Q.1
What is the purpose of the flashback to one of papa's musical evenings?
  • To inform the reader about Indian musical styles
  • To divert the reader's attention from a traumatic subject
  • To explain how and why Meena has come to know more about Partition than her parents are aware she knows
  • To change topic abruptly in a realistic fashion
Q.2
Which of the following phrases hints that papa could tell any number of stories?
  • "Did he think I would swallow an old story dressed up in Indian clothes?"
  • "I could see he was rifling through possibilities, wondering how much he could give away"
  • "He checked the kitchen quickly, making sure mama was still occupied"
  • "Then papa would take down his harmonium from the top of the wardrobe, unwrap it from its psychedelic bedspread and run his fingers over the keys whilst the other hand pumped the back, and it coughed into life like a rudely-awakened grumpy old man"
Q.3
What does Meena do when she realises that she already knows the first story her father is telling her?
  • She listens attentively
  • She imagines her own version of the same story
  • She nearly dozes off
  • She stops listening
Q.4
Which of the following suggests that Meena thinks of experiences of war as exciting?
  • "Papa? Were you in the war? Like Mr Worrall?"
  • "What battles? Did you have a gun?"
  • "Did you do anything dangerous?"
  • All of the above
Q.5
"'Beti, if you want something, in future, you must ask us. Don't we give you enough? Do you feel deprived?' I shook my head sorrowfully. I desperately wanted to eat my jam tarts." Which of the following is NOT correct of these lines?
  • Papa's worry that his child might be in any way deprived has replaced his earlier anger
  • Papa is angry at the thought that his daughter is ungrateful
  • Meena recognises that the appropriate response is for her to participate in her father's sorrow
  • There is some ironic humour in the fact that Meena is thinking about jam tarts while sorrowfully denying that she feels deprived
Q.6
Why didn't papa fight in the Second World War?
  • He was too young and would have had a different focus if fighting
  • He was too young, although he attempted to join the army
  • He was too old
  • He was not yet born at the time of the war
Q.7
Papa thinks Meena lies for what purpose?
  • Because she is afraid
  • Because she is bored
  • Because she is angry
  • Because she wants attention
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