OXFORD BOOKWORMS COMPREHENSION TEST

Stage 5
The Bride Price

1 People in the book. Match a number from a Aku-nna to Chike.

A with a letter from B. b Ezekiel Odia to Aku-nna and Nna-nndo.
A c Chike to Aku-nna.
1 ___ Ezekiel Odia ... d Ofulue to Chike.
2 ___ Chike Ofulue ... e Aku-nna to Okoboshi.
3 ___ Okonkwo Odia ...     20 marks 
4 ___ Okoboshi Obidi ...
5 ___ Ben Adegor ... 4 Nigerian traditions. Fill the gaps in these
sentences.
B a If you wanted to .............................., you
a had four wives and wanted to be a chief. could ask the river goddess for help.
b kidnapped Aku-nna so that she would be his b If you wanted to .............................., you
wife. had to shout and sing about all the good
c was a teacher who came from a slave things the dead person did in his lifetime.
family. c If you wanted to .............................., you
d was the head teacher in the town where the had to offer a large, expensive gift to
oil company was. the gods.
e worked at the factory, building railway d If you wanted to .............................., you
engines. could cut a lock of hair from the one you
    20 marks  liked.
e If you wanted to .............................., you
2 Match these place with the events: made a doll like that person and pushed a
Benin, Asaba, Lagos, Ughelli, Ibuza. needle through its heart.
a Where Aku-nna was born. ...............     20 marks 
b After her father’s death, Aku-nna went to live
here. ............... 5 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
c On the bus taking Aku-nna to her new a ___ As a girl, Aku-nna planned to marry a
home, the countryside changed after this wealthy man who could afford an
place. ............... expensive bride price.
d The nearest town to Aku-nna’s new b ___ Okonkwo wanted Aku-nna’s bride price
home. ............... so that he would have enough money
e Where Chike got a job with the oil company. to be a chief.
............... c ___ A girl with a good education usually
    20 marks  had a lower bride price.
d ___ When Aku-nna became a woman, the
3 Who said this in the story? Match a young men of the village started to visit
number from A with a letter from B. her.
A e ___ Chike’s father gave Chike and Aku-nna
1 ___ ‘Always remember that you are mine.’ a hundred pounds to help them start
2 ___ ‘If you marry her, her family will never their lives together.
forgive us.’ f ___ People said that if the bride price was
3 ___ ‘I tell you, a better man has been here not paid, the bride would die in
before you.’ childbirth.
4 ___ ‘I’ll always love you and love you, in g ___ People believed that Aku-nna was right
this world and the next world, until the to run away with Chike.
end of time.’ h ___ Okonkwo forgave Aku-nna because he
5 ___ ‘After our baby is born, we shall all go became a chief.
home and visit Father.’ i ___ Okonkwo agreed to take a hundred
pounds from Chike’s father as
B Aku-nna’s bride price.

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS COMPREHENSION TEST
Stage 5
The Bride Price

j ___ Aku-nna’s daughter died at the same

time as her mother.
    20 marks 

    Total marks 

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS COMPREHENSION TEST ANSWERS
Stage 5
The Bride Price

1
1 e
2 c
3 a
4 b
5 d

2
a Lagos
b Ibuza
c Benin
d Asaba
e Ughelli

3
1 b
2 d
3 e
4 a
5 c

4
a have a child
b be a good mourner
c be a chief
d marry a woman
e destroy someone

5
a T
b T
c F
d T
e T
f T
g F
h F
i F
j F

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 5
The Bride Price

SETTING 8 Aku-nna’s aunt Uzo was a famous _____.

a  politician
Choose the best answer. b  singer
1 Ma Blackie and Ezekiel _____ that they only c  actress
had two children. d  storyteller
a  didn’t tell people
9 Ezekiel’s funeral was a mixture of _____.
b  were happy
a  different African customs
c  didn’t mind
b  laughing and singing
d  were unhappy
c  native and Christian customs
2 Aku-nna’s name meant Father’s _____. d  storytelling and dancing
a  Pride
10 Aku-nna’s aunts said that her bride price
b  Wealth
would pay for her _____.
c  Happiness
a  wedding
d  Shelter
b  brother’s education
3 Ezekiel’s wounded foot often used to swell c  house
up _____. d  father’s funeral
a  in the rainy season
    20 marks 
b  if he walked to work
c  in the evenings
d  after a long day’s work CHARACTERS

