Higher Secondary SAQ
WBCHSE – Class-XII
SAQ – 1 Mark
16 IMPORTANT SETS
SET – I
2.
PROSE
(i) Where did the girl get in?
👉The girl got in the train compartment at Rohana station.
(ii) What could be a fascinating game to the narrator?
👉Guessing what went on outside the window could be a fascinating game to the narrator.
(iii) When was the ancestral house, in which Kalam lived, built?
👉The ancestral house, in which Kalam lived, was built in the middle of the nineteenth century.
(iv) Who were the parents of Abdul Kalam?
👉The parents of Abdul Kalam were Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma.
(v) How did Roger know that he and the woman were not alone in the house?
👉Hearing other roomers laughing and talking in the large house, Roger knew that he and the woman were not alone in the house.
(vi) Why did Roger take care to sit on the far side of the room?
👉Roger took care to sit on the far side of the room where he thought the woman could easily see him out of the corner of the other eye, if she wanted to.
(vii) What did the Tsar do to meet the hermit?
👉As the hermit received none but common folk, the Tsar, putting on simple clothes and leaving his bodyguard behind, went on alone to meet him.
(viii) Why did the Tsar want answer to three important questions?
👉The Tsar wanted answer to three important questions because he wanted to be successful in anything he might undertake.
POETRY
(ix) What does the phrase ‘earth-cave’ mean?
👉The phrase ‘earth-cave’ means the gaping hole in the earth when the roots of the tree are to be pulled out entirely, out of the anchoring earth.
(x) What comes out from leprous hide?
👉Leaves come out from ‘leprous hide’.
(xi) Where does the soldier lie stretched?
👉The soldier lies stretched in the small green valley in the warm sunlight.
(xii) How was the smile of the young soldier?
👉The smile of the young soldier was like an infant’s– gentle, without guile.
(xiii) What will give life to the poet’s friend?
👉The continuous reading of the eternal sonnet 18 will give life to the poet’s friend.
(xiv) What do you mean by ‘summer’s lease’?
👉By ‘summer’s lease’ the poet means the short duration of summer season.
(xv) What does Keats celebrate in the poem, “The Poetry of Earth”?
👉Keats celebrates the never-ending music of earth in his poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’.
(xvi) Why is the poetry of earth not dead in summer?
👉The poetry of earth is not dead in summer because the poetry of earth is a continuous celebration through the cycle of seasons.
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SET – II
2.
PROSE
(i) What was the girl tired of?
👉The girl was tired of people telling her that she had a pretty face.
(ii) How much did the girl like a train journey?
👉The girl did not like much a train journey. She said that she could not bear to sit in a train for more than two or three hours.
(iii) What were Kalam’s parents regarded as?
👉Kalam’s parents were widely regarded as an ideal couple.
(iv) Where did Mrs Jones have her purse?
👉Mrs. Jones had her purse on the daybed.
(v) How did the hermit look like?
👉The hermit was frail and weak.
(vi) What was Roger afraid of?
👉Roger was afraid of going to jail.
(vii) Where did the evening prayers reach, according to Kalam?
👉According to Kalam, evening prayers reached God.
(viii) “There is only one time that is important” — What is the time?
👉The time is now or the present time.
POETRY
(ix) How can eternal summer be maintained?
👉Eternal summer can be maintained through the eternal poetry written in his friend’s praise.
(x) “Has wrought a silence” — What has wrought a silence?
👉Frost has wrought a silence.
(xi) What role is played by the sun’s rays in “Asleep in the Valley”?
👉In the poem, “Asleep in the Valley” the sun’s rays, streaming from the mountaintop, beautify and brighten the valley.
(xii) What kind of a task is to kill a tree?
👉To kill a tree is not an easy task.
(xiii) What does the octave and the sestet represent in the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
👉The octave part of the poem, “The Poetry of Earth” represents the music of summer, and the sestet represents the music of winter.
(xiv) How does the ‘eye of heaven’ sometimes shine in summer?
👉Sometime too hot the ‘eye of heaven’ shines in summer.
(xv) Where are the feet of the soldier?
👉The feet of the soldier are among the flowers.
(xvi) What natural elements are absorbed by the tree for years?
👉The tree absorbs the three major elemental forces of nature–sunlight, air and water for years.
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SET – III
2.
