Lesson 1 BUTTON, BUTTON (Richard Matheson)
Q.1: Why did Norma consider the tone and attitude of Mr. Steward’s offensive?
Ans: Mr. Steward's tone and attitude were offensive and annoying because Norma was busy in the kitchen and he was insisting her in a business like manner to take the button unit. He was forcing her to take interest in the button unit.
Q.2: Why did Arthur disagree with his wife?
Ans: Arthur disagreed with his wife because he thought it immoral to kill somebody for the sake of money. He also considered it a murder.
Q.3: Why did Norma try to persuade her husband to agree with her?
Ans: Norma tried to persuade her husband to agree with her to get 50,000$. This money could help them to fulfil their dream of a better lifestyle.
Q.4: What were the reasons Norma gave to her husband to accept the offer?
Ans: The Following reasons were given by Norma to accept the offer
a. It might be a research project in order to study reactions.
b. She said that there was no crime in killing an unknown person.
c. She also said that this money would help them to improve their life style.
Q.5: Why did Mr. Steward continue persuading Norma to get the button unit?
Ans: Mr. Steward kept persuading Norma to get the button unit as he soon realised that she was a greedy and ambitious woman because she herself contacted him on telephone. She was curious and could easily be tempted.
Q.6: What was the message that Norma received after pushing the button?
Ans: She received a message from the Lenox Hill Hospital. The voice informed her about the subway accident in which Arthur was pushed by a shoving crowd in front of a train.
Q.7: What is the significance of Arthur’s life insurance policy?
Ans: Arthur's life insurance policy was for 25000, dollars with double indemnity in case of accidental death. The amount is significant because it was the same amount that was promised by Mr. Steward on pushing the button.
Q.8: Did Norma remain normal on hearing the news of accident of her husband?
Ans: No, Norma did not remain normal. She felt unreal on hearing the news of her husband's death. She shrieked and did not seem to breathe. She became numb and she had to struggle to stand on her feet.
Q.9: Where was the package lying?
Ans: The package was lying by the front door.
Q. 10: Why did not Norma remain true to her husband?
Ans: Norma was overpowered by the idea of getting 50,000$ to fulfil her dream of improving
her lifestyle. She could not remain true to her husband unknowingly. Her greed and dream of
a luxurious life style drew her away from her husband.
Q.11: What was inside the button unit?
There was nothing inside the button unit. There were no transistors, no wires or tubes. No nails or screws were visible. Norma could not understand, how it was put together.
Lesson 2 Clearing In the Sky (Jesse Hilton Stuart)
Q.1: Why did not the old man follow the advice of the doctor’s?
Ans: The old man did not follow his doctor’s advice because he had to bring up the family of
five children. He was a man of iron will. He wanted to work hard and not to lose heart.
Q.2: What had the doctors told the old man?
Ans: The doctors had told the old man to sit still and take life easy. They told him not to do any work and to enjoy the remaining days of his life. One of the doctors even told him not to walk even the length of a city block.
Q.3: Where did the old man take his son?
Ans: The old man took his son on the top of the mountain to show him a piece of land which he had cleared and farmed.
Q.4: Why did the old man want his son to visit the fertile clearing?
Ans: The old man wanted his son to see his achievement and the fruit of his labour, in making rough and rugged land a productive place. He also wanted to share his sense of pride with his son.
Q.5: Had the son ever been there before?
Ans: With the exception of the last three years the son had been there for many times.
Q.6: What were the names of vegetables the old man grew on his farm?
Ans: The old man grew yams, potatoes and tomatoes.
Q.7: Why did the old man take steeper paths?
Ans: The old man took steeper paths to check his energy and physical fitness .As his health improved, he made steeper paths. It was also a way of knowing for the old man that he was getting better.
Q.8: Why did the son at the age of six cry?
Ans: The son cried as he lost the little wooden plough in furrow. He loved that plough a lot so he cried bitterly when he lost it.
Q.9: What were the feelings of the old man at the age of 70?
