Asian and Indian Literature

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. Unlike some religions, Hinduism has no —
a. written set of rules c. pantheon of gods
b. hymns or stories d. rituals or ceremonies
2. In Hinduism, what are castes?
a. Sacred animals c. Social classes
b. Learned priests d. Religious texts
3. According to Buddhism, what is the primary cause of suffering?
a. The practice of self-denial c. A lack of thoughtful prayer
b. A desire for earthly goods d. The participation in unjust wars
4. Which of these Japanese art forms was created to help Zen Buddhists achieve self-discipline and
enlightenment?
a. Military arts c. Kabuki theater
b. Haiku poetry d. Landscape painting
5. What is the name of the philosophical movement that states that each person must create his or her own
meaning in life?
a. Dadaism c. Futurism
b. Nihilism d. Existentialism

Comprehension
The questions below refer to the selection “Dead Men’s Path.”

16. What does Mr. Obi think about older educators?

a. He ignores them. c. He learns from them.
b. He respects them. d. He disapproves of them.
17. Mrs. Obi is excited about her husband’s new job because she believes that —
a. she will be envied by the other teachers’ wives
b. she and her husband will be secure enough to start a family
c. she will no longer have to work in the gardens
d. she will earn the respect of the village elders
18. By what action do the villagers disturb the Obis’ hard work at the school?
a. They bury their dead on school property.
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Comprehension
The questions below refer to the selection “from the Analects.”

6 . According to the Master, what must proper sons give to their parents?
a. Food c. Money
b. Respect d. Time
7 . The Master argues that knowledge is knowing —
a. when to stop learning c. the limits of how much one knows
b. many facts and histories d. how to show how much one knows

Literary Focus: Maxim

The questions below refer to the selection “from the Analects.”

8 . Which of the following statements from the Analects does not contain a maxim?
a. “. . . meet resentment with upright dealing . . .”
b. “Yu, shall I teach you what knowledge is?”
c. “He who rules by moral force is like the polestar . . .”
d. “Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you.”
9 . The ideas in the maxims of the Analects come from —
a. Chinese traditions c. the Master’s imagination
b. Western influences d. the Master’s students
1 0 . Some of the Analects maxims in your textbook advise people on how to —
a. rule c. fight
b. sing d. marry

Comprehension
The questions below refer to the selections “Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline” and “Person of the
Century: Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948).”

1 1 . Why, according to Krishna, is death in battle not a cause for grief?

 a. Those fighting are very old and already close to death.
b. Everyone has to face war and death at some time.
c. The true self is not born and does not die.
d. The gods admire heroes who are willing to die.
1 2 . Krishna reminds Arjuna that for a man of honor, shame is —
a. required for peace c. preferable to defeat
b. worse than death d. necessary for victory

Comprehension
The questions below refer to the selection “Rules of the Game.”

1 3 . The Jongs acquire a chess set —

a. as a birthday present for Vincent c. as a school prize
b. at a thrift store d. at a church Christmas party
14. From the name Mr. and Mrs. Jong give their daughter, you can infer that they —
a. do not feel connected to Chinese culture
b. want her to blend into American culture
c. never want her to forget that she was born on Waverly Place
d. did not want a daughter so they gave her a masculine name

Comprehension
The questions below refer to the selection “Taoist Writers and Anecdotes.”

1 5 . “Before and after follow each other” is an example of —

a. alliteration c. onomatopoeia
b. a fable d. a paradox

Literary Focus: Paradox

The questions below refer to the selection “Taoist Writers and Anecdotes.”

1 6 . Which of these excerpts from Tao Te Ching poem 8 is a paradox?

a. “In governing, don’t try to control.” c. “In thinking, keep to the simple.”
b. “The supreme good is like water.” d. “everybody will respect you.”

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 The questions below refer to the selection “The Jay.”

1 7 . Why is the jay singing noisily in the garden as the story opens?
a. It has found some food. c. It has been hurt by the rain.
b. It is looking for its chick. d. It wants to come into the house.
1 8 . For what event is Yoshiko preparing?
a. Going away to school
b. Reuniting with her mother
c. The divorce of her parents
d. A meeting with her father, stepmother, and fiancé’s mother

19. In “Muddy Road,” what does Tanzan do when he and Ekido meet a girl on the road?
a. Tanzan carries the girl across the mud. c. Tanzan asks Ekido to help the girl.
b. Tanzan escorts the girl home. d. Tanzan cleans mud from her feet.

Literary Focus: Parable

The questions below refer to the selection "Zen Parables.”

20. Zen parables were originally used to —

a. assist rulers in establishing laws c. teach aspiring monks about Buddhism
b. improve literacy among the people d. help children learn how to meditate
21. Which of the following statements best summarizes the main message of “A Parable”?
a. Enjoy each moment of life while you can.
b. Life is harsh and not worth living.
c. People are helpless in the face of life’s cruelties.
d. Nature is more powerful than humankind.
Short answer (4-5 sentences)

1. How is “Ocean of Words” in some ways an anti-communist short story?

2. How is “Rules of the Game” an example of Culture Clash?

3. What does the Buddha recommend ending suffering? What is the highest state of enlightment?