Extract Based Questions: Mother’s Day | English Class 11 PDF Download

Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
MRS FITZGERALD: I did. Twelve years I had of it, with my old man rising to be Lieutenant Quartermaster. He learnt a lot, and I learnt a lot more. But will you make up your mind now, Mrs Pearson dear? Put your foot down, once an’ for all, an’ be the mistress of your own house an’ the boss of your own family.
 MRS PEARSON: [smiling apologetically] That’s easier said than done. Besides I’m so fond of them even if they are so thoughtless and selfish. They don’t mean to be…
MRS FITZGERALD: [cutting in] Maybe not. But it’ud be better for them if they learnt to treat you properly...
MRS PEARSON: Yes, I suppose it would, in a way.
(Mother’s Day)

Question (i): List any two sensory details present in this extract.
Ans: Two sensory details present in this extract are "smiling apologetically" and "cutting in".
Step-by-step explanation:

• Sensory details are words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
• To find sensory details in a text, we can look for words that describe how something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels.
• In this extract, one sensory detail is "smiling apologetically", which describes how Mrs Pearson expressed her emotion and attitude with her facial expression. This appeals to the sense of sight and emotion.
• Another sensory detail is "cutting in", which describes how Mrs Fitzgerald interrupted Mrs Pearson's speech with her own words. This appeals to the sense of sound and action.

Question (ii): Complete the sentence appropriately. The phrase "Put your foot down" suggests that ____________.
Ans: The phrase "Put your foot down" suggests that Mrs Fitzgerald wanted Mrs Pearson to be more firm and assertive with her family.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To complete a sentence with an appropriate word or phrase, we need to understand the meaning and context of the sentence.
• In this case, the sentence is about Mrs Fitzgerald's advice to Mrs Pearson on how to deal with her thoughtless and selfish family members.
• The phrase "Put your foot down" means to insist on something or refuse to change one's mind or opinion.
• Therefore, we need to fill in the blank with something that explains what Mrs Fitzgerald wanted Mrs Pearson to do or how she wanted her to behave with her family.
• Based on the extract, we can infer that she wanted her to be more firm and assertive with her family because she thought that they did not treat her properly or respect her as the mistress of the house and the boss of the family.

So, we can complete the sentence with "Mrs Fitzgerald wanted Mrs Pearson to be more firm and assertive with her family".

Question (iii): Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line "He learnt a lot, and I learnt a lot more".
Ans: One possible inference that can be drawn from this line is that Mrs Fitzgerald was proud and confident of her own knowledge and experience gained from her husband's military career.
Step-by-step explanation:

• An inference is a logical conclusion based on evidence and reasoning from a text.
• To explain an inference, we need to provide both the evidence from the text and our reasoning behind it.
• In this case, the line "He learnt a lot, and I learnt a lot more" is a statement made by Mrs Fitzgerald about her husband's rise to be Lieutenant Quartermaster in the army and what they both learnt from it.
• The evidence from this line is that Mrs Fitzgerald says that she learnt a lot more than her husband did, which means that she acquired more knowledge or skills than he did.
• Our reasoning behind this inference is that this statement implies that she was proud and confident of her own knowledge and experience gained from her husband's military career because she compared herself favorably to him and did not show any modesty or hesitation in doing so.

Therefore, we can explain our inference by saying that this line shows that Mrs Fitzgerald was proud and confident of her own knowledge and experience gained from her husband's military career.

Question (iv): Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that Mrs Pearson was fond of her family despite their flaws.
Ans: The line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that Mrs Pearson was fond of her family despite their flaws is "Besides I’m so fond of them even if they are so thoughtless and selfish".
Step-by-step explanation:

• To identify a line from the text that supports a fact, we need to look for words or phrases that show or imply the fact.
• In this case, the fact is that Mrs Pearson was fond of her family despite their flaws, which means that she loved or cared for them even though they did not treat her well or consider her feelings.
• The line that shows this fact is "Besides I’m so fond of them even if they are so thoughtless and selfish".
• This line implies that Mrs Pearson was fond of her family despite their flaws by using the word "besides" to contrast her previous statement about them being thoughtless and selfish, and by using the word "even" to emphasize her affection for them regardless of their faults.

Therefore, we can identify this line as the evidence for the fact.

Question (v): What does the term 'in a way' indicate about Mrs Pearson's agreement or disagreement with Mrs Fitzgerald?
Ans: The term 'in a way' indicates that Mrs Pearson's agreement or disagreement with Mrs Fitzgerald was partial or qualified.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To explain what a term indicates about something, we need to define the term and relate it to the context of the text.
• In this case, the term is 'in a way', which means to some extent or from a certain point of view.
• The term is used to modify Mrs Pearson's response to Mrs Fitzgerald's statement that it would be better for her family if they learnt to treat her properly.
• This indicates that Mrs Pearson's agreement or disagreement with Mrs Fitzgerald was partial or qualified because she did not fully or unconditionally agree or disagree with her, but rather expressed some reservation or doubt about her opinion.

