• Author / Uploaded
• taderogimeno

Citation preview

OXFORD BOOKWORMS

COMPREHENSION TEST

Stage 4

Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia 1

a b c d e f g h i j

Which story do these sentences come from? Carapace, The Inspector of Schools, The Intelligence of Wild Things, The Kite-maker, The Stepmother, The Night Train at Deoli, A Devoted Son, Missiya, the Wild One, For a Horseshoe Nail. It was shaped like a dove, and its beak held the olive branch of peace. ………. Varma was now eating so little that he soon became really weak and ill. ………. He wouldn’t let things slip if just a few words could solve the problem. ………. And a week later, here I was, back home, without one of my kidneys. ………. I had to pull my hand away from the girl and run for the moving train. ………. I knew why some women hated her and cursed her. ………. A small word of love, like a magic jewel from one of my mother’s stories. ………. He then decided to leave and open his own clinic. ………. ‘You help the workman repair the cupboard, and I’ll pay half the cost.’ ………. The Master stood up, his feet searching for his shoes in the dusty earth. ……….

3

Fill in the gaps using these words: bundle, prawns, fuss, border, respected.

a

Lakshman did not like all the ………. and bother about the baby. Zaheera’s grandfather’s house was on the other side of the ………. . It was such a tiny ……….., a helpless little thing, killed by its own mother. All the neighbours ………. Rakesh for his fine qualities. Vijay had a bowl full of enormous ………. on his knees.

b c d e

20 marks

4

Match the beginning of the sentence with the correct ending.

1 2 3 4 5

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

a b c d e

I looked out for the girl with the baskets. floating across the ocean. he began talking about his village. and anxious about the operation. Tarun felt he was slowly freezing.

20 marks

2

Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?

a

___ The girl at Deoli station was selling baskets. ___ Raju was planning to start a bicycle shop with some of the thirty thousand rupees. ___ The Inspector of Schools gave the Master a piece of land for his school. ___ Tarun wanted to go to college in America. ___ The wind pulled the kite away from Zaheera’s fingers. ___ Vijay likes nothing better than to cook his prawns in front of the ocean. ___ Lakshman had been saving for a car for some time. ___ Missiya wanted to be like other village girls. ___ Rakesh married a girl his mother had chosen for him. ___ Tarun wanted his mother to come and live with him in Vermont.

b

c d e f g h i j

The moment their son saw the kite, It was so cold in Vermont, As the train entered the station, I felt he was seeing me out at sea, I was frightened by the huge hospital,

20 marks

5

Who said this? Who did they say it to? Varma, Lakshman, Valli, the Master, Rasool, the stepmother, the Inspector, Rakesh, Zaheera, Raju.

a

‘I’ve brought you some new medicine.’ ………. to ………. ‘Velu has brought his body back.’ ………. to ………. ‘Punish you? Oh, no.’ ………. to ………. ‘It’s gone, just like our son.’ ………. to ………. ‘How many classes do you have here?’ ………. to ……….

b c d e

20 marks Total marks

20 marks

1

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

OXFORD BOOKWORMS

COMPREHENSION TEST ANSWERS

Stage 4

Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia 1 a b c d e f g h i j

The Kite-maker A Devoted Son Carapace For a Horseshoe Nail The Night Train at Deoli Missiya, the Wild One The Intelligence of Wild Things A Devoted Son The Stepmother The Inspector of Schools

2 a b c d e f g h i j

T T F F T T F F T F

3 a b c d e

fuss border bundle respected prawns

4 1 2 3 4 5

c e a b d

5 a b c d e

2

Rakesh to Varma Valli to Raju the stepmother to Lakshman Zaheera to Rasool the Inspector to the Master

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

OXFORD BOOKWORMS

MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST

Stage 4

Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia SETTING

7

Choose the best answer.

a b c d

1 a b c d 2

a b c d 3 a b c d 4 a b c d 5

a b c d 6

a b c d

Rasool and Zaheera’s village had been almost destroyed by _____. the wind riots doves prayers Rakesh’s parents lived in a small house in a poor suburb, where rubbish lay about in _____. smelly piles America neat gardens town The women of the village _____ Missiya but the men came to her by night. understood missed followed hated Lakshman’s father had said his stepmother would _____ him. hit scream at look after punish

8 a b c d 9 a b c d

Tarun and his sister were living in America, but their mother was dying in ____. Vermont California Sacramento Calcutta His parents had never been to school, but Rakesh became famous and _____. proud envious wealthy excellent The girl lived _____ but she had always dreamed of something different. in a beach hut near the beach in Singapore at Tonio’s

10 The train stopped at Deoli for only ten minutes before _____. a rushing on into the forests b waiting on the platform c visiting my grandmother d selling baskets 20 marks

CHARACTERS

Taking kidneys was good business for the hospital and the _____ from the village needed the money. men shops babies doctors

Choose the best answer.

