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'Roots' Quiz, Part 7 - Alex Haley

This is part 7 to my series of 'Roots' quizzes. Hope you enjoy it!

A multiple-choice quiz by DakotaNorth. Estimated time: 7 mins.

Author
DakotaNorth

Time
7 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
42,482

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
25

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
13 / 25

Plays
428

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 25

1. In what year was Alex Haley born? Hint

1920

1919

1921

1922

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Question 2 of 25

2. What did Grandpa Palmer respond when people would say how well raised Alex was? Hint

'Well, I guess he'll do'

'He hasn't been well raised'

'He is, isn't he'

'Well, we love him, bad manners and all'

NEXT>

Question 3 of 25

3. How old was Alex when Grandpa Palmer died? Hint

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Question 4 of 25

4. What did Grandma Palmer do every summer after her husband died? Hint

She invited various Murray family female relatives to spend some, if not all, of the summer with her

She began to go to her sister's house in Alamance County

She began to date

She went to visit Bertha and Simon in Ithaca every summer

NEXT>

Question 5 of 25

5. In what year did Alex's mother, Bertha George, die? Hint

1922

1931

1932

1941

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Question 6 of 25

6. How many brothers and sisters did Alex have, and what were their names? Hint

4 - George, Julius, Simon, Jr., and Lil' Cynthia

3 - George, Julius, and Lois

2 - Lil' Will, and Lil' Cynthia

5 - George, Will, Julius, Cynthia, and Lois

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Question 7 of 25

7. Two years after Bertha died, who did Simon marry?

Answer: (Two Words, No hint if you read the book then you would know.)

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Question 8 of 25

8. When Alex was seventeen, what branch of the military did he join? Hint

U.S. Marines

U.S. Navy

U.S. Coast Guard

U.S. Army

NEXT>

Question 9 of 25

9. In 1962, besides Miles Davis, who did Alex interview?

Answer: (Two Words, Hint: what is the 24th letter of the alphabet?)

NEXT>

Question 10 of 25

10. True or False: The Rosetta Stone entranced Alex while he was in England?

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 11 of 25

11. Where was the Rosetta Stone discovered? Hint

Gambia River

Nile Delta

Amazon Delta

Mississippi River

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Question 12 of 25

12. Before Bertha died, what had caused friction between her and Grandma? Hint

The fact that Grandma didn't like Simon

The graying old ladies that Grandma had invited

Bertha didn't have any daughters

Old timey - slavery talk

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Question 13 of 25

13. Who were the graying ladies that talked with Grandma about the family story? Hint

Aunt Agnes, Aunt Helen, and Aunt Donna

Aunt Bell, Aunt Plus, Aunt Donna, Aunt Lisa, Aunt Viney, Cousin LaDonna

Cousin Jean, Aunt Viney, Aunt Plus, Aunt Liz, and Aunt Georgia

Aunt Plus, Aunt Liz, Aunt Till, Aunt Viney, and Cousin Georgia

NEXT>

Question 14 of 25

14. When Alex was trying to find out what the African words in his family story were, where did he go to try to get help? Hint

The World Trade Center

The United Nations

The White House

The National Archives

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Question 15 of 25

15. Who flew to Africa with Alex Haley? Hint

Ebou Manga

Cousin Georgia

Simon Haley

Marabou Emanga

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Question 16 of 25

16. Who was the last of the graying ladies when Alex was headed for Africa? Hint

Aunt Liz

Cousin Georgia

Aunt Viney

Aunt Till

NEXT>

Question 17 of 25

17. Who did Alex grow up with in Henning, that was a master researcher? Hint

Harold Vansina

George Sims

Johnny Nogarelli

Christopher Knight

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Question 18 of 25

18. Who told Alex the language of his family's words? Hint

Dr. Haywood

Dr. Vansina

Dr. Codario

Dr. Martin

NEXT>

Question 19 of 25

19. Once in Africa, where did ALex Haley arrive? Hint

South Africa

Old Mali

Dakar, Senegal

Nairobi, Kenya

NEXT>

Question 20 of 25

20. What was Ebou's father's name? Hint

Alhaji Manga

Mohaji Banga

Kajalji Danga

Falhaji Sanga

NEXT>

Question 21 of 25

21. Where did Alex meet the men who were knowledgeable in their small country's history? Hint

In their village, of course

Hilton Hotel

Moslem Hotel

Atlantic Hotel

NEXT>

Question 22 of 25

22. Old men who are walking archives are called what in the older back-country villages?

Answer: (One Word, I know you know this!)