Therefore, we can explain what the term indicates by saying that it shows that Mrs Pearson's agreement or disagreement with Mrs Fitzgerald was partial or qualified.

Question (vi): Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
(a) A Woman's Advice to Her Friend on How to Be a Better Mother
(b) A Woman's Conversation with Her Friend on How to Deal with Her Family
(c) A Woman's Complaint to Her Friend on How Her Family Treats Her
(d) A Woman's Confession to Her Friend on How She Feels About Her Family
Ans: The best headline that suggests the central idea of the extract is (b). A Woman's Conversation with Her Friend on How to Deal with Her Family.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To choose the best headline for an extract, we need to consider which one captures the main theme or message of the text.
• In this case, the extract is about a conversation between two women, Mrs Fitzgerald and Mrs Pearson, who are friends and neighbours. Mrs Fitzgerald gives advice to Mrs Pearson on how to be more firm and assertive with her family, who are thoughtless and selfish towards her. Mrs Pearson listens politely but also expresses her fondness and tolerance for them.
• The central idea of this extract is how the two women discuss and share their views and experiences on how to deal with their family problems and challenges.
• The headline that best reflects this idea is B. A Woman's Conversation with Her Friend on How to Deal with Her Family, because it summarizes the main topic and participants in the extract.

The other headlines are either too specific (A), too general (C), or too irrelevant (D) to convey the central idea of the extract.

Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
MRS FITZGERALD: [with Mrs Pearson’s personality] Oh —it’s happened.
MRS PEARSON: [complacently] Of course it’s happened. Very neat. Didn’t know I had it in me.
MRS FITZGERALD: [alarmed] But whatever shall I do, Mrs Fitzgerald? George and the children can’t see me like this.
MRS PEARSON: [grimly] They aren’t going to —that’s the point. They’ll have me to deal with —only they won’t know it.
MRS FITZGERALD: [still alarmed] But what if we can’t change back? It’ud be terrible.
MRS PEARSON: Here — steady, Mrs Pearson —if you had to live my life it wouldn’t be so bad. You’d have more fun as me than you’ve had as you.
(Mother’s Day)

Question (i) List any two sensory details present in this extract.

Ans: Two sensory details present in this extract are "alarmed" and "grimly".
Step-by-step explanation:

• Sensory details are words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. To find sensory details in a text, we can look for words that describe how something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels.
• In this extract, one sensory detail is "alarmed", which describes how Mrs. Fitzgerald (who has Mrs. Pearson's personality) felt and sounded when she realized that they had swapped bodies. This appeals to the sense of emotion and sound.
• Another sensory detail is "grimly", which describes how Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) spoke and looked when she told her that she would deal with her family without them knowing. This appeals to the sense of emotion and sight.

Question (ii) Complete the sentence appropriately.

The phrase "Didn’t know I had it in me" suggests that ____________.
Ans: The phrase "Didn’t know I had it in me" suggests that Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) was surprised and impressed by her own ability or power to swap bodies with Mrs. Fitzgerald.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To complete a sentence with an appropriate word or phrase, we need to understand the meaning and context of the sentence. In this case, the sentence is about Mrs. Pearson's (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) reaction to the body swap that happened after she wished for it on Mother's Day.
• The phrase "Didn’t know I had it in me" means that she did not expect or realize that she had the potential or capacity to do something remarkable or extraordinary. Therefore, we need to fill in the blank with something that explains what she did not know she had in her or why she said that.
• Based on the extract, we can infer that she did not know she had in her the ability or power to swap bodies with Mrs. Fitzgerald, because it was a rare and unusual event that happened as a result of her wish. So, we can complete the sentence with "Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) was surprised and impressed by her own ability or power to swap bodies with Mrs. Fitzgerald".

Question (iii) Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line "You’d have more fun as me than you’ve had as you".

Ans: One possible inference that can be drawn from this line is that Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) thought that her life was more enjoyable and exciting than Mrs. Fitzgerald's (who has Mrs. Pearson's personality) life.
Step-by-step explanation:

• An inference is a logical conclusion based on evidence and reasoning from a text. To explain an inference, we need to provide both the evidence from the text and our reasoning behind it.
• In this case, the line "You’d have more fun as me than you’ve had as you" is a statement made by Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) to Mrs. Fitzgerald (who has Mrs. Pearson's personality) when she tried to calm her down after the body swap.
• The evidence from this line is that Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) says that she would have more fun as her than as herself, which means that she compares their lives and finds hers more fun. Our reasoning behind this inference is that this statement implies that she thought that her life was more enjoyable and exciting than Mrs. Fitzgerald's life, because she suggested that it would be an improvement or a benefit for her to live as her instead of as herself. Therefore, we can explain our inference by saying that this line shows that Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) thought that her life was more enjoyable and exciting than Mrs. Fitzgerald's (who has Mrs. Pearson's personality) life.

