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Memoirs of a Book key 6 a She does not want anyone to be embarrassed by easystarts 1 Open answers her memoirs. 2 a shamisen: a Japanese guitar b Chiyo is taken to by Mr. Bekku after Tanaka tsutsumi: a small drum Ichiro has persuaded her parents to let her leave. obi: a special belt c Hatsumomo is unpleasant to (and about) Chiyo level 2 takamakura: a special pillow for the neck from the beginning. danna: a wealthy man who provides for a geisha d Pumpkin, Mr. Bekku and Mrs. Nitta live off the money that Hatsumomo earns. level 3 financially b kiss you e Hatsumomo hits Chiyo because she does not like 3 a geisha, maid, mistress the way that Chiyo has spoken to her. b admiral, baron f Mrs. Nitta tells Chiyo that she will have to pay for level 4 c apprentice, novice, peasant, prime minister Mameha’s ruined kimono. 4 a 3 b 2 c 8 d 9 e 5 f 6 g 4 h 1 i 7 g True 5 a Mrs. Nitta owns the okiya where Chiyo is taken. h She is afraid that Mrs. Nitta might adopt Chiyo. level 5 She refuses to let Chiyo start her geisha training. i Hatsumomo has reason to be unhappy, but Mr. Bekku works for Mrs. Nitta. He takes Chiyo Mrs. Nitta is pleased. from Yoroido to Kyoto. Asami is Mameha’s maid. 7–9 Open answers level 6 Chiyo gives Mameha’s ruined kimono to her. Later, 10 a shamisen / tsutsumi Asami arranges a secret meeting between Mameha b Pumpkin / Chiyo and Chiyo. Jakob Haarhuis meets Nitta Sayuri c takamakura / hair (Chiyo) in New York in 1985. He records and d faint / eyes translates her story. Chiyo meets the man on his e novice / Sayuri way to Hatsumomo’s room. Hatsumomo is angry f maids / teahouse because she is obviously keeping her lover a secret g adopts / Hatsumomo from Mrs. Nitta. She forces Chiyo not to mention h two / him. The Chairman sees Chiyo crying outside the i handkerchief / sleeve Minamiza Theater and gives her a handkerchief. j burns / arm Chiyo knows that she will always remember 11 a It makes her “stomach turn over” even now his kindness, and is filled with a strong desire to because it reminds her of the smell of her school. become a geisha. Pumpkin is the other girl at b She is unhappy, because Hatsumomo is going to tell the okiya. She starts her geisha training before Pumpkin not to speak to Chiyo again. Chiyo because Hatsumomo is her “Older Sister” c She thinks that it is two years of hard work. She and does not see her as a threat to her position. has to learn special skills; she cannot sleep on an Tanaka Ichiro arranges for Chiyo to leave Yoroido ordinary pillow because of her new hair style; the and go to Mrs. Nitta’s okiya in Kyoto. Mameha new kimonos are big and heavy. is another geisha. Hatsumomo forces Chiyo to d The usual geisha parties are boring because the ruin her kimono. Later, Mameha offers to be conversation is not very intelligent. The formal Chiyo’s “Older Sister” on condition that Mrs. Nitta parties are the worst because no one speaks to arranges for Chiyo to start geisha training. a novice geisha. Some parties where there are b Hatsumomo is the geisha at Mrs. Nitta’s okiya. writers and actors are more interesting. She sees Chiyo as a threat to her position and e Before the party she feels relieved because therefore treats her very badly. She frequently she thinks that Hatsumomo will not be there. hits her and tells lies about her. She gets her into During the party she feels embarrassed because serious trouble by forcing her to ruin Mameha’s Hatsumomo arrives and makes all the men laugh at kimono. Chiyo tries to run away, but is caught. As a Sayuri. After the party she is disappointed because result, she seems to have lost all chance of training she has to stop going to parties in until to be a geisha and of being adopted by Mrs. Nitta. Mameha can think of a plan to stop Hatsumomo.