PROSE
(i) What remark did the narrator make about people with good eyesight?
👉The narrator remarked that people with good eyesight often fail to see what is right in front of them.
(ii) When do the hills look lovely?
👉The hills look lovely in October.
(iii) How does Kalam describe his appearance?
👉Kalam describes himself as a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents.
(iv) What did Abdul Kalam’s father used to avoid?
👉Abdul Kalam’s father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries.
(v) Where did Roger fall on losing his balance?
👉Loosing his balance, Roger fell on the sidewalk.
(vi) What was the price of the cake Mrs. Jones offered to Roger?
👉The price of the cake Mrs. Jones offered to Roger was ten-cent.
(vii) Why did the man want to take revenge upon the Tsar?
👉The man wanted to take revenge upon the Tsar because the Tsar executed his brother and seized his property.
(viii) What was the hermit doing when the Tsar approached him?
👉When the Tsar approached the hermit, he was digging the ground in front of his hut.
POETRY
(ix) What does the epithet ‘earth-cave’ point out?
👉The epithet ‘earth-cave’ points out the gaping hole in the earth when the roots of the tree are pulled out entirely, out of the anchoring earth.
(x) What causes the bark of a tree to bleed?
👉The act of hacking and chopping causes the bark of a tree to bleed.
(xi) What is described as ‘gentle without guile’?
👉The smile of the dead soldier is described as ‘gentle, without guile’.
(xii) What do the sunrays do?
👉The sunrays, streaming from the mountaintop, beautify and brighten the valley.
(xiii) Why will the eternal summer in the friend never fade?
👉The eternal summer in the friend will never fade because the poet wants to immortalise his friend’s eternal beauty in his eternal lines of the sonnet 18.
(xiv) What shall death not brag of?
👉Death shall not brag of the poet’s young male friend’s eternal beauty inscribed in his eternal lines of his sonnet 18.
(xv) Why do the birds hide in cooling trees?
👉The birds hide in cooling trees because of the hot sun in summer.
(xvi) When does the Cricket shrill?
👉On a lone winter evening the Cricket shrills from behind a fireplace.
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SET – IV
2.
PROSE
(i) Who was the bearded man in ‘Three Questions’?
👉In ‘Three Questions’ the bearded man was a sworn enemy of the Tsar.
(ii) How many beds did the Tsar dig?
👉The Tsar had dug two beds.
(iii) Where was the narrator going in the story ‘The Eyes Have It’?
👉In the story ‘The Eyes Have It’ the narrator was going to Mussoorie via Dehradun.
(iv) Who are formidable creatures, according to the narrator in the story ‘The Eyes Have It’?
👉According to the narrator in the story ‘The Eyes Have It’, aunts are formidable creatures.
(v) What made Roger loose his balance?
👉His weight and the weight of the purse combined made Roger loose his balance.
(vi) Where did Mrs. Jones work?
👉Mrs. Jones worked in a hotel-beauty shop.
(vii) What does adversity offer us, according to Kalam?
👉According to Kalam, adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.
(viii) How does Kalam describe his appearance?
👉Kalam describes himself as a short boy with rather undistinguished looks.
POETRY
(ix) What does the phrase ‘anchoring earth’ refer to?
👉The phrase ‘anchoring earth’ refers to the root of the tree which like an anchor grips the tree in the earth.
(x) What are the final steps of killing a tree?
👉The final steps of killing a tree are uprooting and then scorching and chocking, and then browning, hardening, twisting and withering.
(xi) Where are the feet of the soldier?
👉The feet of the soldier are among the flowers.
(xii) What do the ‘humming insects’ denote?
👉The humming insects denote the insects that are trying to wake the soldier from his eternal sleep with their buzzing sound.
(xiii) Why will the ‘eternal summer’ of the poet’s friend never fade?
👉The ‘eternal summer’ of the poet’s friend will never fade because the poet wants to immortalise his friend’s eternal beauty in his eternal lines of the sonnet 18.
(xiv) What shakes the darling buds of May?
👉The rough wind shakes the darling buds of May.
(xv) Where is the Grasshopper seen in summer?
👉In summer the Grasshopper is seen about the new-mown mead.
(xvi) What does Keats celebrate in his poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
👉In his poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’ Keats celebrates the ever-ending music of earth.
