Category: CBSE Class 9

Here we are providing Mirror Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature Reader, Extra Questions for Class 10 English was designed by subject expert teachers. https://ncertmcq.com/extra-questions-for-class-10-english/

Mirror Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

Mirror Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Mirror Poem Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 1.
Why does the woman not like the mirror?
Answer:
This poem explores the relationship that we have with truth, and particularly the truth about ourselves. The mirror doesn’t tell lies—it, in fact, tells the truth. It is objective—‘exact’ and without ‘preconceptions’, swallowing whatever it sees without a second thought, ‘unmisted by love or dislike’. The mirror is, ‘not cruel, only truthful’ but Plath suggests that truth itself is cruel for human beings, and we turn away from it, presenting only our backs to those mirrors that offer to show it to us. The woman does not like the blemishes which the mirror shows her and turns away to ‘those liars, the candles or the moon.’

Mirror Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 2.
Why is the woman bending over the lake?
Answer:
The lake is something else into which humans have traditionally gazed, in search of their own reflection. The lake is not as exact as the mirror and hence the person who looks into it will get a flattering view of himself or herself as the reflection in the lake can be distorted by the ripples in the water. Though some of her imperfections are hidden by the water, here too the woman moves away as the depth of the lake reflects her repressed mind. She turns to more flattering devices like the candles and the moon.

The Mirror Questions And Answers Class 10  Question 3.
In the poem, The Mirror, the poet underlines the misery of an ageing woman when she sees her reflection in a mirror. What makes her hate the mirror?
Answer:
The woman looks into the mirror to see her reflection. But the mirror being objective shows her an image that she does not like. It shows her the flaws which have appeared on her face as she is ageing. Though the mirror is being ‘not cruel, only truthful’ but truth itself is cruel and the woman turns away from it, presenting her back to that unbiased truth. What value we can derive from these lines is that is that it takes courage to face the truth. The woman cannot live without knowing the reality even if it upsets her and so each morning the woman is back, even though it is only to cry and wring her hands at what she sees.

Mirror Question Answer Class 10 Question 4.
The mirror plays a significant role in the life of the woman. Discuss.
Answer:
The mirror is an object the woman has always turned to in search of truth, from childhood to the present, when she is ageing. It is objective and without ‘preconceptions’, swallowing whatever it sees without a second thought. The mirror in presenting reality is being ‘not cruel, only truthful’.

The value that can be derived from this is that truth itself is cruel for the woman who is agitated by the truth and turns away from it, presenting her back to the mirror. It does not intend to hurt the woman but truth is sometimes unintentionally cruel.

My Mirror Likes To Argue Poem Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 5.
The poem is tragic, sad and moody and does not offer a positive solution to an individual’s problems.
Answer:
In the light of this statement discuss the theme of the poem. The theme of the poem is tragic, sad and moody because it does not offer a positive solution to an individual’s desire to estimate the worth of one’s self. What she sees in the mirror is still a projection of her self—the ‘terrible fish’ that rises from under the objective surface. This inability to come to terms with a clear, objective point of view ‘unmisted’ by projections and preconceptions is really the central theme of the poem.

Mirror Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts below and answer the questions that follow. Write the answers in one or two lines only.

My Mirror Likes To Argue Question Answer Class 10 Question 1.
“I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.
Whatever I see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.”

(a) Who does ‘I’ refer to in these lines?
Answer:
I refers to the mirror.

(b) When the poet says that the mirror has no preconceptions what does he mean?
(i) it reflects back your image objectively.
(ii) it gives a biased view of the person. ,
(iii) it is emotionally involved with the person whose image it reflects.
Answer:
(i) it reflects back your image objectively.

(c) Why has the mirror been described as being ‘unmisted’?*What is the image it is trying to convey about the nature of the mirror?
Answer:
It shows that the mirror is unbiased and lacks sensitivity.

A Mirror Question The Answer Class 10 Question 2.
“I am silver and exact.
I have no preconceptions.
Whatever I see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.”

(a) How does the mirror swallow?
Answer:
The mirror absorbs all the images that are reflected on it. The images seem to disappear into the mirror.

(b) What is the poetic device used in the second line?
Answer:
The poetic device used is personification.

(c) List the qualities of the mirror mentioned in the above extract.
Answer:
The qualities of the mirror are silver, exact and unmisted.

Mirror By Sylvia Plath Questions Class 10 Question 3.
“I am not cruel, only truthful—
The eye of a little god, four-cornered.
Most of the time
I meditate on the opposite wall.”

(a) Why does the mirror say ‘I am not cruel’?
Answer:
The mirror does not reflect the truth to hurt the viewer. It only reflects what it sees.

(b) Why has the mirror been called ‘a four-cornered god’?
Answer:
Like god, the mirror watches a person in an unbiased and fair manner and from all angles.

(c) How does the mirror spend its time?
Answer:
It meditates on the opposite wall and on the people who come to check their appearance in the mirror.

Mirror By Sylvia Plath Answers Class 10 Question 4.
“It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long
I think it is a part of my heart. But it flickers.
Faces and darkness separate us over and over.”

(a) What does the mirror reflect on when it is not looking at the woman?
Answer:
The mirror then reflects on the opposite wall.

(b) What disturbs its contemplation of the opposite wall?
Answer:
People who come to check their appearance in the mirror disturbs its contemplation.

(c) What does the phrase ‘pink speckles’ refer to?
Answer:
It refers to the opposite wall that is pink with speckles.

Mirror By Sylvia Plath Question And Answers Question 5.
“Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches foi; what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.”

(a) In the second stanza, the mirror is compared to another object. What is it? Why do you think this comparison has been made?
Answer:
The mirror is compared to a lake. The lake is not as exact as the mirror, the image is distorted by the ripples in the water and hence the person who looks into it will get a flattering view of herself or himself.

(b) What is the woman searching for in the depths of the lake?
Answer:
The woman is upset with the signs of ageing reflected by the mirror and she is trying to find her lost looks in the water of the lake.

(c) Is she satisfied with what she observes? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
No, because the woman starts crying at the signs of growing old that are reflected back.

Mirror Poem Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 6.
“Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.” 

(a) What is the woman bending over?
Answer:
The woman is bending over the lake.

(b) Why does the woman bend over?
Answer:
The woman bends over because the lake is spread out before her feet and to look closely at her reflection.

(c) Why have the candles and the moon been called ‘liars’?
Answer:
The candles and the moon have been called ‘liars’ because they create a flattering image of the person by hiding their blemishes.

The Mirror Question Answer Class 10 Question 7.
“I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.
She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.
I am important to her. She comes and goes.”

(a) What does the phrase ‘agitation of the hands’ mean?
Answer:
It means that the woman is very upset.

(b) Why does the woman start crying?
Answer:
The woman starts crying as she is upset at the signs of her ageing as reflected by the mirror. The woman rewards the mirror with tears for she does not like the truth.

(c) What does this reveal of her character?
Answer:
The woman is unable to face the truth about herself.

The Mirror Poem Questions And Answers Question 8.
“Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.
In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman
Rises toward her day after day like a terrible fish.”

(a) How has the poet changed over the years?
Answer:
The woman has aged. She has changed from a young girl to an old woman.

(b) Why does the poet refer to the fish in the last line? Why does she describe it as being ‘terrible’?
Answer:
The thought and the fact that she is growing old is the terrible fish that comes to haunt the woman. She sees herself as a sad, angered and emotionless woman.

(c) What does the mention of the ‘fish’ symbolise?
Answer:
The fish reminds the woman that she is no longer beautiful and that tells her that she is cold and incapable of love.

Here we are providing The Snake and the Mirror Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive, Extra Questions for Class 9 English was designed by subject expert teachers. https://ncertmcq.com/extra-questions-for-class-9-english/

The Snake and the Mirror Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive

The Snake and the Mirror Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

The Snake And The Mirror Extra Questions And Answers Question 1.
Who narrated his encounter with a snake? To whom? Why did he narrate the incident?
Answer:
The narrator of the incident was a homeopathic doctor. One day, when the narrator and some others were discussing snakes, the doctor was reminded of his own encounter with a snake and he narrated the incident.

The Snake And The Mirror Extra Questions And Answers Pdf Question 2.
When and where did the incident with the snake take place?
Answer:
The incident took place in the narrator’s room after he had taken his meal in a restaurant and had returned to his room at about ten o’clock in the night.

The Snake And The Mirror Questions And Answers Question 3.
Why did the narrator have to light the kerosene lamp on reaching his room?
Answer:
The narrator had to light the kerosene lamp because it was ten o’clock and it was very dark. The room did not have electricity and the narrator had limited money and could not afford a better place.

The Snake And The Mirror Extra Questions Question 4.
Describe the narrator’s room?
Answer:
The narrator lived in a small, poorly furnished rented room infested with rats. It was an outer room, its one wall facing the open yard. The room had two windows and its tiles were supported by gables that rested on the beam over the wall. There was no ceiling. The room was not electrified. Outside the room there was a veranda. The room was meagrely furnished; among the few pieces of furniture, there was his bed, a chair, a table with his medical books, usual accessories, a kerosene lamp and a mirror on it.

Snake And The Mirror Extra Questions Question 5.
What circumstances prompted the doctor to live in a small, poor house?
Answer:
The doctor had just started his practice and his earnings were meagre. Therefore, he lived in a small, poor house because he could not afford to rent a better and more comfortable accommodation. Besides, he was not married at that time so he could manage in a small rented room until the time he got married.

The Snake And The Mirror Extra Questions And Answers Class 9 Question 6.
The doctor was not a man with many material possessions. Elaborate.
Answer:
The doctor had just started his practice. Therefore, his earnings were meagre. He lived in a small rented room, which was not electrified. He had only sixty rupees in his bag. Apart from a few shirts and dhotis, he had one solitary black coat. His room was full of rats.

The Snake And The Mirror Question Answer Question 7.
Why was the narrator awake despite the lateness of the hour?
Answer:
It was about ten o’clock on a hot summer night when the narrator reached his room. He made his bed and lay down on it, but he could not sleep due to the heat. He got up and went out to the veranda for a little air, but there was no wind. So, he went back into the room and sat down on the chair.

The Snake And The Mirror Short Question Answer Question 8.
What did the doctor do after coming back inside?
Answer:
The doctor sat on the chair and, opening the box beneath the table, took out a book, the Materia Medica. He opened the book at the table on which stood the lamp and a large mirror. At once he was tempted to look into the mirror and he set about making himself look handsome.

The Snake And The Mirror Questions And Answers Pdf Question 9.
“The sound was a familiar one.” What sound did the narrator hear? What did he think it was? How many times did he hear it? When and why did the sounds stop?
Answer:
The narrator heard the familiar sound of movement of some animals on the beam. He thought that the sound was in fear being made by the scampering of rats as always. He heard the sound thrice. After the third time, the sound stopped. This was probably because of the appearance of the snake and the disappearance of the rats

The Snake And The Mirror Questions And Answers Class 9 Question 10.
What were the narrator’s feelings as he looked into the mirror?
Answer:
At that time the narrator, who was unmarried and a doctor, was a great admirer of beauty and he believed in making himself look handsome. He felt he had to make his presence felt by improving his appearance. He began to comb his hair, adjusting the parting so that it looked straight and neat in order to appear more handsome.

The Snake And The Mirror Class 9 Extra Questions And Answers Question 11.
As he looked at himself in the mirror, which two ‘important’ and ‘earth-shaking’ decisions did the doctor make?
Answer:
The doctor made two important decisions while looking at himself in the mirror. The first decision, an ‘important’ one, was that he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. The second decision the doctor made was an ‘earth-shaking’ one. It was that he had an attractive smile and that he should keep that attractive smile on his face to look more handsome.

The Snake And The Mirror Lesson Questions And Answers Question 12.
What kind of a woman did the doctor decide to marry? Why?
Answer:
The doctor, who had just started his medical practice, decided to marry a doctor with a lot of money and great medical practice. He also wanted her to be fat, so that in case he made a silly mistake and needed to run away she should not be able to run after him and catch him.

The Snake And The Mirror Question Answers Pdf Question 13.
How did the snake land on the doctor’s chair?
Answer:
The snake fell from the roof of the house with a thud. In no time it wriggled over the back of the narrator’s chair and landed on him. The snake slithered along his shoulder and coiled around his left arm above the elbow. To make matters worse, the snake spread its hood out and its head was hardly three or four inches from his face.

The Snake And The Mirror Class 9 Questions And Answers Question 14.
What was the narrator’s reaction to the sight of the snake?
Answer:
The narrator was frightened at the sight of the snake slithering down his shoulder and coiling itself around his arm. He could not breathe for a while. He was frightened, yet he didn’t jump, didn’t tremble, didn’t cry out as he did not wish to make any sudden movement that would provoke the snake.

Question 15.
How did the narrator show presence of mind when he faced with the snake?
Answer:
When the doctor found a snake on his shoulder, he did not jump, tremble or cry out. He held his breath and became as still as a stone. He knew that the snake would get provoked and strike him if he made any movement since the hood of the snake was only four inches away from his face.

Question 16.
How did the doctor feel when the snake coiled itself around his arm?
Answer:
When the snake coiled itself around the arm of the doctor, he felt some pain as if his arm was being crushed strongly with a rod made of molten fire. His arm lost all strength and felt very weak.

Question 17.
What did the writer think of when the snake was coiled around his arm?
Answer:
The doctor felt like a foolish and weak person when the snake was coiled around his arm. There was a distinct possibility of the snake biting him and the doctor thought of the various medicines he had in his room and cast his mind about to think if any medicine was good enough to save him if the snake did bite him. He felt that God had punished him for being so proud and arrogant. The vanity and pride he had moments ago had vanished. He felt helpless and frightened and smiled feebly at his stupidity and ill-luck.

Question 18.
What made the doctor say “Death lurked four inches away”?
Answer:
The snake was coiled around the doctor’s left arm and its hood was spread and just three or four inches from the doctor’s head. He sat motionless as a statue, his body inactive but his mind thinking of a way out anxiously. He knew very well that the snake would get provoked and bite him at the slightest movement and that the bite would well be fatal. This is what made him utter these words,

Question 19.
How did the snake change the writer’s opinion about himself?
Answer:
The writer was proud of being a doctor and a handsome one at that. To boot, he was a bachelor. He was rather vain and arrogant. Coming face-to-face with the snake made him humble. He thought he was only a poor and stupid doctor who should not be proud of his profession.

Question 20.
What thoughts crossed the doctor’s mind when he saw the snake looking into the mirror?
Answer:
When the doctor saw the snake looking into the mirror, he thought that perhaps it too was admiring its beauty or was trying to make some important, actually frivolous decisions like growing a moustache, or, if it were a female snake, using eye shadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion spot on its forehead.

Question 21.
Why did the snake leave the doctor’s arm?
Answer:
The snake left the doctor’s arm because it saw its reflection in the mirror and was fascinated by it. Perhaps it wanted to enjoy its own reflection by having a closer look.

Question 22.
How was the doctor freed of the hold of the snake?
Answer:
The snake happened to look at its reflection in the mirror on the table. It uncoiled itself from the arm of the doctor, slipped into his lap and then crawled towards the mirror. Perhaps, it too got fascinated by its looks like the doctor had a while ago.

Question 23.
What did the doctor do as the snake sat in front of the mirror?
Answer:
When the snake slithered from the narrator’s arm into his lap, crept onto the table and then moved towards the mirror, the narrator at once availed of the opportunity. He changed from a man cut in granite to a man of flesh and blood. Still holding his breath, so as not to disturb the snake, he got up from the chair and quietly went out through the door into the veranda. From there he leapt into the yard and ran for all he was worth to his friend’s house to save his life.

Question 24.
What did the doctor do when the snake was absorbed in looking at the mirror?
Answer:
As the snake was absorbed in looking at the mirror, the doctor and holding his breath, rose from the chair and quietly slipped out of the room. From there he passed through the veranda and the yard and ran as fast as he could to the house of a friend.

Question 25.
What did the doctor do as soon as he reached his friend’s house? Why?
Answer:
Immediately after reaching his friend’s house, the doctor applied oil to his entire body, took a- bath and put on fresh clothes. He did so because the snake had slithered over his back, shoulder and arm. He wanted to get rid of his creepy feeling and any possible ill-effects of a snake’s touch.

Question 26.
Why does the doctor remark that the snake was “taken with its own beauty”?
Answer:
The doctor remarks that the snake was “taken with its own beauty” because it kept looking-into the mirror just like the doctor had done earlier, the snake sat in front of the mirror looking into it. This led him to conclude that the snake was admiring itself as he had done.

Question 27.
What was the similarity between the doctor and the snake?
Answer:
There was a similarity between the doctor and the snake. Both of them admired of their own beauty. The doctor sat on the chair to read his book but forgot everything as he looked into the mirror and admired himself. He was oblivious to his surroundings and realised the presence of the snake too late. The snake too spotted the mirror, and slithered off to look at its reflection. He, too, was so enamoured with its own looks that it forgot reason why it was there, probably hungry and chasing some rats.

Question 28.
Why did the doctor decide to leave the room?
Answer:
The doctor was already unhappy with the poor condition of his room that did not have electricity and was infested with rats. On top of it all his encounter with the snake, that could have nearly killed him, made him decide to leave the room.

Question 29.
What did the doctor and his friends find when they went to remove things from the room?
Answer:
The doctor and his friends found that there was nothing in the room except for a dirty vest. All the other things had been stolen away by some thief.

Question 30.
Did the doctor marry a fat woman as he had wished?
Answer:
No, the doctor did not marry a fat woman. On the contrary, his wife was a thin and lean person who could run very fast like a sprinter.

Question 31.
What did the thief leave behind? What does the narrator feel about it?
Answer:
The thief had left behind his dirty vest. The vest was so dirty that even the thief did not feel like taking it. The narrator found it insulting because it appeared as the thief wanted to tell the narrator that he had a better sense of cleanliness than the doctor himself.

The Snake and the Mirror Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
What kind of room was the doctor living in and why did he decide to leave that room?
Answer:
The doctor was living in was a small, uncomfortable room that was actually an outer room with one wall facing the open yard and two windows. The room was not electrified and he had to depend on a kerosene lamp for lighting. The roof was tiled and had long supporting gables which rested on a beam over the wall. The room did not have any ceiling and it was infested with rats that kept squeaking all the time.

Since his medical practice was yet not well-established, the doctor did not earn much and could not afford a better place. He was not happy with this poor accommodation but it was all he could afford on his meagre earnings. However, it was only after his encounter with the snake that he decided to leave it. The frightening experience left him shaken and he decided not to live in the room any longer.

Question 2.
What kind of a person was the doctor? What kind of a person did he want to be?
Answer:
The doctor had just started his practice. His earnings were, therefore, meagre. He lived in a small rented room, which was not electrified. He had only sixty rupees in his bag. Apart from a few shirts and dhotis, he had one solitary black coat. He lived alone in a house that was full of rats.

On the other hand, the doctor laid great emphasis on the fact that he was unmarried and a doctor. He was a great admirer of beauty and he believed in making himself handsome. He was pleased with his appearance. He decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. He also decided to smile more as it improved his appearance.

Question 3.
What kind of woman did the doctor want to marry? Whom did he get married to?
Answer:
The doctor took pride in his handsome looks and the fact that he was a doctor and a bachelor. He had just started his practice and had very little money, wanted to marry a woman doctor who had plenty of money and . a good medical practice. He wanted a fat wife so that whenever he would make a silly mistake and run away from his wife, she would not be able to run behind him or catch him. The woman he married was quite unlike the one he wanted to marry. She was a thin and slender person who could run like a sprinter.

Question 4.
Describe the doctor’s feelings when the snake coiled round his arm.
Answer:
The doctor was petrified when the snake landed on his shoulder. He didn’t jump, tremble or cry out. He sat there holding his breath, turned to stone. He thought his end was near, so he remembered the Almighty and prayed to God for his safety. However, he retained his presence of mind as well as his sense of humour. He forgot his danger and smiled feebly at himself. From admiring himself and vainly thinking of ways of making himself appear more handsome and arrogantly declaring he was a doctor and a bachelor, the doctor thought of himself as “a poor, foolish and stupid doctor.”

He did not have even the medicine to save himself in case he was bitten by the snake. As he sat there, with Death lurking four inches away, the narrator did not panic. With great patience he sat still, on the lookout for an opportunity to escape and as soon as the snake unwound itself from his arm, the doctor got up from the chair and went out quietly, and ran away to his friend’s house.

Question 5.
“I was but a poor, foolish and stupid doctor.” Justify.
Answer:
Initially, the doctor had a very high opinion of himself regarding both his appearance and profession. He laid great emphasis on the fact that he was unmarried and a doctor. As an admirer of beauty, he was conscious of his looks and wanted to look even more handsome. He admired himself in the mirror and combed his hair this way and that and decided to grow a moustache and smile more to look more attractive.

But an encounter with a snake – a cobra – cured him of his pride. When the snake wriggled over his shoulder and coiled itself around his arm, the doctor lost all arrogance and was reminded of the existence of God. Face to face with death, he realised what a weak and foolish man he had been. When he recalled that there were no medicines in his room to cure him of a snake-bite, he regarded himself to be a stupid and helpless person. Thus, the encounter with the snake transformed the doctor from a vain and foolish person into a humble and God-fearing man.

Question 6.
What are the similarities between the behaviour of the doctor and of the snake?
Answer:
Both the doctor and the snake display narcissistic tendencies. Both of them were enamoured by their reflections in the mirror and stared at them as if enamoured. When he looked in the mirror, the doctor was full of appreciation for his good looks. He was a great admirer of beauty and believed in making himself look handsome. He took a close look at his face and decided that he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look even more handsome. Then, he looked into the mirror and smiled. He decided to keep smiling as he considered his smile very attractive. As he gazed at himself in the mirror, he was oblivious of his surroundings. He heard the noise of the rats cease, he heard the snake drop to the ground with a dull thud, but he paid no heed and found himself face to face with death.

In the same manner, the snake gazed in the mirror, oblivious of his surroundings. This makes the doctor think , that perhaps it, too, was admiring its beauty or was trying to make some ‘important’ decisions just like him. Perhaps it was a male snake thinking about growing a moustache or a female one deciding to use eye shadow and mascara or wear a vermilion spot on its forehead. Just like the doctor’s obsession with his looks landed him in trouble, the snake too seemed to be “taken with its beauty.” It released its victim to have a better look at itself in the mirror.

Question 7.
This story about a frightening incident is narrated in a humorous way. What makes it humorous?
Answer:
The story presents a contrast between dreams and reality. This contrast has been depicted in a humorous manner. The doctor had meagre earnings as he had just started his practice. He lived in a small rented room, which was not electrified. He had only sixty rupees in his bag, a few shirts and dhotis, and one solitary black coat. His house was full of rats. However, his dreams and ambitions were in contrast to this. He was a great admirer of beauty and he believed in making himself handsome. He laid great emphasis on the fact that he was unmarried and a doctor. Pleased with his appearance, he decided to improve his appearance by shaving daily, growing a thin moustache and always keep smiling.The doctor had thought about the kind of person he would want to marry.

He wanted to marry a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical practice because he did not have any of those. He wanted a fat wife so that whenever he made a silly mistake, he could escape his wife by running away from her. However, the woman he married was thin and could run like a sprinter. When the doctor looked into the mirror, he was full of appreciation for his good looks. He also arrogantly declared that he was a doctor and a bachelor.

However, later when the snake was coiled around his arm, he turned into a stone. He realized that if the snake struck him, then he did not even have any medicines in his room for the same. That was when he thought that he was a poor, foolish, and stupid doctor. This contrast between reality and dreams lends humour to the story.

Question 8.
“I looked into the mirror and smiled”, says the doctor. A little later he says, “I forgot my danger and smiled feebly at myself’. What is the doctor’s opinion about himself when he smiles first and then later? In what way do his thoughts change in between, and why?
Answer:
The doctor rated his looks quite high and smiled at his image when he looked at himself in the large mirror on his table. He was narcissistic and the first time he looked in the mirror and smiled, his opinion about himself was marked by self-adulation. He arrogantly declared he was a doctor and a bachelor. He was vain enough to believe that he was handsome and needed to stay well-groomed. He decided to shave daily, grow a moustache and smile more often.

However, these thoughts changed by the second time he smiles at himself in the mirror. This time the smile was feeble as he smiled at himself. On this occasion, his opinion about himself was marked by humility. By then he had realised that he had been vain, foolish and stupid. His encounter with the deadly snake had exposed his shortcomings to him. In spite of being a doctor he did not have any medicines in his room even for an emergency like a snake-bite. His good looks became immaterial when he came face to face with death and the only thoughts that came to his mind then were about God. The feeble smile indicated his acceptance of the folly and vanity that had so far governed his life.

The Snake and the Mirror Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
I had my meal at the restaurant and returned to my room. I heard a noise from above as I opened the door. The sound was a familiar one.

(a) Who does ‘I’ refer to in this extract?
Answer:
In this extract, ‘I’ refers to the homeopathic doctor who narrates his encounter with a snake.

(b) At what time did ‘I’ return to his room? Where did he return from?
Answer:
The doctor returned to his room at ten o’clock at night after having a meal at a restaurant.

(c) When did ‘I’ hear a noise?
Answer:
The doctor heard a noise when he entered his room.

(d) What type of noise was it?
Answer:
It was a familiar noise like that made by the rats that lived in his room as they moved about.

Question 2.
The sound was a familiar one. One could say that the rats and I shared the room. I took out my box of matches and lighted the kerosene lamp on the table.

(a) What sound did the narrator hear as he entered the room?
Answer:
The narrator heard a sound as if of the scampering of rats as he entered the room.

(b) Why does the narrator say that it was a familiar sound?
Answer:
The narrator says that it was a familiar sound because there were many rats in his room and their constant squeaking or scampering about had become familiar.

(c) How many times did he hear it?
Answer:
He heard the sound thrice. (He heard it as he opened the door, he heard it again as he sat combing his hair this way and that, and he heard it for the third time when he decided to smile more.)

(d) When and why did the noise stop?
Answer:
The sound stopped suddenly as the narrator after pacing about the room, sat down in his chair. Probably, the rats had seen the snake.

Question 3.
It had a tiled roof with long supporting gables that rested on the beam over the wall. There was no ceiling. There was a regular traffic of rats to and off.

(a) What did the narrator do after entering the room?
Answer:
The narrator lit the kerosene lamp and then made his bed.

(b) Why could the narrator not sleep?
Answer:
The narrator could not sleep because there was a regular traffic of rats to and from the beam and the gables. Moreover, it was warm in the room.

(c) Where did he go and why?
Answer:
He went out to the veranda for a little air.

(d) Why did he return to his room?
Answer:
There was no wind blowing outside too.

Question 4.
I went back into the room and sat down on the chair. I opened the box beneath the table and took out a book, the Materia Medica. I opened it at the table on which stood the lamp and a large mirror; a small comb lay beside the mirror.

(a) Where was he before going back into the room? Why had he gone out of the room?
Answer:
The narrator had gone out to the veranda before coming back into the room. He had gone out for some fresh air.

(b) Why did he take out a book from the box?
Answer:
The narrator could not sleep because it was hot and still, and there was no electricity in his room. So, he took out the book to pass some time reading it.

(c) What objects stood on the table?
Answer:
A kerosene lamp and a large mirror stood on the table. A small comb lay beside the mirror.

(d) What did the speaker do after this?
Answer:
After this, the speaker looked into the mirror that stood on the table and contemplated his looks.

Question 5.
One feels tempted to look into a mirror when it is near one. I took a look. In those days I was a great admirer of beauty and I believed in making myself look handsome. I was unmarried and I was a doctor. I felt I had to make my presence felt. I picked up the comb and ran it through my hair and adjusted the parting so that it looked straight and neat.

(a) Why did the narrator look into the mirror?
Answer:
The narrator was tempted to look into the mirror because it was there in front of him.

(b) Why did he want to make himself look handsome?
Answer:
The narrator, who admired beauty in everyone, wanted to make himself look handsome.

(c) What did the narrator do to make his presence felt?
Answer:
He combed his hair and adjusted the parting.

(d) What two important decisions did the narrator take to improve his appearance?
Answer:
The narrator decided to improve his appearance by shaving daily and growing a thin moustache. He also decided to smile his attractive smile more often.

Question 6.
I was unmarried and I was a doctor. I felt I had to make my presence felt. I picked up the comb and ran it through my hair and adjusted the parting so that it looked straight and neat. .

(a) Explain “I had to make my presence felt.”
Answer:
The narrator decided that he had to create an impact on people by improving upon his appearance or personality.

(b) Why did the narrator feel he had to make his presence felt?
Answer:
The narrator felt he was a doctor, a profession that is much respected in society, and was a bachelor. Therefore, he had to make an impact on society.

(c) What did the narrator do to make his presence felt?
Answer:
In order to make his presence felt, he combed his hair carefully and adjusted the parting.

(d) What do you learn about the narrator from this extract?
Answer:
The narrator was arrogant because of his profession and vain about his looks.

Question 7.
I made an important decision—I would shave, daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor! I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile. I made another earth- shaking decision.

(a) Where is the narrator? What is he doing?
Answer:
The narrator is in his room admiring himself in the mirror.

(b) What discovery did he make about himself?
Answer:
The narrator discovered that he was handsome and had an attractive smile.

(c) What two important decisions did he take? Why?
Answer:
He decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome and to smile his attractive smile more often. He took these decisions to improve his presence.

(d) What is the narrator’s tone in these lines?
Answer:
The narrator’s tone is vain, but he is also laughing at himself, as he calls the decisions “earth-shaking”.

Question 8.
I got up, paced up and down the room. Then another lovely thought struck me. I would marry.

(a) Where did the narrator get up from? Why?
Answer:
The narrator, the homeopathic doctor, got up from his chair in his room. He wanted to think about improving his presence in society.

(b) Which lovely thought struck him?
Answer:
The lovely thought that struck him was that he should get married.

(c) What sort of lady did he wish to marry?
Answer:
He wished to marry a rich, fat lady-doctor.

(d) What prompted him to make this choice?
Answer:
He would get married to a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical practice as he did not have much money. She had to be fat so that if he made a silly mistake and needed to run away she should not be able to run after him and catch him.

Question 9.
There was no time to do any such thing. The snake slithered along my shoulder and coiled around my left arm above the elbow.

(a) What alerted the narrator to the snake’s presence?
Answer:
The narrator was alerted to the snake’s presence by the sudden silence from the rats above. Also he heard a dull thud as if a rubber tube had fallen to the ground.

(b) What does “any such thing” refer to?
Answer:
The speaker did not have time to save himself from the snake by jumping away or crying out as it had coiled around his left arm above the elbow.

(c) What did the snake do after crawling over the narrator’s shoulder?
Answer:
The snake coiled itself tightly around the narrator’s left arm and spread its hood close to his face.

(d) How did the narrator react to the snake’s presence?
Answer:
The narrator sat motionless as if turned to stone. He could not move or cry out when the snake coiled itself around his arm.

Question 10.
I didn ’t jump. I didn ‘t tremble. I didn ’t cry out. There was no time to do any such thing. The snake slithered along my shoulder and coiled around my left arm above the elbow. The hood was spread out and its head was hardly three or four inches from my face!
It would not be correct to say merely that I sat there holding my breath I was turned to stone.

(a) Why did the author not jump, tremble and cry?
Answer:
The author did not jump, tremble and cry because a snake had fallen on his shoulders. He was both too frightened to move and didn’t want to do anything to provoke the snake.

(b) What did the narrator do as the snake coiled itself round his arm?
Answer:
As the narrator coiled itself around his arm, the narrator sat still, turned to stone.

(c) Did the snake bite the speaker? What distracted it?
Answer:
No, the snake did not bite the speaker. A sight of its reflection in the mirror distracted the snake.

(d) What were the narrator’s thoughts as he looked at the snake?
Answer:
In this moment of fear of death, (he realized the presence of God. God had punished him for being too proud and arrogant.

Question 11.
At my slightest movement the snake would strike me! Death lurked four inches away. Suppose it struck, what was the medicine I had to take? There were no medicines in the room. I was but a poor, foolish and stupid doctor. I forgot my danger and smiled feebly at myself

(a) What does Death lurked four inches away imply?
Answer:
The snake was three or four inches away from the writer’s head with its hood spread out. Since it was a – cobra, its bite would be fatal.

(b) Why did the doctor call himself a poor and stupid doctor?
Answer:
The doctor felt poor because he was facing death and stupid because he realised that though he was a doctor, still he did not have medicines for an emergency like this.

(c) What danger does he refer to?
Answer:
The doctor refers to the danger posed by a deadly snake that had wrapped itself on his arm and was slowly crushing it with force.

(d) Why did he smile feebly at himself?
Answer:
The doctor smiled feebly at himself because smiles at his foolishness and helplessness because just a short while ago he had been arrogantly boasting of being a doctor and a bachelor, but now he was helplessly staring at death.

Question 12.
The snake unwound itself from my arm and slowly slithered into my lap. From there it crept onto the table and moved towards the mirror. Perhaps it wanted to enjoy its reflection at closer quarters.

(a) Where was the narrator at the time?
Answer:
The narrator was sitting in his room, admiring his looks and thinking of ways of improving his looks.

(b) What did the snake do as it landed on the narrator’s chair?
Answer:
It slithered down his shoulder, coiled itself around his arm and spread its hood few inches from his face.

(c) Where did the snake do after uncoiling from the writer’s arm?
Answer:
The snake slid across the narrator’s lap on to the table.

(d) Why did the snake move towards the mirror?
Answer:
The snake moved towards the mirror to have a closer look at itself.

Question 13.
I felt then the great presence of the creator of this world and this universe. God was there. Suppose I said something and he did not like it.

(a) When did the narrator feel the presence of the creator?
Answer:
The narrator felt the presence of the creator when he was faced with death in the form of the snake.

(b) Why does the narrator feel he may have displeased God?
Answer:
He felt God may have punished him for being too proud and arrogant. He realized that he was but a mere human, a poor man, nothing to boast about.

(c) What did the narrator do then?
Answer:
He prayed to God – in his imagination he tried to write words, ‘O God’ in bright letters outside his heart.

(d) What was the result of his realisation?
Answer:
The moment he accepted his true worth God appeared pleased and the snake of its own free will left him and sat on the table in front of the mirror.

Question 14.
There was some pain in my left arm. It was as if a thick leaden rod—no, a rod made of molten fire—was slowly but powerfully crushing my arm. The arm was beginning to be drained of all strength. What could Ido?

(a) Why did the narrator feel a pain in his arm?
Answer:
The snake was coiled around his arm and was crushing his arm.

(b) Where had the snake come from?
Answer:
The snake had fallen from the ceiling of the house.

