Question

1. what unfortunate event follows the argument over the path?

a a student falls seriously ill.
b a woman dies in childbirth.
c enemies invade the village.
d mrs. obi’s garden is suddenly wither.

1. according to the village’s diviner, what caused the sad event?

f bad weather
g an angry teacher
h a dangerous plague
j insulted ancestors

1. what do the villagers do in response to the tragedy?

a they move the old path to a new location.
b they withdraw all their children from the school.
c they tear down the gardens and a school building.
d they send the priest to present their demands to mr. obi.

1. the supervisor’s report on the school —

f praises the progress mr. obi has made
g admires the beauty of the school grounds
h criticizes mr. obi’s relations with the villagers
j asks for another headmaster to be sent to the school
literary focus: conflict (10 points; 5 points each)
on the line provided, write the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.

1. what character trait sets up mr. obi for conflict with the villagers?

a his humility
b his smugness
c his deep sense of responsibility
d his willingness to seek compromise

1. the main conflict in the story is between —

f the priest and the villagers
g old people and young people
h wealthy rulers and poor people
j modern ideas and old traditions

Explanation:

These questions refer to Chinua Achebe's Dead Men's Path, a story about cultural conflict between a progressive school headmaster and traditional villagers.

1. After the argument over the ancestral path, a woman dies in childbirth, which the villagers link to the path being blocked.
2. The village diviner claims the sad event was caused by insulted ancestors, angered by the blocked path.
3. In response to the tragedy, the villagers tear down the school's hedges and a school building to reopen the path.
4. The Supervisor's report criticizes Mr. Obi's poor relations with the villagers, noting his failure to respect local customs.
5. Mr. Obi's smugness (his dismissive, superior attitude toward traditional village beliefs) sets up the conflict with the villagers.
6. The main conflict is between modern ideas (Mr. Obi's push for Western-style education and modernization) and old traditions (the villagers' reverence for the ancestral path and cultural customs).

Answer:

1. B. A woman dies in childbirth.
2. J. Insulted ancestors
3. C. They tear down the gardens and a school building.
4. H. criticizes Mr. Obi's relations with the villagers
5. B. His smugness
6. J. modern ideas and old traditions