Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini Study question

Sea Prayer

Sea Prayer MCQs

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner MCQs

A Thousand Splendid Suns

And the Mountains Echoed

And the Mountains Echoed MCQs

Facts about Khaled Hosseini

➾ At age five, while living in Iran, Hosseini taught the Hazara man who worked as the family cook how to read and write.

➾ Hosseini’s family returned to Kabul in 1973, the historic year Afghanistan officially became a republic.

➾ Following the 1978 coup and Soviet occupation, his family sought political asylum in the U.S. instead of returning to Kabul from Paris.

➾ Before becoming a novelist, Hosseini earned an M.D. in 1993 and entered private practice as a full-fledged internist after completing his residency at Cedars-Sinai.

➾ He famously started writing his debut novel, The Kite Runner, at 4:00 am daily before heading to work at his medical practice.

➾ Hosseini only transitioned to writing full-time in 2004, a year after the publication of The Kite Runner.

➾ Upon returning to Afghanistan for the first time in twenty-seven years in 2003, he was disturbed to find the situation far worse than his own fictional accounts.

➾ Hosseini expressed shame over his privileged escape, stating he struggled with his freedom and felt he “should have suffered more”.

➾ His “Western sensibility” combined with his separation from Afghanistan helped bring the faces of the country to the world’s attention through his fiction.

➾ The sight of women wearing burkas during his 2003 visit inspired the central themes of his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns.

➾ Hosseini was appointed as a goodwill envoy for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in 2006 due to the focus his novel brought to the refugee crisis.

Khaled Hosseini MCQs

1. When and where was Khaled Hosseini born?

A. May 4, 1965, Tehran, Iran
B. March 4, 1965, Kabul, Afghanistan
C. March 4, 1965, San Jose, USA
D. May 4, 1965, Paris, France

B. March 4, 1965, Kabul, Afghanistan
He was born in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan.

2. What was the profession of Hosseini’s father?

A. High school teacher
B. Physician
C. Diplomat for the Afghan Foreign Ministry
D. UNHCR official

C. Diplomat for the Afghan Foreign Ministry
His father’s diplomatic career led the family to live in Iran and France during Hosseini’s childhood.

3. What subject did Hosseini’s mother teach in high school?

A. Biology and History
B. Farsi and English
C. History and Mathematics
D. Farsi and History

D. Farsi and History
His mother was a high school teacher in Kabul.

4. How many siblings did Khaled Hosseini have?

A. He was the youngest of two
B. He was the oldest of three
C. He was the oldest of five children
D. He was the middle child of seven

C. He was the oldest of five children
He has four younger siblings.

5. To which city did Hosseini’s family first move from Kabul when he was five years old?

A. Paris, France
B. San Jose, California
C. Tehran, Iran
D. Herat, Afghanistan

C. Tehran, Iran
His father was assigned to the Afghan embassy in Tehran in 1970.

6. In which historic year did Hosseini’s family return to Kabul, marking Afghanistan becoming a republic?

A. 1970
B. 1973
C. 1976
D. 1978

B. 1973
They returned in 1973, the year Mohammad Daoud Khan overthrew King Zahir Shah.

7. When did the Hosseini family relocate to Paris, following his father’s diplomatic post?

A. 1973
B. 1976
C. 1978
D. 1980

B. 1976
His father was posted to the Afghan embassy in Paris in 1976.

8. Why did the Hosseini family seek political asylum in the United States instead of returning to Kabul from Paris?

A. The family faced economic hardship
B. The PDPA seized control and the Soviets occupied Afghanistan
C. Hosseini wanted to study medicine in the US
D. His father resigned from the Foreign Ministry

B. The PDPA seized control and the Soviets occupied Afghanistan
The Saur Revolution (1978) and subsequent Soviet invasion (1979) made it unsafe for the diplomat’s family to return.

