeral
20. Kunthi’s attire in Chapter 11 of Nectar in a Sieve
suggests she is
a. attending to the land
b. joining the tannery
c. traveling far from home
d. going to the temple
e. working as a prostitute
21. Why does Ruku attack Kunthi on her way home from
visiting Kenny?
a. Kunthi criticizes Ira’s son for being albino.
b. Kunthi has been influencing Ira to become a
prostitute.
c. Ruku discovers Kunthi has been visiting Kenny.
d. Ruku catches Kunthi stealing rice from her
house.
e. Kunthi threatens to tell Nathan that Ruku has
been unfaithful.
22. Which event in Nectar in a Sieve brings the MOST
happiness to Ruku and her family?
a. the festival of Deepavali
b. Sacrabani’s birth
c. the hospital’s construction
d. the tannery’s arrival
e. Sivaji’s visit
23. Who is Kuti’s primary caregiver?
a. Kali
b. Old Granny
c. Janaki
d. Ruku
e. Ira
24. Arjun and Thambi travel to Ceylon to
a. find their brother
b. open a hospital
c. become rice farmers
d. work on tea plantations
e. join the military
25. Raja trespasses on the tannery property to
a. start a riot
b. steal a skin
c. kill an officer
d. destroy the tannery
e. find his brother
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 6 NIAS: CHAPTERS 16-30 (PP. 19-21)
1. In Chapter 16 of Nectar in a Sieve, which character does
Ruku think is sneaking around her family’s hut at night?
a. Kali
b. Kunthi
c. Janaki
d. Sivaji
e. Kenny
2. Ira becomes a prostitute in order to
a. become pregnant
b. buy food for Kuti
c. give money to Ruku
d. find a man to marry
e. buy her own house
3. Kuti dies within weeks of
a. the hospital’s completion
b. his mother’s birthday
c. the tannery’s opening
d. an abundant harvest
e. a devastating monsoon
4. Which of Ruku’s sons does Kenny decide to train as his
apprentice?
a. Sacrabani
b. Selvam
c. Raja
d. Arjun
e. Thambi
5. Kenny plans to use the funds he has raised to
a. open a factory
b. organize a festival
c. extend a market
d. start a church
e. construct a hospital
6. Ruku does not understand the purpose of
a. asking for help
b. fighting with Ira
c. sleeping late
d. working so hard
e. singing psalms
7. Sacrabani’s MOST unusual feature is his
a. birthmark
b. obesity
c. albinism
d. blindness
e. missing thumb
8. The father of Ira’s son is
a. dead
b. a temple priest
c. unknown
d. a landowner
e. a doctor
9. Which of the following statements does Selvam make
about Ira’s son?
a. “He looks peculiar.”
b. “A lovely child. Fair as a blossom.”
c. “People say he is milk white!”
d. “A pink-eyed child is no worse than a brown-
eyed one.”
e. “One day he will look like everyone else.”
10. The hospital’s opening in Nectar in a Sieve is prolonged
by
a. insufficient funds
b. construction delays
c. lack of treatment
d. a worker shortage
e. flood damages
11. Old Granny’s death in Nectar in a Sieve is caused by
a. pneumonia
b. starvation
c. old age
d. cancer
e. suicide
12. Which of the following words BEST describes how Ruku
feels when Old Granny dies?
a. envious
b. guilty
c. jubilant
d. cynical
e. furious
13. Ruku claims the FIRST sign of her community’s demise
was
a. the hospital’s construction
b. the tannery’s arrival
c. the monsoon
d. her son’s death
e. the birth of Ira’s son
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 6 PAGE 12 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
14. Which character offers to take care of Ira and
Sacrabani?
a. Thambi
b. Arjun
c. Nathan
d. Selvam
e. Kenny
15. After leaving their land, Nathan and Ruku
a. rent land from their neighbors
b. build a hut in a different village
c. search for their son in the city
d. attempt to destroy the tannery
e. work at the hospital
16. Nathan and Ruku travel to the city on a
a. bullock cart
b. cycle rickshaw
c. horse
d. train
e. palanquin
17. All of the following statements about Ruku and
Nathan’s journey to the city are false EXCEPT that they
a. do not notify their son they are coming
b. accidentally separate from each other in the
village
c. offer rice to the villagers traveling with them
d. argue with the driver for charging them too
much
e. plan to rest along the way at Ruku’s mother’s
house
18. On their first night in the city, Ruku and Nathan find
food and rest in a
a. mill
b. barn
c. tavern
d. hut
e. temple
19. On their first night in the temple, why does Nathan
NOT get in line for food?
a. Ruku does not think he should eat.
b. He is ashamed to be there.
c. Ruku offers to get it for him.
d. His leg is broken.
e. He is too sick to stand.
20. Which of the following items is taken from Ruku’s sari
the first night she and Nathan stay at the temple?
a. rice
b. a bracelet
c. money
d. a letter
e. a pan
21. Upon arriving at the doctor’s house, Nathan and Ruku
discover
a. Murugan died from starvation
b. the doctor sent Murugan to Ruku’s village
c. Murugan works at the tannery
d. the doctor is an Englishman
e. Murugan no longer workers there
22. Who is Murugan’s wife?
a. Aditi
b. Ahsan
c. Amala
d. Ammu
e. Abha
23. How does Ruku try to make money at the temple?
a. cutting hair
b. reading letters
c. cooking food
d. making jewelry
e. stitching clothes
24. Ruku, Nathan, and Puli work together at a(n)
a. rock quarry
b. sewing workshop
c. tea plantation
d. fish market
e. rice paddy
25. Which of the following statements BEST describes the
ending of Nectar in a Sieve?
a. Ruku establishes her life in the city with Puli.
b. Nathan and Ruku return to their village with
Murugan’s family.
c. Murugan builds a house for Ruku.
d. Ruku lives with her son in the city.
e. Ruku returns home to her village.
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 7 NIAS: CHARACTERS (PP. 21-22)
1. Who narrates Nectar in a Sieve?
a. Janaki
b. Kali
c. Nathan
d. Ruku
e. Ira
2. Ruku learns how to read and write from her
a. brother
b. grandmother
c. mother
d. uncle
e. father
3. Where does Nathan die?
a. at a city temple
b. on the road
c. near a river
d. in the tannery
e. in their village
4. Ruku’s role as a wife and a mother can BEST be
described as
a. callous
b. ashamed
c. devoted
d. selfish
e. hopeless
5. Who is Ruku’s husband?
a. Biswas
b. Selvam
c. Nathan
d. Kenny
e. Murugan
6. Which of the following words does NOT describe
Nathan?
a. faithful
b. affectionate
c. caring
d. hardworking
e. patient
7. Nathan is a(n)
a. artisan
b. builder
c. shaman
d. farmer
e. merchant
8. In whose arms does Nathan die?
a. Murugan’s
b. Puli’s
c. Ruku’s
d. Selvam’s
e. Kenny’s
9. Kenny spends MOST of his time
a. helping the villagers
b. finding a job
c. cultivating the land
d. building a hospital
e. organizing tannery workers
10. Which character in Nectar in a Sieve represents the
Western philanthropist?
a. Old Granny
b. Sacrabani
c. Ruku
d. Nathan
e. Kenny
11. Who is Ruku’s firstborn child?
a. Arjun
b. Irawaddy
c. Murugan
d. Raja
e. Thambi
12. Which two characters lead a strike at the tannery?
a. Raja and Selvam
b. Arjun and Thambi
c. Thambi and Raja
d. Arjun and Raja
e. Selvam and Thambi
13. Murugan and his wife have
a. two sons and one daughter
b. three sons
c. two daughters and one son
d. one daughter
e. one son
14. Which character is killed by the tannery guards?
a. Kuti
b. Arjun
c. Raja
d. Selvam
e. Thambi
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 7 PAGE 14 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
15. At the end of Nectar in a Sieve, Selvam
a. leaves to work in Ceylon
b. welcomes Ruku and Puli home
c. finds Ruku in the city
d. saves Kuti’s life
e. leaves his wife and children
16. Ira is a mother figure for
a. Puli and Raja
b. Kuti and Sacrabani
c. Sacrabani and Murugan
d. Arjun and Kuti
e. Thambi and Arjun
17. All of the following statements about Puli are true
EXCEPT that he
a. steals Ruku’s money
b. helps Ruku and Nathan
c. is a smart orphan
d. travels to Ruku’s village
e. suffers from leprosy
18. Which of the following statements about Kunthi is
TRUE?
a. Old Granny is her mother.
b. She is close to Kenny.
c. Her sons start trouble at the tannery.
d. She is Kuti’s mother.
e. She works as a prostitute.
19. Which of the following characters is NOT Ruku’s friend?
a. Old Granny
b. Janaki
c. Kunthi
d. Kenny
e. Kali
20. Which of the following items would Old Granny MOST
likely sell?
a. berries
b. bracelets
c. saris
d. pottery
e. fish
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 8 NIAS: THEMES – TITLE THROUGH TEMPORALITY (PP. 22-24)
1. The title and epigraph of Nectar in a Sieve are taken
from the poem
a. “Frost at Midnight”
b. “Fears in Solitude”
c. “Work Without Hope”
d. “A Vision in a Dream”
e. “The Watchman”
2. In Nectar in a Sieve, Kamala Markandaya incorporates
lines written by
a. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
b. Alfred Lord Tennyson
c. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
d. Elizabeth Barrett Browning
e. Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. A sieve is a(n)
a. needle used to inject medicine
b. type of skin rash caused by allergies
c. enclosed structure occupied by honey bees
d. tool used to nourish soil in fields
e. device used to separate liquids and solids
4. Nectar is associated with all of the following elements
EXCEPT
a. life
b. wealth
c. beauty
d. joy
e. reproduction
5. The title of Nectar in a Sieve contains
a. alliteration
b. an oxymoron
c. a metaphor
d. personification
e. a simile
6. In “Work Without Hope” the speaker discusses the
power of
a. nature
b. technology
c. science
d. education
e. dreams
7. Who is the “sole unbusy thing” in “Work Without
Hope”?
a. a slug
b. a bee
c. the speaker
d. a bird
e. the stream
8. Which of the following words BEST describes the
speaker’s tone in the final couplet of “Work Without
Hope”?
a. sarcastic
b. bitter
c. anxious
d. lethargic
e. resentful
9. The epigraph of Nectar in a Sieve is MOST different
from typical epigraphs in that it
a. shares information about the main characters
b. is placed at the end rather than the beginning
c. is written by someone other than the author
d. summarizes the plot in a short paragraph
e. raises questions rather than answering them
10. When Ruku says, “how grateful I am that not all the
clamor which invaded our lives later could subdue the
memory or still the longing for it,” she is referring to
a. Puli’s adoption
b. her marriage
c. Kuti’s death
d. the tannery
e. Nathan’s death
11. All of the following statements concerning Ruku’s
narration in Nectar in a Sieve are true EXCEPT that she
a. reflects on her past actions and decisions
b. turns to the past for comfort
c. describes her unhappiness at living alone
d. shares her feelings of disappointment
e. intentionally excludes certain events in her life
12. Which of the following moments in Nectar in a Sieve is
the MOST ambiguous?
a. the location of Arjun and Thambi’s new job
b. Nathan’s reasoning for giving Kunthi his family’s
rice
c. Kenny’s treatment of Ruku’s infertility
d. Ira’s reason for turning to prostitution
e. the cause of Raja’s death at the tannery
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 8 PAGE 16 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. Which character does Ruku dream about in the
opening passages of Nectar in a Sieve?
a. Nathan
b. Kuti
c. Murugan
d. Old Granny
e. Puli
14. Which of Ruku’s memories is the MOST vivid?
a. her daughter’s wedding
b. her experiences at the quarry
c. her lost family members
d. her journey to the city
e. the tannery’s destruction
15. Which of the following statements BEST describes how
Ruku feels about her life?
a. She confuses present with past events.
b. She enjoys the present more than the past.
c. She envisions her future choices.
d. She regrets decisions she made in the past.
e. She cherishes the past more than the present.
