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On a bleak morning, five identical daughters were born
on a small farm in Ontario. The parents, Elza and her
husband, Oliver, were more depressed than exhilarated.
They were already finding it difficult supporting their
three children on their monthly salary of $500. They had
no idea how they were going to pay the hospital fees for
the quintuplets, much less to feed them and bring them
up. The birth of the quintuplets made headlines throughout
the city. Offers to adopt the infants came flowing in.
Advertising companies offer contracts in return for a
life-time supply of pampers and other apparels. Elza,
confused, depressed and in desperate need of money,
accepted an offer of placing the infants on display at a
fair. She would be given 30% of the admission fees.
Oliver was enraged. He found it unthinkable that his
children were being used as public exhibits.
Elza and Oliver appealed to the government for help.
Newspapers carried details of their plight and their
wish to bring up the children themselves. Photographs of
loving siblings carrying the infants were printed and
formed headlines in the local newspapers. Interviews
with the parents were shown over television. The
publicity led a charitable organisation to start a
fund-raising project. A million dollars were raised for
the upbringing of the infants. Advertising companies
changed their stand and told Elza that the contracts for
the infants' appearances need not be signed until she
felt that they were ready for such work.
Things seemed to work out fine. The quintuplets'
expenses were well taken care of. Elsa and Oliver were
given priority in the purchase of a bigger flat
subsidised by the government. Unfortunately, the stress
caused by the delivery of the children and the initial
anxiety took its toll. Elsa died of heart failure. The
infants grew up to be fine young ladies. Their only
regret was not being given the chance to repay their
mother's love for them. |
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1. |
Where were the quintuplets born ? |
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2. |
With their birth, how many children did Elsa and Oliver have ? |
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3. |
Which word, used in paragraph 1, shows that they were not very happy with the
birth of the babies ? |
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4. |
Why were they not delighted ? |
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5. |
Were the quintuplets taken tot he fair for
exhibition ? Why ? |
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6. |
Whom did Elsa and Oliver ask for help ? |
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7. |
How did the charitable organization help
them ? |
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8. |
How were they treated specially by the
government ? |
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9. |
What caused Elsa's death ? |
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10. |
Why were the quintuplets sad over the loss
of their mother ? |
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| Answers |
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1. |
They were born in Ontario. |
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2. |
They had eight children. |
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3. |
The word is 'depressed'. |
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4. |
They were poor and could not afford to
support so many children. |
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5. |
No, they were not. Their father objected to
it. |
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6. |
They asked the government. |
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7. |
They organized a fund-raising project and
raised a million dollars. |
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8. |
They were given priority in the purchase of
a bigger flat. |
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9. |
Stress and anxiety caused her death. |
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10. |
They were sad because they were unable to
show their love for their mother. |
