Class 9 English Chapter 1 Extract Based Question Answers - Moments

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow in one or two lines.

1.  For eight years I was a village schoolteacher and then I lost my place through intrigues. I fell a victim to calumny. It is a year now since I have had anything to do.

(a) Who is “I” in this extract? Whom is he telling about himself?
Ans: I here refer to the beggar, Lushkoff. He is telling advocate Sergei about himself.

(b) What was his occupation and why did he lose it?
Ans: According to Lushkoff, he was a village schoolteacher and he lost his occupation because of scheming and lies against him.

(c) What does he do now?
Ans: He hasn’t had anything to do for a year now. However, he begs in order to survive.

(d) What does the speaker expect from the listener?
Ans: The speaker appeals to the listener’s kindness and sympathy in order to get words of kindness and monetary help.

2. “This is dishonesty, my dear sir!” he cried angrily. “This is swindling -I shall send the police for you, damn you!”

(a) Who speaks these lines to whom?
Ans: Sergei, an affluent advocate, says these words to Lushkoff, an alcoholic beggar.

(b) Why was the speaker angry?
Ans: The speaker, Sergei, was angry because Lushkoff was being dishonest and had been cheating people in order to get money as alms.

(c) What, according to the speaker, was ‘dishonesty’ and ‘swindling’?
Ans: According to the speaker, Sergei, concealing real identity and telling lies by Lushkoff was dishonesty and swindling.

(d) Why did the speaker threaten to send the police for the listener?
Ans: The speaker, Sergei, threatened to send the police for the listener, Lushkoff, because the latter was reluctant to admit that he had adopted unfair means to gain sympathy and monetary help from people.

3. Olga glared wrathfully at her companion, shoved him aside with her elbow, unlocked the shed, and angrily banged the door.

(a) Who was Olga and who was her companion?
Ans: Olga was the cook of advocate Sergei and her companion was Lushkoff, the beggar.

(b) How did Olga look at her companion and why?
Ans: Olga looked at her companion, Lushkoff, with wrathful glare because his appearance with tattered clothes and drunken eyes was much too disgusting.

(c) Why did Olga unlock the shed?
Ans: Olga unlocked the shed to take out the wood and give it to Lushkoff for chopping as instructed by her master, advocate Sergei.

(d) Why did Olga bang the door angrily?
Ans: Olga banged the door angrily because the sight of the drunkard beggar repulsed her. By banging the door, she expressed her displeasure.

4. On the first of the month the waif made his appearance and again earned half a rouble, although he could barely stand on his legs. From that day on he often appeared in the yard and every time work was found for him.

(a) Who was the waif and where did he make his appearance?
Ans: The waif was Lushkoff, the beggar, and he made his appearance at the house of advocate Sergei.

(b) How did he earn half a rouble?
Ans: Lushkoff earned half a rouble by chopping wood for Sergei.

(c) Why could he barely stand on his legs?
Ans: Lushkoff could barely stand on his legs because his addiction to alcohol had made him very weak and he did not have any source of regular income to feed himself.

(d) What work was found for him every time?
Ans: Various odd tasks were found every time for Lushkoff. These included shovelling snow, putting wood-shed in order, and beating the dust out of rugs and mattresses.

5. Pleased at having put a man on the right path, Sergei tapped Lushkoff kindly on the shoulder and even gave him his hand at parting. Lushkoff took the letter, and from that day forth came no more to the yard for work.

(a) What was Lushkoff’s path before Sergei put him on the right one?
Ans: Before Sergei put him on the right path, Lushkoff was a wayward alcoholic who resorted to telling lies and swindling people.

(b) Why did Sergei tap Lushkoff’s shoulder and shook hands with him?
Ans:  Sergei tapped Lushkoff’s shoulder and shook hands with him because he was pleased with having put a man on the right path.

(c) What letter did Lushkoff get from Sergei? Why?
Ans: Lushkoff got a letter of recommendation from Sergei. It was addressed to Sergei’s friend so that Lushkoff would get some copying work to do from him.

(d) Why didn’t Lushkoff return to the yard after that day?
Ans:  Lushkoff did not return to the yard after that day because he had reformed his ways and went on to become a notary.

6. You spoke finely then, and I shall be indebted to you to my dying day; but, strictly speaking, it was your cook, Olga, who saved me.

(a) Who is “I”? Who is he talking to and where?
Ans: “I” here is the reformed Lushkoff and he is talking to advocate Sergei, his former employer and mentor. Both of them were at the ticket window of theatre at the time of this conversation.

(b) Why will the speaker be indebted to the listener?
Ans: Lushkoff shall be indebted forever to Sergei because the latter had spoken finely to him when he was passing through a rough phase of life as a beggar.

(c) How did Olga save the speaker?
Ans: Olga, the cook, saved Lushkoff by her words and her noble deeds. She would grow sad at his plight and reprimand him for his waywardness, but cut wood on his behalf, suffer misery and shed tears for his sake.

(d) What opinion do you form the speaker from this statement?
Ans: This statement reveals that the speaker, Lushkoff, had become a sensitive, humble and grateful soul to acknowledge the good deeds of his benefactor. He was polite but straightforward and honest in his demeanour.