OXFORD BOOKWORMS
Stage 4
Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia
1 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.
a It was shaped like a dove, and its beak held
the olive branch of peace. ……….
b Varma was now eating so little that he soon
became really weak and ill. ……….
c He wouldn’t let things slip if just a few words
could solve the problem. ……….
d And a week later, here I was, back home,
without one of my kidneys. ……….
e I had to pull my hand away from the girl and
run for the moving train. ……….
f I knew why some women hated her and
cursed her. ……….
g A small word of love, like a magic jewel from
one of my mother’s stories. ……….
h He then decided to leave and open his own
clinic. ……….
i ‘You help the workman repair the cupboard,
and I’ll pay half the cost.’ ……….
j The Master stood up, his feet searching for
his shoes in the dusty earth. ……….
20 marks
2 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
a ___ The girl at Deoli station was selling
baskets.
b ___ Raju was planning to start a bicycle
shop with some of the thirty thousand
rupees.
c ___ The Inspector of Schools gave the
Master a piece of land for his school.
d ___ Tarun wanted to go to college in
America.
e ___ The wind pulled the kite away from
Zaheera’s fingers.
f ___ Vijay likes nothing better than to cook
his prawns in front of the ocean.
g ___ Lakshman had been saving for a car
for some time.
h ___ Missiya wanted to be like other village
girls.
i ___ Rakesh married a girl his mother had
chosen for him.
j ___ Tarun wanted his mother to come and
live with him in Vermont.
20 marks
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COMPREHENSION TEST
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.
b Zaheera’s grandfather’s house was on the
other side of the ………. .
c It was such a tiny ……….., a helpless little
thing, killed by its own mother.
d All the neighbours ………. Rakesh for his
fine qualities.
e Vijay had a bowl full of enormous ………. on
his knees.
20 marks
4 Match the beginning of the sentence with
the correct ending.
1 ___ The moment their son saw the kite,
2 ___ It was so cold in Vermont,
3 ___ As the train entered the station,
4 ___ I felt he was seeing me out at sea,
5 ___ I was frightened by the huge hospital,
a I looked out for the girl with the baskets.
b floating across the ocean.
c he began talking about his village.
d and anxious about the operation.
e Tarun felt he was slowly freezing.
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 ……….
b ‘Velu has brought his body back.’
………. to ……….
c ‘Punish you? Oh, no.’
………. to ……….
d ‘It’s gone, just like our son.’
………. to ……….
e ‘How many classes do you have here?’
………. to ……….
20 marks
Total marks
OXFORD BOOKWORMS COMPREHENSION TEST ANSWERS
Stage 4
Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia

1
a The Kite-maker
b A Devoted Son
c Carapace
d For a Horseshoe Nail
e The Night Train at Deoli
f Missiya, the Wild One
g The Intelligence of Wild Things
h A Devoted Son
i The Stepmother
j The Inspector of Schools

2
a T
b T
c F
d F
e T
f T
g F
h F
i T
j F

3
a fuss
b border
c bundle
d respected
e prawns

4
1 c
2 e
3 a
4 b
5 d

5
a Rakesh to Varma
b Valli to Raju
c the stepmother to Lakshman
d Zaheera to Rasool
e the Inspector to the Master

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 4
Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia

SETTING 7 Tarun and his sister were living in America,

but their mother was dying in ____.
Choose the best answer. a Vermont
1 Rasool and Zaheera’s village had been b California
almost destroyed by _____. c Sacramento
a the wind d Calcutta
b riots
8 His parents had never been to school, but
c doves
Rakesh became famous and _____.
d prayers
a proud
2 Rakesh’s parents lived in a small house b envious
in a poor suburb, where rubbish lay about c wealthy
in _____. d excellent
a smelly piles
9 The girl lived _____ but she had always
b America
dreamed of something different.
c neat gardens
a in a beach hut
d town
b near the beach
3 The women of the village _____ Missiya but c in Singapore
the men came to her by night. d at Tonio’s
a understood
10 The train stopped at Deoli for only ten
b missed
minutes before _____.
c followed
a rushing on into the forests
d hated
b waiting on the platform
4 Lakshman’s father had said his stepmother c visiting my grandmother
would _____ him. d selling baskets
a hit
20 marks
b scream at
c look after
d punish CHARACTERS