16. To whom does Ruku refer when she says, “So they were
reconciled and threw the past away with both hands”?
a. Janaki and Kali
b. Kali and Old Granny
c. Kunthi and Janaki
d. Old Granny and Ira
e. Ira and Kunthi
17. Which memory does Ruku describe as “hard and bright
within me like a diamond”?
a. Puli’s adoption
b. Nathan’s death
c. the tannery’s construction
d. Sacrabani’s birth
e. the festival of Deepavali
18. The ending of Nectar in a Sieve
a. includes a theme-related poem
b. takes the reader back to the beginning
c. stops abruptly with unclear conclusions
d. implies that the story was a dream
e. asks the reader a question
19. Which event would MOST express a sense of futility in
Nectar in a Sieve?
a. the tannery’s destruction
b. Murugan’s return home
c. the village’s destruction
d. the end of colonialism in India
e. Ruku’s death
20. At the end of Nectar in a Sieve, Ruku promises to
a. share her story
b. find her children
c. start a new life
d. move to the city
e. pray for her village
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 9 NIAS: THEMES – CRITIQUES OF COLONIALISM THROUGH THE FRIENDSHIP (PP. 24-30)
1. Nectar in a Sieve is MOST likely set in
a. western India
b. southern India
c. eastern India
d. central India
e. northern India
2. Which of the following human emotions is LEAST
present in Nectar in a Sieve?
a. endurance
b. suffering
c. joy
d. pain
e. anger
3. Which of the following factors seems MOST to affect
Ruku’s life in the opening passages of Nectar in a
Sieve?
a. colonialism
b. family arguments
c. dangerous animals
d. food shortages
e. natural disasters
4. As a child, Ruku dreams about
a. writing a book
b. traveling the world
c. living in a castle
d. having a wedding
e. finding a treasure chest
5. Ruku’s father is a(n)
a. collector
b. architect
c. lawyer
d. doctor
e. chief
6. Which character tells Ruku that the headman “is no
longer of consequence”?
a. her brother
b. her husband
c. her sister
d. her mother
e. her grandfather
7. Which literary element is MOST apparent in Ruku’s
statement, “the change that now came into my life […]
seemed wrought in the twinkling of any eye”?
a. foreshadowing
b. simile
c. alliteration
d. onomatopoeia
e. allusion
8. All of the following statements about the tannery in
Nectar in a Sieve are true EXCEPT that it
a. is economically devastating
b. changes native traditions
c. contaminates the water
d. pollutes the land
e. alters family structures
9. The MOST extensive empire in world history was the
a. Mongol Empire
b. Spanish Empire
c. British Empire
d. Russian Empire
e. Ottoman Empire
10. Who is the village tanner before the tannery is
constructed in Nectar in a Sieve?
a. Kuti
b. Kunthi
c. Kennington
d. Kannan
e. Kannada
11. Which action does Nathan believe people should take
when the tannery arrives in Nectar in a Sieve?
a. migrate to another city
b. fight the tannery workers
c. cry out for help
d. refuse to work
e. adapt to the changes
12. According to Ruku in Nectar in a Sieve, which three
forces control women?
a. technology, women, and white men
b. white men, technology, and children
c. men, children, and the land
d. women, technology, and events
e. white men, other men, and events
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 9 PAGE 18 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. Which character in Nectar in a Sieve refers to the
villagers as “meek suffering fools”?
a. Murugan
b. Kenny
c. Biswas
d. Amma
e. Sivaji
14. Ruku FIRST understands how events in her life are
connected when
a. Ira gives birth to Sacrabani
b. Arjun and Thambi migrate to Ceylon
c. Nathan dies at the temple
d. Old Granny dies in the street
e. Murugan leaves home for the city
15. Ruku compares the tannery to
a. a prison
b. weeds
c. viruses
d. fire
e. a snake
16. Throughout Nectar in a Sieve, Ruku and Kenny struggle
to
a. understand each other
b. cultivate their land
c. communicate in English
d. fall in love
e. work together
17. Which item does Ruku collect from the fields to use as
protection for her family’s hut?
a. manure
b. grass
c. rocks
d. bones
e. sticks
18. All of the following statements about Kenny are true
EXCEPT that he
a. speaks the villagers’ local language
b. supports modernization
c. is a white male doctor
d. disappears for years at a time
e. lives in the village with his wife and children
19. In Chapter 12 of Nectar in a Sieve, Kenny’s description
of his family invokes images of
a. marriage
b. slavery
c. heaven
d. rebirth
e. nature
20. When Kenny says, “I can only take you people in small
doses,” he is referring to
a. the tannery workers
b. his family
c. the villagers
d. the tax collectors
e. his patients
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 10 NIAS: THEMES – SUFFERING (PP. 30-34)
1. Nectar in a Sieve could BEST be described as
a. misleading
b. depressing
c. critical
d. spiritual
e. fantastical
2. Which task gives Ruku the MOST pleasure in the early
years of her marriage?
a. nurturing her garden
b. fixing the family’s hut
c. talking to her neighbors
d. cooking for her children
e. working at the store
3. According to Ruku, life is
a. senseless
b. regenerative
c. multifaceted
d. extraordinary
e. diminutive
4. While working outside, Ruku accidentally touches a
a. snake
b. frog
c. cockroach
d. spider
e. mouse
5. Which two forces MAINLY shape the villagers’ lives in
Nectar in a Sieve?
a. hope and fear
b. captivity and freedom
c. generosity and greed
d. strength and weakness
e. pride and shame
6. In Chapter 7 of Nectar in a Sieve, Ruku compares nature
to a(n)
a. dream
b. animal
c. machine
d. heart
e. toy
7. In Nectar in a Sieve, the villagers play drums after
a. the tannery’s construction
b. a drought
c. a storm
d. a missionary’s arrival
e. the hospital’s opening
8. Kamala Markandaya urges readers of Nectar in a Sieve
to consider the relationship between
a. dishonesty and marriage
b. work and a person’s perceived value
c. collective and individual experiences
d. colonialism and rural village life
e. natural disasters and the environment
9. According to Ruku, crying out for help is useless
without
a. reciprocity
b. money
c. honesty
d. family
e. vulnerability
10. Ruku fears Ira will suffer the same fate as
a. Ammu
b. Kali
c. Janaki
d. Kunthi
e. Old Granny
11. Throughout Nectar in a Sieve, Ruku
a. fights an internal battle against pain
b. is dissatisfied with life in the village
c. cries out for help during difficult moments
d. wishes to live with Kenny in the city
e. refuses to accept her suffering
12. For Deepavali, Ruku buys her children
a. blankets
b. fireworks
c. rice cakes
d. books
e. medicine
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 10 PAGE 20 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. Which of the following terms BEST describes Nathan’s
behavior at Deepavali?
a. carefree
b. impatient
c. furious
d. nervous
e. suspicious
14. On the evening of Deepavali, Nathan and Ruku
a. steal food for their family
b. travel to the city
c. take their children to the doctor
d. conceive their last child
e. watch men build the tannery
15. The line “the truth is unpalatable” FIRST appears in
Nectar in a Sieve when
a. Kuti dies of starvation
b. Ira tells Ruku she is a prostitute
c. tannery officials bring Raja’s body to Ruku
d. Kenny tells Ruku her mother will die
e. tax collectors seek money from the villagers
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 11 NIAS: RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN WOMEN THROUGH RECEPTION AND LITERARY CRITICISM (PP. 34-38)
1. Which of the following social structures is MOST
evident in Nectar in a Sieve?
a. Women are in power, while men pay the rent.
b. Men and women work together and are both in
power.
c. Men are in power, while women are excluded
from it.
d. Men are in power, while women work on the
land.
e. Men have most power, but women gain power
over time.
2. Which of the following terms BEST describes Ruku’s
relationship with other women?
a. suspicious
b. dishonest
c. loyal
d. complex
e. direct
3. Which of the following children does NOT provide
support for the family?
a. Thambi
b. Ira
c. Selvam
d. Murugan
e. Arjun
4. Which character is Ruku’s foil in Nectar in a Sieve?
a. Old Granny
b. Janaki
c. Kunthi
d. Kali
e. Ira
5. Which of the following statements about the portrayal
of women in Nectar in a Sieve is FALSE?
a. Women lack power in society.
b. Women who cannot conceive are useless.
c. Women share a universal sisterhood.
d. Women depend on men for survival.
e. Women provide dowries for men.
6. In which year was Nectar in a Sieve published?
a. 1954
b. 1962
c. 1947
d. 1982
e. 1943
7. Which award did the American Library Association give
Nectar in a Sieve?
a. Must Read
b. Universal Novel
c. Best Seller
d. Unforgettable Story
e. Notable Book
8. Nectar in a Sieve is BEST classified as
a. fantasy narrative
b. social realism
c. adventure nonfiction
d. historical drama
e. western fiction
9. Public school curriculum writers view Nectar in a Sieve
MAINLY as
a. mostly harmless
b. completely innocent
c. extremely offensive
d. slightly precarious
e. reasonably safe
10. Readers of Nectar in a Sieve would MOST likely
overlook the
a. misery of starvation
b. critiques of colonialism
c. significance of family
d. importance of fertility
e. portrayal of women
11. Which event in Nectar in a Sieve MOST catalyzes Ruku’s
friendship with Kenny?
a. Her mother passes away.
b. She is unable to conceive.
c. The tannery arrives in the village.
d. She discovers Nathan’s infidelity.
e. Ira is unable to conceive.
