CBSE Class 12 English Memories Of Childhood Assignment Set 03

Question. The lesson ‘Memories of Childhood’ is
(a) an autobiographical episode
(b) a fable
(c) a legend
(d) a play

Answer: A

Question. Zitkala-Sa’s real name was
(a) Pearl S. Buck
(b) Tishani Doshi
(c) Gertrude Simmons Bonnin
(d) Hillary

Answer: C

Question. Zitkala-Sa’s experience started with her being
(a) handcuffed
(b) tied to a chair
(c) tied with chains to a bed post
(d) tied to a table

Answer: B

Question. Zitkala-Sa was being constantly observed by a woman who had
(a) a pale face
(b) a fair complexion
(c) a dark complexion
(d) an angry look

Answer: A

Question. The Indian girls wore
(a) clinging dresses
(b) nightgowns
(c) trousers
(d) skirts

Answer: A

Question. As the bell rang, the whole group of pupils
(a) sat on the floor.
(b) drew a chair from under the table.
(c) sat on the stools.
(d) knelt down on the ground.

Answer: B

Question. The author was being stared at by people and she felt she
(a) looked pretty
(b) looked terrible
(c) had suffered extreme indignities
(d) looked like a model

Answer: C

Question. The distance from school to her home usually took Bama
(a) ten minutes
(b) thirty minutes to an hour
(c) forty minutes
(d) one hour

Answer: B

Question. Bama enlists numerous things that pulled her to
(a) eat on the roadside
(b) a standstill
(c) take a side on the joy-riders
(d) watch the snake charmer only

Answer: B

Question. Which tree had its fruit occasionally blown down by the wind?
(a) Almond tree
(b) Apple tree
(c) Mango tree
(d) Jamun tree

Answer: A

Question. The elderly man was carrying
(a) pakoras
(b) samosas
(c) jalebis
(d) vadai or green banana bhaji

Answer: D

Question. On reaching home, Bama narrated the incident to her
(a) elder sister
(b) cousin
(c) father
(d) elder brother

Answer: D

Question. She had thought that the man carrying the bag was only
(a) making a game out of carrying the parcel.
(b) trying to make her laugh.
(c) obeying orders.
(d) not touching it because it was hot.

Answer: A

Question. Bama on learning about the practice of untouchability was
(a) amused
(b) terribly sad
(c) happy
(d) very guilty

Answer: B

Question. Bama’s elder brother was studying at
(a) school
(b) college
(c) university
(d) medical college

Answer: B

Question. He used to get his books from
(a) his neighbour’s house
(b) his teacher
(c) a library
(d) the city

Answer: B

Question. One day Bama was attracted by the sight of
(a) two riders on a horse.
(b) a monkey performing tricks.
(c) cattle treading out the grain from straw.
(d) dogs fighting with cats.

Answer: C

Question. ‘We have to submit, because they are strong’. These words were said by
(a) Zitkala-sa
(b) Judewin
(c) Marry-Ann
(d) Christine

Answer: B

Question. Everyone present in the dining room started eating when the bell rang
(a) once
(b) twice
(c) thrice
(d) four times

Answer: C

Question. Zitkala-Sa was a victim of
(a) racial prejudice
(b) serious crime
(c) rape
(d) a car accident

Answer: A

Question. The line of girls in which the author was placed, were marching into the
(a) study room
(b) playgrounds
(c) kitchen
(d) dining room

Answer: D

Question. Short hair, in the author’s tribe was worn only by
(a) mourners
(b) old people
(c) young kids
(d) elderly women

Answer: A

Question. The elderly man, Bama saw, was carrying a small packet and this made her
(a) want to cry
(b) dance
(c) want to sing
(d) want to shriek with laughter

Answer: D

Question. Bama was very rebellious and the thought of oppression at the hands of upper castes
(a) infuriated her
(b) provoked her to slap someone
(c) made her abusive
(d) made her want to murder someone

Answer: A

Question. Bama’s brother was asked by the landlord’s men
(a) his name and street
(b) his address only
(c) his parents’ names
(d) his caste

Answer: A

Question. Bama’s brother told her that if she wanted to make progress, she had to
(a) learn to cook
(b) study
(c) learn to stitch and knit
(d) learn to drive

Answer: B

Question. Bama’s incident took place when she was in
(a) class two
(b) class three
(c) class five
(d) class nine