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SET – V
2.
PROSE
(i) “It was a safe remark” — What was the ‘safe remark’?
👉The ‘safe remark’ made by the narrator was about the girl’s face. He said that she had an interesting face.
(ii) Why was Rameswaram famous?
👉Rameswaram was famous for the Shiva temple to pilgrims.
(iii) How old was Roger?
👉Roger was fourteen or fifteen years old.
(iv) Whom did the hermit receive?
👉The hermit received none but common folk.
(v) Who stammered an apology?
👉The second fellow passenger or the third passenger stammered an apology.
(vi) What would Kalam’s father do after the namaz?
👉After the namaz, Kalam’s father used to walk down to a small coconut grove they owned, about four miles from their home.
(vii) Why did Roger want to snatch the pocketbook?
👉Roger wanted to snatch the pocketbook because he wanted to buy a pair of blue suede shoes.
(viii) What was the third question of the Tsar?
👉The third question of the Tsar was ‘What is the most important thing to do?’
POETRY
(ix) What is described as ‘gentle’ and ‘without guile’?
👉The smile of the dead soldier is described as ‘gentle’ and ‘without guile’.
(x) Describe the root.
👉The root of the tree is white and wet hidden inside the earth for years.
(xi) Whose voice is heard from a stove?
👉The Cricket’s voice is heard from a stove.
(xii) What does ‘thy eternal summer’ stand for?
👉’Thy eternal summer’ stands for the eternal beauty of the poet’s young male friend.
(xiii) Describe the bed of the soldier.
👉The bed of the young soldier is described as a warm, green and sun-soaked bed.
(xiv) What shall death not brag of?
👉Death shall not brag of poetry written in praise of the poet’s young male friend.
(xv) Who took shelter in cooling shades of trees?
👉The faint birds in summer took shelter in cooling shades of trees.
(xvi) Where does the strength of the tree lie?
👉The strength of the tree lies in its roots.
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SET – VI
2.
PROSE
(i) What lingered inside the compartment after the girl left?
👉The perfume from the girl’s hair still lingered inside the compartment after the girl left.
(ii) How can one enjoy the nights in the hills?
👉At night in the hills one can sit in front of a logfire and drink a little brandy.
(iii) How was Kalam’s childhood?
👉Kalam’s childhood was very secure, materially and emotionally.
(iv) Describe one of the most vivid memories of Kalam’s early childhood.
👉One of the most vivid memories of Kalam’s early childhood was of the two men–his father Jainulabdeen and his father’s very close friend, the high priest of Rameswaram temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, discussing spiritual matters.
(v) What were there behind the screen in Mrs. Jones’s room?
👉In Mrs. Jones’s room behind the screen there were a gas plate and an icebox.
(vi) “Then we will eat” — Who are ‘we’?
👉’We’ are Mrs. Jones and Roger in the story ‘Thank You Ma’am’.
(vii) What was the second question of the Tsar?
👉The second question of the Tsar was ‘Who are the most important people to listen to?”
(viii) Why did the hermit breath heavily?
👉The hermit breathed heavily while digging the earth because he was frail and weak.
POETRY
(ix) What are ‘miniature boughs’?
👉’Miniature boughs’ are the very small boughs of the tree rising from the part close to the ground.
(x) Who has written the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’?
👉The eco-friendly poet, Gieve Patel has written the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’.
(xi) What type of sonnet is ‘Asleep in the Valley’?
👉”Asleep in the Valley” is an Italian or a Petrarchan sonnet.
(xii) How is the bed of the dead soldier?
👉The bed of the soldier is warm, green and sun-soaked.
(xiii) “And often is his gold complexion dimmed” — Whose complexion is referred to here?
👉The complexion of the sun is referred to here.
(xiv) What will make the beauty of the poet’s friend eternal?
👉The continuous reading of the eternal lines of the sonnet 18 will make the beauty of the poet’s friend eternal.
(xv) What might one hear on a lone cold winter evening?
👉On a lone cold silent winter evening one might hear the Cricket’s song.
(xvi) What makes the birds faint in summer?
👉The hot sun makes the birds faint in summer.
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SET – VII
2.
PROSE
(i) What was the name of Kalam’s mother?
👉The name of Kalam’s mother was Ashiamma.
(ii) Why did the man in ‘Three Questions’ want to take revenge?