The villagers don’t want _____ in the village because they think the children should be in the fields. cattle the Inspector of Schools students a school

12 The young girl’s feet were bare and her clothes were old, but she _____. a walked across to the tea stall b was alone on the platform c walked like a queen d pretended not to notice

11 Rasool made the _____ kite he had ever made for the yearly kite-flying festival. a lost b finest c strongest d weaker

13 _____ had never been to school. His job was selling lamp oil in a shop. a Rakesh b Bhatia c Veena d Varma

3

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

OXFORD BOOKWORMS

MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST

Stage 4

Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia 14 _____ lived in Australia and was looking for a Sri Lankan wife. a Lakshmi b Vijay c Anura Perera d Amma 15 Raju sold his kidney for thirty thousand rupees because he _____. a wanted money for his family b felt proud c was frightened d went to hospital 16 Tarun’s sister lived in California with her _____. a mother b husband and two daughters c husband and two sons d brother 17 Missiya had a beautiful, strong body and she was _____. a married b drunk c full of fun d jealous 18 _____ became known not only as the best but also the richest doctor in town. a Rakesh b Bhatia c Veena d Varma 19 _____ was an old man and an excellent teacher. a the Master b the Inspector of Schools c a student d the villager 20 Lakshman disliked his stepmother so much that he _____. a played a game in his room b was saving for a bicycle c cut vegetables on the floor d wouldn’t go out with her 20 marks

4

DIALOGUE Who said this? 21 ‘Why do you keep moving your school? Isn’t there a room you could hire?’ a the Master b the Inspector of Schools c a student d the villager 22 ‘When there’s so much hate, do you think people will fly kites?’ a Zaheera b Rasool c the son d a man in uniform 23 ‘Look after me? He – he does not even give me enough to eat.’ a Rakesh b Bhatia c Veena d Varma 24 ‘You want to know who did it? Well, I did, I did it …’ a the stepmother b the Amme c Lakshman d the workman 25 ‘I’ll get you thirty-five thousand for it. And you can give me five thousand for arranging it.’ a the doctor b Velu c Raju d Valli 26 ‘Now, Papa, we must be careful, we don’t want another illness, do we?’ a Rakesh b Bhatia c Veena d Varma 27 ‘You are going to marry this fool with a foreign job?’ a Anura Perera b Amma c the girl d Vijay

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

OXFORD BOOKWORMS

MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST

Stage 4

Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia 28 ‘I think we will soon call it Kidneypatti!’ a the doctor b Velu c Raju d Valli 29 ‘Didi, doesn’t it look like a sharash?’ a Sandeep b Ma c Tarun d the sister 30 ‘Yes, there was such a girl here, I remember quite well. But she has stopped coming now.’ a the boy b the grandmother c the fruit seller d the new stationmaster 20 marks

VOCABULARY Choose the best answer. 31 very great anger a fuss b fury c boldness d respect 32 to move lazily along with no particular purpose a bow b nod c waste d drift 33 liquid that appears on the skin when you are hot a shell b spit c sweat d vein 34 bad, causing trouble or harming people a plump b evil c bare d bloody

5

35 to move your head up and down in agreement a curse b sigh c nod d wipe 36 a small hospital a clinic b compartment c department d hut 37 a large piece of cloth worn by a woman over her shoulders a pillow b pyjamas c sari d shawl 38 the feeling of wanting something that someone else has a envy b respect c fuss d boldness 39 a fixed instruction that must be obeyed a rule b right c respect d riot 40 to sit on your heels with your knees close to your body a suck b sigh c squat d spit 20 marks

PLOT Choose the best answer. 41 Tarun left Calcutta to _____. a see his mother b get to know his sister c go to college in America d have a marriage arranged

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

OXFORD BOOKWORMS

MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST

Stage 4

Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia 42 No father would accept it, so Missiya _____ the baby and hid it in the hay. a cursed b killed c noticed d held 43 The Master kept _____ because no one provided them with a room. a moving the school b having fun c walking away d talking to the Inspector 44 The boy was deeply _____ because the girl was not on the platform at Deoli. a pleased b disappointed c excited d anxious