(c) What had alerted the narrator to the snake’s presence at first? What had been his first reaction?
Answer:
The narrator was first alerted to the snake’s presence by a dull thud. He had disregarded it at first as it being nothing to worry about.

(d) Why did the narrator sit still on the chair?
Answer:
The narrator sat still on the chair because at his slightest movement the snake would have struck him.

Question 15.
It seemed as if God appreciated that. The snake turned its head. It looked into the mirror and saw its reflection. I do not claim that it was the first snake that had ever looked into a mirror. But it was certain that the snake was looking into the mirror. Was it admiring its own beauty? Was it trying to make an important decision about growing a moustache or using eye shadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion spot on its forehead?

(a) What was it that God appreciated?
Answer:
God appreciated the narrator getting the realisation that he had been arrogant and vain and his sincere remembering of God.

(b) What did the snake do as it landed on the narrator’s chair?
Answer:
The snake wriggled over the back of the chair and landed on his shoulders. It coiled round his left arm above the elbow and spread out its hood, hardly three inches from his face.

(c) Where did the snake move its head?
Answer:
The snake moved its head towards the mirror.

(d) Why did the narrator call it the “first snake”?
Answer:
The narrator calls it the “first snake” because this was the first snake he had seen which enjoyed looking into the mirror.

Question 16.
I was no mere image cut in granite. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood. Still holding my breath I got up from the chair. I quietly went through the veranda. From there 1 leapt into the yard and ran for all I was worth.

(a) What does the narrator mean when he says “I was no mere image cut in granite”?
Answer:
The narrator no longer sat completely still, unable to move as if he were an image that had been carved in stone.

(b) Why had he been sitting turned to stone?
Answer:
A snake had coiled itself around his arm and had spread its hood near his face.

(c) Where had the snake gone?
Answer:
The snake had slithered over to sit in front of the mirror.

(d) What did the narrator do?
Answer:
He left his room and ran off as fast as could.

Question 17.
I was no mere image cut in granite. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood. Still holding my breath I got up from the chair. I quietly went through the veranda. From there 1 leapt into the yard and ran for all I was worth.

(a) When had the narrator felt like an “image cut in granite”?
Answer:
He felt that he was an ‘image cut in granite’ when he found the snake coiled strongly round his forearm with its hood spread out barely three or four inches away from his face. He was gripped in fear and he could neither move nor breathe properly.

(b) What is the meaning of ‘a man of flesh and blood’?
Answer:
‘A man of flesh and blood’ means a living person with human feelings, and with the strength to move.

(c) What made the narrator suddenly turn into ‘a man of flesh and blood’?
Answer:
When the snake let go its hold on his arm, the doctor came out of the state of shock which had made him numb like a stone. He regained his senses and faculties.

(d) What did the narrator do as soon as he turned into ‘a man of flesh and blood’?
Answer:
When the doctor got over his numbing shock, he got up from his chair, quietly went through the veranda, leapt into the yard and ran as fast as he could.

Question 18.
The doctor replied, “I ran and ran till I reached a friend’s house. Immediately I smeared oil all over myself and took a bath. I changed into fresh clothes.

(a) Why did the doctor run?
Answer:
The doctor ran because the snake that landed on his shoulder had slithered off and he wanted to escape the snake.

(b) Where did the narrator spend the night?
Answer:
The narrator spent the night with his friend at his house.

(c) Why did the doctor smear oil all over his body?
Answer:
The doctor smeared oil all over his body because wanted to erase the venom of the Snake that had landed on his shoulder.

(d) What did he do the next morning?
The next morning he took his friends and went back to his room to check whether the snake was still there.

Question 19.
The next morning at about eight-thirty I took my friend and one or two others to my room to move my things from there. But we found we had little to carry.

(a) What does the narrator mean by the phrase “the next morning”?
Answer:
The narrator is referring to the morning after the evening when he had the frightening experience with the snake that coiled itself around his arm.

(b) Which friend is being referred to?
Answer:
The friend with whom the narrator had spent the night after escaping his house and the snake there.

(c) Why did narrator want to remove his things?
Answer:
The narrator wanted to remove his things as he wanted to leave his house because of the fear of the snake.

(d) Why was there little to carry?
Answer:
There was little to carry because thieves had stolen most of his things in the night.

Question 20.
“No, ” the doctor said. “God willed otherwise. My life companion is a thin reedy person with the gift of a sprinter. ”
(a) Explain “God willed it otherwise”.
Answer:
It was God’s will that the narrator’s wishes would not be fulfilled.

(b) What qualities had the narrator wanted in his wife?
Answer:
The narrator wanted to get married to a woman doctor who was rich and fat.

(c) Why had he wanted those qualities?
Answer:
The narrator had a meagre practice so he wanted a rich wife with a good practice. He wanted a fat wife as he felt that if he made a silly mistake and needed to run away she should not be able to run after him and catch him..

(d) What kind of a person did he marry?
Answer:
The woman he married was a thin and slender person who could run like a sprinter.

Here we are providing The Fun They Had Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive, Extra Questions for Class 9 English was designed by subject expert teachers. https://ncertmcq.com/extra-questions-for-class-9-english/

The Fun They Had Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive

The Fun They Had Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

The Fun They Had Extra Questions Answers Question 1.
Who are Margie and Tommy? How old are they?
Answer:
Margie and Tommy are students from the year 2157. Tommy is a thirteen-year-old boy and Margie is an eleven-year-old girl. Both are neighbours and good friends who like to spend time together like children of their age usually do.

The Fun They Had Extra Questions Question 2.
What did Margie write in her diary?
Answer:
On 17 May 2157 Margie recorded in her diary about the discovery of a “real” book by Tommy. It was a very old book printed on paper and had yellow and crinkly pages, unlike the telebooks of the twenty-second century.

The Fun They Had Class 9 Extra Questions Question 3.
Where had Tommy found the book? How was it different from the books Margie and Tommy were used to?
Answer:
Tommy found a real book in the attic of his house. The book was at least two hundred years old so pages had turned yellow and crinkly. It was a different from the books Margie and Tommy were used to because they had teiebooks to read from while the book Tommy found was printed on paper.

Extra Questions Of The Fun They Had Question 4.
Had Margie ever seen a real book before? Did she know about such books?
Answer:
No, Margie had never seen a book before till she saw the one Tommy found in the attic of his house. She had only heard about books from her grandfather who himself had not seen any. He too had heard about a printed book from his own grandfather.

Fun They Had Extra Questions Question 5.
What things about the book did Margie and Tommy find strange?
Answer:
Margie and Tommy read telebooks where words moved on a screen. Books were stored in a machine that could store a million books on it and still be good for plenty more. So they found it strange that the words in the printed book remained fixed unlike the moving ones on their television screen.

The Fun They Had Class 9 Extra Questions And Answers Question 6.
“What a waste!” What is Tommy referring to as a ‘waste’? Is it really a waste? Why/Why not?
Answer:
Tommy thought the paper book he found in his attic with words that were printed and did not move was a waste. Once a book had been read, it became useless and must be thrown away because it had the same content.

Yes: Printed books are a waste as telebooks are more accessible. They can be stored in a television and read again and again. They occupy very little space as compared to the printed books and need not be discarded once they have been read. In addition, paper books consume resources like trees from which paper is made and water that is consumed in the process of making paper.

No: Printed books are not a waste as they can be read by many people over and over again and can be preserved for future generations. Moreover, the data in a telebook can be lost or stolen, but in a printed book, the data printed on a page remains for ever.

The Fun They Had Questions Answers Question 7.
What do you think a telebook is?
Answer:
A telebook is a book made available in text on a television screen. Many books can be stored and read in this manner. (The telebook is the author’s imagined version of an e-book as this story was written in 1951, long before their advent.)

Class 9 English Chapter 1 Extra Questions Question 8.
Did Margie like the printed book? Why/Why not?
Answer:
Margie was really excited to see the ‘real’ book Tommy found as it was unlike the telebooks the two were used to reading. It was such a novelty that she recorded the discovery in her diary. As she turned the yellow and crinkly pages of the book with Tommy, she found it quite fascinating, unlike Tommy who found it a waste. In fact, she was really reluctant to stop reading the book and go to study. She wanted to read the book again after school.

Class 9 English The Fun They Had Extra Question Answer Question 9.
Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Answer:
Margie’s school was a room next to her bedroom in her house. No, she did not have any classmates as her school was a customised school, set up exclusively for her according to her level and needs.

Class 9 The Fun They Had Extra Questions Question 10.
What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have? How were they different from teachers in the book?
Answer:
Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers, which were large and black and ugly, with a big screen on which all the lessons were shown and the questions were asked. There was a slot where they had to put homework and test papers and the mechanical teacher calculated the marks in no time. Margie and Tommy’s teachers were different from the teachers in the book as the teachers in the book were men and not mechanical teachers.

Extra Questions From The Fun They Had Question 11.
Why had Margie started hating her school?
Answer:
Margie never liked school. But lately she had come to hate it more than ever because of her poor performance in geography. The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in the subject and she had been doing worse and worse.

Class 9 English Beehive Ch 1 Extra Questions Question 12.
How were Margie and Tommy assessed in their subjects?
Answer:
Margie and Tommy were given assignments by their mechanical teachers. They wrote their answers in a punch code they were trained in. Then they inserted their special answer sheets in the slot in the mechanical teacher. The teacher corrected their assignments and calculated their marks in no time.

Extra Questions On The Fun They Had Question 13.
What did Margie hate the most about her school?
Answer:
The part that Margie hated most about her school was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers. She always had to write them in a punch code that she was made to leam at the age of six. The mechanical teacher calculated her marks in no time leaving no time for Margie to relax after submitting the assigned tasks.

Extra Questions The Fun They Had Question 14.
Write a brief note on Margie’s school routine.
Answer:
Although Margie was taught by a large black television screen installed in a room next to her bedroom, Margie followed a strict routine and had regular days and hours for school. She studied from Monday to Friday at the same time every day as her mother thought that young girls learnt things better if they studied them at regular hours.

Fun They Had Class 9 Extra Questions Question 15.
Margie’s mother was very particular about her studies. Justify with evidence from the story.
Answer:
Margie’s mother was very particular about her studies and made sure that Margie attended her tele-school regularly and at fixed times as she felt little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours. She took a keen interest in Margie’s performance and when she felt she was not doing too well in a particular subject, she called the County Inspector to have a look at the mechanical teacher.

Question 16.
Who was the County Inspector? What did he do to improve Margie’s performance?
Answer:
The County Inspector was a technical expert who identified and rectified errors in the functioning of the mechanical teachers. When the County Inspector examined the working of Margie’s mechanical teacher, he found that the geography sector had been geared too quick. He slowed it up to an average 10-years level. He found the overall pattern of Margie quite satisfactory.

Question 17.
Write a brief note on the County Inspector.
Answer:
The County Inspector was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires. He was certainly a kind-hearted man and he put Margie at ease by giving her an apple and telling her mother that if Margie was not performing well, it was not her fault, but the fault of the mechanical teacher. He aligned the speed of the geography sector keeping in mind the level of the girl. Before leaving, he patted Margie on the head and expressed satisfaction at her performance.

Question 18.
Why was Margie not doing well in geography? What did the County Inspector do to help her?
Answer:
Margie was not doing well in geography. In fact, her performance was getting worse day by day. Her mother sent for the County Inspector to look into the problem. He told Mrs Jones that the geography sector in Margie’s mechanical teacher was geared up a little too quick for her and that he had slowed it up to the level of an average ten-year-old.

Question 19.
Why did Margie get disappointed after the geography sector of her teacher was set right?
Answer:
Margie’s mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and her mother had asked the County Inspector to look into it. Margie had hoped that her mechanical teacher would be taken away for some time as Tommy’s had been when it had malfunctioned. But she was disappointed when the County Inspector set the mechanical teacher right there and then.

Question 20.
What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?
Answer:
Once, Tommy’s mechanical teacher had developed a fault and its history sector had blanked out absolutely. The teacher had to be taken away for repairs and it had taken almost a month to put it in order.

Question 21.
What does Tommy tell Margie about the old kind of school?
Answer:
Tommy describes the old school as a special building where all the children went to study together. Students of the same age-group were taught the same things which by human teachers. These teachers taught various things to boys and girls, gave them homework and also asked them questions.

Question 22.
What was Margie’s reaction when Tommy told her that twentieth-century schools had human teachers?
Answer:
When Margie heard Tommy mention that children were taught by human teachers in the times gone by, she could not believe the truth of Tommy’s statement. She believed that a human teacher could not match the mechanical teacher in intelligence and knowledge. This was because she had been taught by a mechanical teacher and had never seen any human teacher.

Question 23.
Why could Margie and Tommy finish reading the book Tommy found?
Answer:
When Margie and Tommy were reading the book Tommy had found in his attic, Margie’s mother interrupted them and told Margie to go to her schoolroom to study. She even suggested Tommy too went to attend school.

Question 24.
What did the teacher teach Margie when she went to her school?
Answer:
When Margie went to school the mechanical teacher taught an arithmetic lesson on the addition of proper fractions. It taught her how to add the fractions xh and 1/4.

Question 25.
Why was Margie not able to concentrate on the Arithmetic lesson?
Answer:
Margie could not concentrate on the arithmetic lesson because her mind was pre-occupied with the thoughts about the school that Tommy had just described her. She was fascinated by the fact that in olden days all the kids from the whole neighbourhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another with the homework and talk about it.

Question 26.
Why did Margie think that children in olden days had fun while studying in school?
Answer:
Margie attended a tele-school, which was just a machine in the room next to her bedroom and she studied alone unlike the students of the schools in the bygone times. She found her present school much too mechanical, boring, monotonous and demanding, and she hated it. She felt that learning was more fun in those days because hundreds of children had the opportunity of congregating and studying together with the help of human teachers and printed books. Schools were large buildings where students learned the same things, so they could help one another with the homework and talk about it.

The Fun They Had Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
How did Margie and Tommy react to the book Tommy found in his attic? Why?
Answer:
Margie and Tommy were neighbours and friends. They lived in 2157, in an age of technology when going to school meant sitting in a room by oneself, being taught by a mechanical teacher that was adjusted to fit the learner’s mind and reading from a telebook with moving words.

Then on the Then one da7 May 2157, Tommy found an old paper book wit yellow and crinkled pages fn the attic of his house. He shared the exciting news with his friend Margie and together they are wonderstruck, for they had before that never seen or heard about a book that had no screen but only fixed text on pages.

The book was quite different from the tele-books they were used to. As Margie and Tommy read the book, they were amazed by its contents. They discovered that hundreds of years ago schools were huge buildings where hundreds of children went to study and where children of the same age studied together and carried out the same activities and tasks. They were taught by real human teachers with the help of real books.

Question 2.
Describe the old school as described in the book? How did it influence Margie?
Answer:
The book which Tommy found was about school. However, it was not the kind of school Margie and Tommy were used to, but the old kind of schools that were there hundreds and hundreds of years ago. School was a special building and all the kids went there. Children went to these schools to study and were taught by a ‘regular’ teacher, a man who told the boys and girls things and gave them homework and asked them questions.

At school, all children of the same age studied together and carried out the same activities and tasks. Margie thought about the old kind of school. She was thinking about all the kids from the whole neighbourhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another with the homework and talk about it. Margie thought about the old school system and how much fun the children must have had, learning and spending time together.

Question 3.
Write a short note on the school system in “The Fun They Had”.
Answer:
Margie and Tommy are young school going children in the year 2157. Schools and teachers in the twenty- second century are entirely different from the ones in present day. Margie and Tommy’s school is not in a separate special building but a room in their respective houses where the television or the mechanical teacher is placed. Each student has to sit and study alone with the help of mechanical teacher, a large and black and ugly machine, with a big screen on which all the lessons are shown and the questions are asked.

The ‘teacher’ assigns tests to the students and assesses their progress. The speed of the different subject sectors is fixed according to the age level of each student. There is a special slot in the tele-teacher where students have to insert their homework or tests. If the mechanical teacher develops any fault, there are engineers to repair it.

Sometimes the fault may be a major one and it takes long to repair it, as was the case when Tommy’s history teacher developed a snag and it took a month to repair it. Thus, the mechanical teachers and schoolrooms of Margie and Tommy are fully computerised and are completely different from the present day schools.

Question 4.
Do you agree that schools today are better than the schools in the story ‘The Fun They Had’. Give reasons for your choice.
Answer:
Yes: In the story The Fun They Had writer Isaac Asimov talks about the schools of the future. In this future, school is a room in the house where each child is taught by a mechanical teacher and there are telebooks on television screens.

After reading the story, I think that we pupils in the present should be satisfied. I agree an individual teacher for each child can work better and more intensively with the pupil and when the parents set the school time a child can have flexible school hours. If the school(room) is at home, the children do not have to walk or drive so far and this saves time and money.

But on the other hand, we lose an opportunity for social contacts. The most important advantage we have today is we have contact with other kids, in the breaks we can talk to each other and we have fun with them. Pupils solve problems together – very important for the later life and the development of a child. And a human teacher is definitely a better educator than a machine because he knows the problems of humans and children. A machine will never be able to feel like a human. Moreover, a human teacher can provide valuable guidance and values that a mechanical teacher cannot.

No: The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov is a science-fiction story schooling in the twenty-second century. Margie, an eleven-year-old girl, and Tommy, who is thirteen, live in the year 2157, where school means learning from a machine teacher at home. Both kids have never seen a printed book, because they read telebooks.

The author shows us how school could be in two hundred years, when everything is managed by computers and other technology. In his story, in spite of the advances in technology, the two children are still like kids today. Isaac Assimov shows very clearly the typical behaviour of an eleven-year-old girl and a thirteen-year- old boy, so in his story their characters are not influenced by the technical advancement.

An advantage of a mechanical teacher is that the mechanical teacher can be geared to the mental level of the student. Thus, it becomes easier for the child to understand the lessons. Different styles of learning of students can be addressed using mechanical teacher and technology. Mechanical teachers can analyze the specific mistakes that students make and give instant feedback which would prove helpful for the students.

Question 5.
Do you think Asimov is warning us about the dangers of too much computerisation?
Answer:
In his short story “The Fun They Had” Isaac Asimov depicts the school system in 2157 which is based on technical advancement. Thirteen-year-old Tommy and eleven-year-old girl Margie both study with a computer teacher at home. While the individual teaching can train the personal talents and it is a perfect way to give every child knowledge and information baed on the child’s capacity, but there are some disadvantages, too.

Pupils do not learn like a computer. Learning has to be fun, otherwise the probability of forgetting is higher. Another disadvantage is that there are no social relationships like at school today. Learning with friends at school can be a motivation. Students improve their communication skills and their behaviour in a group. A mechanical teacher cannot give moral values to the children.

I think Asimov is trying to warn us that the school system which is being followed in 2157 is a good way of giving children knowledge and information for jobs, but it is not good at giving ability for interpersonal relationships. In my opinion the disadvantages are more serious than the advantages and I feel this is a warning given by Isaac Asimov that this kind of schooling may not, in fact, be an ideal option for students.

The Fun They Had Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
“Today Tommy found a real book! ”
It was a very old book. Margie’s grandfather once said that when he was a little boy his grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper.

(a) Who are Margie and Tommy?
Answer:
Tommy is a thirteen-year-old boy and Margie an eleven-year-old girl who live in the twenty second century.

(b) Where had Tommy found the book?
Answer:
Tommy had found the book in the attic of his house.

(c) What is meant by “real book”?
Answer:
The book is “real” as it is printed on paper rather than a telebook.

(d) How had Margie heard of such a book?
Answer:
Margie’s grandfather had told her that he had heard from his grandfather about a time when all stories were printed on paper.

Question 2.
It was a very old book. Margie’s grandfather once said that when he was a little boy his grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper. They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to-on a screen, you know.

(a) Why were the pages of the book yellow?
Answer:
The pages of the book were yellow because the book was quite old.

(b) What kind of books did Margie and Tommy read?
Answer:
Margie and Tommy read telebooks

(c) What do you think a telebook is?
Answer:
A book that is not printed on paper, but one that can be read on a screen. Words move on the screen for the students to read.

(d) Why did Tommy find the book a “waste”?
Answer:
Unlike their telebooks, the words on the page stayed the same and did not change. He felt when one was through with the book, one would just throw it away.

Question 3.
They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to-on a screen, you know.

(a) Who are ‘they’ in this extract?
Answer:
‘They’ are Margie and Tommy, the young children who are reading the book.

(b) Which book had yellow and crinkly pages?
Answer:
The book that Tommy found in the attic of his house had yellow and crinkly pages.

(c) What do the yellow and crinkly pages reveal about the book?
Answer:
The yellow and crinkly pages reveal that it was a very old book and had not been lying in the attic for a long time.

(d) What did ‘they’ find funny? Why?
Answer:
The children found the fixed and still words in the book funny because they were used to reading electronic books on the television screen in which the words kept moving.

Question 4.
“I wouldn’t throw it away. ”

(a) Who says these words?
Answer:
Tommy, a thirteen-year-old boy says these words.

(b) What does ‘it’ refer to?
Answer:
‘It’ refers to the television screen of the computer on which Tommy reads books. It has a million books . and space for a lot more.

(c) What is it being compared with, by the speaker?
Answer:
‘It’ is being compared with the paper book that Tommy had found in the attic of his house.

(d) Why would the speaker not throw it away?
Answer:
The speaker, Tommy, wouldn’t throw the television screen on which he read books away because it had a million books on it and it could be used many times.

Question 5.
“What’s it about? ”
“School. ”
Margie was scornful. “School? What’s there to write about school? I hate school. ”

(a) What does ‘it’ refer to?
Answer:
‘It’ refers to the book Tommy found in his attic.

(b) Why was Margie scornful about the book?
Answer:
Margie was scornful about the book as it was about school. She hated her school and felt school would not be an interesting enough topic to read about.

(c) Why did Margie not like school?
Answer:
Margie had never liked her school, but now she hated her mechanical teacher so she disliked school even more.

(d) Why did Margie hate her mechanical teacher?
Answer:
The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse.

Question 6.
He was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires. He smiled at Margie and gave her an apple, then took the teacher apart.

(a) Who is ‘he’?
Answer:
He is the County Inspector.

(b) Why had he been called?
Answer:
Margie’s mother, Mrs Jones, had called him because Margie’s mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse. She wanted the County Inspector to fix the teacher.

(c) Why did he give Margie an apple?
Answer:
He smiled at Margie and gave her an apple to reassure her.

(d) How did he fix the teacher?
Answer:
The County Inspector found that the teacher’s the geography sector was geared a little too quick. He slowed it up to an average ten-year level.

Question 7.
He said to her mother, “It’s not the little girl’s fault, Mrs Jones. I think the geography sector was geared a little too quick. Those things happen sometimes. ”

(a) Who is ‘he’ and which ‘little girl’ is he talking about?
Answer:
He is the County Inspector. He is talking about Margie.

(b) What, according to him, is not the girl’s fault?
Answer:
According to him, the girl’s continuous poor performances in Geography tests was not her fault.

(c) What was wrong with the geography sector of the mechanical teacher?
Answer:
He finds that the pace of the geography sector has been a bit too fast for the girl’s level.

(d) What does the County Inspector do to correct the fault?
Answer:
The County Inspector took apart the mechanical teacher and slowed it up to an average ten-year level.

Question 8.
“Actually, the overall pattern of her progress is quite satisfactory. ” And he patted Margie’s head again. Margie was disappointed. She had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether.

(a) Who is the speaker? Whose progress is being talked about?
Answer:
The speaker is the County Inspector. He is talking about Margie’s progress.

(b) Why was Margie disappointed?
Answer:
Margie was disappointed as her teacher was not taken away as she wished for.

(c) Whose teacher had been taken away? Why?
Answer:
Tommy’s teacher had been taken away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely.

(d) What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?
Answer:
Margie and Tommy learnt geography, history and arithmetic.

Question 9.
Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes. “Because it’s not our kind of school, stupid. This is the old kind of school that they had hundreds and hundreds of years ago. ” He added loftily.

(a) What does Tommy mean by “our kind of school”?
Answer:
They study in classrooms in their own homes with mechanical teachers.

(b) Why did Tommy call Margie stupid?
Answer:
Tommy called Malgie stupid because she was ignorant about schools of the past.

(c) Whom does ‘they’ here refer to?
Answer:
‘They’ here refers to the students of centuries ago who were mentioned in the book.

(d) How was ‘their’ school different?
Answer:
Their school was a special building that they went to and they learned the same thing if they were the same age. They had a person as a teacher who taught the whole class.

Question 10.
“Sure they had a teacher, butit wasn ’t a regular teacher. It was a man. ”

(a) Who speaks these words and about what?
Answer:
Tommy speaks these words about the schools in the olden times.

(b) Who does ‘they’ refer to in these lines?
Answer:
‘They’ refers to the students from the schools of the olden times.

(c) What does ‘regular’ mean here?
Answer:
Here ‘regular’ means a mechanised teacher like the ones Margie and Tommy had.

(d) What is ‘regular’ contrasted with?
Answer:
‘Regular’ is contrasted with the teachers from the olden days who were real men and not programmed machines.

Question 11.
“A man? How could a man be a teacher? ”
“Well, he just told the boys and girls things and gave them homework and asked them questions. ”

(a) Who feels a man cannot be a teacher? Why?
Answer:
Margie feels a man cannot be a teacher as a man is not smart enough. Moreover, she was used to being taught by a mechanical teacher.

(b) What does ‘he’ refer to here?
Answer:
‘He’ refers to a man, a human teacher of the twentieth century.

c) What job did ‘he’ do?
Answer:
His job was to teach boys and girls and give them work to do at home and ask them questions.

d) Where had the speaker got this information?
Answer:
The speaker, Tommy, had found this information in the old book that he had found in the attic of his house.

Question 12.
Tommy screamed with laughter. “You don’t know much, Margie. The teachers didn ’t live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there. ”

(a) Why did Tommy scream with laughter?
Answer:
Tommy screamed with laughter at the ignorance of Margie who thought that in old times the human teacher lived in the house of a student and taught him there.

(b) What did Margie not know? Why?
Answer:
Margie did not know about the functioning of the schools of olden times because she lived in the year 2157 when education had been made fully computerized.

(c) What ‘special building’ does the speaker refer to?
Answer:
By ‘special building’ Tommy means the buildings that housed schools in olden times.

(d) How is the special building a unique place for Margie and Tommy?
Answer:
Margie and Tommy are the students of the year 2157. They are taught at home by mechanical teachers. Their television screen is their school. Therefore, a special building for teaching children is a unique thing for them.

Question 13.
Margie went into the school room. It was right next to her bedroom and the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours.

(a) What was ‘it’? Where was ‘it’?
Answer:
‘It’ in these lines is Margie’s schoolroom. It was next to her bedroom.

(b) Why was ‘it’ next to ‘her’ bedroom?
Answer:
It was next to her bedroom because in the twenty-second century students were taught through a customized education system under where students were taught at home by mechanical teachers.

(c) Why was the mechanical teacher on and waiting for her?
Answer:
The mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her because it was a programmed machine that worked . as per a fixed time-plan and Margie’s mother wanted her to follow a fixed time plan.

(d) Why did Margie not like the mechanical teacher?
Answer:
Margie did not like the mechanical teacher because it was very boring and demanding. She had to sit in front of it regularly at fixed hours.

Question 14.
Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighbourhoods came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the school room going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so that they could help one another with the home work and talk about it.

(a) What did Margie do with a sigh?
Answer:
Margie put her homework into the slot of her mechanical teacher with a sigh.

(b) Which school is Margie thinking about in the above lines?
Answer:
Margie was thinking about the old schools of centuries ago as written about in the book Tommy had found.

(c) Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Answer:
Margie’s school was in her home itself. It was right next to her bedroom. No, she did not have any classmates.

(d) How is the school under reference different from the present ones?
Answer:
The present schools were located in the student’s house, where a mechanical teacher taught the student as per the child’s individual capacity. The schools under reference had a separate building where all children of a certain age were taught together by human teachers.

Here we are providing Julius Caesar Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature Reader, Extra Questions for Class 10 English was designed by subject expert teachers. https://ncertmcq.com/extra-questions-for-class-10-english/

Julius Caesar Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

Julius Caesar Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Julius Caesar Short Questions And Answers Question 1.
How do the heavens ‘blaze forth’ the death of Julius Caesar?
Answer:
The heavens sent omens foretelling a major calamity—like Calpumia’s dream of Caesar being murdered, a lioness whelping in the streets, graves opening and dead bodies lying around, warriors fighting upon the clouds and drizzling blood upon the Capitol, horses neighing, dying men groaning and ghosts shrieking about the streets.

Julius Caesar Questions And Answers Icse Question 2.
Why does Calpurnia say Caesar’s ‘wisdom is consumed in confidence’? What does she mean?
Answer:
Calpumia means that though Caesar is wise, he is overconfident. His wisdom is destroyed by his overconfidence.

Julius Caesar Questions And Answers Question 3.
What did Calpurnia dream about Caesar? How did Decius Brutus interpret the dream?
Answer:
Calpumia dreamt she saw Caesar’s statue spout blood like a fountain and Romans came smiling and dipped their hands in the blood. She saw the dream as a warning that danger was imminent. Decius Brutus interprets the dream as a lucky vision. He said it signified that from Caesar, Rome shall imbibe fresh life and great men will earnestly desire relics marked with his blood.

Julius Caesar Question And Answer Question 4.
What are the arguments put forward by Decius Brutus to convince Caesar to go to the Capitol?
Answer:
Decius flatters Caesar into disregarding the fears of his wife. He says that the Senate decided to offer a crown to Caesar that day and if he does not go they may change their minds and mock him for being afraid. They may say that the Senate should be dismissed till Caesar’s wife has better dreams.

Julius Caesar Important Questions Question 5.
Why is Decius more successful than Calpurnia in persuading Caesar?
Answer:
Decius is more successful than Calpurnia in persuading Caesar because he appeals to Caesar’s ambition and vanity.

Julius Caesar Questions And Answers Pdf Question 6.
What is the petition put before Caesar by the conspirators? How does Caesar respond to it?
Answer:
The conspirators want Caesar to recall the order of exile passed against Metellus Cimber’s brother, Publius. Caesar refuses to listen to them and change his mind.

Julius Caesar Question Answer Question 7.
Who says ‘Et tu, Brute’? When are these words spoken? Why?
Answer:
Caesar says these words just after Brutus stabs him. Caesar loved Brutus and could not believe Brutus would do such a deed.

Julius Caesar Question Answers Question 8.
In the moments following Caesar’s death, what do the conspirators proclaim to justify Caesar’s death?
Answer:
The conspirators proclaim that they killed Caesar to free Rome of him and to establish democracy— ‘Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement! ’

Julius Caesar Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 9.
Seeing the body of Caesar, Antony is overcome by grief. What does he say about Caesar?
Answer:
Antony is saddened that the great conqueror Caesar is reduced to a dead body lying on a small piece of the ground. He expresses willingness to die at the conspirators’ hands while their hands and weapons are still warm with Caesar’s blood.

Julius Caesar Play Questions And Answers Question 10.
Whom does Antony call ‘the choice and master spirits of this age’? Why?
Answer:
Antony calls the conspirators—Brutus, Cassius and the others as ‘the choice and the master spirits of this age.’ He is actually mocking them beneath his pretence of flattery.

Julius Caesar Questions Question 11.
How do Brutus and Cassius respond to his speech?
Answer:
Brutus tells him not to beg for his death at their hands. He says that he killed Caesar for he loved Rome more than he loved his friend. Cassius, on the other hand, appeals to Antony’s greed and says that he will have a say in the new government.

Question 12.
Why does Cassius object to allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral? How does Brutus overcome this objection?
Answer:
Cassius fears Antony and his ability as an orator. Brutus says he will speak first and tell the citizens that Antony was speaking with their permission.

Question 13.
What are the conditions imposed by the conspirators before allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral?
Answer:
While speaking of Caesar’s greatness, Antony must not blame the conspirators for murdering Caesar. He must also say that he has been permitted to speak at Caesar’s funeral by the conspirators. Moreover, he must speak from the same pulpit as Brutus.

Question 14.
When he is left alone with the body of Caesar, what does Antony call Brutus and the others?
Answer:
Antony calls them butchers.

Question 15.
What prediction does Antony make regarding the future events in Rome?
Answer:
Antony predicts that Italy will be cursed as civil war shall break out; bloodshed, destruction and dreadful sights will become so familiar that mothers shall smile when they see their infants killed in war, pity will be destroyed due to foul deeds becoming common. Caesar’s spirit shall roam about for revenge, dead bodies will be lying around rotting and stinking and there will be no one to give them a decent burial.

Question 16.
What reasons does Brutus give for murdering Caesar?
Answer:
Brutus says that Caesar was ambitious. Brutus loved Rome and that it stands for more than just Caesar.

Question 17.
Who says, ‘Let him be Caesar’? What light does this throw on the speaker?
Answer:
One of the citizens says this after Brutus’ speech. He has not understood the reasons Brutus has given for Caesar’s murder.

Question 18.
Why is Antony’s speech more effective?
Answer:
Brutus’ straightforward appeal to logic and reason versus Antony’s appeal to emotion through the use of irony, sarcasm and reiteration, is more effective.

Question 19.
At the end of the scene what is the fate of Brutus and Cassius?
Answer:
Brutus and Cassius are attacked by the mob who rush to set fire to their houses.

Question 20.
Why does Calpurnia urge Caesar not to step out of the house?
Answer:
Many bad omens had been witnessed during the night. The watchmen had seen strange sights. A lioness had given birth to her young ones in the streets, graves had opened and ghosts had been heard shrieking in the streets. Fierce battles had been fought in the clouds and the blood of the soldiers had fallen on the Capitol. Calpurnia herself had seen a horrible dream in Caesar was being murdered and Romans were bathing their hands in Caesar’s blood. Frightened by these sights and her dream, Calpurnia urged Caesar to stay at home as these happenings foretold the death of a great person.

Question 21.
Why does Caesar make the following remark, ‘Cowards die many times before their deaths’?
Answer:
Caesar makes the above statement to calm Calpurnia’s fears. Frightened by bad omens and her dream, Calpurnia urged Caesar to stay at home as these omens predicted the death of a great person. Caesar tells Calpurnia that while cowards imagine their death frequently, thus dying in their minds several times over, brave men, refusing to dwell on death, die only once. He cannot understand why men fear death, which must come eventually to all. Caesar maintains that he will not stay at home out of fear.

Question 22.
How does Decius interpret Calpurnia’s dream about Caesar’s murder?
Answer:
Calpurnia, in her dream, had seen a statue of Caesar spouting blood from a hundred places and many Romans bathing their hands in it. Decius told Caesar that Calpurnia had completely misinterpreted her dream.