12. When Ira is a baby, Ruku is MOST proud of her
daughter’s
a. curiosity
b. strength
c. beauty
d. intelligence
e. gender
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 11 PAGE 22 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. Which term BEST describes Nathan’s feeling about Ira’s
maternal behavior towards Kuti in Nectar in a Sieve?
a. angry
b. content
c. jealous
d. indifferent
e. suspicious
14. Ira’s status as an unmarried woman at the end of
Nectar in a Sieve makes her
a. vulnerable
b. marriageable
c. invaluable
d. untouchable
e. desirable
15. All of the following terms describe Ruku’s response to
Ira’s prostitution EXCEPT
a. judgmental
b. pragmatic
c. compassionate
d. sad
e. disappointed
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 12 “QUIT INDIA” SPEECH: GANDHI THROUGH CONFLICT IN INDIA (PP. 39-43)
1. In which city was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi born?
a. Rajkot
b. Mumbai
c. Baroda
d. Ahmedabad
e. Porbandar
2. Where did Mohandas Gandhi study law?
a. Rome
b. Madrid
c. Budapest
d. London
e. Berlin
3. In which country did Mohandas Gandhi work for 21
years?
a. Algeria
b. Morocco
c. South Africa
d. Ethiopia
e. Ghana
4. Mohandas Gandhi was prompted to speak out against
apartheid after he was
a. removed from a train car reserved only for white
people
b. not allowed to join a particular branch of the
military
c. arrested for helping a black man get a job
d. required to relocate his family to another town
e. forced to work on the land rather than at an
industry
5. Mohandas Gandhi’s approach to end apartheid is BEST
described as
a. racist
b. hypocritical
c. authoritarian
d. nonviolent
e. traditional
6. In his book Hind Swaraj, Mohandas Gandhi
a. criticizes Western modernity
b. analyzes India’s independence
c. explains his Indian childhood
d. discusses the partition of India
e. describes the causes of World War II
7. The term “Mahatma” means
a. political figure
b. victorious one
c. strong leader
d. powerful ruler
e. great soul
8. In 1921, Mohandas Gandhi became a member of the
a. Telugu Desam Party
b. Association of Young Indians
c. Communist Party of India
d. Bahujan Samaj Party
e. Indian National Congress
9. The term swaraj means
a. self-esteem
b. self-respect
c. self-rule
d. self-sacrifice
e. self-reliant
10. Which term did Mohandas Gandhi give individuals at
the bottom of the Indian caste system?
a. Harijans
b. Shudras
c. Brahmins
d. Kshatriyas
e. Vaishyas
11. Mohandas Gandhi was referred to as
a. gita
b. ajit
c. hari
d. bapu
e. devika
12. Who gave Mohandas Gandhi the title “Father of the
Nation”?
a. Subhas Chandra Bose
b. Harivansh Rai Bachchan
c. Lal Bahadur Shastri
d. Vaikom Muhammad Basheer
e. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
13. Which three tenets form the basis of Satyagraha?
a. self-suffering, truth, and nonviolence
b. truth, nonviolence, and self-suffering
c. truth, passion, and honesty
d. strength, confidence, and understanding
e. nonviolence, confidence, and compassion
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 12 PAGE 24 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
14. All of the following statements about Satyagraha are
true EXCEPT that it
a. encourages a person to understand the world
through spirituality
b. focuses on a person’s moral standards
c. implies a quest for truth through any means
necessary
d. requires a person to practice self-restraint
e. is the key principle in Gandhi’s “Quit India”
speech
15. Which name was given to Mohandas Gandhi’s
nonviolent action campaign of tax resistance?
a. Aligarh Movement
b. Indian Rebellion
c. Green Revolution
d. Salt March
e. Hind Affair
16. Which British Prime Minister sent Sir Richard Stafford
Cripps to initiate negotiations with Mohandas Gandhi?
a. Harold Wilson
b. Clement Attlee
c. Neville Chamberlain
d. Winston Churchill
e. Stanley Baldwin
17. Who was the founder of Pakistan?
a. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
b. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
c. Shankar Dayal Sharma
d. Liaquat Ali Khan
e. Abul Kalam Azad
18. The Cripps Mission encouraged Indian leaders to
a. publicly support the British government
b. preserve the culture of India
c. revise the Indian caste system
d. take control of the British trade route
e. combine the Indian and English languages
19. In his “Quit India” speech, Mohandas Gandhi urges
Indians to
a. “gather or separate”
b. “go or stop”
c. “cheer or cry”
d. “walk or run”
e. “do or die”
20. The Indian nationalist movement called for self-
government within the British Empire, otherwise known
as
a. “Free Rein”
b. “Open Territory”
c. “Home Rule”
d. “Safe Zone”
e. “Full Swing”
21. Where were Mohandas Gandhi and his wife imprisoned
in 1942?
a. Konark Sun Temple
b. Ahmednagar Fort
c. Chennai Prison
d. Musheerabard Jail
e. Aga Khan Palace
22. Who was India’s FIRST Prime Minister?
a. Narendra Modi
b. Morarji Desai
c. Gulzarilal Nanda
d. Jawaharlal Nehru
e. Chandra Shekhar
23. Which two countries resulted from the Partition of
India?
a. Pakistan and India
b. Nepal and Pakistan
c. India and Nepal
d. Afghanistan and Pakistan
e. India and Afghanistan
24. Ram Janmabhoomi is located in
a. Azamgarh
b. Achalpur
c. Achhnera
d. Alappuzha
e. Ayodhya
25. In a 1992 riot, Hindu extremists destroyed the
a. Jama Masjid
b. Fatehpuri Masjid
c. Aasfi Masjid
d. Mecca Masjid
e. Babri Masjid
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 13 “QUIT INDIA” SPEECH: TEXT AND ANALYSIS (PP. 43-45)
1. In which year did Mohandas Gandhi give his “Quit India”
speech?
a. 1948
b. 1935
c. 1944
d. 1939
e. 1942
2. Whose viewpoint does Mohandas Gandhi ask the
audience to take in the opening paragraph of his “Quit
India” speech?
a. a politician’s
b. the British leaders’
c. his
d. the Congress’s
e. a soldier’s
3. Which of the following questions does Mohandas Gandhi
assume his audience is asking?
a. What gift did you receive from God?
b. Are you the same person you were in the past?
c. How do you believe a non-violent soldier will fight
for freedom?
d. Why do you think the British attacked us?
e. What will you do to bring us the freedom we
deserve?
4. According to Mohandas Gandhi, the draft resolution of the
Working Committee was based on
a. Karma
b. Swadeshi
c. Jati
d. Ahimsa
e. Hawala
5. Which “priceless gift” does Mohandas Gandhi believe God
gave him?
a. intelligence
b. patience
c. compassion
d. faith
e. courage
6. In his “Quit India” speech, Mohandas Gandhi is the LEAST
concerned with
a. independence
b. nonviolence
c. equality
d. freedom
e. power
7. Mohandas Gandhi believes power belongs to the
a. Indian people
b. British Empire
c. Indian Prime Minister
d. Indian National Congress
e. gods and goddesses
8. Who does Mohandas Gandhi think should earn power?
a. Tansis
b. Iranis
c. Zorsis
d. Parsis
e. Vendis
9. Which country does Mohandas Gandhi believe has had
the MOST democratic struggle for freedom?
a. the United States
b. Britain
c. Pakistan
d. India
e. South Africa
10. Which book did Mohandas Gandhi read while he was in
prison?
a. French Revolution
b. Indian Revolution
c. Haitian Revolution
d. Russian Revolution
e. Serbian Revolution
11. Who shared information with Mohandas Gandhi about the
Russian Revolution?
a. Morarji Desai
b. Pandit Jawaharlal
c. Chandra Shekhar
d. Gulzarilal Nanda
e. Narendra Modi
12. In his “Quit India” speech, Mohandas Gandhi invites his
audience to
a. train to become soldiers
b. join a struggle for democracy
c. sign a petition to end imperialism
d. fight for their rights using violence
e. work at a new government organization
13. Mohandas Gandhi notices that there is hostility between
his people and the
a. Bengalis
b. British
c. Pakistanis
d. Afghans
e. Americans
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 13 PAGE 26 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
14. Which of the following statements does Mohandas Gandhi
share in his “Quit India” speech?
a. “I know I am meant to lead.”
b. “I think time will heal our current situation.”
c. “I have never felt any hatred.”
d. “I will always bring peace to those around me.”
e. “I only trust those who sacrifice.”
15. Mohandas Gandhi considers himself a friend of the British
since he
a. forgives the British for their mistakes
b. understands what it is like to live and work in
Britain
c. respects the decisions of the British government
d. feels sorry for them because they are in distress
e. believes the British will help India in the future
16. How does Mohandas Gandhi open his “Quit India”
speech?
a. explaining how God has given him a priceless gift
of compassion
b. sharing the Working Committee’s draft resolution
c. describing India’s struggle for freedom
d. questioning his audience’s attitudes toward the
British
e. assuring his audience that he is the same believer
in nonviolence
17. During World War II, Mohandas Gandhi and the Indian
National Congress leaders
a. provoked European violence
b. opposed German Nazism
c. condemned British imperialism
d. refused Indian assistance
e. supported African apartheid
18. Which fear does Mohandas Gandhi share with his
audience in his “Quit India” speech?
a. British people will force their language on Indians.
b. Hindus will continue to overrule Muslims.
c. Indian people will welcome Japanese militarism.
d. Congress will support communist policies.
e. God will punish Indians for not fighting for their
country.
