Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan Practice Questions

Part 1 – Rachel Sheridan

1.       When did the influenza outbreak happen? 1919 OR after the Great War, p. 5.

2.       Which tribes were Rachel’s parents helping? Masai and Kikuyu, p. 5.

3.       What is posho? Maize porridge, p. 6.

4.       Who did Father train to assist in hospital? Kikuyu, p. 7.

5.       What is the instrument Rachel plays in church? Piano, p. 7.

6.       How did Rachel’s family travel to Nairobi? Oxcart p. 7.

7.       What sports do English planters play? Cricket; tennis, p. 8.

8.       Who has “ginger hair”? Rachel and Pritchard’s daughter, p. 9.

9.       What are only animals that kill for pleasure? Leopards, p. 9-10

10.   Who is Rachel’s African guardian? Kanoro, p. 10.

11.   What did people trade Rachel for the locks of her hair? A piece of sugarcane, p. 11.

12.   What does Mother rely on? Father’s rules, p. 14.

13.   What does Father depend on? Mother’s tender heart, p.14.

14.   How had Rachel’s parents met? At an orphanage, p. 15.

15.   To what does Father compare the biscuits at the vicar’s house? Rocks, p. 16.

16.   What was like a pale horse galloping across the plains? Influenza, p. 19.

17.   What does Rachel use to attack the bat in her bedroom? A broom, p. 21.

18.   When only four people come to church, what does Rachel do? Reads a psalm and plays piano,

19.   After Rachel’s mother dies, what task does her father assign to her? Choose the burial plot, p. 25

20.   Who drives up to the hospital in a black car? The Pritchards, p. 27.

21.   Who says, “I will not have her in a bed next to some filthy native”? Mr. Pritchard, p. 28.

22.   What does Mrs. Pritchard use to wipe the seat of a chair in Rachel’s house? A lace handkerchief, p. 29.

23.   Who should Rachel contact if something happens to her father? The mission board, p. 31.

24.   Where is the telephone to contact Nairobi? Pritchard’s house, p. 35.

25.   When the native driver speaks of the Pritchards and Rachel, what does he compare her to? A little antelope, p. 38.

26.   When many Kikuyu come to Rachel’s father’s burial, what does Mrs. Pritchard want? The tribes people to go away, p. 39.

27.   What is out of place in Valerie’s bedroom? A photo of an elderly man, p. 42.

28.   Why does Mrs. Pritchard think the Grandfather would not suspect Rachel was not Valerie? Had only seen her in pictures; same hair colour, p. 50.

29.   What happened to Mr. Pritchard’s older brother? Died in war, p. 53.

30.   How long will Rachel/Valerie stay in England? Until elderly man dies, p. 53.

31.   What does the man want to leave his estate to? Organization for birds, p. 53.

32.   How do the Pritchards feel about Africa? It has no elegance; they hate it, p. 54.

33.   Why does Kanoro look at Rachel as if she were a ghost? The Pritchards had buried Rachel Sheridan, p. 57.

34.   Why can’t Rachel live with Kanoro’s people? Police will assume they kidnapped her and then they will be jailed, p. 59.