9. In which American city did the Hosseini family settle after receiving political asylum?

A. Los Angeles, California
B. Santa Clara, California
C. San Jose, California
D. San Diego, California

C. San Jose, California
They arrived in San Jose in September 1980.

10. Which university did Hosseini attend for his undergraduate degree in Biology?

A. University of California-San Diego
B. Cedars-Sinai hospital
C. Santa Clara University
D. Harvard University

C. Santa Clara University
He attended Santa Clara University, located near San Jose.

11. In what year did Hosseini receive his bachelor’s degree in Biology?

A. 1984
B. 1988
C. 1993
D. 1996

B. 1988
He graduated from Santa Clara University in 1988.

12. At which institution did Hosseini earn his M.D. in 1993?

A. Santa Clara University
B. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
C. University of California-San Diego’s School of Medicine
D. Kabul Medical University

C. University of California-San Diego’s School of Medicine
He pursued his medical degree at UCSD School of Medicine.

13. Where did Hosseini complete his medical residency, making him a full-fledged doctor by 1996?

A. Cedars-Sinai hospital of Los Angeles
B. A hospital in San Jose
C. University of California, San Diego
D. A Parisian clinic

A. Cedars-Sinai hospital of Los Angeles
He completed his residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

14. What type of physician did Hosseini become after his residency?

A. Surgeon
B. Internist
C. Pediatrician
D. Psychiatrist

B. Internist
He specialized in internal medicine.

15. When did Hosseini begin writing his first novel, The Kite Runner?

A. 1996
B. 2001
C. 2003
D. 2004

B. 2001
He started writing the novel in March 2001.

16. What was Hosseini doing professionally while he started writing The Kite Runner?

A. He was a full-time author
B. He was a practicing physician
C. He was a goodwill envoy
D. He was in residency training

B. He was a practicing physician
He famously wrote the novel in the early mornings before going to his medical practice.

17. When was Hosseini’s first novel, The Kite Runner, published?

A. 2001
B. 2003
C. 2007
D. 2013

B. 2003
The Kite Runner was published in 2003.

18. What is Khaled Hosseini primarily known?

A. His medical breakthroughs
B. His vivid depictions of Afghanistan
C. His diplomatic service
D. His Persian poetry

B. His vivid depictions of Afghanistan
His novels are celebrated for bringing the culture, history, and struggles of Afghanistan to a global audience.

19. What genre is Khaled Hosseini known for?

A. Poet
B. Historian
C. Novelist
D. Playwright

C. Novelist
He is internationally recognized for his three published novels.

20. What is the name of the protagonist and narrator of The Kite Runner?

A. Hassan
B. Mariam
C. Amir
D. Daoud Khan

C. Amir
The story is told from the perspective of Amir, a Pashtun boy growing up in Kabul.

21. By May 2007, The Kite Runner had been published in how many countries (approximately)?

A. Five
B. Eighteen
C. Thirty-eight
D. Over fifty

C. Thirty-eight
The novel achieved immense international success and translation.

22. Which neighborhood of Kabul is mentioned as the setting for parts of The Kite Runner?

A. Tehran District
B. Wazir Akbar Khan
C. San Jose Suburb
D. Qala-e-Fathullah

B. Wazir Akbar Khan
Amir grows up in this relatively affluent neighborhood of Kabul.

23. When did Hosseini return to Afghanistan for the first time after 27 years?

A. 1980
B. 1993
C. 2003
D. 2007

C. 2003
He made his first visit back shortly after the publication of The Kite Runner.

24. What was Hosseini’s reaction upon visiting Afghanistan in 2003?

A. He was pleased to see development
B. He was disturbed by the terrible situation
C. He felt instantly at home
D. He found it unchanged

B. He was disturbed by the terrible situation
He was shocked by the devastation caused by years of war and Taliban rule.

25. What did Hosseini state saved him and his family from suffering under the Soviets and the Taliban?

A. Their strong religious faith
B. His father’s diplomatic immunity
C. A combination of luck and material privilege
D. Their immediate return to Kabul

C. A combination of luck and material privilege
He acknowledged that his family’s ability to leave and seek asylum was a privilege not available to most Afghans.

