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Unit 4 - Practice Quiz

ENG606

1 Who is the author of the short story 'The Five-Dollar Smile'?

A. Salman Rushdie
B. Shashi Tharoor
C. Arundhati Roy
D. Vikram Seth

2 In addition to being a writer, Shashi Tharoor is well-known for his career in which field?

A. Medicine
B. Politics and Diplomacy
C. Engineering
D. Culinary Arts

3 Which famous satirical work by Shashi Tharoor retells the Mahabharata in the context of Indian independence?

A. The Great Indian Novel
B. Midnight's Children
C. A Suitable Boy
D. The God of Small Things

4 What is the name of the protagonist in 'The Five-Dollar Smile'?

A. Raju
B. Joseph
C. Mohan
D. David

5 Where does Joseph live at the beginning of the story?

A. A boarding school in Shimla
B. An orphanage in India
C. A slum in Mumbai
D. A village in Kerala

6 What is the primary physical gesture Joseph is trained to perform perfectly?

A. Saluting
B. Smiling
C. Bowing
D. Crying

7 Who is Mrs. Blenkinsop in the context of the story?

A. Joseph's biological mother
B. The orphanage superintendent
C. Joseph's American sponsor
D. A journalist

8 What specific item of Joseph's was used for years to solicit donations?

A. A hand-written letter
B. A photograph of him smiling
C. A video recording
D. A drawing he made

9 In the story, Joseph is flown to which country for a promotional event?

A. United Kingdom
B. Canada
C. United States
D. Australia

10 How does Joseph feel about his trip to the United States?

A. Purely excited
B. Disoriented and alienated
C. Angry and violent
D. Indifferent

11 The story 'The Five-Dollar Smile' primarily satirizes which of the following?

A. The Indian education system
B. The hypocrisy of Western charity
C. The caste system
D. Technological advancement

12 What literary device is prominently used when describing the difference between Joseph's reality and the image sold to donors?

A. Alliteration
B. Irony
C. Hyperbole
D. Onomatopoeia

13 Which adjective best describes the tone of the story?

A. Romantic
B. Cynical and Satirical
C. Adventure-focused
D. Horror

14 What does the 'smile' symbolize in the story?

A. Genuine happiness
B. A mask of compliance and commercialization
C. Joseph's love for America
D. The success of the orphanage

15 During the flight, how is Joseph treated by the air hostess?

A. With open hostility
B. With patronizing kindness
C. She ignores him completely
D. As a celebrity

16 What is the name of the organization that sponsors Joseph?

A. Save the Children
B. Foster Parents Plan
C. Global Hope
D. Children of the World

17 Why does the photograph of Joseph remain the same for years in the promotional materials?

A. He never aged
B. It captured the 'perfect' marketable emotion
C. They couldn't afford a new camera
D. Joseph refused to take new photos

18 How does Joseph view himself in relation to the sponsors?

A. As a beloved son
B. As an equal partner
C. As a commodity or investment
D. As a spiritual guide

19 What creates the cultural distance between Joseph and Mrs. Blenkinsop?

A. Language barrier only
B. Economic disparity and lack of genuine understanding
C. Religious differences
D. Age difference

20 The title 'The Five-Dollar Smile' alludes to:

A. The price of the photograph
B. The transactional nature of his emotion
C. The cost of his plane ticket
D. The amount of money Joseph stole

21 Shashi Tharoor was born in which city?

A. Mumbai
B. New Delhi
C. London
D. New York

22 Which of the following themes is NOT central to 'The Five-Dollar Smile'?

A. Neocolonialism
B. Identity crisis
C. The supernatural
D. The commercialization of poverty

23 How does the Superintendent of the orphanage behave toward the foreign sponsors?

A. Aggressively
B. Obsequiously (overly submissive)
C. Indifferently
D. Critically

24 When Joseph meets the sponsors, what is the atmosphere like?

A. Awkward and staged
B. Warm and familial
C. Dangerous and violent
D. Quiet and private

25 What realization does Joseph come to by the end of the story?

A. He wants to live in America forever
B. He is truly loved by Mrs. Blenkinsop
C. His identity has been constructed for others' benefit
D. He wants to become a doctor

