IN THE MIDST OF HARSHIP

At dawn they returned home
their soaky clothes torn
and approached the stove
their limbs marked by scratches
their legs full of wounds
but on their brows
there was not a sign of despair

The whole day and night just passed
they had to brave the horrendous flood
in the water all the time
between bloated carcasses
and tiny chips of tree barks
desperately looking for their son’s
albino buffalo that was never found

They were born admist hardship
and grew up without a sigh or a complaint
now they are in the kitchen, making
jokes while rolling their cigarette leaves

-Latiff Mohidin

Multiple-choice questions

1. When did the family reach their home?

A. In the evening

B.  In the afternoon

C. Early morning (Dawn refers to the first appearance of daylight in the morning)

D. At midnight

 

2. In stanza 1, ‘soaky clothes’ are caused by

A. the heavy downpour (Their clothes were soaked in flood water)

B. water shortage

C. sweating profusely

D. falling into the river

 

3. Why did they approached the stove?

A. .To cook breakfast (They were hungry after being stranded in the horrendous flood)

B. To boil water

C. To change their stove

D. To dry themselves up

 

4. What can you see on their limbs?

A.  Birthmark

B.  Blood

C.  Muscles

D. Wounds (Their legs were full of scars and scratches)

 

5. What can you see on their brows?

A. delighted look

B. calm composure (They accepted everything with an open mind.

C.  An angry expression

D.  A sad look

 

6. How long did the flood hit the village?

A. 24 hours ( It happened for the whole day and night.)

B. 1 hour

C. 12 hours

D. Not mentioned

 

7. The word ‘horrendous’ in Stanza 2 can be replaced with

A. horrific (It can also be defined as awful or terrible)

B. drastic

C. fantastic

D. terrific

 

8. Who were desperately looking for their son’s albino buffalo?

A. The albino buffalo’s family

B. The father and the mother (‘Their son’ indicated it was the parents who would have

been searching for the missing albino buffalo.

C. The villagers

D. The head villager

 

9. In Stanza 2, what were floating in the floodwater?

A. Stove

B. Albino buffalo

C. Bloating carcasses (Humans and animals were drowned in the flood.)

D. The villagers

 

10. Which phrase in Stanza 3 indicates the jovial feelings of the family despite what they have gone through?

A. They were born admist hardship

B. there was not a sign of despair

C. making jokes while rolling their cigarette leaves (They did not complain although they faced adversity in life.)

D. their limbs marked by scratches

had been taken from teacher fadzleen blog..thank you.., learnteachlove.blogspot.com