Shooting an Elephant Quiz

According to "Shooting an Elephant," why was Orwell in Burma?

• to visit an Eastern country of the British Empire

• to serve as a police officer in Moulmein

• to fight for Burmese independence

• to support the imperial cause

In "Shooting an Elephant," why is Orwell asked to do something about the elephant?

• He has experience handling elephants.

• The mahout has requested his assistance.

• Only the British police force has weapons.

• The Burmese refuse to control the elephant.

In "Shooting an Elephant," why does Orwell hate his job? Choose three options.

• He fears an imminent armed uprising of the Burmese.

• He sees the abuse of Burmese prisoners

• He sees how badly the Empire govern the Burmese.

• He is poorly paid.

• He is disliked and insulted by the Burmese people.

In "Shooting an Elephant," why does Orwell leave the elephant before it dies?

• The elephant can no longer hurt anyone, so Orwell has no reason to stay.

• He can no longer stand to see the elephant suffer and not be able to do anything about it.

• Because the Burmese crowd is angry, he thinks it best to leave before they turn on him.

• He knows the Burmese are only waiting for him to leave so they can kill and butcher the elephant.

What is the most likely meaning of suppliant as it is used in the following sentence? "Mia works hard at learning the business her father founded and will, when he retires, suppliant him as president."

• accept

• replace

• abandon

• influence

If a country has a despotic government, which of the following is most likely true?

• Government officials are chosen in popular elections.

• Government positions are based on family heritage and succession.

• The head of the government’s power is strictly limited by constitutional law.

• The government leader rules through martial law and usually has only his own interests in mind.

What is the most likely meaning of resolute as it is used in the following sentence? Brianna, who is resolute in her desire to win a scholarship to her state university, is doing all that she can to achieve her goal.

• realistic

• indifferent

• determined

• discouraged

Read these lines from “Shooting an Elephant.” With one part of my mind I thought of the British Raj as an unbreakable tyranny, as something clamped down, in saecula saeculorum, upon the will of prostrate peoples; with another part I thought that the greatest joy in the world would be to drive a bayonet into a Buddhist priest's guts. Feelings like these are the normal byproducts of imperialism; ask any Anglo-Indian official, if you can catch him off duty. Which answer best explains the meaning of the sentence “Feelings like these are the normal byproducts of imperialism”?

• Because they hold all the power, Anglo-Indian officials remain immune to the feelings of the Burmese.

• Anglo-Indian officials are able to remain objective about the empire’s rule and its relationship to the local people.

• Anglo-Indian officials feel guilty for upholding the empire’s authority, while at the same time they despise the local population.

• Anglo-Indian officials are sympathetic to the Burmese people because the natives treat them better than their British superiors.

Which passage from the essay best demonstrates that Orwell was compelled by the crowd to shoot the elephant?

• The Burmese population had no weapons and were quite helpless against it. It had already destroyed somebody's bamboo hut, killed a cow, and raided some fruit stalls and devoured the stock; also it had met the municipal rubbish van and, when the driver jumped out and took to his heels, had turned the van over and inflicted violences upon it.

• They had not shown much interest in the elephant when he was merely ravaging their homes, but it was different now that he was going to be shot. It was a bit of fun to them, as it would be to an English crowd....

• I marched down the hill, looking and feeling a fool, with the rifle over my shoulder and an ever-growing army of people jostling at my heels.

• And suddenly I realized that I should have to shoot the elephant after all. The people expected it of me and I had got to do it; I could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward, irresistibly.

Which excerpt from the essay best supports the idea that controlling others reduces ones own freedom?

• But at that moment I glanced round at the crowd that had followed me. It was an immense crowd, two thousand at the least and growing every minute.

• I looked at the sea of yellow faces above the garish clothes—faces all happy and excited over this bit of fun, all certain that the elephant was going to be shot.

• I perceived in this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys.

• The crowd grew very still, and a deep, low, happy sigh, as of people who see the theater curtain go up at last, breathed from innumerable throats. They were going to have their bit of fun, after all.