26. What feeling did Hosseini tell Time Magazine he struggled with regarding his freedom?

A. Pride in his achievements
B. Shame, feeling he should have suffered more
C. Disgust at the government
D. Relief that his family was safe

B. Shame, feeling he should have suffered more
He expressed a form of survivor’s guilt, feeling ashamed of his relatively easy life compared to those left behind.

27. What combination allowed Hosseini’s fiction to bring the world’s attention to Afghanistan?

A. His medical knowledge and writing skill
B. His fame and wealth
C. His separation from his homeland and his “Western sensibility”
D. His father’s contacts and his detailed research

C. His separation from his homeland and his “Western sensibility”
His perspective as an Afghan emigrant, able to bridge the gap for Western readers, was crucial to his success.

28. What was the critical response to The Kite Runner?

A. Uniformly negative due to weak storytelling
B. It was praised for storytelling but dismissed for melodramatic elements
C. It received no critical notice initially
D. It was only published after extensive revision

B. It was praised for storytelling but dismissed for melodramatic elements
While many praised its narrative power, some critics found aspects of the plot contrived or overly sentimental.

29. How did The Kite Runner initially gain wide popularity?

A. Through a major film release
B. Through readers’ word-of-mouth praise
C. Through extensive advertising campaigns
D. Through academic endorsements

B. Through readers’ word-of-mouth praise
Its popularity grew organically, particularly through book clubs recommending it.

30. When was Hosseini’s second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, published?

A. 2003
B. May 2007
C. 2013
D. 2001

B. May 2007
His highly anticipated second novel was published in 2007.

31. What is the central focus of A Thousand Splendid Suns?

A. Relationships between brothers
B. Relationships between men
C. Relationships between women
D. The history of kite fighting

C. Relationships between women
The novel tells the intertwined stories of two Afghan women, Mariam and Laila.

32. What inspired Hosseini’s second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns?

A. Stories he heard from his father
B. His observations of women wearing burkas during his 2003 visit
C. A short story he wrote in high school
D. A specific political event in 1979

B. His observations of women wearing burkas during his 2003 visit
Seeing women shrouded in burkas during his trip profoundly affected him and sparked the idea for the novel.

33. What kind of adaptations of The Kite Runner appeared in 2007?

A. Radio and television serials
B. Comic book and video game
C. Film and theater
D. Opera and musical

C. Film and theater
A major motion picture directed by Marc Forster and a stage play adaptation were released in 2007.

34. What caused Hosseini to turn to writing full-time in 2004?

A. He retired from medicine due to age
B. The prompt success of The Kite Runner
C. His appointment as a diplomat
D. His desire to travel

B. The prompt success of The Kite Runner
The overwhelming success of his first novel allowed him to leave his medical career in December 2004.

35. What humanitarian role has Hosseini held since 2006?

A. Ambassador to France
B. Spokesperson for the Taliban
C. Goodwill envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
D. Chairman of the PDPA

C. Goodwill envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
His work helps raise awareness about the plight of refugees globally.

36. The appointment as a goodwill envoy was brought on by the focus The Kite Runner brought to what issue?

A. The plight of Afghan physicians
B. The continuing Afghan refugee crisis
C. The need for educational reform
D. The history of kite fighting

B. The continuing Afghan refugee crisis
The novel’s portrayal of Afghan refugees resonated with the mission of the UNHCR.

37. What is the name of Hosseini’s third novel chronologically?

A. The Kite Runner
B. A Thousand Splendid Suns
C. And the Mountains Echoed
D. The Kabul Bazaar

C. And the Mountains Echoed
This was his third novel, published in 2013.

38. What is the focus of the novel ‘And the Mountains Echoed’ (2013)?

A. A friendship between two men
B. The relationship between two wives
C. A brother and sister separated by adoption
D. The life of a diplomat

C. A brother and sister separated by adoption
The novel spans multiple generations and continents, tracing the impact of this separation.