Ans: The old man felt that time after seventy years was borrowed. He wanted to go back to the
places he knew and loved.
Q.10: Why had the old man planted his secret garden?
Ans: The old man had planted his secret garden because this was the only part of the mountain left where he had not worked in the past. It was similar to the mountain slope he and his wife cleared when they were young. So he went back to his youth.
Q.11: Why did the old man remember the mountain?
Ans: The old man remembered the mountain because when he was young he cleared. The mountain slope with his wife. He ploughed this mountain with cattle the first time. It was ever ploughed. (It was a very fertile land).
Q.12: How many years did the old man take to improve that piece of land?
Ans: The old man took thirty years to improve that piece of land to make it fertile.
Q.13: Why was the curiosity of the son aroused?
Ans: The curiosity of the son was aroused because his father promised to show him something he had not seen for many years which would remind him of past days.
Q.14: What kind of tree had the old man once found in his woods?
Ans: The old man found a coffee tree in the woods. It was the only one of its kind in the country.
Q.15: Why was the boy not willing to go with his father?
Ans: He was not willing to go with his father because he had just finished walking half a mile uphill. He knew that weather was very hot and the doctors had instructed his father not to walk.
Lesson 3 Dark They Were and Golden Eyed (Ray Bradbury)
Q.1: Why did harry want to go back to Earth after landing on Mars?
Ans: Harry wanted to go back to Earth because the air on Mars was not favourable. It could flake away their identity. Harry believed that they would change completely if they lived longer on Mars. Therefore he wanted to go back to earth.
Q.2: Why did Harry want to stay on Mars soon afterwards?
Ans: Harry could not return because he had no rockets as all the rockets were blown up and there was no way back .So, he had to stay on Mars as there was war on earth.
Q.3: What climate did they face?
Ans: The climate was quite unfavourable and severe. It was extremely hot during the day time but cold at night. The wind blew as if to flake away their identities. They had to face very harsh climate on Mars.
Q.4: What was the condition of Bittering family on hearing the news of the war on Earth?
Ans: The family was in great shock. They were all dismayed and saddened on hearing the news of war on the earth. They felt stranded on Mars because there was no way back.
Q.5: What did they want to grow?
Ans: The family wanted to grow crops and fruit .They wanted to go about their business and keep things going until the war ended and the rockets came back to Mars.
Q.6: What was the condition of their house?
Ans: The harsh weather had badly affected their house as well. The air burnt it. The boards were all warped out of shape and the paint was beginning to peel off. It did not look like an Earth man’s house anymore.
Q.7: What was the advice that Harry gave to the people?
Ans: Harry advised the people to work with him and help him in building a rocket to go back to earth or they would change completely.
Q.8: How much dangerous the Martian virus could be?
Ans: The Martian virus could be very dangerous. It could change the earth people both physically and mentally. The human beings became dark and golden eyed. They looked young and thinner. It could make them forget their past and it could delete their memories.
Q.9: What were the feelings of the Bittering family after landing on Mars?
Ans: Harry Bittering wanted to go back to Earth. His wife Cora believed that atom bomb would destroy the earth and they were safe on Mars.
Lesson 4 Thank You Ma’am (Langston Hughes)
Q.1: What was the time when the boy tried to snatch the purse of the woman?
Ans: It was about eleven O' clock at night when the boy tried to snatch the purse of the woman. It was dark and she was walking alone.
Q.2: What happened to the boy when he tried to snatch the purse?
Ans: When the boy tried to snatch the purse of the woman, its strap broke with a single tug that
the boy gave from behind. The boy lost his balance and fell on his back on the sidewalk and his legs flew up.
Q.3: What was the woman’s reaction?
Ans: The woman turned around and kicked the boy right square in his blue jeans. She caught him by his shirt front and shook him until his teeth rattled.
Q.4: What was the conduct of the people who saw the incident?
Ans: Two or three people passed, stopped, turned to look at the incident and some of them stood watching. They did not interfere.