5 Taking kidneys was good business for the Choose the best answer.
hospital and the _____ from the village 11 Rasool made the _____ kite he had ever
needed the money. made for the yearly kite-flying festival.
a men a lost
b shops b finest
c babies c strongest
d doctors d weaker
6 The villagers don’t want _____ in the village 12 The young girl’s feet were bare and her
because they think the children should be in clothes were old, but she _____.
the fields. a walked across to the tea stall
a cattle b was alone on the platform
b the Inspector of Schools c walked like a queen
c students d pretended not to notice
d a school
13 _____ had never been to school. His job
was selling lamp oil in a shop.
a Rakesh
b Bhatia
c Veena
d Varma

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 4
Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia

14 _____ lived in Australia and was looking for DIALOGUE

a Sri Lankan wife.
a Lakshmi Who said this?
b Vijay 21 ‘Why do you keep moving your school? Isn’t
c Anura Perera there a room you could hire?’
d Amma a the Master
b the Inspector of Schools
15 Raju sold his kidney for thirty thousand
c a student
rupees because he _____.
d the villager
a wanted money for his family
b felt proud 22 ‘When there’s so much hate, do you think
c was frightened people will fly kites?’
d went to hospital a Zaheera
b Rasool
16 Tarun’s sister lived in California with
c the son
her _____.
d a man in uniform
a mother
b husband and two daughters 23 ‘Look after me? He – he does not even give
c husband and two sons me enough to eat.’
d brother a Rakesh
b Bhatia
17 Missiya had a beautiful, strong body and
c Veena
she was _____.
d Varma
a married
b drunk 24 ‘You want to know who did it? Well, I did, I
c full of fun did it …’
d jealous a the stepmother
b the Amme
18 _____ became known not only as the best
c Lakshman
but also the richest doctor in town.
d the workman
a Rakesh
b Bhatia 25 ‘I’ll get you thirty-five thousand for it. And
c Veena you can give me five thousand for
d Varma arranging it.’
a the doctor
19 _____ was an old man and an excellent
b Velu
teacher.
c Raju
a the Master
d Valli
b the Inspector of Schools
c a student 26 ‘Now, Papa, we must be careful, we don’t
d the villager want another illness, do we?’
a Rakesh
20 Lakshman disliked his stepmother so much
b Bhatia
that he _____.
c Veena
a played a game in his room
d Varma
b was saving for a bicycle
c cut vegetables on the floor 27 ‘You are going to marry this fool with a
d wouldn’t go out with her foreign job?’
a Anura Perera
20 marks
b Amma
c the girl
d Vijay

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 4
Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia

28 ‘I think we will soon call it Kidneypatti!’ 35 to move your head up and down in
a the doctor agreement
b Velu a curse
c Raju b sigh
d Valli c nod
d wipe
29 ‘Didi, doesn’t it look like a sharash?’
a Sandeep 36 a small hospital
b Ma a clinic
c Tarun b compartment
d the sister c department
d hut
30 ‘Yes, there was such a girl here, I remember
quite well. But she has stopped coming 37 a large piece of cloth worn by a woman over
now.’ her shoulders
a the boy a pillow
b the grandmother b pyjamas
c the fruit seller c sari
d the new stationmaster d shawl
20 marks 38 the feeling of wanting something that
someone else has
VOCABULARY a envy
b respect
Choose the best answer. c fuss
31 very great anger d boldness
a fuss 39 a fixed instruction that must be obeyed
b fury a rule
c boldness b right
d respect c respect
32 to move lazily along with no particular d riot
purpose 40 to sit on your heels with your knees close to
a bow your body
b nod a suck
c waste b sigh
d drift c squat
33 liquid that appears on the skin when you d spit
are hot 20 marks
a shell
b spit
PLOT
c sweat
d vein Choose the best answer.
34 bad, causing trouble or harming people 41 Tarun left Calcutta to _____.
a plump a see his mother
b evil b get to know his sister
c bare c go to college in America
d bloody d have a marriage arranged

