The Giver, Chapter 14 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. What happens when The Giver transmits the sled memory in Chapter 14?

   • Jonas steers the sled safely but arrives in an unfamiliar, cold landscape
   • The sled memory is interrupted when Jonas pulls away from The Giver
   • Jonas enjoys a faster, more thrilling ride than the first sled memory
   • Correct answer: The sled crashes and Jonas experiences a broken leg and face scraping on ice

   Unlike the pleasant sled memory from Chapter 11, this time the hill is steeper, the sled is harder to control, and Jonas crashes — breaking his leg and scraping his face on the ice.

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2. 2

   Question 2. Why can't Jonas receive medication for the pain after the sled crash memory?

   • The community does not have any pain medication available for children
   • The Giver believes that suffering will build up Jonas's physical endurance over time
   • Correct answer: His instructions state he cannot apply for medication for training-related pain
   • Jonas is too proud to admit how much pain he is actually feeling

   Jonas's instruction folder for his role as Receiver of Memory includes a rule that he may not apply for medication to treat pain or discomfort connected to his training.

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3. 3

   Question 3. According to The Giver, why must they hold painful memories?

   • Correct answer: Painful memories provide wisdom that the community's leaders need for guidance
   • Holding the pain is the price the Receiver pays for the privilege of knowing the truth
   • Painful memories keep the Receiver humble and stop him from abusing his power
   • The memories cannot be destroyed and must be stored in someone's mind

   The Giver explains that painful memories give them wisdom. The Committee of Elders consults the Receiver when they face decisions they don't understand, relying on the wisdom these memories provide.

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4. 4

   Question 4. What does Jonas suggest could make the burden of painful memories easier?

   • Training multiple Receivers at once so each person holds fewer memories
   • Correct answer: Sharing the painful memories among all the people in the community
   • Creating written records of memories so they don't have to be held mentally
   • Allowing the Receiver to take medication between training sessions

   Jonas suggests sharing the memories with everyone, so that he and The Giver would not have to bear so much by themselves "if everybody took a part." The Giver replies that the people do not want the burden.

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5. 5

   Question 5. How does The Giver respond to Jonas's idea of sharing memories with everyone?

   • Correct answer: He says the people do not want the burden, so they chose a Receiver to carry it
   • He explains that ordinary people's minds cannot physically hold memories
   • He says Jonas is too young to understand and must wait until his training ends
   • He says the Elders would never allow it and that Jonas must not raise it again

   The Giver admits Jonas is right, but says that then everyone would be "burdened and pained." The people do not want that, so they selected the Receiver "to lift that burden from themselves."

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6. 6

   Question 6. What realization does Jonas have when he argues that they should try to change the system?

   • He sees that the people are too happy with their lives to want anything different
   • He realizes The Giver has already tried and failed to change things many times
   • He recognizes that the Committee of Elders would punish him for suggesting change
   • Correct answer: He understands that in this community, nothing ever changes by design

   Jonas stops mid-argument when he realizes the fundamental truth about his community: nothing ever changes. The system is designed to prevent any alteration to the established order.

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7. 7

   Question 7. What does Jonas's father say about the twins who are expected next month?

   • The twins will be raised together as an exception to the community's rules
   • Correct answer: He must select one twin to be nurtured and release the smaller of the two
   • One twin will be sent to a neighboring community as part of a population exchange
   • Both twins will be assigned to different family units within the community

   Father says a Birthmother is expecting twin males next month. If they are identical, he is next on the list: he will select one to be nurtured and one to be released. "We release the smaller of the two."

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8. 8

   Question 8. What does Jonas imagine happens to people who are released?

   • They are stripped of their memories and returned to the community as newchildren
   • They are placed in a separate section of the community away from others
   • Correct answer: They go on living Elsewhere, where someone might be waiting for them
   • They are put into a deep sleep until a new assignment can be found for them

   Jonas wonders whether someone Elsewhere is waiting to receive the tiny released twin, and whether it would grow up there. He also pictures Larissa's life Elsewhere as quiet and serene.

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9. 9

   Question 9. How does Jonas discover he can transmit memories to Gabriel?

   • Jonas deliberately experiments with Gabriel to test a theory about his abilities
   • Correct answer: While comforting Gabriel at night, Jonas inadvertently begins transmitting a sailing memory through touch
   • Gabriel reaches out and touches Jonas, triggering a spontaneous memory transfer
   • The Giver teaches Jonas the technique during a special training session

   While touching Gabriel's back to soothe the restless baby, Jonas thinks about a pleasant sailing memory and is startled to realize it is flowing into Gabriel through their physical contact.

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10. 10

    Question 10. What memory does Jonas transmit to Gabriel to calm him?

    • Correct answer: A memory of sailing on a calm, beautiful lake on a peaceful day
    • A memory of an orange sunset glowing behind a range of mountains
    • The first sled memory of gliding gently down a snowy hill
    • A memory of a sunny meadow dotted with bright yellow wildflowers

    Jonas transmits a memory of sailing on a calm lake — a pleasant, peaceful memory that The Giver had previously transmitted to him. The memory soothes Gabriel into sleep.

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11. 11

    Question 11. Which of the following events actually happens in Chapter 14?

    • Jonas asks the Committee of Elders to distribute memories among all citizens
    • The Giver tells Jonas that he advised the Elders to shoot down the plane
    • Correct answer: Jonas deliberately transmits a peaceful sailing memory to Gabriel at night
    • Jonas confronts his father about the morality of releasing identical twins

    The sailing memory first starts to flow into Gabriel by accident, and Jonas pulls back. Toward dawn, when Gabriel cries again, Jonas places his hand on the newchild's back on purpose and gives him the rest of the calming day on the lake.

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12. 12

    Question 12. Which of these does NOT happen in Chapter 14?

    • Jonas transmits a memory to Gabriel through physical touch
    • Jonas begs The Giver for medication after the broken-leg memory
    • The Giver explains that painful memories provide wisdom for the community
    • Correct answer: Jonas tells his family at dinner about the painful sled memory

    Jonas keeps his training secret. At the sharing of feelings he says only that he is tired and that his school lessons were demanding. He does beg for relief-of-pain, hear about wisdom, and give Gabriel a memory.

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13. 13

    Question 13. When The Giver says painful memories give them 'wisdom,' what does wisdom mean in this context?

    • Correct answer: Experience-based understanding and good judgment for making thoughtful decisions
    • Superior intelligence that comes from many years of advanced education and training
    • The power to predict future events based on patterns observed in the past
    • The ability to memorize and recall large amounts of factual information

    In this context, wisdom means the practical understanding and good judgment that comes from accumulated experience — including painful experience. The Receiver uses this wisdom to advise the Committee of Elders.

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14. 14

    Question 14. In Chapter 14, the happy memories are not enough to 'assuage' the pain Jonas feels. What does 'assuage' mean?

    • To hide a pain or bad feeling so others cannot see it
    • To make a pain or bad feeling grow even stronger
    • To judge how serious a pain or problem really is
    • Correct answer: To make a pain or bad feeling less severe; to ease

    'Assuage' means to make a pain or bad feeling less severe. The Giver ends each painful session with a happy, color-filled memory, but it is "not enough to assuage the pain" that Jonas is starting to know.

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