question: Malayalam is a Dravidian language spoken in India, predominantly in the state of Kerala. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and was designated as a Classical Language in India in 2013. It was developed to the current form mainly by the influence of the poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan in the 16th century. Malayalam has official language status in the state of Kerala and in the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry. It belongs to the Dravidian family of languages and is spoken by some 38 million people. Malayalam is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka; with significant speakers in the Nilgiris, Kanyakumari and Coimbatore districts of Tamil Nadu, and Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka. Malayalam serves as a link language on certain islands, including the Mahl-dominated Minicoy Island.

The origin of Malayalam remains a matter of dispute among scholars. One view holds that Malayalam and Modern Tamil are offshoots of Middle Tamil and separated from it sometime after . A second view argues for the development of the two languages out of 'Proto-Dravidian' in the prehistoric era.

The earliest script used to write Malayalam was the Vatteluttu alphabet, and later the Kolezhuttu, which derived from it. The current Malayalam script is based on the Vatteluttu script, which was extended with Grantha script letters to adopt Indo-Aryan loanwords. With a total of 52 letters, the Malayalam script has the largest number of letters among the Indian language orthographies. The oldest literary work in Malayalam, distinct from the Tamil tradition, is dated from between the 9th and 11th centuries. The first travelogue in any Indian language is the Malayalam "Varthamanappusthakam", written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar in 1785.
1. Is the origin of Malayalam clear?
2. What was the earliest writing?
3. Was there another script after that?
4. What was that?
5. How many letters does the current one contain?
6. How many views on origin are given?
7. What is Malayalam?
8. Where is it used?
9. Is it spoken mostly in one place?
10. where?
11. How many languages are in India?
12. When was it classified as a classical language?
13. How many speak it?
14. What group of languages does it fall under?
15. Does it ever serve as a link language?
****
answer: 1. no
2. the Vatteluttu alphabet
3. yes
4. the Kolezhuttu
5. 52 letters
6. Two
7. a Dravidian language
8. in India
9. yes
10. the state of Kerala
11. 22
12. in 2013
13. 38 million people
14. the Dravidian family
15. yes

question: CHAPTER V.

PLANS FOR THE SQUIRREL.

As soon as Phonny had told Stuyvesant about his squirrel and had lifted up the lid of the trap a little, so as to allow him to peep in and see, he said that he was going in to show the squirrel to the people in the house, and especially to Malleville. He accordingly hurried away with the box under his arm. Stuyvesant went back toward the barn.

Phonny hastened along to the house. From the yard he went into a shed through a great door. He walked along the platform in the shed, and at the end of the platform he went up three steps, to a door leading into the back kitchen. He passed through this back kitchen into the front kitchen, hurrying forward as he went, and leaving all the doors open.

Dorothy was at work at a table ironing.

"Dorothy," said Phonny, "I've got a squirrel--a beautiful squirrel. If I had time I would stop and show him to you."

"I wish you had time to shut the doors," said Dorothy.

"In a minute," said Phonny, "I am coming back in a minute, and then I will."

So saying Phonny went into a sort of hall or entry which passed through the house, and which had doors in it leading to the principal rooms. There was a staircase here. Phonny supposed that Malleville was up in his mother's chamber. So he stood at the foot of the stairs and began to call her with a loud voice.
1. What did Phonny show his friend?
2. Where was it?
3. Who is Phonny's buddy?
4. Did he see the animal?
5. What was Phonny planning to do?
6. Is there someone in particular he was very excited to show it to?
7. Where did his friend go after that?
8. Was Phonny walking slowly or quickly?
9. What did he have to pass to get into the shed?
10. Was it more than three steps to get to the kitchen?
11. How many kitchens are there?
12. Which did he get to first?
13. How many doors did he close?
14. Is he planning to shut them eventually?
15. Who did he tell that to?
16. Was she cooking?
17. What was she doing then?
18. Did he show her the animal?
19. Why not?
20. Where did he think Malleville was?
****
answer: 1. squirrel
2. trap
3. Stuyvesant
4. Yes
5. going in to show the squirrel to the people in the house
6. Malleville
7. the barn
8. quickly
9. a great door
10. No
11. Two
12. back kitchen
13. 0
14. Yes'
15. Dorothy.
16. no
17. ironing
18. No
19. He had no time
20. his mother's chamber

question: CHAPTER II The Population of Compton Poynsett

He wanted a wife his braw hoose to keep, But favour wi' wooin' was fashous to seek.--Laird o' Cockpen

In the bright lamplight of the dining-table, the new population first fully beheld one another, and understood one another's looks.

There was much family resemblance between the five brothers. All were well-grown well-made men, strong and agile, the countenance pleasing, rather square of mould, eyebrows straight and thick, nose well cut and short, chin firm and resolute-looking, and the complexion very dark in Raymond, Frank, and the absent Miles. Frank's eyes were soft, brown, rather pensive, and absent in expression; but Raymond's were much deeper and darker, and had a steadfast gravity, that made him be viewed as formidable, especially as he had lost all the youthful glow of colouring that mantled in his brother's olive cheek; and he had a short, thick, curly brown beard, while Frank had only attained to a black moustache, that might almost have been drawn on his lip with charcoal.

Charlie was an exception--fair, blue-eyed, rosy, and with a soft feminine contour of visage, which had often drawn on him reproaches for not being really the daughter all his mother's friends desired for her.

And Julius, with the outlines of the others, was Albino, with transparent skin mantling with colour that contrasted with his snowy hair, eyebrows, and the lashes, veiling eyes of a curious coral hue, really not unpleasing under their thick white fringes, but most inconveniently short of sight, although capable of much work; in fact, he was a curiously perfect pink-and-white edition of his dark and bronzed brother the sailor.
1. How many brothers are there?
2. What is the first brother's name?
3. And the next?
4. And then?
5. next?
6. And the last brother's name?
7. Were all the boys dark complected?
8. Why not?
9. Who?
10. Were the brothers young children?
11. Which brother was absent?
12. Which guy had soft brown irises?
13. Where were the brothers seated?
14. What were the parent's names?
15. Did the boy's have curved, high eyebrows?
16. Were they known as weaklings?
17. Were they lazy and slow?
18. What color were Raymond's cheeks?
19. Was Charles manly?
20. Did the mother's friends want her to have all boys?
****
answer:
1. five
2. Raymond
3. Frank
4. Miles
5. Charlie
6. Julius
7. no
8. one was Albino
9. Julius
10. no
11. Miles
12. Frank
13. the dining-table
14. unknown
15. No
16. no
17. no
18. olive
19. no
20. no