Very Short, Short and Long Answers - Chapter - 11, Three Men in a Boat | English Class 9 PDF Download

Very Short Answers Type Questions

Q1. What made George get up early when he was staying with Mrs. Gippings?

Ans. One evening his watch had stopped at a quarter past eight. He had an appointment the next day at nine. He woke up at 3:00 but when he saw his watch showing 8:15, he dressed and rushed downstairs.

Q2. What made him curse the lady and call her a lazy old woman?

Ans. George was angry with Mrs. Gippings for not waking at a decent time. He thought he was already late and she was yet sleeping with locked main door which he himself had to open.

Q3. What advice did the policeman give to George?

Ans. The policeman advised George to go back home and throw his watch.

Q4. What made George think policeman would handcuff him?

Ans. George was afraid of making his breakfast for fear of noise which might make Mrs G. wake up and that she would think it was burglars, open the window and call “Police!” and lest police should handcuff him.

Q5. What made George laugh at the writer and what made him mump soon?

Ans. In a hurry to dress, the writer’s shirt fell into the water which made George laugh loudly. But soon he felt ashamed when Jim told him that it was his (George’s) shirt.

Short  Answers Type Questions

Q1.  What made the three friends not to swim although they earlier had planned to do so?

Ans. The three friends had decided to have and early morning swim but the chilly wind and the cold water made them lose their zeal for it. Harris and George were reluctant but the writer decided to go down to the edge and just throw water on him. So he took his towel and crept to the branch of a tree that dipped into the water. The branch gave way and he fell into the water with a tremendous splash.

Q2. What happened to the writer and how did he try to hide the humiliation?

Ans. The writer decided to go down to the edge of water and just to throw water on himself. He crept to the branch of a tree that dipped into the water. As the writer stepped in, the branch gave way and he fell into the water with a loud splash. Harris cried “By Jove! old J.’s gone in.” The writer tried to hide the humiliation by telling that it was lovely and that they both were clumsy not to come in. He showed as if he were enjoying in the cold water. He asked George and Harris to try it but could not persuade them.

Q3. Describe the humour in Harris’s attempt to prepare breakfast.

Ans. Harris offered to cook scrambled eggs for all of them for breakfast. He assured them that it was his specialty. It made their mouths water. They handed him the stove, the frying-pan and half a dozen eggs. He had difficulty in breaking the eggs and putting them into the frying-pan. Whenever he touched the pan he burned himself. He was also afraid of messed eggs running up his trousers and sleeve. He just dropped everything into the frying-pan and danced. After sometime what they got was a teaspoonful of burnt and unappetizing mess.

Q4. Find out the great historical event that happened on June 1215 in England.

Ans. The signing of the Magna charta by king John, was the great historical event that took place in June 1215. It was a charter of liberties to which the English barons forced King John to give his assent. The Magna Charta was signed by the king at Runningmede in England.

Long Answers Type Questions

Q1. Harris had a boastful nature that always landed him in nothing but trouble. Explain.

Ans. Harris always seems boasting of himself. He boasts that he prepares very good scrambled eggs. But while doing so he makes a fool of himself. He is troubled of breaking the eggs and also looks incapable of getting them into the frying-pan after breaking them. He keeps the broken eggs off his trousers and preventing them from running up his sleeve. He put half a dozen eggs into the pan at last and then squatted down beside the pan. Then he dropped everything into the pan. He kept on flicking his fingers about and cursing the things and dancing around the stove. Finally all that came out was a teaspoonful of burnt and unappetizing looking mess.

Q2.Describe the character sketch of Jim as an admirer and lover of history.

Ans. A new fact of Jim’s nature has come out in this Chapter in the form of his love for history. He recount a memorable event of history, illustrating it with great verbal pictures full of details describing King John, the barons and the people of England. He has given us a vivid picture of the events that compel King John to sign the charter of liberty. The inner struggle of the king when he debates with himself to cut loose, a signal to his french troops, one desperate charge upon the rebellious barons and then he weighs the odds against him. His heart sinks before the stern faces of the English fighting men and the arm of King John drops back on to his rein, he dismounts and takes his seat in the barge. Thus he takes his first step to the signing of the great charter of liberties the Magna Charta. The writer has described and recorded the event for his readers and the posterity.