Caesar’s statue gushing blood in many places and Romans bathing.hands in it signified that Rome would draw reviving blood from Caesar. Great men would come to obtain tinctures, relics and other tokens of remembrance. Caesar would prove to be a source of inspiration for Rome and his achievements would be the source of renewed vitality for the country.

Question 23.
What arguments does Decius provide to convince Caesar to go to the Senate?
Answer:
Firstly, Decius interprets Calpumia’s dream in a favourable light to show that Caesar would be the source of inspiration for Rome. From Caesar, Rome will imbibe fresh life and great men will earnestly desire relics marked with his blood. He then tells Caesar that the Senate decided to offer a crown to him that day, and if he did not attend the meeting, they may change their minds. After listening to these arguments, Caesar dismisses Calpumia’s fears and decides to go to the senate.

Question 24.
What was the petition that was put before Caesar? Why?
Answer:
Metellus approached Caesar to request that his brother, Publius’Cimber, who had been banished from Rome, be granted permission to return. The petition had been put forward by the conspirators knowing very well that Caesar would not grant their request as Publius Cimber was banished by lawful decree and there was no just cause for absolving his guilt. Moreover, Caesar prided himself on being firm on his decisions. Caesar’s refusal would then give them an excuse to assassinate him.

Question 25.
In what manner does Caesar assert the firmness of his decisions when he rejects Metellus Cimber’s petition in the senate?
Answer:
Caesar declares that he is not an ordinary man who is moved by entreaties and appeals. He says that he is as constant as the pole star. Like the pole star, Caesar is unwavering. He tells the conspirators not to try to make him change his mind as he was not like them. If he had been an ordinary mortal, he would have changed his mind. But nothing that they could say would cause him to deviate from his decision.

Question 26.
Briefly describe how Caesar was assassinated.
Answer:
The conspirators urged Caesar to recall Publius Cimber but he rejected their petition. Casca was the first person to stab Caesar. As Caesar refused to recall Publius Cimber, Casca said, ‘Speak hands for me’ and stabbed Caesar from behind. The other conspirators also stabbed Caesar. When Caesar saw Brutus stab him,he gave up the struggle and saying, ‘Et tu, Brute’ muffled up his face in his mantle and died at the foot of Pompey’s statue.

Question 27.
Why does Antony ‘shake hands’ with Caesar’s enemies?
Answer:
Antony realises that as he is Caesar’s friend, his credit stands on ‘slippery ground’. The conspirators may kill
him too, in order to prevent any opposition to their plan. Therefore, he meets the conspirators and professes friendship. Even while he is shaking hands with them, he knows that he is going to avenge Caesar’s death. He knows that with his ability as an orator he can swing the Roman populace to his side. But to do this he must . first be allowed to speak at Caesar’s funeral. Keeping all these reasons in mind, Antony pretends friendship with the conspirators.

Question 28.
How does Brutus justify the assassination of Caesar when he addresses the mob?
Answer:
Brutus tells the Romans that he participated in the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar not because he did not love Caesar but because he loved Rome more than he loved Caesar. -He says if Caesar had been allowed to live, the Romans would have been treated like slaves by him. He had assassinated Caesar in their interests. Caesar had to be killed because he was ambitious and every Roman who loved his country and who wanted to live as a free citizen should rejoice at Caesar’s death.

Question 29.
How does Antony prove to the mob that Caesar was not ambitious?
Answer:
Antony tells the mob that Caesar had brought many prisoners to Rome and the ransom he had obtained for
their release had filled the public treasury. This act showed that he was not ambitious. Furthermore, Caesar had wept whenever poor people had cried in distress. This showed that he was not ambitious, as ambitious people are hard-hearted. Finally, Caesar had refused the offer of a crown at the feast of Lupercal though Antony had thrice offered the crown to him.

Question 30.
How does Antony produce in the hearts of the mob a feeling of sympathy for the dead Caesar?
Answer:
Antony calls upon the mob to get ready to shed tears and shows them the dead body of Caesar. He shows them the many wounds which had been afflicted upon Caesar’s body. Pointing to the wounds, he shows them the ones made by Cassius, Brutus and Casca. He says that the cut made by Brutus was the unkindest one as Caesar loved Brutus dearly and Brutus had betrayed this love. The Romans are filled with sympathy for Caesar and their eyes fill up with tears.

Julius Caesar Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Compare the speeches of Brutus and Antony.
Answer:
Brutus speaks in an arrogant manner and justifies conspiring against Caesar as Caesar’s ambition would have hurt Rome. He seeks to explain why he conspired against Caesar. He begins his speech with ‘Romans,  countrymen … ’ appealing to their consciousness as citizens of Rome. Brutus declares that his reason for : killing Caesar was his great love for Rome.

Antony focuses on Caesar’s positive traits and cunningly disproves Brutus’ justification for killing Caesar. He starts out by addressing the crowd as ‘Friends’and comes to them as a friend rather than a ruler trying to gain power. He says—“I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.” He disproves Caesar’s ambition with three examples:

• donated the ransom of captives to the treasury
• cried with the poor people
• refused the kingship that Antony offered him thrice.

He appeals to their emotions by showing Caesar’s dead body and appeals to their greed by reading the will.

Question 2.
Brutus makes a number of mistakes that leads to the downfall of the conspirators. What are his mistakes?
Answer:
He allows Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral despite Cassius’s objection. Antony, with his impassioned “speech, was able to turn the crowd against the conspirators. He does not understand the Romans and kills Caesar for the ideal of democracy as he was becoming too powerful. Romans admire Caesar’s power as he appeals to the logic of the mob. The mob do not understand his reasoning and become easy prey to Antony’s emotional speech.

Characters

Question 3.
Julius Caesar
Answer:
Julius Caesar is a warrior. He thinks that he is above everyone else and an extraordinary man. As a result, he is very arrogant and overconfident and takes very little notice of the people around him. Though he claims to be as constant as the northern star, he is indecisive and easily swayed by others (as in the case of his indecision in going to the Senate). As far as he is concerned, the senators are unimportant and to be spumed out of his way. Common people have a great deal of respect for Caesar and believe that he would be a good and powerful leader who has Rome’s welfare at heart. Caesar is also ruthless and craves power. He believes that everybody likes him and that is why he is surprised when the conspirators attack him.

Question 4.
Calpurnia
Answer:
Calpumia is superstitious. She takes her dream to be an evil omen, which signifies the murder of her husband. She is worried about Caesar’s well-being and repeatedly dissuades him from meeting the Senate that day. She tells Caesar
“When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.”
She loves Caesar and is afraid for him.

Question 5.
Decius Brutus
Answer:
He shows himself to be a clever manipulator who changes Caesar’s mind about going to the Senate.
He flatters Caesar by giving a favourable explanation of Calpumia’s dream—
“Your statue spouting bipod in many pipes,
In which so many smiling Romans bathed,
Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck Reviving blood, and that great men shall press For tinctures, stains, relics and cognisance.’
He plays to Caesar’s ambition when he says—
‘the senate have concluded
To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.
If you shall send them word you will not come,
Their minds may change. ’
He plays to Caesar’s vanity when he says—
‘most mighty Caesar,/from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood, …”

Question 6.
Brutus
Answer:
He is simple and straight-forward. He says—
“I will myself into the pulpit first,
And show the reason of our Caesar’s death:
What Antony shall speak, I will protest He speaks by leave and by permission.’
He is honourable in his intentions when he murders Caesar as is reflected in this speech—
‘Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.”
He is a poor judge of character and allows Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral without realising that the mob has no brains. He appeals to their logic and as a true democrat he declares that he loves liberty and dignity. Brutus justifies Caesar’s murder, saying—
“As he was ambitious, I slew him.”

Question 7.
Cassius
Answer:
Cassius is very crafty and tactful. He sees through most people and understands what they are truly like. He is also very good at manipulating people. He can see that Mark Antony is not being sincere when talking to Brutus and he can see that Mark Antony does not indeed place his loyalty with the conspirators but is, in fact, determined for revenge. He can also see that Mark Antony does not plan on saying good things about the conspirators at Caesar’s funeral. That is why he tries to bribe Antony—“Your voice shall be as strong as any man’s/ In the disposing of new dignities.” His tragedy lies in the fact that he is in awe of Brutus and allows himself to be overruled by him, despite possessing better judgment.

Question 8.
Antony
Answer:
Mark Antony is a great friend of Caesar and thinks very highly of him. He is a very cunning man and he is able to manipulate people. He cares a lot for Caesar and he wants revenge. Although he can hide it, he has a lot of hatred for the conspirators who have killed Caesar. At first he seems so upset with Caesar’s assassination that he wishes to die too. However, he decides that avenging his death would be a better way.

He is a good judge of character and appeals to Brutus and not Cassius when he pretends friendship with the conspirators. A good orator, he plays upon the emotions of the crowd and ruthlessly sets them on the path of mischief against the conspirators.

Question 9.
The Mob
Answer:
The mob is being referred to as a ‘Hydra-headed multitude’ who possess an incapacity to understand logic. Brutus talks to them of liberty and democracy but as he leaves they say “Caesar’s better parts/Shall be crown’d in Brutus.” They are not democratic at heart and want a hero to worship—“Let him be Caesar.” They are emotional in their approach as they say “Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold Our Caesar’s vesture wounded?” They are also fickle as their opinion of Caesar keeps on changing between suspicion and respect. Initially they say—“This Caesar was a tyrant.”

Later the same mob says—“If thou consider rightly of the matter, Caesar has had great wrong.” They are
brutal and barbaric when they say—
“We’ll bum the house of Brutus …
We’ll bum his body in the holy place,
And with the brands fire the traitors’ houses.”
They are the deciding element of this play as they turn the action around, swing the tide in Antony’s favour.

Question 10.
Discuss the attention paid (or not paid) to omens, nightmares, and other supernatural events. What do the various responses to these phenomena show about the struggle between fate and humans in Julius Caesar?
Answer:
The supernatural phenomena in Julius Caesar include Calpumia’s dream of Caesar’s statue mnning with blood and the strange sights seen by the watchmen—a lioness giving birth to her young ones in the streets, graves opening, ghosts shrieking in the streets and fierce battles being fought in the clouds with the blood of the soldiers falling on the Capitol. Though Calpumia is upset, Caesar ignores the various omens.

Caesar believes that the omens could apply just as easily to Rome in general as to him personally and he quickly comes to believe that Calpumia has misinterpreted her dream. As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that these omens had been a warning of events that are to take place. Julius Caesar fails to heed the warning. Tragically, Caesar believes that his refusal to heed these signs proves his strength, courage and indomitable nature.

Though Caesar believes that he is displaying the force of his will by ignoring the warnings and attending the Senate, ironically, it is precisely this action that precipitates his fated death.

Question 11.
Bring out the theme of rhetoric versus power in Julius Caesar.
Answer:
Under the guise of a gesture of friendship, Antony actually marks the conspirators for vengeance. Brutus speaks to the crowd and appeals to the love of liberty in order to justify the killing of Caesar. He also makes ample references to the honour in which he is generally esteemed, to validate his explanation of the deed. Antony likewise wins the crowd’s favor, using persuasive rhetoric to whip the masses into a frenzy so great that they don’t even realize the fickleness of their favour.

The value that can be derived from this incident is the relationship between rhetoric and power. Words serve to move hearts and minds, as Antony cleverly convinces the conspirators of his desire to side with them, “Let each man render me with his bloody hand.”

Question 12.
Why does Brutus join the conspirators? Is it simply a matter of saving Rome from Caesar’s supposed tyranny or does Brutus have something else to gain?
Answer:
When it seems evident to the conspirators that Julius Caesar is headed for absolute power, he becomes a threat to the ideals and values of the Roman Republic. They assassinate Caesar before he can be crowned king. The irony is that Caesar’s death results in civil war. However, the Romans, looking for a hero,to idolise, do not understand why Caesar was killed.

Brutus speaks to the crowd about his reasons for killing Caesar and the fact that he killed his friend “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more”, and having given his reasons prepares to depart, the crowd cheers Brutus’s apparent kindness, declaring that Brutus should be Caesar. The value that can be derived from this incident is that when two factions with questionable motives grab for power, chaos ensues and the Republic is never the same again.

Question 13.
Friendship vs Deception is an important theme of Julius Caesar. Comment.
Answer:
Friendship can be defined as a unique blend of affection, loyalty, love, respect and trust between two individuals. There are many friendships that exist in Julius Caesar—between Caesar and Mark Antony, Caesar and Brutus, Decius and Caesar and Brutus and Cassius.

There was close friendship between Mark Antony and Caesar, so when the latter was killed, Antony wanted revenge. He deceived Brutus and the other conspirators by saying, “Friend I am with you all, and love you all” to manipulate Brutus, put his doubts at ease and seek permission to speak at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus agreed and Antony spoke to the people and used his words to manipulate the plebeians to revolt against the conspirators.

An example of deception, in the play was the friendship between Decius and Caesar. Decius went to Caesar’s house on the fateful day and used the latter’s love and trust for him to manipulate Caesar to come to the Senate.
‘ Another friendship is that between Brutus and Cassius. Cassius loved Brutus and gave in to him against better judgement. The trusting Brutus underestimated Antony and allowed him to speak at Caesar’s funeral, Cassius pulled him aside and said, “You know not what you do. Do not consent that Antony speak in Caesar’s funeral.” Brutus overrode him, leading to their downfall.

Even Caesar and Brutus were friends Bratus betrayed Caesar by being part of the conspiracy. When he stabbed Caesar, Caesar gave up his straggle saying, “et tu Bratus?” before he fell to the floor and died.
This play teaches us that friendship is a very delicate and sometimes a manipulative relationship.

Julius Caesar Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
Caesar:
Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard.
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.

(a) Whom is Caesar speaking to? Why does he say these words?
Answer:
Caesar is speaking to Calpumia. He says these words because she wants him to stay at home as she feels his life is in danger.

(b) What fears has the listener expressed?
Answer:
Calpumia, who is the listener, has expressed the fear that Caesar’s death is imminent.

(c) What is the basis for the fears?
Answer:
The basis for the fears is Calpumia’s dreams of the previous night, which contained unusual sights.

Question 2.
“But here’s a parchment with the seal of Caesar;
I found it in his closet, ’tis his will:
Let but the commons hear this testament—
Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read—
And they would go and kiss dead Caesar’s wounds”

(a) Who speaks these words? Where is the speaker at this moment?
Answer:
Mark Antony speaks these words. He was in a pulpit in Rome speaking at Caesar’s funeral.

(b) What are the contents of Caesar’s will that he is referring to?
Answer:
Mark Antony is referring to the section where Caesar had left to every Roman citizen 75 drachmas. Moreover, he willed all his walks, his private gardens and newly planted orchards on the banks of the Tiber to the Romans for their pleasure so that they may walk there and enjoy themselves.

(c) Why does the speaker read Caesar’s will to the citizens?
Answer:
The speaker read Caesar’s will to the citizens to appeal to their greed and sway them.

(d) What is the reaction of the listeners to the reading of the will?
Answer:
As desired by Antony, the listeners turn against the conspirators after the reading of the will.

Question 3.
Caesar:
Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night:
Thrice hath Calpumia in her sleep cried out,
‘Help, ho! they minder Caesar!

(a) Explain: ‘Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night.’
Answer:
There had been a terrible storm at night and the skies had been raging. Calpumia, too, had a unusual dreams at night. Three times in her sleep she cried out that Caesar was being murdered.

(b) What did Calpumia dream of?
Answer:
Calpumia dreamt of the murder of Caesar. She saw Caesar’s statue mn with blood like a fountain, while many Smiling Romans bathed their hands in it.

(c) In what mood does Calpumia speak to Caesar about the events of the night?
Answer:
Calpumia was frightened by the unnatural occurrences the night before and was very anxious about Caesar’s safety. She felt that these portents and omens signified that a major calamity would befall Caesar.

Question 4.
Caesar:
Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night:
Thriee hath Calpumia in her sleep cried out,
‘Help, ho! they murder Caesar! ’
(Enter Calpumia)

Calpurnia:
What mean you, Caesar? think you to walk forth?
You shall not stir out of your house to-day.

(a) What happened at night to make Calpumia feel that Caesar was in danger?
Answer:
Calpumia was frightened by the unnatural occurrences the night before. She had dreamt of Caesar’s murder and his statue running blood at a hundred places. Moreover, the night watchman had seen strange sights. She felt that these occurrences were unnatural and predicted a dire calamity.

(b) What did she want Caesar to do?
Answer:
Calpumia wanted Caesar to stay at home and not go to the Senate.

(c) What decision does Caesar take? Why?
Answer:
Caesar decided to go but because according to him things which threaten him have never had the courage to look him in his face. They would vanish as soon as they saw him because of his power.

Question 5.
Calpurnia:
Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.

(a) Narrate any two sights seen by the watchman.
Answer:
The watchman saw the graves opening and yielding the dead and saw ghosts wandering in the city.

(b) What does this tell you about Calpumia’s character?
Answer:
We come to know that Calpumia was superstitious and believed in omens and predictions.

(c) What is Caesar’s attitude towards the happenings of the night? What does this tell you about his character?
Answer:
Caesar dismissed the events of the night as natural occurrences. He did not believe that they were predictions of a dire calamity. He was not superstitious.

Question 6.
Calpurnia:
Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.

(a) Explain, ‘I never stood on ceremonies’.
Answer:
It means that she did not believe in omens and portents.

(b) Mention any two sights seen by the watch.
Answer:
The sights seen by the watch include a lioness whelping in the streets and graves opening and dead bodies lying around; warriors fighting upon the clouds, and their blood falling on the Capitol, horses neighing in fear, dying men groaning, ghosts shrieking about the streets. (Any two)

(c) How does Calpumia’s attitude towards the strange occurrences of the night differ from Caesar’s?
Answer:
While Calpumia is frightened by the strange occurrences of the night and sees them as omens foretelling grave danger to Caesar, the latter is not afraid and regards them as natural occurings.

Question 7.
Calpurnia:
Alas, my lord,
Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.
Do not go forth to-day: call it my fear
That keeps you in the house, and not your own.
Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.

Caesar: Mark Antony shall say I am not well,
And, for thy humour, I will stay at home.

(a) Where are Calpumia and Caesar at this moment?
Answer:
Calpumia and Caesar are at Caesar’s house at this moment.

(b) Why does Calpumia say, ‘Your wisdom is consumed in confidence’? When does she say this?
Answer:
Caesar was overconfident about his own abilities and therefore he disregarded his personal safety. Despite her entreaties, Caesar was determined to go to the senate.

(c) What is Caesar’s reaction to Calpumia’s fears? What does he decide?
Answer:
Caesar decided to stay at home for Calpumia’s sake and decided to send a message with Antony to the Senate saying that he was not well.

Question 8.
Caesar:
And you are come in very happy time,
To bear my greeting to the senators
And tell them that I will not come to-day:

Calpurnia: Say he is sick.
Caesar: Shall Caesar send a lie?
Have I in conquest stretch’d mine arm so far,
To be afraid to tell greybeards the truth?

(a) Where are the speakers? Who has come to meet Caesar?
Answer:
The speakers are at Caesar’s house. Decius Brutus has come to meet Caesar.

(b) What message does Caesar wish to send? To whom?
Answer:
Caesar wishes to send a message to the senators saying he will not go to the Senate.

(c) Who are the ‘greybeards’? Why is Caesar not afraid of them?
Answer:
Caesar contemptuously calls the senators old men or ‘greybeards’. He is not afraid of them because he is a mighty conqueror.

Question 9.
Decius Brutus:
Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,
Lest I be laugh’d at when I tell them so.

Caesar:
Calpumia here, my wife, stays me at home:
She dreamt to-night she saw my statue,
Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts,
Did ran pure blood: and many lusty Romans Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it

(a) What did Calpumia dream?
Answer:
Calpumia dreamt of the murder of Caesar. She saw Caesar’s statue ran with blood, while Romans bathed their hands in it.

(b) How did she interpret the dream?
Answer:
Calpumia interpreted the dream to mean that Caesar was in danger.

(c) How did Decius interpret the dream?
Answer:
According to Decius, the dream signified that Rome would revive by drawing blood from Caesar. Great men would come to obtain tinctures, relics and other tokens of remembrance from him. Caesar would prove to be a source of inspiration for Rome and his achievements would be the source of renewed vitality for the country.

Question 10.
Decius Brutus:
I have, when you have heard what I can say:
And know it now: the senate have concluded
To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.
If you shall send them word you will not come,
Their minds may change.

Caesar:
How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpumia!
I am ashamed I did yield to them.

(a) What argument does Decius put forth to convince Caesar to go to the Senate?
Answer:
Decius tells Caesar that the Senate decided to offer a crown to him that day, and if he does not attend the meeting, they may change their minds.

(b) How does Caesar react to Decius’s words?
Answer:
Caesar dismisses Calpumia’s fears as being foolish and prepares to go to the Senate.

(c) Mention two qualities of Caesar shown by his action.
Answer:
The qualities that are shown by his actions are that Caesar is ambitious, he disregards personal safety and he is not a good judge of character.

Question 11.
Caesar:
I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchings and these lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and first decree Into the law of children.
Thy brother by decree is banished:
If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him,
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.

(a) What petition did Metellus Cimber present to Caesar? Why?
Answer:
Metellus Cimber gave. Caesar a petition requesting him to recall his brother, Publius, who had been banished from Rome. The conspirators knew Caesar would not accede to their request and they wished to use it as an excuse to assassinate him.

(b) Give two of the arguments given by Caesar to reject the petition.
Answer:
Caesar said that Publius Cimber had been banished by law and Caesar would not turn the law into child’s play by breaking it. Moreover, Caesar would not be satisfied without a just reason as to why Publius was to be recalled.

Question 12.
Caesar:
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fix’d and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
I was constant Cimber should be banish’d,
And constant do remain to keep him so.

(a) What is the ‘northern star’?
Answer:
The northern star is the pole star.

(b) Why does Caesar compare himself to the ‘northern star’? What is the occasion?
Answer:
Caesar compares himself to the ‘northern star’ because he is unchangeable and unmoved. He does not change his mind and remains unshakeable. The conspirators want him to recall Publius Cimber.

(c) State the comparison made by Caesar between the firmament and the world of men.
Answer:
Caesar compares the firmament and the world of men saying that the sky was decorated with innumerable stars, all shining brightly but there was only one among them which did not move—the pole star.Similarly, in the world of men there were many men who are strong and intelligent but there was only one who did not change his mind and that was Caesar.

Question 13.
Antony:
O mighty Caesar! dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.
I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who else must be let blood, who else is rank

(a) Where does the mighty Caesar lie? What is meant by ‘this little measure’?
Answer:
The mighty Caesar lay on the ground at the foot of Pompey’s statue. ‘This little measure’ means this small piece of land.

(b) Who are the gentlemen Antony addresses?
Answer:
The gentlemen whom Antony addresses are the conspirators standing next to Caesar’s body.

(c) Give the meaning of ‘Who else must be let blood, who else is rank?’ Why does Antony say this?
Answer:
It means who is the person to be killed next? Antony wanted to know the intentions of the conspirators towards him and so he said this.

Question 14.
Antony:
If I myself, there is no hour so fit
As Caesar’s death hour, nor no instrument
Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.

(a) Where is Antony at the present moment? Who is he talking to?
Answer:
Antony is standing next to Caesar’s dead body at the Capitol. He is talking to the conspirators.

(b) Why does Antony declare his willingness to die?
Answer:
Antony feels that if he has to be killed, then there is no time more opportune than the present as it is Caesar’s death hour and no weapon more suitable than the swords of the conspirators, which have been enriched by Caesar’s blood.

(c) How does Brutus respond to Antony’s request?
Answer:
Brutus says that though the spectacle of Caesar’s assassination may appear bloody, the conspirators had no intention of killing Antony. They had killed Caesar only for the general welfare of the Romans.

Question 15.
Antony:
I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard,
Now, whilst your pUrpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die:
No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Caesar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

(a) Whom does Antony refer to as ‘The choice and master spirits of this age’?
Answer:
Antony refers to the conspirators as ‘The choice and master spirits of this age.’

(b) Explain ‘bear me hard.’ Which pleasure does Antony tell this conspirators to fulfil?
Answer:
‘Bear me hard’ means the conspirators’ ill-will towards Antony. He tells them to kill him if it pleases them.

(c) How does Antony’s speech refer to Caesar? What does this show about his feelings towards Caesar?
Answer:
Antony calls Caesar ‘the most noble blood of all this world.’ He has a high opinion of Caesar and holds him in great regard.

Question 16.
Antony:
My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward or a flatterer.
That I did love thee, Caesar, O, ’tis true:

(a) When and to whom does Antony speak these words?
Answer:
Antony speaks these words to the conspirators after Caesar’s assassination.

(b) What is meant by the word ‘credit’? Why does Antony’s credit stand on slippery ground?
Answer:
The word ‘credit’ refers to reputation. Antony’s reputation stands on unsteady ground as he was Caesar’s friend and he was shaking hands with his murderers.

(c) What does Antony think the conspirators would regard him as? What effect do these words have on the listeners?
Answer:
Antony thinks that the conspirators would regard him as a coward or a flatterer. Cassius is taken aback by Antony’s direct speech. He asks Antony if they may consider him a friend or a foe.

Question 17.
Antony:
My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward or a flatterer.
That I did love thee, Caesar, O, ’tis true:

(a) Explain: ‘ conceit. ’ Why would the conspirators regard Antony as a coward or a flatterer?
Answer:
Conceit means an idea or a notion. The others would have formed an idea of him as a coward or a flatterer because he was shaking hands with the people who killed his friend.

(b) How is Antony both a coward and a flatterer?
Answer:
Antony is a coward because he did not rebel against or oppose the conspirators. He is a flatterer as he praised the conspirators instead of avenging his friend’s death.

(c) Why has Antony come to make peace with Caesar’s murderers?
Answer:
Antony wants to avenge Caesar’s death and knows he can turn Romans against the conspirators if he is given an opportunity to speak to them.

Question 18.
Antony:
And am moreover suitor that I may
Produce his body to the market-place;
And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend,
Speak in the order of his funeral.

(a) What request does Antony make of the conspirators?
Answer:
Antony requests the conspirators to allow him to take Caesar’s body to the marketplace and to let him speak at Caesar’s funeral.

(b) How does Brutus react to Antony’s request?
Answer:
Brutus agrees to Antony’s request.

(c) Why does Cassius try to dissuade Brutus? What is the consequence of Brutus’mistake?
Answer:
Cassius tries to dissuade Brutus because he thinks that Antony will be able to stir the emotions of the people and turn them against the conspirators. Antony was able to stir the emotions of the people and turn the tide against the conspirators.

Question 19.
Antony: Pardon me, Caius Cassius:
The enemies of Caesar shall say this;
Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

Cassius:
I blame you not for praising Caesar so;
But what compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be prick’d in number of our friends;
Or shall we on, and not depend on you?

(a) What is the ‘this’ that Caesar’s enemies shall say?
Answer:
Caesar’s enemies would refer to him as noble.

(b) What does Cassius ask Antony?
Answer:
Cassius asks Antony if they should count him as one of their friends or should they carry on their way without depending on him for friendship or support.

(c) What was Cassius’s offer to Antony a little while earlier?
Answer:
Cassius had told Antony that his recommendations will be as strong as that of any of the conspirators while distributing the powers and benefits in the new government that will be set up after Caesar’s death.

Question 20.
Cassius: (Aside to Brutus)
You know not what you do: do not consent
That Antony speak in his funeral:
Know you how much the people may be moved
By that which he will utter?

(a) What has Brutus consented to?
Answer:
Brutus consented that Antony take Caesar’s body to the marketplace and as his friend speak at the funeral.

(b) What is Cassius’ fear?
Answer:
Cassius is afraid that Antony will be able to stir the emotions of the people and turn them against the conspirators.

(c) How does Brutus quieten Cassius’fears?
Answer:
Brutus replies that he will speak before Antony and explain to the public the reason for the conspirators’
deed, and then announce that Antony has been allowed to speak only with his consent. He believes that the people , will admire his magnanimity for allowing Antony, a friend of Caesar’s, to take part in the funeral, and that the episode will benefit the conspirators’ public image.

Question 21.
Antony:
And Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice
Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.

(a) Why will Caesar’s spirit be ‘ranging for revenge’? Who will accompany him?
Answer:
Caesar’s spirit will be ranging for revenge as he was brutally murdered by the conspirators. He will be accompanied by Ate; the Roman goddess of mischief and revenge.

(b) What will be the effect of Caesar’s spirit roaming for revenge?
Answer:
The roaming of Caesar’s spirit will result in fierce civil war which would rage over all parts of the
kingdom as Caesar lets loose the horrors of war. Violence and murder would be frequent and terrible sights would be so common that mothers will smile when their children are killed.

(c) Which is the ‘foul deed’ being referred to?
Answer:
The ‘foul deed’ referred to is the murder of Caesar.

Question 22.
Brutus:
Be patient till the last.
Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me for my cause, and be silent, that
you may hear: believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that
you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge.

(a) Where is Brutus at the present moment? What is the occasion?
Answer:
Brutus is on a pulpit in the market place in Rome. The conspirators have just assassinated Caesar and Brutus is giving the Romans the reasons for the assassination.

(b) What is Brutus’s cause for killing Caesar?
Answer:
Brutus killed Caesar because he feared that Caesar would become a dictator.

(c) What error of judgement does Brutus make while delivering the speech?
Answer:
Brutus misjudges the Roman mob. He appeals to reason but the mob does not understand his logic. This is evident from the speech of the citizen who declares at the end of Brutus’s speech, “Let him be Caesar.”

Question 23.
Brutus:
Good countrymen, for my sake, stay here with Antony:
Do grace to Caesar’s corpse, and grace his speech
Tending to Caesar’s glories; which Mark Antony, 
By our permission, is allow’d to make.
I do entreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

(a) Why does Brutus depart alone? Explain ‘Do grace to Caesar’s corpse, and grace his speech.’
Answer:
Brutus departed alone because he wanted the citizens to stay back and listen to Antony’s speech in honour of Caesar. He wished them to pay respect and reverence to Caesar and listen to Antony’s speech.

(b) What reason did Brutus give for Caesar’s assassination? How did his listeners react to it?
Answer:
Brutus said that he killed Caesar because he was ambitious. His listeners did not understand his logic.

(c) Under what conditions did Antony obtain the permission to speak?
Answer:
Antony was given the permission to speak on the condition that he may speak as highly of Caesar as he wishes but he must tell the people that he did so with permission of the conspirators. He must also not speak any ill of the conspirators.

Question 24.
Antony:
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it.

(a) Explain ‘The good is oft interred with their bones.’
Answer:
The above line means that a man’s good qualities are forgotten soon after his death.

(b) Which two reasons does Antony give to prove that Caesar was not ambitious?
Answer:
Antony tells the mob that Caesar had brought many prisoners to Rome and the ransom obtained by him for the release of those prisoners filled the public treasury. This act of Caesar’s showed that he was not. ambitious. Furthermore, Caesar had wept whenever the poor people cried in distress. This showed that Caesar was not ambitious, as he wasn’t hard-hearted. Finally, Caesar refused the offer of a crown at the feast of Lupercal though Antony had thrice offered the crown to him. (any two)

Question 25.
Antony:
But yesterday the word of Caesar might

(a) How might Caesar’s word have stood against the world?
Answer:
Caesar was a mighty conqueror who conquered many lands. His power and glory had spread all over the world and his word was considered the law.

(b) Who are the people Antony does not wish to wrong? Whom does he choose to wrong instead?
Answer:
Antony does not wish to wrong the honourable Brutus and Cassius. He chooses to wrong the dead Caesar, himself and the common people of Rome.

(c) How can Antony wrong the conspirators?
Answer:
Antony can wrong the conspirators by stirring the mob to mutiny and anger.

Question 26.
Antony:
Let but the commons hear this testament
Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read
And they would go and kiss dead Caesar’s wounds And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,
Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
And, dying, mention it within their wills,
Bequeathing it as a rich legacy
Unto their issue.

(a) What is the testament? Who are the ‘commons’?
Answer:
The testament is Caesar’s will. The ‘commons’ refer to the common people of Rome.

(b) What will the common people do if they hear the will?
Answer:
The common people would run to kiss the dead Caesar’s wounds and dip their handkerchiefs in Caesar’s blood and beg for a hair of Caesar to keep as a memento if they heard the will.

(c) What were the terms of Caesar’s will?
Answer:
Caesar had bequeathed a sum of 75 drachmas from his personal holdings to every man in Rome. Also, Caesar had made his private parks and gardens available for the people’s pleasure.

Question 27.
Antony:
If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this mantle: I remember
The first time ever Caesar put it on;
’Twas on a summer’s evening, in his tent,
That day he overcame the Nervii:
Look, in this place ran Cassius’ dagger through:
See what a rent the envious Casca made:
Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb’d;

(a) What is the significance of the mantle? Why does ‘unto me’ refer to it?
Answer:
Caesar had worn the mantle for the first time when he defeated the Nervii. The phrase ‘unto me’ reminds the listeners about Caesar’s greatness as a conqueror.

(b) Who were the Nervii?
Answer:
The Nervii were the most warlike of the Gallic tribes who were defeated by Caesar in 57 BCE.

(c) Why does Antony mention the conspirators? Why is Brutus’ stabbing of Caesar said to be ‘the most unkindest cut of all’?
Answer:
Antony mentioned the conspirators to remind the listeners that they had killed their beloved Caesar. Caesar loved Brutus dearly and Brutus had betrayed Caesar and hence was referred to as the ‘the most unkindest cut of all’.

Question  28.
Cassius:
You know not what you do: do not consent
That Antony speak in his funeral:
Know you how much the people may be moved
By that which he will utter?

(a) Who advises whom?
Answer:
Cassius advises Brutus.

(b) Whose ‘funeral’ is referred to?
Answer:
Cassius is referring to Caesar’s funeral.

(c) What light do these words throw on the character of the speaker?
Answer:
The speaker Cassius, is a good judge of character.

Here we are providing The Frog and the Nightingale Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature Reader, Extra Questions for Class 10 English was designed by subject expert teachers. https://ncertmcq.com/extra-questions-for-class-10-english/

The Frog and the Nightingale Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

The Frog and the Nightingale Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

The Frog And The Nightingale Questions And Answers Question 1.
Bring out the irony in the frog’s statement—“Your song must be your own.”
Answer:
The irony in the statement is that the frog was the one who tried to teach the nightingale to sing differently. He did not let her song be her own.