NEXT>

Question 23 of 25

23. What were the two villages that the men told Alex about? Hint

The villages of Juffure and Jiffarong

The villages of Kunta Kinte and Kunta Kinte Janneh Ya

The villages of Kinte-Kundah and Kinte-Kundah Janneh-Ya

The villages of Kinte-Kundah Ya Janneh and Kinte-Kundah

NEXT>

Question 24 of 25

24. True or False: Alex Haley's only knowledge of Africa came from Tarzan movies?

Answer: (One Word)

NEXT>

Question 25 of 25

25. Who is the co-founder of the Reader's Digest? Hint

Mrs. Ayla McClure

Mrs. Joyce DeWitt

Mrs. DeWitt Wallace

Mrs. Marcia Wallace

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In what year was Alex Haley born?

Answer: 1921

Alex Haley was six weeks old when his mother and father brought him to see his grandparents in the summer of 1921.

2. What did Grandpa Palmer respond when people would say how well raised Alex was?

Answer: 'Well, I guess he'll do'

Whenever people exclaimed how well raised he was, Grandpa Palmer (Will) would respond, 'Well, I guess he'll do'.

3. How old was Alex when Grandpa Palmer died?

Answer: 4

When Alex was four, going on five, Grandpa Palmer passed away. He was so hysterical that Dr. Dillard had to give him medication to make him sleep that night.

4. What did Grandma Palmer do every summer after her husband died?

Answer: She invited various Murray family female relatives to spend some, if not all, of the summer with her

Grandma Palmer (Cynthia) began inviting various Murray family females to her house to spend the summers with her.

5. In what year did Alex's mother, Bertha George, die?

Answer: 1931

In 1931, while Alex was in school, someone came with a message saying he had to hurry home. Bertha George, who was sick on and off since they had left Henning, died at the age of thirty six.

6. How many brothers and sisters did Alex have, and what were their names?

Answer: 3 - George, Julius, and Lois

Alex had two brothers and one sister. Their names were George, Julius, and Lois. George and Julius were born to Bertha George, and Lois was born to Zeona Hatcher, Alex's stepmother.

7. Two years after Bertha died, who did Simon marry?

Answer: Zeona Hatcher

Simon married a colleague professor named Zeona Hatcher. She was from Columbus, OH. She gave Simon a daughter named Lois.

8. When Alex was seventeen, what branch of the military did he join?

Answer: U.S. Coast Guard

When Alex was seventeen, and after he finished his second year of college, he joined the U.S. Marines. Hewas a messboy when World War II happened. On his cargo-ammunition ship that was in the Southwest Pacific, he stumbled on the road that would lead him to the writing of 'Roots'.

9. In 1962, besides Miles Davis, who did Alex interview?

Answer: Malcom X

Alex was assigned to interview Malcolm X, the then Nation of Islam spokesman. Malcolm X asked Alex to work with him as his collaborator, and Alex did. Unfortunately, Malcom X didn't live long enough to read it, because he was assassinated two weeks after the manuscript was finished.

10. True or False: The Rosetta Stone entranced Alex while he was in England?

Answer: True

While in England and visiting the British Museum, Alex found himself looking at something he had heard of vaguely. The Rosetta Stone had entranced Alex. He got a book at the library to learn more about it.

