Nair's the English Ocean: June 2020

Going Places by A. R. Barton/ RBSE/ Question-Answers

Chapter – 10

Going Places A. R. Barton

Short Question Answers

Q. 1. What is Sophie’s dream about her future? Is her dream realistic?

Answer: Sophie’s dream was to open a boutique. Sophie thought of becoming a manager to get enough money to open a boutique. She also wanted to be a fashion designer and an actor. Sophie’s dream is not realistic as she belongs to a poor family with no resources to attain such higher goals.

Q. 2. Who was little Derek? What did he say about Sophie?

Answer: Little Derek was Sophie’s brother. He said that Sophie thought that money grows on the trees.

Q. 3. Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from entertaining such dreams?

Answer. Jansie discouraged Sophie from entertaining such dreams because she knew the financial condition of Sophie well. She knew that they were both earmarked for biscuit factories. With meagre resources, it would be near impossible for her to fulfil her dreams.

Q. 4. Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff’s silence?

Answer. Geoff was Sophie’s elder brother. She was jealous of him because he spoke very little and didn’t share anything with her. When he wasn’t speaking, it was as if he was away somewhere in the world, in those places where she had never been.

Q. 5: How did Sophie include her brother Geoff in her fantasy of the future?

Answer. Geoff was an apprentice mechanic travelling to the far side of the city every morning. Sophie thought that Geoff would take her along with him to city. She would ride behind Geoff and people would applaud and rise to greet them.

Q. 6. Why did Sophie call Jansie nosey?

Answer: Sophie calls Jansie nosey because she wanted to know about the meeting between Sophie and Danny Casey. Jansie was eager to know everything about it.

Q. 7. Why was Sophie glad seeing the bicycle of her father standing against the pub wall?

Answer: Sophie was returning after the long wait for Danny Casey near the canal. She was happy to see her father’s bicycle near the wall of the pub because her father would not be there when Sophie came home.

Q. 8. Which was the only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey I person?

Answer: There happened no personal meeting between Sophie and Danny Casey. Sophie saw him only on the ground while watching United’s match with her brothers and father.

Long Question Answers

Q. 9. Sophie and Jansie were classmates and friends. What were the differences between them that showed up in the story?

Answer. Sophie and Jansie were classmates and friends. But there were many differences between them. Sophie was lost in her strange dreams and fantasies but Jansie was realistic. Sophie dreamt that after leaving school she would open a fashionable clothing store in the city. She thought of becoming a manager to save that much money. She also thought of becoming an actress as she would have lots of money in that way. Jansie, on the other hand, knew the reality very well. She never indulged herself in any impractical idea. Instead of pursuing any wild fantasy, she accepted the reality and wished that Sophie could also understand that. Being Sophie’s classmate and friend She cared for her. Sophie would dream of Danny Casey and picture her meeting with him but Jansie had no such dreams.

Q. 10. Sophie’s real world is different from her fantasies. Explain.

Answer: Yes, Sophie’s real world is different from her fictional world. Sophie is not so wealthy as to match her dreams. She is a teenager and is always lost in dreams. She dreams of opening a boutique after leaving school. She plans to become a manager to collect enough money to open a boutique. She also dreams of becoming like Mary Quant, a fashion designer. In her imagination, sometimes she thought of becoming an actress as she would get a lot of money that way. But in reality, her economic condition was not very good. They didn’t have a good house. Her elder brother was an apprentice mechanic. Her father used a bicycle. The only future option available to them was perhaps the biscuit factory. She also fancied about Danny Casey but he was far beyond her reach. It is quite easy to understand that coming from a poor family, her dreams were a far cry for her.

Q. 11. What did Sophie tell her brother Geoff about Danny Casey?

Answer. Sophie told her brother Geoff that she met Danny Casey in the arcade. She was looking at the clothes in Royce’s window when somebody came and stood by her and surprisingly, it was Danny Casey. When Geoff asked how he looked like, she said that he had green and gentle eyes, and he was not so tall as one would think of him. She then thought of telling about his teeth but then she decided against it. She said that she asked an autograph for little Derek but neither of them had any paper or pen and that he would give her an autograph if she cared to meet him the next day. She wished Geoff to believe all that.