The Frog And The Nightingale Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 2.
Do you think the end is justified?
Answer:
Yes, the nightingale met a fitting end as she was truly brainless. She believed the frog and came under his influence even though the other creatures appreciated her song and came to hear her sing in large numbers. Moreover, she had no proof of the frog’s talent except for what he himself said.

The Frog And The Bird Questions And Answers Question 3.
Do you think the nightingale is ‘brainless’? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
The nightingale was fooled by the frog. She took the frog at his word and followed him blindly and changed her song. She did not realise she had an appreciative audience even before the frog began to train her. She did not have the brains to realise the extent of her own talent.

The Nightingale Question Answers Question 4.
In spite of having a melodious voice and being a crowd puller, the nightingale turns out to be a loser and dies. How far is she responsible for her own downfall?
Answer:
The nightingale was fooled by the frog because she did not realise she had an appreciative audience even before the frog began to train her. She did not have the brains to realise the enormity of her talent even when the audience stopped coming to hear her sing. In fact, she was so under the frog’s influence that she lost her life.

The Frog And The Nightingale Question Answers Pdf Question 5.
Do you agree with the frog’s inference of the nightingale’s character? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Yes, she asks the frog (who claims to be a music critic) his opinion of her song despite having an appreciative audience the previous night; does not show much faith in her own ability. She is gullible and easily influenced.

The Frog and the Nightingale Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

The Frog And The Nightingale Questions And Answers Icse Question 1.
Bring out the character of the frog.
Answer:
He is thick-skinned and impervious to insults. In spite of the creatures throwing stones, sticks and bricks at him, begging him to stop singing, insulting him and complaining about him, he refuses to comply. He is jealous of the nightingale and plots to get rid of her. He is presumptuous and offers to give training to the nightingale. He is possessive and territorial and proclaims that he owns the sumac tree. He is greedy and he exploits the nightingale. He is dismissive and condescending and treats the nightingale as a stupid creature.

The Nightingale Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 2.
Bring out the character of the nightingale.
Answer:
She is nervous as she asks the frog (who claims to be a music critic) his opinion of her song despite having an appreciative audience. She is modest and does not consider her song to be of much merit despite the applause. She lacks in confidence. Despite having an appreciative audience she listens blindly to the frog and does not show much faith in her own ability. She is easily influenced and listens to the frog and believes him despite having no proof of his talent.

The Frog And The Nightingale Question 3.
To some extent the nightingale was herself responsible for her downfall and death. Comment.
Answer:
She is carried away by appreciation and could not understand that she was being fooled by the frog’s greed to gain recognition and fame. She left herself open to exploitation. She felt honoured to be singled out by the frog for appreciation and recognition. She did not see to through him. Despite having an appreciative audience, she did not have much faith in her ability and did not have the brains to realise the enojmity of her talent even when the audience stopped coming.

Question 4.
What is the moral of the poem?
Answer:
We learn that one should exercise one’s individuality and reasoning without letting others lead one blindly. One should realise one’s limitations and capabilities and not leave oneself open for exploitation.

Question 5.
“Far too nervous, far too tense,
Far too prone to influence.
Well, poor bird—she should have known
That your song must be your own.”
Do you agree with the frog’s statement? Justify your answer.
Answer:
The nightingale came under the influence of the frog despite having an appreciative audience. She was completely controlled by him and did not have much faith in her ability and did not have the brains to realise the enormity of her talent. She was carried away by the dream of fame that the frog held out. She could not guess that she was being fooled by his greed to gain recognition and fame. This left her open to exploitation as she felt honoured to be singled out by the frog who was a music critic. She practised day and night in all sorts of weather and lost her melody, thereby losing her audience and eventually she died.

The Frog and the Nightingale Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow. Write the answers in one or two lines only.

Question 1.
Once upon a time a frog
Croaked away in Bingle Bog.
Every night from dusk to dawn
He croaked awn and awn and awn.

(a) What did the frog do all night?
Answer:
The frog croaked all night.

(b) How did the other creatures react to his voice?
Answer:
The other creatures hated the frog’s voice. They threw stones, sticks and bricks at him, begged him to stop singing, insulted him, and complained about him, but in vain.

(c) Find a word in the above lines which the poet has made up? Why has he done so?
Answer:
The word is‘Awn’. The poet has done so to create a rhyme scheme with dawn.

Question 2.
Other creatures loathed his voice,
But, alas, they had no choice,
And the crass cacophony
Blared put from the sumac tree
At whose foot the frog each night
Minstrelled on till morning light.

(a) Where did the frog live?
Answer:
The frog lived under the sumac tree in Bingle Bog.

(b) What did the other creatures not have any choice in? Why?
Answer:
The other creatures were forced to listen to the frog’s song all night. All their efforts to make him stop singing were in vain

(c) Explain‘crass cacophony’.
Answer:
The phrase means a very loud and unpleasant noise.

Question 3.
Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks,
Insults or complaints or bricks
Stilled the frog’s determination
To display his heart’s elation.

(a) How did the other creatures try to quieten the frog?
Answer:
The other creatures threw stones, sticks and bricks at the frog, begged him to stop singing, insulted him, and complained about him.

(b) Did they succeed in their efforts?
Answer:
No, they did not succeed in their efforts. The frog continued to sing despite their efforts.

(c) What feature of the frog’s personality is brought out in the above lines?
Answer:
The frog was thick-skinned and impervious to insults. He was determined and stubborn.

Question 4.
But one night a nightingale
In the moonlight cold and pale
Perched upon the sumac tree
Casting forth her melody.

(a) Whose songs had echoed in the bog all night earlier?
Answer:
The frog’s song had echoed in the bog earlier all night.

(b) What did the nightingale do?
Answer:
The nightingale sat on the sumac tree singing her melodious song.

(c) How was the nightingale’s song different from the frog’s?
Answer:
The nightingale’s song was melodious while the frog’s song was crass cacophony. His voice sounded like a foghorn.

Question 5.
Dumbstruck sat the gaping frog,
And the whole admiring Bog
Stared towards the sumac, rapt,
And, when she had ended, clapped.

(a) Explain the phrase ‘whole admiring Bog’.
Answer:
All the creatures of the Bog were struck with admiration for the nightingale’s song.

(b) How did the frog react to the nightingale’s song?
Answer:
The frog was dumbstruck by the beauty of her voice.

(c) What had been the frog’s experience at the sumac tree?
Answer:
When the frog sang, the other creatures threw stones, sticks and bricks at him, begged him to stop singing, insulted him and complained.

Question 6.
Ducks had swum and herons waded
To her as she serenaded,
And a solitary loon
Wept, beneath the summer moon.

(a) Who is ‘she’ in the above lines? Why did the ducks and herons come towards her?
Answer:
The nightingale, is being referred to in these lines. The ducks and herons came to hear her song.

(b) Who was the solitary loon? How was his behaviour different from that of the others?
Answer:
Loons are water birds. A single loon came to listen to the nightingale’s song. He was so overcome by emotions that he wept on hearing her beautiful song.

Question 7.
Toads and teals and tiddlers, captured
By her voice, cheered on, enraptured:
‘Bravo! ’ ‘Too divine!’ ‘Encore! ’
So the nightingale once more,
Quite unused to such applause,
Sang till dawn without a pause.

(a) How do you know that the nightingale s song was a sensation?
Answer:
The creatures of the bog heard her voice and swam towards her. They listened to her song, enraptured and encouraged her to sing the whole night long.

(b) How did the nightingale react to the applause?
Answer:
The nightingale sang the whole night without a pause.

(c) Who are‘toads and teals and tiddlers’?
Answer:
The toads are a type of frog, teals are freshwater ducks and tiddlers are small fish. They were all a part of the nightingale’s adoring audience.

Question 8.
Next night when the Nightingale
Shook her head and twitched her tail,
Closed an eye and fluffed a wing
And had cleared her throat to sing
She was startled by a croak.

(a) Where is the nightingale? Who lived at the foot of the tree?
Answer:
The nightingale is on the sumac tree in Bingle Bog. The frog lived at the foot of the tree.

(b) How do you know that the nightingale was getting ready to sing?
Answer:
The nightingale shook her head and twitched her tail. Then she closed an eye, fluffed a wing and cleared her throat preparing to start singing.

(c) What surprised the nightingale?
Answer:
The frog’s croak surprised the nightingale.

Question 9.
Sorry—was that you who spoke?
She enquired when the frog
Hopped towards her from the bog.
“Yes,” the frog replied. “You see,
I’m the frog who owns this tree.”

(a) Who is ‘she’? What aspect of the frog’s personality is revealed in these lines?
Answer:
‘She’ is the nightingale. The frog is territorial and possessive.

(b) How did the frog introduce himself?
Answer:
The frog introduced himself as the owner of the sumac tree.

Question 10.
“Yes,” the frog replied. “You see,
I’m the frog who owns this tree.
In this bog, I’ve long been known
For my splendid baritone
And, of course, I wield my pen
For Bog Trumpet now and then.”

(a) What quality does the frog reveal in the second line of this extract?
Answer:
The frog is boastful.

(b) What is a baritone?
Answer:
Baritone is a deep male singing voice.

(c) Why does he say this?
Answer:
The frog says this to impress the nightingale and to get her under his influence.

Question 11.
“Did you … did you like my song?”
“Not too bad—but far too long.
The technique was fine, of course,
But it lacked a certain force.”

(a) Who is commenting on whose song? What is his comment?
Answer:
The frog is commenting on the nightingale’s song. He tells her that the song was not too bad but it was too long and it lacked intensity and depth.

(b) Do you think he is a fair judge of the other person’s song? Give reasons.
Answer:
No, the frog is not a fair judge because he is not a good singer himself and so possibly does not know much about singing. Moreover, he is jealous as the creatures who insulted his singing admired the nightingale’s song.

Question12.
“Oh!” the nightingale confessed,
Greatly flattered and impressed
That a critic of such note,
Had discussed her art and throat

(a) What were his comments on the nightingale’s singing?
Answer:
The frog commented that the song was not too bad but it was far too long and it lacked intensity and depth.

(b) How did the nightingale respond to the criticism?
Answer:
The nightingale was dejected to hear that her song was not good enough but flattered and impressed to have been noticed by a great critic.

(c) What impression do you form of the nightingale?
Answer:
The nightingale lacked confidence and was prone to influence. She was naive and gullible.

Question 13.
“I don’t think the song’s divine
But—oh, well—at least it’s mine.”
“That’s not much to boast about,”
Said the heartless frog.

(a) Why does the nightingale feel her song is not divine?
Answer:
The nightingale is a modest creature. She is ready to accept her mistakes and is willing to learn.

(b) Who composed the nightingale’s song?
Answer:
It is the nightingale’s self-composed song.

(c) How does the frog change his own statement: “That’s not much to boast about,” in the end?
Answer:
In the end the frog says that the bird should have realised that ‘your song must be your own.’

Question 14.
“That’s not much to boast about,”
Said the heartless frog. “Without
Proper training such as I
—And few others—can supply,”

(a) Who is the frog speaking to? What does ‘that’ refer to?
Answer:
The frog is speaking to the nightingale. ‘That’ refers to the fact that the song the nightingale sang was her own composition.

(b) Why is the frog referred to as heartless?
Answer:
The frog has been called heartless as he did not appreciate the nightingale’s melodious voice. He is cruel and uncaring about the nightingale’s feelings as he criticises her song.

Question 15.
“You’ll remain a mere beginner,
But with me you’ll be a winner.”

(a) How willihe frog change the nightingale’s singing?
Answer:
By teaching the nightingale the technique of singing, the frog promised to transform her from a mere beginner to a singing sensation.

(b) On what condition does the frog agree to teach the nightingale? What according to the frog was lacking in the nightingale’s song?
Answer:
The frog agreed on the condition of charging a modest fee. According to the frog, the nightingale’s song was too long and lacked intensity and depth.

(c) How will the fee not hurt the nightingale?
Answer:
The frog will not take it directly from her but will charge admission fees from the creatures who come to hear the bird sing.

Question 16.
“Dearest frog,” the nightingale Breathed;
“This is a fairy tale—
And you’re Mozart in disguise
Come to earth before my eyes.”
“Well, I charge a modest fee.”
“Oh! But it won’t hurt, you’ll see.”

(a) What was a fairy tale?
Answer:
The fairy tale was that a famous singer and music critic like the frog was ready to teach the nightingale.

(b) How was the listener ‘Mozart in disguise’?
Answer:
The nightingale is flattered and impressed by the frog who claims to be a famous singer and a critic. She praises the frog by comparing him to the great music composer, Mozart.

(c) Why is the nightingale worried at the mention of the fee?
Answer:
She does not have much money to pay the frog for music lessons.

Question 17.
Now the nightingale, inspired,
Flushed with confidence, and fired
With both art and adoration, A
Sang—and was a huge sensation.

(a) What inspired the nightingale to sing?
Answer:
The appreciation of the audience inspired the nightingale to sing beautifully.

(b) How did the nightingale become a sensation?
Answer:
The melodious song of the nightingale attracted creatures of the bog who came from miles around to hear her sing.

(c) Explain‘flushed with confidence’.
Answer:
The appreciation and success that the nightingale received made her feel confident. She also felt excited and pleased with herself as she began to sing.

Question 18.
Animals for miles around
Flocked towards the magic sound.
And the frog with great precision
Counted heads and charged admission.

(a) Why did the animals come in large numbers?
Answer:
The animals came to hear the nightingale’s song.

(b) What is the magic sound?
Answer:
The magic sound refers to the melodious song of the nightingale.

(c) How did the frog make money? ”
Answer:
The frog charged the other creatures admission fee when they came to hear the nightingale sing and he kept the money as his fee for training the nightingale.

Question 19.
Though next morning it was raining,
He began her vocal training.
“But I can’t sing in this weather.”
“Come, my dear—we’ll sing together.”

(a) What training did the frog give the nightingale?
Answer:
The frog trained the nightingale to sing.

(b) What was the effect of the training?
Answer:
As a result of the training, the nightingale lost her melodious voice and the creatures of the bog lost interest in her. They no longer came to hear her sing.

(c) What was her protest?
Answer:
The nightingale could not sing in the rain.

Question 20.
“Just put on your scarf and sash,
Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!”
So the frog and nightingale
Journeyed up and down the scale
For six hours, till she was shivering
And her voice was hoarse and quivering.

(a) Why did the frog tell the nightingale to put on her scarf and her sash?
Answer:
As it was raining, the nightingale was a little reluctant but the frog wanted her to practise.

(b) Explain: ‘Journeyed up and down the scale’.
Answer:
It means they sang a number of notes—both high and low ones.

(c) What was the result of the practise on the nightingale?
Answer:
The frog made the nightingale practise in the rain for six hours. As a result she was shivering in the cold. Her throat became hoarse and her voice started shaking.

Question 21.
Though subdued and sleep-deprived,
In the night her throat revived,
And the sumac tree was bowed
With a breathless, titled crowd:
Owl of Sandwich, Duck of Kent,
Mallard and Milady Trent,
Martin Cardinal Mephisto,
And the Coot of Monte Cristo.

(a) Why was the nightingale subdued?
Answer:
The nightingale had had no rest. She had been made to practise for long hours in the rain.

(b) What made the nightingale’s throat revive at night?
Answer:
The appreciative audience revived the nightingale’s throat.

(c) Explain: ‘titled crowd’. Who was the noted critic?
Answer:
The ‘titled crowd’ refers to the aristocratic creatures of the bog. The frog was the noted critic.

Question 22.
Ladies with tiaras glittering
In the interval sat twittering
And the frog observed them glitter
With a joy both sweet and bitter.

(a) Where had all the animals gathered? Why?
Answer:
The animals had gathered near the sumac tree to hear the song of the nightingale.

(b) Why was the frog’s joy both sweet and bitter?
Answer:
The frog’s joy was sweet as he was exploiting the nightingale and charging money from the creatures of ‘ the bog who came to hear her, which he pocketed. At the same time he was bitter because the creatures who came to hear the nightingale were the same ones who had insulted him when he used to sing.

Question 23.
Every day the frog who’d sold her
Songs for silver tried to scold her:
“You must practise even longer
Till your voice, like mine, grows stronger.”

(a) Who is ‘her’?
Answer:
The ‘her’ mentioned here is the nightingale.

(b) How did the frog sell her songs for silver?
Answer:
The frog made the nightingale sing every night and he earned money by charging an admission fee from all the creatures who came to hear her song.

(c) What did the frog tell the bird to do?
Answer:
The frog told her to practise for longer hours till her voice became as strong as his own.
He told her to puff up her lungs and sing with passion and add trills to her song.

Question 24.
“In the second song last night
You got nervous in mid-flight. ,
And, my dear, lay on morfe trills:
Audiences enjoy such frills.”

(a) Who speaks these lines and to whom?
Answer:
The frog speaks these lines to the nightingale.

(b) What advice does the speaker give the listener?
Answer:
The frog advises the nightingale to add trills to her song—that is, to sing two musical notes one after the other, repeatedly and very quickly and to bring variety to her songs.

(c) In what two ways was the speaker benefited by the training he gave?
Answer:
He earned a lot of money and was finally able to get rid of the nightingale.

Question 25.
“You must make your public happier:
Give them something sharper, snappier.
We must aim for better billings
You still owe me sixty shillings.”

(a) Who are the ‘public’? Why was this advice given?
Answer:
The creatures who come to hear the nightingale sing are the public. The frog tells her to sing songs which have a faster beat to impress the public.

(b) What is the meaning of ‘better billings’?
Answer:
It means better publicity for the show.

(c) What aspect of the speaker’s personality is shown in these lines?
Answer:
The lines show his greed for money, his heartlessness and ruthlessness.

Question 26.
Till the birds and beasts grew tired
At a voice so uninspired
And the ticket office gross
Crashed, and she grew more morose

(a) Whose voice is being referred to here? What had happened to make it uninspired?
Answer:
The nightingale’s voice is being referred to here. The frog had been training her and she had lost the natural sweetness of her voice.

(b) What does ‘ticket office gross’ mean?
Answer:
This refers to the money collected as the sale of tickets for a concert or a show.

(c) Why did it crash? Why did the nightingale grow morose?
Answer:
The creatures no longer came to hear the nightingale’s song, so the collections fell. The lack of an audience and the frog’s constant rebukes made her feel unhappy.

Question 27.
For her ears were now addicted
To applause quite unrestricted,
And to sing into the night
All alone gave no delight.

(a) What had the nightingale become used to?
Answer:
The nightingale became used to an appreciative audience who applauded her.

(b) Why was she all alone?
Answer:
The nightingale’s voice was no longer as melodious as it had been earlier and the creatures of the bog no longer came to hear her sing.

(c) What was the result of the lack of applause?
Answer:
The nightingale became sorrowful and pale.

Question 28.
Now the frog puffed up with rage.
“Brainless bird—you’re on the stage—
Use your wits and follow fashion,
Puff your lungs out with your passion.”

(a) Why was the frog angry?
Answer:
The frog was angry as the nightingale’s voice no longer attracted the creatures of the bog as earlier and his earnings had dropped.

(b) Do you think the bird is brainless? Explain.
Answer:
Yes, the nightingale was truly brainless. She believed the frog and came under his influence even though the other creatures appreciated her song and came to hear her sing in large numbers. Moreover, she had no proof of the frog’s talent except for what he had himself said.

(c) What did the nightingale do to please the frog? What happened to her as a result?
Answer:
The nightingale puffed up her lungs to sing, burst a vein and died.

Question 29.
Trembling, terrified to fail,
Blind with tears, the nightingale
Heard him out in silence, tried,
Puffed up, burst a vein, and died.

(a) Why was the nightingale trembling?
Answer:
The nightingale was trembling because of the frog’s scolding.

(b) What did the frog wish the nightingale to do?
Answer:
The frog wanted her to use her wits and sing in a more fashionable style.

(c) Whom is she terrified to fail?
Answer:
The nightingale was terrified to fail her audience who paid to hear her sing and the frog who was training her.

Question 30.
Said the frog: “I tried to teach her,
But she was a stupid creature—
Far too nervous, far too tense.
Far too prone to influence.”

(a) Whose influence did she come under? What was the effect of the influence?
Answer:
The nightingale came under the influence of the frog. She was completely controlled by him. He made her practise day and night in all sorts of weather. She lost the melody in her voice and her audience decreased. One day, as the frog scolded her and told her to puff up her lungs, she burst a vein and died.

(b) What do you learn from the poem?
Answer:
We leant that one should exercise one’s individuality and reasoning without letting others lead one blindly. One should realise one’s limitations and capabilities and not leave oneself open for exploitation.

Question 31.
“Well, poor bird—she should have known
That your song must be your own.
That’s why I sing with panache:
Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!”
And the foghorn of the frog
Blared unrivalled through the Bog.

(a) Why does the frog call the nightingale ‘poor bird’?
Answer:
The frog calls the nightingale ‘poor bird’ as she had died.

(b) What did the frog think of his own influence on the nightingale?
Answer:
The frog realises he was a bad influence on her. In the end, he confesses she should have realised her song should have been her own

(c) How did the frog gain by the nightingale’s death?
Answer:
Once again the frog was the unrivalled singer in the bog. He had got rid of his competition.

Here we are providing Three Men in a Boat Extra Questions and Answers for Class 9 English, Extra Questions for Class 9 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

Three Men in a Boat Extra Questions and Answers for Class 9 English

Three Men In A Boat Question Answer Question 1.
Name the four characters introduced in this chapter. Give an account of each.
Answer:
The four characters introduced in this chapter are the two friends of the narrator, George and William Samuel Harris, the narrator and his dog, Montmorency. J. is one of the main characters in the book and he is also the narrator of this story. J. sees himself as hardworking, intelligent and competent when in fact in real life he was the exact opposite. He is also a hypochondriac much like his other friends.

George is a very good-natured person. He works at the bank and is seen to be more grounded than his other two friends. He brings a banjo to his house and starts to learning how to play. Harris or William Samuel Harris and J. have known each other for a long time. He is bigger in build and used that to scare away somebody who was trying to blackmail them.

Three Men In A Boat Questions Question 2.
What were the men discussing and why were they doing so? Did they come up with a solution and what did they decide to about it?
Answer:
The men were discussing their poor health and their symptoms because they were experiencing spells of giddiness. The narrator was convinced that his liver was not functioning properly. They diagnosed themselves with every kind of disease they could find and only eliminated a disease called housemaid’s disease. They later identified the source of their poor health and hypochondria could be a result of stress and overwork so they decided to take a holiday. Then they finally decided to row up the Thames.

Three Men In A Boat Questions And Answers Question 3.
Why did the narrator suspect that his liver was not well? What made the narrator feel that he was an interesting medical case? Do you think something was wrong with him? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
The narrator felt so because he had been reading a circular that contained symptoms of liver disorder and he was convinced that he had all the symptoms.The fact that the narrator felt that he had every disease listed in the medical book he had ever read in the reading room convinced him that medical students could learn a lot about the various diseases by just studying him.There was nothing wrong with him, he was perfectly normal. The narrator seemed to worry about having a serious illness which turned out to be a phobia.

Three Men In A Boat Answers Question 4.
What does the narrator mean when he makes the following statement: “I had walked into that reading-room a happy, healthy man. I crawled out a decrepit wreck.”
(Encourage the students to think creatively andformulate their own answers.)
Answer:
The narrator means that though he had been quite hale and hearty before going to the reading-room, after reading the symptoms listed in the medical book, he felt that he was actually a very sick man as he seemed to have all the symptoms of most of the diseases listed in the book.

Three Men In A Boat Mcq Questions And Answers Question 5.
Why did the chemist not give the narrator any medicine when he gave him the doctor’s prescription? What did this mean? Do you think the doctor knew what the narrator was going through? Give ‘ reasons for your answer.
Answer:
The chemist did not give the narrator any medicines because the prescription did not contain th6 names of any medicines. All it had written on it was the name of the food and drink and the exercise that the doctor felt the narrator should have. It also contained the time at which the doctor advised him to sleep. This meant that the doctor did not think anything was wrong with the narrator.

Yes, I think the doctor knew exactly what was going on with the narrator because instead of prescribing medicines-and drugs, he had prescribed food and drinks as well as exercise. This shows that the narrator was healthy and had no tangible physical pain. It was ali a part of his phobia.

Question 6.
How has the narrator dealt with illness in his childhood whenever he complained it? Do you think that is the right approach? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
The narrator would be boxed or slapped hard on the side of his head and this strangely used to cure him of his illness at that time. (Encourage students to think creatively and formulate their own answers.) Despite the proverb, ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’, physical abuse in any form is not healthy and this form of negative reinforcement gives trauma to the recipient of the act.

The narrator is suffering from Hypochondria which is a phobia in itself and the cure itself lay in the parental figures understanding their child’s status. No, I do not think that violence or abuse is not cure for any illness. The parents must’ve figured that the child was acting but in fact the.problem lay in his psyche which by negative reinforcement was only able to suppress.

Question 7.
What does the narrator find strange about people talking about their sea trips? Why did George suggest that they could go on a boating trip?
Answer:
The narrator was surprised at the fact that they never discussed their bouts of sea-sickness. They often recounted tales about other people’s sea-sickness but never their own. They probably felt that it was a sign of weakness and the listeners might make fun of them. According to George, a boating trip on a river would give them fresh air, exercise and peace that they wanted. The change of scene would occupy their minds and the exercise of rowing the boat would give them a good appetite and tire them enough to get a good sleep.

Question 8.
Why was Montmorency not too keen to go on the boat? Is it right to fear the ocean and the boat?
Answer:
Montmorency, the dog, was not keen to go on the boat ride because he was not looking forward to being confined in the boat for hours together without any exercise, neither could he go chasing rats. He was also apprehensive that the men might not be able to handle the boat carefully and so there were chances of then- falling overboard into the river.

(Encourage the students to think creatively andformulate their own answers.)
Yes, I think it is right to fear the ocean because the seas and the oceans are a dangerous place with many unknown perils and subject to the erratic weather conditions. One can be afraid of the boat because the food supplies as well as other essentials could end any day on the boat and they would not have either land or another ship to possibly restock supplies.

Question 9.
What plans did the three men make about their trip? When were they planning on going on their trip and what was the major point of discussion while planning the trip? What was their final decision?
Answer:
The three men planned to leave on their trip on the following Saturday. Two of them, i.e., the narrator and Harris, would take the boat from Kingston to Chertsey, while George who worked in a bank would meet them at Chertsey the same afternoon. They had also taken great pains to pack their things but later on realized only to pack the essential things.The major point of discussion amongst the three was whether they would be camping out or sleeping in the inns. Finally, they decided that on fine nights they would sleep in the tents but on rainy nights they would sleep at the inns.

Question 10.
What are the difficulties described by the narrator about camping out in the open when it was raining? Do you think it would have been an adventure without the rain? Give reasons for ‘your answer.
Answer:
According to the narrator, the boat gets filled with water which makes it is very difficult to put up the tent. Also, making wood fire becomes impossible, the food supplies get soaked in the rain and turn . liquid. Moreover, tobacco becomes damp and the only thing that gives some comfort is a bottle of liquor. Additionally, one is down with a cold in the morning.

(Encourage the students to think creatively andformulate their own answer.)
No, I do not think it would have been an adventure without certain hardships such as the rains. It is only in difficult situations that one is confronted with the idea of happiness and for the three men who took a vacation to find happiness and freedom, the rains somehow reminds them of the fact that happiness is not by doing things or by being with certain people but it’s about appreciating one’s current situation and surroundings.

Question 11.
How does Uncle Podger involve the whole family in the simple task of hanging a picture? Why do you think J. keeps comparing Harris to Uncle Podger?
Answer:
One of the girls from Uncle Podger’s family was sent to buy nails, a boy was sent to tell the girl what size of nails to buy, a boy called Will was asked to get a hammer while Tom got him a ruler, the step-ladder and the ‘ kitchen-chair. Jim was sent to Mr Goggle’s house to lend him his spirit-level. Maria had to hold the light so that he could see clearly.

The girl, who had gone to get some picture-cord, and Tom were called back to hand him the picture. Then he dropped the picture, broke the glass, lost the nail, then the hammer and every time the whole household had to rally around trying to help him. J. keeps comparing Harris to his late Uncle Podger because much like Uncle Podger, Harris also cannot perform basic tasks without making mistakes and ends up riling everyone around him.

Question 12.
What is the narrator’s advice for those who load their boat with useless things? Why? What items did the three finally decide to carry on the trip?
Answer:
According to the narrator, one should discard everything that is unnecessary because it only creates danger and causes unnecessary confusion and clutter. The narrator goes on to compare this with life in general where people seemed to do the same with thoughts and emotions, holding on to them unnecessarily and creating tension for themselves. This could not give anyone a respite from anxiety and care, and one cannot enjoy watching the beauties of the world one lives in.

The three finally decided to carry only the things that they could not do without, such as, a rug each, a lamp, some soap, a brush and comb, a toothbrush (each), a basin, some tooth-powder, some shaving tackle, and a couple of big-towels for bathing along with food provisions. They also decided to take a change of under clothes and plenty of socks, in case anyone wanted a change; also plenty of handkerchiefs and a pair of leather boots, as well as their boating shoes.

Question 13.
Do you think George and Harris were experts at packing and how did Montmorency help in the packing? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
No, George and Harris do not seem to have been experts, because they started by breaking a cup, and continued by squashing a tomato under the bottle of jam. They packed the pies at the bottom and thus squashed them, spilt salt over everything and as for the butter, they stepped on it, sat on it and put it all over themselves and the room.

Montmorency made a complete nuisance of himself. He sat down on things which had to be packed, pushed his nose into Harris or George’s hand whenever they reached out for anything, put his leg into the jam, played with a teaspoon and pretended the lemons were rats. He chased the lemons inside the hamper till he “killed” three of them, before he was hit by Harris with a frying pan.

Question 14.
Who was Biggs? Who were his boys? Why did the narrator get irritated with Biggs’ latest boy? Who were the other people who stopped by to watch the narrator and Harris as they waited for their cab? Why did they do so?
Answer:
Biggs was the narrator’s greengrocer. His “boys” were the errand boys who he hired to help him with his ‘work. The narrator was irritated with Biggs’ latest boy, as instead of going about his work, he stopped to stare at the narrator and Harris, who were waiting for a taxi with all the luggage that they had packed for their boating holiday.

Apart from Biggs’ boy, the grocer’s boy, the gentlemen from the boot shop and the superintendent from the Blue Posts, all stopped by to watch the narrator and his friend. Soon, there was a crowd of people who stopped by. They were curious to know where the narrator and his friend were off to with such a lot of luggage. In fact, one group thought it was a wedding party, with Harris being the bridegroom, while another group thought they were off to the narrator’s brother’s funeral.

Question 15.
What examples does the narrator cite to prove his viewpoint that each person has what he doesn’t want and wants what he doesn’t have? Do you agree with the saying? Give reasons.
Answer:
He mentions the fact that married men have wives they do not seem to want, while single men are not able to get wives at all. Similarly, he mentions poor people were hardly able to take care of their families having eight children and more, but rich old couples had no one to leave their money to. Encourage students to think creatively and formulate their own answers.

Yes, I agree with the statement. This saying is similar to the proverb the grass is always greener on the other side, where when we look at our lot and look at others, we are more envious of them. But if we were to take the viewpoint of each person, one has what he doesn’t want and wants what he doesn’t have, would be incorrect because there are instances where people search for what they want and obtain it. The saying is a typical depiction of needs versus wants.

Question 16.
According to the narrator, why did people leave the countryside and flock to cities and towns? Do you think this movement of people reveal the state of society at that time and why does the three men do the exact opposite? What does the author try to relay in the story?
Answer:
According to the narrator, people flocked to live in cities and towns, because the nights in the countryside could be very lonely, quiet and frightening, with lamps casting ghostly shadows all around. It is the longing for human voices and the throb of life and the gas-lit streets that attracted people to the cities.
(Encourage students to think creatively andformulate their own answers.)

This movement of people might have several reasons, but the answer that the reason that the narrator gives might not entirely be true. The city was seen as a place of opportunities for work, fame and other things, in the cities all modem facilities were available and it was not because of the call of the gas-lit streets. This movement of people could be because of the growing economy where the late 19th century can be seen as the height of industrialization.

The three men do the exact opposite because they are tired of city life and thought that the quiet solitude of the country life as well as the fresh air would do them good. The author makes us understand that the country life is not as idyllic asThe three men made it sound like. Much like the city, country life also had its own share of problems.

Question 17.
In what context does the narrator comment that a boating costume “ought to be a costume that can be worn in a boat, and not merely under a glass-case.” What was his experience of the boating trip with the two ladies?
Answer:
The narrator makes this remark while referring to two ladies who had once gone on a boating picnic with him. They were dressed beautifully, but inappropriately in lace and silk, which could get damaged by even a drop of water falling on it. The narrator was unnerved by trying to prevent any drops of water touch them, and asked his friend to row instead.

However, the friend rowed so carelessly that the girls were covered with water and were upset as a consequence. They had an even worse time at the picnic. The girls completely spoilt the party for themselves, and for their companions, by their wrong choice of clothes.

Question 18.
“I was going on thinking away all these grand, tender thoughts, when my reverie was broken.” What were the grand thoughts that the narrator was thinking? What is a reverie and how was the narrator’s broken?
Answer:
The grand thoughts were the narrator’s musings on a sunny morning when he had visited a little village church. He had felt so much at peace, that he had forgiven all his relatives and friends for all the times they had hurt him. His thoughts were full of forgiveness and blessings. A reverie is a daydream, and the narrator’s was broken by the shrill voice of an old bald- headed man coming towards him with a large bunch of keys, offering to show him some tombs.

Question 19.
What happened when J. and Harris parked their boat near Kempton Park? How did the narrator react to the gentleman’s attempt at blackmail? What chain of thought ensued after this incident?
Answer:
The narrator and Harris stopped for lunch and parked their boat near Kempton Park. They were interrupted by a man who claimed that they were trespassing. The man claimed that he had come to warn them that they were trespassing, but actually, he wanted to make some money by threatening to tell the owner of the property about them. Both the narrator and Harris refused to be scared by the man’s threat.

When the man said it was his duty to keep trespassers away, Harris invited him go ahead and do his job. The man looked at Harris’ well- built body and backed down, saying he would return with the owner. However, he never returned. The narrator and William Harris started discussing about the stupidity of such a prohibition that stops visitors and the ruins.

Question 20.
What is the narrator’s view about tow lines? Why does the man with the tow line get angry with the tourists from stopping on the banks. It seemed to Harris that such an act was punishable and the landowners and his family who were against trespassing of this sort should have violence inflicted on them and that the noticeboard should be buried along with their tombstones while he sings comic songs on man who had handed it to him, and vice versa? How was this muddle resolved?
Answer:
The narrator believes that tow lines are strange objects which get tangled no matter what you do. He believes that even though one might take considerable pains to wind and coil the tow line neatly, it gets tangled within minutes.According to the narrator, the man with the tow line finds the tow line in such a tangle that it takes all his skill to untangle it. He thinks it is the fault of the man, who wound it in the first place, for not doing a neat job.

