1. Comprehension Challenge
Trash by Andy Mulligan
Comprehension Challenge

2. Comprehension Questions
Part 1

3. Q1. What is stuppa? Stuffing for chairs Human muck Chicken droppings
Coffee grounds

4. Q2. What is the name of the rubbish town?
Bentham
Bethal
Behala
Behalio

5. Q3. What are they looking for?
Wallets
Metal
Clothing
Plastic

6. Q4. If a good tyre can fetch half a dollar, what can a dead tyre be used for?
Water storage
Holding your roof down
Insulation
Beds

7. Q5. On a good day, how much can he make?
200 pesos
150 pesos
100 pesos
50 pesos

8. Chapter 1 Answers B – Stuppa = Human Muck
C – Behala is the name of their rubbish town
D – Plastic, white then blue
B – Dead tyres used to hold your roof down
A – On a good day he can make 200 pesos

9. Comprehension Questions
Chapters 2-3

10. Q6. What day of the week was his unlucky-lucky day?
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

11. Q7. How old is Gardo? 10 12 14 16

12. Q8. What is the name given to a bag that is unsplit from a rich area?
A special
A jackpot
A bounty
A treasure chest

13. Q9. How much money was in the wallet?
500 pesos
600 pesos
1100 pesos
1600 pesos

14. Q10. Where was the bag put into the rubbish by mistake?
McKenzie Hill
McKinley Hill
McCaffrey Hill
McClean Hill

15. Chapters 2-3 Answers 6. D – Thursday was his unlucky-lucky day
7. C – They are both fourteen years old
8. A – An unsplit bag from a rich area is called a special
9. C – 1100 pesos was inside the wallet
10. B – McKinley Hill was where the police said the bag was dumped

16. Comprehension Questions
Chapters 4-5

17. Q11. What is Rat’s real name?
Jose
Alejandro
Jo-Jo
Jun-Jun

18. Q12. How many were killed when Smoky fell?
Nearly 50
Nearly 100
Nearly 150
Nearly 200

19. Q13. What is the locker number on the key?
101
202
303
010

20. Q14. How much did they get paid for the day?
50 pesos
80 pesos
100 pesos
120 pesos

21. Q15. What mistake did Auntie make?
She followed the boys to Rat’s hole
She looked through Raphael’s room
She talked to the police
She handed in the money

22. Chapter 4-5 Answers 11. D – Rat’s real name is Jun-Jun
12. B – Nearly 100 were killed when the rubbish mountain Smoky fell
13. A – Locker number 101
C – They were paid 100 pesos for the day
C – She talked to the police

23. Comprehension Questions
Chapter 6

24. Q16. What train did the boys wait for?
The four o’clock
The five o’clock
The six o’clock
The seven o’clock

25. Q17. Where does the train go?
Diamond Harbour
Diarmuid Harbour
Darling Harbour
Darlington Harbour

26. Q18. How much prize money are they now offering?
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000

27. Q19. How much time does the money buy them from the station boys?
Five minutes
Ten minutes
Fifteen minutes
20 minutes

28. Q20. What was the package in the locker?
An old brown paper bag tied with rubber bands
A satchel with the initials J.A.
An old tattered briefcase
A brown envelope sealed with tape

29. Chapter 6 Answers 16. C – the six o’clock train
17. A – Diamond Harbour
18. B – 20,000
19. A – it buys them 5 minutes worth of time
20. D – the package was a brown envelope sealed with tape

30. Comprehension Questions
Part 2 Chapters 1-2

31. Q21. What is the name of the school Father Julliard runs?
St Augustus Mission School
St Angelico Mission School
Pascal Aguila Mission School
Pasquale Aquila Mission School

32. Q22. How old is Father Julliard?63 65 70 73

33. Q23. How old is Sister Olivia?20 22 24 26

34. Q24. How many years had Gabriel Olondriz been in prison?20 21 22 23

35. Q25. What room at the end of the corridor was he taken into?#2 #4 #6 #8

36. Part 2 Chapters 1-2 Answers
21. C – Pascal Aguila Mission School
22. A – Father Julliard is 63
23. B – Sister Olivia is 22
24. D – Gabriel Olondriz was serving his 23rd year in prison
25. C – he was taken to room #6

