Q2. Read the extracts and answer the questions by selecting the correct options.
(I)
I contrived to keep out of her sight as much as I could, but I never lost track of her. The last station she got off at was away down in Virginia, about six in the evening. There were about fifty houses.
The rest was mud, mules, and speckled hounds.
A tall old man, with a smooth face and white hair, looking as proud as Julius Caesar was there to meet her. His clothes were frazzled but I didn’t notice that till later. He took her little satchel, and they started over the plank walks and went up a road along the hill. I kept along a piece behind ‘em, trying to look like I was hunting a garnet ring in the sand that my sister had lost at a picnic the previous Saturday.
(i) The extract tells us that Virginia was a _________ populated town.
A. densely
B. highly
C. sparsely
D. hardly
Ans. D. hardly
(ii) Choose the option that uses the word ‘frazzled’ in the same way as the extract.
A. I feel pretty frazzled most weeks these days.
B. The cuffs of his brown shirt looked frazzled.
C. Father finally arrived home, tired and frazzled.
D. Mother was frazzled looking after all the guests had left.
Ans. A. I feel pretty frazzled most weeks these days.
(iii) Read the statements (1) & (2) given below, and choose the option that correctly evaluates the statements.
(1): The speaker pretended that he was searching for a lost ring.
(2): The speaker wanted to hide the fact that he had been following her.
A. [1] is true but [2] is false.
B. [2] is contradictory to [1].
C. [1] is the reason for [2].
D. [2] is the result of [1].
Ans. C. [1] is the reason for [2].
(iv) Select the option that displays the characteristics of the speaker.
- discreet
- vain
- ambitious
- observant
- finicky
- cautious
A. 1, 4 and 6
B. 2, 3 and 5
C. 1, 3 and 6
D. 2, 4 and 5
Ans. A. 1, 4 and 6
(II)
For about nine seconds he had me rattled, and I came mighty near getting cold feet and trying to sell him some plate-glass. But I got my nerve back pretty quick. He asked me to sit down, and I told him everything. I told him how I followed his daughter from Cincinnati, and what I did it for, and all about my salary and prospects, and explained to him my little code of living -to be always decent and right in your home town. At first, I thought he was going to throw me out of the window, but I kept on talking.
Well, that got him to laughing and I’ll bet that was the first laugh those ancestors and horsehair sofa had heard in many a day.
(i) Select the option that matches the expression with the meaning correctly.
Column A | Column B |
I. getting cold feet | a. to be exhausted |
II. dead on my feet | b. to become used to a new situation |
III. get your feet wet | c. carried away by someone on an emotional level |
d. feeling nervous about something |
- I-c, II-b, III-a
- I-d, II-a, III-b
- I-a, II-c, III-d
- I-b, II-d, III-c
Ans. B. I-d, II-a, III-b
(ii) Select the option that lists the statements which can be a part of one’s ‘code of living’.
- Keep your word.
- Never quit on yourself or your family.
- Think about the future and ignore the present.
- Focus on materialistic possessions.
- Stay true to yourself.
- Look back and wonder about your decisions.
A. 1, 3 and 6
B. 2, 4 and 5
C. 2, 5 and 6
D. 1, 2 and 5
Ans. D. 1, 2 and 5
(iii) “I’ll bet that was the first laugh those ancestors and horsehair sofa had heard in many a day.” The tone of the speaker is
A. satirical.
B. ironical.
C. humorous.
D. sarcastic.
Ans. D. sarcastic.
(iv) Which option best describes the sequence of the speaker’s emotions in the given
extract.
- nostalgia-friendliness-jitters-disappointment
- curiosity-nostalgia-fear-mild sadness
- jitters-confidence-apprehension-delight
- shyness—friendliness-excitement-nostalgia
Ans. C. jitters-confidence-apprehension-delight
Q3. Answer the following questions briefly.
Q1. One day last summer the author was travelling to Pittsburg by chair car. What does he say about his co-passengers?
