012. Monsoon History

Exercise 1
Choose the best answer.

1. What is the persona doing?
A. Fishing
B. Catching insects
C. Watching the storm
D. Walking on the beach

2. To the persona, the air on the skin is like
A. curls of smoke
B. fat white slugs
C. silverfish
D. centipedes

3. Who is the persona?
A. Baba
B. Nyonya
C. One of the fishermen
D. One of the children now grown up

4. How many generations are referred to this poem?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Foud

5. What is the weather like at the beginning of the poem?
A. Wet and stormy
B. Fine and sunny
C. Dry and hot
D. Hazy

6. What is the 'silver paper' used for?
A. Making money for the dead
B. Writing messages to the dead
C. Making New Year decorations
D. Wrapping presents for the children

7. What is the 'silver mesh around her waist'?
A. A silver belt
B. A garland of silver paper
C. A sarong made of kain songket
D. A scarf made of silver material

8. What is the weather like at the end of the poem?
A. Windy
B. Still and fine
C. Wet and stormy
D. Hazy and cloudy

Exercise 2
Write short answers to the following questions.

1. What is the weather outside like?

2. Identify one good aspect of the family life described in the poem.

3. Why are the pictures of the grandparents 'hung always in the parlour'?

4. In your opinion, how old is the persona now?

5. What memories does the persona have of the parents, nyonya and baba?