Extract Based Questions: The Portrait of a Lady | English Class 11 PDF Download

1. Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
My grandmother and I were good friends. My parents left me with her when they went to live in the city and we were constantly together. She used to wake me up in the morning and get me ready for school. She said her morning prayer in a monotonous sing-song while she bathed and dressed me in the hope that I would listen and get to know it by heart; I listened because I loved her voice but never bothered to learn it. Then she would fetch my wooden slate which she had already washed and plastered with yellow chalk, a tiny earthen ink-pot and a red pen, tie them all in a bundle and hand it to me. After a breakfast of a thick, stale chapatti with a little butter and sugar spread on it, we went to school. She carried several stale chapattis with her for the village dogs.
(The Portrait of a Lady)

Question (i): What was the relationship between the narrator and his grandmother?
Ans:  The narrator and his grandmother were good friends.
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer this question, we need to identify the words and phrases that the narrator uses to describe his relationship with his grandmother in the extract. We can use bullet points to list them:

• good friends
• constantly together
• loved her voice

We can then use these points to write a complete sentence that summarizes the narrator’s relationship with his grandmother. We can use simple words and connect them with conjunctions like “and” or “because”. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words. For example: The narrator and his grandmother were good friends because they were constantly together and he loved her voice.

Question (ii): Why did the narrator never bother to learn his grandmother’s morning prayer?
(a) He did not like her voice
(b) He did not understand it
(c) He was not interested in it
(d) He was too busy for it
Ans:  (c) He was not interested in it
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer this question, we need to recall what the narrator says about his grandmother’s morning prayer in the extract. We can use quotation marks to indicate the exact words that he says. For example: He says that he listened to her prayer “because I loved her voice but never bothered to learn it”.
We then need to compare this statement with the four given options and choose the one that matches it best. We can use a process of elimination to rule out the options that are different from what he says. For example:

• Option (a) is different because he says that he loved her voice, not that he did not like it.
• Option (b) is different because he does not mention anything about not understanding her prayer.
• Option (d) is different because he does not mention anything about being too busy for her prayer.

We can then conclude that option (c) is the correct answer because it implies that he did not care or pay attention to her prayer. We can use bold formatting to indicate our choice. For example: The correct answer is (c) He was not interested in it.

Question (iii): What did the narrator’s grandmother carry with her for the village dogs?
Ans:  The narrator’s grandmother carried several stale chapattis with her for the village dogs.
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer this question, we need to locate the information that is directly given in the extract. We can use skimming and scanning skills to find the relevant part of the text quickly. For example:

• Skimming is reading quickly to get the main idea or gist of a text.
• We can skim the extract and see that it is about the narrator’s daily routine with his grandmother.
• Scanning is reading quickly to find specific details or facts in a text.
• We can scan the extract and look for keywords or phrases related to the question, such as “grandmother”, “carry”, or “village dogs”.

We can then use these skills to find the answer in the last sentence of the extract. We can use quotation marks to indicate the exact words that are given in the text. For example: The answer is “She carried several stale chapattis with her for the village dogs”.

Question (iv) How does the narrator show his affection for his grandmother in the extract?
Ans: The narrator shows his affection for his grandmother by listening to her voice and being constantly with her.
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer this question, we need to infer how the narrator shows his affection or love for his grandmother from his actions and words in the extract. We can use clues such as verbs, adverbs, or expressions to help us. For example:

• The narrator says that he listened to her voice because he loved it.
• The narrator says that they were constantly together.

We can then use these clues to write a complete sentence that explains how the narrator shows his affection for his grandmother in the extract. We can use simple words and connect them with conjunctions like “and” or “by”. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words. For example: The narrator shows his affection for his grandmother by listening to her voice and being constantly with her.

2. Read the extract and answer the following questions.
When my parents were comfortably settled in the city, they sent for us. That was a turning-point in our friendship. Although we shared the same room, my grandmother no longer came to school with me. I used to go to an English school in a motor bus. There were no dogs in the streets and she took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard of our city house.
(The Portrait of a Lady)

Question (i): What was the turning-point in the narrator’s friendship with his grandmother?

Ans: The turning-point in the narrator’s friendship with his grandmother was when he moved to the city with his parents and went to an English school.
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer this question, we need to identify the words and phrases that the narrator uses to describe the turning-point in his friendship with his grandmother in the extract. We can use bullet points to list them:

• sent for us
• no longer came to school with me
• an English school in a motor bus

We can then use these points to write a complete sentence that summarizes the turning-point in the narrator’s friendship with his grandmother. We can use simple words and connect them with conjunctions like “and” or “when”. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words. For example: The turning-point in the narrator’s friendship with his grandmother was when he moved to the city with his parents and went to an English school.

Question (ii): How did the narrator’s grandmother cope with the change of environment in the city?
(a) She became lonely and depressed
(b) She made new friends and hobbies
(c) She took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard
(d) She went back to the village
Ans:  (c) She took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard
Step-by-step explanation: To answer this question, we need to recall what the narrator says about his grandmother’s behavior in the city in the extract. We can use quotation marks to indicate the exact words that he says. For example: He says that she “took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard of our city house”.
We then need to compare this statement with the four given options and choose the one that matches it best. We can use a process of elimination to rule out the options that are different from what he says. For example:

• Option (a) is different because he does not mention anything about his grandmother being lonely or depressed.
• Option (b) is different because he does not mention anything about his grandmother making new friends or hobbies.
• Option (d) is different because he does not mention anything about his grandmother going back to the village.

We can then conclude that option (c) is the correct answer because it is the same as what he says about his grandmother’s behavior in the city. We can use bold formatting to indicate our choice. For example: The correct answer is (c) She took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard.

Question (iii): What does the word “sparrows” mean in the extract?
Ans: Sparrows are small brown birds that are common in many parts of the world.
Step-by-step explanation: To answer this question, we need to define the word “sparrows” using simple words and examples. We can use a dictionary or an encyclopedia to help us find the meaning and description of sparrows. For example:

• Sparrows are small brown birds that are common in many parts of the world.
• They have short tails and pointed wings and often live near human settlements.
• They eat seeds, insects, and crumbs and make nests in trees, bushes, or buildings.

We can then use this information to write a complete sentence that defines the word “sparrows” in simple words. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words. For example: Sparrows are small brown birds that are common in many parts of the world.

Question (iv): How does the extract show that the narrator’s life changed drastically after moving to the city?
Ans: The extract shows that the narrator’s life changed drastically after moving to the city by contrasting his old and new routines, environments, and companions.

Step-by-step explanation: To answer this question, we need to infer how the extract shows that the narrator’s life changed drastically after moving to the city from his actions and words in the extract. We can use clues such as verbs, adverbs, or expressions to help us. For example:

• The narrator says that he used to go to school with his grandmother in the village but no longer did so in the city.
• The narrator says that he used to go to school on a wooden slate but now went on a motor bus.
• The narrator says that there were no dogs in the streets of the city but there were sparrows in the courtyard.

We can then use these clues to write a complete sentence that explains how the extract shows that the narrator’s life changed drastically after moving to the city. We can use simple words and connect them with conjunctions like “and” or “by”. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words. For example: The extract shows that the narrator’s life changed drastically after moving to the city by contrasting his old and new routines, environments, and companions.

3. Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
The next morning she was taken ill. It was a mild fever and the doctor told us that it would go. But my grandmother thought differently. She told us that her end was near. She said that, since only a few hours before the close of the last chapter of her life she had omitted to pray, she was not going to waste any more time talking to us. We protested. But she ignored our protests. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads. Even before we could suspect, her lips stopped moving and the rosary fell from her lifeless fingers. A peaceful pallor spread on her face and we knew that she was dead.
(The Portrait of a Lady)

Question (i): What was the reason for the narrator’s grandmother’s illness?

Ans: The reason for the narrator’s grandmother’s illness was that she had omitted to pray a few hours before her death.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to identify the words and phrases that the narrator uses to describe the reason for his grandmother’s illness in the extract. We can use bullet points to list them:
  • taken ill
  • omitted to pray
  • a few hours before the close of the last chapter of her life
• We can then use these points to write a complete sentence that summarizes the reason for his grandmother’s illness. We can use simple words and connect them with conjunctions like “and” or “because”. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words.

Example: The reason for the narrator’s grandmother’s illness was that she had omitted to pray a few hours before her death.

Question (ii): How did the narrator’s grandmother react to her fever?
(a) She panicked and cried
(b) She accepted it and prayed
(c) She denied it and argued
(d) She ignored it and slept
Ans: (b) She accepted it and prayed
Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to recall what the narrator says about his grandmother’s reaction to her fever in the extract. We can use quotation marks to indicate the exact words that he says. For example:
  • He says that she thought that her end was near.
  • He says that she said that she was not going to waste any more time talking to us.
  • He says that she lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads.
• We then need to compare this statement with the four given options and choose the one that matches it best. We can use a process of elimination to rule out the options that are different from what he says.
  • Option A is different because he does not mention anything about his grandmother panicking or crying.
  • Option C is different because he does not mention anything about his grandmother denying or arguing about her fever.
  • Option D is different because he does not mention anything about his grandmother ignoring her fever or sleeping.
• We can then conclude that option B is the correct answer because it is the same as what he says about his grandmother’s reaction to her fever.
• Example: The correct answer is (b) She accepted it and prayed.

Question (iii): What did the narrator’s grandmother do with her rosary in the extract?

Ans: The narrator’s grandmother told her beads with her rosary and then dropped it from her lifeless fingers.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to locate the information that is directly given in the extract. We can use skimming and scanning skills to find the relevant part of the text quickly. For example:
  • Skimming is reading quickly to get the main idea or gist of a text.
  • We can skim the extract and see that it is about how the narrator’s grandmother died peacefully after praying.
  • Scanning is reading quickly to find specific details or facts in a text.
  • We can scan the extract and look for keywords or phrases related to the question, such as “rosary”, “beads”, or “fingers”.
• We can then use these skills to find the answer in the fifth and sixth sentences of the extract. We can use quotation marks to indicate the exact words from the text. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words.

Example: The answer is given in the fifth and sixth sentences of the extract: “She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads. Even before we could suspect, her lips stopped moving and the rosary fell from her lifeless fingers.”

Question (iv): How does the extract show that the narrator’s grandmother died a peaceful death?
Ans: The extract shows that the narrator’s grandmother died a peaceful death by describing her calm and serene expression and actions.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to infer how the extract shows that the narrator’s grandmother died a peaceful death from her actions and words in the extract. We can use clues such as verbs, adverbs, or expressions to help us. For example:
  • The narrator says that she accepted her seclusion with resignation.
  • The narrator says that she lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads.
  • The narrator says that a peaceful pallor spread on her face.
• We can then use these clues to write a complete sentence that explains how the extract shows that the narrator’s grandmother died a peaceful death. We can use simple words and connect them with conjunctions like “and” or “by”. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words.

Example: The extract shows that the narrator’s grandmother died a peaceful death by describing her calm and serene expression and actions.