Question (iv) Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that Mrs. Fitzgerald (who has Mrs. Pearson's personality) was more timid and passive than Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality).

Ans: The line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that Mrs. Fitzgerald (who has Mrs. Pearson's personality) was more timid and passive than Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) is "But whatever shall I do, Mrs. Fitzgerald?".
Step-by-step explanation:

• To identify a line from the text that supports a fact, we need to look for words or phrases that show or imply the fact. In this case, the fact is that Mrs. Fitzgerald (who has Mrs. Pearson's personality) was more timid and passive than Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality), which means that she was more afraid and submissive in her actions and words.
• The line that shows this fact is "But whatever shall I do, Mrs. Fitzgerald?". This line implies that Mrs. Fitzgerald (who has Mrs. Pearson's personality) was more timid and passive than Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) by asking her for guidance or help in a desperate or helpless tone, which shows that she did not know how to handle the situation or take charge of her own life. Therefore, we can identify this line as the evidence for the fact.

Question (v) What does the term 'complacently' indicate about Mrs. Pearson's (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) emotion or reaction to the body swap?

Ans: The term 'complacently' indicates that Mrs. Pearson's (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) emotion or reaction to the body swap was positive and satisfied.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To explain what a term indicates about something, we need to define the term and relate it to the context of the text. In this case, the term is 'complacently', which means feeling or showing self-satisfaction or smugness in a situation.
• The term is used to describe how Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) felt when she realized that they had swapped bodies after she wished for it on Mother's Day. This indicates that Mrs. Pearson's (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) emotion or reaction to the body swap was positive and satisfied, because she did not regret or worry about it, but rather enjoyed or appreciated it as a result of her wish. Therefore, we can explain what the term indicates by saying that it shows that Mrs. Pearson's (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) emotion or reaction to the body swap was positive and satisfied.

Question (vi) Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?

(a) A Woman's Wish Comes True on Mother's Day
(b) A Woman's Shock at Swapping Bodies with Her Friend
(c) A Woman's Plan to Deal with Her Friend's Family
(d) A Woman's Calmness and Confidence After a Body Swap
Ans: The best headline that suggests the central idea of the extract is (4). A Woman's Calmness and Confidence After a Body Swap.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To choose the best headline for an extract, we need to consider which one captures the main theme or message of the text. In this case, the extract is about a conversation between two women, Mrs. Fitzgerald and Mrs. Pearson, who have swapped bodies after Mrs. Pearson wished for it on Mother's Day. Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) is calm and confident about the situation and tells her that she will deal with her family without them knowing. Mrs. Fitzgerald (who has Mrs. Pearson's personality) is shocked and alarmed by the situation and asks her what they will do.
• The central idea of this extract is how Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) shows her calmness and confidence after the body swap and how she plans to use it to her advantage. The headline that best reflects this idea is (4). A Woman's Calmness and Confidence After a Body Swap, because it summarizes the main emotion and trait of one of the characters in the extract. The other headlines are either too specific (2), too general (1), or too irrelevant (3) to convey the central idea of the extract.

Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
MRS PEARSON: I might. Who d’you think?
DORIS: [staring at her] Mum —what’s the matter with you?
MRS PEARSON: Don’t be silly. DORIS: [indignantly] It’s not me that’s being silly — and I must say it’s a bit much when I’ve been working hard all day and you can’t even bother to get my tea ready. Did you hear what I said about my yellow silk?
 MRS PEARSON: No. Don’t you like it now? I never did.
(Mother’s Day)

Question (i) List any two sensory details present in this extract.

Ans: Two sensory details present in this extract are "staring at her" and "indignantly".
Step-by-step explanation:

• Sensory details are words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. To find sensory details in a text, we can look for words that describe how something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels.
• In this extract, one sensory detail is "staring at her", which describes how Doris looked at her mother with surprise or suspicion. This appeals to the sense of sight and emotion.
• Another sensory detail is "indignantly", which describes how Doris spoke to her mother with anger or resentment. This appeals to the sense of sound and emotion.

Question (ii) Complete the sentence appropriately.