Q.5: How did the boy look physically?
Ans: The boy looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow – wild. He was wearing tennis shoes and blue jeans.
Q.6: what was the condition of the boy when the woman gave him few jerks?
Ans: The boy's teeth rattled as the woman shook him. He was terrified and apologetic. He requested the lady to turn him loose.
Q.7: Why did the woman ask the boy to wash his face?
Ans: The boy's face was dirty so the woman asked the boy to wash his face. She wanted him to look presentable. In fact she wanted to reform him.
Q.8: Why did not the boy run away from the house of the woman?
Ans: The boy did not run away because the woman had shown love and affection to him. He did not want to break her trust in him.
Q.9: Why did not woman watch the boy while she was preparing a dish?
Ans: The woman did not watch the boy while preparing a dish because she wanted to show him that she trusted him. She also wanted to give him a chance to show the strength of his character and choose between right and wrong.
Q.10: What was the nature of the woman’s job?
Ans: The woman worked in a hotel beauty shop that stayed open late and was visited by woman from different sections of the society.
Q.11: Why did the boy try to snatch her purse?
Ans: The boy tried to snatch her purse because he needed money to buy some blue suede shoes.
Lesson 5 The Piece of String (Gii-du-moe-pa-saan)
Q.1: Why did Manana accuse Hubert of picking up the lost pocket book?
Ans: Manana accused Hubert because he had seen him picking something from the mud and then looking at it for some time. In fact, Hubert had picked just a small piece of string. Manana mistook it for pocket book and without confirming he charged him with theft.
Q.2: What did the people think of Hubert when they heard about the return of the pocket book by some other person?
Ans: The people did not believe that George had found pocket book. They thought that Hubert was making lame excuses and he was the one who had picked up the pocket book.
Q.3: Why did George give the pocketbook to his employer?
Ans: George picked up the purse when he found it on the road to the village market. He did not know how to read,so he gave it to his employer.
Q.4: Why did the people make fun of Hubert’s innocence?
Ans: The people made fun Hubert's innocence because they did not believe him. They began to tell the story of string to amuse themselves. They told it like a soldier who had been on a campaign and told about his battles.
Q.5: Why did Hubert keep claiming his innocence before his death?
Ans: Hubert kept claiming his innocence before his death because he wanted to restore his lost honour. He wanted to make people believe that he was not guilty and that all charges against him were baseless.
Q.6: What made Hubert shameful?
Ans: The insult of being called a liar made Mr. Hubert shameful. According to him nothing
was more shameful than to be called a liar.
Q.7: Why did the Mayor not believe Mr. Hubert?
Ans: The Mayor did not believe Mr. Hubert because he considered Manana, a man of worthy credence.
Q.8: What warning did the Mayor give to Mr. Hubert?
Ans: The Mayor discharged Mr. Hubert with a warning that he would consult the public prosecutor and ask for further orders.
Q.9: What was engraved on the grave of Mr. Hubert?
Ans: The following words were engraved on his tombstone:
"Here lies a man who told nothing but truth. Here lies the man who could not prove innocence
but the flood proved it!"
Lesson 6 The Reward (Lord Dunsany)
Q.1.What was the subject discussed at the club?
Ans. The subject discussed at the club was whether opportunity or determination was needed for success in life.
Q.2.What did Terbut think of Jorken’s argument?
Ans. Jorkens was in favour of determination. Turbet did not agree with him. He declared that opportunity was important to get success in life.
Q.3.How did Jorkens convince that a man can become a skating champion of the Sahara?
Ans. Jorkens said that a really determined man would raise money. He would build a skating�rink in the Sahara. Then he would organize a skating competition over there. Ultimately, if he gives all his time to it, he would become a skating champion.
Q.4.How did Gorgios persuade his people to make his country strong?
Ans. He told the people how the position of court acrobat will increase the glory of their country and will strengthen and enable them to win the soldiers to win against their enemies.
Q.5.What was the view point of the parents of Gorgios?