19. Which aspect of the British system does Mohandas Gandhi
consider corrupt?
a. legal system
b. armed forces
c. religious ideologies
d. voting rights
e. imperial rule
20. The weekly journal Mohandas Gandhi published from
1932 to 1948 was called
a. Halder
b. Harivansh
c. Hakim
d. Harilal
e. Harijan
21. Which part of the British Empire does Mohandas Gandhi
claim is MOST important?
a. the Monarchy
b. its history
c. the English language
d. the financial system
e. the Prime Minister
22. In his “Quit India” speech, Mohandas Gandhi claims he
wants to
a. prevent the Indian people from invading Britain
b. write the resolution for the Working Committee
c. take leadership of the Indian National Congress
d. distribute power to different Indian political parties
e. save the British from their mistakes
23. The Indian National Congress
a. legislated the partition of India
b. did not seek power for itself
c. worked closely with other nations
d. allowed Indian citizens to be members
e. supported the use of violence to save India
24. In his “Quit India” speech, Mohandas Gandhi says every
man will be
a. a leader in government
b. his own master
c. a puppet to Britain
d. a slave to Congress
e. the ruler of India
25. Mohandas Gandhi’s “Quit India” speech is BEST compared
to
a. Imaginary Homelands
b. “‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not Exist”
c. “Tryst with Destiny”
d. “Background, Casually”
e. “When Mr. Pirzada Came To Dine”
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 14 “TRYST WITH DESTINY” (PP. 45-48)
1. Which of the following roles did Jawaharlal Nehru NOT
envision for a modern Indian nation state?
a. sovereign
b. democratic republic
c. secular
d. capitalist
e. socialist
2. When did Jawaharlal Nehru deliver his “Tryst with
Destiny” speech?
a. July 8, 1942
b. October 10, 1945
c. August 14, 1947
d. March 17, 1949
e. September 22, 1944
3. Jawaharlal Nehru says in “Tryst with Destiny” that at the
“stroke of the midnight hour,” India will
a. surrender to Britain
b. awake to life and freedom
c. lose its dignity
d. reunite with its lost brothers
e. become itself again
4. Jawaharlal Nehru shares in “Tryst with Destiny” that
freedom and power bring
a. greed
b. jealousy
c. responsibility
d. intelligence
e. success
5. In “Tryst with Destiny,” Jawaharlal Nehru compares
India to a(n)
a. garden
b. cave
c. island
d. cottage
e. mansion
6. Jawaharlal Nehru mentions a new star for India, known
as the star of
a. nonviolence
b. peace
c. freedom
d. unity
e. hope
7. Who does Jawaharlal Nehru refer to as the “Father of
our Nation” in “Tryst with Destiny”?
a. Salman Rushdie
b. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
c. himself
d. Mohandas Gandhi
e. Amar Gopal Bose
8. Jawaharlal Nehru mentions all of the following goals in
his “Tryst with Destiny” speech EXCEPT to
a. end poverty and disease
b. bring opportunity to the common man
c. expel Britain once and for all
d. build up a prosperous nation
e. create institutions that ensure justice
9. In “Tryst with Destiny,” Jawaharlal Nehru refers to India
by all of the following names EXCEPT
a. the ancient
b. the eternal
c. a much-loved motherland
d. the ever-new
e. a priceless gift
10. Jai Hind means
a. prosperity to India
b. victory to India
c. equality to India
d. freedom to India
e. justice to India
11. Jawaharlal Nehru’s “Tryst with Destiny” speech marked
India’s independence from
a. greed
b. hate
c. poverty
d. war
e. imperialism
12. Which popular film incorporates an excerpt from “Tryst
with Destiny”?
a. Nature
b. Space
c. Sunrise
d. Heaven
e. Earth
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 14 PAGE 28 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. In “Tryst with Destiny,” Jawaharlal Nehru asks the
people of India to
a. dedicate themselves to the service of all
mankind
b. join a struggle for democracy
c. fight for the freedom of their country
d. purge themselves of hatred towards other
nations
e. turn to religion in times of need
14. Who does Jawaharlal Nehru refer to as the “greatest
man of our generation”?
a. Stafford Cripps
b. Mohandas Gandhi
c. Winston Churchill
d. Muhammed Ali Jinnah
e. Salman Rushdie
15. According to Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s tryst with destiny
was made
a. within a few weeks
b. the day India was born
c. many years ago
d. in an hour
e. in three days
16. Jawaharlal Nehru describes India as
a. stepping out from the old to the new
b. looking for a long lost sibling
c. upgrading from silver to gold
d. reaching out to grab a new star
e. regaining trust that was forgotten
17. “Tryst with Destiny” is BEST classified as
a. patriotic
b. demonstrative
c. ironic
d. persuasive
e. informative
18. Jawaharlal Nehru’s rhetoric of unity and commonality in
“Tryst with Destiny” emphasizes the
a. importance of freedom
b. value of sacrifice
c. meaning of a nation
d. value of a citizen
e. significance of war
19. Throughout “Tryst with Destiny”, Jawaharlal Nehru’s
tone is BEST described as
a. optimistic
b. sarcastic
c. hesitant
d. hopeless
e. assertive
20. Which warning does Jawaharlal Nehru share with his
audience in “Tryst with Destiny”?
a. Do not close your eyes or your freedom will be
gone.
b. A disaster in one part of the world can affect
everyone else.
c. If we rejoice loudly, others will become angry.
d. A wrong decision made today will impact
tomorrow.
e. Never step off the path or you will get lost in
this world.
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 15 SALMAN RUSHDIE: POSTMODERNISM THROUGH THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS (PP. 48-51)
1. The FIRST book Salman Rushdie published was
a. Grimus
b. Midnight’s Children
c. The Riddle of Midnight
d. Satanic Verses
e. Imaginary Homelands
2. Which of Salman Rushdie’s books won the 1981 Booker
Prize?
a. Midnight’s Children
b. The Riddle of Midnight
c. Grimus
d. Imaginary Homelands
e. Satanic Verses
3. Midnight’s Children is BEST described as
a. frightening
b. quintessential
c. cheerful
d. monotonous
e. mysterious
4. All of the following statements about Salman Rushdie’s
Satanic Verses are true EXCEPT that it
a. was written to belittle the Prophet Mohammad
b. was published in 1988
c. caused Salman Rushdie to live under police
protection
d. was accused of blaspheming Islam
e. was banned in several countries
5. The style of Satanic Verses is
a. political satire
b. tragic comedy
c. historical fiction
d. magical realism
e. romantic drama
6. Salman Rushdie’s primary goal in writing Satanic Verses
was to
a. educate citizens on their personal rights
b. share his views on religion
c. criticize the effects of imperialism
d. discuss the experience of migration
e. persuade people to fight for freedom
7. In which collection were “Imaginary Homelands,” “The
Riddle of Midnight,” and “‘Commonwealth Literature’
Does Not Exist” published?
a. Grimus
b. Imaginary Homelands
c. The Riddle of Midnight
d. Midnight’s Children
e. Satanic Verses
8. Salman Rushdie is MOST often referred to as a(n)
a. postmodernist
b. modernist
c. nationalist
d. impressionist
e. expressionist
9. Why does Salman Rushdie MOST value the experiences
of migration?
a. They are an adventure.
b. They bring hope to individuals.
c. They give people a chance to escape from
poverty.
d. They provide a dual perspective on reality.
e. They allow people to become leaders.
10. Which literary technique allows a writer to portray
paradoxical truths while giving life to a diverse vision of
the world?
a. romantic drama
b. historical fiction
c. political satire
d. magical realism
e. tragic comedy
11. Throughout “The Riddle of Midnight: India, August
1987,” Salman Rushdie
a. compares India to Britain
b. presents a new geographical boundary for India
c. imagines India as a lost planet
d. criticizes Indian children that were born at the
same time
e. questions what holds India together
12. Salman Rushdie’s view of nationalism is MOST similar
to that of
a. Jawaharlal Nehru
b. Nissim Ezekiel
c. Benedict Anderson
d. Jhumpa Lahiri
e. Mahatma Gandhi
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 15 PAGE 30 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. How many member states comprise the
Commonwealth of Nations?
a. 47
b. 61
c. 53
d. 56
e. 42
14. In which year did the London Declaration formally
constitute the Commonwealth of Nations?
a. 1953
b. 1951
c. 1942
d. 1947
e. 1949
15. Which political writer refers to the Commonwealth of
Nations as “a large and somewhat anomalous club”?
a. Jawaharlal Nehru
b. James Astill
c. Mahatma Gandhi
d. Benedict Anderson
e. Salman Rushdie
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 16 “THE RIDDLE OF MIDNIGHT: INDIA, AUGUST 1987”: TEXT (PP. 51-54)
1. “The Riddle of Midnight” was FIRST published in the
a. 1950s
b. 2970s
c. 1990s
d. 1980s
e. 1960s
2. In what collection was Salman Rushdie’s “The Riddle of
Midnight” published?
a. East, West
b. The Jaguar Smile
c. Homeless by Choice
d. Imaginary Homelands
e. Step across the Line
3. In “The Riddle of Midnight”, Salman Rushdie claims he was
born before
a. the British invasion
b. West Pakistan
c. anyone else in 1947
d. midnight
e. independent India
4. Salman Rushdie claims that he FIRST drew inspiration for
Midnight’s Children from
a. a family joke
b. India’s occupation
c. the plight of orphans
d. a British poem
e. his twin sister
5. On what date did India achieve its independence from
Britain?
a. July 12, 1947
b. October 31, 1947
c. August 15, 1947
d. December 8, 1948
e. September 23, 1948
6. The title of Salman Rushdie’s novel Midnight’s Children
came to signify India’s
a. spiritual revival
b. focus on children
c. departure from Britain
d. significant birth rate
e. post-colonial generation
7. Which riddle does Salman Rushdie attempt to answer in
“The Riddle of Midnight”?
a. “Does India exist?”
b. “Is the Ramayana real?”
c. “Who are midnight’s children?”
d. “Where does Asia belong?”
e. “What happened to the Mughals?”
8. Salman Rushdie contends that the question of India’s
existence makes MOST sense
a. spiritually
b. geographically
c. economically
d. linguistically
e. politically
9. Why does Salman Rushdie find the existence of a “free
India” MOST perplexing?
a. He does not understand the concept of freedom.
b. Freedom is not possible in this life.
c. A united India had never existed before 1947.
d. Indian people do not recognize their freedom.
e. No one has the power to declare a nation free.
10. In determining whether or not India is united, Salman
Rushdie considers all of the following aspects EXCEPT
a. culture
b. religion
c. language
d. topography
e. race
11. With whom does Salman Rushdie agree in his assessment
of India as a “functioning anarchy”?
a. J.K. Galbraith
b. Harbans Lal
c. Rajiv Gandhi
d. Abdul Ghani
e. Bal Thackeray
12. Where is the Babri Masjid mosque located?
a. Ayodhya
b. Chennai
c. Delhi
d. Jaunpur
e. Hyderabad
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 16 PAGE 32 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. According to Salman Rushdie in “The Riddle of Midnight”,
why is the town of Ayodhya MOST controversial?
a. Muslims refuse to allow entry to non-Muslims.
b. It is a sacred place for both Muslims and Hindus.
c. The British still maintain a heavy presence there.
d. The citizens did not support India’s independence.
e. Only Hindus are allowed to live within the city
limits.
