Extract Based Questions: Bholi | English Class 10 PDF Download

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Q1: Little Sulekha could not speak till she was five, and when at last she learnt to speak, she stammered. The other children often made fun of her and mimicked her.
(a) What did Sulekha later on come to be known as?
(b) Why did children make fun of her?
(c) What does the word ‘mimicked1 mean?
(d) What part of speech is ‘often’?
Ans: (a) Sulekha later on came to be known as Bholi.
(b) Children made fun of her because she stammered while speaking.
(c) The word ‘mimicked’ means to copy the speech of others.
(d) It is an adverb.

Q2: She remembered how a few days ago their old cow, Lakshmi, had been turned out of the house and sold. “N-n-n-n No, no-no-no,” she shouted in terror and pulled her hand away from her father’s grip.
(a) Why did Bholi shout in terror?
(b) Why did she remember ‘Lakshmi’ ?
(c) What is the antonym of ‘forgotten’ in the extract?
(d) The present tense of ‘sold’ is
Ans: (a) Bholi shouted in terror as she thought that her father was turning her out of her house.
(b) She remembered her cow ‘Lakshmi’ because ‘Lakshmi’ had also been turned out of the house a few days ago.
(c) ‘‘remembered’ is the intonym of ‘forgotten’ in the extract.
(d) Its present tense is ‘sell’.

Q3: The lady teacher who was in class was saying something to the girls but Bholi could understand nothing.
(a) Where was Bholi ?
(b) Why could she understand nothing?
(c) What is the antonym of ‘everything’ in the extract?
(d) The opposite of ‘lady teacher’ would be
Ans:
(a) Bholi was in the classroom in village school.
(b) She could not understand anything as it was her first day at school.
(c) ‘nothing’ is the antonym of ‘everything’ in the extract.
(d) ‘Male Teacher’ would be its opposite.

Q4: He said to Ramlal, “As a revenue official you are the representative of the government in the village and so you must set an example to the villagers. You must send your daughters to school.” [CBSE 2015]
(a) Who is ‘he’?
(b) What example does ‘he’ want Ramlal to set?
(c) What does the word ‘revenue’ mean?
(d) What part of speech is the word ‘an’ in the extract?
Ans:
(a) ‘He’ is the Tehsildar.
(b) The Tehsildar wanted Ramlal to send his daughters to the village school so that other villagers will follow his example by sending their daughters to the school too.
(c) It means ‘tax’.
(d) It is an article.

Q5: Then she began to cry and tears flowed from her eyes in a helpless flood. She kept her head down as she sat in her corner, not daring to look up at the girls, who, she knew, were still laughing at her. [CBSE 2015]
(a) Who is ‘she’?
(b) Why were the girls laughing at her?
(c) What does the word ‘daring’ mean?
(d) What is the opposite of ‘laughing’?
Ans:
(a) ‘She‘ is Sulekha, also known as Bholi.
(b) The girls were laughing at her because she had stammered while speaking her name when asked by the teacher.
(c) It means ‘wanting’.
(d) It is ‘crying’.

Q6: She was the fourth daughter of Numberdar Ramlal. When she was ten months old, she had fallen off the cot on her head and perhaps it had damaged some part of her brain. That was why she remained a backward child and came to be known as Bholi, the simpleton.
(a) Why do you think Bholi was called a simpleton by her family and community? Answer in about 40 words.
(b) Bholi’s family believed her fall resulted in ________ issues, which led them to call her a simpleton.
(c) How might Bholi’s life have been different if her family didn’t think she was a simpleton?
Ans: 
(a) Bholi was called a simpleton because she had a head injury as a baby, which affected her brain. This made her slow and backward compared to other children, leading her family and community to see her as a simpleton.
(b) Mental/ cognitive/ learning/ developmental/ intellectual
(c)  She might have received better support and opportunities to grow.

Q7: But Ramlal had not the courage to disobey the Tehsildar. At last his wife said, “I will tell you what to do. Send Bholi to school. As it is, there is little chance of her getting married, with her ugly face and lack of sense. Let the teachers at school worry about her.”
(a)  How did the suggestion of Bholi’s mother reflect societal attitudes towards girls’  education?
(b) The information in the extract suggests that Ramlal’s wife viewed Bholi as a _____.
(c) Why did Ramlal lack the courage to disobey the Tehsildar?
Ans: 
(a)The suggestion of Bholi’s mother to send her to school shows that society undervalued girls’ education. It was seen as a last option for girls who were unlikely to marry.
(b)  burden/ liability/ problem/ nuisance/ hindrance
(c)  He feared authority and social consequences.

Q8: What’s the matter with you, you fool?” shouted Ramlal. “I am only taking you to school.” Then he told his wife, “Let her wear some decent clothes today, or else what will the teachers and the other schoolgirls think of us when they see her?”
(a) Why was Ramlal concerned about what the teachers and other schoolgirls would think of Bholi’s appearance? Answer in about 40 words. 
(b) The information in the extract suggests that Ramlal was worried about _____.
(c)  What does Ramlal’s concern about Bholi’s clothes reveal about him?
Ans: 
(a) Ramlal was concerned about Bholi’s appearance because he feared judgement from the teachers and other students. He wanted to avoid embarrassment and ensure that Bholi was accepted and treated well at school.
(b) appearance/ reputation/ impression/ perception/ image or any other similar response  
(c) He cares about social status and public opinion.