Ans. The parents of Gorgios were of the view that both opportunity and determination are
needed to get success in life. They did not agree with Gorgios.
Q.6.What were the arrangements made for the function of inauguration?
OR
Q.7. Describe the scene of inauguration. Write five sentences.
Ans. Gorgios was dressed in magnificent clothing red velvet. The great throne room was turned
into a kind of gymnasium. Hurdles were erected on the polished floor. The swings were hung
down the ceiling. The curtains of red and gold were hung along the walls.
Q.8 Did Gorgios use any short cut to achieve his ambition?
Ans. No, he did not use any shortcut to achieve his ambition rather he worked hard for more
than 60 years.
Q.9 .For how long did Gorgios struggle to achieve his ambition?
Ans. Gorgios had to work for more than sixty years to achieve his ambition and to create a post
of a court acrobat.
Q.10.What lesson did Gorgios learn very late in his life?
Ans. He learned very late in his life that his parents were right after all. He now realized that
timely opportunity was as important for success as determination.
Q.11.What lesson does the story "The Reward" teach?
Ans. The story teaches us that perseverance and determination are the roads that lead us to
success. One who keeps on going wins the race.
Lesson 7 The Use of Force (William Carlos Williams)
Q.1.What was the condition of the parents of Matilda on the arrival of the doctor?
Ans. When the doctor arrived, the parents looked nervous and were looking at the doctor
distrustfully.
Q.2.What was the behaviour of the child with the doctor?
Ans. The child was very angry and was not co-operating with the doctor. There was no
expression on his face. She resisted violently when the doctor tried to examine her.
Q.3. She had had a fever for three day, hadn't she?
Ans. The girl had fever for three days. She tried to hide this fact from her parents in order to
avoid a situation where she would be treated and examined by the doctor.
Q.4.Did the girl change her expression when the doctor said, “Does your throat hurt
you?”
Ans. The girl did not change her expression. She kept looking at the doctor fixedly. She did
not respond to his question when he asked her to open her mouth.
Q.5.Why did the doctor call the sick girl by her first name?
Ans. The doctor called the girl by her first name in order to get friendly with her. He wanted
her to trust him that he would not hurt her.
Q.6.Why did the parents rebuke the child?
Ans. The parents rebuked because Mathilda because she was not opening her mouth and letting
the doctor examine her throat. She knocked the doctor's glasses down when he tried to get
closer.
Q.7.What was the threat of the doctor to the child for not showing her throat?
A. The doctor threatened her that he would examine her throat by force if she did not open up.
Q.8.Why did the girl break the wooden blade?
Ans. The girl broke the wooden blade because she was afraid it might hurt her throat. She did
not want her throat to be examined. So when the doctor forced the wooden blade between her
teeth, she resisted strongly and reduced it in to splinters.
Q.9.What was the condition of the tonsils of the sick girl?
Ans. Her tonsils were covered with membrane. She had been hiding her sore throat for three
days at least and was lying to her parents.
Q.10.Why did the parents keep the sick child in the kitchen?
Ans. The parents of Mathilda kept her in the kitchen because it was warm there, as generally
the weather was damp.
Lesson 8 The Gulistan of Sa’di (Shaikh Sa’di)
Q.1: What was the advice given by Nushirvan to his people?
Ans: Nushirvan taught the people to be just and true in small matters. He explained that cruelty
or oppression was small in the world at the start. It was increased or enlarged by people
behaving selfishly resulting in its present shape.
Q.2: What was the remedy or cure suggested by the physicians for the disease of the king?
Ans: The physicians agreed that only the bile of a person could cure the king’s di sease. The
bile should be of a particular kind of person. That person should have qualities fit for curing
the king.
Q.3: Why did the boy look to the sky and smile?
Ans: The boy looked towards the sky for God’s help. His parents had forsaken him for a lit tle
money and if he had to complain about the king, who is the highest authority of a country, who
else could he look up to other than God. He smiled because he hoped that God would save him
from death.