On the other hand, the man in the boat, having just handed over a perfectly coiled line, blames the man on the bank for being careless and tangling it all up. In the end, they get so angry that they just want to use the tow line as rope to hang each other.The muddle was finally resolved when the men came out of the boat and managed to detangle the tow line. At first they found themselves tugging at the same part of rope from opposite ends, but finally they managed to clear it, often finding that the boat had drifted off in the meantime.

Question 21.
How did George and his friends take advantage of the man and the girl who were pulling along a tow line? Why did the narrator think it was exciting to be towed by girls?
Answer:
Since the girl and the man did not realize that they were towing ah empty line without any boat, George managed to hitch their boat to the tow line. Thus, the boy and girl now towed the boat up to Marlow before realizing what had happened. According to the narrator, it is a sensation that should not be missed. Generally it takes three girls to tow a boat—two to pull and one to run around giggling.

They begin by getting themselves tied up in the rope. Once they undo it from around their ankles and necks, they start off at a run, pulling the boat at a dangerous pace. At the end of a hundred yards, they are breathless and stop suddenly, causing the boat to drift midstream and turn around. They often have to be reminded to keep the boat moving. They also have to keep coming back to the boat to comb their hair or get a shawl. When they finally get going again, they are likely to be scared by a cow in their path. Thus, there is never a dull moment.

Question 22.
Do you think George was a committed worker in the bank? Give reasons for your answer. What does this show about his character? (Encourage students to think creatively and formulate their own answers.)
Answer:
No, George appeared to be doing very little work at the bank from the description of the manner in which he was found sleeping most of the time. He, himself, admits that the bank officers working with him would probably have to awaken him and send him on the trip. George seems to be very lazy and laid back in his attitude and is content to let other’s do his work.

Question 23.
What does the narrator want to suggest through the following statement “If Harris’s eyes filled with tears, you can bet it is because Harris has been eating raw onions.” What does this tell about their characters?
Answer:
The narrator wants to point to the fact that Harris was a practical man unlike himself who had a romantic viewpoint about most things in life. He makes this remark when Harris cuts short the narrator’s romantic description of camping out in a tent in the lap of nature by asking him what they would do if it started raining while they were camping out. The narrator was offended by this interruption and pointed out that Harris had no romance in his soul unlike the narrator, because he, like a pessimist, could only think of problems such as rain instead of visualizing the beauty of nature.

Question 24.
Can you give a description of one of the themes that run in the novel?
Answer:
One of the central theme that runs across the novel is the theme of city and country life. The author describes city life and says that there is a lot of transition and migration of people from the countryside to the cities because the countryside is lonely. He goes on saying that the gas-lit streets are more preferable.

There is a glorification of city life of the late 19th century but at the same time we see the three main protagonists who are suffering from hypochondria try to escape the busy schedule of their city life. They conjectured that a vacation time in the countryside would ease their phobias and help them recover.

They decide to take a river trip and escape to the calmness of nature. The men do enjoy many calm moments and they are wracked less with their hypochondria but they also realize that the country life is not as idyllic as they thought it would be. The author tries to portray the relationship between city life and country life and makes us understand that true calm and peace is not found in things or people but an acceptance and appreciation of the surroundings no matter the situation.

Question 25.
What does the narrator imply by saying that for five and thirty minutes one could hear only the clank of cutlery and crockery? What does this show about the stomach? Explain how the narrator expresses the superiority of the stomach over the mind? Do you agree?
Answer:
The narrator wants to say that for thirty-five minutes the three men and their dog were all engrossed in eating their food. It shows how hungry they were at the end of the day’s journey.

The narrator establishes that the mind is not as powerful as the stomach, by saying that if one has an empty stomach, he is not able to do any work, including thinking. According to him, if our stomachs are not full and satisfied, we cannot indulge in any work or activity, or achieve the higher goals of virtue and contentment. This shows that the stomach rules our mental as well physical faculties and it is hunger that is a strong feeling that overcomes everything else.

(Encourage the students to think creatively and formulate their own answers.)
No, I do not agree with what the narrator tells us because even though hunger determines our moods and emotions, It is also our will that dictates our state of being. For example, we see various different people go on hunger strikes when standing up for their beliefs and convictions. This shows that hunger does cause great discomfort but we can still subdue it with the help of our mind.

Question 26.
Throughout the novel, we can see that the author keeps on digressing. What do you think could be the reason for his digressions?
Encourage the students to think creatively and formulate their own answers.
Answer:
The novel itself is a straightforward journey that takes the three men from London to Oxford on a boat, what the author does is that by adding digression, he has managed to change the straightforward story into a more elaborate one where the same digressions feed into the story and helps us understand the characters as well as their situations better. This narrative style gives the author the artistic license to add some comic relief to the novel and addresses various issues during late 19th century England in a comical way.

There are frequent flashbacks that describe the characters for us in a more in-depth manner. These digressions seem to bring to our attention that no journey, be it our life or any adventure, is ever straightforward. There are always digressions and changes throughout the way. This particular style is an attempt by the author to depict and relay the message of human nature and the constant search for happiness and contentment through a number of approaches.

Question 27.
What are some of the changes that the new Victorian England brought in? Do you think it offered opportunities for fun and leisure? Give reasons for your answer.
Encourage the students to think creatively and formulate their own answers.
Answer:
Victorian England refers to the time of Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901. This period saw many new changes, one was the significance given to gothic architecture, then there was the significance given to the arts and theatre. Technology was making a big headway and it is at this time that the English working and middle class started enjoying public holidays and vacations.

The arrival of steam engine in the form of trains and steamships improved transportation and slowly popularized recreational travel. The countryside and the beach attracted the city residents and there was a lot of movement. Indeed the Victorian Era did offer many opportunities for fun and leisure. Even in the novel, the three men were tired, disillusioned and wanted to take a vacation and decided to opt for an idyllic boat trip to the countryside.

Question 28
Do you think that the Three Men in a Boat has humour in it? What kind of humour or what style of humour do you think the author uses? Why do you think does the author use these styles?
Encourage the students to think creatively and formulate their own answers.
Answer:
Yes, the novel Three Men in a Boat indeed has humour in it. The author Jerome K. Jerome uses a gamut of styles. There is slapstick, social satire and black comedy in it. This novel seems to appeal to a large demographic as its humour caters to many age groups because of its variety. With the help of this variety, the author is able to express his views in different forms and this literary style helps him when he is trying to digress from the main narrative plot. The satire and irony in the novel is actually the main focus of the book and using J. as a protagonist, the author Jerome manages to tie the whole story together and create comical characters making them portray people from different social classes. The author doesn’t seem to overly criticize the English class system.

Question 29.
What was the Magna Carta? Can you give a brief description of its history? By recounting the tale of Oliver Cromwell and King John, what is the narrator trying to say?
Answer:
Magna Carta or the great charter was an agreement signed between the unpopular King John of England and the rebel barons. It was drafted by the archbishop and the island has been long thought of as the place where the agreement took place. It established for the first time that everybody including the King was subject to the law.

By recounting the tale of Oliver Cromwell and King John, the narrator is trying to say that the English countryside they were boating along had not really changed much since the times of Oliver Cromwell and King John. He wants to convey the fact that one could actually imagine all the historical events that had taken place in that area in the past.

Question 30.
The narrator and Harris refuse to enter the two inns at Datchet on some flimsy grounds. What were the excuses they make? What is the irony they have to face at the end?
Answer:
The narrator refuses to enter the first inn because it did not have any honeysuckle flowers growing in or around it. Harris refuses to enter the other inn because he does not like the look of a man leaning against its front door and finds his boots very ugly. The irony is that after they reject the two inns, they come to know that Datchet has only the two inns and when they try to get rooms in the very same inns, they find that they are overflowing with people and are not even allowed to enter inside them.

Question 31.
Why does Harris express a desire to die? What effect does the appearance of the young boy have on him?
Answer:
After the inns refuse to give them any rooms, they go from house to house trying to get a room for the night but are unsuccessful. At this point of time Harris is so exhausted that he wishes he could die. On hearing this, a boy offers them a room for the night in his house. Harris is so overjoyed that he faints and when he is revived, he empties half a can of beer that the boy was carrying and runs towards the’boy’s house much ahead of the others.

Question 32.
How did the men try to open the can of pineapple? Were they successful in their attempts? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
As the men realised that they did not have tin can openers, they unsuccessfully tried opening it with several different objects. Harris was the first to try opening it with a pocket knife which broke and injured his hand badly. The next to try was George who used a pair of scissors which just missed hurting his eyes. The narrator tried opening it with the spiky end of a hitcher but it slipped and jerked him out between the boat and the bank into two feet of muddy water.

Finally, the three took the can out on to the bank, Harris held a sharp end of the stone on its lid, George held on to the can while the narrator picked up the mast and brought it down with all his might onto the stone and missed. He narrowly missed hitting George on his head. They finally abandoned their attempts at opening the can and threw it into the river out of frustration.

Question 33.
Do you think the novel Three Men in a Boat is an autobiography? What do you think are its influences?
Encourage the students to think creatively and formulate their own answers.
Answer:
I think that the novel Three Men in a Boat is not an exact an autobiography but there are instances that have been inspired by his honeymoon with his first wife. They had followed the same route as J. and his fellow companions. Apart from the similarity in the journey that was made, most of the influences are from Jerome’s life. The name J. seems to be a short name for Jerome. Jerome belonged to a lower middle class family and had gone through various hardships especially financially. Thus, he had a good understanding of social classes and he had an astute as well as unique take on society, its pretension and hypocrisy.

Question 34.
What is the narrator referring to when he says-“Strange that Nature’s voices all around them…. should not have taught them a truer meaning of life than this.”?
Answer:
He is referring to the Cistercian monks who had once lived in the abbey in the 13th century. They had lived a very hard life wearing rough tunics, eating vegetarian food and spending their time in hard labour, reading and praying. Most of their time was spent in silent contemplation. The narrator is struck by the irony that these monks were living in the lap of Nature at its best, but were unable to appreciate the beauty that God had provided all around them. They lived grim lives waiting in silence for God’s voice from heaven but were deaf to the sounds of Nature that spoke to them all the time.

Question 35.
What was the outcome of Montmorency’s chasing a large tomcat? How did it affect Montmorency? What is Montgomery’s significance in the novel?
Answer:
Montmorency’s chase had the strangest of outcomes. Instead of running away, or showing any signs of fear, the cat calmly turned around to face Montmorency as if to ask him what he wanted. Montmorency, unused to such a reaction, quietly slinked away with his tail between his legs and would thereafter visibly shrink and have a pained expression on his face at the mention of the word “cat”.

Montmorency features prominently in the novel and somehow provides opportunities for slapstick humour. He also seems to function as a foil to the three men, J., George and William Harris. Unlike the three men, Montmorency is always lively and manages to obtain his own food and most of the time is able to defend himself, which was not the case when Montmorency met the tomcat.

Question 36.
What does the narrator want to express when he says that-“our departure from Marlowe I regard as one of our great successes.”?
Answer:
At Marlowe, the narrator and his friends visited a number of shops to buy different kinds of food materials to last them the next three days on the river. At every shop, they waited till the food was packed in a basket and a boy from the shop carrying the basket followed them to their boat. As a result they had a number of boys following them with baskets in a solemn procession through the centre of the street down to the river, making a very impressive spectacle.

Question 37.
Do you think the narrator hated steam launches? Why? How did the narrator and his friends irritate* the men in the steam launch?
Answer:
Yes, the narrator hated steam launches because, according to him, a person who drives them has hardly anything to do apart from smoking a cigar and blowing the whistle at other boats to clear their path. The narrator was irritated by the superior attitude shown by the people who drove them. The narrator and his friends irritated the men in the steam launch by generally pretending not to hear the whistle of the launch and allowed their boat to drift right into the path of the steam launch. They sat with their backs to them and pretended to be deeply engrossed in a story being told by Harris.

As a result, the launch coming at high speed would run aground in trying to prevent the launch from ramming into their boat. The people from these launches would be found shouting at the men but the narrator and his friends would pretend to be oblivious to all their shouting. Sometimes the men from these launches would come and help to remove their boat from their path and all the time the three friends would pretend to be unaware of all the commotion that they had caused.

Question 38.
What was the shock that George and the narrator received while all three of them were having lunch one day? What had happened?
Answer:
The shock occurred when the trio had just about settled to eat lunch and Harris was carving a pie kept between his knees when he asked the other two for a spoon. Both the narrator and George turned around to get a spoon from the hamper and in the short time that took them to get the spoon Harris just disappeared into ‘ the air along with the pie.

What had happened was that Harris had been sitting on the edge of a small gully which was hidden from view by some long grass and when he had leaned back a little, he had fallen backwards into the gully along with the pie.

Question 39.
What do you think of Montmorency? Why did he come to the narrator with a dead rat? Give an example of how he provides comic relief in the story. Encourage students to think creatively and formulate their own answers.
Answer:
Montmorency was lively, belligerent and seemed to enjoy hunting. When Montmorency saw everyone contributing all kinds of food items for the stew he felt that he too had to give in his contribution which in his case was a dead rat. Montmorency seems to bring comic relief to the story with his funny mishaps. He was also known to have a developed awe, suspicion and hate for the kettle.

He would often watch the kettle as it boiled. Whenever the kettle would start to splutter and steam, he would want to fight it but someone or the other would bear it off before he could do so. Finally, one day, he moved towards the boiling kettle and caught it by the spout and obviously, got burnt. The next moment he was seen running around the island and stopping every now and then to bury his nose in the cool mud.

Question 40.
Why was George contemplating assaulting a policeman? Do you think it was a good idea or was the idea made out of desperation?
Answer:
George and the other two men could not find their boat because they forgot where they moored the boat and now in the dark it was even more difficult to locate it. Since it was raining very heavily with the inns overflowing with people, George felt that by assaulting a policeman, they would at least get a place to sleep in the lock-up in the police station. The only drawback to that plan was that the policeman just might hit them back without locking them up. It was certainly not a good idea because it was thought out of desperation. George was not looking forward to getting drenched in the rain and really wanted some shelter even if the shelter came in the form of a prison.

Question 41
Describe George’s first boating experience?
Answer:
George had started boating at the age of sixteen. He joined eight other gentlemen like himself on their boating expedition. They hired a racing boat, but he had confused recollections of the trip, as he was hit on ’ the head by one of the others’ oars. Another one of their number was similarly situated at the bottom of the boat with his legs up in the air. Only one of the enthusiasts actually knew how to row. When George tried to help him, he lost his oar. They finally passed under Kew Bridge, with all the bystanders enjoying the sight, and were convinced that boating was not the thing for them.

Question 42.
The narrator comments that their towing by the steam launch would have been delightful if it had not been for the wretched small boats. What is ironic about the statement? what does this show-about the narrator?
Answer:
His words are ironic, since earlier he had deliberately blocked the path of steam launches, behaving exactly like the small boats he now thought were such a nuisance. However, now that they were doing what he had done earlier, he was finding fault with them.

Encourage students to think creatively and formulate their own answer.
This shows’us that the narrator was being hypocritical. Throughout the novel we see that the narrator digresses from the narrative to make remarks on people, he is seen getting angry at his friends George and Harris for being lazy when in fact he himself avoids doing chores.

Question 43.
What shocked George that morning? Can you describe in detail the events of what transpired?
Answer:
George noticed something black floating in the river and as the boat drew closer, he laid hold of it. He was shocked to realize that it was the dead body of a woman. The woman had committed suicide by jumping into the river. The three friends later found out her story. She had been deceived by someone she had loved, leaving her alone with a child. Her family and friends had abandoned her and she had to work hard for a living and to care for the baby. Finally, she became so depressed that she decided to end her life.

Question 44.
According to the narrator, what are the ways in which people lie about their fishing? What was strange about the trout mounted in the glass case?
Answer:
According to the narrator, people who fish always exaggerate the size and number of fish they have caught. Also, if they find a stranger, they will claim to have caught any large fish that happen to be seen.The trout mounted in the glass case seemed to be a large and impressive, causing George and the narrator to view it with admiration.

Seeing that they were strangers, no less than five different people, including the innkeeper, pretended to have caught the fish. However, when George tried to get a closer look, he slipped and caused the glass case to fall, shattering the trout into a thousand pieces. It now turned out that the trout was not real at all, having been made of plaster-of-Paris.

Question 45.
Why did the narrator feel that the boat named the Pride of the Thames was a Roman relic? What changes did he make to try and make it more presentable?
Answer:
The narrator felt that the Pride of the Thames was a Roman relic because the boat was a basic wooden structure which looked as if it had been dug out carelessly and had been damaged in the process. He fastened the so-called boat together with string and pasted some wallpaper over the shabbier parts to make it more presentable. Before stepping into it, he also thought it best to say his prayers.

Question 46.
Pick out the simile used by the narrator to describe the close connection between sunlight and nature? Why does he say this?
Answer:
According to the narrator, sunlight is like the blood that gives life to nature. Without light nature looks like a widow who has lost her beloved husband, while her children look into her eyes but receive no warmth or comfort from her. He made these comparisons because it was a wet and gloomy day, making nature seem very different from the radiant beauty they had seen on their way up-stream.

Question 47
“You cannot give me too much work; to accumulate work has almost become a passion with me:” Who says these lines? What do they tell about the speaker’s character?
Answer:
The narrator of the novel says these lines. He himself proclaims that he did not like to work at all. He goes on to say, “I had the general symptoms, the chief among them being a disinclination to work of any kind.” This tells us that he was lazy and a laid-back person, who only worked when there was no other option left.

This character of his became more evident during his boat trip when he expects the other two, Harris and George, to be lively and instead it turns out that both of them are equally lazy. Not only does this show that the narrator is laid-back, it also shows that he is hypocritical because he complains about his friend’s laziness when in fact he too is quite lazy.

Question 48.
What was ironical about the boat journey? What light does it throw on the characters of the three friends?
Answer:
The three friends had planned the boat trip thinking it would be a idyllic journey, offering them a respite , from their day-to-day routine and expected to enjoy two weeks on the river. What they all wanted was rest! Unfortunately, the trip turned out to be full of catastrophes with all of them having to actually work! And they were actually in deep depression because of the continuous rain.

However, they were determined to enjoy themselves and did not want to give up until the full two weeks were up. It shows that despite being terrible boatmen and totally ill-equipped to deal with the simplest of jobs, they were determined to look at the brighter side of life and refused to give in to circumstances, however gloomy and difficult they may be.

Question 49.
The grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Can you describe this common proverb in relation to the novel, Three Men in a Boat. Encourage the. students to thick creatively andformulate their own answers.
Answer:
‘The grass is greener on the other side of the fence’ is a common saying where a person feels that other people seem to be in a better situation than he is which ultimately might not be the case. For example, we admire the life and luxuries that celebrities enjoy but we may not be aware of their situation and problems that they themselves go through to either achieve their status or even to maintain it.

It is human nature to assume that things are going badly for oneself and some other person has the life that we always wanted but in the novel, the author makes us understand that such is not the case. Our happiness, peace and contentment does not come from what we do or with whom we are with or even where we are.

It depends on how we appreciate and acknowledge our situation and surrounding. We see this in the novel where the three men J., George and Harris set out on a boat-ride vacation to the countryside thinking it would give them the peace and quiet that they need but in fact country life was harder than it looked. They soon realize the difficult challenges wherever one is be it in the cities or the countryside.

 

Here we are providing The Sound of Music Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive, Extra Questions for Class 9 English was designed by subject expert teachers. https://ncertmcq.com/extra-questions-for-class-9-english/

The Sound of Music Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive

The Sound of Music Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

The Sound Of Music Class 9 Extra Questions Question 1.
What were Evelyn’s feelings as she stood on the platform waiting for the London underground?
Answer:
As she stood on the platform Evelyn felt both nervous and excited because she was waiting for a train in London to take her to her dream destination – to join the prestigious Royal Academy for Music. She was apprehensive as she was a young, seventeen-year-old from Scotland going to join such a prestigious music institute. Moreover, she was profoundly deaf and despite her disability, she had made it to the Music Academy.

The Sound Of Music Extra Questions Question 2.
How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music? Why was she nervous on her way to the academy?
Answer:
Evelyn was only seventeen years of age when she was selected to the Royal Academy of Music, London. She had come straight from a farmland in Scotland, she had not experienced much of the world. In addition, she was profoundly deaf and was going to a big institute like The Royal Academy of Music. Her nervousness was the result of her young age, her lack of exposure and her hearing disability.

Sound Of Music Extra Questions Question 3.
Why was Evelyn “nervous yet excited” as she waited for the train?
Answer:
While leaving for the Royal Academy of Music, Evelyn was excited despite her nervousness as going to the Royal Academy of Music, London was a dream come true for her. She was going to join a three-year course in an institute she had dreamed of joining. It excited her to think that despite her hearing impairment she had made her way to such a prestigious institute.

Sound Of Music Class 9 Extra Questions Question 4.
Why was Evelyn Glennie going to face a bigger challenge at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London?
Answer:
Evelyn Glennie was passionate about music, and would not let anything stand in her way, but studying music at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London was a challenge for her for two reasons: in the first place she was deaf and in the second, she was brought up on a Scottish farm. It was a challenge for a deaf village girl to compete with other singers who had perfect hearing.

The Sound Of Music Class 9 Extra Questions And Answers Question 5.
When and how was Evelyn’s hearing problem noticed?
Answer:
Evelyn was only eight-year-old when her hearing problem was noticed by her mother when she was eight years old and she did not respond to a call for a performance on piano. However, her loss of hearing was gradual and her deafness was confirmed at the age of eleven when her poor academic performance forced her parents to consult a specialist.

Extra Questions Of The Sound Of Music Question 6.
Who advised Evelyn’s parents to take her to a specialist? Why?
Answer:
Evelyn managed to hide her growing deafness from students and teachers for some time. However, by the time she was eleven years old, her performance in school deteriorated and her marks began to fall. It was then that the headmistress advised her parents to consul a specialist.

The Sound Of Music Part 2 Class 9 Extra Questions And Answers Question 7.
When was Evelyn’s deafness confirmed? What advice was given to her?
Answer:
Evelyn’s deafness was gradual. By the time she was eleven, her marks had deteriorated. Her teachers advised her parents to take her to a specialist. The specialist discovered that her hearing was badly impaired because of gradual nerve damage. He advised her parents that she should be fitted with hearing aids and sent to a school for the deaf.

Extra Questions For Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 Question 8.
“Everything suddenly looked black”. Why did Evelyn feel this way?
Answer:
When Evelyn was advised to use hearing aids and join a school for the deaf, she felt that her future was bleak and dark. She was depressed, as she felt she would not be able to lead a normal life nor pursue her interest in music.

The Sound Of Music Part 1 Class 9 Extra Questions Question 9.
How did Evelyn Glennie respond to the discovery of her deafness?
Answer:
On learning about her deafness due to gradual nerve damage, Evelyn Glennie, felt at first that her future was dark and bleak. However, instead of giving up, she decided to lead a normal life like other children and pursue her dream of learning music.

The Sound Of Music Class 9 Extra Questions Part 2 Question 10.
How did Evelyn’s teachers respond when she expressed her desire to play a xylophone?
Answer:
Evelyn had always loved music and despite her deafness, she expressed a desire to play the xylophone when she saw another girl playing it. However her teachers felt that she would not be able to play it because of her impaired hearing and they discouraged her from doing so.

The Sound Of Music Part 1 Class 9 Extra Questions And Answers Question 11.
Most of the teachers discouraged her but percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her potential. How did he respond to it?
Answer:
When her teachers discouraged her from pursuing a career in music, Ron Forbes, the percussionist, encouraged and helped Evelyn to continue with music. He noticed her potential and decided to help her develop it. He told Evelyn to train different parts of her body to sense musical notes. He tuned two drums with different notes to make her sense the higher ones from the upper part of her body and the lower ones from her waist down.

Class 9 The Sound Of Music Extra Questions Question 12.
“I had learnt to open my mind and body to sounds and vibrations,” says Evelyn. How did she do this?
Answer:
Guided by Ron Forbes, Evelyn leamt to listen through different parts of her body other than her ears. Her mind and body became sensitized to notice and differentiate various sounds and vibrations of music. Her body compensated for the loss of hearing with her awakened and sharpened senses in other parts of her body.

The Sound Of Music Class 9 Extra Questions Part 1 Question 13.
What kind of recognition did Evelyn get at the Royal Academy of Music?
Answer:
When Evelyn was seventeen, she joined the Royal Academy of Music. She scored the highest marks in the history of the academy. She was one of the most brilliant students of the academy and won many top awards during her three-year course.

Class 9 English The Sound Of Music Extra Questions Question 14.
Why did Evelyn say, “Men with bushy beards give me trouble”?
Answer:
Evelyn could understand what others were saying by reading the movement of lips and by watching faces and eyes. It was difficult for her to read the movement of lips of the men with bushy beards in order to grasp what they were saying. She jokingly remarked that men with bushy beards gave her trouble.

The Sound Of Music Class 9 Important Questions Question 15.
Which qualities of character enabled Evelyn to achieve unprecedented success in life?
Answer:
Unfaltering determination and hard work enabled Evelyn to move ahead in life. Instead of yielding to her handicap, she decided to overcome it and lead the life of a normal person. She was devoted to music and her sincere efforts helped her achieve unprecedented success.

The Sound Of Music Extra Questions Answers Question 16.
She never looked back from that point onwards. Explain.
Answer:
Evelyn learnt to feel the vibrations and sensations in every part of her body, she leant to open her body and mind to the sounds and vibrations. These tingled in her skin, her cheekbones and even in hair. After that, she never looked back, because from that time on she was very successful in her chosen career.

Question 17.
How did Evelyn get admission in the Royal Academy of Music, London?
Answer:
Evelyn gave audition for admission to Royal Academy of Music, London. Her score in the audition was one of the highest in the history of the academy. Therefore, she got selected for a three-year course.

Question 18.
Evelyn continued to work hard at the Royal Academy of Music. Do you agree?
Answer:
At the Royal Academy of Music, London, Evelyn began as one of the performers in orchestra. But gradually she moved on to give solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she had bagged the biggest awards in the Academy. This shows Evelyn did not rest on her laurels but continued to work hard.

Question 19.
What did James Blades say about Evelyn’s music?
Answer:
James Blades remarked that God may have taken away her sense of hearing but He has given her something extraordinary. What we hear, she feels, far more deeply than any of us. She is a talented musician who expresses music so beautifully.

Question 20.
How is Evelyn a source of inspiration to people who are in any way disabled?
Answer:
Evelyn’s achievements, gained through determination and hard work, are an example for other handicapped people. They gain confidence from her example and believe that they too can achieve them goals in life by overcoming their challenges and disabilities with firm determination.

Question 21.
How does Evelyn regard her own success?
Answer:
Evelyn is extremely modest and does not consider her achievements to be heroic deeds. She feels that if one is focussed on the goal and puts in hard work, one is sure to succeed. She says, “If you work hard and know where you are going, you’ll get there.”

Question 22.
Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
Answer:
Evelyn performs in concerts internationally. In addition, she also gives concerts free of charge in prisons and hospitals. In addition, she holds classes for young musicians.

Question 23.
What is Evelyn’s contribution to percussion?
Answer:
Evelyn has contributed to percussion by securing for it a front place in orchestra. She has shown how the music of the percussion instruments is deeply moving and touches the hearts and emotions of people.

Question 24.
What are Evelyn’s main achievements?
Answer:
Evelyn has brought percussion to the front of the orchestra. She has given inspiration to those who are handicapped. Besides this, she has brought great pleasure to millions.

The Sound of Music Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Evelyn did not succumb to her disability. Comment.
Answer:
Evelyn Glennie was always interested in music. In fact, her mother realised she was having problems with her hearing when at the age of eight years Evelyn was to give a piano recital and she didn’t hear her name being called. By the age of twelve, Evelyn had lost her hearing. However, she did not let this stand in the way of her pursuing her passion music.

Though she was advised to wear a hearing aid and to attend a special school for the deaf, Evelyn did not give up. Despite facing discouragement from her teachers, she wanted to lead a normal life and play xylophone. However, Ron Forbes, a great percussionist, trained her to listen to the musical sounds and vibrations not through ears, but through other parts of her body.

He created two drums with different sounds to make her hear the higher beats from the upper part of her body and the lower beats from below her waist. The experiment was so effective that Evelyn opened her mind and body to the fine sounds of music. Evelyn now believes that music penetrates into her through every part – through her skin, cheekbones and even her hair.

When she plays xylophone, she feels that the sounds move from the stick into the tips of her fingers. When the drums are played, she can feel the resonant sounds pouring into her body. She takes off her foot wears on a wooden stage and the vibrations of the instruments pass from her bare feet into her legs. Thus, Evelyn has sensitized the different parts of her body to the different sounds of music.

Question 2.
“If you work hard and know where you are going, you’ll get there,” remarks Evelyn Glennie. What does it reveal about her character?
Answer:
Evelyn’s firm determination, her hard work and her focus on her goal are well revealed in her statement. These values of her character have enabled her to successfully overcome her handicap of deafness. Though she developed hearing impairment at the young age of eight, and became profoundly deaf by the age of twelve, she has never let it become a stumbling block in her way to success.

Firmly determined to pursue music and to lead a normal life, Evelyn did not let her disability stand in her way. The encouragement and training provided by percussionist Ron Forbes paved the way for her advancement and she stuck to the path with unshakeable self-confidence. It was this confidence and faith in herself that made her dare to audition for the Royal Academy of Music, London where she received the top most awards.

Evelyn is very hard working. She has worked hard, in fact much harder than the other classical musicians to bring percussion to the front stage in orchestra. She believes that no goal is unachievable for those who work hard and are focussed on the goal. With her earnest efforts, she moved from orchestra to solo performances and eventually became an internationally renowned percussionist owing to her command over a large number of instruments. Her courage and confidence to rise above her disability has made her a soprce of inspiration for all.

Question 3.
Evelyn is very down-to-earth and does not succumb to hero worship. Comment.
Answer:
Evelyn Glennie did not let her loss of hearing get her down. She was determined to make a career in music, and with the help of percussionist Ron Forbes, she trained herself to feel music through every part of her body. She never looked back from that point onwards. She toured the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music her life. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy.

She gradually moved from orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she had captured most of the top awards. And for all this, Evelyn doesn’t accept any hint of heroic achievement. “If you work hard and know where you are going, you’ll get there.” And she got right to the top, the world’s most sought-after multi-percussionist with a mastery of some thousand instruments, and hectic international schedule.

Question 4.
Evelyn is an inspiration to all. Justify.
Answer:
Despite her disability, Evelyn rose to great heights as a musician. When talking of music, she explains, “It pours in through every part of my body. It tingles in the skin, my cheekbones and even in my hair.” When she plays the xylophone, she can sense the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips. By leaning against the drums, she can feel the resonances flowing into her body. On a wooden platform, she removes her shoes so that the vibrations pass through her bare feet and up her legs.

Not surprisingly, Evelyn delights her audiences. In 1991 she was presented with the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Soloist of the Year Award. Says master percussionist James Blades, “God may have taken her hearing but he has given her back something extraordinary. What we hear, she feels — far more deeply than any of us. That is why she expresses music so beautifully.”

Evelyn confesses that she is something of a workaholic. “I’ve just got to work … often harder than classical musicians. But the rewards are enormous.” Apart from the regular concerts, Evelyn also gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians. Ann Richlin of the Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children says, “She is a shining inspiration for deaf children. They see that there is nowhere that they cannot go.”

Evelyn Glennie has already accomplished more than most people twice her age. She has brought percussion to the front of the orchestra, and demonstrated that it can be very moving. She has given inspiration to those who are handicapped, people who look to her and say, ‘If she can do it, I can.’ And, not the least, she has given enormous pleasure to millions.

The Sound of Music Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
It was her first day at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London and daunting enough for any teenager fresh from a Scottish farm. But this aspiring musician faced a bigger challenge than most.

(a) Who is referred to as the ‘aspiring musician’?
Answer:
Evelyn Glennie is referred to as the aspiring musician.

(b) How old was this ‘aspiring musician’ when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?
Answer:
She was seventeen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music in London.

(c) What was likely to ‘daunt any teenager’?
Answer:
The first day in a great and renowned institute like The Royal Academy of Music, London was likely to daunt any teenager.

(d) Why did she “a bigger challenge than most”?
Answer:
She faced a ‘bigger challenge’ than most as she was profoundly deaf and was yet joining a music academy.

Question 2.
Evelyn Glennie’s loss of hearing had been gradual. Her mother remembers noticing something was wrong when the eight-year-old Evelyn was waiting to play the piano.
“They called her name and she didn ’t move. I suddenly realised she hadn ’t heard, ” says Isabel Glennie.

(a) Who is Isabel Glennie?
Answer:
Isabel Glennie is Evelyn Glennie’s mother.

(b) Why did Evelyn Glennie not move to play the piano?
Answer:
Evelyn did not move because she had not heard her name being called.

(c) When was her deafness first noticed?
Answer:
Evelyn’s deafness was first noticed when she was eight years old.

(d) How did Evelyn lose her hearing?
Answer:
Evelyn’s hearing impairment happened as a result of gradual nerve damage.

Question 3.
They were advised that she should be fitted with hearing aids and sent to a school for the deaf.

(a) Who are ‘they’? By whom were they advised?
Answer:
‘They’ are the parents of Evelyn Glennie. They were advised by the specialist to whom Evelyn’s parents had taken her for a check-up.

(b) Who is ‘she’?
Answer:
‘She’ is Evelyn Glennie.

(c) What was the course of action recommended for her?
Answer:
It was recommended that she should be provided with hearing aids in order to be able to hear and that she be sent to a school for the deaf.

(d) How had her mother realised that Evelyn was having problems with her hearing?
Answer:
Evelyn’s mother realised she was having problems with her hearing when Evelyn did not go for her piano recital when her name was called.

Question 4.
But Evelyn was not going to give up. She was determined to lead a normal life and pursue her interest in music. One day, she noticed a girl playing a xylophone and decided that she wanted to play it too. Most of the teachers discouraged her but percussionist Ron Forbes spotted her potential.

(a) Evelyn was not going to give up. Why was she not going to give up?
Answer:
She was not going to give up because of her interest in music. Music was her passion.

b) What did she want to do?
Answer:
She wanted to learn to play the xylophone.

(c) Why did her teachers not encourage her?
Answer:
They did not encourage her because they felt it was impossible for a deaf girl to pursue her career in music.

