Tansen's Gift

Which of the following sentences BEST states an important theme about human nature in "Tansen's Gift"?

• Accepting and overcoming challenges can only make a person stronger.

• We often undervalue the people in our lives until we are threatened with loss.

• It is easy to let fame lead to an exaggerated sense of one's own importance.

• There are few people who can forgive someone who has knowingly put them in danger.

Which sentence from the passage best supports the theme of the passage?

• "HIs kingdom spanned all of northern India, and he lived in a red sandstone palace along a craggy ridge, which came to be called Fatehpur Sikri."

• "As the sun set over Fatehpur Sikri, he would gently lull the emperor to sleep."

• "They suggested that if he was indeed as good as they had heard, he should sing Deepak Raga for the court."

• "Upon the realization that he had almost lost his greatest musician, the emperor, greatly relieved, showered Tansen with gratitude and many gifts."

In the story, what causes the other Jewels of the Crown to voice doubts about Tansen's musical ability?

• They think that Tansen is only capable of imitating the sounds of birds.

• They know that Tansen is uneducated and can't read or write.

• They notice that Tansen is getting all of the emperor's attention.

• They think that the emperor has no knowledge of or taste in music.

Look at paragraphs 14 & 15. What effect does Rupa's whisper have on the reader?

• It connects the reader to the court audience as everyone strains to hear her voice.

• It makes the reader feel annoyed that she has not prepared for the event.

• It creates a sense of humor as the reader wonders what else can go wrong.

• It creates suspense for the reader about whether her efforts will be successful.

Select TWO inferences that can be made based on what happens in paragraphs 17-19.

• The actions of the emperor's advisers had the opposite effect of what they intended.

• Tansen was unwilling to forgive the emperor for forcing him to sing the Deepak Raga.

• The emperor understood that he had made a poor decision in testing Tansen's skill.

• Tansen fell ill because his plan did not work as well as he thought it would.

• Tansen failed to prove his perfection because he was not consumed by fire.

"He wanted only to sing, and his voice was so tender to all who heard it that they stopped what they were doing to listen to its passion."

What does this sentence suggest about Tansen?

• He is worried.

• He is gentle.

• He is talented.

• He is arrogant.

"It was not long before stories abounded through the city of the magical powers found within the songs of Tansen."

What does this sentence suggest about Tansen?

• He is worried.

• He is arrogant.

• He is talented.

• He is gentle.

"He pondered deeply and paced the garden until he had worn a dirt path with his feet."

What does this sentence suggest about Tansen?

• He is arrogant.

• He is worried.

• He is gentle.

• He is talented.

Why does the author include the detail that Tansen was good at imitating the sounds of birds as a child?

• To show that he wasn't really a musician, just an imitator

• To show that he was always a great singer because he learned from the birds themselves

• To show that he was a silly child who never wanted to learn to read or write

• To show that he did what others told him to do as a child, just as he did what the emperor told him to do as an adult

To which genre is this story most likely related?

• fantasy

• fable

• science fiction

• legend