The Giver, Chapter 11 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. What is the very first memory The Giver transmits to Jonas?

   • A memory of swimming in a cool lake on a summer day
   • A memory of walking through a forest during autumn
   • A memory of warm sunshine spreading over a grassy field
   • Correct answer: A memory of riding a sled down a snow-covered hill

   The first memory Jonas receives is of sledding down a snow-covered hill, where he experiences cold, snow, speed, and exhilaration for the first time.

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2. 2

   Question 2. How does The Giver physically transmit memories to Jonas?

   • By describing each memory aloud while Jonas sits with his eyes closed
   • By having Jonas drink a special memory-inducing liquid
   • Correct answer: By placing his hands on Jonas's bare back while Jonas lies face-down
   • By holding Jonas's hands and looking steadily into his pale eyes

   The Giver transmits memories through physical contact — he places his hands on Jonas's bare back while Jonas lies face-down on the bed.

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3. 3

   Question 3. According to The Giver, why was snow eliminated from the community?

   • Snow was dangerous and caused too many injuries to citizens
   • Correct answer: Snow made growing food difficult and limited the agricultural periods
   • The Elders decided snow was unnecessary after a devastating blizzard
   • Snow made people feel sad and isolated from each other

   The Giver explains that snow made growing food difficult and limited the agricultural periods, while unpredictable weather made transportation almost impossible at times. So snow became obsolete under Climate Control when the community went to Sameness.

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4. 4

   Question 4. Why were hills removed from the community's landscape?

   • Correct answer: Hills slowed down transportation, so flat terrain was more efficient
   • Hills made it harder for the elderly to move around freely
   • Hills caused flooding in the lower-lying areas of the community
   • Hills were considered visually displeasing under the rules of Sameness

   The Giver explains that hills were eliminated because they slowed down transportation. Flat terrain made travel faster and more efficient, which aligned with the community's priority of Sameness.

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5. 5

   Question 5. What distinction does The Giver make about the Receiver's role in the community?

   • The Receiver has power over every decision but receives no honor or recognition
   • Correct answer: The Receiver has honor but not power — he cannot change community decisions
   • The Receiver has neither honor nor power but serves out of moral duty
   • The Receiver has both great honor and the power to change community laws

   The Giver tells Jonas that although the Receiver's position carries great honor, it does not come with actual power. The Receiver cannot change the community's decisions about Sameness.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What is the second memory The Giver transmits to Jonas in this chapter?

   • Correct answer: A memory of sunshine and warmth spreading over his body
   • A memory of flowers blooming in a fragrant spring garden
   • A memory of rain falling on a warm summer evening
   • A memory of a crackling fire in a cozy room during winter

   After the sledding memory, The Giver transmits a memory of sunshine and warmth. Jonas finds it pleasurable and comforting, though not as exciting as the ride through the snowy air.

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7. 7

   Question 7. What is the significance of the sunburn memory at the end of the chapter?

   • It proves that The Giver is deliberately trying to hurt Jonas during training
   • It demonstrates that Jonas is unable to handle difficult memories at all
   • It shows Jonas that all memories from the past are inherently painful
   • Correct answer: It gives Jonas his first pain through a memory, so he understands the warning better

   The sunburn is Jonas's first taste of pain through memory transmission. The old man had told him "it will be painful," and afterward Jonas says he understands better what it meant "that there would be pain." It also shows that pleasure and pain can come from the same source.

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8. 8

   Question 8. What four vocabulary words does Jonas learn from the sledding memory?

   • Frost, sleigh, peak, and blades
   • Ice, wind, mountain, and toboggan
   • Correct answer: Snow, sled, downhill, and runners
   • Cold, speed, winter, and slope

   The old man says he gave away snow, sled, downhill, and runners by telling Jonas the words in advance — concepts that no longer exist in his community and therefore have no names in common usage.

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9. 9

   Question 9. What theme does the progression from sunshine to sunburn illustrate?

   • Memories from the past are always more painful than pleasant ones
   • Correct answer: Pleasure and pain are interconnected — the same source can bring both joy and suffering
   • The community was correct in choosing to eliminate all natural weather
   • Technology is inherently dangerous and should be avoided entirely

   The sunshine-to-sunburn progression illustrates that pleasure and pain are two sides of the same coin. The warmth that felt pleasurable and comforting, given for longer, became a sunburn that hurt a lot.

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10. 10

    Question 10. How does Jonas react when he learns the community once had snow?

    • He feels indifferent because he knows the community's rules cannot be changed
    • He feels angry at The Giver for showing him something he cannot have
    • He feels frightened by unpredictable weather that once made transportation impossible
    • Correct answer: He wishes the community still had snow, showing his willingness to question Sameness

    Jonas wishes the community still had snow, demonstrating his growing willingness to question the decisions behind Sameness. This instinct to challenge the status quo sets him apart from his peers.

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11. 11

    Question 11. Which of these events actually happened in this chapter?

    • True or False: After The Giver transmits a memory to Jonas, The Giver still retains a full copy of that memory.

      Didn't happen

      False. When The Giver transmits a memory, he loses that particular copy of it. The memory transfers from The Giver to Jonas, which is why The Giver's burden lightens as he passes memories along.

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12. 12

    Question 12. What name does the old man tell Jonas to call him at the end of this chapter?

    • Correct answer: The Giver
    • The Keeper of the Past
    • The Elder of Memory
    • The Receiver Emeritus

    The old man tells Jonas to call him 'The Giver,' which gives the novel its title. Since Jonas is the new Receiver, the old man's role shifts to giving memories away.

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13. 13

    Question 13. What literary device does Lowry primarily use in the descriptions of Jonas's sledding experience?

    • Hyperbole — exaggerated descriptions to emphasize Jonas's excitement
    • Personification — giving human qualities to the snow and wind around Jonas
    • Correct answer: Sensory imagery — vivid descriptions of cold, speed, and physical sensation
    • Allegory — the sled ride stands for the rules that govern life in the community

    Lowry uses extensive sensory imagery — detailed descriptions of cold air, snowflakes on skin, the feeling of speed and balance — to help the reader experience the memory as vividly as Jonas does.

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