(d) Who encouraged her? What did he say?
Answer:
Ron Forbes, who saw her potential and capabilities, encouraged her. He suggested she ‘hear’ with the whole of her body.

Question 5.
She never looked back from that point onwards. She toured the United Kingdom with a youth orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music her life.

(a) Who is ‘she’?
Answer:
She refers to Evelyn Glennie.

(b) What does ‘that point’ refer to?
Answer:
‘That point’ refers to the time when Evelyn learnt to listen to music by feeling the vibrations through her body.

(c) Where did she go with a youth orchestra?
Answer:
She toured United Kingdom with a youth orchestra.

(d) What was her age when she decided to make music her life?
Answer:
She was just sixteen when she decided to make music her life.

Question 6.
She gradually moved from orchestral work to solo performances. At the end of her three-year course, she had captured most of the top awards.

(a) How did Evelyn advance in her career?
Answer:
Initially Evelyn performed in a group of orchestra. Gradually, she started giving solo performances.

(b) Where did she pursue her three-year course?
Answer:
She pursued her three-year course in the most prestigious institute of music in England, The Royal Academy for Music, London.

(c) What were her achievements at the end of her course?
Answer:
At the end of her course, she had bagged the biggest awards in her field.

(d) What made her achievements so great?
Answer:
The fact that she had won the awards despite her hearing disability made her achievements so great.

Question 7.
And for all this, Evelyn won’t accept any hint of heroic achievement. “If you work hard and know where you are going, you ’ll get there. ”

(a) What does ‘all this’ refer to?
Answer:
“All this” refers to the fact that by the end of her three-year course at the Royal Academy she had captured most of the top awards

(b) Why is it a heroic achievement?
Answer:
It is a heroic achievement as she has achieved success in music despite being profoundly deaf.

(c) To what does Evelyn give credit for her achievement?
Answer:
Evelyn gives credit for her achievements to her focus on her aims and her hard work.

(d) What quality of Evelyn’s character is reflected in this?
Answer:
This shows Evelyn is a humble and down-to-earth person.

Question 8.
In our two-hour discussion she never missed a word. “Men with bushy beards give me trouble, ” she laughed. “It is not just watching the lips, it’s the whole face, especially the eyes. ”

(a) Who is ‘she’? Why is it strange that she never missed a word?
Answer:
She refers to Evelyn Glennie. She is profoundly deaf yet she heard each word.

(b) How does she hear the words?
Answer:
She hears the words by reading lips and by studying the whole face and eyes of the speaker.

(c) Why do men with bushy beards give her trouble?
Answer:
She is unable to read their lips and their face.

(d) Which are the languages that she speaks?
Answer:
She has managed to leam French and master basic Japanese.

Question 9.
As for music, she explains, “It pours in through every part of my body. It tingles in the skin, my cheekbones and even in my hair. ’’ When she plays the xylophone, she can sense the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips. By leaning against the drums, she can feel the resonances flowing into her body.

(a) Who is the speaker in the first line?
Answer:
In the first line, the speaker is Evelyn Glennie, the famous multi-percussionist.

(b) What is it that pours in through every part of her body?
Answer:
Music and its vibrations pour in through every part of her body.

(c) How was she able to hear sounds and vibrations?
Answer:
She was able to hear sounds and vibrations by sensing them through her body and her mind. Being deaf, she could not hear with her ears so she had trained and sensitized her body and mind.

(d) How did Ron Forbes help her to continue with music?
Answer:
Percussionist Ron Forbes tuned two large drums to different notes. He asked her not to listen to them through her ears but to try and sense the sound in some other manner.

Question 10.
“I’ve just got to work… Often harder than classical musicians. But the rewards are enormous. ’’Apart from the regular concerts, Evelyn also gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals. She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians. Ann Richlin of the Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children says, “She is a shining inspiration for deaf children. They see that there is nowhere that they cannot go. ”

(a) Evelyn works harder than classical musicians. What does it imply?
Answer:
Classical music needs a lot of practice. However, Evelyn works even harder than the others.

(b) For whom does Evelyn perform for free?
Answer:
Evelyn gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals.

(c) “ … there is nowhere that they cannot go.” Who are they here?
Answer:
They are deaf children.

(d) What quality of Evelyn’s character is shown by her actions?
Answer:
Evelyn is committed to music. She is also compassionate and generous towards those in need.

The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

The Sound of Music Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Answer:
Aurangzeb banned the playing of musical instrument pungi because it had a loud, shrill, and unpleasant sound. He prohibited its play in the royal court.

Question 2.
Why did the pungi become a generic name for “reeded noisemakers”?
Answer:
The pungi was made from a reed and it produced noisy, unpleasant sounds. It became a generic name for “reeded noisemakers”.

Question 3.
How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
Answer:
Shehnai has a better tonal quality than pungi. It is a natural hollow stem pipe with holes on its body and is longer and broader than the pungi. When some of the holes are closed and opened while it is played on, soft and melodious sounds are produced instead of the loud, jarring sound of a pungi. Thus, shehnai is, in a way, an improvement upon the pungi.

Question 4.
How was the pungi revived?
Answer:
After Aurangzeb had banned the playing of the pungi in the royal residence, a barber who belonged to a family of professional musicians revived it by taking a wider and longer hollow stem and making seven holes in it. The opening and closing of these holes in the improved pungi produced soft and sweet sounds.

Question 5.
How did the improved and modified pungi get its new name?
Answer:
It is believed that the barber (nai) who improved the pungi, played his improved and modified instrument in the chamber of the emperor {shah). From the combination of the two words shah and nai, the new instrument got is new name shehnai.

Question 6.
Where was the shehnai played traditionally? Why?
Answer:
The music of the shehnai was melodious and soft. It was made a part of the naubat or or traditional ensemble of nine instruments found at royal courts. Soon, it came to be believed that it was auspicious. Therefore, it came to be played in the holy temples and on the happy auspicious occasions of weddings.

Question 7.
Although the shehnai was played in temples and at weddings. How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Answer:
The shehnai was traditionally played in royal courts, temples and weddings. Ustaad Bismillah Khan, an undisputed shehnai maestro, brought the instrument onto the classical stage by adding new raagas and modifying old ones.

Question 8.
Where and how did Bismillah Khan begin his career in music?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan began his career in music at the age of five by singing the Bhojpuri Chaita in the Bihariji temple regularly in his native town Dumraon in Bihar. At the end of the song the local Maharaja would give him a big laddu weighing 1.25 kg as a prize.

Question 9.
How did Bismillah Khan inherit music from his paternal and maternal ancestors?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan hailed from a family of musicians in Bihar. His paternal grandfather Rasool Bux Khan was a shehnai player in the royal court of the king of Bhojpur. His father Paigambar Bux and many paternal and maternal uncles were also shehnai vaadaks. In fact, Bismillah Khan was apprenticed with his maternal uncle Ali Bux to learn how to play the shehnai.

Question 10.
Write a short note on Ali Bux.
Answer:
Ali Bux was the maternal uncle of Bismillah Khan. He was a great shehnai player and was employed to play the shehnai in the Vishnu temple of Benaras. In fact, at a very young age Bismillah was apprenticed to his uncle. Bismillah Khan started accompanying him and got lessons in playing the shehnai from him. The young boy would sit for hours listening to his uncle and later practise throughout the day. As such he and may be regarded as his mentor and trainer.

Question 11.
What significance did the Ganga have in Bismillah Khan’s life?
Answer:
The young Bismillah Khan often sat on the banks of the Ganga to practice his music there in solitude. The flowing waters of Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent raagas which were earlier considered beyond the range of the shehnai. In fact, when much later, his student invited him to head a shehnai school in the USA, Khansaab asked him if he would be able to transport River Ganga as well, implying thereby that he could not live without the Ganga.

Question 12.
When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan got his big break in 1938. All India Radio opened in Lucknow and Bismillah Khan played shehnai on radio. He soon became an often-heard player on radio. He became the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai from the Red Fort on 15 August, 1947.

Question 13.
Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
Answer:
On 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan played the Raag Kaafi on his shehnai from the Red Fort prior to the speech of Pandit Nehru. The event was historical because it was on the occasion of the declaration of India’s Independence from British Rule. On that day, Bismillah Khan was the first Indian to greet the nation and he poured his heart out while playing the melodious raaga on his shehnai.

Question 14.
What honours and awards were bestowed upon Ustad Bismillah Khan in foreign countries?
Answer:
His first trip abroad was to Afghanistan where King Zahir Shah, taken in by the maestro, gifted him priceless Persian carpets and other souvenirs. In fact, an auditorium in Teheran was named after him —Tahar Mosiquee Ustaad Bismillah Khan. The King of Afghanistan was also fascinated with Bismillah’s music. He was the first Indian to be invited to perform at the prestigious Lincoln Centre Hall in the United States of America. He also took part in the World Exposition in Montreal, in the Cannes Art Festival and in the Osaka Trade Fair.

Question 15.
How did the film director Vijay Bhatt honour Bismillah Khan?
Answer:
The film director, Vijay Bhatt, once heard the shehnai recital of Bismillah Khan in a festival. He was so fascinated by the performance that he decided to name his next film after the instrument and called it Gunj Uthi Shehnai. The film also had a song that was composed by Bismillah Khan.

Question 16.
Why did Bismillah Khan leave the glamour of the film world and return to Benaras? What does this tell you about him?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan returned to Benares after providing music for two films – Vijay Bhatt’s Gunj Uthi Shehnai and Vikram Srinivas’s Kannada venture, Sanadhi Apanna. This was because he disliked the artificiality and glamour of the film world. He said, “I just can’t come to terms with the artificiality and glamour of the film world.” This incident indicates that truthfulness and simplicity of Bismillah Khan’s character.

Question 17.
How did India honour and reward the great musician, Bismillah Khan?
Answer:
India honoured Bismillah Khan by conferring on him the greatest national awards – the Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan, and the Padma Vibhushan. He was also awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001, the highest civilian award in India.

Question 18.
What advice did Bismillah Khan give Indian youth?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan had a great regard for Indian music and the rich heritage of Hindustani music. He wanted that children must not cut off their bond from this grand tradition which was fascinating even for the people of the west. He advised Indians to teach their children music, as it was Hindustan’s richest tradition.

Question 19.
What offer did Bismillah Khan’s student make to him? What was his reply?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan’s student, who himself was settled in the USA, wanted that the great maestro to head a shehnai school in the UAS. He promised that he would create the ambience of Benaras by erecting the temples like those in India. Bismillah Khan refused the proposition because he would not live away from Hindustan, specifically, from Benaras, the River Ganga and Dumraon.

Question 20.
How does Bismillah Khan embody India’s rich cultural and secular tradition?
Answer:
Indian culture has always displayed a liberal attitude to all communities and religions. The society and its cultural heritage is a blend of various religious and ethnic groups. Bismillah Khan’s life perfectly represents this blend. Although he was a devout muslim, he began his singing career by singing Chiaf in Bihariji temple and practicing shehnai in Vishnu temple and Mangala Maiya temple of Varanasi. He practised the shehnai on the banks of the Ganga and played it in the Kashi Vishwanath temple every morning.

Question 21.
Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.
Answer:
The first instance is when he turned down his student’s offer to start a shehnai school in USA. The second instance is when Khansaab was asked by Shekhar Gupta about moving to Pakistan during the partition, he said that he would never leave Benaras.

The Sound of Music Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Why did Emperor Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi and how was it improved?
Answer:
Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi in the royal residence because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound. But a barber belonging to a professional family of musicians was able to improve it. He chose a reed pipe with a natural hollow stem that was longer and broader than the one used for the pungi. He made seven holes on the body of the pipe. He played the instrument in the royal chambers of Emperor Aurangzeb.

Everyone was impressed by the new instrument and the shehnai was made a part of the naubat or traditional ensemble of nine instruments found at royal courts. Its sweet and melodious notes caused it to be played only in temples and weddings and other auspicious occasions. Since it was first played in the Shah’s chambers and was played by a nai (barber), the instrument was named the shehnai.

Question 2.
How was Bismillah Khan associated with the film world?
Answer:
Film director Vijay Bhatt heard Bismillah Khan at a festival. He was so impressed by Bismillah Khan that he named a film after the shehnai – Gunj Uthi Shehnai. The film was a huge hit and one of Bismillah Khan’s compositions Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya turned out to be very popular. In spite of his great success in the film world, Bismillah Khan’s experience in the film world was limited to two films – Vijay Bhatt’s ‘Gunj Uthi Shehnai’ and Vikram Srinivas’s ‘Sanadhi Apanna’. Bismillah Khan, however, made it clear that he could not come to terms with the artificiality and glamour of the film world and returned to Benaras.

Question 3.
Write a note on the life and achievements of Bismillah Khan as a ‘shehnai vaadak’. What values of life do you derive from his story?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan’s journey as a shehnai maestro embodies the moral values of dedication, simplicity and patriotism. It started at the young age of three and continued up to the age of ninety. The journey ranged from playing the instrument in the temples to getting international fame.

Hailing from a family of musicians, Bismillah Khan inherited an interest in the shehnai. At a young age of three, he started accompanying his maternal Uncle Ali Bux to the Vishnu temple in Benaras and learnt a lot from him. He would sing scriptures like the Bhojpuri ‘chaita Bismillah Khan got an important break when he started playing for the All India Radio, Lucknow in 1938.

His music was so admired that he was invited to play at the historic moment of Indian independence on 15 August, 1947. In recognition of his talent, he was conferred upon with the greatest awards of India – the Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan, and the Padma Vibhushan. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, in 2001. Bismillah Khan ventured into the film world but abandoned it after he found it to be too artificial and glamorous. On the international level, he mesmerized the King of Afghanistan with his shehnai music.

He was the only Indian to be invited to play shehnai in the Lincoln Central Hall, USA. He also played in international events like the World Exposition, Montreal, the Cannes Art Festival and the Osaka Trade Fair. As a token of appreciation, the Teheran government has named an auditorium after Bismillah Khan. Bismillah Khan had a deep devotion to his motherland and was proud of its heritage of music. Hence, he declined the offer to settle down in foreign countries. The journey of his life teaches the values of dedication to one’s talent and persistent efforts to reach the greatest heights of excellence.

Question 4.
What important lesson does the life of Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan teach us?
Answer:
Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan, the two eminent music maestros, through their achievements, have proved to the world that the values of determination, hard work and unwavering efforts are always rewarded. Evelyn Glennie became an internationally admired multi-percussionist only because of her untiring work which helped her rise above her handicap.

Instead of yielding to her deafness, she worked hard to sensitise her body to sense the vibrations and sounds of music through different parts of her body and never looked back. With her persistent efforts, she made it to the Royal Academy of Music, London and bagged the most prestigious awards. Her sincere devotion to her art has given percussion a new place on the international stage.

Bismillah Khan, like Evelyn, was dedicated to his art and attained greatest heights as a shehnai player. He, too worked diligently and transformed the shehnai into a classical instrument. He added enormously to what he had inherited by widening the range of the shehnai. He invented many new raagas.

Starting with playing in the temples of Benaras and on the banks of Ganga, he achieved international acclaim. His hard work enabled him to win the most prestigious awards in India and in the world. Thus, the lives of both Evelyn Glennie and Bismillah Khan are perfect examples of how dedicated efforts and persistent hard work lead to grand achievements.

The Sound of Music Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of a musical instrument called pungi in the royal residence for it had a shrill unpleasant sound. Pungi became the generic name for dreaded noisemakers. Few had thought that it would one day be revived. A barber of a family of professional musicians, who had access to the royal palace, decided to improve the tonal quality of the pungi.

(a) Why did the Emperor Aurangzeb ban the pungi?
Answer:
He banned the pungi because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound

(b) How was the pungi revived?
Answer:
The pungi was revived after its tonal quality was improved.

(c) Who revived the pungi?
Answer:
It was revived by a barber who belonged to a family of musicians.

(d) What was its new name? Why?
Answer:
The pungi s new name was shehnai. It was played in the Shah’s (Emperor’s) chambers by a nai (barber).

Question 2.
Few had thought that it would one day be revived. A barber of a family ofprofessional musicians, who had access to the royal palace, decided to improve the tonal quality of the pungi.

(a) What does ‘it’ refer to?
Answer:
It refers to a reeded musical instrument called the pungi.

(b) Why did ‘it’ need to be revived?
Answer:
The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb had banned the pungi as he found its sound to be shrill and unpleasant. Therefore, it needed to be revived.

(c) Why did the barber have an interest in ‘it’?
Answer:
The barber hailed from a family of professional musicians. That is why he had interest in the reeded musical instrument, the pungi.

(d) Did he succeed in improving ‘it’? If yes, how?
Answer:
Yes, he succeeded in improving the tonal quality of the pungi. He took a reed or a pipe with natural hollow stem which was wider and longer than the pungi. He made seven holes in it. When he played on it, closing and opening some of these holes, it produced soft and melodious music.

Question 3.
As the story goes, since it was first played in the Shah’s chambers and was played by a nai (barber), the instrument was named the shehnai.

(a) What does ‘it’ refer to?
Answer:
‘It’ refers to the shehnai – a musical instrument, made with a hollow stem with seven holes in it.

(b) What is the significance of the instrument being played in the royal court?
Answer:
The pungi had been banned by the emperor Aurangzeb in the royal residence. Therefore, concerts of the shehnai in the royal court made it a significant instrument.

(c) How is a shehnai different from a pungi ?
Answer:
A shehnai is a pipe with a natural hollow that is longer and broader than a pungi. It has seven holes on the body of the pipe.

(d) Where was the instrument traditionally played?
Answer:
The instrument was traditionally played in temples and at weddings.

Question 4.
Till recently it was used only in temples and weddings. The credit for bringing this instrument onto the classical stage goes to Ustad Bismillah Khan.

(a) Which instrument is being referred to as ‘it’ in the extract?
Answer:
The instrument being referred to as ‘it’ in the extract is the shehnai.

(b) When and where was ‘it’ generally played? Why?
Answer:
The sounds of shehnai were so melodious that they were considered to be auspicious. Therefore, it was played in temples and weddings.

(c) What was the naubat? Where was it played?
Answer:
Naubat was the name given to the traditional ensemble of nine instruments found at royal courts. The shehnai was part of these nine instruments.

(d) How did Bismillah Khan bring the shehnai to the classical stage?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan did a great service to shehnai as it came to be regarded as an instrument of classical music because of the new melodies produced by him.

Question 5.
As a five-year old, Bismillah Khan played gilli-danda near a pond in the ancient estate of Dumraon in Bihar. He would regularly go to the nearby Bihariji temple to sing the Bhojpuri Chaita, at the end of which he would earn a big laddu weighing 1.25 kg, a prize given by the local Maharaja.

(a) Where did Bismillah Khan grow up?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan grew up in Dumraon in Bihar.

(b) How did Bismillah Khan spend his childhood?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan spent his childhood playing gilli-danda and singing in the temple.

(c) Why did Bismillah Khan go to the nearby Bihariji temple daily?
Answer:
He used to visit the temple daily to sing the Bhojpuri Chaita for which he was given a big laddu by the local maharaja.

(d) Which musical instrument did Bismillah Khan play? From whom did he learn it?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan played the shehnai. He learnt to play it from his maternal uncle, Ali Bux.

Question 6.
For years to come the temple of Balaji and Mangala Maiya and the banks of the Ganga became the young apprentice’s favourite haunts where he could practise in solitude. The flowing waters of the Ganga inspired him to improvise and invent raagas that were earlier considered to be beyond the range of the shehnai.

(a) Who does “the young apprentice” refer to?
Answer:
“The young apprentice” refers to Bismillah Khan.

(b) Why is he referred to as the young apprentice?
Answer:
An apprentice is one someone who has agreed to work for a skilled person for a particular period of time and often for low payment, in order to leam that person’s skills. He is referred to as the young apprentice because from a very young age he had been getting lessons in playing the shehnai from his Uncle, Ali Bux.

(c) What kind of impact did the waters of the Ganga have on ‘him ‘?
Answer:
The waters of the Ganga inspired him to improvise the old raagas and invent new ones for the shehnai.

(d) How did he widen the range of the shehnai?
Answer:
There were certain raagas or musical notations which were considered to be outside the range of the shehnai. He modified those raagas and invented and played new ones on the shehnai and made its range wider.

Question 7.
When India gained Independence on August 15, 1947, Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai. He poured his heart out into Raag Kafi from the Red Fort to an audience which included Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who later gave his famous Tryst with Destiny speech.

(a) Who was the first Indian to greet the nation?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan was the first Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai on 15th August 1947.

(b) What was the occasion? Which raaga did he play on the occasion?
Answer:
He played Raag Kafi just before Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech declaring India’s independence.

(c) Why was he chosen to play on the occasion?
Answer:
He was chosen to play on the occasion as he played upon the shehnai, the music of which is considered auspicious in India.

(d) Explain the expression: “He poured his heart out.”
Answer:
The expression implies that the music played on the shehnai came from the depths of the heart of Bismillah Khan who, as a true patriot, was excited at the declaration of the independence of India.

Question 8.
Despite this huge success in the celluloid world, Bismillah Khan’s ventures in film music were limited to two: Vijay Bhatt’s Gunj Uthi Shehnai and Vikram Srinivas’s Kannada venture, Sanadhi Apanna. “Ijust can’t come to terms with the artificiality and glamour of the film world, ” he says with emphasis.

(a) What is meant by celluloid world? Why is it so called?
Answer:
The term celluloid world refers to the film world because celluloid is a name for film used in shooting movies. Because of its use in making films, this term came to stand for movies in general.

(b) What did Bismillah Khan do in the celluloid world?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan provided music for two films.

(c) Which two characteristics of the film world did he dislike?
Answer:
He disliked the artificiality and glamour of the film world.

(d) What do you leam about his character from this incident?
Answer:
It indicates that truthfulness and simplicity were two significant traits of Bismillah Khan’s character.

Question 9.
A student of his once wanted him to head a shehnai school in the U.S.A., and the student promised to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras by replicating the temples there.

(a) Why did Bismillah Khan’s student want of him?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan’s student wanted him to shift to USA and head a shehnai school there.

(b) What did he promise to do?
Answer:
He promised to recreate the atmosphere of Benaras in the USA by building similar temples as the ones in Benaras there.

(c) What was Bismillah Khan’s reply?
Answer:
Bismillah Khan refused to accept the offer as he did not wish to leave the Ganga.

(d) What do you leam about him from this?
Answer:
It reveals that Bismillah Khan was a true patriot, who passionately loved the Ganga and never wanted to live away from it.

Here we are providing The Little Girl Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive, Extra Questions for Class 9 English was designed by subject expert teachers. https://ncertmcq.com/extra-questions-for-class-9-english/

The Little Girl Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive

The Little Girl Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

The Little Girl Class 9 Extra Questions And Answers Question 1.
Why was Kezia scared of her father?
Answer:
Kezia’s father was a busy man and had little time for the little girl. Being a very disciplined man, he was strict with Kezia as well and she would at times get harsh words of scolding and physical punishment from him. He never displated any soft feelings for his little daughter nor did he play with her like Mr Macdonald. All he did was giving her a perfunctory kiss rather than a loving one. Moreover, he was a large man, and his size, too, terrified the little girl. So scared was Kezia of him that she felt relieved when he was gone from home.

The Little Girl Extra Questions Question 2.
Who were the people in Kezia’s family?
Answer:
There were four people in Kezia’s family – her father who was very strict, her mother who was stem and aloof, her soft-hearted and loving grandmother and little Kezia herself.

The Little Girl Class 9 Extra Questions Question 3.
What was Kezia’s father’s routine before going to office and after coming back in the evening?
Answer:
Before going to office, Kezia’s father would come to her room, give her a perfunctory kiss and leave for work. He would return in the evening and in a loud voice ask for his tea, the papers and his slippers to be brought into the drawing-room. He would wait for Kezia to help him take off his shoes and exchange a few words with Kezia.

Class 9 The Little Girl Extra Questions Question 4.
What was Kezia’s routine when Father returned from office?
Answer:
When Father returned home from office, mother would tell Kezia to come downstairs and take off her father’s shoes. She would also be told to take the shoes outside. Father would ask her a couple of questions and she would stutter out her replies. He would order her to put his teacup back on the table and then she would make good her escape from his presence.

Little Girl Class 9 Extra Questions Question 5.
What was Father’s and Kezia’s morning routine?
Answer:
Before going to his office, Kezia’s father would come to Kezia’s room and give her a perfunctory kiss. She would respond with “Goodbye, Father”. Since she was afraid of him, she always felt relieved after his departure.

Class 9 English The Little Girl Extra Questions Question 6.
Why did Kezia go slowly towards the drawing-room when mother asked her to come downstairs?
Answer:
Kezia was afraid of her dominating father. He always scolded her for one thing or the other and did not display any soft feelings or affection for his little daughter. So frightened was she of him that she went very slowly towards the drawing-room when she was asked to come downstairs to take off his shoes.

The Little Girl Extra Question Answer Question 7.
Why was Father often irritated with Kezia?
Answer:
Kezia was very scared of her father. She stuttered when he spoke to her. Also, the terrified expression on her face irritated him. In his presence she wore an expression of wretchedness. He felt that with such an expression, she seemed as if she were on the verge of suicide.

Extra Questions Of The Little Girl Class 9 Question 8.
What was unusual about Kezia’ stuttering?
Answer:
Kezia was able to speak without stuttering to everyone in the household but her father. In her father’s formidable presence she could barely speak and she stuttered as she attempted to speak to him.

The Little Girl Short Question Answer Question 9.
Why did Kezia stutter while speaking to Father?
Answer:
Kezia’s father’s had a loud and domineering personality and he frequently frequent rebuked her for her behaviour and appearance. His constant criticism and scolding shook her self-confidence. Moreover, his large size frightened her. Though Kezia tried her best to please him, she found herself tongue-tied while talking to him. This made her stutter in his presence.

The Little Girl Extra Questions Answers Question 10.
Why did Kezia feel that her father was like a giant?
Answer:
Kezia felt that her father was like a giant because he had very big hands and neck. His mouth seemed big especially when he yawned. He had a loud voice and would often call out orders. In addition, his stem and cold behaviour made the little girl think of him as a giant.

The Little Girl Important Questions Question 11.
Why did Kezia avoid her father?
Answer:
Kezia avoided her father because she was afraid of him. She saw him as a harsh, emotionless person who never spoke to his daughter alfectionately. He reprimanded Kezia for making mistakes. Kezia stammered in front of her father since he was a very huge and giant-like figure lacking in the warmth of a father.

The Little Girl Class 9 Important Questions Question 12.
In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her parents better?
Answer:
Kezia’s grandmother wanted that the little girl to bond with her parents. Therefore, every Sunday afternoon she would encourage Kezia to go downstairs to the drawing-room, have a nice conversation with them, and get to know them better. She also suggested Kezia make a pin-cushion out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk as a gift for her father’s birthday.

The Little Girl Extra Questions And Answers Question 13.
What was Kezia’s father’s routine on Sundays?
Answer:
On Sundays, Kezia’s father did not go for work. He would relax in the afternoon. He would stretch out on the sofa in their drawing-room, put handkerchief on his face, feet on the best cushion and sleep snoring soundly. All this while, her mother would be absorbed in reading.

The Little Girl Class 9 Extra Questions And Answers Pdf Question 14.
On Sunday afternoons Grandmother sent Kezia down to the drawing-room? What happened when she went there?
Answer:
When on a Sunday afternoon the little girl went to the drawing-room, she always found Mother reading and Father stretched out on the sofa, his handkerchief on his face, his feet on one of the best cushions, sleeping soundly and snoring. Kezia would sit on a stool and gravely watch her father until he woke up and stretched to ask the time. Then, he would look at her and tell her not to stare at him as it made her look like a brown owl.

Question 15.
What did Grandmother ask Kezia to make and why?
Answer:
Grandmother wanted Kezia to bond with her father and to bring them both close to each other. She tried various ways to achieve this end. Once, she asked Kezia to make a pin-cushion out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk as a birthday present for Father. She wanted the little girl to present this pin-cushion as a surprise gift and make her father happy.

Question 16.
In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?
Answer:
Kezia’s grandmother was a mature and understanding woman who realised her granddaughter was afraid of her father. To improve matters better between them she encouraged her to get to know her father better by sending her to the drawing room to talk to her parents on Sundays. She also suggested Kezia to make a pin¬cushion out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk as a gift for her father’s birthday.

Question 17.
What did Kezia make as a birthday gift for her father? How did she prepare it?
Answer:
Kezia made a pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her father out of the beautiful piece of yellow silk that her Grandmother had given her. She laboriously stitched its three sides with a double cotton and stuffed it with papers that she took from the bed-table in her mother’s room. Finally, she sewed up the fourth side and the gift was ready.

Question 18.
That night there was a hue and cry in the house. What night was that? Why was there an uproar?
Answer:
The night Kezia finished making the pin-cushion for her father, there was an uproar in the house. Father could not find his great speech for the Port Authority. Rooms were searched; servants questioned. Finally Mother came into Kezia’s room and, on questioning her, found out Kezia had mistakenly tom the papers and stuffed them in the pin-cushion that was to be a surprise gift for her father on his birthday. The hue and cry at night was for those missing papers.

Question 19.
“Father’s great speech for the Port Authority Iliad been lost.’ What had happened to father’s speech?
Answer:
Father’s speech had been tom to pieces by the little girl, Kezia. She was making a pin-cushion as a gift for her father, to give him on his birthday. As she was not able to find anything to stuff the cushion with, she tore the speech and stuffed it into her cushion.

Question 20.
Who dragged Kezia down to the dining-room at night? Why?
Answer:
Kezia’s father was extremely angry as he had been looking for his important Port Authority speech and he could not find the papers. Her mother dragged her down to the dining-room at night and took her to her father when she came to know that Kezia had tom the papers that had his great speech for the Port Authority.

Question 21.
Why did Father come to Kezia’s room with a ruler? What do you learn about him from the incident?
Answer:
Father was a strict disciplinarian who believed in the use of physical punishment to correct children. He came to Kezia’s room with a ruler because he wanted to punish her and teach her not to touch what did not belong to her. This also shows that he was a firm, unforgiving person.

Question 22.
Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?
Answer:
On grandmother’s suggestion, Kezia would go to the drawing-room to have a “nice talk with Father and Mother” and sit on a stool waiting for him to wake up and talk to her. He would wake up and look at her staring apprehensively at him. He would be irritated by her scared look and call her a brown owl. On another occasion, on her grandmother’s suggestion, she decided to make a pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her father hoping that it would please him. But instead he was furious because she had inadvertently tom the papers of his Port Authority speech and used them as a stuffing in the pin-cushion.

Question 23.
Do you think Kezia was wrong in tearing her father’s papers? What does it show about her character?
Answer:
Kezia tore up certain papers she found on the bed-side table in her mother’s bedroom. Unfortunately, the papers were an important speech her father had written for the Port Authority. Undoubtedly, Kezia was wrong in having taken his papers without his permission and in tearing them up, even though she had done so with the best of intentions. The incident only shows that she was too innocent and immature to know the wrong she was doing. All she wanted was to please her father with a birthday gift.

Question 24.
Why was Kezia punished by her Father? Was he right in doing so?
Answer:
Kezia wanted to give her father a birthday present she had made for him herself. She decided to make a pin-cushion for him. She stitched it out of piece of yellow silk and stuffed it with some papers that were his speech for the Port Authority. Her father punished her for taking something that did not belong to her without permission. He was not right in punishing her as he did. He should have understoodd her feelings and explained to her the error of her ways.

Question 25.
How did Father punish Kezia? What was the impact of the punishment?
Answer:
Father punished Kezia by hitting her hard on her little, pink palms with a ruler. The impact of this punishment was so strong the Kezia could never forget it. Next time when she saw him, she at once hid her hands behind her back and her cheeks flushed with fear.

Question 26.
How and why did Grandmother comfort Kezia after her father hit her with a ruler?
Answer:
Hours after Kezia’s father hit her with a ruler, her grandmother wrapped the little girl in a shawl and rocked her in the rocking-chair, with the child clinging to her soft body. She gave her a clean hanky to blow her nose and tried to put her to sleep comforting her with loving words.

Question 27.
Kezia asks her grandmother, “What did God make fathers for?” What does she mean by this?
Answer:
Kezia questioned why God made fathers because she was very hurt and traumatised by her father’s behaviour and the punishment he meted out to her. She felt that he had been too harsh and unforgiving with her.

Question 28.
Grandmother tells Kezia, “I tried to explain to Father but he was too upset to listen tonight.” Why does she say that?
Answer:
Kezia’s grandmother wanted Kezia to bond with her parents and always tried to bridge the gap between her and her parents, especially her father. She told Kezia that her father was too upset that night to listen to her because she did not want the little girl to nurture any grudge against her father.

Question 29.
Do you think that Kezia’ father didn’t love her?
Answer:
I think Kezia’s father loved his daughter. Underneath his frightening and strict exterior, beat a father’s loving heart. If at he appeared too strict or lacking in understanding or compassion, it was probably because he was too tired or engrossed in his work, or wanted his daughter to be well-brought up.

Question 30.
Who were Kezia’s neighbours? What did she observe about them?
Answer:
The Macdonalds were Kezia’s neighbours. She saw that Mr Macdonald played with his children. He laughed when they turned the hose on him and ran about the flower-beds with his young son, Mao, on his shoulders and his two little daughters hanging on to his coat pockets.

Question 31.
Who was Mr. Macdonald?
Answer:
Mr MacDonald was Kezia’s neighbour. He loved his five children and played ‘tag’ with them. The father with the baby, Mao, on his shoulders, would run round and round the flower-beds, shaking with laughter, the two little girls hanging on to his coat pockets. Once Kezia saw the boys turn the hose on him—and he tried to catch them laughing all the time.

Question 32.
Kezia felt that Mr Macdonald was a better father as compared to her own father. Why?
Answer:
Kezia observed that Mr Macdonald was a good-humoured cheerful fellow who enjoyed the company of his children and played with them, laughing even when they drenched him with the hose. Contrary to this, her own father was a strict disciplinarian and quite aloof. He did not express any affection or show any leniency towards Kezia, despite her young age.

Question 33.
Why did Kezia like Mr Macdonald?
Answer:
The Macdonalds who lived next door were an exuberant, playful family. Looking through the vegetable garden-wall, Kezia saw the five Macdonald children playing with their father, turning a hose at him and the father tickling the children. When compared with her frightening father who never played with her, Kezia saw the extent of love between father and his children. This made her like Mr MacDonald.

Question 34.
Why was Kezia left alone in the house with the cook Alice?
Answer:
One day Kezia’s mother had suddenly taken ill and had to be hospitalized. Grannie, too, went along to look after her in the hospital. Kezia was left at home with Alice, their cook till her father returned from work.