👉The man in ‘Three Questions’ wanted to take revenge on the Tsar because the Tsar executed his brother and seized his property.
(iii) What advice did Mrs. Jones give to Roger at the end of the story ‘Thank You Ma’am’?
👉At the end of the story ‘Thank You Ma’am’ Mrs. Jones advised Roger to behave himself.
(iv) What did the second co-passenger inform about the girl?
👉The second co-passenger informed that the girl had beautiful eyes but they were of no use to her because she was completely blind.
(v) Where did Mrs. Jones work?
👉Mrs. Jones worked in a hotel-beauty shop.
(vi) What was the hermit doing when the Tsar went to his cottage?
👉When the Tsar went to the cottage of the hermit, he was digging the ground in front of his hut.
(vii) When did Kalam’s father take his breakfast?
👉After returning from the small coconut grove, Kalam’s father took his breakfast.
(viii) How did the girl describe the narrator?
👉The girl described the narrator as a very gallant young man.
POETRY
(ix) What does Keats celebrate in the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
👉In the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’ Keats celebrates the never-ending music of earth.
(x) How is the ‘gold complexion’ of the sun dimmed?
👉The ‘gold complexion’ of the sun is dimmed because of the thin layer of clouds over the sun.
(xi) How does Rimbaud describe the soldier’s smile?
👉Rimbaud describes the soldier’s smile like an infant’s–gentle, without guile.
(xii) How does a tree grow up?
👉A tree grows up slowly, consuming the earth.
(xiii) When does the soldier lie open-mouthed?
👉The soldier lies open-mouthed in warm sunlight in a small green valley.
(xiv) How can a tree be uprooted?
👉A tree can be uprooted by pulling it out, out of the anchoring earth.
(xv) Mention one demerit of summer.
👉In summer rough winds do shake the darling buds of May.
(xvi) “A voice will run” — Whose voice is referred to here?
👉The voice of the poet of summer, Grasshopper is referred to here.
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SET – VIII
2.
PROSE
(i) At which station did the blind girl get into the train?
👉The blind girl got into the train at Rohana station.
(ii) What lingered after the girl had left the train?
👉After the girl had left the train, the perfume from her hair still lingered there where she stood.
(iii) In which town was Kalam born?
👉Kalam was born in the island of Rameswaram.
(iv) What does Kalam fail to recall?
👉Kalam fails to recall the exact number of people his mother she fed everyday in their house.
(v) What was the full name of Mrs. Jones?
👉The full name of Mrs. Jones was Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.
(vi) What did Mrs. Jones ask the boy to pick up?
👉Mrs. Jones asked the boy to pick up her pocketbook.
(vii) What was the second question of the Tsar?
👉The second question of the Tsar was ”Who are the most important people to listen to?”
(viii) What did the Tsar promise?
👉The Tsar promised to restore the seized property of the wounded bearded man.
POETRY
(ix) Where does the tree’s strength lie?
👉The strength of the tree lies in its roots.
(x) What kind of task is to kill a tree?
👉To kill a tree is not an easy task.
(xi) What is described as gentle without guile?
👉The smile of the dead soldier is described as gentle, without guile.
(xii) What does ‘heavy undergrowth’ refer to?
👉The phrase ‘heavy undergrowth’ refers to the plentiful bushes and plants which grow in the valley.
(xiii) What shall death fail to do?
👉Death shall fail to overcome the poet’s young male friend’s beauty inscribed in his eternal lines of his eternal sonnet 18.
(xiv) Who shall grow in eternal lines to time?
👉The poet’s young male friend’s eternal beauty shall grow in eternal lines to time.
(xv) Why do birds hide in the cooling trees?
👉Birds hide in the cooling trees because of the hot sun in summer.
(xvi) Who breaks the silence of winter?
👉The Cricket with its shrill song breaks the silence of winter.
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SET – IX
2.
PROSE
(i) What is the most important time, according to the hermit?
👉According to the hermit, the most important time is now or the present time.
(ii) What is considered to be the best time to visit Mussoorie?
👉October is the best time to visit Mussoorie.
(iii) What had made Rameswaram so famous to pilgrims?
👉The Shiva temple had made Rameswaram so famous to pilgrims.
(iv) What does ‘half-nelson’ suggest?
