What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?

What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?

Chubukov says of Natalya: “... as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s like a lovesick cat...” Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer.

Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.

   greedy            naive                   stupid                ungrateful 
   selfish            comical               unquestioning

Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?

Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?

What ideals does Nelson Mandela set for the future of South Africa?

Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?

How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country

(i) in the first decade, and
(ii) in the final decade of the twentieth century?

Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?

Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher?

What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”

Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?

What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?

The author describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year-old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for this statement?

What ideals does Nelson Mandela set for the future of South Africa?

Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration ? What did it signify the triumph of?

What do you think “to have fun with her” means?

How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?

How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?

What was Valli’s favourite pastime?