Q.4: What should be the role of a Qazi? Comment.
Ans: The role of a Qazi is to do perfect justice to the parties before him. He should decide in
favour of the truthful party. He should act without fear. The Qazi in the story favoured the king.
He ordered the killing of the boy to the benefit of the king.
Q.5: Why did the king weep?
Ans: The king wept to hear the boy’s words about justice. The king was not doing justice to
the boy. The Qazi was unjust to him just to please the king. The king got disturbed. He declared
that he would die rather than take the boy’s life.
Q.6: How did the king recover?
Ans: The king recovered because he did not get the boy killed unjustly. He heard the boy’s
appeal against the Qazi’s official order to kill him. He, pleased God, and God favoured him
with health. He thus, set an example of goodness and nobility.
Q.7: What were the feelings of the slave during his journey on boat?
Ans: The slave had never been at sea, and never experienced any calamity. So after sometime
when the boat was hit by a storm he became so afraid that he started to cry and tremble.
Lesson 9 The Foolish Quack (A Folk Tale)
Q.1.What is a clump of trees?
Ans: A clump of trees is a group of trees. We find it at the start of the story. Some travellers
stayed to rest under this clump of trees.
Q.2.What was stuck in the camel’s throat?
Ans: A melon got stuck in the camel’s throat as it entered the melon-field and tried to eat it.
The owner of the camel tied a blanket round its throat. Then he stuck the camel’s neck
forcefully with a wooden hammer, and the melon broke and went down.
Q.3.What did the quack pretend to cure?
Ans: The quack pretended to be a doctor and told the villagers that he can cure the goitre which
is a swelling of the throat.
Q.4.What did the quack do with the old woman?
Ans: The quack tied a blanket around the swollen throat of the old woman, who was suffering
from goiter and then hit it with a mallet. That poor woman was hit with such a force that she
died at once.
Q.5.What was the result of the cure?
Ans: The quack hit the woman with such a force the she died instantly. So the result of the old
woman’s treatment by the quack was that she died.
Q.6.What was the punishment inflicted upon the quack by the villagers?
Ans: The villagers got very furious and wanted to take him to the king but then they decided
to make him dig the old woman's grave who had died, then beat him and let him go.
Q.7. For whom did the quack dig the grave?
Ans: The quack dug the grave for the old woman. He had hit her swollen throat with a mallet,
resulting in her death, so this was a punishment given to him by the villagers.
Q.8.What did the quack do in the next village?
Ans: The quack reached another village on his camel and again claimed that he was “a great
doctor” who can cure goitre. An old man offered himself for treatment. But the quack said that
if he killed his patient, he should not be forced to dig his grave. The people got angry and sent
him away.
Q.9.Why didn’t the villagers let the old man get cured?
Ans: The quack said that he would try to cure the old man, but if he killed the patient, the
people should not force him to dig his grave. The villagers said that he was talking of digging
the patient’s grave before treating him, and realized that he was a quack, so they did not let him
cure the old man.
Q.10. Why did the quack come back to the camel men and what did they do to him?
Ans: The quack told the camel men that he had learnt from them how to hit someone to remove
his swelling. He told them that they did not teach him the proper way of curing and wanted
their advice. One of the camel men first beat a camel with a stick and then he hit the quack with
the same stick, who fainted .The camel man told him that what is good for animals is not good
for humans.
Q.11. How did the camel men cure their camel?
Ans: They cured the camel by putting blanket around his neck and then hitting it with a mallet.
Lesson 10 A Mild Attack of Locusts (Doris Lessing)
Q.1.What are locusts?
Ans: Locusts are winged insects just like grass hopers. They fly in swarms. They eat up the
entire vegetation.
Q.2.Why did the farmers throw wet leaves on the fire?
Ans: The farmers threw wet leaves on fire to produce black and acrid smoke. This smoke would
frighten away the insects.
Q.3.What was the desire of every farmer?
Ans: Every farmer desired that the swarms of locusts should overlook his fields and settle
somewhere else.