4 Ezekiel knew he might _____ when he went Choose the best answer.
to hospital. 11 Ma Blackie was a huge woman who
a  lose his house was _____.
b  finally get better a  usually sad
c  not see his children again b  often angry
d  change jobs c  always smiling
5 Ma Blackie’s family _____. d  extremely lazy
a  said Ezekiel was seriously ill 12 Ezekiel used to _____ when he said
b  didn’t tell her everything about her something serious to his wife.
husband a  raise his voice
c  wanted her to marry another man b  stand on his toes
d  thought Ezekiel was a bad husband c  sit down
6 Most young Nigerian men worked as _____ d  stand on a chair
for a couple of years. 13 Aku-nna’s parents were _____ daughter.
a  taxi drivers a  ashamed of their unhealthy
b  teachers b  proud of their beautiful
c  houseboys c  disappointed with their stupid
d  mechanics d  treated badly by their
7 In Nigeria, young men’s _____ saved up the 14 When Aku-nna saw her uncles, they _____.
bride price. a  were laughing and joking
a  male relations b  seemed near to tears
b  grandparents c  told her to cook something for them
c  parents d  criticized her sick father
d  female relations
15 Ma Blackie became Okonkwo’s _____ wife.
a  fourth
b  third
c  second
d  fifth

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 5
The Bride Price

16 Okonkwo’s family were jealous that _____. 23 ‘Always remember that you are mine.’
a  Nna-nndo did well at school a  Ezekiel
b  Aku-nna was going to be good-looking b  Okoboshi
c  Aku-nna and Nna-nndo both went to c  Chike
school d  Ma Blackie
d  Ma Blackie was tall
24 ‘They all die young, usually at the birth of
17 Ngbeke’s teeth were black _____. their first child.’
a  because she didn’t clean them a  Aku-nna
b  from years of smoking b  Father Osborne
c  from eating tobacco leaves c  Ngbeke
d  because she liked burnt yams d  Ofulue
18 Chike eventually wanted to study _____ at 25 ‘If you fail your examination, your family
university. won’t let you take it again.’
a  psychology a  Okonkwo
b  zoology b  Aku-nna
c  psychiatry c  Okoboshi
d  sociology d  Chike
19 Okoboshi’s father helped to kidnap Aku-nna 26 ‘A free man can sit where he likes.’
because _____. a  Okoboshi
a  it was the best way to get Aku-nna b  Ofulue
b  he couldn’t afford the bride price c  Chike
c  he hated Chike’s father d  Aku-nna
d  he had also kidnapped his first wife
27 ‘I’ll kill myself if I have to marry him.’
20 Okonkwo blamed _____ for his troubles. a  Ogugua
a  the medicine men b  Ma Blackie
b  Ma Blackie c  Uzo
c  Aku-nna d  Aku-nna
d  Chike and his father
28 ‘Who can be getting married on a night
    20 marks  like this?’
a  Chike
DIALOGUE b  Okoboshi
c  Ofulue
Who said this? d  Okonkwo
21 ‘How small he looks, and how different, in 29 ‘No girl likes to be kidnapped.’
his best suit.’ a  Okoboshi’s mother
a  Aku-nna b  Aku-nna
b  Ma Blackie c  Okoboshi’s sister
c  Ngbeke d  Chike
d  Nna-nndo
30 ‘I hear his voice in the wind when I’m alone.’
22 ‘You’re almost fourteen and you still don’t a  Chike
know our customs!’ b  Joy
a  Ma Blackie c  Ma Blackie
b  Chike d  Aku-nna
c  Aku-nna
    20 marks 
d  Ogugua