37. Comprehension Questions
Part 2 Chapters 3-4 Answers

38. Q26. What was the landmark he saw?
A famous church
Statue of a soldier
The tallest building
A large fountain

39. Q27. What had Jose been arrested for?
Robbery
Fraud
Murder
Assault

40. Q28. What is the name of the prison?
Colditz
Colgate
Colva
Celiz

41. Q29. How old was Jose’s daughter?14 12 10 8

42. Q30. What is the name of the vice president?
Senator Zapanta
Senator Zacusa
Senator Alondroz
Senator Alusia

43. Part 2 Chapters 3-4 Answers
26. B – The landmark was a statue of a soldier
27. A – Jose had been arrested for robbery
28. C – Colva Prison
29. D – Pia is 8
30. A – Senator Zapanta

44. Comprehension Questions
Part 3 Chapters 1-3

45. Q31. Where does Sister Olivia’s father work?
Oxford University
Parliament
The Department of Health
The Foreign Office

46. Q32. What did the boys tell Sister that Gardo’s grandfather was in prison for?
Robbing tourists
Beating up someone
Murdering someone
Not paying taxes

47. Q33. Why do the relatives live beside the prison?
To visit as there is no public transport
To earn money as they work for the officers
To get food into the prisoners so they don’t starve
To avoid the shame of having a family member in prison

48. Q34. How much did Sister Olivia have to pay Mr Oliva?
10,000
11,000
12,000
13,000

49. Q35. How long did it take to make the pass for Sister?
10 Minutes
Half an hour
An hour
Two hours

50. Part 3 Chapters 1-3 Answers
31. D – Sister Olivia’s father works for the Foreign Office
32. B – They said he was accused of beating up someone
33. C – they live there to get food into the prisoners so they don’t starve
34. A – she had to pay Mr Oliva 10,000
35. B – half an hour to make the pass

51. Comprehension Questions
Part 3 Chapters 4-6

52. Q36. What did Sister see that made her stop?
A dead child in a cell
A mother with a baby in a cell
A young child with a younger child in his lap in a cell
An old man using the toilet in a cell

53. Q37. What colour were Gabriel’s eyes?
White
Blue
Green
Brown

54. Q38. What is the normal going rate to see Gabriel?
100
1000
1500
10,000

55. Q39. How much money had Senator Zapanta spirited away?
5 million
10 million
20 million
30 million

56. Q40. Why does Gardo write Chapter 6?
To tell us what he said to Gabriel in his own language
To say sorry to Sister Olivia for lying
To explain what had been in the letter
To tell us what they planned to do next

57. Part 3 Chapters 4-6 Answers
36. C – She stopped because she saw a young child with a younger child in his lap in a cell
37. A – White burning eyes
38. C – the going rate is 1500
39. D – 30 million dollars of aid money
40. B – He wrote chapter six to apologise to Sister Olivia

58. Comprehension Questions
Part 3 Chapters 7-8

59. Q41. What is the first question Gardo asks Gabriel?
What is the harvest?
What does ‘it has been accomplished’ mean?
Where is the money hidden?
Who is Dante Jerome?

60. Q42. How could Gabriel tell Gardo was a street boy?
The dirt on his ankles above his new shoes
The accent he spoke with
The smell of the street
The tattoo on his wrist

61. Q43. Where is Senator Zapanta’s house?
Green Hills
Green Meadows
Hill Place
Palazo Square

62. Q44. How much money did Rat have hidden?
4,346 pesos
3,524 pesos
2,326 pesos
1,672 pesos

63. Q45. Where is Rat from?
San Pedro
Sampalo
San Francisco
Brazil

64. Part 3 Chapters 7-8 Answers
41. D – he first asks who Dante Jerome is
42. C – He could still smell the street
43. A – Senator Zapanta lives at Green Hills
44. C – 2,326 pesos
45. B – Rat is from Sampalo