39. In And the Mountains Echoed, in which decade does the separation of the siblings occur?

A. 1970s
B. 1980s
C. 1950s
D. 1990s

C. 1950s
The initial event that sets the multi-generational story in motion occurs in 1952.

40. What is the reason for Hosseini’s fame, as suggested by Time Magazine?

A. He is one of the world’s best doctors
B. He is almost certainly the most famous Afghan in the world
C. He is known for revolutionary political views
D. He successfully returned to Afghanistan

B. He is almost certainly the most famous Afghan in the world
His international bestselling novels have made him a globally recognized figure representing Afghanistan.

41. What type of atmosphere characterized Kabul during Hosseini’s childhood?

A. Strictly traditional and isolated
B. A cosmopolitan city mixing Western and Afghan culture
C. A war-torn, desolate landscape
D. A place lacking in literature and art

B. A cosmopolitan city mixing Western and Afghan culture
He remembers pre-war Kabul as a thriving, progressive city with cinemas, universities, and cultural exchange.

42. Which event in 1979/1980 made returning to Kabul impossible for the Hosseini family?

A. A massive earthquake
B. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
C. A financial collapse
D. A change in the diplomatic mission

B. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
The invasion in December 1979 solidified the communist government’s control and led to widespread conflict, preventing their return.

43. What did Hosseini teach a Hazara man working as a cook for the family while they were in Iran?

A. How to drive a car
B. How to read and write
C. How to cook French cuisine
D. The principles of biology

B. How to read and write
This childhood experience influenced the relationship between Amir and Hassan (a Hazara) in The Kite Runner.

44. What kind of literature was Khaled Hosseini already reading by the time his family was in Iran (around 1970)?

A. Medical textbooks and journals
B. Persian poetry and American novels
C. Only political manifestos
D. Only children’s picture books

B. Persian poetry and American novels
His childhood exposure to both Eastern and Western literature shaped his literary sensibilities.

45. Which political event occurred in 1973, shortly after the Hosseini family returned to Kabul?

A. The Soviet invasion
B. The overthrow of King Zahir Shah by Mohammad Daoud Khan
C. The rise of the Taliban
D. The publication of The Kite Runner

B. The overthrow of King Zahir Shah by Mohammad Daoud Khan
This coup d’état ended the monarchy and established the Republic of Afghanistan.

46. How can Hosseini’s devotion to Afghanistan be seen in, besides his writing?

A. His continuing medical practice
B. His personal investment in local businesses
C. His activism and role as a UNHCR goodwill envoy
D. His role as a history teacher

C. His activism and role as a UNHCR goodwill envoy
His humanitarian work demonstrates his ongoing commitment to the Afghan people and refugees.

47. In The Kite Runner, what are the respective ethnicities of the protagonist, Amir, and his friend, Hassan?

A. Both are Pashtun
B. Both are Hazara
C. Amir is Hazara, and Hassan is Pashtun
D. Amir is Pashtun, and Hassan is Hazara

D. Amir is Pashtun, and Hassan is Hazara
The ethnic and social differences between the dominant Pashtuns and the historically oppressed Hazaras are central to the novel’s conflicts.

48. What is the central theme symbolized by the act of kite fighting in The Kite Runner?

A. Childhood innocence and joy
B. Political conflict and warfare
C. Betrayal and the subsequent quest for redemption
D. The friendship between two boys from different social classes

C. Betrayal and the subsequent quest for redemption
The kite tournament represents both the height of Amir’s childhood happiness and the moment of his profound betrayal of Hassan, setting up the novel’s main arc.

49. The Kite Runner centers around relationships between men; A Thousand Splendid Suns centers around relationships between whom?

A. Children and parents
B. Women
C. Servants and masters
D. Soldiers

B. Women
Hosseini explicitly stated he wanted his second novel to focus on the experiences and bonds between Afghan women.