Q.4. Did Margaret know what to do to keep the locusts away?
Ans: Margret had not experienced such natural calamity before. She did not know what to do.
She just attended phone calls.
Q.5.What was the condition of trees?
Ans: The trees were teamed with insects. They became leafless and finally their branches were
eaten up by locusts and they fell to the ground.
Q.6. How did the old Stephen treat the stray locust which he found on his shirt?
Ans: He crushed it between his thumbnails. He found that it was clotted with eggs.
Q.7. Are the hoppers different from locusts?
Ans: Hoppers are the young locusts. They differ from them in size and age. They cannot fly
but jump from point to point.
Q.8. Did Margaret loose heart on the loss of crops?
Ans: No, she did not lose heart. She faced the natural calamity with patience and courage. She
even encouraged others to face the tragedy.
Q.9. Why are the locusts compared with bad weather?
Ans: Locusts are compared with bad weather because they, like bad weather, can spoil the
crops. Both the bad weather and the locusts are bad for farmers.
Q.10.Why did the men eat their supper with good appetites?
Ans: The men had been fighting against the locusts. They were tired and hungry. So, they ate
their supper with good appetite.
Q.11.Why did the farmers want to kill the locusts?
Ans: They wanted to prevent the locusts from settling in their fields. It was because the locusts
would finish all of their crops.
Q.12.What did old Stephen tell Margaret?
Ans: He told Margret that they were finished. The locusts ate every leaf of their farm within
half an hour.
Q13. What efforts did farmers make to prevent the swarm of locusts from landing on their crops?
Ans: They made a lot of clamour with the gong in order to fear away the locusts. They made
piles of wood and grass and burned them. They even threw wet leaves on fire to make it acrid.
Lesson 11 I Have a Dream (Martin Luther King Jr.)
Q.1.What was the cause of Negroes’ discontentment? [BISE Lhr. 2014]
Ans. Injustice, inequality, brutality, persecution, oppression, lack of brotherhood and racial
segregation were the causes of Negroes’ discontentment.
Q.2.What are the qualities of the veterans of creative suffering? [BISE Lhr. 2014, 2013]
Ans. The qualities of the veterans of creative suffering are that they face difficulties and
frustrations, great trials and tribulations bravely and patiently. They continue to work with the
faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Q.3.What is the dream of Martin Luther King Jr.? [BISE Lhr. 2015]
Ans. The dream of Martin Luther King Jr. is that there will be no racial segregation in the
society. The nation will enjoy the glory of democracy by treating the rich and poor, high and
low equally. Brotherhood will be practised and people will not be judged by the colour of their
skin but by the content of their character.
Q.4.What should be the faith of Negroes? [BISE Lhr. 2011]
Ans. The faith of the Negroes should be that unearned suffering is redemptive. They should
continue their quest for freedom knowing that they will be free one day and enjoy equal rights.
Q.5.What was the necessity of pleading the case of the Negroes’ freedom?
Ans. The necessity of pleading the case of the Negroes’ freedom was the injustice, inequality,
brutality, persecution, oppression, lack of brotherhood and racial segregation in the society.
Q.6.What should the criterion of judgment for a person? [BISE Lhr. 2016]
Ans. The criterion of judgment for a person should not be the colour of his skin but the content
of his character.
Q.7. Do the Negroes enjoy liberty in all the parts of their country?
Ans. No, the Negroes did not enjoy liberty in all the parts of their country. They faced many trials and tribulations, injustice, inequality, brutality, persecution, oppression and racial discrimination.
Q.8. From which part of the country did the Negroes gather there?
Ans. The Negroes gathered there from Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and the slums and ghettos of northern cities.
Q.9. Write down the song in your own words.
Ans. It is a song in praise of one’s country. My country is a sweet land of liberty. I sing for this land where my forefathers died. It is a land of the pilgrim’s pride and let the freedom ring from
every mountain side.
Q.10. What is the effect of the repetition of words?