Ans. The author describes his co-passengers to be the usual type of people who would travel by chair-car. Most of the passengers were ladies who wore brown-silk dresses cut with square yokes with laced borders and dotted veils, and refused to have their windows raised.
Q2. What was John A. Pescud’s opinion about best sellers? Why?
Ans. John A. Pescud believed best sellers to be too fictitious. One could not see such stories happening in real life as well. According to him, the hero was overconfident and did not talk or think of sensible and practical things.
Q3.What does John say about himself since his last meeting with the narrator?
Ans. The writer asked John if he was getting along with the company and John replied that he was getting along with the company excellently. John told the writer that he was on the line to general prosperity since his last meeting with the narrator. His salary had increased twice and he was now getting commission too. He had bought a piece of real estate and the company was about to sell him some shares of stock. He would soon be a wealthy person.
Q4. How did John’s first meeting with Jessie’s father go? What did John tell him?
Ans. John was anxious about meeting Jessie’s father but gathered courage to explain why he had followed Jessie from Cincinnati to Virginia. He talked about his job, income prospects, and his principles. Initially fearing the Colonel might reject him, John found that the Colonel listened without interruption and even shared stories, which helped them bond. Thus, John’s first meeting with Jessie’s father was successful, and he became closer to the Allyn family.
Q5.Why did John get off at Coketown?
Ans. John’s wife, Jessie once saw a potted plant with beautiful petunias on it on a window of a house in Coketown. The potted plant reminded her of the flowers she used to grow in her previous home in Virginia. So, John decided to go to Coketown and get the petunias for her.
Q6. John is a hypocrite. Do you agree with this statement? Elucidate.
Ans. Yes, John is a hypocrite. He gives best sellers a bad review because the romance portrayed in the best sellers are too fictitious. However, John’s own romance story, which is quite similar to the best seller he was reading, too is fantastical. A hypocrite is someone who has a different personality but pretends to have a different personality. John is a hypocrite because even though his own story was similar to the best seller, he chose to ignore the similarity between the two similarities.
Q7.Do you think Colonel Allyn enjoyed Pescud’s company? Why/ Why not?
Ans. Yes, Colonel Allyn did enjoy Pescud’s company. He was amused by John’s code of living. He appreciated his honesty and his story-telling skills. Pescud told him a story about a captain of the whaler who tried to make a sailor say his prayers. That story made the Colonel burst out in laughter. He then told Pescud that he believed exchanging stories to be the perfect method of building relationships between people. Pescud agreed with him and they continued exchanging stories for a few more days. Even after John and Jessie got married, the Colonel and John continued sharing stories.
Did Colonel Allyn like Pescud's company? Why/ Why not? Ans. Yes, Colonel Allyn enjoyed Pescud’s company. He found John’s principles and honesty amusing. Colonel Allyn especially liked the story Pescud told about a whaling captain trying to make a sailor say his prayers, which made him laugh heartily. He believed that sharing stories was a great way to build relationships, and Pescud agreed. They continued swapping stories for several days, and even after John and Jessie married, Colonel Allyn and John kept sharing stories.
Q8. Describe John A. Pescud with reference to the following points:
- His physical appearance ………………………………………………………………………
- His philosophy on behaviour ………………………………………………………………….
- His profession ……………………………………………………………………………………..
- His first impression of his wife ……………………………………………………………….
- His success ………………………………………………………………………………………….
Ans. John A. Pescud was a small man with a wide smile and black and bald-spotted head. One of his eyes looked like it was fixed upon the little red spot on the end of your nose.
He believed that whenever people looked for a partner, they searched for a person who was on the same social rank as them. The partners would be someone they had hung out with for quite some time. It would either be their high school schoolmate or someone from their singing-society.
He was a salesman working in the company which sold plate-glass. He was a door-to-door salesman.
When he first saw his wife Jessie, he thought that she was a fine-looking woman. Even though her appearance was not that spectacular, her aura made him feel like she was a keeper. She was reading her book and minded her own business, which attracted him.
