Quick Review Flashcards - Click to flip and test your knowledge!
Question
How old was Rakesh when he walked home from the Mussoorie bazaar eating cherries?
Answer
He was six years old.
Question
From which specific region did the cherries Rakesh was eating originate?
Answer
The Kashmir Valley.
Question
How are the cherries Rakesh ate described in terms of taste?
Answer
They were a little sweet and a little sour.
Question
Why were there few fruit trees in the Himalayan foothills where Rakesh lived?
Answer
The soil was stony and dry cold winds stunted plant growth.
Question
What types of trees formed the forests on the more sheltered slopes near Mussoorie?
Answer
Oak and deodar trees.
Question
Where did Rakesh live in relation to the town of Mussoorie?
Answer
He lived on the outskirts, just where the forest began.
Question
What crops did Rakesh's parents grow in their village?
Answer
They grew maize, rice, and barley.
Question
In what type of fields were the parents' crops grown?
Answer
Narrow terraced fields on the lower slopes of the mountain.
Question
Why did Rakesh's parents send him to stay with his grandfather?
Answer
There were no schools in their village and they wanted him to go to school.
Question
How much did Rakesh pay for the bunch of cherries?
Answer
He paid fifty paise.
Question
How long was the walk from the Mussoorie bazaar to the cottage?
Answer
It took about half-an-hour.
Question
How many cherries were left by the time Rakesh reached the cottage?
Answer
There were only three cherries left.
Question
What did Rakesh do with the last cherry seed before he studied it?
Answer
He rolled it round on his tongue until all the tang had gone.
Question
According to Grandfather, what must you do with something for it to be 'lucky'?
Answer
You must put it to some use.
Question
Why did Grandfather tell Rakesh not to plant the seed in the flowerbed?
Answer
He had already sown mustard in that bed.
Question
In what specific area of the garden did Rakesh eventually plant the cherry seed?
Answer
In a shady corner where it would not be disturbed.
Question
What was the texture of the soil in the shady corner of the garden?
Answer
It was soft and yielding.
Question
How did Rakesh place the seed into the soil?
Answer
He pressed it into the earth with his thumb.
Question
What was the sound of the winter wind in the deodar trees?
Answer
It made a 'whoo-whoo-whoo' sound.
Question
What did Rakesh and his grandfather sit over during winter evenings?
Answer
A charcoal fire.
Question
Why did Rakesh have to read the newspaper to his grandfather?
Answer
His grandfather's eyesight was rather weak.
Question
What did Rakesh think of reading the newspaper compared to Grandfather's stories?
Answer
He found the newspaper very dull.
Question
The arrival of which animals indicated that spring had come?
Answer
Wild ducks flying north again to Siberia.
Question
What visual pattern did the wild ducks make as they flew northward?
Answer
A V-shaped formation.
Question
What did Rakesh initially think the young cherry tree was when he first saw it in the garden?
Answer
A small twig.
Question
How tall was the cherry tree when Rakesh and Grandfather first examined it?
Answer
It was about four inches high.
Question
What did Rakesh place around the tiny tree to protect it?
Answer
A circle of pebbles.
Question
What warning did Grandfather give Rakesh when he brought a bucket to water the tree?
Answer
He told Rakesh not to drown the plant.
Question
Which animal entered the garden and ate all the leaves of the young cherry tree?
Answer
A goat.
Question
According to Grandfather, why would the cherry tree survive being eaten by a goat?
Answer
Cherry trees are tough.
Question
Term: Stunted
Answer
Definition: Prevented from growing to the usual or natural size.
Question
Term: Outskirts
Answer
Definition: The areas that form the outer edges of a town or city.
Question
Term: Haunches
Answer
Definition: Sitting on one's feet with the legs bent.
Question
Term: Peered down
Answer
Definition: Looked carefully or with difficulty at something below.
Question
Term: Plodded
Answer
Definition: Walked slowly with heavy steps.
Question
Term: Scrambled
Answer
Definition: Moved quickly and with difficulty, often using the hands.
Question
Term: Scythe
Answer
Definition: A tool with a long, sharp, curved blade used for cutting grass or grain.
Question
The cherry seeds came all the way from the _____ Valley.
Answer
Kashmir
Question
Rakesh paid _____ paise for the bunch of cherries.
Answer
fifty
Question
The wild ducks flew north to _____ when spring arrived.
Answer
Siberia
Question
Rakesh's parents grew crops on narrow _____ fields.
Answer
terraced
Question
When Rakesh found the tree, he ran to fetch his grandfather, calling him '_____'.
Answer
Dada
Question
Rakesh pressed the seed into the soil using his _____.
Answer
thumb
Question
The cold wind in winter blew down from the _____.
Answer
snows
Question
What was the very first event in the story's timeline regarding Rakesh's family?
Answer
His parents grew maize, rice, and barley in a village.
Question
Why was Rakesh sent to live with his grandfather in Mussoorie?
Answer
Because there were no schools in his parents' village.
Question
What was the second main event after Rakesh moved to Mussoorie?
Answer
He bought a bunch of cherries and ate most of them on the way home.
Question
What did Rakesh do with the final cherry seed before planting it?
Answer
He kept rolling it in his mouth to savour the taste.
Question
What happened immediately after Rakesh discovered the well-rooted twig?
Answer
He sprinkled it with water and circled it with pebbles.
Question
Concept: Cherry Tree Growth
Answer
Fact: The tree grew quickly once the rains arrived early.
Question
What happened to the cherry tree's leaves after it began to grow?
Answer
A goat entered the garden and ate all of them.
Question
Under what condition did Grandfather say a seed becomes lucky?
Answer
If it is put to some use, such as being planted.
Question
Where did Rakesh's parents live in relation to Mussoorie?
Answer
They lived in a village fifty miles away.
Question
What was the state of the garden during the winter months?
Answer
The garden was dry and bare.