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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where do women in India go to have babies?
(a) The maternity ward in a hospital.
(b) Home to their family.
(c) An obstetrical clinic.
(d) They stay home and have help from their mother-in-law.

2. What kind of people are Ashima's neighbors in her first home in America?
(a) Out-of-work Americans.
(b) Families of professors at Harvard.
(c) A mix of peoples from all over the world.
(d) Other immigrants from India.

3. How does the breakup between Gogol/Nakhil and Ruth happen?
(a) They have a huge fight and Gogol walks out on her.
(b) Gogol's friends tell him Ruth isn't right for him.
(c) Ruth's parents don't like her seeing an Indian so she ends it.
(d) Ruth takes a class in England and that ends the affair.

4. What does the man who lends Ashoke the book on the train tell him that he should do?
(a) Be glad he has family that loves him.
(b) Meet the mans' family at the end of the trip.
(c) Read widely as that is the same as traveling the world.
(d) Travel and see the world.

5. How do Ashoke and Ashima give in to American customs?
(a) They buy season tickets to sporting events.
(b) They let Sonia and Gogol choose American food at the supermarket.
(c) They cease celebrating Indian holidays.
(d) They wear American clothes even in their own home.

6. What bad news does Ashima receive from her family in India soon after Gogol's birth?
(a) Her father has lost his job.
(b) Her little brother's wedding has been called off.
(c) Her grandmother has had a stroke.
(d) Their home was flooded and suffered extensive damage.

7. Why does Gogol/Nakhid take a class in Indian novels written in English?
(a) It filled a void in his class schedule.
(b) He feels it might answer questions about his heritage.
(c) He feels he's somewhat of an expert on the subject.
(d) One of the presenters is a cousin from India whom he has never met.

8. What appearance does the Ganguli home present to a casual observer?
(a) Their home is clearly the home of immigrants.
(b) Their home is painted an unusual color for the neighborhood.
(c) Their home appears no different from their neighbors.
(d) Their home is typical of people who don't know how to decorate an American house.

9. How do Gogol's parents explain his lack of an alternative identity to friends in India?
(a) They say they forgot such things after living in America.
(b) They tell people he would only respond to Gogol.
(c) They say alternative identities are not used in America.
(d) They say the law about names in America makes such identities difficult if not impossible.

10. When does the idea to change his name first occur to Gogol?
(a) When Sonia tells him people laugh behind his back.
(b) When relatives in India tell him it's not an Indian name.
(c) When reading an issue of Readers Digest.
(d) When school officials can't pronounce his given name.

11. What does Ashoke do that reminds Ashima of the time he visited her parents' home?
(a) He tells her how beautiful she is when she dresses up for him.
(b) He goes out of his way to learn American ways and tell her about them.
(c) He polishes his shoes fastidiously.
(d) He takes his shoes off, as is customary in India.

12. Who does Gogol meet on a train coming home from school during his freshman year in college?
(a) A friend from childhood whom he barely remembers.
(b) A woman who moves because she doesn't like immigrants.
(c) A stranger who reminds him of his father.
(d) A fellow student from school, a girl he recognizes.

13. What does Gogol hate about explaining his name to people?
(a) How to pronounce it correctly.
(b) That his parents didn't have a name ready when he was born.
(c) That it's not Indian and is absurd and obscure.
(d) That many people in India have pet names when children.

14. How does Gogol go about changing his school documents that were completed using the name Gogol?
(a) Only when necessary because paperwork doesn't match.
(b) He almost boasts to everyone about his name change.
(c) Methodically, one paper at a time but in no hurry.
(d) In stealth, not letting his classmates know about it.

15. What does Ashoke remember when he and Ashima bring Gogol home?
(a) The conversation on the train before the train wreck.
(b) How beautiful Ashima had been when they first met.
(c) That he'd not wanted children so soon.
(d) That he has a meeting and must soon leave for a while.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Ashima do with most of the gifts Gogol gets at his second birthday party?

2. Why is Ashima embarrassed to wear a hospital gown?

3. What did Gogol do at his birthday party with friends that he'd never done before?

4. How does Gogol feel after leaving the courthouse with a changed name?

5. What error in speech does Ashima make when talking with the nurse?

(see the answer keys)

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