50. Which of Hosseini’s following works is the latest published novel?

A. The Kite Runner
B. A Thousand Splendid Suns
C. And the Mountains Echoed
D. Farsi and History

C. And the Mountains Echoed (2013)
Published in 2013, this is his most recent full-length novel to date.

The Kite Runner MCQs

1. When did Amir realise the past claws its way out?

A. When Rahim called
B. After 26 years
C. In December 2001
D. In winter 1975

A. When Rahim called.
When Rahim Khan called from Pakistan, Amir immediately realised he was facing his past of unatoned sins.

2. What was Amir doing when he became what he is today?

A. Flying a kite
B. Hiding in an alley
C. Climbing a poplar
D. Eating mulberries

B. Hiding in an alley.
Amir remembers crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the alley in the winter of 1975.

3. What physical feature defined Hassan’s face?

A. Slanting narrow eyes
B. Almost perfect round
C. A pointed stub chin
D. Cleft lip just left

D. Cleft lip just left.
Hassan had a specific cleft lip, located just left of the midline, making his appearance distinct.

4. What was the name of the affluent Kabul district where Baba lived?

A. Karteh-Char
B. Jadeh Maywand
C. Wazir Akbar Khan
D. Share-Nau

C. Wazir Akbar Khan.
Baba’s beautiful house, perhaps the prettiest in Kabul, was located in the Wazir Akbar Khan district.

5. What three topics were frequently discussed in Baba’s smoking room?

A. Literature, sports, food
B. Politics, business, soccer
C. Prayer, faith, tradition
D. Children, marriage, money

B. Politics, business, soccer.
After dinner, Baba and his friends would recline, smoke, and discuss politics, business, and soccer.

6. What structure was located in the shadows of the loquat tree?

A. The servants’ mud hut
B. The Wall of Corn
C. Baba’s terrace
D. The rosebushes

A. The servants’ mud hut.
The servants’ modest little mud hut, where Hassan and Ali lived, was situated by the loquat tree.

7. How long after Hassan’s birth did his mother run off?

A. One year later
B. Less than a week
C. Eighteen years later
D. One cold winter day

B. Less than a week.
Hassan’s mother, Sanaubar, left him less than a week after he was born, which was in the winter of 1964.

8. What physical ailment prevented Ali from smiling?

A. Atrophied right leg
B. Congenital paralysis
C. Mongoloid features
D. A broken jaw

B. Congenital paralysis.
Ali had a congenital paralysis of his lower facial muscles, meaning he was perpetually grim-faced.

9. What insulting name did neighbourhood kids call Ali?

A. Flat-nosed donkey
B. Mongoloid fiend
C. Babalu or Boogeyman
D. Ear Eater

C. Babalu or Boogeyman.
The older children frequently mocked Ali on the street, calling him Babalu, which means Boogeyman.

10. Why did Pashtuns historically oppress the Hazaras?

A. Hazaras were slaves
B. Pashtuns were Sunni
C. Hazaras refused labour
D. Pashtuns were wealthier

B. Pashtuns were Sunni.
The oppression was partly because Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, while the Hazaras belonged to the Shi’a sect.

11. What animal did Baba allegedly wrestle with his bare hands?

A. A fierce lion
B. A black bear
C. A mountain goat
D. A large donkey

B. A black bear.
Lore held that Baba once wrestled a large black bear in Baluchistan using only his bare hands.

12. What structure did Baba pay for and build with his own money?

A. A Kabul hospital
B. A massive mosque
C. A two-story orphanage
D. The customs house

C. A two-story orphanage.
Baba decided to build an orphanage, drawing the blueprints and funding the entire two-story project himself.

13. According to Baba, what was the only true sin?

A. Drinking whiskey
B. Sexual immorality
C. Theft
D. Lying

C. Theft.
Baba stated unequivocally that there is only one sin, and every other sin is simply a variation of theft.

14. Who did Amir believe he had killed by being born?

A. His brother
B. His father
C. His beloved wife
D. Ali

C. His beloved wife.
Amir believed he had killed his mother, whom Baba often referred to as his “beautiful princess,” during childbirth.