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Memoirs of a Geisha

f She feels less sorry for herself because she sees for h Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku is telling everyone at easystarts the first time how poor people have to live during the Ichiriki Teahouse the secret of his success. He the Depression. never tries to defeat his enemy; he only tries to g She is disappointed, because she learns that make him less confident. Mrs. Nitta is going to adopt Pumpkin. i Mameha is talking to some people about level 2 h She is unhappy because Mameha wants Nobu to Hatsumomo, who has just threatened to hit bid for Sayuri’s mizuage. At the sumo wrestling her on the street. exhibition, she finds it hard to look at him because j Mameha is talking to Hatsumomo, who has just level 3 of his facial burns. She wishes that she could talk to bitten Shojiro on the lip. the Chairman instead. 17–19 Open answers i She is embarrassed, because there is no tea in the 20 a the years of the Depression level 4 pot. b the geisha district j She feels sick, because Mameha tells her that two c parachutes men will bid for her mizuage, neither of whom will d Mrs. Nitta level 5 be the Chairman. e Sato 12–14 Open answers f Pumpkin 15 a 2 b 1 c 2 d 2 e 2 f 2 g 2 h 2 g Sato and Nobu level 6 16 a Hatsumomo is talking to Nobu about Sayuri, after h Nobu she has seen Nobu give Sayuri a gift. She is sad i the Chairman and Pumpkin because, for the first time, she has been unable to 21 a When the geisha district is closed, all the geisha publicly embarrass Sayuri at a party. must report to the registry office for factory work. b Pumpkin is explaining to Sayuri that Dr. Crab b Sayuri visits General Tottori in the Suruya Inn to did not go to the Shirae Teahouse because ask him for help. Hatsumomo had told him that Sayuri had a c At a party at the Ichiriki Teahouse just before the boyfriend. geisha district is closed, Sayuri asks Nobu to forgive c Dr. Crab is talking to Mameha about Sayuri. He is her. After the war, she entertains Sato there. angry because he has been told by Hatsumomo Sato asks the mistress of the teahouse if he can that Sayuri has a boyfriend. be Sayuri’s danna. Iwamura Electric telephone the d Mrs. Nitta is talking to Sayuri after Dr. Crab has mistress of the teahouse with news about the trip offered a record amount of money for Sayuri’s to the island of Amami. mizuage. d During the war, Sayuri lives with the Arashino e Hatsumomo is talking angrily to Mrs. Nitta about family in the country outside Kyoto. Pumpkin, who has just told her that Mrs. Nitta e Every day during the war, Sayuri throws flowers intends to adopt Sayuri. into the Kamo River, hoping that the Chairman f Mameha is talking to Sayuri about her desire for might see them from his office window in Osaka. love, not kindness. (Nobu, who is a kind man, has f Asami is killed in Nagasaki. proposed himself as Sayuri’s future danna. Sayuri g After the war, Mameha lives in a one-room does not want this; she would prefer the Chairman, apartment near the Gion Shrine. with whom she is in love.) h After the war, Pumpkin lives in a small okiya in the g Mrs. Nitta is telling Sayuri, who has earned more in Hanami-cho area of Gion. the past six months than Hatsumomo and Pumpkin i Sayuri visits the island of Amami with Nobu, Sato, combined, that the time has come for her to and the Chairman. exchange rooms with them. j Sayuri betrays Nobu on the stage in an old theater by being Sato’s lover.

