Multiple-choice Questions

Silk Road
1. What problems were the travellers likely to face as they chose to go south-west
towards Mount Kailash?
(a) They might face rough weather.
(b) The trail might be covered in snow.
(c) They might not find any petrol stations.
(d) They might lose their way.
2. Tick the sentence in which the phrase ‘en masse’ has been used appropriately.
(a) The teacher applied for leave en masse.
(b) The students opposed the decision of the management en masse.
(c) The driver left the vehicle en masse.
(d) The political prisoners were released en masse in a phased manner.
3. What was the reason for the patronage of the mastiffs in the imperial Chinese courts?
(a) The mastiffs were ferocious and relentless hunting dogs.
(b) The mastiffs were a special breed of dogs.
(c) The Chinese royal families loved pet dogs.
(d) The mastiff were easy to domesticate and train.
4. One of the following is not a symptom of high altitude sickness.
(a) High fever
(b) Severe headache
(c) Breathlessness
(d) Sleeplessness
5. The salt lakes on the way to Hor are the remnants of
(a) ancient Tibetan culture.
(b) non-stop commercial activity
(c) Tethys ocean that once surrounded Tibet
(d) turbulent geographical activities
6. The salt lakes on the way to Hor are the result of
(e) ancient Tibetan culture.
(f) non-stop commercial activity
(g) Tethys ocean that once surrounded Tibet
(h) turbulent geographical activities
7. Hor was quite an unattractive place in an otherwise scenic Himalayan region as
(a) it was liberally scattered with years of accumulated refuse
(b) it had no basic amenities for the tourists
(c) it had seen no developmental activities despite rapid development of tourism
industry.
(d) locals were uneducated and could hardly read and speak English
8. What was only comfort for Nick had at Ravu?
(a) The herbal tea at the café
(b) The view of Lake Manasarovar though a window at the café
(c) The Chinese boy in military uniform who served him at the café
(d) The amiable Tsetan and the locals
9. Which of the following rivers actually originated in the Manasarovar?
(a) The Indus
(b) The Ganges
(c) The Sutlez
(d) The Brahmaputra
10. How was the experience of Nick different from that of the legendary pilgrims of the
past?
(a) He visited the Manasarovar at an inappropriate time.
(b) Unlike the legendary tourists, he did not have an emotional outburst at the sight of
the lake.
(c) He was not enlightened by the lake.
(d) He was not religious and did not share any religious sentiments of the legendary
pilgrims.
11. One of the things mentioned below about the café at Hor was not repelling to the
author. Pick it out.
(a) The broken windows
(b) The grease on the table
(c) The herbal tea
(d) Its location
12. What was the scariest thing about Nick’s nocturnal disturbances on the night of his
visit to Darchen?
(a) He had recurring nightmares.
 (b) He was afraid of falling asleep forever.
(c) He was troubled at having nobody to look after him.
(d) He had frequent vomiting and electrical impulses.
13. What kept Nick awake all night on the first night of his visit to Darchen?
(a) The disturbances from the other rooms
(b) Frequent visits of the hotel attenders
(c) Cough and vomiting
(d) Some inner voice
14. What was interesting about the Tibetan doctor at the Darchen medical college?
(a) He was western in style.
(b) He looked like any other Tibetan.
(c) He had a great knowledge of high altitude.
(d) He was very talkative and breathed confidence.
15. Why did Tsetan say that it didn’t really matter if Nick passed away?
(a) Nick had no worries.
(b) Nick had lived an eventful and had little to achieve.
(c) Buddhists do not lament death.
(d) Buddhists believe that death is great equalizer.
16. What, according to Tsetan, would be bad for business?
(a) The death of a pilgrim during a trip with him
(b) The early visits of pilgrims
(c) The high-altitude sicknesses
(d) The unfriendly attitude of pilgrims
17. Which of the following does not fit the description that life in Darchen was relaxed
and unhurried?
(a) Rudimentary general stores
(b) The battered table in the open air
(c) Men gathering in the afternoon for a game of pool
(d) Women washing their long hair in the icy water of a narrow brook
18. What was common between the writer and the three Tibetans, namely Tsetan, Daniel
and Lhamo?
(a) They were very helpful.
(b) They had great sense of humour.
(c) They interacted with each other.
 (d) They had mutal respect for each other.
19. What thing worried Nick Middleton when left alone in Darchen?
(a) He had little money to continue his journey.
(b) There was no one who could speak or understand English.
(c) The pilgrims had not yet arrived.
(d) Tsetan had left him.
20. Why was the kora seasonal?
(a) Some months of the year were inauspicious.
(b) The Tibetans were sentimental.
(c) The Tibetans respected the tradition of confining the celebrations to some specific
period.
(d) Ice was likely to block parts of the route.
21. What was one of the common things between Nick and Norbu?
(a) They both worked in universities.
(b) They had done the kora already.
(c) They were devout Buddhists.
(d) Both undertook the journey for academic purpose.
22. What was one of the endearing qualities about Norbu?
(a) He was deeply religious.
(b) He respected strangers.
(c) He was very light-hearted.
(d) He was an avid book-reader.
23. Why was difficult for Norbu to complete the kora like a devout Buddhist?
(a) It would take more time.
(b) It would be uninteresting.
(c) He was obese.
(d) It was his first visit to Mount Kailash.
24. What thing about Norbu disappointed Nick Middleton?
(a) He was not well-equipped for the kora.
(b) He was just an academician.
(c) He did not study the local conditions.
(d) He was not interested in religious matters.
25. What product other than silk was widely used across China?
(a) Herbal products
 (b) Traditional medicine
(c) Sheepskin coats
(d) Plastic
26. What positive thing about Norbu finally made Nick to choose him as his companion?
(a) He was enthusiastic and practical-minded.
(b) He was light-hearted.
(c) He knew English
(d) All the above