15. What was the Afghan national passion where a rider snatches a goat carcass?

A. Sherjangi
B. Namaz
C. Panjpar
D. Buzkashi

D. Buzkashi.
Buzkashi was described as Afghanistan’s national passion, involving horsemen fighting for a goat or cattle carcass.

16. What was Baba’s reaction when Amir cried after seeing a man trampled at the Buzkashi?

A. Valued Amir’s sensitivity
B. Concealed a disgusted look
C. Comforted Amir gently
D. Told Amir to be strong

B. Concealed a disgusted look.
Amir cried on the way home, and he noted Baba’s valiant efforts to conceal his disgusted look.

17. What did Rahim Khan say children were not, contrasting them with Baba’s views?

A. Colouring books
B. Garden plants
C. Gold standards
D. Passive citizens

A. Colouring books.
Rahim Khan told Baba that children aren’t colouring books, implying Baba shouldn’t force his favourite colours onto Amir.

18. Who adopted Ali after rich brothers killed his Hazara parents?

A. Baba’s father
B. Rahim Khan’s father
C. King Zahir Shah
D. General Taheri

A. Baba’s father.
Amir’s grandfather, a respected judge, adopted the orphan boy Ali into his own household.

19. What kind of party did Melicent attend in St. Louis?

A. Unitarian meeting
B. Euchre party
C. Supper party
D. Philosophical debate

B. Euchre party.
Melicent recalled attending a painful “progressive euchre party” when she was in St. Louis.

20. What object did Amir read to Hassan under the pomegranate tree?

A. Shahnamah, the epic
B. Koran verses
C. School textbooks
D. Khayyám’s poetry

A. Shahnamah, the epic.
Hassan’s favourite book was the Shahnamah, the tenth-century epic of ancient Persian heroes, which Amir read.

21. In Amir’s short story, why did the man make himself sad?

A. To atone for theft
B. To write better stories
C. To shed tears as pearls
D. To mourn his wife

C. To shed tears as pearls.
In Amir’s first story, the happy, poor man made himself sad so his tears could turn into rich pearls.

22. Who gave Amir the single word “Bravo” that encouraged his writing?

A. Hassan
B. Baba
C. His mother
D. Rahim Khan

D. Rahim Khan.
Rahim Khan’s note contained the single word “Bravo,” which encouraged Amir more than any editor’s compliment.

23. What did Hassan point out as a flaw in Amir’s first story?

A. Lack of irony
B. Plot hole about onions
C. Poor grammar
D. Too much tragedy

B. Plot hole about onions.
Hassan questioned why the character didn’t just smell an onion instead of killing his wife to produce tears.

24. Who was the son of the airline pilot who bullied Amir and Hassan?

A. Wali
B. Kamal
C. Mahmood
D. Assef

D. Assef.
Assef, known for his savagery and brass knuckles, was the son of Mahmood, who was an airline pilot.

25. What was Assef’s political vision for Afghanistan?

A. Land for the poor
B. Republic for all
C. Pashtuns rule all
D. Return of the King

C. Pashtuns rule all.
Assef claimed that Afghanistan was the land of Pashtuns, the “true Afghans,” and should be rid of Hazaras.

26. How did Hassan defend Amir from Assef using a slingshot?

A. He threatened Assef’s eye
B. He shot Wali in the hand
C. He shot Assef in the head
D. He scared them with a dog

A. He threatened Assef’s eye.
Hassan aimed a rock directly at Assef’s left eye, threatening to earn him the nickname “One-Eyed Assef”.

27. What was the name of the popular singer whose music Amir heard on the rooftop?

A. Rumi
B. Ahmad Zahir
C. Ustad Sarahang
D. Khayyám

B. Ahmad Zahir.
On the morning of the kite tournament, the music of the immensely popular Ahmad Zahir was blaring from cassette players.