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 4
Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia

42 No father would accept it, so Missiya _____ 49 Anura Perera was interested in the girl, but
the baby and hid it in the hay. she wanted to know what Vijay really _____
a cursed her.
b killed a asked
c noticed b persuaded
d held c felt for
d cooked for
43 The Master kept _____ because no one
provided them with a room. 50 The old man fell ill so often that even
a moving the school Rakesh no longer knew whether he was ill,
b having fun or _____.
c walking away a just pretending
d talking to the Inspector b lying absolutely still
c spitting betel juice at them
44 The boy was deeply _____ because the girl
d sitting up
was not on the platform at Deoli.
a pleased 20 marks
b disappointed
c excited Total marks
d anxious
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

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ANSWERS
Stage 4
Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia

SETTING PLOT
1 b 41 c
2 a 42 b
3 d 43 a
4 c 44 b
5 a 45 d
6 d 46 b
7 d 47 d
8 c 48 a
9 b 49 c
10 a 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

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
Stage 4
Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia

BEFORE READING AFTER READING

Encourage students to discuss and
Activity 1
speculate, but do not confirm their
guesses or predictions at this stage. 1 Tarun in The Intelligence of Wild Things. His
Factual answers are given below for your sister has just come to visit him in Vermont, on
information only. the eastern side of the United States.
2 The stepmother in The Stepmother. She has
Activity 1 BEFORE READING just discovered some serious damage to the
CARAPACE almirah, the beautiful wooden cupboard where
Open answers. Encourage discussion. she keeps her baby’s things.
3 The girl selling baskets in The Night Train at
Activity 2 BEFORE READING Deoli. She has just met the narrator for the
THE INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS second time on the platform at Deoli station.
1 good 4 The narrator’s mother in Missiya, the Wild One.
2 few She has just realized that her daughter is
3 none growing up, and that Missiya might be a bad
4 hardworking influence on her. So she is going to tell her
daughter to keep away from Missiya.
Activity 3 BEFORE READING 5 Ahmed and Zaheera’s son in The Kite-maker.
THE INTELLIGENCE OF WILD THINGS He has just found the kite that Ahmed made
Open answers. Encourage discussion. for the kite-flying festival, and he has realized
how badly he wants to go home.
Activity 4 BEFORE READING 6 Vijay in Carapace. He has just rung the
THE KITE-MAKER narrator to ask her what time she is coming
The true answers are 1 and 3. out to eat with him, and she has put the phone
down on him (at the end of the story).
Activity 5 BEFORE READING 7 Valli in For a Horseshoe Nail. She has just
THE STEPMOTHER heard of the death of one of her neighbours,
1 Y (from Lakshman’s point of view), or N (from an Muthu, in Bangalore, where he was selling one
adult reader’s point of view) of his kidneys, and is worried that the same
2N thing may happen to her husband Raju.
3N 8 The Master in The Inspector of Schools. He
has just said goodbye to the inspector at the
Activity 6 BEFORE READING
end of the story, after begging him to find a
THE NIGHT TRAIN AT DEOLI
room or some land for a permanent school.
1 falls in love 9 Veena in A Devoted Son. Her father-in-law,
2 finds (love), loses (the girl) Varma, has just spat a mouthful of betel juice
3 wonderful (falling in love), miserable (never seeing on to her new sari.
the girl again)
Activity 2
Activity 7 BEFORE READING
Model answers:
A DEVOTED SON
Carapace
Open answers. Encourage discussion.
a) So I rang him, and we met that evening, to talk
Activity 8 BEFORE READING things over. It meant I missed Anura Perera’s
MISSIYA, THE WILD ONE visit, of course, but I didn’t care about that.
Open answers. Encourage discussion. Amma was furious, though. A month later we
had a quiet wedding, and I moved into Vijay’s
Activity 9 BEFORE READING tiny apartment. I haven’t got any jewellery or
FOR A HORSESHOE NAIL elegant saris to wear, but Vijay and I spend our
1 valuable evenings dancing in the moonlight and
2 terrible eating prawns on the beach. I’ve never

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS
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,
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BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
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 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.

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