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Memoirs of a Geisha 22 a Nobu arranges for Sayuri to stay with a family Discussion activities key easystarts outside Kyoto during the war. 1–11 Open answers b She sells herself on the streets of Osaka. 12 Suggested answer c Sayuri is hurt because she is never invited to any okiya: the house where geisha live. parties at Iwamura Electric. She also thinks that the shamisen: one of the instruments that geisha play level 2 Chairman has too many other problems to worry at parties. about. At first, she is afraid to ask Nobu because tsutsumi: a small drum geisha learn to play. she has not seen him since General Tottori became level 3 takamakura: a special pillow for novice geisha to her danna four years earlier. sleep on. d Sato is the new Deputy Minister of Finance, and the kimono: geisha’s outfit for parties. Chairman’s position as head of Iwamura Electric obi: the wide belt worn around the kimono. level 4 depends on Sato’s report to the Americans. Sato is tatami: a mat they kneel or sleep on. attracted to Sayuri. If Sayuri treats him well, Sato’s mizuage: the first time a geisha sleeps with a man. report is likely to be favorable and the Chairman danna: a man who wanted to be with a geisha for level 5 will be able to keep his company. quite a long time and who paid for her expenses. e Pumpkin’s formal behavior and lack of warmth sake: an alcoholic drink. f When Sayuri finishes the story about her first sumo: a wrestling sport. level 6 meeting with the Chairman, she realizes that the hataki-komi use of the energy of the bigger wrestler Chairman has not been listening. to the advantage of the opponent. g If Sayuri succeeds in betraying Nobu, Nobu will 13–23 Open answers be angry with her and never speak to her again. 24 Suggested answer He will no longer want to be her danna, which In both cases, there is a deliberate plan to deceive means that Sayuri might still be able to attract the someone. Sayuri knows she has to do these things Chairman as her danna. but she does not like it. h Sayuri wants Nobu to discover her alone with 25–39 Open answers Sato so that he (Nobu) will give up his desire to be her danna. Activity worksheets key i Pumpkin knows that Sayuri is secretly in love 1 a A period when there was worldwide with the Chairman. As revenge for past injustices, unemployment. Pumpkin punishes Sayuri by bringing the Chairman, b Kyoto is a city in . not Nobu, to the theater. The Chairman will see c Jakob Haarhuis is the fictional translator of the Sayuri alone with Sato and will think that Sayuri is a story of Sayuri. bad woman. Pumpkin hopes that this will destroy d Kuraitani means “the valley of darkness”; the black Sayuri’s chances of ever having the Chairman as her years of the Depression of the 1930s and then danna. World War II. 23–24 Open answers e A geisha is a professional female companion for 25 a ✗ b ✗ c ✓ d ✓ e ✓ f ✓ g ✗ h ✗ men in Japan, trained in music, dancing and the art i ✗ j ✓ of conversation. 26 Open answers f Sayuri is a Japanese geisha and the heroine of the 27 a 10 b 6 c 3 d 1 e 9 f 7 g 4 h 2 novel. Memoirs of a Geisha tells her story. i 5 j 8 g Gion is the geisha area of Kyoto. 28–38 Open answers h Hatsumomo is a beautiful but evil geisha who tries to hurt Sayuri.

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Memoirs of a Geisha

2 a … forty years. c Mameha says this to Chiyo. Mameha has asked easystarts b … as a geisha, she would always talk to people, Chiyo to come and visit her secretly. She knows face-to-face. She couldn’t write a story in an empty that Chiyo is very unhappy and that Hatsumomo room; she needed somebody with her, listening, has made Chiyo’s life miserable. talking to her. d Chiyo says this to Mameha, as she tries to describe level 2 c … she didn’t want anybody to be embarrassed by her life with Hatsumomo. her memoirs. e Hatsumomo says this to Mameha when she hears d … entertain men. that Mameha intends to take Chiyo as a “Younger level 3 e … having a danna. Sister.” f … dance and play instruments. f Mrs. Nitta says this to Mameya. She is delighted that 3 Mr. Tanako Ichuro: His family owns the Japan Coastal Chiyo will be Mameha’s younger sister because this level 4 Seafood Company. He arranges for Chiyo to be taken means that Chiyo’s income will increase so to Kyoto and live in an okiya, working as a maid. Mrs Nitta will get more money. Mr. Bekku: He is a tall, thin man who takes Chiyo 8–9 Open answers level 5 from her home town to the okiya in Kyoto. 10 Chiyo learns to pour tea in a way that shows off her Hatsumomo: She is tiny and very beautiful and is arms. She has her hair done in the way that novice one of the most famous geisha in Gion. Hatsumomo wear their hair. She learns to walk in the level 6 earns all the money for the okiya. Chiyo’s job is to special kimono that novice geishas wear. She learns look after her. to use her eyes in a way that men find extremely Mrs. Nitta: She is the owner of the okiya. She is very attractive. Finally, there is a special tea ceremony ugly: her eyelids are the colour of red meat and her and she becomes the novice geisha, “Sayuri.” gums and tongue are grey. 11 a Because it is the 1930s and this is the time of the Pumpkin: She is a young girl of about thirteen or Depression – very few people have money for fourteen with a thin body and round face. Like Chiyo, formal parties. her job is to look after the geisha Hatsumomo. If she b Because Hatsumomo and Pumpkin start following works very hard, like Chiyo, she may become a geisha them and going to the same parties. This makes herself. Sayuri very frightened of what she might do. 4 Open answer c In order to frighten Sayuri and also in order to say 5 a Hatsumomo speaks very cruelly to Chiyo. She bad things about Sayuri to people at the parties. makes Chiyo write on Mameha’s expensive kimono d Because Hatsumomo starts telling terrible stories in ink and then blames Chiyo. As a result, Chiyo has about Sayuri and Mameha fears it will ruin Sayuri’s to pay the okiya back for it. reputation. b Because Hatsumomo has made her life so unhappy e Because Pumpkin has earned more money than in the okiya. any other geisha in Gion. c Because Mrs. Nitta knows that Chiyo tried to 12 a Sayuri meets the Chairman at a sumo wrestling run away. Mrs. Nitta thinks that Chiyo ruined exhibition. She learns that the Chairman’s name is Mamema’s kimono and Mrs. Nitta has had to pay Iwamura Ken and that he started a big company for the kimono. Mrs. Nitta also has to pay Chiyo’s called Iwamura Electric in Osaka. Nobu Toshikazu medical expenses for her broken arm. She decides is also there. “The Chairman” looks curiously at that she does not want to pay for Chiyo’s geisha Sayuri when he is introduced to her. Sayuri tries to training as well – she has already spent too much talk to him but Nobu keeps talking to her. Nobu on her. has terrible burns on his face and has lost an arm. 6 Open answer Because of this, Sayuri finds it hard to look at him. 7 a A man called the Chairman says this to Chiyo when Mameha’s plan is to get Nobu interested in Sayuri he sees her crying. so that he will bid for her mizuage but Sayuri feels b This is Chiyo’s reply to the Chairman’s words of sick at the thought of this. She wants her rescuer to sympathy. be the Chairman. She has dreamed of him all these years and at last she has met him.