👉’Half-nelson’ suggests a wrestling hold.
(v) Why did Roger snatch Mrs. Jones’s pocketbook?
👉Roger snatched Mrs. Jones’s pocketbook because he wanted to buy a pair of blue suede shoes.
(vi) How did the speaker describe the voice of the girl companion in the compartment?
👉The speaker described the voice of the girl companion in the compartment as the sparkle of a mountain stream.
(vii) How many times did the Tsar repeat the questions before he departed from the hermit’s cottage?
👉Tsar repeated the questions four times before he departed from the hermit’s cottage.
(viii) What did Kalam’s father usually avoid?
👉Kalam’s father usually avoided all inessential comforts and luxuries.
POETRY
(ix) Which provided the pillow for the soldier?
👉Fern provided the pillow for the soldier.
(x) What is the most sensitive part of a tree?
👉The root is the most sensitive part of a tree.
(xi) How is the smile of the soldier?
👉The smile of the soldier is like an infant’s–gentle, without guile.
(xii) What do ‘rough winds’ do?
👉’Rough winds’ do shake the darling buds of May.
(xiii) Whose voice will run in summer?
👉The Grasshopper’s voice will run in summer.
(xiv) How will the poet immortalise his friend?
👉The poet will immortalize his friend through his eternal lines of the sonnet 18.
(xv) “Out from the earth-cave” — What does ‘earth-cave’ suggest?
👉The expression ‘earth-cave’ refers to the gaping hole in the earth when the roots of the tree are pulled out entirely, out of the anchoring earth.
(xvi) Which has wrought a silence in winter?
👉Frost has wrought a silence in winter.
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SET – X
2.
PROSE
(i) How did the narrator in ‘The Eyes Have It’ describe the voice of the blind girl?
👉In ‘The Eyes Have It’ the narrator described the voice of the girl as the sparkle of a mountain stream.
(ii) What were the eyes of the narrator sensitive to?
👉In ‘The Eyes Have It’ the eyes of the narrator were sensitive only to light and darkness.
(iii) What did Abdul Kalam’s father use to avoid?
👉Abdul Kalam’s father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries.
(iv) Describe the ancestral house of Kalam.
👉The ancestral house of Kalam was a fairly large pucca house, made of limestone and brick, on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.
(v) According to Mrs. Jones, how old was the boy?
👉According to Mrs. Jones, the boy was fourteen or fifteen years old.
(vi) What shoes and jeans was Roger wearing?
👉Roger was wearing tennis shoes and blue jeans.
(vii) What, according to the hermit, is the most important thing to do?
👉According to the hermit, the most important thing to do is to do good to him with whom one is.
(viii) How did the Tsar meet the hermit?
👉Putting on simple clothes and leaving his bodyguard behind, the Tsar went to visit the hermit alone.
POETRY
(ix) How does the stream look like in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’?
👉In the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’ the stream looks like a silvery ribbon on the bright green grass.
(x) Why does the poet ask Nature to keep the soldier warm?
👉The poet asks Nature to keep the soldier warm because the poet fears that the soldier may catch cold.
(xi) What does the expression ‘consuming the earth’ mean?
👉The expression ‘consuming earth’ means ‘absorbing nutrients from the earth’s crust’.
(xii) From where would the curled green twigs rise?
👉The curled green twigs would rise from the cut part of the tree close to the ground.
(xiii) “So long lives this” — What is referred to by the word ‘this’?
👉By the word ‘this’ the poet refers to his eternal sonnet 18.
(xiv) What shall death not brag about in Shakespeare’s sonnet no. 18?
👉In Shakespeare’s sonnet no. 18 death shall not brag about poetry written in the poet’s young male friend’s praise.
(xv) Where was the Grasshopper seen in summer?
👉In summer the Grasshopper is seen from hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead.
(xvi) Where do all the birds hide in Keats’s ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
👉In Keats’s ‘The Poetry of Earth’ all the birds hide in cooling trees.
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SET – XI
2.
PROSE
(i) What problems did the Tsar face when he woke up in the hermit’s hut?
👉When the Tsar woke up in the hermit’s hut, it was long before he could remember where he was, or who was the strange bearded man lying on the bed and gazing intently at him with shining eyes.
(ii) What, according to Kalam’s father, does adversity present?