35.   What ensured that Rachel would not wander off or escape? Bars were put on the window, p. 61.

Part 2 – Valerie Pritchard

1.       Who had built the railway Valerie/Rachel took towards the steamship? Men from India, p. 66.

2.       What does Mrs. Pritchard complain about at the hotel breakfast? Her poached eggs, p. 66.

3.       Who is the governess Valerie/Rachel travels with? Miss Limplinger, p. 67.

4.       Where does Valerie/Rachel catch the steamer? Mombassa, p. 68.

5.       To what bird is Miss Limplinger compared? Egrets that eat lice from hippos, p. 69.

6.       Who does Rachel plan to tell the whole truth to? Grandfather’s solicitor, p. 71.

7.       Why are there battleships when they get to England? They pass a naval base, p. 73.

8.       Where does Rachel meet Mr. Grumbloch? At the dock, p. 73.

9.       How has Mr. Pritchard disgraced the family? Gambling and drinking, p. 76.

10.   What is the estate called? Stagsway, p. 79.

11.   Who is Burker? The butler at Stagsway, p. 80.

12.   What is the elderly man’s first name? Hobart, p. 81.

13.   What other thing does Mr. Pritchard want to live to see? The return of a bird named after him, p. 82.

14.   What was pinned to Mrs. Bittery’s waist? Keys, p. 90.

15.   What does Valerie/Rachel miss in the night sky? Southern Cross, p. 90.

16.   What is Ellie’s connection to Grandfather? Rents land to her parents, p. 92.

17.   What does Valerie/Rachel compare trunks of beech trees to? Gray like elephant legs, p. 96.

18.   When did Grandfather get interested in birds? After his wife died and his son left, p. 102.

19.   Which birds does Valerie/Rachel write about in her note to Grandfather? Wren and robins, p. 105.

20.   Who asks, “Why do you plant flowers when there are so many wildflowers?” Rachel/Valerie, p. 107.

21.   What does Duggen offer to make for the baby hedgehog? A cage, p. 107.

22.   What does Rachel do at homes of tenants? Has tea; listens to needs of tenants, p. 108-109.

23.   Who visited Grandfather in August? Mr. Pernick, p. 112.

24.   Which Saint’s Day is it when Mr. Pernick comes? St. Bartholomew’s, p. 113.

25.   What does Mrs. Pritchard say about the dinner Mrs. Nessel had made? Inedible, p.120.

26.   What does the note say that Burker secretly passes to Valerie/Rachel? If you need a friend, go to Mr. Grumbloch, p. 128.

27.   How do Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard try to get Grandfather to submit to their wishes? Take girl to London with them, p. 126.

28.   How does Valerie/Rachel get to Gray’s Inn Square? Taxi, p. 129.

29.   Who believed Rachel would tell the truth one day? Grandfather, p. 132.

30.   Where does Rachel stay that night in London? At the sister of Mr. Grumbloch, p.136.

31.   What does Mr. Grumbloch say Frieda is too involved with? Art, p. 136.

32.   What is Valerie/Rachel’s new name? Rachel Pritchard, p. 140.

Part 3: Rachel Pritchard

1.       Compared to her outdoor school in Africa, what is Ditchley boarding school like? A prison, p. 147.

2.       What language does Rachel only know three words of? Latin, p. 147.

3.       Who said, “I had already used up all my wickedness”? Rachel, p. 149.

4.       Who invites Rachel to sit with her in the dining hall? Nora, p. 151.

5.       What do they have in common? They both love Shakespeare, p. 151.

6.       What does Rachel get on Prize Day? A book of poetry, p. 152.

7.       What is Rachel’s dream that she keeps secret from Grandfather? To become a doctor, p. 154.

8.       Which man from history had once hunted on land at Stagsway? William the Conqueror, p. 157.

9.       Which play did Rachel perform in at Ditchley? Taming of the Shrew, p. 160.

10.   Why does Rachel not go to University? Stays with Grandfather, p. 161.

11.   What birds are the Pritchards compared to sitting at the funeral? Rooks, p. 164.

12.   What will happen when Rachel is 21? She will have enough money to reopen the mission hospital, p. 166.

13.   What does Miss Brose tell when medical students are complaining? About her experiences in the war caring for soldiers, p. 169.

14.   What is Rachel’s favourite part of the British museum? Manuscript room, p. 171.

15.   What was the foundling hospital? An orphanage for children whose mothers could not care for them, p. 172.

16.   Why did Rachel go to the zoo only once? It bothers her that the lions are caged, p. 172-173

17.   What does Mr. Pernick ask Rachel on a summer walk? To marry him, p. 175.

18.   How does she respond to this proposal?  Politely declines, p. 175.

19.   Who is the other female doctor at Westminster? Janaki, p. 176.

20.   What does Rachel do that makes the man dislike her? Acts too smart, p. 179.

21.   Why is Janaki determined not to get angry? She wants to focus on helping women in India who could never go to a man doctor, p. 180.

22.   Who marries Ellie? Arthur, p. 182.

23.   How does Rachel enter Tumaini? Ford truck, p. 184.

24.   Why does Rachel get a cat? To eat rats, p. 185.

25.   What does Rachel find in Tumaini? The town is deserted, p. 186.

26.   Who maintains the graveyard? Ngigi, son of Kanoro, p. 187.

27.   What illness does Kanoro have? Malaria, p. 188.

28.   Where does Rachel sleep? In the truck, p. 189.

29.   What suggestion does Jata make about the design of hospital? Space for mothers to stay in a child’s room, p. 191.

30.   What does Tumaini mean in Swahili? Hope, p. 194.