26 The story suggests that the charity serves the needs of the donor mainly to:

A. Save on taxes
B. Alleviate guilt and boost ego
C. Learn new languages
D. Travel to India

27 Which word best describes Joseph's internal state despite his outward smile?

A. Joyful
B. Content
C. Hollow
D. Enthusiastic

28 Tharoor's writing style in this story is characterized by:

A. Simple, rustic language
B. Sophisticated vocabulary and sharp wit
C. Stream of consciousness
D. Old English dialect

29 The 'Five-Dollar' aspect of the title might also refer to:

A. The monthly donation amount
B. The cost of a meal in India
C. The price of the magazine featuring Joseph
D. The bribe given to the Superintendent

30 How does the story view the media's role in charity?

A. As a neutral observer
B. As a tool for truth
C. As a mechanism for manipulation
D. As an unnecessary element

31 What creates the 'poverty porn' aspect in the story?

A. Detailed descriptions of food
B. The showcasing of Joseph's destitution for entertainment/marketing
C. The romantic relationship between characters
D. The focus on architecture

32 What is the significance of Joseph being an orphan in the narrative?

A. It makes him totally dependent on the institution
B. It means he has no backstory
C. It makes him wealthy
D. It allows him to travel freely

33 Joseph's journey to America is symbolic of:

A. The American Dream coming true
B. Crossing the divide between the Third World and the First World
C. A religious pilgrimage
D. A holiday vacation

34 In the context of the story, 'sentimentalism' is portrayed as:

A. A genuine virtue
B. A dangerous weakness
C. A self-indulgent luxury of the rich
D. The only solution to poverty

35 What is the narrative point of view of the story?

A. First Person (Joseph)
B. Third Person Limited
C. Third Person Omniscient
D. Second Person

36 How does Joseph react to the flashbulbs of the cameras?

A. He loves the attention
B. He feels blinded and exposed
C. He attacks the photographers
D. He poses like a model

37 The interaction between Joseph and Mrs. Blenkinsop can be described as:

A. A transaction disguised as a relationship
B. A mother-son bond
C. A business partnership
D. A political alliance

38 Which of the following best describes the ending of the story?

A. Tragic death
B. Joyful reunion
C. Disillusionment and irony
D. Romantic marriage

39 Shashi Tharoor's fiction often bridges the gap between:

A. Science and Religion
B. India and the West
C. Past and Future
D. Urban and Rural

40 Joseph’s 'perfect smile' is compared to:

A. The sun
B. A commodity/mask
C. A flower
D. A diamond

41 What emotion does Mrs. Blenkinsop display most prominently?

A. Anger
B. Self-satisfaction
C. Fear
D. Confusion

42 The story implies that true aid requires:

A. More cameras
B. Understanding and dignity, not just money
C. Higher taxes
D. Better airplanes

43 Joseph feels that he is playing a __.

A. Game
B. Role
C. Instrument
D. Sport

44 The imagery of 'plastic' or 'artificiality' is associated with:

A. The Indian orphanage
B. The American setting and the reception
C. The airplane food
D. The village school

45 What does Joseph ultimately desire?

A. More money
B. To be seen as a real human being
C. To stay in America
D. To become a movie star

46 Which term best fits the genre of this story?

A. Fairy Tale
B. Social Satire
C. Murder Mystery
D. Sci-Fi

47 In the story, the 'Foster Parents Plan' is portrayed as:

A. A flawless system
B. A necessary evil
C. A bureaucracy marketing emotion
D. A religious cult

48 Joseph's lack of dialogue in the early parts of the story emphasizes his:

A. Wisdom
B. Voicelessness
C. Anger
D. Intelligence

49 The conflict in the story is primarily:

A. Man vs. Nature
B. Man vs. Society/System
C. Man vs. Machine
D. Man vs. Supernatural

50 By the end, the 'Smile' becomes a symbol of:

A. Hope
B. Betrayal
C. Resistance (or the irony of compliance)
D. Friendship