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Memoirs of a Geisha

b Nobu Toshikazu is the President of Iwamura her mind” and this rumor spreads all over Gion. easystarts Electric and is the Chairman’s right hand man. Then, one evening, Mameha becomes friendly with Iwamura Electric nearly went bankrupt in the a famous actor who is a friend of Hatsumomo’s. 1920s and Nobu found some new investors and Hatsumomo attacks the actor and bites his lip. As saved the company. The Chairman feels that he a result, the geisha is thrown out of the party and level 2 owes Nobu everything. He says that Nobu is more does not return to the okiya that night. A few days like a brother than a business partner. later, Mrs. Nitta uses Hatsumomo’s behaviour as an c Mizuage: When a woman sleeps with a man for the excuse to throw her out of the okiya. Hatsumomo level 3 first time. is no longer earning as much money as she used to Sumo: a type of Japanese wrestling. and Mameha believes that Mrs. Nitta has wanted to Hataki-komo: This is a word used in sumo get rid of her for years. level 4 wrestling when one wrestler uses the energy of 17 a Mother grew sick. But after a telephone call to the his opponent’s attack against him. General, an important doctor from the military 13 a False b False c True d True e False hospital called and gave Mother some medicine level 5 f False g True h True i False that cured her. 14 Open answer b General Tottori is arrested in December 1942. 15 a Mrs. Nitta has adopted Sayuri because of the He is no longer able to help Sayuri and the okiya. level 6 amount of money Sayuri has obtained for her Instead they are the people who most needed help. mizuage. This means that when Mrs. Nitta dies, c In January 1943 the government announces the the okiya will belong to Sayuri. closing of the geisha district. All geishas are ordered b Mrs. Nitta says this to Hatsumomo. She has to report to the registry office for factory work. informed Hatsumomo that she has adopted Sayuri d In Spring 1944 the first bombs are dropped on and that from now on she must show respect to Japan. The Americans bomb the factories in Osaka Sayuri. and Tokyo. Sayuri is desperately worried about the c Mrs. Nitta had intended to adopt Pumpkin. Now Chairman and Nobu because they are working at Sayuri has taken her place. Naturally, Pumpkin is the Iwamura factory in Osaka. very upset. e The war ends for the Japanese with the nuclear d These are Mrs. Nitta’s words to Sayuri. Nobu has bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This is why offered to become Sayuri’s danna. Sayuri describes this date as “the blackest moment e Sayuri knows that if Nobu becomes her danna, in a long night of darkness.” because the Chairman is a friend of Nobu, the f In Spring 1946 there is again talk of Japan’s rebirth. former will never be able to have a relationship Sayuri feels that the American soldiers in Japan are with Sayuri. extremely kind. f Mameha says these words to Sayuri. She means g Nobu visits Sayuri and tells her that Gion is that a geisha can rightly expect kindness from her open again. danna but she cannot expect love. 18 Sayuri goes to General Tottori for help but he 16 a She says that he has a new job to try and obtain is unable to help her. Sayuri considers asking the supplies for the army at the lowest possible price. Chairman for help but she has learnt from the Because there is a war on, if the General becomes newspapers that he is having troubles with the military Sayuri’s danna, he could be very useful in obtaining government. Feeling that he has too many of his own goods and food if there are shortages. troubles, she does not go to him for help. To Sayuri’s b Because Sayuri is earning so much money, surprise, Nobu requests her company at a last party at Mrs. Nitta allows her to exchange rooms with the Ichiriki. Although Sayuri has not seen him for four Hatsumomo and Pumpkin. This is a real turning years, he tells her that he has arranged for her to live point in Sayuri’s relationship with Hatsumomo. with a family called Arashino outside Tokyo and make Sayuri and Mameha follow Hatsumomo. This parachutes. This means that Sayuri does not have to frightens her and she almost attacks Mameha in work in the factories. public. Mameha suggests that Hatsumomo is “losing