14. Which fundamentalist group targeted Ayodhya?
a. Punya Bhoomi Bharat
b. Mahasabha Party
c. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
d. Bharatiya Janata Party
e. Vishwa Hindu Parishad
15. Which Indian city is known as the “Walled City”, according
to Salman Rushdie?
a. Delhi
b. Meerut
c. Chennai
d. Ahmedabad
e. Bombay
16. Which Muslim festival celebrates the end of the fasting
month?
a. Ramadan
b. Ashura
c. Eid
d. Arafah
e. Dhu al-Hijjah
17. One person Salman Rushdie interviewed for “The Riddle of
Midnight” claimed that Hindus resented Muslims’
a. spiritual practices
b. committed citizenship
c. large families
d. political influence
e. material prosperity
18. Which of the following Indian cities contain sites of
religious significance to both Muslims and Hindus?
a. Ahmedabad and Benares
b. Meerut and Ahmedabad
c. Benares and Meerut
d. Mathura and Benares
e. Mathura and Meerut
19. Which event led Sikhs to become the MAIN target of a
ten-day massacre in India in 1984?
a. Sikhs lobbied for a separate state.
b. Sikhs assassinated Indira Gandhi.
c. Hindus killed Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
d. Muslims attacked the Chandni Chowk docks.
e. Sikhs finished building the Golden Temple.
20. In “The Riddle of Midnight”, Salman Rushdie reveals that
he comes from a
a. Chennai Muslim family
b. Bombay Muslim family
c. Khalistan Muslim family
d. Kolkata Hindu family
e. Delhi Hindu family
21. Salman Rushdie claims Indians MOST criticized Midnight’s
Children for
a. being too pessimistic
b. showing disrespect to Congress
c. containing little truth
d. glorifying violence
e. promoting communalism
22. When Salman Rushdie refers to the “Balkanization of
India”, he MOST likely means its
a. fragmentation into separate regions
b. takeover by Eastern European powers
c. adaptation of nationalist ideology
d. total independence from colonial powers
e. perceived religious and political hatred
23. Who was the Prime Minister of India at the time Salman
Rushdie wrote “The Riddle of Midnight”?
a. Chandra Sekhar
b. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
c. I.K. Gujral
d. Rajiv Gandhi
e. Charan Singh
24. According to Salman Rushdie, a new version of Indian
communalism has taken the form of Hindu consciousness
that transcends
a. religion
b. money
c. caste
d. power
e. politics
25. Which of the following people does Salman Rushdie NOT
interview for “The Riddle of Midnight”?
a. Abdul Ghani
b. Hari Singh
c. Harbans Lal
d. Robi Chatterjee
e. Bal Thackeray
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 17 “THE RIDDLE OF MIDNIGHT: INDIA, AUGUST 1987”: ANALYSIS (PP. 54-56)
1. Whose “Tryst with Destiny” speech preceded “The
Riddle of Midnight” by 40 years?
a. Bal Thackeray
b. Jawaharlal Nehru
c. Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
d. Mahatma Gandhi
e. Indira Gandhi
2. Salman Rushdie’s goal in “The Riddle of Midnight” is to
find
a. other people born in 1947
b. himself as an Indian Muslim
c. information for a new novel
d. people who feel as he does
e. the cause of religious conflict
3. Salman Rushdie contends that, if India does NOT exist,
it is a result of
a. fatalism
b. nativism
c. communalism
d. reductionism
e. anarchism
4. Which two interviewees in “The Riddle of Midnight”
does Salman Rushdie observe are nearly the same
except for their religions?
a. Bal Thackeray and Harbans Lal
b. Abdul Ghani and Bal Thackeray
c. Robi Chatterjee and Harbans Lal
d. Bal Thackeray and Robi Chatterjee
e. Harbans Lal and Abdul Ghani
5. Which movement does Salman Rushdie cite as
polarizing Indian Muslims and Hindus?
a. Ram Janmabhoomi
b. Quit India
c. Vishwa Hindu Parishad
d. Salt Satyagraha
e. Indian Nationalism
6. The religious views of Salman Rushdie’s interviewees in
“The Riddle of Midnight” are BEST described as
a. liberal
b. apathetic
c. pacifist
d. ambiguous
e. entrenched
7. Which event does Salman Rushdie claim preceded Sikh
protests throughout India?
a. Sikh-led government takeover
b. banning of religious extremism
c. Golden Temple storming
d. Babri Masjid debate
e. assassination of Indira Gandhi
8. What term BEST describes Mukadam’s perspective in
Salman Rushdie’s “The Riddle of Midnight”?
a. fearless
b. traditional
c. aggressive
d. idealistic
e. uncertain
9. In “The Riddle of Midnight”, Salman Rushdie claims that
in “old, secular […] India”, no one was more patriotic
than
a. Hindus
b. Sikhs
c. Jains
d. Muslims
e. atheists
10. Which literary term BEST describes Salman Rushdie’s
method of telling India’s story in “The Riddle of
Midnight”?
a. polysyndeton
b. synecdoche
c. flashback
d. euphony
e. aphorism
11. Salman Rushdie refers to the proposed separate Sikh
state as
a. Dal Khalsa
b. Khalistan
c. Rajasthan
d. Harmandir
e. Haryana
12. Which discovery does Salman Rushdie make in his
research for “The Riddle of Midnight”?
a. The British Empire ruined India’s future.
b. Muslims and Hindus have little in common.
c. Others do not see India the way he does.
d. There is no hope for a unified India.
e. People crave political engagement.
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 17 PAGE 34 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. In “The Riddle of Midnight”, why does Robi Chatterjee
assert that the people for whom India was founded
have become alienated from it?
a. Religion serves to divide groups of people.
b. People are too focused on tolerance.
c. Fundamentalist politics has taken over.
d. Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress is ineffective and
biased.
e. People are preoccupied with labeling others.
14. Which element does Robi Chatterjee contend is tearing
India apart in “The Riddle of Midnight”?
a. communism
b. religion
c. economics
d. tolerance
e. nationalism
15. Salman Rushdie claims that nationalism created India in
that it
a. united the Indians against Britain
b. made people desire a homeland
c. provided a political basis for existence
d. resulted in people’s financial gain
e. superseded religion as a governing force
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 18 “IMAGINARY HOMELANDS”: TEXT (PP. 56-61)
1. To whose novel does Salman Rushdie refer in the opening
of “Imaginary Homelands”?
a. Henry James
b. Paul Bourget
c. L.P. Hartley
d. Ivan Turgenev
e. John Fowles
2. In the first paragraph of “Imaginary Homelands”, Salman
Rushdie comments that his present is
a. reality
b. foreign
c. misty
d. home
e. restored
3. Which surprising discovery does Salman Rushdie make in
“Imaginary Homelands” when he visits Bombay?
a. A photograph of his family is posted in the post
office.
b. His family’s house was not the color he
remembered.
c. The house in which he was raised has been
demolished.
d. Bougainvillea creeper runs rampant in the city.
e. His family’s information is still in the telephone
book.
4. According to Salman Rushdie, why must Indian expatriates
create “imaginary homelands”?
a. India does not welcome back those who desert
her.
b. People who return to history turn into pillars of
salt.
c. Things do not stay the same long enough to find
again.
d. There are thousands of versions of India.
e. Lost things cannot be reclaimed exactly as they
were.
5. Salman Rushdie says he wrote Midnight’s Children in
a. London
b. Bombay
c. Berlin
d. Galway
e. New York City
6. Who narrates Midnight’s Children?
a. Arjun
b. Rohan
c. Dinesh
d. Deepak
e. Saleem
7. In “Imaginary Homelands”, Salman Rushdie compares
writing Midnight’s Children to
a. sociology
b. archaeology
c. psychology
d. biology
e. philosophy
8. From which novel does the following line come: “Whole
sight: or all the rest is desolation”?
a. Shadow and Act
b. The Go-Between
c. Midnight’s Children
d. The Dean’s December
e. Daniel Martin
9. According to Salman Rushdie, all truths are
a. fierce
b. provisional
c. certain
d. inadequate
e. atrocious
10. Which metaphor does Saleem use to discuss perception in
Midnight’s Children?
a. a movie screen
b. English literature
c. a radio interview
d. a broken mirror
e. war atrocities
11. In “Imaginary Homelands”, Salman Rushdie refers to all of
the following writers EXCEPT
a. Ngugi wa Thiong’o
b. G.V. Desani
c. Richard Wright
d. Milan Kundera
e. Isaac Bashevis Singer
12. Which of the following terms does Salman Rushdie apply
to literature in “Imaginary Homelands”?
a. self-validating
b. thematic
c. post-lapsarian
d. post-diasporic
e. migratory
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 18 PAGE 36 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. In “Imaginary Homelands”, Salman Rushdie reflects on his
own feelings of guilt at
a. arguing with the reader
b. renouncing Islam
c. being bicultural
d. speaking ill of India
e. classifying writers
14. Which trait does Salman Rushdie claim he shares MOST
with the protagonist of Midnight’s Children?
a. secularity
b. dissension
c. regeneration
d. influence
e. pessimism
15. In “Imaginary Homelands”, Salman Rushdie claims
Midnight’s Children is NOT meant to be
a. accurate
b. sectarian
c. didactic
d. self-referential
e. despairing
16. Salman Rushdie recognizes all of the following groups of
Indo-British writers in “Imaginary Homelands” EXCEPT
a. political exiles
b. affluent expatriates
c. first-generation migrants
d. government-sponsored writers
e. naturalized Britons
17. Why does Salman Rushdie say, “to conquer English may
be to complete the process of making ourselves free”?
a. Unless Indo-British writers adopt English, they will
always be misunderstood.
b. Indo-British writers have largely benefited from the
British influence.
c. Freedom is determined by the ability to speak the
oppressor’s language.
d. Eventually, most of the world will speak English as
a first language.
e. The Indo-British language struggle reflects their
larger struggles.
18. In its original context within “Imaginary Homelands”, the
term “ossified” MOST likely means
a. existential
b. spiritual
c. obsolete
d. rejected
e. definitive
19. Which of the following questions does Salman Rushdie
MAINLY seek to answer in “Imaginary Homelands”?
a. “How are we to live in the world?”
b. “What does it mean to be Indian?”
c. “Who determines history?”
d. “Does India exist?”
e. “Should Indians write in English?”
20. Salman Rushdie asserts that his “relatively easy ride” has
resulted partially from his
a. dark skin
b. non-secularism
c. native origins
d. biculturalism
e. English accent
21. To which pejorative term for native Indians does Salman
Rushdie object in “Imaginary Homelands”?
a. jab
b. swami
c. mahout
d. chara
e. wog
22. Which type of writing does Salman Rushdie propose can
tackle the problem of black-and-white social views?
a. fantasy
b. history
c. post-modernism
d. science fiction
e. idealism
23. At the end of “Imaginary Homelands”, Salman Rushdie
warns against going the way of
a. the United States
b. Britain
c. South America
d. South Africa
e. Canada
24. With which black American writer does Salman Rushdie
MOST agree at the end of “Imaginary Homelands”?
a. James Baldwin
b. Richard Wright
c. W.E.B. DuBois
d. Ralph Ellison
e. Frederick Douglass
25. Salman Rushdie claims that Indo-British writers have
special access to the phenomenon of
a. migration
b. discovery
c. escape
d. freedom
e. alienation
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 19 “IMAGINARY HOMELANDS”: ANALYSIS (PP. 61-63)
1. In “Imaginary Homelands”, Salman Rushdie discusses
what it means for him to be an Indian writer who
a. misses his homeland
b. resents the British
c. wants to be British
d. possesses no legacy
e. lives outside India
2. Which L.P. Hartley quote does Salman Rushdie cite at
the beginning of “Imaginary Homelands”?
a. “You flew too near the sun.”
b. “The past is a foreign country.”
c. “To see things as they really are!”
d. “I didn’t belong there, I felt.”
e. “The past kept pricking at me.”
