Short Answer Questions (with Solutions)- Two Gentlemen of Verona

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Read the following extracts and answer the questions.

Ques 1: "Nicola, the way you and Jacopo work, you must earn quite a bit. You spend nothing on clothes. You eat little enough ... .''
(a) Who said the above lines?
Ans: These lines are spoken by the narrator, who is observing and sympathising with the two boys.
(b) Why did the speaker get the feeling that the boys were not spending any money?
Ans: The boys always appeared thin and wore torn clothes, and they seemed to eat only black bread and figs; these signs made the speaker think they were not spending anything on themselves.
(c) What do the above lines reflect about the two boys?
Ans: The lines show that the boys were self-sacrificing and devoted to their sister; they willingly gave up comforts and saved money to meet her needs.

Ques 2: I had already told Luigi he might take the day off. However I answered, "I'll drive you out myself."
(a) Who was Luigi?
Ans: Luigi was the narrator's driver.
(b) Why did the speaker offer to drive himself?
Ans: The narrator had already given Luigi the day off and did not want to recall him, so as a gesture of goodwill he offered to drive the boys himself.
(c) Where did the boys wish to go?
Ans: The boys wanted to go to Poleta, about 30 km away, to visit their sister who was being treated there.

Ques 3: When the war was over and we had peace at last, they came back to their beloved sister. And they found her ....
(a) Identify 'they'.
Ans: 'They' refers to the two brothers, Nicola and Jacopo.
(b) Who is the beloved sister?
Ans: Lucia is the brothers' sister; she had been ill and was the focus of their care.
(c) In what condition did they find their sister?
Ans: They found their sister seriously ill and suffering badly; later it was revealed that she had tuberculosis of the spine.

Ques 4: "Of course, everything is so difficult now, the food so scarce and dear we could not keep going unless we charged a fee."
(a) Who are the speaker and the listener?
Ans: The speaker is the nurse attending Lucia, and the listener is the narrator.
(b) Why was food so expensive?
Ans: The war had caused shortage and disruption, making food scarce and therefore expensive.
(c) For what purpose does the speaker need to charge a fee?
Ans:  The fee was needed to meet the costs of Lucia's medical treatment and the expenses of keeping and caring for patients.

Ques 5: "They couldn't do it better," I agreed.
(a) Who is 'I' and who are 'they'?
Ans: 'I' is the narrator, and 'they' refers to Nicola and Jacopo.
(b) What great thing had the above-mentioned people done?
Ans: The brothers had shown great readiness to undertake any kind of work and to sacrifice their own comfort in order to pay for their sister's treatment.
(c) Do you think the speaker is earnest in his saying?
Ans: Yes. The speaker is sincere and expresses genuine admiration for the boys' devotion and efforts.

Ques 6: 'When the resistance movement began secretly to form they were among the first to join. When the war was over and we had peace at last, they came back to their beloved sister.'
(a) Who are the "they" referred to here? [C.B.S.E. 2011 (T-1)]
Ans: Here 'they' refers to the two brothers, Nicola and Jacopo.
(b) Why did they join the resistance movement?
Ans: They joined the resistance because the war had killed their father, destroyed their home and separated them from their sister; they wanted to fight against the invaders and restore some normality.
(c) What had happened to their sister?
Ans: Their sister, Lucia, who had hoped to be a singer, had contracted tuberculosis of the spine as a result of cold and extreme hardship.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Ques 1: Nicola said to the narrator, "Waiting for the last bus from Padua. We shall sell all our papers, when it comes in." Why were the boys waiting for the last bus?
Ans:  Nicola and Jacopo were waiting for the last bus because they wanted one more chance to sell any unsold newspapers and earn extra money. Every small sum helped to pay for their sister Lucia's medical treatment, so they stayed out late to make as much as they could.

Ques 2: Why did the two boys survive only on black bread and figs, despite making a decent earning?
Ans: The boys purposely spent almost nothing on themselves. They ate only simple food such as black bread and figs so that they could save and send all the money they earned for Lucia's recovery. Their own hardship mattered less to them than her treatment.

Ques 3: Why does the narrator make an offer for help to the two boys? What does it entail?
Ans: The narrator was moved by the boys' hard work, cheerfulness and devotion to their sister. As a final act of kindness before his visit ended, he offered practical help: since he had already given his driver the day off, he volunteered to drive the boys himself to Poleta so that they would not have to pay for transport.

Ques 4: For what reason does Jacopo request for a lift to Poleta?
Ans. Jacopo asked for a lift because his sister Lucia was being treated at Poleta and he could not afford the travel expenses. By getting a lift from the narrator he could save money and visit her more easily.

Ques 5: Why did the narrator enter the large red-roofed villa?
Ans: The narrator was surprised to see such shabby, thin boys stop before a fine villa. His curiosity made him go inside to find out why they had come there and to understand the reason for their unusual visit.

Ques 6: What scene does the narrator see through the glass partition?
Ans:  Through the glass partition the narrator saw the two brothers seated beside a bed with a young woman of about twenty, their sister Lucia. The scene showed great tenderness and care; it looked like a moving reunion full of affection.

Ques 7: What did the narrator discover regarding the family background of the two boys? How did the war affect their family?
Ans: The nurse explained that the three children had belonged to a once prosperous family and that Lucia had been training to be a singer. The war changed everything: their father was killed, a bomb destroyed their house and the children were separated. As a result of poverty and neglect Lucia became ill and contracted tuberculosis.

Ques 8: The nurse said regarding the two boys, "I don't know what they do, I don't ask. Work is scarce in Verona." What does this remark reflect upon the speaker?
Ans: The remark shows that the nurse respected the boys' privacy and did not press them about how they earned money. It also shows her sympathy and surprise that they managed to provide anything for Lucia when work and money were so scarce.

Ques 9: Why didn't the two boys disclose their problems to the author? [C.B.S.E. 2011 (T-1)]
Ans: The boys wished to keep their pride and dignity. They preferred to suffer quietly and did not want their private difficulties to be made public, so they did not tell the narrator about their hardships.

Ques 10: What traits of the boys attracted the narrator to them? How were the children helpful to the narrator? [C.B.S.E. 2011 (T-1)]
Ans: The narrator admired the boys' cheerfulness, industry and willingness to do any kind of work. Their readiness to help and their friendly, honest behaviour also attracted him. They helped the narrator by shining his shoes, guiding him around Verona, arranging opera tickets, getting American cigarettes and running errands.

Ques 11: What were the hardships faced by Nicola and Jacopo?
Ans: Their father was killed in the war, their house was destroyed by a bomb, and their sister Lucia became seriously ill with tuberculosis. The boys had to take every possible job, endure hunger and poor clothing, and build a shelter for themselves from the ruins while trying to pay for Lucia's treatment.

Ques 12: What provoked the author's interest in the two boys of Verona? [C.B.S.E. 2011 (T-1)]
Ans: The author was impressed by the boys' energy, cheerfulness and readiness to work at any task-selling fruit, polishing shoes or acting as guides. Their innocence, friendliness and determination to care for their sister attracted his interest.

Ques 13: How did Luigi show his disapproval on seeing the two boys and why? [C.B.S.E. 2011 (T-1)]
Ans: Luigi showed disapproval by remarking on their shabby, thin appearance and advising the narrator not to buy from them, suggesting that better strawberries could be obtained elsewhere. He reacted to their poor looks and assumed the fruit might be of inferior quality.