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 5
The Bride Price

VOCABULARY 40 to become filled with liquid or air

a  pull
Choose the best answer. b  inherit
31 a house made of wood and grass or leaves c  jump
a  shot d  swell
b  hut
    20 marks 
c  hat
d  nut
PLOT
32 to spend something in a useless way
a  waste Choose the best answer.
b  inherit 41 Aku-nna’s mother had to marry _____.
c  join a  her husband’s brother
d  hurry b  a distant cousin
33 to get into trouble c  a chief
a  go to bad d  a rich man in Lagos
b  come to no good 42 Aku-nna’s uncle’s family didn’t approve of
c  go to no good Chike because he _____.
d  come to bad a  owned slaves
34 having a feeling that something is wrong b  was the son of slaves
a  respectful c  treated slaves badly
b  unconscious d  was a slave
c  quiet 43 When Aku-nna became unwell at school,
d  suspicious Chike _____.
35 to arrange a marriage for somebody a  was very kind to her
a  marry somebody out b  asked her difficult questions
b  marry somebody over c  sent her to a doctor
c  marry somebody off d  spoke to her mother
d  marry somebody to 44 Chike’s father promised to visit Aku-nna’s
36 a vegetable like a potato family when _____.
a  ham a  her family became more friendly
b  gourd b  she became a woman
c  yam c  Chike had finished university
d  cassava d  Chike made more money

37 a coloured liquid used for writing 45 When Aku-nna was kidnapped, she _____.
a  ogbanje a  fought back
b  obi b  accepted her fate
c  tablet c  lost consciousness
d  ink d  shouted for her mother

38 to cry and be sad for someone who has died 46 Okoboshi didn’t make love to Aku-nna
a  mourn because he thought _____.
b  mean a  he was afraid of her
c  moan b  he didn’t like her
d  miss c  she was too young
d  she had already slept with Chike
39 great happiness
a  doll
b  strength
c  joy
d  respect

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 5
The Bride Price

47 _____ rescued Aku-nna from Okoboshi’s

family.
a  Chike
b  Nna-nndo
c  Ma Blackie
d  Okoboshi’s mother
48 At first, Chike and Aku-nna lived in _____.
a  their own small house
b  a room in a large house
c  an old hut
d  a small hostel
49 _____ taught at the local school.
a  Aku-nna and Chike
b  Aku-nna and Nna-nndo
c  Aku-nna
d  Chike
50 After Aku-nna gave birth to a
daughter, _____.
a  Chike died
b  her uncle died
c  her uncle forgave them
d  she died
    20 marks 

    Total marks 

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ANSWERS
Stage 5
The Bride Price

SETTING PLOT
1 d 41 a
2 b 42 b
3 a 43 a
4 c 44 b
5 b 45 c
6 c 46 d
7 a 47 a
8 d 48 c
9 c 49 c
10 b 50 d