65. Comprehension Questions
Part 3 Chapters 9-10

66. Q46. What colour bus did the boys take?
Yellow
Red
Blue
White

67. Q47. What did Rat do when he got off the bus that made people think he was mad?
He stopped by the door and waved goodbye
He stopped by the door and sang a song
He hugged the bus driver
He shook everyone’s hand

68. Q48. Who did Rat feel like on the tree looking at the promised land?
Moses
Noah
Abraham
Jesus

69. Q49. How did Rat know the man was no danger?
He was dressed poor like them
He had no shoes on
His voice was calm
He was smiling

70. Q50. What did Olivia learn that she could not have learned at university?
That survival is more important than morals
That sometimes it is right to lie
That money corrupts people
That the world revolves around money

71. Part 3 Chapters 9-10 Answers
46. B – They took a red bus
47. D – He shook everyone’s hand and they thought he was mad
48. A – He felt like Moses looking at the promised land
49. C – He knew he was no danger because his voice was calm
50. D – She learned that the world revolves around money

72. Comprehension Questions
Part 4 Chapters 1-2

73. Q51. What change did Rat make to their home?
He loosened part of the roof
He put on a door
He found bed mats
He paid for blankets

74. Q52. Which night was approaching at the end of the month?
Halloween
Christmas Eve
All Soul’s Night
Thanksgiving

75. Q53. Where did Father Julliard write the combination?
On his desk
Under the telephone
On a page in the Bible
In his diary

76. Q54. Where does Gardo keep his hook?
In his jeans at the back
Up his right sleeve
At the back of his shirt hooked in the collar
In the pocket of his shorts

77. Q55. What does he do with the Bible after hearing shots?
He stashes it under a nearby bench
He gives it to Rat
He gives it to Raphael
He puts it in the trash

78. Part 3 Chapters 1-2 Answers
51. A – He loosened part of the roof for quick escape
52. C – All Soul’s Night or the Day of the Dead
53. D – Fr Julliard writes the combination in his diary
54. A – He keeps his hook on the inside of his jeans at the back
55. B – He gives the Bible to Rat.

79. Comprehension Questions
Part 4 Chapters 3-5

80. Q56. Which Gospel was “It is finished” in?
Mark
Matthew
Luke
John

81. Q57. What is the name of the rubbish town?
He reversed the numbers
He read right to left
He found the passage at the end of the book
He found a bottle of rum

82. Q58. What tipped Rat off to the police?
A heavy footstep on the ladder
Someone calling out to Gardo
Sounds of pots and pans
Police sirens

83. Q59. What did ‘where we lay’ mean?
Where our bedrooms were
Where they used to go sun bathing
Where we are buried
Where the hospital is

84. Q60. Why did the police man not shoot at them?
He felt sorry for them
He fell off the ladder
He was attacked by a dog
He was still holding onto the ladder and could not get aim

85. Part 4 Chapters 3-5 Answers
56. D – Gospel of St John
57. B – He read right to left and got “Go to…”
58. A – he was tipped off by a heavy footstep on the ladder
59. C – Where they were buried
60. D – He was holding the ladder, whistle and couldn’t aim

86. Comprehension Questions
Part 4 Chapters 6-7

87. Q61. What was the smartest thing Rat ever did?
He lead them to an abandoned warehouse
He figured out what the 6 and 9 meant
He got them to dive in amongst the children
He had them hide in the reeds of the river

88. Q62. What ‘saved them’? The police cars crashed into each other
All the children ran out at once
All the children swarmed over the police cars
The children attacked the police officers

89. Q63. Who is the man who makes the memorials?
Gus Fredericks
Gulliard Fernandez
Fernandez Gonzalez
Frederico Gonz

90. Q64. What did he write on Pia’s memorial stone?
“The veil of the temple has been rent”
“Beloved daughter, forever in our hearts”
“Seeds to harvest, my child”
“The seed corn has been planted”