He told the writer that he was on the line to General Prosperity. Ever since his first meeting with the writer, his salary had increased twice and he got commissions too. He had bought a good piece of real estate and in a few years, the company would sell him some stocks of the company. He was also successful in winning over Jessie’s heart and Colonel’s approval towards him.
Q4. Irony refers to the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of their literal meaning. Working in pairs, bring out the irony in the following :
(a) The title of the story, “The Bestseller”.
Ans : The Best Seller is supposed to be the most popular and likable. But John Pescud throws the best seller “The Rose Lady and Trevelyan” to the floor of the chair car. He
later says that all bestsellers have the same unrealistic romantic stories.
(b) Pescud’s claim, “When people in real life marry, they generally hunt up somebody in their own status. A fellow usually picks out a girl who went to the same high school and belonged to the same kind of society that he did.”
Ans : Pescud told the author that, unlike the stories of the bestsellers, in real life, people marry somebody in their own place. A fellow usually picks out a girl who went to the same high school and belonged to the same kind of society. But the irony is that he himself marries a girl unknown to him who lived at a far off place and belonged to a completely different background.
(c) The name Trevelyan.
Ans : Trevelyan is the hero of the bestseller novel “The Rose Lady and Trevelyan.” Pescud condemns such best sellers and makes fun of its unrealistic characters. But at the end of the story, the author calls Pescud a Trevelyan because he had behaved almost like the hero of the bestseller.
Q5. Answer in detail.
Pescud had the qualities of a good salesman. Justify this statement by citing examples from the text.
Ans. Pescud showed he had the qualities of a good salesman in the story. He demonstrated determination and perseverance in his actions. For example, despite trying to avoid being seen, he carefully followed the woman he was interested in, not losing sight of her until she got off the train in Virginia. This shows how persistent he was in pursuing his goals.
Additionally, Pescud displayed his determination when he bravely confronted Colonel Allyn, even though it was risky. He confidently engaged in conversation, making the Colonel laugh, which reveals his ability to handle challenging situations.
Moreover, Pescud's communication skills were evident when he spoke with confidence, despite feeling nervous. He successfully engaged with others and made an impression, such as when he introduced himself to Jessie, showing his persuasive nature.
Overall, Pescud's actions throughout the story illustrate his qualities as a determined, persistent, and persuasive individual, characteristics essential for a good salesman.
Ans.
Embracing Wisdom: The Importance of the Elderly in Our Lives
In today’s fast-paced world, amidst the rush of technology and ever-changing trends, the wisdom and experience of the elderly often find themselves overshadowed. However, their presence and contribution remain invaluable, serving as pillars of strength and reservoirs of knowledge for younger generations.
John A. Pescud, a testament to this relationship, exemplifies how respect and patience towards the elderly can foster deeper bonds and enrich lives. His interactions with Colonel Allyn, his father-in-law, highlight a poignant truth: the elderly seek not just attention but also a chance to impart their life lessons.
Elderly individuals bring a wealth of experience accumulated over decades. They have weathered storms, navigated complexities, and gathered wisdom that textbooks cannot teach. Their stories are not mere tales but narratives that offer insights into history, culture, and human resilience. Listening to them is akin to unlocking a treasure trove of knowledge that spans generations.
Moreover, the elderly yearn for companionship and connection. In an era where isolation is a growing concern, their presence provides a link to the past and a bridge to understanding. Engaging with them fosters empathy, patience, and a broader perspective on life’s challenges.
It is crucial to recognize that as we embrace technological advancements and modernity, we must also cherish the elderly for their invaluable contributions. They are the custodians of traditions, the storytellers of our heritage, and the silent guides who steer us with their wisdom.
In conclusion, the elderly are not just recipients of care; they are essential threads in the fabric of our society. Their presence enriches us, teaches us, and reminds us of our collective humanity. Let us embrace and celebrate their role, for in doing so, we honor our past, enrich our present, and pave the way for a more compassionate future.