👉According to Kalam’s father, adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.
(iii) What moral advice does Mrs. Jones give to the boy?
👉Mrs. Jones advised the boy to behave himself.
(iv) Where would the narrator be going from Dehra?
👉The narrator would be going to Mussoorie from Dehra.
(v) Who were the most important men for the Tsar from the time of his reaching the hermit’s hut to the time of his departing from there?
👉The hermit and the wounded bearded man were the most important men for the Tsar from the time of his reaching the hermit’s hut to the time of his departing from there.
(vi) Why did Mrs. Jones not ask personal details about Roger while he ate?
👉Mrs. Jones did not ask personal details about Roger while he ate because she thought that would embarrass him.
(vii) What does Kalam remember as one of his most vivid memories?
👉Kalam remembers one of his most vivid memories of his early childhood is of the two men–his father and his father’s close friend, the high priest of Rameswaram temple, discussing spiritual matters.
(viii) When the girl moved from the narrator in order to leave the train, what lingered behind?
👉When the girl moved from the narrator in order to leave the train, there still lingered the perfume from the girl’s hair.
POETRY
(ix) What has the tree absorbed for years?
👉The tree has absorbed three major elemental forces of nature, sunlight, air and water, for years.
(x) What are the two ways by which there will be inevitable decline of fairness, as stated by Shakespeare in sonnet no. 18?
👉The two ways by which there will be inevitable decline of fairness, as stated by Shakespeare in sonnet no. 18 are by chance and nature’s changing course.
(xi) What is the effect of the ‘hot sun’?
👉All birds are faint with the hot sun.
(xii) What is suggested by the word ‘hollow’?
👉The word ‘hollow’ suggests the ‘valley’ in which the soldier lies open-mouthed.
(xiii) Where are the feet of the soldier?
👉The feet of the soldier are among the flowers.
(xiv) Who takes the lead in ‘summer luxury’?
👉The Grasshopper takes the lead in ‘summer luxury’.
(xv) What will make the beauty of the poet’s friend eternal?
👉The continuous reading of the eternal sonnet 18 will make the beauty of the poet’s friend eternal.
(xvi) How is the valley illuminated in ‘Asleep in the Valley’?
👉In ‘Asleep in the Valley’ the valley is illuminated with sunlight streaming from the mountaintop.
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SET – XII
2.
PROSE
(i) When did the new passenger stammer an apology?
👉When the new passenger was getting into the train compartment at Saharanpur, he stammered an apology.
(ii) Where, according to the narrator, were hardly any animals left?
👉According to the narrator, there were hardly any animals left in the forests near Dehra.
(iii) What was the name of Abdul Kalam’s mother?
👉The name of Abdul Kalam’s mother was Ashiamma.
(iv) What kind of family did Kalam belong to?
👉Kalam belonged to a middle-class Tamil family.
(v) Where did Mrs. Jones meet Roger?
👉Mrs. Jones met Roger on the sidewalk at about eleven o’clock at night.
(vi) How was the hermit to look at?
👉The hermit was frail and weak to look at.
(vii) How did the writer describe Roger’s appearance?
👉The writer describes as if Roger were a boy of fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans.
(viii) What was the wound of the man bandaged with?
👉The wound of the man bandaged with the Tsar’s handkerchief and with a towel the hermit had.
POETRY
(ix) What is anchored inside the earth by the tree?
👉The root is anchored inside the earth by the tree.
(x) What does a tree consume during its slow growth?
👉A tree consumes years of sunlight, air and water during its slow growth.
(xi) What will ‘give life’ to the poet’s friend?
👉The continuous reading of the eternal sonnet 18 will ‘give life’ to the poet’s friend.
(xii) What does the expression ‘eternal lines’ refer to?
👉The expression ‘eternal lines’ refers to the eternal lines of the sonnet 18.
(xiii) Where does the Grasshopper take rest?
👉The Grasshopper takes rest beneath some pleasant weed.
(xiv) When does the Cricket sing in Keats’s sonnet?
👉In Keats’s sonnet ‘The Poetry of Earth’ on a lone winter evening the Cricket sings from behind the fireplace.
(xv) What is the soldier’s pillow made of?
👉The soldier’s pillow is made of fern.
(xvi) “They fill the hollow full of light” — What do ‘they’ refer to here?