49 Anura Perera was interested in the girl, but she wanted to know what Vijay really _____ her. a asked b persuaded c felt for d cooked for 50 The old man fell ill so often that even Rakesh no longer knew whether he was ill, or _____. a just pretending b lying absolutely still c spitting betel juice at them d sitting up 20 marks Total marks

45 When Lakshman broke the doors of the almirah, his stepmother looked at him _____. a slowly b loudly c wildly d calmly 46 Muthu, _____ went with Raju to give one of his kidneys, died in Bangalore. a why b who c now d sometimes 47 Zaheera had lost her enthusiasm for life because her son had _____. a stayed up late b been very ill c made a kite d disappeared 48 The sharash had flown all the way from Bengal, to bring Tarun’s sister _____. a a message b a magic jewel c the sun d the old stories

6

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

OXFORD BOOKWORMS

MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ANSWERS

Stage 4

Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia SETTING 1 b 2 a 3 d 4 c 5 a 6 d 7 d 8 c 9 b 10 a

PLOT 41 c 42 b 43 a 44 b 45 d 46 b 47 d 48 a 49 c 50 a

CHARACTERS 11 b 12 c 13 d 14 c 15 a 16 b 17 c 18 a 19 a 20 d DIALOGUE 21 b 22 a 23 d 24 c 25 b 26 a 27 d 28 a 29 c 30 d VOCABULARY 31 b 32 d 33 c 34 b 35 c 36 a 37 d 38 a 39 a 40 c

7

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

OXFORD BOOKWORMS

BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS

Stage 4

Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia BEFORE READING Encourage students to discuss and speculate, but do not confirm their guesses or predictions at this stage. Factual answers are given below for your information only. Activity 1 BEFORE READING CARAPACE Open answers. Encourage discussion. Activity 2 BEFORE READING THE INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS 1 good 2 few 3 none 4 hardworking Activity 3 BEFORE READING THE INTELLIGENCE OF WILD THINGS Open answers. Encourage discussion. Activity 4 BEFORE READING THE KITE-MAKER The true answers are 1 and 3. Activity 5 BEFORE READING THE STEPMOTHER 1 Y (from Lakshman’s point of view), or N (from an adult reader’s point of view) 2N 3N Activity 6 BEFORE READING THE NIGHT TRAIN AT DEOLI 1 falls in love 2 finds (love), loses (the girl) 3 wonderful (falling in love), miserable (never seeing the girl again)

AFTER READING Activity 1 1 Tarun in The Intelligence of Wild Things. His sister has just come to visit him in Vermont, on the eastern side of the United States. 2 The stepmother in The Stepmother. She has just discovered some serious damage to the almirah, the beautiful wooden cupboard where she keeps her baby’s things. 3 The girl selling baskets in The Night Train at Deoli. She has just met the narrator for the second time on the platform at Deoli station. 4 The narrator’s mother in Missiya, the Wild One. She has just realized that her daughter is growing up, and that Missiya might be a bad influence on her. So she is going to tell her daughter to keep away from Missiya. 5 Ahmed and Zaheera’s son in The Kite-maker. He has just found the kite that Ahmed made for the kite-flying festival, and he has realized how badly he wants to go home. 6 Vijay in Carapace. He has just rung the narrator to ask her what time she is coming out to eat with him, and she has put the phone down on him (at the end of the story). 7 Valli in For a Horseshoe Nail. She has just heard of the death of one of her neighbours, Muthu, in Bangalore, where he was selling one of his kidneys, and is worried that the same thing may happen to her husband Raju. 8 The Master in The Inspector of Schools. He has just said goodbye to the inspector at the end of the story, after begging him to find a room or some land for a permanent school. 9 Veena in A Devoted Son. Her father-in-law, Varma, has just spat a mouthful of betel juice on to her new sari. Activity 2

Activity 7 BEFORE READING A DEVOTED SON Open answers. Encourage discussion. Activity 8 BEFORE READING MISSIYA, THE WILD ONE Open answers. Encourage discussion. Activity 9 BEFORE READING FOR A HORSESHOE NAIL 1 valuable 2 terrible