Answer: B

Question. While others ate, Zitkala-Sa
(a) laughed
(b) watched them
(c) cried
(d) frowned

Answer: C

Question. The first account is by an
(a) Irish woman
(b) Indian woman
(c) Australian woman
(d) American woman

Answer: D

Question. Bama was a/an
(a) Bengali writer
(b) Tamil Dalit
(c) NRI
(d) politician

Answer: B

Question. The small girls wore
(a) shorts
(b) tunics
(c) frocks
(d) sleeved aprons

Answer: D

Question. The author’s mother had taught her that the hair of the following people were shingled by the enemy
(a) skilled gunmen
(b) labourers
(c) unskilled warriors
(d) generals of army

Answer: C

Question. The author Bama felt she already had experienced the humiliation due to
(a) dark skin
(b) short height
(c) poverty
(d) untouchability

Answer: D

Question. Annan’s words for Bama had
(a) deep impression on her
(b) no effect on her
(c) made her laugh
(d) made her cry

Answer: A

Question. As Zitkala-Sa pulled out her chair
(a) the other student snatched it
(b) she slipped into it from one side.
(c) the others clapped.
(d) the other pupils made fun of her.

Answer: B

Question. The author, when she heard that her hair was to be cut hid
(a) under the bed
(b) behind the door
(c) in the bathroom
(d) in the attic

Answer: A

Question. Bama used to dawdle along from school because she was
(a) too slow
(b) crippled
(c) distracted by lots of things on the way
(d) unable to wait for the school bus

Answer: C

Question. There would always be some kind of entertainment
(a) in the school
(b) in the church
(c) in the bazaar
(d) in the house

Answer: C

Question. Everyone kept standing except
(a) the teacher
(b) the matron
(c) the caretaker
(d) the author

Answer: D

Question. Shingled hair was worn by
(a) cowards
(b) warriors
(c) young girls
(d) dancers

Answer: A

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. The two accounts that you read above are based on two distant cultures. What is the commonality of the theme found in both of them?
Answer: Both of the accounts are based upon on the distant cultures and of two educated women from marginalized communities who look back on their childhood and reflect on their relationship with the mainstream culture. Gertrude Simmons was an extraordinary talented Native American who struggled and was successful at a time when severe prejudice prevailed towards the Native Americans and women. Bama is a Tamil Dalit woman from a Roman Catholic family. She was disgusted as the lower caste people were stripped of all honour, dignity and respect which she managed to regain through her education.
Both these women have pains inflicted upon them by their societies and cultures. They fought against this social and cultural discrimination and their efforts got recognition. Gertrude Simmons wrote under the penname of Zitkala-Sa and criticized dogma and oppression. Similarly, Bama is a pen-name and in her autobiography she recreates her childhood and its painful memories. Both these women have used writing as an effective means of battling discrimination and evils of oppression. Even the usage of pen-names is common to both these writers.

Question. Why did it take Bama half an hour and not ten minutes to reach home?
Answer: When Bama was in class III, she walked home from school each day. She would loiter along, watching all the fun and games and the entertaining novelties that would attract her innocent eyes. She usually took thirty minutes as she would watch performing monkeys, the snake of the snake charmer or the cyclist to continue his performance of the past two or three days. The Maariyaata temple with the huge bell hanging there and the pongal offerings being cooked in front of the temple fascinated her. She would sometimes look at the dried fish stall by the statue of Gandhi and other stalls selling snacks, sweets, etc.
She paused to look with wonder at the stage put up by people of political parties. She would pause for a street play or puppet shop or a ‘no magic no miracle’ stunt performance. In fact there was always something attractive which caught her attention even if it were the coffee clubs and the way in which the waiters cooled the coffee or the people who cut onions. She even gazed in wonder at the people selling sweet and savoury snacks, payasam or iced lollies. Her account presents a child like joy in simple activities which is brought alive to the readers.

Question. Both Bama and Zitkala-Sa rebel against the existing circumstances. Comment.
Answer: Both Bama and Zitkala-Sa are sensitive and observant. Zitkala-Sa is a Native American who finds the people are out to destroy the Native American culture. In their culture, only unskilled warriors who are captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. The soft maccasins – worn by Native Americans and the blanket over her shoulder was removed. This makes her feel indecent. The rules observed at breakfast baffled her.
Bama at first thinks the behaviour of the elder of her community is quite funny. He is holding a packet by the string and running with it awkwardly. She becomes angry when she learns the reason of hi