Q. 12. Comment on the aptness of the title ‘Going Places’.

Answer: The title “Going Places” is quite apt for this story as it incorporates going places both physically and mentally. The story begins with Sophie’s returning home from school with her friend Jansie and along with that it describes her imagination travelling far and wide, from opening up a boutique to becoming an actress. At home, she imagines herself riding behind her brother on his bike and city people applauding and greeting them. She also pictures her meeting with Danny Casey at Royce’s and an autograph episode. She cooks up a story about Danny going to buy a shop. The story also involves their visit to watch United’s match on Saturdays. Later she fantasizes about dating Danny. She moves across a canal where she used to play and sitting on a bench there, she fancies Danny coming there. Thus the story takes us from place to place in time and space.

The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet/ Question- Answers/ RBSE

Chapter - 9

The Last Lesson Alphonse Daudet

Short Answer Type Questions

Q. 1. Why was the narrator scared of going to school that morning?

Answer. The narrator was scared of going to school that morning because M. Hamel had said that he would question them on Participles and he didn’t know even the first word about them.

Q. 2. What did Franz see as he passed the town hall?

Answer. When Franz passed by the Town Hall, he saw a huge crowd there. Franz noticed that the crowd was looking carefully at the Bulletin board.

Q. 3. Who were the village people? How did they look?

Answer. There were Hauser, former mayor, postmaster and many others in the village. The old Hauser had three cornered hat. He came with primer. Everyone looked sad.

Q. 4. Why did Mr. Hamel say that it was the last lesson?

Answer. Mr. Hamel said so because he was a French teacher there and an order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorrain.

Q. 5. How did Franz’s attitude towards his books and Mr. Hamel change?

Answer. When Franz heard that it was the last lesson of the French language. He was in shock. His books suddenly became his old friends. He forgot about M. Hamel’s cranky nature and his ruler.

Q. 6. Why had Franz not been able to learn much at school?

Answer. Franz was unable to learn much in school because he used to waste his time in finding birds’ eggs and sliding on the Saar. He did not like his books at all. They were a nuisance to him; heavy to carry.

Q. 7. What did Mr. Hamel say about the French language?

Answer. Mr. Hamel said that the French language is the world’s most beautiful language; it is the clearest and most logical language; that they should protect it; it is the key to their prison.

Q. 8. How did Mr. Hamel bid farewell to his school?

Answer. When the church is twelve in the clock then Mr. Hamel stood up. He tries to say something but he becomes emotionally disturbed. He wrote “Vive La French” on the blackboard. And by the hand gesture, he dismissed the school.

Long Answer Type Questions:

Q. 9. It was the day of surprises for Franz. What surprises did he notice at school that day?

Answer. For Franz, the last day was the day of surprises. The first surprise was the silence in the class where usually it would be bustling with the different activities of children and teacher which could be heard out in the street. The teacher, M. Hamel too was very nice to him on that day which was quite unusual. Moreover, M. Hamel was wearing his beautiful green coat frilled shirt and black silk hat all embroidered over which he would wear only on inspection and prize days. The atmosphere was quite serene and the most surprising thing was, the back benches which were generally empty had been occupied by the village elders. Another big surpise was the announcement made by M. Hamel about German going to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.

Q. 10. ‘Franz hated the school at first but he suddenly began to like it.’ Comment.

Answer: Franz was negligent towards his studies. He didn’t learn his lessons properly and instead of that he would go to seek birds’ eggs; would while away his time by sliding on the Saar. His books were a nuisance to him, heavy to carry. He didn’t like M. Hamel’s cranky nature and his using the ruler. Even his parents were not concerned about his studies and kept him away from learning by engaging him in earning. But when M. Hamel broke the news of German going to be taught in the school of Alsace and Lorraine and that it was going to be his last lesson, he realized the importance of his language and felt sorry for his cold attitude towards his own language, and at once developed a liking for the language, the school and the teacher.