11. Where was the Rosetta Stone discovered?

Answer: Nile Delta

The Rosetta Stone was discovered in the Nile Delta, the stone's face had chiseled into it, three separate texts: one in known Greek, the second in a then - unknown set of characters, and the third in the ancient hieroglyphics. A French scholar, Jean Champollion, succesfully matched character for character.

He essentially cracked the mystery and offered a thesis that the texts read the same.

12. Before Bertha died, what had caused friction between her and Grandma?

Answer: Old timey - slavery talk

Whenever Grandma got on the slavery talk, Bertha would exclaim, ' Oh, Ma,I wish you'd stop all that old timey - slavery stuff, it's entirely embarrassing!'.

13. Who were the graying ladies that talked with Grandma about the family story?

Answer: Aunt Plus, Aunt Liz, Aunt Till, Aunt Viney, and Cousin Georgia

The graying ladies that talked the family story with Grandma were: Aunt Plus, Aunt Liz, Aunt Till, Aunt Viney, and Cousin Georgia.

14. When Alex was trying to find out what the African words in his family story were, where did he go to try to get help?

Answer: The United Nations

When Alex was trying to get help in learning what the African words in his family story were, he went to the United Nations. He said the Africans would give him a quick listen then hurry on their way. He said he could imagine how he sounded, with his Tennessee accent, trying to convey words in African.

15. Who flew to Africa with Alex Haley?

Answer: Ebou Manga

Ebou Manga was from the Gambia. He and his father flew to Africa so they could help translate to Alex Haley.

16. Who was the last of the graying ladies when Alex was headed for Africa?

Answer: Cousin Georgia

Cousin Georgia had told Alex, 'your sweet grandma and all of them - they're up there watching.' Cousin Georgia passed away at the exact moment that Alex walked into Juffure Village. He believed that as the last of the ladies that talked the family story on his grandmother's front porch, it was her job to get him to Africa.

17. Who did Alex grow up with in Henning, that was a master researcher?

Answer: George Sims

Alex grew up with George Sims. Sims was a master reasearcher. He brought a list of about a dozen people renowned for their knowledge of African linguistics.

18. Who told Alex the language of his family's words?

Answer: Dr. Vansina

Alex Haley brought his family's story and the African words that came with it to Dr. Jan Vansina. Dr. Vansina told Alex that the words were from the 'Mandinka' tongue. He said that the word 'ko' could refer to the 'kora', one of the Mandingo people's oldest stringed instrument. He also said that the words 'Kamby Bolongo' could indicate the Gambia River.

19. Once in Africa, where did ALex Haley arrive?

Answer: Dakar, Senegal

Alex arrived in Dakar, Senegal. The next morning he caught a light plane to Yundum Airport in the Gambia.

20. What was Ebou's father's name?

Answer: Alhaji Manga

Ebou's father was Alhaji Manga. He accompanied Alex and Ebou to Africa.

21. Where did Alex meet the men who were knowledgeable in their small country's history?

Answer: Atlantic Hotel

Alex met the men in the Atlantic Hotel.

22. Old men who are walking archives are called what in the older back-country villages?

Answer: Griots

The men told Alex about very old men called Griots, still to be found in the older back-country villages, men who were living, walking archives of oral history. A senior Griot would be a man in his seventies, below him would be progressively younger Griots and apprenticing boys.

23. What were the two villages that the men told Alex about?

Answer: The villages of Kinte-Kundah and Kinte-Kundah Janneh-Ya

The two villages were Kinte-Kundah and Kinte-Kunda Janneh-Ya. They were the country's oldest villages.

24. True or False: Alex Haley's only knowledge of Africa came from Tarzan movies?

Answer: True

It embarrassed Alex that his only knowledge of Africa came from watching Tarzan movies.

25. Who is the co-founder of the Reader's Digest?

Answer: Mrs. DeWitt Wallace

Co-founder Mrs. DeWitt Wallace told Alex how much she liked 'Unforgettable Character', a story Alex had written. Mrs. Wallace said that he should let her know if he ever needed some help.

Source: Author DakotaNorth

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
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