Question 35.
Why was Kezia afraid to sleep alone?
Answer:
That night, when Alice was putting Kezia to bed, the little girl suddenly felt afraid as she had to sleep alone. She was scared of the dark and often had nightmares at night. Normally, whenever she had a nightmare, Grandmother would take her into her bed but tonight she was not there at home.

Question 36.
What kind of dreams did Kezia usually have?
Answer:
Usually, Kezia had horrible nightmares. In her nightmares, she saw a butcher with a knife and a rope coming closer and closer to her with a dreadful smile while she stood still, unable to move, overpowered by fear.

Question 37.
How did Father comfort the little girl, Kezia, when she got scared in her sleep?
Answer:
When Kezia cried out in her sleep in fear, her father came to her room, lifted her in his arms, took her to his bed and made her sleep close to him. He allowed her to warm her feet against his legs. She felt secure and protected as she snuggled up to him.

Question 38.
When and how did Kezia’s feelings for her father undergo a change?
Answer:
Kezia’s feelings of fear for her father underwent a change when her father came to her rescue when she had a nightmare. He gently carried her to his room, carefully tucked her up and slept beside her. Kezia felt reassured and safe and snuggled up to him. That is when she realised that her father was not a hard-hearted giant but a large-hearted loving father who got extremely tired by the end of the day.

Question 39.
What kind of a person was Kezia’s father?
Answer:
Kezia’s father was a hardworking man, but he was short tempered. He was a strict disciplinarian too. It was only when Kezia’s mother was hospitalized, that ahe realized that her father loved her but didn’t have the art of expressing his love.

The Little Girl Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Write a short note on the relationship between Kezia and her father
Answer:
Initially, the relationship between Kezia and her father was formal and restrained. As a strict disciplinarian and the head of the family Father asserted his authority over everyone, including his little girl. Every morning, before going to office, he perfunctorily kissed her and she as formally said, “Goodbye, Father.”

She was made to take off his shoes and put them outside when he returned from office in the evening. He often scolded her for her sad looks and for stuttering. He even punished her when she unknowingly tore his important papers. He did not give her even one chance to explain herself and failed to see her loving intention behind the mistake. As a result, Kezia feared her father and stayed out of his way.

However, their relationship underwent a drastic change towards the end of the story. Father displayed his love and concern for his daughter when he and Kezia were alone and she was scared by her nightmare. He carried her in his arms to his room, tucked her comfortably in his bed, lay down close to her and provided to her the assurance and security that children seek from parents. This protective, caring and considerate side of her father helped her understand him. She realised that he had a big heart which was full of love for her.

Question 2.
Do you think the Kezia deserved the beating she got for her mistake? What light does this incident throw on her father’s character?
Answer:
Kezia earned her father’s wrath for tearing his speech for the Port Authority to stuff a pin-cushion she was making for him as a birthday present. When Father discovered that Kezia was the culprit, he punished her by beating her little pink palms with a ruler to teach her not to touch what did not belong to her.

I think it was too harsh a punishment for an innocent mistake of a fond daughter who was making a gift for her father. Undoubtedly, the papers were extremely important for him and their loss must have caused him a lot of inconvenience but he should have heard out Kezia’s explanation, and understood and appreciated Kezia’s intentions. A firm but gentle reprimand would have sufficed to teach the sensitive Kezia not to touch things that did not belong to her. This incident shows that Father was a very insensitive and harsh man who demanded a very high standard of discipline from his daughter and did not tolerate any disobedience.

Question 3.
Briefly comment on Kezia’s relationship with her grandmother?
Answer:
The little girl is extremely close to her loving and sympathetic grandmother. Failing to get any expression of affection from her parents, especially her father, Kezia turns to her grandmother for the emotional support and comfort that she needs. She turns to her to fulfill her need for love and protection.

Grandmother too showers love upon the little girl. She keeps trying to help the girl build her bridges with her parents. She advises Kezia to talk to her parents when they would be more relaxed as they sat in the drawing¬room on a Sunday afternoon. Again, she suggests to Kezia suggests that she should make a pin-cushion for her father as a present for his birthday. When Father beats Kezia, it is grandmother who tries first to reason with her son and then consoles and comforts Kezia by covering her with her shawl and allowing the child to cling to her soft body.

We also learn that, at night, when Kezia is scared by the dark or by her nightmares, it is for her grandmother that the little girl calls out, and it is grandmother who takes her into her own bed. Hence, her love and support make Kezia look upto her for everything.

Question 4.
What impression do you form of Kezia’s mother?
Answer:
Kezia’s mother is very unapproachable, aloof figure, quite unlike a loving mother a young girl desires and needs. Perhaps her ill-health and her strict and domineering husbands demands leave her with very little room to pay the desired attention to her daughter. Her relationship with her daughter is distant. She treats the little girl in accordance with her husband’s expectations. She orders her to take off her father’s shoes and put them outside as this would indicate obedience. On Sunday afternoons, she spends her time engrossed in her reading, rather than talking to her daughter.

When Kezia innocently tears her father’s papers, she drags her downstairs to face Father’s wrath. She does not try to reason with Father when he reprimands and beats the little girl. She neither defends nor protects her in any way. She does not even go to assuage her traumatised daughter’s physical and emotional hurt. Little wonder then that Kezia turns to her grandmother to fulfill her need for motherly care and affection.

Question 5.
Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers.” Comment on Kezia’s remark in the light of her relationship with her father and that of the Macdonald children with their father?
Answer:
Kezia’s father was a busy man. He was so lost in his business that he had no time for his family. Being a very strict disciplinarian, he was strict with Kezia as well. He did not display any soft feelings for his little daughter through word or deed. All he did was give her a perfunctory kiss rather than a loving one as he left for work each morning. His presence at home frightened Kezia and she was relieved when he was gone. Kezia was unable to speak without stuttering in her father’s presence. Yet, despite all this, Kezia’s father had a loving heart as Kezia discovered when she had her nightmare and she was alone with him.

At once, Father came and took her to his room, made her lie with him and comforted her. He asked her to rub her feet against his legs for warmth. This showed the little girl her father truly loved her and it brought her close to her father. Mr Macdonald, Kezia’s next door neighbour, had five children and Kezia would often see them playing in their garden. One day, when Kezia looked through the gap in the fence she saw the Macdonalds playing ‘tag’.

It was evening, and Mr Macdonald had just returned from work but unlike her father, he looked happy to be playing with his children. He had baby Mao was on his shoulders, and the two girls were hanging on to his coat pockets. The party ran around the flower beds, shaking with laughter. Mr. Macdonald’s sons turned the hose on him and he tried to catch them laughing all the time.

This happy scene made Kezia conclude that there were different sorts of fathers. Mr Macdonald was so different from her own father. He was not at all strict, was always happy and thoroughly enjoyed the company of his children. In contrast, her own father was often in an angry mood and remained much too busy in his work. She dreaded him and avoided his company as much as she could. Whenever she was with him, she would stautter and look silly, like “a brown owl”. His strict discipline and his domineering nature made Kezia wonder what God made fathers for.

Question 6.
How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
Answer:
Kezia was scared of her father as he looked like a giant. Every morning he came to her room and gave her a perfunctory kiss before leaving for work, but even that contact with him left her feeling uneasy. She was relieved when her father left home for work. Kezia’s father often mocked or rebuked her and once he even beat her for tearing some of his important papers. So great was her fear of him that she stuttered while answering him.

However, a nightmare one night made Kezia discover the tender, caring and loving side of her father. One night when she was alone at home with her father, and she cried out in fear, he came at once to her room, lifted her in his arms and took her to his room. He comforted her and tucked her up nicely and slept next to her. He asked her to rub her feet against his legs for warmth. This incident brought her close to her father.

She felt sorry for him as he had to work so hard that he had no time to play with her. She even realized that her father loved her but didn’t have the art of expressing it. Thus, her attitude towards her father changed and became more understanding and sympathetic.

Question 7.
Why did Kezia’s father punish her? Was he right in doing so?
Answer:
Kezia wanted to give a present to her father for his birthday. She decided to make a pin -cushion for him. She took a beautiful piece of yellow silk and stitched it on three sides. Now, she needed something to fill it. She went into her parents’ room. There, she found some sheets of fine paper lying on the table. She tore them up into pieces and used them to stuff them into pin cushion. Then she sewed up its fourth side.

What she didn’t know was that the papers were her father’s important speech for the Port Authority. When her father came to know about Kezia’s misdeed, he became very angry. He took a ruler and beat her. He was not right in punishing her. He should have realized that she was innocent. Her intention was good. He should have explained to’ her the error of taking someone’s things without permission and warned her gently but firmly.

Question 8.
What were the circumstances that forced Kezia to change her opinion about her father?
Answer:
When Kezia’s mother was hospitalized, her grandmother went to stay with her. Kezia was’alone at home with her father. As Alice, the cook, put Kezia to bed at night, the child was terrified of the dark and of being alone. She was afraid of the nightmares which she usually saw. On other occasions she was comforted by her grandmother, but tonight Grannie wasn’t there.

That night, Kezia again had the horrible dream and she woke up shivering and crying for her grandma. However, her father stood beside her bed with a candle in his hand. He gently took her in his arms and carried her to his room. He tucked her nicely in his bed and made her sleep close to him. She felt secure with him near her. That was when she realized that her father was busy with work and had no time to play with her. She even realized that her father loved her but didn’t have the art of expressing it. Thus, her attitude towards her father changed.

Question 9.
Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him. Elaborate.
Answer:
Kezia was very scared of her father and stuttered while answering his casual queries because she was trying so hard to say the words properly. This annoyed him and he rebuked her for looking wretched and on the brink of suicide. When she was sent to talk to him on Sunday afternoons, she always found her mother absorbed in reading and father sleeping on the sofa in their drawing-room. She would sit on a stool and wait for him to wake up.

He would then mockingly call her “a brown owl.” Once she unknowingly destroyed some of his important papers while stuffing a pin-cushion which she wanted to present to him on his birthday. This made him very angry and he beat her up badly. Therefore, Kezia’s efforts to please her father often resulted in displeasing him very much.

The Little Girl Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
To the little girl he was a figure to be feared and avoided. Every morning before going to work he came into her room and gave her a casual kiss, to which she responded with “Goodbye, Father And oh, there was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter and fainter down the long road!

(a) Who does ‘he’ refer to in this extract?
Answer:
He refers to the father of the little girl, Kezia.

(b) What kind of a person was Kezia’s father?
Answer:
He was a strict disciplinarian with a harsh exterior.

(c) What were the feelings of the little girl towards him?
Answer:
The little girl was afraid of him and tried to avoid him.

(d) How did she feel when her father left for office?
Answer:
She heaved a sigh of relief after he left for his office.

Question 2.
To the little girl he was a figure to be feared and avoided. Every morning before going to work he came into her room and gave her a casual kiss, to which she responded with “Goodbye, Father”. And oh, there was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter and fainter down the long road!

(a) Who is the little girl?
Answer:
The little girl is Kezia.

(b) Who were the people in Kezia’s family?
Answer:
Kezia’s family consisted of her father, mother, grandmother and herself.

(c) What did ‘he’ do before going to work every morning?
Answer:
Before going to work every morning, he came to Kezia’s room and casually kissed her.

(d) What does this gesture show about him?
Answer:
This gesture shows that he loved her girl but was not very expressive in his affection.

Question 3.
She never stuttered with other people – had quite given it up – but only with Father, because then she was trying so hard to say the words properly.

(a) Who is ‘she’ in this extract?
Answer:
‘She’ is Kezia, the little girl who was afraid of her father.

(b) What had she “quite given up”?
Answer:
She had quite given up the occasional stuttering in front of other people.

(c) How did ‘she’ speak in the presence of her father?
Answer:
In the presence of her father, Kezia stuttered while speaking and displayed lack of confidence.

(d) Why did ‘she’ stutter in her father’s presence?
Answer:
Kezia was afraid of her father and hesitated to speak to him, also whenever she had to speak to him, she would stutter because then she was trying so hard to say the words properly.

Question 4.
‘‘What’s the matter? What are you looking so wretched about? Mother, I wish you taught this child not to appear on the brink of suicide … Here, Kezia, carry my teacup back to the table carefully. ” He was so big – his hands and his neck, especially his mouth when he yawned. Thinking about him alone was like thinking about a giant.

(a) Who is the speaker in these lines?
Answer:
The speaker is Kezia’s father.

(b) Where are they at the moment? What time is it?
Answer:
They are in the drawing room. It is evening and Father has just returned from work.

(c) How does Kezia look in her father’s presence? Why?
Answer:
Kezia looks miserable and gloomy in his presence because she is scared of him.

(d) Why was she scared of her father?
Answer:
She was scared of him because he was a large, loud man and he often reprimanded her.

Question 5.
Slowly the girl would slip down the stairs, more slowly still across the hall, and push open the drawing – room door.

(a) What time of the day is it?
Answer:
It is evening and Father is back from work.

(b) Where is the little girl going?
Answer:
The little girl is going to the drawing room, where her father is sitting.

(c) Why is she going there?
Answer:
She is going there to help him take off his shoes.

(d) Why does she go slowly?
Answer:
She goes slowly because she is afraid of her father and is reluctant to go in his presence.

Question 6.
He was so big – his hands and his neck, especially his mouth when he yawned. Thinking about him alone was like thinking about a giant.

(a) Who is ‘he’ in the above extract?
Answer:
In this extract, ‘he’ refers to the father of Kezia, who was a very strict disciplinarian.

(b) Why does the speaker find him so big?
Answer:
The speaker is his little daughter, Kezia, who is very scared of him. Hence she finds a really big and giant-like with big hands, neck and mouth.

(c) Why does the speaker think of him as a giant?
Answer:
The speaker, Kezia, thought of him as a giant because to a small girl like her, his big body structure was as frightening as that of a giant of children’s stories.

(d) When did his mouth especially appear big?
Answer:
His mouth especially appeared big when he opened it wide while yawning.

Question 7.
On Sunday afternoons Grandmother sent her down to the drawing-room to have a “nice talk with Father and Mother”. But the little girl always found Mother reading and Father stretched out on the sofa, his handkerchief on his face, his feet on one of the best cushions, sleeping soundly and snoring.

(a) Where did Grandmother send ‘her’? Why?
Answer:
Grandmother would send her to the drawing room to talk to her parents.

(b) What would ‘her’ parents be doing?
Answer:
Her mother would be reading and her father would be sleeping.

(c) What do you learn about Mother from this passage?
Answer:
Mother is unconcerned and not very loving as she would ignore Kezia and continue to read.

(d) What would Father say to the little girl when he got up?
Answer:
When he got up Father would ask why Kezia was looking at him like a brown owl.

Question 8.
One day, when she was kept indoors with a cold, her grandmother told her that father’s birthday was next week, and suggested she should make him a pin-cushion for a gift out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk.

(a) Who had a cold? What was the result of the cold?
Answer:
Kezia had a cold and so she could not go out, but had to stay indoors.

(b) What was the occasion next week?
Answer:
It was Kezia’s father’s birthday next week.

(c) What did her grandmother want her to do?
Answer:
Grandmother wanted Kezia to make a gift for her father, a pin-cushion.

(d) What did Kezia use for stuffing the pin-cushion?
Answer:
Kezia used some papers she found on a bed-table in her parents’ bedroom for stuffing the pin-cushion. Unfortunately, the papers were an important speech written by her father.

Question 9.
“Mother, go up to her room and fetch down the damned thing – see that the child’s put to bed this instant. ”

(a) Who speaks these lines and to whom?
Answer:
Kezia’s father speaks these lines to his mother.

(b) What is the mood of the speaker in these lines?
Answer:
The speaker, Kezia’s father, is very angry while speaking.

(c) What does the speaker refer to as the ‘damned thing’?
Answer:
The ‘damned thing’ referred to by the speaker, Kezia’s father, is the pin-cushion Kezia had made for him.

(d) Who is the ‘child’ here? Why does the speaker wish the child to be put to bed immediately?
Answer:
The ‘child’ here is Kezia. Her father, the speaker, wishes her to be put to bed immediately because he is furious at the damage caused by her. He wants to punish her for tearing up his papers.

Question 10.
“Sit up, ” he ordered, “and hold out your hands. You must be taught once and for all not to touch what does not belong to you. ”

(a) Who is the speaker? Who is he talking to?
Answer:
Kezia’s father is talking to Kezia.

(b) Where are they at the moment?
Answer:
They are in Kezia’s bedroom where she had been sent for tearing up her father’s papers.

(c) Why does the speaker want the listener to hold out her hands?
Answer:
Kezia’s father wanted her to hold out her hands so that he could punish her by hitting her on the palms

(d) What do you learn about the speaker from these lines?
Answer:
He is a strict disciplinarian and is punishing his little daughter for tearing up his important papers. He is also unforgiving.

Question 11.
“But it was for your b-b-birthday. ”
Down came the ruler on her little, pink palms.

(a) Who speaks these words? To whom?
Answer:
Kezia speaks these words to her father.

(b) Where are they at the moment?
Answer:
They are in Kezia’s bedroom at the moment.

(c) Why does she speak these words?
Answer:
She speaks these words to try and explain to her father why she had cut up the papers.

(d) Who brought down ‘the ruler on her little, pink palms’? Why?
Answer:
Kezia’s father brought down the ruler on her palms to punish her for touching his papers without permission.

Question 12.
“Here’s a clean hanky, darling. Blow your nose. Go to sleep, pet; you ’ll forget all about it in the morning. I tried to explain to Father but he was too upset to listen tonight. ”

(a) Why does the speaker offer the listener a clean hanky?
Answer:
Grandmother, the speaker, offers a clean hanky because Kezia had been crying after she was punished by her father for tearing up his important papers. She needed a clean hanky to blow her running nose.

(b) What did the speaker want the listener to forget?
Answer:
Grandmother, the speaker, wanted Kezia, the listener to forget about the beating that she had got from her Father.

(c) Why did she want the listener to forget it?
Answer:
She wanted her to forget it because the punishment was not given to hurt but to make her understand that things belonging to others must not be touched.

(d) What do you think had the speaker tried to explain to Father?
Answer:
Grandmother, the speaker, tried to explain to Father that Kezia had not destroyed the papers intentionally and that she had been trying to complete his surprise birthday gift.

Question 13.
But the child never forgot. Next time she saw him, she quickly put both hands behind her back and a red colour flew into her cheeks.

(a) What did the child never forget?
Answer:
The child, Kezia, never forgot how her father had punished her and hit her.

(b) Why did she put her hands behind her back?
Answer:
Father had hit her on her palms with a ruler. She remembered the pain, and was afraid of being punished again.

(c) What had she done to get punished by her father?
Answer:
She had tom up his important speech in order to stuff the pin-cushion she was making as a surprise gift for him.

(d) What did she wish her father to be?
Answer:
She wished for her father to be more like Mr Macdonald

Question 14.
Looking through a gap in the fence the little girl saw them playing ‘tag ’ in the evening. The father with the baby, Mao, on his shoulders, two little girls hanging on to his coat pockets ran round and round the flower¬beds, shaking with laughter. Once she saw the boys turn the hose on him-and he tried to catch them laughing all the time.

(a) Who is ‘them’?
Answer:
‘Them’ refers to Kezia’s neighbours, Mr Macdonald and his five children.

(b) What is the little girl doing at the moment?
Answer:
The little girl is looking at her neighbours, the Macdonald’s through a gap in the fence. The family are playing together.

(c) How is the relationship of the children with their father different from the little girl’s with hers?
Answer:
Unlike Kezia, the Macdonald children were not at all afraid of their father. In fact they were all playing and laughing together.

(d) What did she wish as she saw the family?
Answer:
As she the children laughing and playing with their father, the little girl wished for her father to be like Mr Macdonald.

Question 15.
“What’ll 1 do if I have a nightmare? ” she asked. “I often have nightmares and then Grannie takes me into her bed—I can’t stay in the dark- gets ‘whispery ’…”.

(a) Who is the speaker in these lines? Who is being addressed?
Answer:
In these lines, the speaker is Kezia, the little girl and she is addressing Alice, the cook.

(b) What happens when the speaker has nightmares?
Answer:
When Kezia has nightmares, she is comforted by her grandmother who takes the little girl into her bed

(c) Where was Grannie right now?
Answer:
Kezia’s Grannie was at the hospital with Kezia’s mother who is unwell.

(d) Who was beside her bed when she woke shivering that night?
Answer:
Kezia’s father came to her when she had her nightmare and cried out in her sleep. He took her to his bed with him.

Question 16.
Oh, a butcher – a knife – I want Grannie. ” He blew out the candle, bent down and caught up the child in his arms, carrying her along the passage to the big bedroom. A newspaper was on the bed – a half-smoked cigar was near his reading-lamp. He put away the paper, threw the cigar into the fireplace, then carefully tucked up the child. He lay down beside her.

(a) Who wanted Granny? Why?
Answer:
Kezia wanted Granny because whenever she had a nightmare Granny would soothe her and take her into her bed with her.

(b) Who blew out the candle? Why?
Answer:
Father blew out the candle because he wanted to carry Kezia to his room.

(c) Where was the butcher?
Answer:
The butcher was in Kezia’s nightmare.

(d) What does her father’s behaviour in the passage show?
Answer:
He was a loving and caring father.

Question 17.
Then the dark did not matter; she lay still.

(a) When did the dark not matter? Why?
Answer:
The dark did not matter because Kezia’s father had brought her to his bed. She felt safe now.

(b) Why had she been afraid in the dark?
Answer:
She was afraid of the dark because of her nightmare.

(c) What nightmare did she have?
Answer:
Kezia dreamt of a butcher with a knife and a rope, who came nearer and nearer, smiling a dreadful smile, while she could not move, could only stand still, crying out in fear.

(d) What did her father do? What does her father’s behaviour show?
Answer:
Her father got her to his bed and tucked her in nicely next to himself. This shows he was a loving, caring father.

Question 18.
He was harder than Grandmother, but it was a nice hardness. And every day he had to work and was too tired to be a Mr Macdonald… She had torn up all his beautiful writing … She stirred suddenly and sighed.

(a) Who was harder than Grandmother?
Answer:
Kezia’s father was harder than her grandmother.

(b) Explain “harder than Grandmother”.
Answer:
Her father was more strict and firm than her grandmother was.

(c) Who was Mr Macdonald? Why could “he” not be like him?
Answer:
Mr Macdonald was Kezia’s neighbour. He had five children and Kezia had seen him laughing and playing with his children. “He” could not be like mr Macdonald as was a hard working man and was too tired to play with her.

(d) Why did she sigh?
Answer:
She sighed in understanding and happiness. She had understood her father and his love for her. She was no longer afraid of him.

Question 19.
“Oh, ” said the little girl, “my head’s on your heart. I can hear it going. What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear. ”

(a) Where is the little girl at this time? Why?
Answer:
The little girl is in bed with her father. He had picked her up and got her here after she had cried out because of her nightmare.

(b) Where has she put her head? Why?
Answer:
Kezia has put her head on the big heart of her father. She has done so because she is free from her fears and is happy to discover the tender and loving side of her otherwise strict father.

(c) What can the little girl hear?
Answer:
Kezia can hear the heartbeat of her father. She has realised that her father loves her.

(d) How does the little girl feel at this time?
Answer:
Kezia is no longer afraid of her father. In fact, she feels happy and safe at this time.

Here we are providing Snake Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature Reader, Extra Questions for Class 10 English was designed by subject expert teachers. https://ncertmcq.com/extra-questions-for-class-10-english/

Snake Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

Snake Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Hunting Snake Extra Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 1.
Imagine that you are the narrator and have seen the snake at the water trough today. Write a diary entry about how you feel after having thrown the stick at the creature.
Answer:
11 June 20xx
I am very upset that I hit a snake for no reason. I saw it at the water trough. It had come to drink water as it was a hot day. I-stood there fascinated and waited for it to go. It was a beautiful creature and it looked harmless. I think that other creatures also have a right on natural resources like water. But once the snake turned to go, I hit at its tail with piece of fallen bough. I am so ashamed at the act. It was so thoughtless and unnecessary. I felt like the Ancient Mariner. I wondered if my action was as a result of self-preservation or is it human nature?

Snake Trouble Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 2.
The narrator’s friend comes to know about the encounter with the snake. Write a letter from the friend to the narrator, asking for more details and advising him about how to protect himself against snakes.
Answer:
11 June20xx
XYZ
Dear DH
I read your letter and I cannot imagine having a snake for a guest. But I did not understand that after admiring the creature, what was the need to hit it? What I can conclude after my observation is that man is selfish and cannot live in harmony with other creatures. Whereas animals only attack when threatened, man attacks without reason. I agree that human nature and the need for self-preservation is responsible for this act. Man must leam to live in harmony with other creations of God.
Yours Affectionately
PQR

Snake Trouble Story Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 3.
Imagine you are the water-trough. Write a description of what you saw on the day described in the poem.
Answer:
Today, it is very hot as it is a typical Sicilian summer day. All creatures are affected by this heat. I saw a snake come out of a fissure in the wall. It was drinking water collected near the tap. I also saw a man approach and wait for the snake to finish drinking water. I felt happy that he did not try to harm the snake.

The snake was relaxed in its movements and was moving slowly. The man waited patiently. But suddenly, when the snake started disappearing into the fissure in the wall, the man picked up a stick and threw it at the snake. The snake was surprised and it hurried off and disappeared soon, as it was upset. Why does Man think that he owns the world and no one else have the right to use natural resources?

Snake Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 4.
The snake goes back into his hole and tells his family and friends about how he was attacked by a cruel human. The newspaper ‘Snake Times’ carries an article entitled, ‘Never Trust Humans’. Write the article.
Answer:
NEVER TRUST HUMANS
It has been reported that a snake was attacked by a human. The snake had stopped to drink water near human habitation on a very hot day, as it had found water in a small clearing. While drinking, the snake saw a man staring at him but the mail, seemed harmless, so it continued drinking. But when it turned its back, it felt something aimed at its back, most probably the man had attacked it with something. All snakes are warned against going near humans. They are the most unpredictable creatures and keeping a safe distance from them would be the best policy.

Hunting Snake Poem Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 5.
The narrator’s friend is a newspaper reporter. He writes an article about the incident, highlighting the battle between natural instincts and the effect of education on the way we approach the natural world.
Answer:
MAN VERSUS NATURE
By Staff reporter
Recently my friend reported an encounter with a snake. The snake was harmless and had come to drink water. It did not attack or even look remotely dangerous. There was no need to feel fearful but my friend attacked the snake because he believed that the snake was poisonous. I found his reasoning quite strange. Do creatures other than man have no place on this earth? If so why were they created? Why is man so selfish and his main work seems to be just hunting down animals? Why can’t he live peacefully as God wanted him to? Does he always have to show his superiority? This is a question all of us have to answer.

Hunting Snake Poem Extra Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 6.
Discuss the theme of the poem Snake.
Answer:
The poet wanted to convey the message that most animals have- harmless attitude and human beings must have patience while dealing with them. He regrets his decision of being inhospitable towards the snake. The value that can be derived from this is that man and animal must coexist in peace and harmony.

Snake Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Hunting Snake Questions And Answers Class 10 Question 1.
A snake came to my water-trough
On a hot, hot day, and I in pyjamas for the heat,
To drink there.
In the deep, strange-scented shade of a great dark Carob tree.

(a) Who was the visitor the narrator is referring to?
Answer:
The visitor was the snake.

(b) Why is the narrator in pyjamas?
Answer:
The narrator was in pyjamas because it was quite hot.

(c) What is a Carob tree?
Answer:
It is a tree found in the Mediterranean region.

Question 2.
I came down the steps with my pitcher
And must wait, must stand and wait, For there was at the tough before me

(a) Why did the narrator come down the steps?
Answer:
The narrator wanted to fill the pitcher with water to drink.

(b) Why did he have to wait before filling water?
Answer:
He had to wait as there was a snake at the water trough drinking water.

(c) How did the narrator react to the snake?
Answer:
At first he admired it, but when it turned its back, he hit it with a stick.

Question 3.
He reached down from the fissure in the earth-wall in the gloom
And trailed his yellow-brown slackness soft bellied down, over the edge of the stone trough

(a) Who does ‘he’ refer to?
Answer:
‘He’ refers to the snake.

(b) Where had it come from?
Answer:
The snake had come from a hole in the earth wall.

(c) Describe the creature as depicted in these lines.
Answer:
It was yellow-brown in colour, with a soft, slack body.

Question 4.
He sipped with his straight mouth
Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack, long body,

(a) What is being described in these lines?
Answer:
The manner in which the snake was drinking water is being described here.

(b) What is the attitude of the narrator?
Answer:
The narrator is respectful, admiring the snake and waiting for his turn at the water trough.

(c) How does his attitude change in the end?
Answer:
In the end he hits the snake with a stick.

Question 5.
He lifted his head from his drinking as cattle do,
And looked at me vaguely as drinking cattle do,
And flickered his two formed tongue from his lips and mused a moment

(a) Pick out the poetic device in the first line.
Answer:
A simile is used in the first line.

(b) Why has the narrator compared the snake to cattle?
Answer:
The narrator does so because at that time, the snake appeared as harmless as cattle.

(c) Pick put the word which tells us that the snake was not aware of the narrator’s presence.
Answer:
The word ‘vaguely’ indicates that the snake was not aware of the narrator’s presence.

Question 6.
The voice of my education said to me
He must be killed
For in Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold are venomous.

(a) Where does the narrator see the snake?
Answer:
The narrator sees it in the water trough.

(b) Why does he want to kill it?
Answer:
The narrator wants to kill it because it was a golden-brown snake and hence poisonous.

(c) What had the ‘voice of education’ taught him?
Answer:
It had taught him that snakes were poisonous creatures and had to be killed.

Question 7.
But must I confess how I liked him
How glad I was that he had come here like a guest in quiet, to drink at my water trough

(a) What is the narrator referring to in these lines?
Answer:
The narrator is referring to a snake which had come to his trough to drink water.

(b) What was the paradox as expressed in these lines?
Answer:
Though the narrator felt that the snake which had come to drink water at his trough was poisonous and should be killed, he felt he was like a guest and should not tTd killed.

(c) How did the narrator resolve the problem?
Answer:
The narrator threw a stick at the retreating back of the snake.

Question 8.
And as he put his head into that dreadful hole
And as he slowly drew up, snake-easing his shoulders, and entered further,
A sort of horror, a sort of protest against his withdrawing into that horrid black hole
Deliberately going into the blackness, and slowly drawing himself after
Overcame me now his back was turned.

(a) Where is the snake going?
Answer:
The snake was going into the hole.

(b) What are the conflicting views that the narrator has as he watches the snake?
Answer:
The narrator at first felt honoured, then wondered whether he should kill it because it was poisonous and finally he hit the snake’s retreating back.

Question 9.
And looked around like a god, unseeing into the air.

(a) What is the poetic device used in this line?
Answer:
The poetic device used is a simile.

(b) Who is being compared to a god?
Answer:
The snake is being compared to a God.

(c) What does the phrase ‘unseeing into the air’ tell us about it?
Answer:
The snake is relaxed and not focussing on anything in particular.

Question 10.
But suddenly that part of him that was left behind convulsed in undignified haste

(a) Who does ‘him’ refer to?
Answer:
‘Him’ refers to the snake.

(b) Why did it convulse in undignified haste?
Answer:
The snake reacted because it sensed danger after being attacked by a stick thrown by the narrator.

(c) How is the movement different from his earlier behaviour?
Answer:
Earlier, the snake was relaxed and moving slowly and lazily without any fear.

Question 11.
And immediately I regretted it

(a) What did the narrator regret?
Answer:
The narrator regretted hitting the snake with a stick.

(b) Why did he feel so?
Answer:
The narrator felt regretful because he had hit the snake without any reason.

(c) How did he feel?
Answer:
The narrator felt guilty and remorseful.

Question 12.
And I thought of the albatross
And I wished he would come back, my snake.

(a) What made the narrator think of the albatross?
Answer:
The narrator’s action of hitting the snake without any reason, and a fear of the repercussions he might have to face as a result of his act, made the narrator think about the albatross.

(b) Why was he reminded of the albatross? What does this refer to?
Answer:
It refers to the bird mentioned in the poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner where an albatross was killed by a mariner without any reason.

(c) Why did he want it to return?
Answer:
The narrator wanted to ask for forgiveness and atone for his sins.

Here we are providing Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature Reader, Extra Questions for Class 10 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Literature

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Not Marble Nor The Gilded Monuments Question 1.
How does time affect powerful rulers?
Answer:
Powerful rulers get monuments and statues built in marble and gold to be remembered by posterity but Time destroys their efforts by annihilating their creations.

Not Marble Nor The Gilded Monuments Question And Answers Question 2.
In what way is the poet stronger than powerful rulers?
Answer:
The creations of powerful rulers like statues and monuments are destroyed by Time but the poet is more powerful than these rulers because Time cannot destroy his creation.

Question 3.
What is ‘the ending doom’ and ‘the judgement’?
Answer:
In traditional religions, Doomsday or judgment day is the point at which all souls, even those that have been dead for a long time will ‘arise’ to be judged by God.

Question 4.
What is the theme of Shakespeare’s sonnet, Not Marble nor the Gilded Monuments?
Answer:
This sonnet is a poem about time and immortalisation. The speaker claims that his poem will immortalise the beloved. The young man will survive all of these things through the verses of the speaker.

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Compare and contrast the ravages of Time as shown in Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments and Ozymandias.
Answer:
In Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments, the powerful rulers get monuments and statues built but Time destroys them. Time is more powerful than these man-made creations. The poet paints a destructive image of time, but explores the immortality of the subjects of poetry through the power of verse. In Ozymandias, the main theme is the inevitable decline of all leaders and of the empires they build, however mighty in their own time.

Question 2.
Comment on the immortality of poetry to withstand the forces of decay over time with reference to Not Marble, Nor Gilded Monuments.
Answer:
Not Marble, Nor Gilded Monuments, one of Shakespeare’s most famous verses, asserts the immortality of the poet’s sonnets to withstand the forces of decay over time. While monuments that princes build will be destroyed and their creators forgotten, the poet’s friend will Continue to shine brightly through verse. The value that can be derived from this instance is that stone monuments may crumble to dust, blackened by time and devastating war, but neither the God of War nor his quick-burning fires shall destroy poetry.

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts below and answer the questions that follow. Write the answers in one or two lines only.

Question 1.
Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;

(a) What does the poet mean by marble?
Answer:
The poet refers to statues and monuments made of marble.

(b) Who are the people who get gilded monuments made?
Answer:
Princes/kings/important statesmen get gilded monuments made.