The phrase "I never did" suggests that ____________.
Ans: The phrase "I never did" suggests that Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) did not like Doris's yellow silk dress and did not care about her opinion or feelings.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To complete a sentence with an appropriate word or phrase, we need to understand the meaning and context of the sentence. In this case, the sentence is about Mrs. Pearson's (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) response to Doris's question about her yellow silk dress that she had bought for Mother's Day.
• The phrase "I never did" means that she never liked it or approved of it, which shows her dislike or disapproval of the dress. Therefore, we need to fill in the blank with something that explains what this implies or reveals about her attitude or behavior towards Doris's opinion or feelings.
• Based on the extract, we can infer that she did not care about Doris's opinion or feelings, because she dismissed her question and contradicted her preference without any regard or respect for her. So, we can complete the sentence with "Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) did not like Doris's yellow silk dress and did not care about her opinion or feelings".

Question (iii) Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line "you can’t even bother to get my tea ready".

Ans: One possible inference that can be drawn from this line is that Doris expected and demanded her mother to serve her and do things for her without any appreciation or gratitude.
Step-by-step explanation:

• An inference is a logical conclusion based on evidence and reasoning from a text. To explain an inference, we need to provide both the evidence from the text and our reasoning behind it.
• In this case, the line "you can’t even bother to get my tea ready" is a statement made by Doris to her mother when she came home from work and found that there was no tea prepared for her.
• The evidence from this line is that Doris says that her mother can't even bother to get her tea ready, which means that she thinks that it is a very simple or easy thing to do and that her mother should have done it for her without any excuse or delay.
• Our reasoning behind this inference is that this statement implies that Doris expected and demanded her mother to serve her and do things for her without any appreciation or gratitude, because she used the word "even" to emphasize how little effort or care it would take and she complained about it in an indignant tone as if it was her right or entitlement.
• Therefore, we can explain our inference by saying that this line shows that Doris expected and demanded her mother to serve her and do things for her without any appreciation or gratitude.

Question (iv) Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) was more outspoken and honest than Mrs. Pearson (who has her own personality).

Ans: The line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) was more outspoken and honest than Mrs. Pearson (who has her own personality) is "Don’t be silly".
Step-by-step explanation:

• To identify a line from the text that supports a fact, we need to look for words or phrases that show or imply the fact. In this case, the fact is that Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) was more outspoken and honest than Mrs. Pearson (who has her own personality), which means that she was more willing and able to express her thoughts or feelings directly and truthfully.
• The line that shows this fact is "Don’t be silly". This line implies that Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) was more outspoken and honest than Mrs. Pearson (who has her own personality) by telling Doris not to be silly when she asked her what was the matter with her, which shows that she did not hesitate or sugarcoat her words and that she told her what she really thought of her question. Therefore, we can identify this line as the evidence for the fact.

Question (v) What does the term 'indignantly' indicate about Doris's emotion or reaction to her mother's behavior?

Ans: The term 'indignantly' indicates that Doris's emotion or reaction to her mother's behavior was negative and angry.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To explain what a term indicates about something, we need to define the term and relate it to the context of the text. In this case, the term is 'indignantly', which means feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair or unjust treatment.
• The term is used to describe how Doris spoke to her mother when she found out that she had not prepared her tea and had not listened to her question about her yellow silk dress.
• This indicates that Doris's emotion or reaction to her mother's behavior was negative and angry, because she felt or showed resentment or displeasure at how her mother had neglected or ignored her needs or wants. Therefore, we can explain what the term indicates by saying that it shows that Doris's emotion or reaction to her mother's behavior was negative and angry.

Question (vi) Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?

(a) A Woman's Surprise at Her Mother's Change of Personality
(b) A Woman's Complaint to Her Mother for Not Doing Her Duties
(c) A Woman's Dislike of Her Daughter's Yellow Silk Dress
(d) A Woman's Challenge to Her Daughter's Silly Question
Ans: The best headline that suggests the central idea of the extract is (1). A Woman's Surprise at Her Mother's Change of Personality.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To choose the best headline for an extract, we need to consider which one captures the main theme or message of the text. In this case, the extract is about a conversation between a mother and a daughter, Mrs. Pearson and Doris, who have swapped personalities with their neighbour and friend, Mrs. Fitzgerald. Doris is surprised and annoyed by her mother's change of personality and behavior, while Mrs. Pearson (who has Mrs. Fitzgerald's personality) is indifferent and dismissive of her daughter's complaints and questions.
• The central idea of this extract is how Doris reacts and responds to her mother's change of personality and how it affects their relationship and communication. The headline that best reflects this idea is (1). A Woman's Surprise at Her Mother's Change of Personality, because it summarizes the main emotion and event in the extract. The other headlines are either too specific (3), too general (2), or too irrelevant (4) to convey the central idea of the extract.