Q. 11. What ideas of Mr. Hamel’s character do you form after reading “The last lesson”?

Answer: M. Hamel was a French teacher. He was very strict so the students were scared of him. He would use ruler to frighten the students. He was respected by the villagers and though he was sincere and devoted to his duties yet at times, he neglected his duties as a teacher. He would send his students to water the plants in the garden. When he wanted to go fishing, he would give them a holiday. But he was a true nationalist and a good teacher at heart. His feelings for his country and language welled up when he received the order to leave his country. In the last class, he told the students that French is the most beautiful, the clearest and most logical language in the world. He told them to hold fast to it if they wanted to be free.

The Gift of Magi by O. Henry/ Question- Answers/ RBSE

Chapter – 8

The Gift of Magi O. Henry

Short Answers

Q. 1. How were Jim and Della planning to celebrate Christmas?

Answer: Jim and Della were planning to give gifts to each-other. They both wanted to give each-other some beautiful, nice and rare gifts.

Q. 2. What are the two possessions of James Dillingham Youngs in which Jim and Della took mighty pride? By whom was Jim possession transferred to him?

Answer: Jim had a gold watch which had been his father's and his grandfather's. He could make even King Solomon feel jealous of his precious possession and Della had long hair with which she could make even the queen of Sheba jealous of her.

Q. 3. Why did Della go to Madame Sofronie?

Answer: Della went to Madam Sofronie to sell her beautiful long hair. She wanted to purchase some beautiful gift for Jim and she had only one dollar and eighty seven cents which was insufficient to purchase anything worthwhile.

Q. 4. Jim said, “What a beautiful nice gift I have got for you.” What was the gift? How did Della react?

Answer: The gift was a set of combs that she had wished for long in a broadway window. They were beautiful combs made of tortoise shell with jewelled rims, just the shade of her hair. When she opened the package and saw the gift, she gave an ecstatic scream of joy and then a quick feminine change t hysterical tears and wails.

Q. 5. “It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror.” What explanation did Jim give for his reaction on Della’s hair?

Answer: Jim told Della that she shouldn't think that there was anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or shampoo that could make him like Della any less. But if she unwrapped the package, she might understand why she had made him go awhile at first.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q. 6. Describe the anxiety of Della after she had sacrificed her hair.

Answer: After having the hair-cut when Della reached home, she got out her curling irons, lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. She thought that if Jim didn't kill her before having a second look at her, he would say that she looked like a coney island chorus girl. She had a habit of saying silent prayers so she was praying, "Jim entered the house and his eyes fell upon her, there was an expression which terrified her which she could not understand. She wriggled off the table and went for him. She tried to make him understand that she had her hair cut because she couldn't live through Christmas without giving him a gift. She said that the hair on her head could be numbered but nobody could ever count her love for him.

Q. 7. Why does the writer refer to the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon? What do you understand by it? Explain.

Answer. The writer refers to the two legends to convey how much Jim and Della valued their possessions. They were very proud of them. Jim hada gold watch which had been his father’s and his grandfather’s and Della had very beautiful, long hair. If Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would hang her hair out of the window someday to dry just to just to depreciate Her Majesty’s gifts i.e. even the riches of Queen of Sheba were nothing compared to the hair of Della. On the other hand, had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his tresures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed just to see him pluck at his beard from envy i.e. even Solomon’s treasure was insignificant before Jim’s watch.

Q. 8. Throw light on the remarkable qualities that Jim and Della had.

Answer. Jim and Della loved each-other wonderfully. They did not like anything more than each other. They were ready to sacrifice their precious things to please each-other. They sacrificed their most beloved and precious possessions to buy Christmas gifts for each-other. They both were proud of these things. Both buy more expensive gifts than their financial ability to gift each-other on Christmas. Jim bought a set of combs for Della. But for this he had to sacrifice his gold watch which was given to him by his father and to him by his grandfather. Della sold her hair which was her proud possession and bought a platinum chain for Jim’s gold watch.