(c) What will happen to ‘marble’ and ‘gilded monuments’?
Answer:
They will be destroyed by the passage of time or by the ravages of war.

Question 2.
Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;

(a) Explain‘gilded monuments’.
Answer:
Monuments that are covered with gold or are gold-plated.

(b) What is more powerful than ‘marble’ and ‘gilded monuments’? Why?
Answer:
The poet’s rhyme is more powerful as it will outlive marble statues and gold-plated monuments.

(c) Name a poetic device used in the above lines.
Answer:
Alliteration: ‘Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;’

Question 3.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
And broils root out the work of masonry,
Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall bum
The living record of your memory.

(a) What are the works of masonry?
Answer:
Statues and monuments built by masons are being referred to here.

(b) Who is Mars?
Answer:
Mars is the god of War.

(c) What can Mars not destroy?
Answer:
Mars cannot destroy the memory of the person enshrined in the poem.

Question 4.
Gainst death, and all oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.

(a) What are the things that may destroy a person’s memory?
Answer:
Death and decay caused by the passage of time may destroy a person’s memory.

(b) How will ‘he’ live on in people’s memory?
Answer:
He will live on in people’s memory because he has been immortalised in the poet’s rhyme.

(c) Explain ‘that wear this world out to the ending doom’.
Answer:
This line refers to all that will survive until the end of humanity.

Question 5.
So, till the judgment that yourself arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes.

(a) Who is ‘you’?
Answer:
The person to whom the sonnet is addressed is being referred to, in these lines.

(b) How will he‘live’on?
Answer:
He will live on in the poet’s poetic creation.

(c) Explain ‘judgement’.
Answer:
The Day of Judgement or Doomsday is being referred to here.

Here we are providing My Childhood Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive, Extra Questions for Class 9 English was designed by subject expert teachers. https://ncertmcq.com/extra-questions-for-class-9-english/

My Childhood Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Beehive

My Childhood Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

My Childhood Class 9 Extra Questions Answers Question 1.
What were the qualities that Abdul Kalam admired in his parents?
Answer:
Kalam’s parents were noble and generous people. Though his father was an austere man, he provided his family with all necessities, in terms of food, medicine or clothes. He admired his father’s honesty and self-discipline and his mother’s faith in goodness and kindness. He admired his parents for respecting all religions.

My Childhood Extra Questions Question 2.
Kalam’s childhood was a secure one both materially and emotionally. Illustrate.
Answer:
APJ Abdul Kalam called his childhood a secure one because he had loving and caring parents who gave love and guidance to their children and took care of their emotional and physical needs. They provided their children with all necessities, in terms of food, medicine or clothes.

My Childhood Class 9 Extra Questions Question 3.
How does Kalam show his father was a simple man?
Answer:
Kalam’s father was a simple self-disciplined man. He neither had formal education nor much wealth and he avoided all inessential comforts and luxuries.

Extra Questions Of My Childhood Question 4.
What kind of a person was Kalam’s father?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen, was a tall and handsome man. Although he did not have much of a formal education, he was progressive and valued education. He was an austere man and didn’t have much wealth, however, he was a generous man and provided both material and emotional security to his family. He was a very practical man with a vast store of wisdom and never obstructed the progressive ways of his children.

Class 9 My Childhood Extra Questions Question 5.
How does Abdul Kalam describe his mother?
Answer:
Kalam’s mother, Ashiamma, was tall, good looking and very attached to her children. She was an ideal helpmate to her husband. She was a gentle and kind lady with faith in goodness and deep kindness. Like her husband, she was very generous and fed a number of outsiders daily. Kalam inherited the values of kindness and generosity from her. Kalam inherited the values of kindness and generosity from her.

Class 9 English My Childhood Extra Questions Question 6.
How was Kalam’s appearance different from that of his parents?
Answer:
Kalam did not take after his tall and handsome parents. He was a rather short boy with average looks. Unlike his parents who had quite striking features, his appearance was undistinguished.

My Childhood Extra Questions And Answers Question 7.
Briefly describe Abdul Kalam’s ancestral house.
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s ancestral house was situated on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram. It had been built in the middle of nineteenth century and was a fairly large, pucca house made of limestone and brick.

My Childhood Extra Question Answer Question 8.
How did the Second World War give Abdul Kalam the opportunity to earn his first wages?
Answer:
When stoppage of trains was cancelled at Rameshwaram because of World War II, Kalam’s cousin, Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers in Rameswaram, asked him for help in collecting newspaper bundles which were thrown from the moving train. This helped Abdul Kalam earn his first wages.

My Childhood Class 9 Important Questions Question 9.
What are Kalam’s views about his first jobs?
Answer:
As a young boy, Kalam earned his first wage by helping his cousin, Samsuddin, collect papers thrown from a moving train for distribution. Half a century later, Kalam would still feel the surge of pride in earning his own money for the first time.

Extra Questions From My Childhood Question 10.
Had Kalam earned any money before that? In what way?
Answer:
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, there was a sudden demand for tamarind seeds in the market. Kalam collected these seeds and sold them to earn an anna a day which was a big amount for a small boy like him in those days.

My Childhood Class 9 Extra Questions And Answers Question 11.
Right from his childhood Kalam was very enterprising. Comment.
Answer:
Kalam was an enterprising child who used to make full use of the opportunities that came his way. During the war, when there occurred a great demand for tamarind seeds in the market, he used to collect these seeds and sell them off to a provision store near his home and earn an anna a day. Thus, he was able to earn some money for himself. Later, he collected newspapers for his cousin, Samsuddin, and earned his first wages. These incidents show that he was very enterprising.

My Childhood Important Questions Question 12.
What was Dinamani? Justify your views.
Answer:
Dinamani seems to be the name of a newspaper. Kalam mentions that he gathered information about the World War from his brother-in-law Jallaluddin. Later he tried to trace these stories in the headlines of Dinamani. Since news stories can be read in newspapers, and Headline is the heading at the top of a news item in a newspaper, Dinamani must be a newspaper.

My Childhood Extract Based Questions Question 13.
What characteristics does Kalam say he inherited from his parents?
Answer:
Kalam inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father and faith in goodness and deep kindness from his mother.

Extra Questions Of My Childhood Class 9 Question 14.
Who were Kalam’s school friends? What did they become later?
Answer:
Kalam’s three close childhood friends were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan. All three of them settled well in life. Ramanadha inherited priesthood of Rameswaram temple from his father, Aravindan took up the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.

Class 9 English Chapter 6 Extra Questions Question 15.
“On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author. Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable?
Answer:
Dr. Kalam mentions two social groups of Rameshwaram—orthodox Brahmins and Muslims.
Yes, these groups were easily identifiable by the way they dressed. Kalam wore a cap which marked him as a Muslim, while Ramanadha Sastry wore a sacred thread which marked him a Hindu.

Question 16.
Despite their differences, the social groups shared friendships and experiences. Elaborate.
Answer:
The social groups shared friendships and experiences and lived in harmony. Kalam’s mother and grandmother often told the children of his family bedtime stories about the events from the Ramayana and from the life of the prophet. During the Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, his family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site. When Ramanadha Sastry’s father heard that the new teacher tried to segregate pupils on the basis of religious divisions, he called the teacher and advised him to revert his decision or quit. Kalam’s Science teacher, Shivasubramania Iyer, invited Kalam to have meal with him. This way he changed his conservative wife’s mindset.

Question 17.
There were sharp differences that existed in the minds of some people belonging to these social groups. Illustrate.
Answer:
Although most people lived together in harmony with each other, there were some people who were very aware of the differences among them and rigidly enforced them. These included the young teacher who joined the Rameshwaram Elementary School and taught Kalam’s class, the fifth standard. He tried to separate the Hindu Brahman boy, Ramanadha Sastry and Abdul Kalam, who was a Muslim. Kalam’s science teacher’s conservative wife also refused to serve Kalam in her kitchen. However, others in society, made them see the error of their ways and harmony was maintained.

Question 18.
What did Kalam’s family do during the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony?
Answer:
During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, Kalam’s family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha, which was near Kalam’s house.

Question 19.
Who asked Kalam to sit on the back bench of his class? Why?
Answer:
A new teacher at the Rameswaram Elementary School could not tolerate that Kalam, a Muslim, sat with Ramanadha Sastry, a Hindu wearing the sacred thread. This was contrary to the teacher’s notion of social ranking. So, he ordered Kalam to sit on the back bench.

Question 20.
Do you think the teacher at Rameswaram Elementary School deserved the treatment meted out to him by Lakshmana Sastry?
Answer:
Yes, the teacher deserved the treatment meted out to him by Lakshmana Sastry. He was spreading the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. Spreading such divisive tendencies is a serious crime If a teacher indulges in such an damaging act he deserves no sympathy.

Question 21.
“I felt very sad and so did Ramanadha Sastry”. What made Kalam and his friend feel sad?
Answer:
Kalam and his friend Ramanadha Sastry were good friends and sat together in class. They felt very sad when the new teacher ordered Kalam to go and sit on the back bench of the class. Ramanadha was absolutely downcast and as Kalam shifted his seat to the last row, there were tears in his eyes. Kalam could never forget these tears all his life.

Question 22.
What did Ramanadha Sastry’s father do when his son told him that the new teacher had sent Kalam to the last seat?
Answer:
Ramanadha’s father, Lakshmana Sastry was deeply distressed to leam that the new school teacher had shifted Kalam to the last bench. He did not approve of this segregation in society. He summoned the teacher and told him not to spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in young minds. He bluntly told him to either apologise or leave the school. The teacher not only regretted his action but also reformed himself.

Question 23.
What was the difference in the attitudes of the science teacher and his wife towards A.P.J. Abdul Kalam?
Answer:
Though the Science teacher was a Brahmin, he broke the social barriers, and mixed with people belonging to a different religion and community. He invited Abdul home and served him his meal and even sat and ate with him. On the contrary, his wife, at first, was conservative and refused to serve Abdul in her kitchen. However, by the next time, she was also transformed and served Abdul Kalam herself.

Question 24.
Sivasubramania Iyer was “something of a rebel”. Elaborate.
Answer:
Sivasubramania Iyer was Kalam’s science teacher. Though he was a brahmin, he was something of a rebel. A man of liberal views, he wanted to change the society that was rigid in terms of segregation of different social groups. He invited Kalam to his home for a meal. His wife, an orthodox Brahmin, refused to serve food to a Muslim boy in her so called ritually pure kitchen. Iyer served him with his own hands and sat down beside him to eat his meal. He convinced his wife to rise above these narrow barriers and thus was successful in changing the conservative attitude of his wife.

Question 25.
Why did Sivasubramania’s wife refuse to serve food to Kalam in her kitchen?
Answer:
Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife was an orthodox and conservative Brahmin. She believed the sanctity of her kitchen would be defiled if she served meals there to someone who belonged to a different faith. So, she refused to serve food to a Muslim boy in her kitchen.

Question 26.
How did Sivasubramania react to his wife’s behaviour when she refused to serve Kalam (a Muslim boy) in her kitchen?
Answer:
Sivasubramania probably expected such behaviour from his conservative wife. So, without getting angry or perturbed, he served Kalam with his own hands and sat beside him to eat his meal.

Question 27.
Why did Sivasubramania invite Kalam for dinner again the next weekend?
Answer:
The young Kalam was upset by Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife’s refusal to serve him food in her kitchen. This, coupled with the desire to transform his wife, probably prompted Sivasubramania to make amends to Kalam. So he invited Kalam to dinner again the following weekend. He also told Kalam, “Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be confronted.”

Question 28.
What thoughts crossed Kalam’s mind when he was having food at Sivasubramania’s house for the first time?
Answer:
Kalam noticed that Sivasubramania’s conservative wife was watching him from behind the kitchen door while he was having food. At this time he wondered whether she observed any difference in the way a Muslim ate rice, drank water or cleaned the floor after the meal.

Question 29.
What influence did his teacher Sivasubramania Iyer have on the young Kalam?
Answer:
Sivasubramania Iyer taught Kalam to confront prejudice. He told him that if he wanted to bring about a change, such problems needed to be confronted. Sivasubramania Iyer, the science teacher, was a Brahmin. When he invited Kalam for dinner, his orthodox wife thought Kalam’s presence would make it impure and refused to serve him. Sivasubramania Iyer served him with his own hands, and invited him again. This not only changed his wife’s attitude, it also had a profound influence on young Kalam.

Question 30.
Narrate two incidents – one to show how differences can be created, and another how they can be resolved.
Answer:
The first incident to show how differences can be created is that when the new young teacher found a Muslim student sitting beside a Hindu student. He asked Kalam to sit in the last row.
The other incident shows how differences can be resolved. The author’s science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, though a tried to bridge these differences.

Question 31.
What does Abdul tell about his days during the World War?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam was only eight years old when the World War broke out in 1939. Although at first, Rameswaram, being isolated, was completely unaffected by the War, but soon India was forced to join the Allied Forces and something like a state of emergency was declared. His brother-in-law Jallaluddin used to tell him stories about the Second World War. He read these stories in the newspaper too. He also started earning at a young age. The War brought a sudden demand for tamarind seeds and Kalam used to collect the seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street for an anna a day. He also began working for his cousin, Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers.

Question 32.
How did the Indians feel when the nation’s Independence was in full sight?
Answer:
Indians were filled with unprecedented optimism when the Second World War ended. India’s independence seemed imminent. Gandhiji declared that Indians would build their own India.

Question 33.
Why did Abdul Kaiam want to leave Rameswaram?
Answer:
Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram because the place did not offer any options for higher education. It just had an elementary school. An ambitious Kalam who was keen to study further wished to go to the district headquarters at Ramanathapuram that had many educational facilities.

Question 34.
Why did Kalam’s father allow Kalam to leave Rameswaram and go to Ramanathapuram?
Answer:
Though not educated himself, Kalam’s pragmatic father understood the significance of education. He did not want to stand in the way of his children’s growth in any way. Since Rameswaram had nothing more than an elementary school, his father willingly allowed Kalam to go to Ramanathapuram to pursue higher studies and persuaded his wife to do the same.

Question 35.
What did Kalam’s father say when Kalam sought his permission to leave Rameswaram and go to Ramanathapuram?
Answer:
When Kalam sought his father’s permission to leave Rameswaram and go to Ramanathapuram to study, Kalam’s father told him that he trusted his son’s decision to grow. He gave him the example of young seagulls who leave their parents’ nest to learn to fly. So, must the children be allowed to leave home and gain knowledge in the big world outside.

Question 36.
What did Kalam’s father mean to say when he quoted Khalil Gibran? Why do you think he spoke these words?
Answer:
Kalam’s father meant that every human being must be given the opportunity to build his life as per his wishes and parents should not hinder this effort. He spoke these words to convince Kalam’s mother that her son’s decision to leave home was right. She should allow him happily to shape his life according to his own ideas.

My Childhood Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
What do you learn about APJ. Abdul Kalam’s family from the lesson “My Childhood”?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam tells us that his family was a middle class Tamil Muslim family from Rameshwaram. His parents were good, kind and wise people who gave their children a childhood that was emotionally and materially secure. His father, Jainulabdeen, was not much educated, wasn’t rich but was generous, wise, simple man but was austere and used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries. However, all necessities were provided for, in terms of food, medicine or clothes.

His mother Ashiamma was a generous lady, and used to feed unlimited numbers of people. The family respected all religions and took part in Hindu festivals. During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, Kalam’s family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near their house. Events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet were the bedtime stories Kalam’s mother and grandmother would tell the children in the family. The parents always showered their love on their children and never forced their views on them.

Question 2.
What incident took place at the Rameswaram Elementary School when a new teacher came to the class?
Answer:
Kalam, who was a Muslim, used to wear a cap and his friend, Ramanadha Sastry, the son of the head priest at the Rameswaram temple, wore a sacred thread which marked him to be a Brahmin. When the new teacher came he could not stomach a Hindu priest’s son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with social ranking as the new teacher saw it, Abdul Kalam was asked to go and sit on the back bench.

Both the boys felt very sad. Ramanadha Sastry looked utterly downcast and as Kalam shifted to his seat in the last row, he saw tears in his eyes. Both the kids narrated the incident to their parents. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher, and reprimanded him for spreading the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. The teacher was asked to either apologise or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed him.

Question 3.
Narrate the incident of new teacher’s behaviour in the classroom. Was his action appropriate? What values did the new teacher learn after that incident?
Answer:
When Abdul Kalam was in the fifth standard, a new teacher, who had a conservative and narrow outlook, came to teach them. He saw Abdul Kalam sitting in the front row with Ramanadha Sastry. He identified Kalam as a Muslim as he used to wear a cap which marked him as one and Ramanadha Sastry, who wore the sacred thread as a Brahmin. The teacher could not digest a Muslim boy sitting with a Brahmin boy, that too the son of a priest. In accordance with their social ranking as he saw it, he asked Kalam to go and sit on the back bench.

Abdul Kalam and Ramanadha Sastry, both, felt very sad. His action was not at all appropriate as all human beings are equal. After this incident, Ramanadha Sastry’s father, Lakshmana Sastry, called the teacher and taught him the lesson that one must have respect for all religions and work for communal harmony. He told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teacher to either apologise or quit the school and the island. His strong sense of conviction ultimately reformed this young teacher.

Question 4.
How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages? How did he feel at that time? Explain.
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s cousin, Samsuddin, helped him earn his first wages. He used to collect newspapers from the station and distribute in Rameswaram. It was the time of the Second World War. Initially his area, being isolated, was completely unaffected by this War. But, soon the Indian forces also joined the Allied forces. A state of emergency was declared. The first casualty of the emergency was the suspension of train halt at Rameswaram.

It affected Samsuddin’s business adversely. Now, the bundles of newspapers had to be thrown from the moving train from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi. Samsuddin wanted a helping hand who could catch the bundles thrown from the moving train. Abdul Kalam was engaged for this job by him. Thus, he earned his wages for the first time. Abdul Kalam felt a great sense of pride when he earned his first wages.

Question 5.
When Sivasubramania told Kalam, “Once, you decide to change the system, such problems have to be confronted”. What system was he referring to? What are “such problems”? What values did he want to teach Kalam?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, was a rebel by nature. He was against the prevalent system of segregation of social groups. He wanted to break these social barriers so that people from varying backgrounds could mingle easily When he invited Abdul Kalam to his home, his wife, in keeping with the prevailing system, refused to serve Kalam, a Muslim, food in her kitchen.

But, Iyer not only served him food himself but also invited him next week again. He told Abdul Kalam that when one decides to go against the age-old social barriers, one has to face many problems. He proved that if one is determined to face problems ’ and change the system, one succeeds. He also tried to teach him that sometimes it is good to rebel. We should fight for right reasons and to achieve higher goals.

Question 6.
How was the Science teacher Sivasubramani Iyer, though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservative wife, an important influence in Abdul Kalam’s life? Give incidents to support your answer.
Answer:
The Science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer wanted Kalam to be very highly educated as he recognized his intelligence. He used to spend hours with the young boy and would express his desire that Kalam develops his abilities so that he was on par with the highly educated people of the big cities. He also, wanted to break the social barriers between the Hindus and the Muslims. One day, he invited him over for a meal.

His orthodox wife was totally horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy dining in her ritually pure kitchen. He did not heed anything said by his very conservative wife. He rather served Kalam food with his own hands. He also sat with him and dined together with him. Not only that, he invited him over again for another meal the coming weekend. Thus, this shows that he was an important influence on Abdul Kalam even though Kalam was a Muslim and he himself was an orthodox Brahmin.

Question 7.
What influence did Abdul Kalam’s teachers have on him?
Answer:
Teachers play a very important role in the lives of their students. Abdul Kalam’s life, too, was influenced in a major way by some experiences that he had during his school days. These episodes were instrumental in shaping his character and later on his career. Once, when he was in the fifth standard, a new teacher came to his class. A man with a conservative and narrow outlook, he could not digest a Muslim boy sitting with a Brahmin boy, that too the son of a priest. In accordance with their social ranking as he saw it, he asked Kalam to go and sit on the back bench.

This was a heart-breaking experience for Kalam. This poison of social inequality and communal intolerance could have demoralized the young Kalam if his friend’s father, Lakshmana Sastry had not intervened. He ensured that the teacher not only regretted his action but also reformed himself.

Another very important influence in his life was Sivasubramania Iyer, his Science teacher. He wanted Kalam to be very highly educated as he recognized his intelligence. He used to spend hours with the young boy and would express his desire that Kalam develops his abilities so that he was on par with the highly educated people of the big cities. He also, wanted to break the social barriers between the Hindus and the Muslims. He invited him over for a meal and when his orthodox wife refused to serve food to a Muslim boy in her ritually pure kitchen he served Kalam food with his own hands.

He also sat with him and dined together with him. Not only that, he invited him over again for another meal the coming weekend. He advised Kalam, “Once you decide to change the system, such problems have to be confronted”. These two experiences shaped Kalam’s outlook as they made him realise the importance of confronting problems and fighting divisive forces.

Question 8.
Why did the narrator’s father say, “Does the seagull not fly across the sun, alone and without a nest”?
Answer:
When Abdul Kalam asked his father for permission to leave Rameswaram and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram, his father did not get upset, nor did he try to stop him. On the contrary, he encouraged his son to leave Rameshwaram and to spread his wings and go to make his own way. He took example of young seagulls who leave their parents’ nest to leam to fly. His words have very a very important lesson.

Unlike human beings, most of the animals teach their young ones the skills of survival and allow them to fend for themselves after a certain age. This makes them more independent and courageous. For human also after a certain age certain degree of responsibility and independence is always helpful in making a perfect adult. Kalam’s father realised his son wanted to go away to grow.

He was a wise man and was aware of the need of an individual to grow and achieve his/ her full potential. He knew that life is not easy. His son would have to make tremendous efforts to face the hardships of life. The sons and Daughters must live their own lives.

My Childhood Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
I was born into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras State. My father, Jainulabdeen, had neither much formal education nor much wealth; despite these disadvantages, he possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit. He had an ideal helpmate in my mother, Ashiamma.

(a) Where was Abdul Kalam born?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam was bom in the island town of Rameswaram which fell in the erstwhile Madras State.

(b) What qualities did Abdul Kalam’s father possess?
Answer:
His father was a wise and generous man.

(c) In what ways was Ashiamma an ideal helpmate for her husband?
Answer:
Ashiamma was a generous person who fed a large number of people everyday.

(d) What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
Answer:
He inherited honesty and self discipline from his father. From his mother he inherited a sense of kindness and faith.

Question 2.
I was one of many children – a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents. We lived in or ancestral house, made of limestone and bricks, on the Mosque Street in Rameshwaram. My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries. However, all necessities were provided for, in terms of food, medicine or clothes. In fact I would say a mine was a very secure childhood, both materially and emotionally.

(a) How was Kalam different from his parents in looks?
Answer:
While Kalam’s parents were tall, handsome people, he was a short boy with rather ordinary looks.

(b) What does Kalam tell us about his home?
Answer:
Kalam’s family lived in their ancestral house, made of limestone and bricks, on the Mosque Street in Rameshwaram.

(c) How do we know that Kalam’s father was austere?
Answer:
Kalam’s. father shunned all inessential comforts and luxuries.

(d) What kind of a childhood did Kalam have?
Answer:
Kalam had a comfortable and secure childhood.

Question 3.
In fact, I would say mine was a very secure childhood, both materially and emotionally.

(a) In what way was Kalam’s childhood ‘secure’?
Answer:
Kalam was provided with all the necessities in terms of food, medicine and clothes. Apart from it, his parents loved him a lot. and took good care of him.

(b) What does Kalam mean by ‘material security’?
Answer:
By material security, Kalam means all the necessities of life that one needs while growing up that can be provided with money.

(c) What is meant by ‘emotional security’?
Answer:
‘Emotional security’ is the love and care that one needs to flourish and thrive.

(d) How did his parents provide Kalam with material and emotional security?
Answer:
Kalam’s parents provided him with material security by seeing all necessities in terms of food, medicine or clothes were provided for and emotional security by giving him a loving and secure childhood.

Question 4.
I used to collect the seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street.

(a) Which seeds did the narrator collect?
Answer:
Kalam collected tamarind seeds.

(b) Why did he collect these seeds?
Answer:
These seeds were collected by Kalam as they were in great demand in the market during the Second World War and could be sold easily for a good sum of money.

(c) What did he do with the collected seeds?
Answer:
Kalam would sell off the collected seeds to a provision shop on Mosque Street.

(d) What light does the extract throw on the narrator?
Answer:
The extract shows that the narrator, Kalam, was very enterprising and hard-working. His faith in dignity of labour prompted him to collect the seeds and sell them off.

Question 5.
The first casualty came in the form of suspension of train halt at Rameswaram station. The newspaper had now to be bundled and thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi. That forced my cousin Samsuddin, who distributed the newspapers in Rameswaram to look for a helping hand and catch the bundles and as if naturally Ifilled the slot.

(a) What does he mean by first casualty?
Answer:
The first blow that fell on Rameswaram, which had been unaffected by the war so far, was the suspension of the train stop there.

(b) Who was Samsuddin? What did he do?
Answer:
Samsuddin was Abdul Kalam’s cousin. He used to distribute newspapers in Rameswaram.

(c) Why did the cousin need a helping hand? How did he help Kalam earn a salary?
Answer:
As the train did not halt at Rameswaram, bundles were thrown off a moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi and had to be caught. Samsuddin needed a helping hand to catch the bundles and he employed Kalam for the job.

(d) How did Kalam feel later about his job?
Answer:
Kalam felt a sense of pride for earning his own money for the first time.

Question 6.
During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony, our family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lordfrom the temple to the marriage site situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near our house.

(a) What was the annual event held in Rameswaram?
Answer:
The annual event held in Rameswaram was the Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony or the wedding ceremony of Sita and Rama.

(b) Where did the boats carry the idols of the Lord?
Answer:
The idols were carried from the temple to the marriage site that was in the middle of the Rama Tirtha pond.

(c) Who provided the boats for ferrying the idols of Rama and Sita to the marriage site?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s family arranged for the boats required to ferry the idols.

(d) What light does this throw on the Rameswaram society?
Answer:
This highlights the secular nature of society and the natural Hindu Muslim cooperation in most parts of India. They were aware of their different identities but they were living harmoniously as people do in any normal society.

Question 7.
I inherited honesty and self-discipline from my father; from my mother, I inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness and so did my three brothers and sister. I had three close friends in my childhood – Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakashan. All these boys were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. As children, none of us ever felt any difference amongst ourselves because of our religious differences and upbringing.

(a) How does the author describe his father?
Answer:
The author describes his father as an austere man, who looked after all needs of his family.

(b) In what way did Kalam’s father show his self-discipline?
Answer:
Abdul Kalam’s father was an austere man who kept away from all inessential comforts and luxuries.

(c) What was the difference between the writer and his friends?
Answer:
The other three boys were from orthodox Brahmin families whereas the writer was a Muslim.

(d) How did the difference affect the friendship between the boys?
Answer:
The boys did not feel any difference between themselves and it did not affect their friendship in any way.

Question 8.
One day when I was in fifth standard at Rameswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class. I used to wear a cap which marked me Muslim and I always sat in the front row next to Ramanadha Sastry, who wore a sacred thread. The new teacher could not stomach a Hindu priest’s son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking, as the new teacher saw it, I was asked to go and sit on the back bench.

(a) Name the school, where Kalam studied.
Answer:
Kalam studied at Rameswaram Elementary School in Rameswaram.

(b) Which social groups existed in Rameswaram?
Answer:
Kalam has mentioned Hindus and Muslims as two distinct social groups living in Rameshwaram.

(c) How were these groups easily identified?
Answer:
These groups had their different dress codes and rituals. For example Kalam used to wear a cap while his friend Ramanadham used to wear the sacred thread.

(d) What did the teacher ask Kalam to do?
Answer:
He did not want Kalam, a Muslim, sitting with a Hindu priest’s son and so he told him to go and sit on the back bench.

Question 9.
I felt very sad, and so did Ramanadha Sastry. He looked utterly downcast as I shifted to my seat in the last row.

(a) How did the teacher know that Kalam was a Muslim?
Answer:
The teacher realised Kalam was a Muslim because he wore the cap worn by Muslims.

(b) Why did the narrator feel sad?
Answer:
The narrator felt sad because his new teacher did not let him sit with his Hindu friend in the front row of the class, but sent him to sit at the back of the class.

(c) Who looked “utterly downcast”? Why?
Answer:
It was Ramanadha Sastry, Kalam’s close friend, who looked utterly downcast at being separated from his friend.

(d) Why was Kalam’s seat shifted?
Answer:
The new teacher believed in certain notions of social ranking. He could not bear to see a Muslim boy sitting along with the son of a Hindu priest. So, he shifted Kalam’s seat to the last row.

Question 10.
After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher and in our presence, told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal Intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly asked the teache/to either apologise or quit the school and the island. Not only did the teacher regret his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed ultimately reformed this young teacher.

(a) What incident is the narrator talking about?
Answer:
The narrator is talking about the time when he was in fifth standard, a new teacher asked him not to sit in the front row along with the high caste Brahmin boys.

(b) Who was Lakshmana Sastry? What did he accuse the teacher of?
Answer:
Lakshmana Sastry was the father of Kalam’s friend Ramanadha Sastry, and the high priest of the Rameswaram temple. He accused the teacher of spreading the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children.

(c) What brought about a change in the teacher?
Answer:
The strong disapproval of the teacher’s behaviour and his sense of conviction that Lakshmana Sastry conveyed to the teacher brought about a change in the teacher.

(d) What kind of society did the speaker live in?
Answer:
The speaker lived in a society that was orthodox, but at the same time was truly secular.

Question 11.
Sivasubramania Iyer was not perturbed, nor did he get angry with his wife, but instead, served me with his own hands and sat down beside me to eat his meal.

(a) Who was Sivasubramania Iyer?
Answer:
Sivasubramania Iyer was Kalam’s science teacher.

(b) What was it that could have perturbed Sivasubramania Iyer?
Answer:
Sivasubramania Iyer’s conservative wife had refused to serve Kalam, a Muslim. Since Sivasubramania Iyer had invited Kalam to eat with him, this could have perturbed him.

(c) Why did Sivasubramania Iyer not get angry with his wife?
Answer:
Sivasubramania Iyer wanted to change an existing system. He was prepared for the problems he was sure to encounter. He did not get angry with his wife because he knew she believed in the existing system.

(d) Why did Sivasubramania sit down with Kalam to eat his meal?
Answer:
Sivasubramania wished to make his wife realize that irrespective of their religions all human beings are equal and they all deserve to be treated as we would like to be treated by them.

Question 12.
His wife watched us from behind the kitchen door. I wondered whether she had observed any difference in the way I ate rice, drank water or cleaned the floor after the meal. When I was leaving his house, Sivasubramania Iyer invited me to join him for dinner again the next weekend.

(a) Whose wife is being referred to in Line 1?
Answer:
The narrator refers to the wife of his Science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer.

(b) Why did she watch them from behind the kitchen door?
Answer:
The teacher’s wife believed in the segregation of different sections of society. She did not want Kalam, a Muslim, to enter her kitchen and to eat food there. As a result, she hid behind the kitchen door and observed everything.

(c) Why did Sivasubramania invite Kalam again the next weekend?
Answer:
He invited Kalam again the next weekend because he wanted to bring about a change in the conservative attitude of his wife

(d) What was the narrator’s reaction to the teacher’s invitation?
Answer:
The narrator was reluctant to accept the teacher’s invitation because he realised the teacher’s wife did not wish to serve him food in her kitchen.

Question 13.
Sivasubramania Iyer invited me to join him for dinner again the next weekend. Observing my hesitation, he told me not to get upset, saying, “Once you decide to change they system, such problems have to be confronted. ” When I visited his house the next week, Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife took me inside her kitchen and served me food with her own hands.

(a) Why was the writer reluctant to join his teacher for dinner?
Answer:
The teacher’s wife was opposed to the idea of a Muslim eating in her kitchen. She had refused to serve him the previous time. That made Kalam reluctant to dine with his teacher.

(b) What “system” was he talking about?
Answer:
He is talking of breaking social barriers of religious and caste divide between the people.

(c) What was the effect of this on Sivasubramania’s wife?
Answer:
This time she let Kalam into the kitchen and served him herself.

(d) What do you learn about Sivasubramania’s character from this episode?
Answer:
The extract shows that Sivasubramania was a very progressive and a broad minded person who treated everybody as equal and who seriously wanted to bring about a change in society.

Question 14.
Then the Second World War was over and India’s freedom was imminent “Indians build their own India ”, declared Gandhiji. The whole country was filled with unprecedented optimism. I asked my father’s permission to leave Rameshwaram and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram

(a) What did the Indians expect after the Second World War was over?
Answer:
Indians expected India would soon get independence after the war.

(b) What did Gandhiji declare and what did he mean?
Answer:
Gandhiji declared Indians would have to build their own India. He meant each citizen would have to contribute in her/his way in the task of nation building.

(c) Why was the whole country optimistic?
Answer:
The country was optimistic of getting independence from British Rule. Everyone dreamt of a free India.

(d) Where did Kalam decide to go and why?
Answer:
Kalam decided to go to the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram to study further.

Question 15.
He told me as if thinking aloud, “Abul! I know you have to go away to grow. Does the seagull not fly across the Sun, alone and without a nest? ”

(a) Who is ‘he’ in the above lines?
Answer:
He in the above lines is Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen.

(b) Why did ‘he’ say so to the listener?
Answer:
He says these words to Abdul as he wants to encourage his son to go to the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram to study further.

(c) What do you learn about Kalam’s feelings from the speaker’s words?
Answer:
The speaker’s words show that Abdul Kalam was a little apprehensive of going away to study alone.

(d) What do you learn about the speaker from the above lines?
Answer:
The speaker was very keen his son got a good education and was very encouraging. He was very wise and didn’t believe in obstructing his children’s progress. He was of the view that children ought to be allowed to live life according to their own wishes.

Question 16.
“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. ”

(a) Name the writer who wrote these lines.
Answer:
These lines are originally written by Khalil Gibran.

(b) Who quotes these words and to whom?
Answer:
These words are quoted by Abdul Kalam’s father, Jainulabdeen, to Ashiamma, Kalam’s mother.

(c) Why does he speak these words?
Answer:
After finishing his elementary education, when Kalam sought his father’s permission to leave Rameswaram and study at district headquarters in Ramanathapuram, his father said these words to Kalam’s mother who was a bit reluctant to send her young son away.

(d) What does he mean by ‘Sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself?
Answer:
Kahlil Gibran says one’s children are not one’s own. It is Life that expresses through them. Parents are merely the soil from whence they take birth.