👉They refer to the sun’s rays streaming from the mountaintop.
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SET – XIII
2.
PROSE
(i) What did the wounded man promise the Tsar?
👉The wounded man promised the Tsar that in the rest of his life he would serve him as his most faithful slave, and would bid his sons do the same.
(ii) What, according to the hermit, is the most important thing to do?
👉According to the hermit, the most important thing to do is to do good to him with whom one is.
(iii) How did Abdul Kalam’s father start his day’s work?
👉Abdul Kalam’s father started his day at 4 A.M. by reading the namaz before dawn.
(iv) At what time does Kalam’s father start his day’s work?
👉Kalam’s father started his day’s work at 4 A.M. by reading the namaz before dawn.
(v) What did the narrator ask the new fellow traveller about the girl?
👉The narrator asked the new fellow traveller about the girl’s hairstyle.
(vi) What remark did the narrator make about people with good eyesight?
👉The narrator remarked that people with good eyesight often fail to see what is right in front of them.
(vii) What advice did Mrs. Jones to Roger give at the end of the story?
👉At the end of the story ‘Thank You Ma’am’ Mrs. Jones advised Roger to behave himself.
(viii) Mrs. Jones gave Roger _____ dollars to buy shoes. [Fill in the blank with correct information]
👉Mrs. Jones gave Roger ten dollars to buy shoes.
POETRY
(ix) In which month can the ‘darling buds’ be seen?
👉The ‘darling buds’ can be seen in May.
(x) What gives life to the poet’s friend in Shakespeare’s sonnet no. 18?
👉The continuous reading of the eternal sonnet 18 will ‘give life’ to the poet’s friend in Shakespeare’s sonnet no. 18.
(xi) What does the ‘eye of heaven’ refer to?
👉The ‘eye of heaven’ refers to the all important sun.
(xii) From where is the shrill song of the Cricket heard in ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
👉In ‘The Poetry of Earth’ the shrill song of the Cricket is heard from behind the fireplace.
(xiii) Where does the soldier lie stretched?
👉The soldier lies stretched in the small green valley.
(xiv) Why is the soldier pale?
👉The soldier is pale because he is dead.
(xv) What is meant by ‘leprous hide’?
👉By ‘leprous hide’ the poet means the rough and marky bark of the tree.
(xvi) Whose voice shall run from hedge to hedge?
👉The voice of the Grasshopper, the songster of summer, will run from hedge to hedge.
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SET – XIV
2.
PROSE
(i) What seemed to be tantalizing to the narrator?
👉The perfume from the girl’s hair seemed to be tantalizing to the narrator.
(ii) What was one of Kalam’s most vivid memories?
👉One of Kalam’s most vivid memories of his early childhood was of the two men–his father and his father’s close friend, the high priest of Rameswaram temple, discussing spiritual matters.
(iii) Where did Mrs. Jones meet Roger?
👉Mrs. Jones met Roger on the sidewalk at about eleven o’clock at night.
(iv) Why did the Tsar go to the hermit?
👉The Tsar went to the hermit to get the right answer to his questions.
(v) What does the narrator opine about the aunts?
👉The narrator opines that aunts are usually formidable creatures.
(vi) What was Kalam’s ancestral house built with?
👉Kalam’s ancestral house was built with limestone and brick.
(vii) What did the Tsar use to bandage the wounded man?
👉The Tsar used his own handkerchief and a towel of hermit to bandage the wounded man.
(viii) Why was the boy frightened?
👉The boy was frightened of going to jail.
POETRY
(ix) Why are the roots white?
👉The roots are white because they always remain hidden inside the earth without getting sunlight.
(x) What are the insects doing in the valley?
👉The insects are humming in the valley.
(xi) How long will the poet’s friend live?
👉As long as people read this sonnet 18, the poet’s friend will live so long.
(xii) Who increases the warmth of the wintry frost?
👉The Cricket with its shrill song increases the warmth of the wintry frost.
(xiii) From where would the curled green twigs rise?
👉The curled green twigs will rise from the cut part of the tree close to the ground.
(xiv) What fills the hollow with light?
👉The sun’s rays, streaming from the mountaintop, fill the hollow full of light.
(xv) What does ‘nature’s changing course’ mean?
👉’Nature changing course’ means the passage of time following the cycle of seasons.
