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                                    If I Were You I. Answer these questions. 1. “At last a sympathetic audience.” (i) Who says this? The speaker of the given line is Gerrard (ii) Why does he say it? He says it as he is asked by the intruder to speak about himself. 2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on? Gerrard looks much like the intruder. The intruder is a murderer. The police are after him. He hopes he can easily impersonate Gerrard and escape being caught. 3. “I said it with bullets.” (i) Who says this? Gerrard says this. (ii) What does it mean? When things had gone wrong, the intruder had used his gun to shoot someone in order to escape. 4. What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer. Gerrard is a playwright by profession. Several parts of the play that reflect this. Some of these are: O “Thi...

Comprehension Questions Short answer questions (answers in about 30–40 words each) "It takes much time to kill a tree. Not a simple job of the knife. Will do it...." Why does it take so much time to kill a tree? (ANS)It is not easy to kill a tree simply with a stroke of a knife. The tree has deep roots which anchor it to the soil. It has risen out of the earth and absorbed years of sunlight, air and water. In order to kill a tree, its root must be uprooted. If the roots are left to be scorched and choked in sun and air, then the tree dies. This process takes much time and it requires a lot of effort. Contrast 'bleeding bark' with 'green twigs'. (ANS)The poet has used the words and phrases very skilfully. 'Bleeding bark' is suggestive of deterioration whereas 'green twigs' suggest fresh growth. 'Bleeding' represents destruction; ‘Green’ shows the springing of life. 'Green' and 'bleeding' symbolize the change from des...

THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST Answers to Text book questions 1. Bill Bryson says, “I am, in short, easily confused”. What examples has he given to justify this? (Ans.)Bill Bryson supports his tendency to get confused easily by giving examples like his failure to find a lavatory in a cinema. Instead, he ends up standing in the alley on the wrong side of a self-locking door. Another example is about his returning to hotel desks two or three times a day and enquiring about his room number. 2.What happens when the zip on Bryson’s carry-on bag gives way? (Ans.)Bryson’s side of the bag opened abruptly and its contents got scattered all over when he pulled hard at its zip. Newspaper cuttings, loose papers, tobacco tin, magazines, passport, English money, film – everything inside the bag spread over an area about the size of a tennis court. 3. Why is Bryson’s finger bleeding? What is his wife’s reaction? (Ans.)Bryson’s finger is bleeding because he has gashed it on the zip of his carry-on ...

BOND OF LOVE Answers to Textbook Questions 1)On two occasions Bruno ate/drank something that should not be eaten or drunk. What happened to him on these occasions? (Textual) Once the narrator had brought home barium carbonate for killing rats in the library. Since the poison had been kept on the floor of the library, Bruno consumed it. This had a paralyzing effect on him. Bruno was rushed to the veterinary doctor who gave him two doses of the antidote. On another occasion, Bruno drank engine oil. 2)However, the engine oil did not have any effect on him. Was Bruno a loving and playful pet? Why, then, did he have to be sent away? Bruno was certainly a loving and playful pet. He had developed affection for everyone around him and was particularly attached to the narrator’s wife. However, he had to be sent away to the zoo because he had grown too big to be kept at home. He could be a threat to the people in the neighbourhood, especially children. 3)How was the problem of what to do...

Kathmandu I. Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases. 1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu. (Ans.) The author visited the Pashupati Nath Temple and the Budhnath Stupa. 2. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to? (Ans.) All this’ refers to the eatables that the writer enjoys on the road surrounding the Budhnath stupa. It includes a bar of marzipan and a roasted corn-cob that he enjoys along with the fizzy, carbonated drink, Coca Cola. Besides, he also gets some love story comics and a copy of the Reader’s Digest magazine. 3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine? (Ans.) The flute seller had placed an attachment on top of a pole from which fifty or sixty bansuris protruded in all directions. They looked like the quills of a porcupine. 4. Name five kinds of flutes. (Ans.) Bansuri, Reed, Murli, Shakuhachi, and Neh. II. Answer each question in a short paragraph. 1. Wha...

Answers to Text book questions Thinking about the Poem 1)What is the snake trying to escape from? Ans.The snake is trying to escape an assault on him. He is being chased by a man with a stick in his hand. The snake fears that the man wants to kill him by hitting him with the stick. The snake intends to evade being struck by the stick. 2)Is it a harmful snake? What is its colour? Ans.The snake is green and small. It is absolutely harmless as it is non-poisonous. It is harmless even to the children and hence need not be feared or killed merely because human beings consider snakes as harmful creatures. The poet finds the snake beautiful. Find the words he uses to convey its beauty. The poet uses the words ‘beautiful and graceful’ to describe the shapes of the snake’s body. He uses the words ‘small and green’ to describe the snake’s size and colour respectively. All these words connote admiration. 3)What does the poet wish for the snake? Ans.The poet wishes that the snake be left ...