Q. 9. In the title “The gift of the magi” what does the phrase “the magi” stand for?

Answer: The Magi were the wise men in the court of King Herodotus. They were asked by the King to confirm the birth of Jesus Christ. Following his order, they went after a star and carried some gifts for the babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones; they could be exchanged to avoid duplication. Similarly, all those who can give and receive gifts are the Magi; who can love each-other are the Magi; Jim and Della who sacrificed their most precious possessions for each-other are the Magi.

Incident Vs. Incidence (Difference)

Dead Men's Path by Chinua Achebe/ Question-Answers/ RBSE

Chapter – 7

Dead Men’s Path Chinua Achebe

Short Question -Answers

Q 1. Why was Obi given the responsibility of the Ndume Central School?

Answer. Ndume Central School was an unprogressive school. Michael Obi was an energetic youngster with wonderful ideas. Moreover, he had had sound secondary school education. That’s why he was given the responsibility of Ndume central school as a headmaster.

Q 2. What are the two aims of Michael?

Answer. Michael Obi had two objectives. First,a high standard of teaching was to be insisted upon in Ndume Central School. Second, the school compound was to be turned into a place of beauty..

Q 3. What did the priest of Ani tell Obi about the path?

Answer. The priest of Ani told Michael Obi that the path was very old. The whole life of the village depended on the road. The dead relatives of the villagers were taken along the route and their ancestors visited by that route. But most importantly it was the path of children coming in to be born.

Q 4. Why was the path is important for villagers?

Answer. The route was important for the villagers because it connected the village shrine with their place of burial.

Q 5. What did the diviner suggest at the death of a young woman?

Answer. The diviner said that the fence used to bar the path was an insult to their ancestors. He suggested heavy sacrifices to calm the ancestors.

Q 6. Describe the report prepared by the white supervisor?

Answer. The white Supervisor wrote a nasty report on the state of the premises but more seriously about the tribal-war situation developing between the school and the village, arising in part from the misguided zeal of the new headmaster.

Long Question Answers

Q 7. Describe the condition of Ndume central school before and after Michael Obi.

Answer. Ndume central school was an unprogressive school. When Michael Obi became the headmaster of the school, the level of education at the school was not good. Michael was a man of creative ideas. He increased the level of studies at school. He taught children the modern perspective; to laugh at the superstitious and irrational ideas. Michael closed the road, which passed to the burial place through the school campus. He and his wife turned the school campus into a beautiful place. To beautify the school campus, Michael Obi grew beautiful hibiscus and allamanda flowers.

Q 8. Draw a character sketch of Michael Obi.

Answer. Michael Obi was the new headmaster of Ndume Central school. His body was weak but he was an energetic man. He had very great ideas in his minds. He had had a sound secondary school education. He was outspoken in his condemnation of the narrow views of the older and often less-educated ones. He was quite passionate and his mind was full of modern methods. Though he looked more than his age, he was not unhandsome. He had two aims for his school, One, he wanted high standard of teaching in his school. Two, the school compound was to be turned into a place of beauty. He blocked the way which passed through the school campus. He wanted his students to overcome superstitious and irrational ideas. He did not let anybody overpower him. When the Priest of Ani came to Obi, he didn't follow his advice rather he did what he had decided to do. All these things show that he was a main of strong character and determination. He was dutiful, honest and wanted to do the best for his school.

Q 9. Why were the school building and the hedges ruined?

When Michael Obi became the headmaster of the school, He increased the level of studies at school and also made the school campus beautiful by planting several beautiful plants like Hibiscus, Allamanda etc. One evening when he was admiring his work, he was scandalized to notice an old woman from the village hobble across the compound through a marigold flower-bed and the hedges. On having a closer look, he found faint signs of an almost disused path from village. He discussed about it with the teachers and finally decided to block the path. Three days later he was visited by the priest of Ani who advised him to reopen the path. But Obi didn't budge from his decision. Two days later a young woman died in child birth. When the diviner was consulted, he said that it was due to their ancestors being insulted by the fence and prescribed heavy sacrifices. It resulted into the total ruin of the school building and hedges.

