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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1, pp. 1 – 51.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Lakshmi describe rubbing for good luck in "Before Gita Left"?
(a) The notch in the school bench.
(b) A rough patch in the clay of her hut.
(c) A rabbit.
(d) Her friend's hair.

2. In "Announcing the Dry Season," the narrator says, "The wind that blows up from the plains is called" what?
(a) "The katana."
(b) "The loo."
(c) "The mortar."
(d) "The amari."

3. What item does Lakshmi describe Gita's father having purchased since Gita went to work as a maid in the city?
(a) A new pair of spectacles.
(b) A new horse.
(c) A new pair of trousers.
(d) A new goat.

4. Who is "the elephant god, remover of obstacles"?
(a) Ganesh.
(b) Loki.
(c) Vivek.
(d) Poseidon.

5. How old is Lakshmi in the beginning of the novel?
(a) 11.
(b) 15.
(c) 13.
(d) 14.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Lakshmi go for her period of confinement after her first menstruation?

2. Lakshmi says in Section 1 that her stepfather looks at her the same way he looks at what vegetables growing in front of their hut?

3. What disability does Lakshmi describe her stepfather having in "The Difference Between a Son and a Daughter"?

4. What kind of alcoholic beverage do the men of Lakshmi's village drink during the festivals?

5. What type of agriculture is grown around Lakshmi's village?

(see the answer key)

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