3. Salman Rushdie contrasts personal memory with
a. family memory
b. institutional memory
c. social memory
d. cultural memory
e. collective memory
4. How does Salman Rushdie claim emigrants can claim a
nation as their own in “Imaginary Homelands”?
a. The receiving nation must view their
contributions as valuable.
b. The sending nation must be willing to part with
them forever.
c. They must realize they will never see themselves
as others see them.
d. They must admit that they are no longer bound
to one distinct culture.
e. They must embrace their imperfect memories of
their native homes.
5. In “Imaginary Homelands”, Salman Rushdie refers to
memory as a
a. burned house
b. dead tree
c. chaotic universe
d. rusty nail
e. broken mirror
6. Which term does Salman Rushdie use to describe the
effect of his fragmented memories of India on his
perspective?
a. significant
b. appealing
c. evocative
d. universal
e. alienating
7. Why does Salman Rushdie claim that diasporic writers’
fragmented memories speak to the universal human
experience?
a. All people share the experience of emigrating
from the past.
b. The diaspora symbolizes the difference between
readers and writers.
c. Readers are native to reading and writers are
native to writing.
d. Writers focusing on the diaspora inspire others
to learn from the past.
e. Readers and writers jointly emigrate from
history’s harsh reality.
8. Salman Rushdie reminds the reader of “Imaginary
Homelands” that we are NOT
a. expatriates
b. gods
c. creatures
d. archives
e. lenses
9. According to Salman Rushdie, writers are like
a. doctors
b. psychologists
c. archaeologists
d. sociologists
e. politicians
10. Which term BEST describes Salman Rushdie’s approach
to writing in “Imaginary Homelands”?
a. romantic
b. transcendent
c. postmodernist
d. existentialist
e. modernist
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 19 PAGE 38 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
11. In “Imaginary Homelands”, Salman Rushdie claims that
the way we perceive the world is more important than
a. what we think the world should be
b. the fact that others discredit our views
c. how we adapt to others’ worldviews
d. the way others perceive the world
e. the world’s partiality for Western views
12. What does Salman Rushdie claim is the first step
towards changing the world?
a. imagining it
b. re-describing it
c. adapting to it
d. criticizing it
e. turning away from it
13. Which two groups does Salman Rushdie claim are
“natural rivals” in “Imaginary Homelands”?
a. writers and politicians
b. Indians and Britons
c. readers and writers
d. priests and politicians
e. politicians and readers
14. For writers like Salman Rushdie, the concept of
diaspora proves people can
a. change the structure of nations
b. struggle with adapting to new places
c. feel at home in more than one place
d. resist oppressive governments
e. choose to inhabit a dream world
15. Salman Rushdie’s “Imaginary Homelands” is MOST
similar to
a. “Tryst with India”
b. “’Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not Exist”
c. “Background, Casually”
d. “The Riddle of Midnight” India, August 1987”
e. “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 20 “‘COMMONWEALTH LITERATURE’ DOES NOT EXIST”: TEXT (PP. 63-67)
1. Salman Rushdie’s essay, “‘Commonwealth Literature’
Does Not Exist,” was FIRST published in
a. Imaginary Homelands
b. Midnight’s Children
c. Imagined Communities
d. The Riddle of Midnight
e. Satanic Verses
2. Based on Salman Rushdie’s mention of it in
“‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does not Exist,” the British
Council MOST likely
a. acts as a publishing company
b. conducts political fundraising
c. promotes arts and culture
d. educates college students
e. encourages international tourism
3. Which term BEST describes Salman Rushdie’s tone in
the opening paragraph of “’Commonwealth Literature’
Does Not Exist”?
a. pedantic
b. nostalgic
c. melancholy
d. infuriated
e. sarcastic
4. In “‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not Exist,” Salman
Rushdie calls the term “Commonwealth literature” a(n)
a. unnecessity
b. indiscretion
c. misnomer
d. disadvantage
e. fiction
5. Which two countries does Salman Rushdie comment
are mistakenly included under the umbrella of
“Commonwealth literature”?
a. Kenya and Namibia
b. Iraq and Australia
c. Canada and Brazil
d. South Africa and Pakistan
e. India and Bangladesh
6. Salman Rushdie met all of the following writers at a
Commonwealth literature conference EXCEPT
a. Homi Bhabha
b. Randolph Stow
c. Ngugi wa Thiong’o
d. Anita Desai
e. Aritha van Herk
7. Why does Salman Rushdie contend that
Commonwealth literature does not exist, in his essay of
the same name?
a. Not all Commonwealth writers write in British
English.
b. Commonwealth writers have little in common
with each other.
c. Critics and academics should not be able to
define writers’ work.
d. The notion of Commonwealth literature is
inherently racist.
e. Great Britain oppressed writers rather than
freeing them.
8. According to Salman Rushdie, Commonwealth
literature does NOT include
a. political activists
b. people of color
c. women from any nation
d. Hindi-speakers
e. white Britons
9. Which of the following titles does Salman Rushdie NOT
give English literature in “‘Commonwealth Literature’
Does Not Exist”?
a. nationalistic
b. narrow
c. segregationist
d. topographical
e. ghettoized
10. Why does Salman Rushdie contend that the notion of
Commonwealth literature is like the mythical chimera?
a. They are both composed of elements that
cannot be joined.
b. No one knows the purpose of either of the
entities.
c. Neither of them has any realistic characteristics.
d. They were both created by literary critics and
academics.
e. People fear both entities as something
otherworldly.
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 20 PAGE 40 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
11. Why does Salman Rushdie claim the concept of
Commonwealth literature is MOST dangerous?
a. It assumes the writers want to identify with the
British Empire.
b. It prevents writers from being classified in
another way.
c. It requires the writers to continue writing in
English.
d. It gives readers the impression that the writers
are free.
e. It masks the underlying issues that should be
explored.
12. Salman Rushdie sarcastically asserts that British
colonizers gave their subjects all of the following gifts
EXCEPT
a. trunk roads
b. pragmatism
c. mission schools
d. language
e. the rules of cricket
13. Besides Britain, which nation does Salman Rushdie
contend made English a pre-eminent world language?
a. Australia
b. Ireland
c. the United States
d. Scotland
e. Canada
14. According to Salman Rushdie, what group uses English
MOST comfortably in India?
a. lower-caste citizens
b. upper-caste citizens
c. the aging generation
d. post-Independence youth
e. pre-colonial natives
15. The “Hindi belt” is located in
a. West India
b. South India
c. Central India
d. North India
e. East India
16. Why does Salman Rushdie say English is an “essential
language” of India?
a. Indians can speak to each other without cultural
bias.
b. It reminds Indians of the white man’s
importance to their culture.
c. Most writers and cultural critics are comfortable
with English.
d. India’s colonizers should leave at least one
helpful legacy.
e. No native Indian language is as descriptive as
English.
17. When “‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not Exist” was
published, there was a State-led move against English
in
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Andhra Pradesh
c. Gujarat
d. West Bengal
e. Rajasthan
18. Salman Rushdie says the term “Commonwealth
literature” might indicate
a. culturally biased English-language literature
b. younger English-language literature
c. non-white English-language literature
d. non-continental English-language literature
e. Eastern-based English-language literature
19. According to Salman Rushdie, one of the rules of the
Commonwealth literature ghetto is that literature
a. has no cultural boundaries
b. is an expression of the writer’s nationality
c. is limited to writers who speak English
d. exposes the writer’s true loyalties
e. places the writer on display for readers
20. Which notion does Salman Rushdie call “the
respectable child of old-fashioned exoticism”?
a. tradition
b. homogeneity
c. authenticity
d. Orientalism
e. pragmatism
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 20 PAGE 41 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
21. Which term BEST describes the Commonwealth
literature ghetto Salman Rushdie references in
“‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not Exist”?
a. peripheral
b. ignorant
c. absurd
d. ungainly
e. imaginary
22. Salman Rushdie claims that people seeking to classify
him as a writer have invented the term
a. “British-resident Indo-Pakistan writer”
b. “British-born Indo writer”
c. “Indo-Pakistan writer”
d. “Indian-born Indo-British writer”
e. “Indian-born British writer”
23. Which term does Salman Rushdie use to describe
Indian culture?
a. heterogeneous
b. miscellaneous
c. diverse
d. sundry
e. eclectic
24. Which Indian writer’s work does Salman Rushdie claim
has been MOST misread because of membership in the
Commonwealth literature ghetto?
a. Raja Rao
b. Mulk Raj Anand
c. Ruth Jhabvala
d. Rabindranath Tagore
e. Jyoti Basu
25. In “‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not Exist,” Salman
Rushdie identifies a new literary category called
a. “hegemonic literature”
b. “Third World literature”
c. “non-White literature”
d. “English-only literature”
e. “ghetto literature”
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 21 “‘COMMONWEALTH LITERATURE’ DOES NOT EXIST”: ANALYSIS (PP. 67-69)
1. According to Salman Rushdie in “‘Commonwealth
Literature’ Does Not Exist,” who altered the state of
English literature?
a. Indo-Anglo writers
b. Indo-Pakistani writers
c. Anglo-Indo writers
d. British-Indo writers
e. Indo-British writers
2. In “‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not Exist,” Salman
Rushdie describes Commonwealth writers as
a. exceptional
b. inauthentic
c. resurrected
d. disregarded
e. damaging
3. Which term BEST describes Salman Rushdie’s feelings
about the “Commonwealth literature” category?
a. emasculation
b. dejection
c. rage
d. worthlessness
e. dissatisfaction
4. According to Salman Rushdie in “‘Commonwealth
Literature’ Does Not Exist,” some writers classified as
Commonwealth writers succumb to
a. their own despair
b. feelings of inferiority
c. a temptation to be British
d. financial success
e. the ghetto mentality
5. The term “Commonwealth literature” does not perform
any of the following maneuvers EXCEPT
a. allowing writers to reset the balance of power
b. providing a narrow literary framework
c. recognizing India’s history with Britain
d. addressing the complexities of language
e. differentiating between unique writers
6. Which advantage of speaking English in India does
Salman Rushdie highlight in “‘Commonwealth
Literature’ Does Not Exist”?