8

Model answers: Carapace a) So I rang him, and we met that evening, to talk things over. It meant I missed Anura Perera’s visit, of course, but I didn’t care about that. Amma was furious, though. A month later we had a quiet wedding, and I moved into Vijay’s tiny apartment. I haven’t got any jewellery or elegant saris to wear, but Vijay and I spend our evenings dancing in the moonlight and eating prawns on the beach. I’ve never

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

OXFORD BOOKWORMS

BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS

Stage 4

Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia regretted the decision I made that day, to ring him back. b) But a girl has her pride. I waited, but he didn’t ring again. And so I found myself the centre of attention at a big wedding, with hundreds of guests, and finally married to a man I hardly knew. Anura Perera’s large house in Sydney is wonderful, and I can buy anything I like. I was happy at first, but now I realize I have no friends. I’m very lonely in the daytime, and then, when my husband comes home, I feel even more lonely. We have nothing to say to each other, you see. I often wonder if Vijay is still at the Beach Hut, and whether he ever thinks of me. The Intelligence of Wild Things a) That evening, while I’m telling my story, I suddenly notice tears rolling down his cheeks. Tarun’s crying! Now the ice is broken, we share our memories of the past. He offers to go to India, and I’m so glad. That is what happens. He sees our mother before she dies, and is able to say good bye to her. ‘Seeing my children before I die.’ That’s what she wanted. b) I try my hardest, but Tarun refuses to listen. His expression is cold and hard. I ask him straight out, but he says he has no message for our dying mother. So my visit was a waste of time. I go back to make a final visit to Mother, but he stays in the USA with his girlfriend. He never sees any of our family again. Sometimes I wonder if I have a brother, or if I ever had one. Activity 3 Acceptable answers are any words that fit the grammar and the sense. Some alternatives are given in brackets. 1 I was most impressed by the Master (teacher), who is keeping teaching standards extremely high. I tested a number of his students (pupils), who were perfectly ready with their answers (replies). They also read both English and Urdu very well, showing a surprisingly good understanding of the texts. All the correct books were in use, although there weren’t many of them. The boys seem to enjoy (like, appreciate) their lessons, and are certainly making progress. However,

9

there is one problem: the lack (absence) of a school building. At the moment, all teaching takes place in a field, which is clearly not a suitable place (arrangement). My recommendation is that the government buys (obtains) a small piece of land and gives it to the village. 2 Thursday 4th June: Showed some visiting politicians round my clinic today. Naturally, they praised everything they saw (found) there. They had a couple of reporters (journalists) with them. I expect there’ll be articles (stories) about me in most of tomorrow’s papers (newspapers). I hope they took a good photo (photograph) of me – was wearing my best suit/jacket. Drove home. Went to greet the old man. Am trying out a new medicine (drug, treatment) on him. It hasn’t been properly tested before, so if it makes him better (well), I can use it on my patients at the clinic. Just imagine how grateful they will be to me! Saving lives is what I do best, of course. And if, sadly, it makes him worse, I shall at least learn something useful (interesting). Activity 4 Open answers. Activity 5 Both haiku are about The Intelligence of Wild Things. Notes for the teacher: This activity helps students to think about the stories they have read, and what they see as the themes, or points of interest in the story. It also helps them to practise the key vocabulary of the stories. There are no right or wrong answers for this activity, provided that the haiku accurately reflects some aspect of the story. - For classroom work students can work in pairs or small groups to write their haiku. When all the groups have finished, there can be a guessing competition, with other groups guessing which story each haiku is about. Other possibilities include a haiku recital (each group in turn reads out their haiku to the class), and a poster display.

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

OXFORD BOOKWORMS

BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS

Stage 4

Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia - If students are doing their reading at home, writing a haiku is a creative way of showing they have read and understood the story. Haiku can be written in students’ own reading diaries, or shared with the class. A good way is to keep a big ‘Reviews Book’ in the classroom, and each student writes their haiku in the book for other students to read. - Haiku don’t rhyme or scan, but must keep to the 5 / 7 / 5 syllable rule. They can be one long sentence, or a number of short sentences, or just phrases. They can be funny, or sad. Avoid using characters’ names. These examples for some of the other stories in this book show some different ways language can be used in haiku. Missiya, the Wild One Teasing all the men Full red lips and a bold smile Proud to be different. Carapace It’s a dilemma: prawns on the beach, Sydney shops – which should a girl choose? The Inspector of Schools How well boys are taught by their respected Master! But no school is built. A Devoted Son Spitting betel juice, playing dead, begging for treats, the old man’s dying.

10

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE