NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English - The Man Who Knew Too Much

TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS (SOLVED)

Q1. The ‘Professor’ knew too much. How did he prove himself? Fill up the space with suitable examples from the story, using the given clues:

(a) About muzzle velocity : _________________

Ans: When the sergeant told the trainees that the muzzle velocity at which the bullet leaves the rifle is well over two thousand feet per second, the Professor intervened and said that it was two thousand four hundred and forty per second.

(b) After a thirty mile walk : _______________

Ans: Quelch would pretend to be tireless even after a very exhausting 30-mile walk and would try to appear very jovial by asking others to sing a song.

(c) His salute on payday : __________________

Ans: On payday, when the officers were in sight, he would swing his thin arms and march to the canteen like a Guardsman.

(d) The loud sound of a high flying invisible aeroplane : _________________________________

Ans: On hearing the loud sound of a high flying invisible aeroplane, the ‘Professor’ said that it was a North American Harvard Trainer.

(e) About-hand grenades :

Ans: When Corporal Turnbull said that the outside of a grenade is divided into a large number of fragments, the ‘Professor ’ said that it was divided into forty-four segments.

(f) During cookhouse duties : ______________

Ans : During his cookhouse duties too the ‘Professor’ protested against the unscientific and unhygienic method of peeling the potatoes, saying that it led to the loss of vitamins.

Q2. Based on your reading of the story, answer the following questions by choosing the correct options.

(a) Private Quelch was nicknamed ‘Professor’ because of _______________ .

(i) his appearance
(ii) his knowledge
(iii) his habit of reading
(iv) his habit of sermonising

Ans : (iv) his habit of sermonising.

(b) One could hammer nails into Corporal Turnbull without his noticing it because of _______.

(i) he was a strong and sturdy man
(ii) he was oblivious to his surroundings
(iii) he was a brave corporal
(iv) he was used to it

Ans : (i) he was a strong and sturdy man.

(c) The author and his friend Trower fled from the scene as _______________ .

(i) they had to catch a train
(ii) they could not stand Private Quelch exhibiting his knowledge
(iii) they felt they would have to lend a helping hand.
(iv) they did not want to meet the cooks.

Ans: (ii) they couldn’t stand Private Quelch exhibiting his knowledge.

(d) The main reason that the Professor remain unflinched despite the retaliation of his batch-mates was due to the fact that

(i) his desire to impress people overruled the humiliation he experienced each time.
(ii) his miraculously tireless personality couldn't stop him from working extra hard.
(iii) he was so involved in excelling that he barely noticed sarcastic comments.
(iv) he knew that the only way to earn respect is through hard work.

Ans. (iii) he was so involved in excelling that he barely noticed sarcastic comments.

(e) Choose the expression that uses the same literary device as used in the line "he was so tough that you could hammer nails into him without his noticing it."

(i) My mom made enough food to feed an army last night.
(ii) My alarm clock yells at me to get out of bed every morning.
(iii) The car complained as the key was roughly turned in its ignition.
(iv) Lightning danced across the sky like a fairy beating against the clouds.

Ans.  (iv) Lightning danced across the sky like a fairy beating against the clouds.

Q3. Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow:

(I)

Without even a glance upward the Professor announced, “That, of course, is a North American Harvard Trainer. It can be unmistakably identified by the harsh engine note, due to the high tip speed of the airscrew.” What could a gang of louts like us do with a man like that?

(i) Choose the option that best describes the traits of the Professor in the given extract.

patience

awareness

knowledge

flamboyance

kindness

a) 1, 2, 3

b) 2, 3, 4

c) 2, 3, 5

d) 3, 4, 5

Ans. b) 2, 3, 4

ii) The author refers to himself and his peers as ‘louts’ to

a) bring out the contrast with the Professor.
b) comment on the expertise in other fields.
c) draw attention to lack of teamwork in all.
d) accept the display of undisciplined behaviour.

Ans. d) accept the display of undisciplined behaviour.

(II)

In the silence that followed a dark flush stained the tan of the Corporal’s face. “Here,” he said at last, “you give this lecture”. As if afraid to say any more, he tossed the grenade to the Professor. Quite unabashed, Private Quelch climbed to his feet and with the attitude of a man coming into his birth-right gave us an unexceptionable lecture on the grenade.

 i) Choose the statement that is NOT TRUE about the depiction of the scene described in the above lines.

a) Private Quelch knew more about hand grenades than Turnbull.
b) Turnbull was not someone who would let things go easily.
c) The entire batch was stunned at Quelch’s audacity.
d) Quelch was able to impress Turnbull with his vast knowledge.

Ans. a) Private Quelch knew more about hand grenades than Turnbull.

ii) The silence that follows Quelch’s remarks shows that the entire batch did not

a) wish to see Turnbull humiliated.
b) want Quelch embarrassed.
c) know how to react
d) care for the conversation.

Ans. c) know how to react

iii) The fact that Quelch delivered the lecture when asked to do so shows that he

a) wanted to teach Turnbull a valuable lesson.
b) failed to take the hint that Turnbull felt insulted.
c) knew when to flaunt his knowledge for his own benefit.
d) established himself as a man superior to Turnbull

Ans. c) knew when to flaunt his knowledge for his own benefit.

Q3. Answer the following questions briefly.

(a) What is ‘nickname’? Can you suggest one for Private Quelch?

Ans: A nickname is a name jokingly substituted for a regular name. Another nickname for Quelch could be – Pretentious Bully.

(b) Private Quelch looked like a ‘Professor’ when the author first met him at the training depot. Why?

Ans. Private Quelch was thin, walked with a stoop, kept frowning and wore spectacles like a scholar. His habit of sermonising, giving lectures and exhibiting his knowledge earned him the nickname of a ‘Professor’.

(c) What does the dark, sun-dried appearance of the sergeant suggest about him?

Ans: The sergeant’s appearance suggests that he was tough and had been exposed to all kinds of weather and places of army life.

(d) How does Private Quelch expose his knowledge even further as the sergeant’s classes go on?

Ans. Quelch not only corrected the sergeant’s knowledge of the rifle but he could answer all the questions directed towards him. He was particularly very good with technical definitions.

(e) What did the Professor mean by “intelligent reading”?

Ans. Quelch was diligence, had brains, and thirst for knowledge and he put all these to intelligent use. Since he remembered everything precisely and used his knowledge at critical junctures to impress his instructors, he termed it ‘intelligent reading’.

(f) What were the Professor’s ambitions in the army?

Ans. Professor Quelch wanted to race ahead of all his batch in getting a commission. His first step was to get a stripe.

(g) Did Private Quelch’s day-to-day practices take him closer towards his goal? How can you make out?

Ans. Quelch was highly ambitious, very diligent, and brainy but his strategy to impress his instructors, backfired. In pursuit of showing off his own knowledge, he irritated and tried to belittle his instructors. He rudely interrupted them in front of the squad and exhibited his knowledge. No wonder he is relegated to the back quarters of the kitchen house.

(h) How did Private Quelch manage to anger the corporal?

Ans. Private Quelch not only interrupted the Corporal rudely by needlessly elaborating the Corporal’s explanation of a grenade, but he also had the audacity to compare him to another instructor and tell him how he should deliver his instructions.

(i) Do you think Private Quelch learnt a lesson when he was chosen for cookhouse duties? Give a reason for your answer.

Ans: Private Quelch was conceited and satisfied in his cocoon. He was indifferent to what others thought about him. When he was relegated to cook house duties, he might have felt bad temporarily but he would never change. It is evident from his lecture in the cookhouse, that some thickheads are too thick to change.

(j) Elaborate on any one character trait of Corporal Turnbull with evidence from the text.

Ans. Corporal Turnbull is a tough and disciplined leader respected for his military background, despite his youth. He’s experienced in tough situations, like Dunkirk, and values organization, even carrying a kitten in his pocket. Turnbull prefers practicality over showiness and remains calm but can take charge when necessary, as demonstrated with Quelch. Overall, he balances toughness with moments of understanding, earning him respect as a strong leader.

(k) Infer the reason that left the squad horrified when Turnbull asked Quelch to deliver the lesson.

Ans. The squad was shocked by Private Quelch's boldness in taking over the class from their respected instructor, who was a well-liked war veteran from Dunkirk. The other recruits thought it was very disrespectful to contradict him, especially since he was their teacher and they were just new to the group.

Q4. Answer in detail 

(a) Quelch’s character teaches us that with hard work one also needs to have social and emotional intelligence. Justify.

Ans.  Private Quelch was a new soldier eager to impress his instructors with his military knowledge. He often showed off and pointed out their mistakes, which upset the seasoned war veterans from battles like Dunkirk. His disrespectful behavior made others avoid him, highlighting his lack of manners in dealing with more experienced individuals.

 Q5. Write down the positive and negative traits of Private Quelch’s character and instances from the story.

Ans.
Positive traits Instances from the story
(i) He was very hardworking. He sat up reading books till late at night.
(ii) He was very confident. He had the guts to interrupt his instructors like the sergeant and even Corporal Turnbull.
(iii) He was blessed with an excellent memory. He could remember technical definitions and other information very precisely.
(iv) He appeared most enthusiastic and tireless. He could think of a song, even after 30 miles of the walk.

Negative traits Instances from the story
(i) He was not pleasant in his looks. He always had a frown, and was lanky and stooped.
(ii) He was very condescending to his teammates. He would pretend to help and show off in the bargain.
(iii) He was tactless and ill-mannered. He rudely interrupted his instructors and pretended to have superior knowledge than them.
(iv) Quelch’s worst flaw was his tendency to overshadow others. He needlessly tried to show his knowledge and belittle and humiliate others.

Q6. You are the ‘Professor’. Write a diary entry after your first day in the cookhouse. Describe the events that led to this assignment. Also, express your thoughts and feelings about the events of the day in about 150 words.

Army Training Depot, Liverpool. July 20, 1948
Dear Diary,

Today was my first day in the cookhouse, and it was not what I expected. I missed the outdoor activities like marches and rifle lessons that I used to enjoy. Being assigned permanently to cookhouse duties disappointed me. To make things worse, my colleagues made fun of me, treating it all as a joke, which was disheartening. Despite my knowledge and readiness, Corporal Turnbull shattered my dream of getting a commission. The cookhouse staff was inefficient, and their unscientific way of peeling potatoes upset me. I tried to explain that they were wasting valuable vitamins, but they didn't listen. Overall, it was a very unpleasant and disappointing day for me.

Quelch