28. What item did Amir find beneath Hassan’s mattress to frame him?

A. A hunting rifle
B. A gold watch
C. A slingshot
D. A leather book

B. A gold watch.
Amir planted his new gold watch, along with some Afghan cash, under Hassan’s mattress.

29. What was Hassan’s single-word response when Baba asked if he stole the money?

A. Yes
B. No
C. Maybe
D. Why

A. Yes.
When confronted by Baba, Hassan gave the single, heartbreaking word “Yes,” confirming the false accusation.

30. What was Ali’s final, silent gesture that showed he knew of Amir’s betrayal?

A. He cried silently
B. He looked away
C. He gave Amir a cold look
D. He hugged Baba

C. He gave Amir a cold look.
Ali gave Amir a “cold, unforgiving look” just before leaving, showing Amir that Hassan had told him everything.

31. In what year did Amir and Baba flee Kabul?

A. December 1979
B. March 1981
C. July 1973
D. Summer 1988

B. March 1981.
The chapter begins by stating that their escape from Kabul occurred in March 1981, after the Soviet invasion.

32. What common transportation was Karim using to smuggle people out of Kabul?

A. A Ford Mustang
B. An old Russian truck
C. A fuel tanker
D. A bus

B. An old Russian truck.
Karim, the smuggler, was driving people out of Kabul in the tarpaulin-covered cab of an old Russian truck.

33. What did the Russian soldier demand in exchange for letting the refugees pass?

A. Extra money
B. A half hour with the woman
C. All their passports
D. Their luggage

B. A half hour with the woman.
The Russian soldier, under the influence of drugs, demanded a “half hour with the lady in the back”.

34. What happened to Kamal in the fuel truck tank?

A. He was shot
B. He died from fumes
C. He escaped the tank
D. He found a hiding spot

B. He died from fumes.
Kamal died inside the pitch-black fuel tank, likely succumbing to the suffocating gasoline fumes.

35. What gift did Baba give Amir for his high school graduation?

A. A new job
B. A gold watch
C. A Ford Grand Torino
D. Tuition money

C. A Ford Grand Torino.
Baba bought Amir an old model Ford Grand Torino, which he said Amir would need to go to college.

36. Who was the general’s daughter that Amir fell in love with at the flea market?

A. Jamila Taheri
B. Homaira
C. Soraya
D. Suzy

C. Soraya.
Amir was immediately smitten with General Taheri’s daughter, Soraya, whom he nicknamed “Swap Meet Princess”.

37. What was the Pashtun term for ‘honour and pride’ that General Taheri emphasised?

A. Iftikhar
B. Nang and Namoo
C. Salaam alaykum
D. Khoda Hafez

B. Nang and namoos.
Baba warned Amir that the General had nang and namoos, meaning honour and pride, regarding his daughter’s chastity.

38. What was Soraya doing at the flea market when Amir finally spoke to her?

A. Selling rugs
B. Reading Wuthering Heights
C. Arguing with her father
D. Arranging fruit

B. Reading Wuthering Heights.
Amir saw Soraya alone at their booth, reading a paperback copy of the novel Wuthering Heights.

39. What did General Taheri do with the short story Amir gave Soraya?

A. He read it carefully
B. He dropped it in the trash
C. He gave it to Baba
D. He kept it secret

B. He dropped it in the trash.
After taking the story from Soraya, General Taheri dropped the rolled pages into the nearby garbage can.

40. What disease was Baba diagnosed with in California?

A. Kidney stones
B. Pulmonary embolism
C. Oat Cell Carcinoma
D. Arthritis

C. Oat Cell Carcinoma.
The cancer was diagnosed as “Oat Cell Carcinoma,” which was advanced and inoperable.

41. What ritual did Soraya and Amir perform in momentary privacy during their wedding?

A. The nika ceremony
B. Ayena Masshaf
C. Reading the Koran
D. Dancing Ahesta Boro

B. Ayena Masshaf.
During Ayena Masshaf, they were given a mirror under a veil to gaze at each other’s reflection.

42. What was Khala Jamila’s secret ambition that her husband forbade?

A. Owning a business
B. Studying law
C. Having many children
D. Singing professionally

D. Singing professionally.
Khala Jamila had an enchanting singing voice, but the General forbade her from ever singing in public.