CHARACTERS
11 c
12 b
13 a
14 b
15 a
16 c
17 b
18 d
19 c
20 b

DIALOGUE
21 a
22 d
23 a
24 c
25 d
26 a
27 d
28 c
29 a
30 d

VOCABULARY
31 b
32 a
33 b
34 d
35 c
36 c
37 d
38 a
39 c
40 d

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS
Stage 5
The Bride Price
BEFORE READING
Activity 1
When Aku-nna’s father dies, she has to leave
Lagos and goes to live in her hometown.
She is an innocent girl, who finds her new
life difficult, especially as her brother is too
young to give her any advice. At first she
has no friends, and so she feels very lonely,
but soon she meets a young man, who is
kind to her.
Activity 2
Encourage speculation and discussion, but
do not confirm or deny students’
guesses at this stage. In fact, Aku-nna will
continue her studies and become a
teacher, marry the man she loves, have
only one child, be happy for a short time,
and die young.
WHILE READING
Chapters 1 to 3
1 F Ma Blackie and Ezekiel wanted very much to
have more children.
2 F Aku-nna’s parents were ashamed of their
bony (thin), unhealthy daughter.
3T
4 F Ma Blackie stayed in Ibuza during her
husband’s illness because her family told
her not to worry.
5T
6T
7T
8T
9 F Aku-nna’s aunts expected her to get a good
bride price because she was a quiet,
intelligent girl.
Before Reading Chapter 4
Encourage speculation and discussion, but do
not tell students the answers. They will find
out as they read that Ma Blackie marries
Ezekiel’s brother, who is the head of the
family, that the children live with their mother
in Ibuza, and Ma Blackie pays for Aku-nna’s
education.
Chapters 4 to 7
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BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
1 Ma Blackie to Nna-nndo and Aku-nna, about
not wanting her Ibuza relations to see the
children with dirty hands and faces after the
journey.
2 Ogugua to Aku-nna, about Chike, the teacher at
the church school.
3 Okonkwo’s sons, Iloba and Osenekwu, to
anybody and everybody, explaining that they
preferred to follow the old native traditions,
rather than be educated in the white man’s
Christian schools.
4 Okonkwo to his sons, about his niece Aku-nna
and his daughter Ogugua, and his plan to
make enough money from their bride prices to
become a chief.
5 Okonkwo’s first wife, Ngbeke, to her sons, about
ogbanje (living dead) girls.
6 Okonkwo’s and Ngbeke’s son, Osenekwu, to
his mother and brother, about the possibility
that Aku-nna is interested in Chike.
7 Ofulue to his son Chike, about wanting Chike
to treat Aku-nna with respect, because Ofulue
had known her father well.
8 Chike to his father Ofulue, about Aku-nna.
9 Chike to Aku-nna, about his love for her.
10 Aku-nna to Chike, about his plan to ask her
family for permission to marry her.
Before Reading Chapter 8
Encourage speculation and discussion, but do
not confirm or deny students’ guesses at
this stage. In fact, number 2 is true.
Chapters 8 to 10
1 Why . . .? Because he wanted to get the
highest possible bride price for her, and did
not want her to marry into a family of former
slaves.
2 Who . . .? Chike.
3 Why . . .? Because for most of them it was part
of the celebrations for their last Christmas
as unmarried girls in their family homes.
4 Who . . .? Okoboshi.
5 Why . . .? To congratulate her on Aku-nna’s
passing the school examination.
6 Who . . .? Okoboshi and the men of the Obidi
family.
7 What . . .? They had bought a new bed and
new clothes for the bride.
8 What . . .? That she was not a virgin and that
Chike was her lover.
 
