Pigeon English Quizzes

Pigeon English Quiz 1 (March)

1 According to Harri, why doesn't the rain wash away the dead boy's blood?
The rain has respect for the dead

It never rains on Mondays

Harri prayed for the rain to cease

The dead boy's mother will not allow it
2 Why doesn't Harri touch the dead boy's blood?
He believes if he crosses the police line, he will turn to dust

His pigeon told him not to

He thinks blood has germs

He believes that he can drown in the blood
3 What gifts does Harri give to the dead boy?
A bouncy ball and a run in the rain

A pencil and a dance at his funeral

A pebble and a promise never to hurt anyone

A flower and a promise to find his killer
4 How is Harri's opinion about his apartment unique?
He likes how many friends he can make in the apartment, though his family avoids their neighbors

He believes the apartment is wonderful, because he can look at helicopters, while his family thinks it is dingy

He enjoys how loud and exciting the apartment is, though his family misses the quiet of their old home

He believes the apartment is in the perfect spot, because he can walk to the park, though it is far from Mamma's work
5 Why doesn't Harri was his hands after handling the pigeon?
He wants to spite his mother and Lydia, who are always telling him to wash up

He believes it is so special, it doesn't have germs

He doesn't realize he is supposed to wash his hands except after using the restroom

His friends told him touching birds is good luck
6 Why doesn't Harri's father live with his family?
Harri's father was too ill to immigrate

Harri's father did not want to live somewhere cold like London

He is working in Ghana until he can afford tickets

Harri's parents divorced
7 What disturbing game does Harri like to play with his friends?
Suicide bomber

Assassins

Cops and robbers

Prisoners of War
8 How does Killa behave suspiciously after the dead boy's murder?
Killa asks Harri to hide a knife and refuses to steal a cell phone

Killa refuses to play "chooking" and falls off his bike during the funeral

Killa starts to sit by himself during lunch and avoids Chicken Joe's

Killa acts out during class and begins drinking
9 According to Harri, why doesn't Mamma buy a pigeon net?
No one sells nets designed for pigeons

The other boys will think the net is a weapon

Mamma secretly wants to tame the pigeon

Harri prayed she wouldn't find one
10 Why doesn't Harri say anything when Jordan steals the woman's phone?
He knows Mamma will forbid him from playing with X-Fire

The lady yelled at Harri earlier

He knows Jordan needs the money

He doesn't want Mamma to think he condones Jordan's behavior
11 Why do the people in Harri's neighborhood have pit bulls?
Pit bulls can "find anything—even a knife"

Pit bulls are the "only friends that won't betray you"

Pit bulls can be used as weapons if their "gun ran out of bullets"

Pit bulls are "better than a burglar alarm" when invaders come
12 How did Terry Takeaway get his name?
He only eats takeaway food

His entire family was "taken away" by the police

He believes he is destined to be "taken away" from poverty

He is a well-known thief
13 Why does Harri prefer the female police officer?
She reminds Harri of "Mamma when she was young"

She didn't assume Harri committed the crime "just because [he's] African"

She asks questions instead of "hitting you all the time"

She let Harri and the other little kids "sit in the cop car, just like in the movies"
14 Why is Harri the only one who discovers the knife's hiding spot?
He was picking watercress by the river to feed to the pigeon and saw the knife in the mud

He is the only person Jordan trusts enough to ask for help hiding the weapon

He was rooting through the trash bins for the "pigeon cage" Lydia threw away

He was on the balcony at night waiting for the pigeon when he saw a man take the knife
15 According to the pigeon, how are humans and birds alike?
Both are "corrupted and dirtied by the city"

Both "view death as an inconvenience and an opportunity"

Both have lives that are "so short and nothing's ever fair"

Both "take flight from an intrusion"
16 What is Harri's plan for defending against "invaders"?
Hide Lydia and Mamma in the closet and hit the invader with a bat

Take Lydia and Mamma into the lift and use the "help" button to contact the police

Protect Lydia and Mamma and stab the invader with a fork

Jump off the balcony and fly like a pigeon to the police station
17 Why doesn't Miquita go to the dead boy's funeral?
She is Catholic and not allowed to go into a Protestant church

Hollyoaks is on at the same time as the funeral

She and the dead boy were dating, and he broke her heart

She believes his death was his own fault, since he was "fronting"
18 How does Mamma cope with the babies who die in the hospital?
She spends time with her own children and feels grateful for their health

She gives the grieving mothers a copy of the Bible

Every night, she reads a children's book aloud to the babies "in heaven"

She names the babies and imagines them in heaven
19 Why does the dead boy's funeral confuse Harri?
The funeral guests wear hoodies instead of suits and ties

The funeral is held in a synagogue, and Harri does not understand the Hebrew prayers

Unlike funerals in Ghana, there is no singing or dancing

No one is allowed inside the church except the dead boy's parents
20 Why do Harri and Dean join the receiving line?
To get a closer look at the open casket

To get out of the rain

To get on television

To try and figure out if any guests are the murderer
21 What does X-Fire offer Harri after stealing his backpack?
A spot on the basketball team

A job

Protection from the police

English lessons
22 Why does Harri run through the rain?
He is being chased by a pit bull

He forgot his umbrella

The dead boy told him you can get faster by running in the rain

Running in the rain feels like flying
23 Why is Mamma upset when Aunt Sonia visits?
Aunt Sonia forgot to come and babysit Harri while Mamma was at work

She was called a racial slur at work

She does not believe Aunt Sonia should return to Ghana

Aunt Sonia is not supposed to be in the UK
24 Why does Jordan stop attending school?
X-Fire threatened to kill him if he came back to school

He is making good money stealing for X-Fire

He was expelled for kicking a teacher

He failed all his classes
25 Why do Dean and Harri go to the river?
To take care of the ducks that the smaller kids attacked with a screwdriver

To look for the murder weapon

To hide from the Dell Farm Crew

To pick watercress

How does Kelman present ideas of control and power in Pigeon English?

All of the characters are forced to uphold the masculine traits like power and control or toughness and ruthlessness in order to protect themselves. This culture of violence means that life is treated as disposable and death is ever-present.

Asked by Jody I #1329003

Answered by Aslan on 11/28/2023 5:44 PM

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how does the writer present the struggles of childhood in pigeon english

The setting of this British town is quite a dangerous place, especially for the children. As readers learn almost from the outset, a boy from Harrison's school was murdered and left for dead in the street recently. Harrison learns firsthand how...

Asked by Aisha K #1263285

Answered by Aslan on 10/16/2022 4:47 PM

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How does Stephan Kelman present Harri as a vulnerable character in the novel

Being from Ghana and still a child, Hari is vulnerable to the world of a child near teen as well as the world of a visible immigrant. The protagonist/narrator is an eleven-year-old schoolboy newly arrived in London from Ghana. He is a good kid...

Asked by Ay S #1258375

Answered by Aslan on 9/24/2022 10:07 PM

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Pigeon English

by Stephen Kelman

Pigeon English Quiz 1 (March)

Pigeon English Questions and Answers

Study Guide for Pigeon English

Lesson Plan for Pigeon English