43. What fate befell Ali and his cousin outside Bamiyan?

A. Shot by the Taliban
B. Died in a fire
C. Land mine explosion
D. Drowned in a flood

C. Land mine explosion.
Hassan told Rahim Khan that Ali and his cousin had been killed by a land mine outside of Bamiyan two years earlier.

44. What was the name of Hassan’s wife?

A. Sanaubar
B. Soraya
C. Farzana
D. Jamila

C. Farzana.
Hassan introduced the young, light-skinned Hazara woman who was expecting their baby as his wife, Farzana jan.

45. What devastating news did Rahim Khan reveal about Ali’s fertility?

A. He suffered polio
B. He was sterile
C. He was sick frequently
D. He ran away young

B. He was sterile.
Rahim Khan confessed that Ali was sterile, confirming that Baba was Hassan’s biological father.

46. What organisation did Rahim Khan say damaged Baba’s orphanage?

A. The Taliban
B. The Shorawi
C. The Northern Alliance
D. Gulbuddin’s cohorts

D. Gulbuddin’s cohorts.
Rahim Khan reported that the Northern Alliance, during the infighting, had destroyed Baba’s orphanage.

47. What did the beggar on Jadeh Maywand use to teach at the university?

A. English Literature
B. Farsi poetry/Sufism
C. Physics and Math
D. History and law

B. Farsi poetry/Sufism.
The beggar revealed he had taught Farsi poets like Hãfez, Khayyám, and Rumi at the university from 1958 to 1996.

48. What item did Zaman, the orphanage director, sell to keep the children fed?

A. Land he inherited
B. His life’s savings
C. Afghan rugs
D. His furniture

B. His life’s savings.
Zaman confessed that he was broke because he had spent everything he owned, his life’s savings, on the orphanage.

49. What object did the Taliban official wear that revealed his identity to Amir?

A. White turban
B. Black vest
C. Dark round sunglasses
D. Gold watch

C. Dark round sunglasses.
When the Taliban official removed his dark, round sunglasses, Amir immediately recognised him as Assef.

50. What physical object did Sohrab use to blind Assef and save Amir?

A. A sharp knife
B. A rock from the floor
C. A brass ball/slingshot
D. A broken chair leg

C. A brass ball/slingshot.
Sohrab shot a brass ball, pulled from the coffee table, with his slingshot, striking Assef’s eye.

Brief Overview

The Kite Runner is a novel by Khaled Hosseini, first published in 2003. It is a powerful and heartbreaking novel about friendship, betrayal, and the search for redemption. The story is set against the backdrop of Afghanistan from the 1970s to the early 2000s.

The novel begins in Kabul, Afghanistan. The narrator, Amir, grows up with Hassan, his loyal servant and friend. Amir is from a wealthy Pashtun family, while Hassan is a Hazara boy who runs kites for Amir.

In the winter of 1975, Amir wins a kite-fighting contest. Hassan goes to retrieve the last cut kite, but a cruel boy named Assef attacks Hassan. Amir watches the attack and does nothing, driven by fear and jealousy.

Out of overwhelming guilt, Amir later frames Hassan for theft. Hassan and his father, Ali, leave Kabul immediately. Amir and his father, Baba, later flee Afghanistan during the war and move to the United States.

Years later, Amir learns a shocking secret: Baba was actually Hassan’s father, making Hassan Amir’s half-brother. A friend, Rahim Khan, asks Amir to return to Taliban-controlled Kabul to find Sohrab, Hassan’s orphaned son.

Amir finds Sohrab with Assef, who is now a Taliban leader. Amir fights Assef to rescue the boy. Sohrab uses a slingshot to defend Amir. Amir successfully brings Sohrab to America, but Sohrab struggles greatly and stops speaking. In a final effort, Amir flies a kite for Sohrab, who offers a small smile, suggesting a beginning of hope.