OXFORD BOOKWORMS
Stage 5
The Bride Price
9 Who . . .? Chike.
Before Reading to the end of the
story
Encourage speculation and discussion, but do
not confirm or deny students’ guesses at
this stage. In fact, number 2 is what
happens.
AFTER READING
Activity 1
1 This is Okonkwo. The Obidis have just been to
see him, on the night when Aku-nna was
kidnapped. They offered him a small bride
price for her, which Okonkwo, sleepy and
confused after too much whisky, had to
agree to. (Chapter 9)
2 This is Ogugua. She has just met her cousin
Aku- nna for the first time, while walking
back to Ibuza from the market in Asaba.
(Chapter 4)
3 This is Ofulue. He has just agreed to Chike’s
marrying Aku-nna, after talking to his son
and realizing that Chike was deeply in love
and really did care about Aku-nna. (Chapter 7)
4 This is Nna-nndo. He has just been to see
Aku-nna at the Obidis’ home the day after
the kidnap, and was able to show her
Chike’s letter and hide it again before
Okoboshi came in and they started shouting at
each other. (Chapter 10)
5 This is Ma Blackie. She has just found in
Okonkwo’s hut the little doll with Aku-nna’s
face and a needle through its heart, and is
deciding, as she now receives sufficient
money from the Ofulues to make her
independent, to pay a medicine man to
destroy the magic. (Chapter 12)
6 This is Okoboshi. He and other young men are
in Ma Blackie’s hut, having brought presents
to the now marriageable Aku-nna, and
Chike has just hit him in the face and
knocked him down. (Chapter 8)
Activity 2
10
BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
Students can complete this dialogue how
they like. Possible answers would be:
OKONKWO: Well, Ofulue, what do you want with
me?
OFULUE: I want to talk to you about your niece,
Aku-nna.
OKONKWO: My niece? What about her?
OFULUE: My son Chike is deeply in love with her
and wants to marry her.
OKONKWO: I don’t care if he’s in love or not.
Marriage is a business matter, as you well
know.
OFULUE: Of course it is. And I’m prepared to
offer you a good bride price for Aku-nna.
OKONKWO: It will have to be a very good bride
price. I’m hoping to become an Obi soon.
OFULUE: I see. That’s an expensive business,
too. So, how about a bride price of a
hundred pounds?
OKONKWO: A hundred? Mmm . . .
OFULUE: Well, what do you say? Do you agree to
the marriage and accept the bride price?
OKONKWO: I haven’t agreed to anything yet. I’ll
think about it.
Activity 3
7 NNA-NNDO: Chike, Chike! Have you heard what’s
happened?
10 CHIKE: Yes, the Obidis have kidnapped Aku-nna.
I guessed when I heard the guns. How did it
happen, Nna-nndo?
3 NNA-NNDO: It was at the dancing hut. About
twelve men broke in, put out all the oil
lamps, and then carried my sister off.
8 CHIKE: And now they’ll try and force her to
marry that horrible Okoboshi. But I won’t let
it happen!
5 NNA-NNDO: But Chike – suppose Okoboshi’s
already cut off a piece of her hair? Then
she’ll belong to him for ever.
2 CHIKE: Who cares about those old traditions?
All I care about is Aku-nna. And I’m going to
rescue her and take her away.
9 NNA-NNDO: Are you? Oh, Chike, that would be
wonderful! But how will you do it?
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OXFORD BOOKWORMS
Stage 5
The Bride Price
4 CHIKE: I don’t know yet. Listen, Nna-nndo, do
you think you could get a message to Aku-
nna?
1 NNA-NNDO: The Obidis won’t stop me visiting
my own sister!
6 CHIKE: Good. I’ll make a plan. Come back in
the morning, and I’ll give you a letter to take
to
Aku- nna.
Activity 4
7+10+2 4+6 8+3+5 1+9
Dear Chike,
I expect you’ve heard by now that the Obidis
have kidnapped me, in order to make me
Okoboshi’s bride. Soon his father will pay
Okonkwo a bride price for me, and then I will
have to stay here as Okoboshi’s wife. Chike,
I shall always love you, but we must say
goodbye, because I cannot go against my
people’s traditions. There’s no time to write
any more, and anyway the paper is too wet
with my tears.
Your loving Aku-nna
Discussion question: open answers.
Activity 5
Possible answer:
Dear son,
I visited Okonkwo again recently and although I
offered him a much higher bride price for
Aku-nna, he still refuses to accept it. He
talks wildly about Aku-nna, who, he says,
has brought shame on the whole village,
and he blames her for all his troubles. I also
heard something from Ma Blackie which you
won’t like. Okonkwo has a doll in his hut,
which has Aku-nna’s face, and a needle
through its heart. Don’t tell Aku-nna about
this. It’s only the old women who believe in
this kind of thing, and if Aku-nna knows
nothing about the doll, it cannot possibly
harm her. Take care of Aku-nna and
yourself,
Your father
Activity 6
Open answers.
Activity 7
11
BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
Acceptable answers to this cloze passage
are any words that have an appropriate
meaning and fit the grammar of the
sentence. Students might like to check
each other’s work and discuss alternative
answers. Some alternatives are given
below.
Listen carefully, because you must not make the
same mistake Aku-nna made. Her uncle,
who as the head of the family (household)
was responsible for her, decided she should
(would, must) marry one of the Obidi family,
who would pay a good bride price. Was the
girl grateful to her kind, generous (loving)
uncle for feeding and clothing her? No! Did
she politely agree to his wishes (plan)? No!
She thought she knew better than him, and
so she wouldn’t even look (smile) at the boy
who wanted to marry her. Instead, she spent
all her spare (free) time with the son of a
slave! You can imagine what her family
thought (felt) about that! One evening she
was kidnapped by the Obidi family for their
son, and, foolish girl! she refused to accept
(have, take) him as her husband. No, she
ran away with the slave’s son, and although
they did get married, no bride price was ever
paid for her. And because of this, poor Aku-
nna did not survive the birth of her first child.
Activity 8
Possible passages:
Native tradition
Perhaps Aku-nna’s death happened because no
bride price was ever paid to her family, or
because her uncle ‘called her back in the
wind’, by keeping a doll with her face and a
needle in its heart. Or perhaps Aku-nna
herself was an ogbanje, who, according to
Ngbeke, was likely to die at the birth of her
first child.
Medical reasons
On the other hand, she may not have eaten
properly in childhood, and was therefore too
small to have a baby naturally, and also too
weak to survive a serious operation. We
know that because she felt ill during
pregnancy, she did not enjoy her food, so
she may not have been eating properly.
Discussion question: open answers.
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OXFORD BOOKWORMS BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
Stage 5
The Bride Price

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