a. allowing more complex conversations
b. uniting Indians and Britons
c. promoting neutrality among people
d. permitting writers to make larger profits
e. reminding Indians of their history
7. In “‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not Exist,” Salman
Rushdie specifically asserts the absurdity of restricting
writers to the limitations of their
a. birthplaces
b. ancestry
c. passports
d. languages
e. cultures
8. In which essay does Vikram Chandra echo Salman
Rushdie’s thoughts about Commonwealth literature?
a. “The Commonwealth Pen”
b. “The Cult of Authenticity”
c. “The Home and the World”
d. “Civility and Empire”
e. “The Literature of India”
9. According to Salman Rushdie in “‘Commonwealth
Literature’ Does Not Exist,” there is no such thing as
a. imaginative affinities
b. colonial provenance
c. Indo-British writing
d. pure nationalism
e. Commonwealth authenticity
10. Which two entities does Salman Rushdie claim should
NOT determine a writer’s classification?
a. nationality and religion
b. religion and language
c. color and language
d. religion and color
e. language and nationality
11. Salman Rushdie claims the term “Commonwealth
literature” masks the reality of literature emerging from
the
a. third world
b. political
c. powerless
d. mute
e. imagination
12. Salman Rushdie says if all English literature were
studied together, readers would
a. develop a more complete view of the world
b. cultivate empathy for less fortunate people
c. become interested in other cultures
d. understand the limitations of Anglocentrism
e. better comprehend literary nuances
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 21 PAGE 43 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. Salman Rushdie closes “‘Commonwealth Literature’
Does Not Exist” with a reference to the poem
a. “The Seven Sages”
b. “The Rose Tree”
c. “When You Are Old”
d. “The Second Coming”
e. “Adam’s Curse”
14. Who wrote the poem to which Salman Rushdie refers at
the end of “‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not
Exist”?
a. Robert Frost
b. William Butler Yeats
c. Alfred Lord Tennyson
d. T.S. Eliot
e. William Wordsworth
15. When was the poem to which Salman Rushdie refers at
the end of “‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not Exist”
written?
a. turn of the century
b. Great Depression
c. First World War
d. Second World War
e. colonization of India
16. Which term BEST describes Salman Rushdie’s tone as
he references “The Second Coming” at the end of
“‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not Exist”?
a. offhand
b. somber
c. exultant
d. pensive
e. sarcastic
17. Which statement BEST summarizes Salman Rushdie’s
conclusion in “‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does Not
Exist”?
a. Britain’s power has been superseded by third-
world nations.
b. Commonwealth writers should rebel against the
title.
c. White writers no longer dominate the literary
market.
d. English is no longer the dominant global
language.
e. English is no longer the British Empire’s sole
property.
18. Salman Rushdie considers Indian literature written in
English MAINLY to be
a. world literature
b. English literature
c. Indo-British literature
d. Indian literature
e. Commonwealth literature
19. Which language is MOST divisive in South India,
according to Salman Rushdie?
a. English
b. Hindi
c. Tamil
d. Punjabi
e. Gujarati
20. At the Commonwealth literature conference he
attended, Salman Rushdie learned that writers in this
category shared
a. no interest in being classified as such
b. support among British financiers
c. no common national association
d. more differences than similarities
e. an ignorance of their classification
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 22 “BACKGROUND, CASUALLY” (PP. 69-71)
1. Which term refers to the community of Jews in Israel to
which Nissim Ezekiel belonged?
a. Bene Israel
b. Brahmin Israel
c. Bene Ephraim
d. Beta Israel
e. Bene Roma
2. The historical city of Bombay, India, is now known as
a. Chennai
b. Mumbai
c. Kolkata
d. Bangalore
e. Delhi
3. With which radical political party did Nissim Ezekiel
associate himself?
a. Socialist
b. Communist
c. Republican
d. Libertarian
e. Anarchist
4. Nissim Ezekiel’s FIRST book of poetry was titled
a. The Discovery of India
b. Collected Poems
c. A Time to Change
d. The Exact Name
e. Latter-Day Psalms
5. Which of the following elements of Nissim Ezekiel’s
poetry was MOST unusual?
a. point-of-view
b. appearance
c. tone
d. language
e. imagery
6. Nissim Ezekiel’s writing style is BEST described as
a. pastoral
b. conversational
c. frantic
d. technical
e. pedantic
7. Which term BEST describes “Background, Casually”?
a. satirical
b. obscure
c. nonsensical
d. autobiographical
e. tragic
8. The speaker in “Background, Casually” claims that he
won the scripture prize the same year his classmates
a. told him he had killed Christ
b. pressured him to become Catholic
c. taught him how to box Muslims
d. introduced him to Zen and Yoga
e. voted him their class president
9. The speaker of “Background, Casually” MOST likely
refers to himself as “rabbi saint” in order to emphasize
his spiritual
a. indifference
b. faith
c. confusion
d. universality
e. superiority
10. Which three companions does the speaker of
“Background, Casually” believe shared his room when
he was 22?
a. Passion, Poetry, and Philosophy
b. Poverty, Poetry, and Passion
c. Philosophy, Poetry, and Peace
d. Peace, Poverty, and Passion
e. Philosophy, Poverty, and Poetry
11. The speaker in “Background, Casually” repeatedly
compares his view of himself to
a. God’s view of him
b. society’s view of him
c. his wife’s view of him
d. the government’s view of him
e. his parents’ view of him
12. Which MAIN theme is addressed in “Background,
Casually”?
a. relationships
b. identity
c. spirituality
d. globalism
e. politics
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 22 PAGE 45 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. In the opening line of “Background, Casually,” the
speaker calls himself a
a. “poet-god-man”
b. “poet-rascal-clown”
c. “poet-teacher-man”
d. “poet-clown-god”
e. “rascal-god-man”
14. Which term BEST describes the speaker of
“Background, Casually” as a child?
a. genius
b. popular
c. blind
d. helpless
e. ugly
15. The speaker of “Background, Casually” is MOST
conflicted about his
a. willingness to travel
b. career as a poet
c. relationship with India
d. political beliefs
e. desire to be admired
16. From where does the speaker of “Background, Casually”
return to India?
a. France
b. the United States
c. China
d. South Africa
e. England
17. When the speaker of “Background, Casually” refers to
“aliens crushing seeds for bread,” he is referring to
a. hired laborers
b. fellow writers
c. poor Hindus
d. himself
e. his ancestors
18. The “Woman” in “Background, Casually” refers to the
speaker as
a. a Founding Father
b. the Son of Man
c. the Poet of the Mean
d. a God of Poetry
e. a Slave to Fame
19. At the end of “Background, Casually,” the speaker
claims he is committed to remaining
a. exceptional
b. a poet
c. married
d. in India
e. Jewish
20. The speaker of “Background, Casually” refers to himself
as a “poet-rascal-clown” for all of the following reasons
EXCEPT to
a. contrast appearance with reality
b. establish a casual tone of voice
c. downplay his vocation’s seriousness
d. establish a sense of irony
e. demonstrate that he is a minority
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 23 “WHEN MR. PIRZADA CAME TO DINE:” JHUMPA LAHIRI AND BANGLADESH (PP. 72-73)
1. In what decade was Jhumpa Lahiri born?
a. 1960s
b. 1950s
c. 1930s
d. 1940s
e. 1970s
2. Jhumpa Lahiri’s birth name was
a. Lalithambika
b. Shobhaa
c. Arundhati
d. Nilanjana
e. Mahasweta
3. Jhumpa Lahiri was born in
a. New York
b. Delhi
c. Paris
d. Berlin
e. London
4. Jhumpa Lahiri’s parents were from
a. West Bengal
b. Uttar Pradesh
c. Maharashtra
d. Gujarat
e. Mizoram
5. From where did Jhumpa Lahiri receive her bachelor’s
degree?
a. Brown University
b. Barnard College
c. Boston University
d. Princeton University
e. Vassar College
6. Jhumpa Lahiri obtained degrees in all of the following
fields EXCEPT
a. Renaissance Studies
b. English Literature
c. Art and Design
d. Comparative Literature
e. Creative Writing
7. Where did Jhumpa Lahiri earn her graduate degrees?
a. Cornell University
b. Boston University
c. University of Massachusetts
d. Harvard University
e. Yale University
8. Jhumpa Lahiri has taught creative writing at the
a. Otis College of Art and Design
b. College for Creative Studies
c. California College of the Arts
d. Yale University School of Art
e. Rhode Island School of Design
9. “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” is taken from
a. The Unaccustomed Earth
b. The Namesake
c. Malgudi Days
d. Interpreter of Maladies
e. The Lowland
10. In which decade did Jhumpa Lahiri publish her FIRST
short-story collection?
a. 1980s
b. 2000s
c. 1990s
d. 1970s
e. 2010s
11. Which prize did Jhumpa Lahiri win for Interpreter of
Maladies?
a. Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
b. National Book Award
c. Man Booker Prize
d. Asian American Literary Award
e. Nobel Prize for Literature
12. Which title did Jhumpa Lahiri publish in 2008?
a. The Unaccustomed Earth
b. The Lowland
c. The Namesake
d. The Suspension of Time
e. The Magic Barrel
13. Which diasporic filmmaker adapted Jhumpa Lahiri’s The
Namesake?
a. Ezra Mir
b. Mira Nair
c. Jagat Murari
d. Gopal Menon
e. Shah Rukh Khan
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 23 PAGE 47 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
14. Jhumpa Lahiri’s MOST recent short story collection was
published in
a. 2012
b. 2011
c. 2010
d. 2014
e. 2013
15. The Lowland was nominated for the
a. Nobel Prize for Fiction
b. Man Booker Prize
c. National Book Award
d. PEN/Faulkner Award
e. Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
16. Which of the following themes is MOST prevalent in
Jhumpa Lahiri’s writing?
a. post-colonial poverty
b. Indians’ daily lives
c. mother-daughter relationships
d. political anonymity
e. Indian nationalism
17. Which term BEST describes Jhumpa Lahiri’s prose
writing?
a. revolutionary
b. dark
c. conflicting
d. surrealistic
e. direct
18. All of the following themes are prevalent in Jhumpa
Lahiri’s prose EXCEPT
a. India as the homeland
b. intercultural conflict
c. the concept of home
d. questions of identity
e. cross-cultural encounters
19. The Republic of Bangladesh was established after a war
with
a. Nepal
b. India
c. Burma
d. Bhutan
e. Pakistan
20. Which Bengali term refers to the Bangladesh Liberation
War?
a. Thik aache
b. Shabdkosh
c. Dhonnobad
d. Khoda hafez
e. Muktijuddho
21. Which religion dominated Pakistan after the partition of
India?
a. Hinduism
b. Buddhism
c. Christianity
d. Islam
e. Sikhism
22. The Bangladesh Liberation War broke out after the
West Pakistani Army launched Operation
a. Blitz
b. Flashlight
c. Mukti Bahini
d. Searchlight
e. Occupation
23. Operation Searchlight targeted all of the following
groups EXCEPT
a. students
b. politicians
c. intelligentsia
d. civilians
e. armed personnel
24. Bangladesh was originally known as
a. West Pakistan
b. East India
c. West India
d. South India
e. East Pakistan
25. Bangladesh’s government in exile was established in
a. Calcutta
b. Amaravati
c. New Delhi
d. Mumbai
e. Hyderabad
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 24 “WHEN MR. PIRZADA CAME TO TOWN:” TEXT (PP. 73-80)
1. Mr. Pirzada visits the narrator’s house in “When Pirzada
Came to Dine” MAINLY to
a. tutor the narrator in geography
b. find out if his family is alive
c. send letters to his family
d. set fire to the narrator’s home
e. eat authentic Indian food
2. Which of the following elements was NOT part of Mr.
Pirzada’s life in Dacca?
a. seven daughters
b. a wife of 26 years
c. a job at the university
d. a three-story home
e. three sons
3. How did the narrator’s parents FIRST meet Mr. Pirzada?
a. They found his name in a phone book.
b. He came to their door seeking shelter.
c. He taught them at the university.
d. They were looking for a tutor.
e. They knew him from India.
