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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which residents of Delhi are described in the first page and a half of Part II, Chapter 6?
(a) Vendors.
(b) Beggars.
(c) Soldiers.
(d) Islamic clergy.

2. What advice does Bari give Asghar about his love life?
(a) Loving is not as satisfying as is being loved.
(b) He should contact his sister in Bhopal for her help.
(c) He should marry Mushtari Bai.
(d) He should buy charms to help him persuade his father.

3. What does Mushtari Bai mean when she compares Asghar to "the moon of Eed" (53)?
(a) She suspects that Asghar has fallen in love with someone else.
(b) She gets frustrated waiting to see Asghar.
(c) She feels betrayed by the way Asghar has treated her.
(d) She knows that Asghar does not really love her.

4. In Part II, Chapter 4, what thought makes Mir Nihal suddenly feel guilty and stop eating?
(a) He was not present at Babban Jan's death because he was busy with his birds.
(b) He has neglected his responsibilities to his wife and children.
(c) Babban Jan is dead and he should not be enjoying himself.
(d) The deaths of the pigeons were a result of his distraction over a mistress.

5. When Begam Waheed tells her mother that Asghar is in love with Bilqeece, what does Begam Nihal accuse Bilqeece's mother of?
(a) Using Asghar to elevate her family.
(b) Lying to Asghar about their family.
(c) Scheming with Begam Waheed.
(d) Putting a spell on Asghar.

6. What causes Mir Nihal to be so depressed that he does not fly his pigeons one afternoon in Chapter 2?
(a) The diminishing role he plays in his own household.
(b) The heat-related deaths of some of his birds.
(c) His worries over Babban Jan.
(d) His concern over the illness of Begam Jamal and Masroor.

7. In what city does the man who wants to marry the Nihals' daughter live?
(a) Calcutta.
(b) Delhi.
(c) Madras.
(d) Bhopal.

8. On page 53, what does Mushtari Bai compare herself to?
(a) An "oasis in the desert."
(b) An "evil-smelling flower."
(c) A "candle which tempts the moths."
(d) A "new flower in bloom."

9. What was the cause of Asghar, Begam Waheed, and Begam Nihal being sent away to live somewhere else when Asghar was a child?
(a) Mir Nihal could not afford to keep everyone in his house.
(b) Begam Waheed had an interest in a boy the family disliked.
(c) Begam Nihal was mentally unwell.
(d) Asghar had angered his father.

10. What is Molvi Dulhan dressed like in Part II?
(a) A woman.
(b) A prince.
(c) An imam.
(d) An Englishman.

11. What event are workers being forced to work in the extreme heat in preparation for?
(a) The move of the British Raj's capitol to Delhi.
(b) The hosting of a World's Fair in Delhi.
(c) The coronation of George V and his wife, Mary.
(d) A rumored attack by the Provisional Government of India.

12. What does Begam Nihal ask her grandson Majeed to do in order to make the dust storm stop?
(a) Scatter grain to feed the crows.
(b) Place an onion under a pillow on the bed.
(c) Put a broom under the leg of a bed.
(d) Tie a bunch of dried chilis in the doorway.

13. What changes about the weather just before Begam Waheed's departure for Bhopal?
(a) There is a storm that floods the roads out of Delhi.
(b) A cooler breeze begins and rain finally blows into Delhi.
(c) There is a period of unseasonable cold.
(d) The breeze dies and the heat becomes unbearable.

14. In Part I, Chapter 4, who asks Asghar, "When are we going to hear the good news of your marriage?" (20)?
(a) Bilqeece.
(b) His sister-in-law.
(c) Mir Nihal.
(d) Bundoo.

15. Bundoo's mother tells Asghar that she feels it hardly necessary to observe "purdah" with him. In this context, what does "purdah" refer to?
(a) The rules surrounding the seclusion of women from men.
(b) The rules separating one caste from another.
(c) The customary deference of younger people to their elders.
(d) The customs of welcoming and hospitality.

Short Answer Questions

1. To what does the narrator compare the streets and alleys of Delhi?

2. What is the main subject of Part I, Chapter 5?

3. What hobbies does Mir Nihal pursue in Chapter 5?

4. What does Begam Nihal say is causing the illness in the Nihal household?

5. Who is Mehro Zamani?

(see the answer keys)

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