(xvi) Where was the Grasshopper seen in summer?
👉In summer the Grasshopper is seen from hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead.
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SET – XV
2.
PROSE
(i) Where did the hermit live?
👉The hermit lived in a wood which he never quitted.
(ii) Why did Roger try to snatch Mrs. Jones’s pocketbook?
👉Roger tried to snatch Mrs. Jones’s pocketbook because he wanted to buy a pair of blue suede shoes.
(iii) Who was Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry?
👉Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of Rameswaram temple, was a very close friend of Kalam’s father.
(iv) “You must be disappointed,” — Who said this and to whom?
👉The second fellow passenger said this to the narrator.
(v) Where was Kalam’s ancestral house located?
👉Kalam’s ancestral house was located on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.
(vi) What were the last words, Mrs. Jones spoke to Roger?
👉The last words, Mrs. Jones spoke to Roger were ‘Good night! Behave yourself, boy!’.
(vii) Why did the Tsar put on simple clothes to meet the hermit?
👉The Tsar put on simple clothes to meet the hermit because the hermit received none but common folk.
(viii) How was the girl’s voice to the narrator?
👉
POETRY
(ix) How was the soldier’s smile?
👉The soldier’s smile was like an infant’s–gentle, without guile.
(x) What do you mean by ‘miniature boughs’?
👉By ‘miniature boughs’ I mean ‘very small boughs’.
(xi) What is meant by the phrase ‘nature’s changing course’?
👉By ‘nature’s changing course’ the poet means the passage of time.
(xii) What role does the Grasshopper play in the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
👉In the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’ the Grasshopper plays the role of representative of summer who carries the music throughout the season.
(xiii) “Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade” — What rhetorical device does the poet use here?
👉The poet uses here personification rhetorical device.
(xiv) What do ‘two red holes’ signify in ‘Asleep in the Valley’?
👉In the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’ the ‘two red holes’ signify the two bullet wounds visible on one side of the soldier’s body.
(xv) Which creates silence in the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
👉On a lone winner evening frost creates silence in the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’.
(xvi) “But this alone won’t do it” — What is referred to by ‘this’?
👉By ‘this’ the poet refers the act of hacking and chopping of the tree.
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SET – XVI
2.
PROSE
(i) Where did the Tsar fall asleep?
👉The Tsar fell asleep on the threshold of the hermit’s cottage.
(ii) What did Kalam’s father use to avoid?
👉Kalam’s father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries.
(iii) Who will receive the girl at Saharanpur?
👉Her aunt will receive the girl at Saharanpur.
(iv) Why did Roger try to steal Mrs. Jones’s pocketbook?
👉Roger tried to steal Mrs. Jones’s pocketbook because he wanted to buy a pair of blue suede shoes.
(v) What was the hermit doing when the Tsar came to visit him?
👉When the Tsar came to visit the hermit, he was digging the ground in front of his hut.
(vi) When and where did Roger and Mrs. Jones meet?
👉Roger and Mrs. Jones met on the sidewalk at about eleven o’clock at night.
(vii) What kind of a family did Kalam belong to?
👉Kalam belonged to a middle class Tamil family.
(viii) What were the eyes of the narrator sensitive to in ‘The Eyes Have It’?
👉
POETRY
(ix) From where would curled green twigs rise?
👉The curled, green twigs would rise from the cut part of the tree close to the ground.
(x) Why is the soldier pale in ‘Asleep in the Valley’?
👉In ‘Asleep in the Valley’ the soldier is pale because he is dead.
(xi) How is the gold complexion of the sun dimmed?
👉The ‘gold complexion’ of the sun is dimmed by the thin layer of clouds over the sun.
(xii) Which season does the Grasshopper celebrate?
👉The Grasshopper celebrates the music of summer.
(xiii) To whom does the poet plead to keep the soldier warm?
👉The poet pleads Nature to keep the soldier warm.
(xiv) From where can the Cricket’s voice be heard?
👉The Cricket’s voice can be heard from behind the fireplace.
(xv) What is meant by ‘summer’s lease hath all too short a date’?
👉By ‘summer’s lease hath all too short a date’ the poet means the short duration of summer.
(xvi) How does the ‘strength of the tree’ get exposed?
👉After uprooting the ‘strength of the tree’, the root gets exposed.
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