4. In “Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine,” Lilia’s friend is named
a. Kenyon
b. Amina
c. Dora
d. Ruku
e. Nancy
5. Which of the following terms BEST describes Lilia’s
reaction to the news that Mr. Pirzada is not Indian?
a. unbelieving
b. confused
c. anger
d. indifference
e. humored
6. Why is Lilia’s father MOST upset about her American
education?
a. He wants her to go to an Indian university.
b. She does not care about her culture.
c. He wants her to have Indian friends.
d. She is not learning about the world.
e. She does not know basic math.
7. Mr. Pirzada has all of the following traits EXCEPT
a. a mole on his cheek
b. thick eyelashes
c. a thick mustache
d. poor posture
e. graying hair
8. How does Lilia MOST often feel when Mr. Pirzada gives
her candy?
a. grateful
b. regretful
c. astonished
d. confused
e. awkward
9. Each night before he eats, Mr. Pirzada
a. winds a pocket watch
b. mumbles a prayer
c. brushes his mustache
d. turns off the television
e. stomps his feet
10. Why does Lilia watch Mr. Pirzada more closely after she
discovers he is not Indian?
a. She tries to find out what makes him different.
b. She is afraid he might try to hurt her family.
c. He seems like an alien in her home.
d. His habits seem strange and perverse to her.
e. She wants to be unique like him.
11. The night after she finds out Mr. Pirzada is not Indian,
Lilia is surprised to find herself
a. praying for his family’s safety
b. disliking Mr. Pirzada’s gifts
c. looking closely at the Indian map
d. watching the national news
e. eating chocolate before bed
12. Lilia’s teacher scolds her for
a. discussing the Partition in class
b. asking questions about India
c. reading a book on Pakistan
d. voicing her discontent with school
e. refusing to do a report on America
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 24 PAGE 49 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. Which term BEST describes Lilia’s feelings after she
learns about the plight of Mr. Pirzada’s family?
a. uncertain
b. angry
c. indifferent
d. helpless
e. terrified
14. One October evening, Mr. Pirzada joins Lilia in
a. eating her candy
b. carving a pumpkin
c. brushing her teeth
d. studying for a test
e. making dessert
15. Which piece of news shocks Mr. Pirzada one night?
a. Pakistani refugees are being killed in India.
b. His family has been found alive.
c. His home in Dacca has been demolished.
d. He has lost his position at the university.
e. India might go to war with Pakistan.
16. When Mr. Pirzada finds out Lilia and her friend are
going trick-or-treating, he responds with
a. sadness
b. delight
c. concern
d. curiosity
e. confusion
17. Which news does Mr. Pirzada send to Lilia’s family
several months after he returns to Dacca?
a. He is returning to the United States.
b. He has been reunited with his family.
c. His family was killed in the war.
d. He and his family have moved to India.
e. He continues to search for his family.
18. Which term BEST describes Lilia’s tone at the end of
“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”?
a. bitter
b. doleful
c. satisfied
d. uncertain
e. joyful
19. In the Bangladesh Liberation War, the United States
sided with
a. Bangladesh
b. North India
c. South India
d. East Pakistan
e. West Pakistan
20. Now that the war is over, Mr. Pirzada can BEST be
described as a citizen of
a. Bangladesh
b. India
c. East Pakistan
d. West Pakistan
e. Nepal
21. Which of the following scenes in “When Mr. Pirzada
Came to Dine” BEST exemplifies Lilia’s personal struggle
for identity?
a. Mr. Pirzada tells Lilia how different she is from
his daughters.
b. Lilia’s father insists she learn more about Indian
history.
c. Neighborhood kids smash the pumpkin Lilia
carved.
d. People comment on Lilia’s choice of Halloween
costume.
e. Dora’s mother insists that Lilia call her mother to
tell her that she is all right.
22. Mr. Pirzada sends a card to Lilia’s family to
commemorate
a. Diwali
b. the Muslim New Year
c. American Independence Day
d. Bengali Independence Day
e. Christmas
23. After returning to Dacca, Mr. Pirzada claims to have a
better understanding of
a. elation
b. gratitude
c. anxiety
d. grief
e. beauty
24. The Bangladesh Liberation War lasted for
a. one year
b. three weeks
c. twelve days
d. six hours
e. two months
25. How does “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” end?
a. Lilia writes to Mr. Pirzada and his family.
b. Lilia’s father pins up a new map of Asia.
c. Mr. Pirzada and his family rebuild their home in
Dacca.
d. Lilia finds a book on Bangladesh at the library.
e. Lilia throws away the candy Mr. Pirzada gave
her.
LANGLIT CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 25 “WHEN MR. PIRZADA CAME TO DINE:” ANALYSIS (PP. 81-82)
1. The MAIN cultural setting of “When Mr. Pirzada Came
to Dine” is
a. Hindu-Muslim tensions
b. the India-Pakistan conflict
c. a girl’s Asian-American identity
d. the Bengali Indian diaspora
e. the Bangladesh Liberation War
2. “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” was originally
published in
a. The Hudson Review
b. American Short Fiction
c. Fiction Weekly
d. The Louisville Review
e. Boston Review
3. Lilia’s parents can BEST be described as
a. United States citizens
b. first-generation immigrants
c. undocumented aliens
d. refugees with asylum status
e. temporary visitors
4. Why is Lilia’s mother MOST happy that Lilia was born in
the United States?
a. Lilia has adopted refined American habits.
b. She thinks Lilia will have a safe and easy life.
c. She is not proud of her own Indian heritage.
d. Lilia will not experience conflict in America.
e. She sees herself as American now.
5. Mr. Pirzada’s character BEST represents the
a. pain of being away from loved ones
b. joy of gathering together with friends
c. pride of forging one’s path in America
d. fear of losing one’s identity
e. hope of establishing a free nation
6. In which way does Lilia become MOST like an
immigrant in “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”?
a. Her father continually reminds her that she is
from India.
b. Mr. Pirzada makes her feel that she does not
belong in her home.
c. Her teacher points out her differences to her
classmates.
d. She feels the loneliness of being separated from
a friend.
e. She is embarrassed by her mother’s pride in her
citizenship.
7. Mr. Pirzada and Lilia’s family are MOST similar in their
a. religious traditions
b. unique habits
c. professional positions
d. food preferences
e. clothing styles
8. Lilia’s mother MOST likely cooks only boiled eggs and
rice at the end of “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” in
order to
a. express solidarity with suffering people
b. protest the American way of life
c. spend more time watching the news
d. please Mr. Pirzada’s sensitive palate
e. encourage simplicity in their lives
9. The box in which Lilia stored her candy had belonged
at one time to
a. her mother
b. her grandmother
c. Dora
d. Mr. Pirzada’s daughter
e. Mrs. Kenyon
10. Which of the following scenes MOST effectively marks
Lilia as an American child?
a. She calls her mother from Dora’s house.
b. Someone smashes the pumpkin she carved.
c. She shares her candy with Dora.
d. She refuses to eat pickled mangoes.
e. Mrs. Kenyon does not let her read about
Pakistan.
11. When Lilia arrives at Dora’s house on Halloween night,
she observes that
a. she is dressed differently than Dora
b. Dora’s family does not watch the news
c. Dora’s father takes no interest in Dora
d. there are no carved pumpkins on the step
e. Dora’s house stands out from the others
12. Lilia’s LAST clear memory of Mr. Pirzada’s visits occurs
on
a. Halloween
b. the Muslim New Year
c. Christmas
d. Indian Independence Day
e. her birthday
CURRICULUM FOCUSED QUIZ 25 PAGE 51 OF 51 DEMIDEC RESOURCES ©2013
13. Which two identities are contrasted MOST often in
“When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”?
a. masculine and feminine
b. personal and public
c. white and non-white
d. Indian and Pakistani
e. Hindu and Muslim
14. Which concept renders Mr. Pirzada’s national identity
LESS relevant in “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”?
a. post-materialism
b. post-modernism
c. post-nationalism
d. post-structuralism
e. post-industrialism
15. Which element MOST often obscures the characters’
national identities in “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”?
a. politics
b. ritual
c. linguistics
d. religion
e. food
16. Lilia’s observation that the map of Asia is outdated by
the end of the story reminds the reader that
a. a person’s social roles change often in life
b. an individual’s identity is not solely political
c. governments are less reliable than people
d. the world is an ever-evolving entity
e. geographic boundaries will often change
17. Whom does Lilia say “operates as one body” in “When
Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”?
a. her mother and father
b. she and Dora
c. she and Mr. Pirzada
d. Mr. Pirzada and his family
e. her parents and Mr. Pirzada
18. When Lilia imagines Mr. Pirzada on the map of
Pakistan, she pictures him
a. dancing with joy
b. sweating profusely
c. running after his wife
d. hysterically crying
e. aimlessly wandering
19. “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” reminds the reader
that our personal identities are MOST often a mix of
our
a. social statuses
b. individual memories
c. parents’ habits
d. past histories
e. collective conscience
20. The smashed pumpkin on Lilia’s doorstep is MOST
representative of
a. racial prejudice in the United States
b. her and Mr. Pirzada’s relationship
c. her Asian and American identities
d. the destruction of Mr. Pirzada’s family
e. Pakistan and India’s division