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Memoirs of a Geisha

19 a Nobu wants Sayuri to help Iwamura Electric by The Chairman explains that when he realized how easystarts entertaining a Minister called Sato. The Minister is much Nobu cared about Sayuri, because he owed so responsible for deciding whether Iwamura Electric much to Nobu, he knew that he could not take Sayuri cooperated with the wartime government or not. away from him. When the Chairman saw Sayuri Sayuri entertains Sato charmingly and as a result with Sato at the theater, he saw that she looked level 2 Iwamura Electric is safe. At the end of the chapter, desperately unhappy. When he learnt from Pumpkin Nobu tells Sayuri that he is in a position to become that Sayuri had asked her to bring Nobu to the her danna. Sato finds Sayuri very attractive and theater, he had told Nobu what he had seen. Nobu level 3 wants to be her danna. When he is told that Sayuri was unable to forgive Sayuri and this meant that the is not available he asks if he can be her danna for Chairman was free to be with her. one night only. 22–23 Open answers level 4 b Sayuri wants Pumpkin to help her entertain Sato. Pumpkin agrees to this. Sayuri also wants Pumpkin Progress test key to be her friend but because of past events, 1 a Hatsumomo b Mameha c Pumpkin level 5 Pumpkin does not act in a friendly way towards d The Chairman e Nobu Sayuri. 2 a 2 b 5 c 7 d 1 e 8 f 4 g 10 h 6 20 a Sayuri plans to end her relationship with Nobu by i 3 j 9 3 a … she had an excuse to see Dr. Crab. level 6 having sex with Sato on the stage of an old theater. She wants Nobu to witness this scene, knowing b … to get a very good sum of money for her that he will then end his relationship with her. mizuage. b Sayuri asks Pumpkin to help her by bringing Nobu c … that would drive her away from the Chairman to the theatre when Sayuri is there with the forever. Minister. d … his offer is excellent. c Sayuri’s plan doesn’t work because Pumpkin e … he can get food delivered to the okiya. brings the Chairman to the theatre, not Nobu. 4 a 3 b 1 c 2 d 3 e 1 21 Pumpkin tells Sayuri that she brought the 5 a True b False c True d False e False Chairman to the theatre as an act of revenge for the pain that Sayuri caused her years ago by taking Pumpkin’s place as Mrs. Nitta’s adopted daughter. The Chairman tells Sayuri that he has always remembered the young girl who he met by the Shirakawa Stream on his way to the theater. He asked Mameha to look out for a beautiful girl with amazing grey eyes. Two years later, Mameha found Sayuri and then the Chairman asked her to look after Sayuri and become her Older Sister. As a result, Sayuri was able to become a geisha.

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