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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through "The Second Girl" - "Loopholes".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In what country did the author grow up?
(a) North Africa.
(b) South Africa.
(c) South America.
(d) Nigeria.

2. To what was Patricia referring when she spoke of "the black tax" (66)?
(a) The need to spend one's working life making up for that which was pillaged from one's ancestors.
(b) An official government tax paid only by black people.
(c) The tendency of white employers to illegally steal the wages of black employees during apartheid.
(d) A special tax Afrikaners had to pay after apartheid to provide reparations to black people.

3. What reason did Patricia give when the author asked why they did not move to Switzerland?
(a) She did not want to leave South Africa.
(b) Switzerland would be even worse.
(c) She believed South Africa was too good for them.
(d) Switzerland refused to accept them.

4. Where did Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko go to school?
(a) They went to school over seas.
(b) They did not go to school.
(c) Government-run Bantu schools.
(d) Schools founded by British missionaries.

5. How did arguments between the author and his mother change after the author turned eight?
(a) They started arguing about more mature topics.
(b) They began to argue in writing instead of in person.
(c) They stopped arguing altogether.
(d) Their arguments became nastier and more personal.

Short Answer Questions

1. How did the shopkeeper in the story "Chameleon" respond when Patricia proved she could understand Afrikaans?

2. How does the author explain his remark that he and his mother "weren't just mother and son" (70)?

3. What answer did Patricia give when the author asked her why she chose to give birth to him?

4. Which of the following is NOT a language that Patricia taught to the author?

5. What made the author "realize [he] was black" (59)?

(see the answer key)

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