SKILL A

Exercise 16
Jose Rizal’s Mother

God’s best gift to Jose Rizal was his mother, Doña Teodora Alonzo. Teodora
was brought up by her mother in a home full of love and understanding. She was
educated at Santa Rosa College. Her excellent education, her goodness of heart and
her other virtues prepared her to be a mother of our national hero. To Jose Rizal, next
to God, a mother means everything to man. Doña Teodora was a devout Catholic. It
was her teachings that made her son, Jose, love the Christian way of life. He was still a
baby when his mother began teaching him the alphabet and the simple prayers as was
the custom of the Filipino family.
Doña Teodora was fond of telling stories to her little son, Jose. The word
“story” meant something new and wonderful to Jose. He would sit down to listen, full
of interest and wonder, when his mother called him for the regular story time. He
loved the stories his mother told him. He remembered the moral lesson each story
conveyed and made it a part of his education and training.

1. How did Jose Rizal consider his mother?

a. his playmate b. God’s best gift c. a good story teller

2. Which word best described Doña Teodora?

a. gay b. lovely c. virtuous

3. Which of the following prepared her to be the mother of our national hero?
a. her books b. her goodness of heart c. her pleasant disposition

4. What did a mother mean to Rizal?

a. Everyone’s mother is his friend.
b. Next to God, a mother meant everything to a man.
c. A mother is one should teach her children how to read and pray.

5. What was Doña Teodora’s religion?

a. Catholic b. Protestant c. Presbyterian

6. What made Jose love the Christian way of life?

a. his father’s teachings c. his teacher’s teachings
b. his mother’s teachings

7. What did his mother teach him as was the custom of the Filipino family?
a. reading simple stories c. the alphabet and simple prayers
b. telling children’s stories

8. Did Jose believe his mother’s stories?

a. Yes b. No c. Maybe

9. What did the word “story” mean to Jose?

a. something nice c. something new and wonderful
b. something good

10. How did Jose listen to his mother’s story?

a. carelessly c. half-heartedly
b. attentively