91. Q65. What did the men with the coffin look like?
Street sweepers
Dumpsite boys
Criminals
Beggars

92. Part 4 Chapters 6-7 Answers
61. C – He made them dive among the children
62. B – all the children running out at once saved them
63. D – Frederico Gonz makes the grave memorials
64. C – seeds to harvest, my child
65. A – the two men looked like street sweepers

93. Comprehension Questions
Articles

94. Q66. What did the Senator train to be?
A doctor
A politician
A lawyer
An economist

95. Q67. What did the Senator clear the squatter camps?
A cinema / shopping complex
A new school
His flash home
A statue in his image

96. Q68. Mohun’s diary suggested he was keeping the money in case of what?
In case there is a political coup
In case the banks go bust
In case the ATM’s are down
In case he ends up in hospital

97. Q69. Who is the president of the student union?
Chartal Andiz
Cheruvi Adarme
Jose Regis
Regis Zenita

98. Q70. What was the Senator’s campaign slogan?
The brightest smile, the sharpest mind
The brightest future for the sharpest minds
A bright future for all
No child left behind

99. Articles Answers 66. C – Zepanta was originally a lawyer
67. A – he cleared the squatter camps for a cinema/shopping complex
68. C – in case the ATM’s are down
69. B – Charuvi Adarme is the president of the student union
70. A – the brightest smile, the sharpest mind

100. Comprehension Questions
Part 5 Chapters 1-3

101. Q71. How had they wasted the day?
The had tried to find the numbers on the graves
They had tried to listen to people in case they heard the name “Angelico”
They had paid the guard who had given them the wrong directions
They had been in the rich half, not the one where the poor were buried

102. Q72. What did ‘the brightest light’ mean?
The light on top of the wall that separated the two halves
Where thousands of candles come together
The light from all the bonfires lit by the graves
The way the setting sun shone on the marble graves

103. Q73. What did his Auntie always say?
There is always someone who will help
There is always time to pay your respects
There is no one you can trust completely
There is nowhere people will not live

104. Q74. How did Gardo figure out where to look?
He bought a candle and shone it on the stones
He found the numbers on the backs of the stones
He asked the children that lived there
He found a sign that showed where they were

105. Q75. Where does Pia live now?
In the graveyard
In the building with all the children
In the home of one of the other house servants
In the home of one of her mother’s cousins

106. Part 5 Chapters 1-3 Answers
71. D – They were in the rich half of the cemetery
72. B – thousands of candles coming together. The brightest light.
73. D – there is nowhere people will not live
74. C – He asked the children that lived there
75. A – she lives in the graveyard now

107. Comprehension Questions
Part 5 Chapters 4-6

108. Q76. Why did they need to be brave?
They had to take Pia back to her school and the police could be there
They would have to go back to their room that the police had raided
They would have to go among the graves on All Soul’s night
They needed to go back to Behala

109. Q77. Who writes Chapter 5?
Raphael
Pia
Father Julliard
Jun

110. Q78. What do they buy from the trash boys?
A shirt for Gardo
A blanket for Pia
A suitcase for the money
A cart to carry the money

111. Q79. What was Rat’s next brilliant idea?
To split the money up in bags so it would be found by lots of people
To dress in the mission school uniforms
To put all the money in Father Julliard’s safe
To hide the money on the conveyor belts

112. Q80. Why did Raphael and Gardo linger before leaving?
They regretted giving away all the money
They had people they wanted to say goodbye to
They wanted to make sure their families found some of the money
They saw their families in the distance

113. Part 5 Chapters 4-6 Answers
76. C – to go among the graves on All Soul’s night takes bravery
77. D – Jun – no longer Rat
78. D – they bought a cart to carry the money
79. B – to dress in the school uniforms
80. B – they had people they wanted to say goodbye to but knew they couldn’t

114. What would you have done with the money?
Try to imagine that you have lived a life similar to that of Rat, Raphael and Gardo.
Write down what you would have done and why.