Ans. The repetition of words makes the speech effective and emphatic. It creates a strong effect
of enthusiasm and confirms the speaker’s belief.
Q.11. What are the services of Martin Luther King Jr. for the Negroes? [BISE Lhr. 2018]
Ans. Martin Luther King Jr. was a dynamic leader of the Negroes. With his long and untiring
struggle he gathered them on one platform and inspired them with his glorious vision. He
delivered many emphatic speeches, staged peaceful demonstrations against racial prejudice,
inequality and injustice. His unflinching efforts bore fruit and the Negroes won their just rights.
Lesson 12 The Gift of the Magi (O. Henry)
Q.1. How much did she save for Christmas?
Ans. She saved one dollar and eighty- seven cents for Christmas.
Q.2. Why did she feel proud of the beauty of her hair? [BISE Lhr. 2017]
Ans. She felt pride in the beauty of her hair because it was more beautiful than any queen’s
jewels and gifts.
Q.3. Why did sell her hair? [BISE Lhr. 2016]
Ans. Della sold her hair because she wanted to buy a Christmas present for Jim.
Q.4. Why did Jim sell the gold watch? [BISE Lhr. 2014, 2013]
Ans. Jim sold his gold watch because he wanted to buy a Christmas present for Della.
Q.5. Why did they want to exchange the gifts? [BISE Lhr. 2018]
Ans. They wanted to exchange gifts because they loved each other very much and could not
think of celebrating Christmas without presenting gifts.
Q.6. Why did she feel sad on losing her hair? [BISE Lhr. 2015]
Ans. She felt sad on losing her hair because she thought that Jim would not like her and
consider her pretty anymore.
Q.7. Why did Jim not welcome her when he stepped in?
Ans. Jim did not welcome her when he stepped in because he was surprised to see her short hair. He had bought beautiful combs for her long hair but she had cut it off.
Q.8. What did he bring out of his coat?
Ans. He brought out of his coat pocket the Christmas gift of beautiful combs tied in a paper.
Q.9. How beautiful was the gold watch chain?
Ans. The gold chain watch was plain and simple yet very beautiful. Its value was in its rich and pure material.
Q.10. What was the wisdom in selling the most valuable things? / Bring out the wisdom in selling the most valuable things with reference to the short story “The Gift of the Magi”.
[BISE Lhr. 2017, 2013]
Ans. There was great wisdom in selling the most valuable things. Della and Jim sacrificed their most valuable possession for the sake of the love they had for each other.
Q.11. Who were the Magi? [BISE Lhr. 2012]
Ans. The Magi were wonderfully wise men who brought gifts to the new-born Christ-child.
Q.12. How did the Magi celebrate their Christmas? [BISE Lhr. 2018]
Ans. The Magi celebrated Christmas by bringing gifts to the newborn Christ-child. They were
the first to give Christmas gifts and thus set the tradition of presenting gifts on Christmas.
Lesson 13 God be Praised (Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi)
Q.1. What was alias Abul’s full name?
Ans. Alias Abul’s full name was Maulvi Abul Barkat.
Q.2. What was his turban known as and where did it originally come from?
Ans. His turban was known as Mashadi lungi and it originally came from Mashad in Iran.
Q.3. What did he always carry with him?
Ans. He always carried with him a walking stick, a sort of sceptre with decorative bands of
brass and gilt.
Q.4. Describe Maulvi’s appearance. [BISE Lhr. 2018, 2017]
Ans. Maulvi Abul had slightly bulging eyes. On his fingers he wore silver rings with large
turquoise stones. On his head he wore a light brown turban known as Mashadi lungi. He always
carried a walking stick. For his hair he used fragrant oil.
Q.5. How much did the Maulvi collect on every Eid? [BISE Lhr. 2013]
Ans. Maulvi sahib collected 150 to 200 rupees on every Eid.
Q.6. How much was distributed among the needy and the poor?
Ans. 40 to 50 rupees were distributed in the presence of the worshipers among the needy and
the poor.
