The Red Pencil

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for review, unit exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following best describes how Amira feels when Halima leaves for Nyala?

A) She is ecstatic to be rid of Halima.

B) She is indifferent about Halima’s departure.

C) She is angry with Halima for abandoning her.

D) She is sad to see her friend go and upset at being left behind.

2. Which of the following best describes what the sparrow symbolizes?

A) Beauty and grace

B) Freedom and flight

C) Family ties and friendship

D) Music and creativity

3. What do Dando and Amira have in common with respect to their relationships with Old Anwar?

A) Old Anwar argues with both of them.

B) Old Anwar cooks food for both of them.

C) Old Anwar teaches both of them how to read and write.

D) Old Anwar teaches both of them how to pray.

4. What can be inferred about Leila’s character from her insistence that she walk in the desert when Muma is too tired to keep carrying her?

A) She is resentful of Muma’s weakness but doesn’t want her to know this.

B) She is stubborn and wants to get her way regardless of the cost to others.

C) She wants to impress her family and fellow villagers with her bravery.

D) She is determined to push past the limitations of her physical condition.

5. Which of the following literary devices is being employed when a woman at Kalma calls the camp a “sharp-eared wolf”?

A) Metaphor

B) Simile

C) Idiom

D) Hyperbole

6. How does the trauma of losing his parents during the Janjaweed attack affect Gamal?

A) Gamal goes into denial and behaves as though nothing happened.

B) Gamal cries endlessly and refuses to eat or drink anything.

C) Gamal misbehaves more and turns violent on occasion.

D) Gamal loses his voice.

7. What happens when Amira finally approaches Muma at night, unable to ignore her mother’s grief any longer?

A) Muma is embarrassed at being caught crying and pushes Amira away.

B) The gesture touches Muma, and she expresses her gratitude to Amira.

C) The grief overwhelms both mother and daughter, and they cry together for a long time.

D) Amira is awestruck by the depth of her mother’s grief, which causes her to find her voice again.

8. Which of the following best describes how Amira feels about her reading and writing lessons with Old Anwar?

A) Shame

B) Misery

C) Boredom

D) Delight

9. Which of the following best describes the conflict Amira faces when deciding to leave Kalma?

A) She is torn between her love for Muma and her desire for an education.

B) She is torn between her fear of the desert and her longing for adventure.

C) She is torn between the comfort of Kalma and the opportunities that lie outside it.

D) She is torn between her loyalty to Dando and her desire to impress Old Anwar.

10. Which is the correct order of events?

A) Amira sees the Gad Primary School on CNN, Amira talks with Sayidda Moon, Amira leaves Kalma

B) Amira talks with Sayidda Moon, Amira sees the Gad Primary School on CNN, Amira leaves Kalma

C) Amira leaves Kalma, Amira sees the Gad Primary School on CNN, Amira talks with Sayidda Moon

D) Amira sees the Gad Primary School on CNN, Amira leaves Kalma, Amira talks with Sayidda Moon

Long-Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual evidence to support your answer.

1. It is evident early on in the book that Amira shares a close relationship with her father, Dando. What are some instances that highlight this relationship? Describe two.

2. Art plays an important role in the book, going beyond creative expression to helping some characters heal from trauma. Describe two instances in which the healing power of art is evident.