The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet

Chapter - 6, Trouble in Bohemia by A. C. Doyle/ Question - Answers/ RBSE

Chapter - 6

Trouble In Bohemia A. C. Doyle

Short Question Answers

Q. 1. Why did the king want his letters and photograph back?

Ans. The king was about to marry the princess of a nearby country. Irene Adler had threatened the king of disclosing his love affair to her. She could use the letters and photos. So, the king wanted to get them back.

Q. 2. What were Sherlock Holmes disguises to solve the case?

Ans. Firstly, Sherlock Holmes becomes a cab driver and spends the whole day around the house of Irene Adler. Later he becomes a priest and pretends to faint.

Q. 3. Where did Miss Irene Adler hide the letters and the photograph?

Ans. Miss Irene Adler hid the letters written by King and his photo at a secret place of one of the walls of her house.

Q. 4. Why did the king write letters to Irene Adler?

Ans. When the King was on a visit to Warsaw, he fell in love with Irene Adler and the letters were an expression of love to her.

Q. 5. Why could the letters not be proved false?

Ans. The letters could not be proved false because they were in the King's own hand-writing and on his private paper.

Q. 6. Why was Sherlock Holmes interested in getting the letters and photographs at the earliest?

Ans. Sherlock Holmes wanted to get letters and photos at the earliest as he feared that the lawyer husband of Irene Adler could take advantage of it.

Q. 7. Why did the king come to Holmes for help?

Ans. The king came to Holmes for help to get back his love letters and photos from Irene Adler, an American actress with whom he was in love earlier. He was going to marry a neighbouring princess but Miss Adler was against it.

Q. 8. Why did Miss Irene Adler hide the letters and the photograph? (Board Model paper, 2017-18)

Ans. Miss Irene Adler hid the letters and the photograph because her lover king was going to marry a princess. She had decided to show them to the princess.

Q. 9. How was the man disguised when he came to see Holmes?

Ans. The man wore a mask and pretended to represent some other person. He was tall and handsome man who was dressed in the uniform of a foreign country. But Holmes was quick to recognized the man.

Q. 10. Why did Holmes address him as "Your Majesty'?

Ans. Holmes addressed him as 'Your Majesty" because he was really the king of Bohemia. Holmes recognized him at once and the king also admitted later on that he was the king of Bohemia.

Q. 11. What made the king pay a visit to Holmes?

Ans. The king wanted Sherlock Holmes' help in a matter of great importance. He wanted to get back all his letters and the photograph which Miss Irene Adler had in her possession.

Q. 12. What did the king suspect in case he did not marry Irene Adler?

Ans. The king suspected that Irene Adler might write to the princess, whom he was going to marry and tell her everything about their affair. If she would did that, their marriage would not take place or if it did, it would be a havoc.

Q. 13. Why did the king agree with his family and the members of his government to give Irene up?

Ans. The king agreed with them because he thought, his first responsibility was to his country. Irene Adler was not of royal blood. So, as a custom, he could not marry her.

Q. 14. What efforts did the king make in the past to get the photograph?

Ans. He had her apartment searched by the police. She was stopped on the street and was searched while she was travelling. but nothing was found. She was cleverer than the officials.

Q. 15. Why did Holmes think that he must get the photograph even though Adler was now married?

Ans. Holmes thought so because he suspected that Adler's husband, a lawyer might take an undue advantage of the photo. He suspected that she would write to the princess about it and tell her all.

Q. 15. What could Holmes not find about Adler's attitude towards the photograph?

Ans. Holmes could not find till the very end that she did not need it either to force the king to marry her or to harm his reputation. He misunderstood her.

Q. 16. At last, how can you say that Miss Adler did not want to create any trouble for the king?

Ans. Holmes discovered that Miss Adler and all her servants had left that home for good. She had also left a letter along with the photograph and the letter that the King wanted. She really loved the king and did not want to create any trouble for him

Q. 17. What might Holmes be doing all day according to Watson?

Ans. According to Watson, Holmes might have spent all day talking with other cab drivers and with anyone who seemed to know anything about Miss Adler. He was collecting informations about her.