Q.7. What was the name of his eldest daughter?
Ans. The name of the eldest daughter was Mehrunnisa.
Q.8. What was the name of the member of the District Board where the Maulvi lived?
Ans. The name of the member of the District Board where the Maulvi lived was Chaudhry Fateh Dad.
Q.9. What was the name of his wife?
Ans. The name of his wife was Zaibunnisa.
Q.10. Write the names of the other two daughters mentioned in the story.
Ans. The names of the other two daughters mentioned in the story are Zabda and Shamsun.
Q.11. How did Shamim Ahmad come to marry Mehrun? [BISE Lhr. 2015]
Ans. Shamim Ahmad came to marry Mehrun amidst fireworks with musicians playing cheerful tunes.
Lesson 14 Overcoat (Ghulam Abbas)
Q.1. What was the colour of the overcoat of the young man?
Ans. The colour of the overcoat of the young man was brown.
Q.2. How did he look like?
Ans. He was a well- groomed young man. His hair was sleek and shining and he wore side burns. His thin moustache seemed to have been drawn with a pencil. He had put on a brown overcoat with a cream coloured half opened rose in his bottom hole and a green felt hat which he wore at a rakish angle. A white silk scarf was knotted at his neck. One of his hands was slipped into his overcoat while in the other he held a polished cane.
Q.3. Why did the people come out on the Mall? [BISE Lhr. 2016, 2014]
Ans. People came out on the Mall to amuse themselves among the variety of hotels, restaurants, cafes and snack bars, each according to his own means.
Q.4. Who were the people wearing such dress and had come on the Mall?
Ans. It was not only the profligate but also those who were usually content to live with their loneliness that had come on the Mall.
Q.5. Why was the cat shivering?
Ans. The cat was shivering because of the intense cold.
Q.6. Why did the driver of the truck speed away after the accident? [BISE Lhr. 2014, 2013]
Ans. The driver of the truck heard a shriek and realizing that something serious had happened, sped away into the night.
Q.7. Who took the young man to the hospital?
Ans. A car was stopped and the young man was loaded into it and taken to the hospital.
Q.8. What kind of music was played in one of the restaurants?
Ans. An orchestra could be heard playing in one of the restaurants. The music was foreign.
Q.9. What was the condition of the young man when he was taken to the hospital? [BISE Lhr. 2018]
Ans. The young man was badly hurt. There was a lot of blood about and he was in a very
precarious state.
Q.10. What were the names of the two nurses who were on duty in the hospital?
Ans. The two nurses on duty in the hospital were Shehnaz and Gill.
Q.11. Give a list of things found in the various pockets of the young man’s overcoat?
Ans. The following things were found in the various pockets of the young man’s overcoat: a small black comb, a handkerchief, six annas and a few pies, a half smoked cigarette, a little diary in which names and addresses of a few people were noted, a list of gramophone records and a few handbills.
Lesson 15 The Angel and the Author - and Others (Jerome K. Jerome)
Q.1. At what point of journey in his dream did the author hear the throbbing sound of wings?
Ans. The author heard the throbbing sound of the wings when nothing remained but a faint luminosity buried beneath darkness.
Q.2. What time of the year was it?
Ans. It was January, a fortnight after Christmas.
Q.3. What does the author like about Christmas? [BISE Lhr. 2014]
Ans. During Christmas time people become good and generous. They do a lot of noble deeds and help the poor and the needy. This is what the author likes about Christmas.
Q.4. Write down the good deeds the author has admitted are a great joy on Christmas?
Ans. The good deeds the author has admitted are a great joy on Christmas are nobility and generosity of the people towards the needy and the poor; like the child giving Bovril to the shivering street Arab and the squire shoveling out plum pudding to the crowd of grateful villagers.
Q.5. Why are the noble deeds always a great joy for the author? [BISE Lhr. 2016]
Ans. Noble deeds are always a great joy to the author because they promote love and good will. They provide satisfaction of conscience and are a source of true pleasure and happiness.
