Why is Ashima at Mount Auburn Hospital at the beginning of the story? A) She is visiting her sick grandmother B) She broke her leg on the ice C) She is in labor and giving birth to her first child D) She is interviewing for a nursing job
According to Bengali tradition, who was supposed to choose the baby's "good name"? A) Ashoke B) Ashima's grandmother C) Mr. Wilcox D) Dr. Gupta
What inspired Ashoke to suggest the pet name "Gogol" for his son? A) A famous Bengali poet from his childhood B) The Russian author whose book he was reading when he survived a horrific train crash C) A doctor who saved his life in India D) A character in an American movie he loved
What does Ashima accidentally leave behind on the subway train in Boston? A) Gogol's birth certificate B) A bag of groceries containing long-grain rice C) A shopping bag with the sweater and paintbrushes she bought for her father D) The letter containing her grandmother's name choices
Why does Ashima find it especially difficult to be a new mother in Cambridge? A) She cannot speak or understand English B) She feels isolated without her extended family and traditional customs C) She dislikes the cold New England weather D) She is busy studying for her college degree
What new "good name" do Ashima and Ashoke pick for Gogol when he is ready to start kindergarten? A) Ashoke Jr. B) Nikhil C) Sanjeev D) Rana
Why does Gogol's kindergarten teacher end up calling him "Gogol" instead of his "good name"? A) The principal preferred the name Gogol B) Gogol refuses to answer to his new name when asked by the principal C) The registration forms were filled out incorrectly D) His parents changed their minds at the last minute
What is the name of Gogol's younger sister? A) Maya B) Moushumi C) Sonia D) Judy
On a school field trip, what activity does Gogol do that horrifies his mother? A) He refuses to eat the lunch she prepared for him B) He makes charcoal rubbings of names on old gravestones C) He explores an outhouse D) He steals a ballpoint pen disguised as a quill
What gift does Ashoke give Gogol for his fourteenth birthday? A) A Beatles record album B) A copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy C) A hardbound collection of short stories by Nikolai Gogol D) A plane ticket to Calcutta