WorksheetsThe Return by Thiong'o
Total questions: 19
Worksheet time: 3hrs 30mins
As Kamau walks down the road in "The Return," why does he look straight ahead?
He wants to avoid strangers' eyes
He hates to see the hard, dusty road.
He does not wish to recall his bitter past.
He hopes to see something that he recognizes.
In “The Return,” why does Kamau’s first sighting of the Honia River excite him?
The Honia River is still a good source of drinkable water.
The river reminds him of his boyhood during better times
The Honia River represents the freedom of the Gikuyu people
The river valley is greener than the surrounding landscape.
In “The Return,” why does Kamau expect to receive a hero’s welcome?
He comes from a family of royal heroes
He won the war against the colonial forces
He was always a favorite who fought for his people
He knows that he is meant to rule the village
In “The Return,” how does Kamau’s father act at first when Kamau returns?
with confusion and fear
with disgust and fury
with pity and despair
with joy and surprise
Why does Karanja most likely tell the villagers that Kamau died in prison?
He wants to warn other Gikuyu.
He wants Muthoni to go with him.
He wants to hurt Kamau’s family
He wants other villagers to pity him.
If a farm is described as sprawling, what is most likely true about it? Base your answer on the meaning of sprawling
It is in a valley
It is no longer productive
It is spread over many acres
It is old and run-down.
Which of the following descriptions best illustrates the meaning of serpentine
The fox cleverly waited until the farmer had gone to bed
We cleaned the paintbrushes before putting them away
The highway climbed in hairpin curves up the mountain
She noticed that the walls of the cave felt clammy
If a neighborhood is described as compact, what is most likely true about it? Base your answer on the meaning of compact
Houses are tightly crowded together
It features a central square.
The people make their own rules.
Most buildings were recently constructed
[Kamau] made quick, springing steps, his left hand dangling freely by the side of his once white coat, now torn and worn out. His right hand, bent at the elbow, held onto a string tied to a small bundle on his slightly drooping back. The bundle, well wrapped with a cotton cloth that had once been printed with red flowers now faded out, swung from side to side in harmony with the rhythm of his steps.
What does the passage most clearly tell you about Kamau?
His spirit has been broken.
He has been away for some time.
Prison life has taught him many things
His adventures have made him wealthy.
Which phrases from the passage best support the answer to Part A?
quick, springing steps; dangling freely
white coat; printed with red flowers
torn and worn out; flowers now faded
bent at the elbow; swung from side to side
What does this passage from mainly tell you about Kamau’s time in prison?
He had suffered many humiliations, and he had not resisted. Was there any need? But his soul and all the vigor of his manhood had rebelled and bled with rage and bitterness
He tried unsuccessfully to escape and was beaten for it
He was treated with respect except when he showed his anger.
He worked at getting along despite the hardships, and he hid his resentment
He was ashamed to be in prison and disguised that shame with heated words
Why does Kamau’s father “stare with unbelieving eyes” when he first sees Kamau?
He fears Kamau’s sympathy.
He expects Kamau to take his house.
He thought that his son was no longer alive
He believed that his son had left Kenya.
Which passage from “The Return” best supports the answer to Part A in the previous question.
He fearHis father sat huddled up on a three-legged stool. He was now very aged and Kamau pitied the old man.s Kamau’s
The old man did not answer. He just looked at Kamau with strange vacant eyes.
Then Karanja came and said that you were dead. Your father believed him.”
He felt bitter against all, all the people including his father and mother. They had betrayed him.
What does this description from “The Return” foreshadow about Kamau’s return home? He walked on, however, unmindful of the dust and ground under his feet. Yet with every step he seemed more and more conscious of the hardness and apparent animosity of the road.
It will require complete concentration.
It will be over quickly.
It may never entirely end.
It may not be friendly and pleasant.
How does Kamau’s meeting with the women drawing water in “The Return” most clearly present an example of situational irony?
He recognizes Wanjiku, but then he remembers the death of her son.
He expects to be greeted warmly, but instead he is ignored and rejected
He remembers only a few of the women from his village.
He remembers Wanjiku’s sweet smile and hopes that she will offer him food.
Which of these events from “The Return” is the best example of situational irony?
Kamau’s exhilaration at realizing that the Honia River still flows
Kamau’s first view of his father and recognition that he has aged
Kamau’s loss of his bundle as he tries to remove his coat by the river
Kamau’s hopes of seeing Muthoni and his discovery that she has left
What does the suffix –ine mean in the underlined word? The stars seemed to be made of a crystalline substance
like
cause
person who
condition of
If the subject performs an action, the active voice is being used; therefore, which sentence(s) are an example of the active voice.
He made quick springing steps, his left hand dangling freely by the side of his once white coat.
Sometimes he darted quick side-glances at the small hedged strips of land.
The other women, with tired and worn features, looked at him mutely as if greeting was of no consequence.
He left them, feeling embittered but not cheated.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text.
"The Return" includes many aspects of human life: trust, loyalty, and betrayal; life and death; the passage of time; and the effects of political actions on day-to-day life. What is one possible theme, or central message, of the story.
