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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Chota says that he does not want the babu's younger son to play in the game because he might get hurt, what devices are being employed?
(a) Foreshadowing and situational irony.
(b) Dramatic and verbal irony.
(c) Verbal irony and foreshadowing.
(d) Situational and dramatic irony.

2. When Bakha gets home, where is he told that his brother has gone?
(a) To beg for food in the barracks.
(b) To Ram Charan's sister's wedding.
(c) To clean the latrines.
(d) To play hockey.

3. What is a "sadhu"?
(a) A street performer.
(b) An ascetic holy man.
(c) A tax collector.
(d) A beggar.

4. Why does Bakha think that his father will not object to his leaving if he says he is going to see Ram Charan's sister's wedding?
(a) He knows that his father is very impressed with Ram Charan's family.
(b) He knows that his father loves everything to do with weddings and celebrations.
(c) He knows that his father will be interested in getting some of the wedding sweets.
(d) He knows that his father is hoping that Bakha himself will marry soon.

5. What was the family's purpose in putting Bakha on the floor when he was so ill?
(a) They hoped the cooler air near the floor would help with his fever.
(b) They wanted him to be able to die close to the earth.
(c) They needed space in the bed for the younger children.
(d) They were performing a ritual intended to solicit divine intervention.

6. What is Bakha trying to figure out when he is on his way to the kitchen and asks himself "Is it wet or dry?" (92)?
(a) Whether the dark line on the horizon looks like rain.
(b) Whether there is still water in the pan the sparrows drink from.
(c) Whether Charat Singh's hookah-smoking can be defiled by Bakha's touch.
(d) What type of food Charat Singh is sending him to fetch.

7. What does his trip to the kitchen cause Bakha to remember?
(a) The guests at Ram Charan's sister's wedding.
(b) The food his mother used to cook.
(c) Being yelled at by a cook when he was small.
(d) His dream about the little girl.

8. How old is Ram Charan's sister?
(a) 16.
(b) 15.
(c) 14.
(d) 13.

9. What makes Bakha think that the hockey stick is "the best stick that had been manufactured in the world" (95)?
(a) It is strong but very flexible.
(b) It is marked with English stamps.
(c) It was given to him by his hero.
(d) It is colored in the colors of the Indian flag.

10. What caste does the cook assume Bakha is a member of?
(a) Washermen.
(b) Water-carriers.
(c) Grass-cutters.
(d) Sweepers.

11. What does Bakha criticize his brother for when they are eating?
(a) Chewing with his mouth open.
(b) Eating with dirty hands.
(c) Dropping food on the floor.
(d) Being greedy with the food.

12. What do Bakha's thoughts about Emperor Jehangir's invention reveal?
(a) He is smarter and more curious than he is generally given credit for.
(b) His awareness of the injustice in his world is growing rapidly.
(c) He is frustrated with the amount of time he has to spend waiting to get people's attention.
(d) His fascination with modernity will always interfere with his ability to fit into his surroundings.

13. What do all of the stories about the solar topee have in common?
(a) They stress the authority of the sahibs.
(b) They point out corruption in the military.
(c) They create respect for the rule of law.
(d) They highlight economic inequality in India.

14. What is Lakha's point in telling the story about when Bakha was gravely ill as a child?
(a) He loves Bakha more than it seems like he does.
(b) He has done a lot for Bakha and deserves better treatment from his son.
(c) The caste system can seem unfair, but eventually everyone gets what they deserve.
(d) The upper castes can be good people who try to help the outcastes.

15. Why does Bakha feel glad that his friends are walking well ahead of him when they are heading to the heath?
(a) He is nervous about being accused of ritual pollution.
(b) He wants to enjoy some solitude in nature.
(c) He is tired of being teased about his clothing.
(d) He does not want them to notice his sadness about the wedding.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the first woman in the alley houses repeatedly tell Bakha?

2. Why does Bakha decide that stealing the solar topee is not a good plan?

3. Who are the "pale-white ghosts, ghouls and hobgoblins" mentioned on page 87?

4. Why does Bakha think that it is unlikely he will be able to lie to his father about the morning's events?

5. What has Gulabo accused Bakha of, in the past?

(see the answer keys)

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