Q. 18. What surprising fact did Holmes discover?

Ans. The surprising fact that Holmes discovered was Adler's marriage at five o'clock that day with a Mr. Godfrey Norton, her former lawyer. He never expected that she would leave the King so soon.

Q. 19. How does Holmes express his distrust in Mr. Norton?

Ans. Holmes thinks that Adler's husband, Mr. Norton, a lawyer, may see an advantage in the photograph of Adler and the king together. He thinks that he may convey it to the princess or misuse it some other way.

Q. 20. How can the letter be proved false?

Ans. The letter can be proved false by proving that the paper on which it is written is stolen and the handwriting of the writer is copied. It can be said that it is not written by the king.

Q. 21. Why did Holmes disguise himself?

Ans. Holmes disguised himself to hide his identity and to get the letters and the photograph of the king back from Irene Adler. He did not want to disturb the king's married life later on.

Q. 22. What did Watson do at a signal from Holmes?

Ans. Watson threw some burning pieces of paper into the living room through the window, at a signal from Holmes. At that moment one of the servants cried that there was fire.

Q. 23. Why did Miss Adler expect Holmes any day?

Ans. Miss Adler expected Holmes any day because she was so intelligent that she knew that the king wanted to get the photograph and he might go to him for help.

Q. 24. Why was the photograph not important for Miss Adler later on?

Ans. The photograph was not important for Miss Adler later on because by that time she was married to a man who was better than the king. They loved each-other very much and she wanted to forget all about her love affair with the King.

Q. 25. How can you say that she was satisfied with her marriage?

Ans. She herself wrote in the message left for the king that she had married man much better than the king. She also wrote that her husband loved her deeply and she was in love with him.

Long Question Answers

Q. 26. What trick did Sherlock Holmes use to find the place where letters and photographs were hidden?

Ans. Sherlock Holmes disguised himself as a priest. When Sherlock Holmes was walking in front of Adler’s house, Irene Adler returned after a daily ride. When she got out of her taxi, Holmes pretended to be unconscious. Many people gathered near Holmes. Adler asked people to bring Holmes into the home. After Holmes was taken inside Adler's house, he signalled his friend, Mr. Watson who then threw the burning pieces of paper in the house. Noticing it a servant cried “fire”! Adler ran towards the secret wall to save the photos. Everything happened according to Holmes’ plans. Thus Holmes knew the secret place and planned to come next day.

Q. 27. Discuss the character of Miss Irene Adler.

Ans. Irene Adler was a beautiful actress and an intelligent person at that. She was in love with the king of Bohemia. He too loved her but under the pressure of the family and the members of the government, he had to leave her and was to marry a princess from a neighbouring kingdom. Irene could not tolerate this cheating and threatened the King that she would disclose everything to the princess. The King was frightened as his prestige was at stake. He wanted his letters and photograph back from Irene so he took Sherlock Holmes' help. But she was so intelligent that she recognized Holmes even in disguise and understood all his tricks to gain entry into her house. She outsmarted Holmes' at every point. She was a wise and respectable woman as well. She didn't misuse the photograph and letters of the king and even returned them to the King at the end.

Q. 28. The story proves Sherlock Holmes to be less intelligent then Miss Irene Adler. Do you agree?

Ans. Yes, I accept that Irene Adler was more intelligent than Sherlock Holmes. Adler knew Holmes' every move well. She also knew that the King would definitely take the help of Sherlock Holmes that’s why she was expecting Sherlock Holmes any day. She recognized Sherlock Holmes as a cab driver and followed him to his apartment to be sure. She also understood Holmes' trick of gaining entrance into her house and forcing her to show the place where the photograph was hidden. She was always one step ahead of Holmes. She also once disguised herself as a young man but Holmes could not recognize her. Finally, she completely outwitted him by leaving her house and everything they wanted.