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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who does Deven describe as a lover of Urdu poetry and the person who taught him Urdu?
(a) His father.
(b) His mother.
(c) Murad.
(d) His grandfather.

2. What reason does Deven give Murad for his becoming a professor?
(a) It is his lifelong dream.
(b) The salary and prestige.
(c) His passion is for Hindi.
(d) He has to support his family.

3. Who says he is the corpse of the Urdu language "waiting to be buried" (42)?
(a) Nur.
(b) Murad.
(c) Deven's father.
(d) Deven.

4. What does Murad say when Deven tells him why he left Nur's home after Imtiaz and the old woman fought?
(a) He is surprised Deven did not want to stay to see them tear each other's eyes out.
(b) He is not surprised a poet would live such a wild existence.
(c) He cannot believe Nur's family is so dysfunctional.
(d) Deven should have stayed to help the poor old poet.

5. What does Nur suggest Murad should do after reading his letter of introduction?
(a) Perform in a traveling circus.
(b) Find a new job.
(c) Go back to school.
(d) Write poetry.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the guru-shisya tradition Murad describes in Chapter 5?

2. What does Deven wonder about regarding the paper he used to clean up Nur's vomit at the end of Chapter 3?

3. What does Deven do with the paper he used to clean Nur's vomit?

4. What does Deven's bus seat-mate say is the only thing that exists between life and death?

5. When Deven reflects on his life with Sarla, how does he see himself when they first married?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Murad poke fun at Deven when he offers him one of his two cigarettes in Chapter 1?

2. What does Nur tell Deven about Imtiaz when they speak after her performance in Chapter 5?

3. Why is Deven unable to ask Nur for an interview during his first visit?

4. What is the guru-shishya tradition and why does Murad mention it to Deven in Chapter 5?

5. What does Murad say about the food when Deven takes him out for lunch after his lectures in Chapter 1?

6. Why is Deven surprised at the company Nur keeps when he first meets him?

7. Who is Nur? What does Murad want Deven to do in connection with Nur?

8. Who performs on the divan at Nur's when Deven visits in Chapter 5? How does Deven feel about this person and performance?

9. Describe what Deven sees when he first enters Nur's room in Chapter 2?

10. What is Chandni Chowk like? What is Deven surprised Nur lives there?

(see the answer keys)

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