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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Bakul say to Tara when she decides to stay with her family that morning instead of going with him to New Delhi?
(a) She has made a wise decision that he agrees with
(b) She has gone back to being the hopeless person she was before he married her
(c) He wants a divorce
(d) She deserves time with her family after spending so much time taking care of his needs

2. Who begins to show interest in Bim?
(a) One of her students
(b) Sharma
(c) Dr. Biswas
(d) A Buddhist monk

3. Who does Raja share his knowledge and dreams with in the family?
(a) The jet-black cat
(b) Tara
(c) Bimla
(d) Baba

4. What family pet joins the sisters in the garden?
(a) Badshah, the family dog
(b) Bessie the cow
(c) Rex the camel
(d) Jayla the family parrot

5. What language does Raja admire the most?
(a) Urdu
(b) Spanish
(c) English
(d) HIndi

6. Why did her father give her mother injections?
(a) He was slowly poisoning her
(b) Her mother had t.b.
(c) Her mother had diabetes
(d) Her mother was a drug addict

7. What is Tara's reaction to Bim's behavior regarding the letter?
(a) Tara is too busy looking at her fingernails to listen
(b) Tara agrees that Raja is evil
(c) Tara decides to show the letter to Bakul to intercede on Bim's behalf
(d) Tara is shocked and tries to convince Bim that Raja is not a bad man

8. Why is it so strange for Bim to ask Baba if he is going to the office that morning?
(a) Bim usually does not speak to Baba in the morning
(b) He is mentally retarded and never goes to the office
(c) He has already mentioned going to the track that morning
(d) He is usually off on Tuesdays

9. What skill do Raja and Bim possess and use throughout their childhood that Tara does not possess?
(a) Ability to write
(b) Ability to speak another language
(c) Ability to read
(d) Ability to memorize and recite

10. What are the names of the people everyone is talking about that summer, according to this novel?
(a) Gandhi, Clinton, Reagan and Bush
(b) Gandhi, Mountbatten, Churchill, Jinnah and Nehru
(c) Queen Elizabeth, Gandhi, Churchill and Nehru
(d) Gandhi, FDR, Churchill and Nehru

11. What does Mulk accuse his sisters of doing to him?
(a) Kidnapping his children
(b) Running off his musicians and denying him money
(c) Stealing his musical instruments
(d) Running off his wife

12. What does Baba do that surprises everyone?
(a) He begins speaking Spanish
(b) He asks for pancakes for breakfast
(c) He announces his upcoming marriage
(d) He leaves the house

13. Who does Raja suggest to take over the family business?
(a) Aunt Mira
(b) Dr. Biswas
(c) Tara
(d) Baba

14. Who does Bim choose to speak to rather than the Misras brothers and sisters?
(a) One of the elder men of the Misras family
(b) Bakul
(c) Jayla
(d) Mulk

15. What happens to Aunt Mira in this chapter?
(a) She surprises everyone by marrying Dr. Biswas
(b) She dies
(c) She begins obsessing about the cow
(d) She begins a career as a professional caregiver

Short Answer Questions

1. What goes wrong with Dr. Biswas and Bim?

2. How does Bim use this old letter from Raja?

3. Bakul is waiting for them on the veranda. What music greets the sisters when they join Bakul?

4. What does Tara ask Bim to do?

5. How does Bim recover from grieving for Aunt Mira

(see the answer keys)

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