ICSE Class 10 English Archives

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions My Lost Dollar

November 10, 2023May 18, 2022 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions My Lost Dollar

Passage 1

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

He has owed it to me for twelve months, and I fear there is little prospect of his ever returning it. I can realize whenever I meet him that he has forgotten that he owes me a dollar. He meets me in the same frank friendly way as always. My dollar has clean gone out of his mind. I see that I shall never get it back.

On the other hand I know that I shall remember all my life that Todd owes me a dollar. It will make no difference, I trust, to our friendship, but I shall never be able to forget it. I don’t know how it is with other people, but if any man borrows a dollar from me I carry the recollection of it to the grave.

Who is Todd? What does he owe the narrator of the story?

Answer:
Todd is the narrator’s friend who owes him a dollar.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Does Todd remember that he owes the narrator some money?

Answer:
No, Todd doesn’t remember that he owes the narrator some money.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

How do we know that Todd has forgotten about the dollar?

Answer:
The narrator explains that Todd meets him in the same frank friendly way as always. This indicates that he doesn’t remember the dollar.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Will their friendship be affected by one dollar? How does the author feel about his lost dollar?

Answer:
The author feels miserable about the dollar that his friend owes him. He says that he will carry the recollection of it to his grave. However he also mentions that the one lost dollar will not make a difference to their friendship.

Question 5.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What tone does the narrator employ to describe his situation?

Answer:
The narrator employs a humorous tone to describe his situation. He uses exaggeration and a bit of satire to begin his story and explain that Todd has forgotten to pay him back a dollar he owes. The narrator says that although Todd may have forgotten about the dollar, he (the narrator) will remember it to his grave.

Passage 2

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

…he was about to leave for Bermuda. He needed a dollar in change to pay his taxi; and I lent it to him. It happened quite simply and naturally, I hardly realized it till it was all over. He merely said “Let me have a dollar, will you!” And I said, “Certainly. Is a dollar enough?” I believe, in fact I know, that when Todd took that dollar he meant to pay for it.

He sent me a note from Hamilton, Bermuda. I thought when I opened it that the dollar would be in it. But it wasn’t. He merely said that the temperature was up to nearly 100. The figure confused me for a moment.

Why did Todd borrow a dollar from the narrator?

Answer:
Todd needed a dollar in change to pay for his taxi ride so he borrowed the same from the narrator.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why was the narrator willing to pay for Todd?

Answer:
When Todd asked for the dollar, the narrator felt with certainty that Todd meant to pay it back to him, he therefore gave it to Todd willingly.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What did Todd send the narrator from Bermuda?

Answer:
The narrator received a note from Hamilton, Bermuda sent by Todd. The narrator thought it was his dollar but much to his disappointment, it was a note describing the temperature of Bermuda.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Do you think the narrator exaggerates the story of his lost dollar?

Answer:
When someone borrows money, they ought to return it. With this principle in his mind, the narrator frets and fumes over how Todd has forgotten to pay him back. He makes several assumptions about how he is never going to get his money back from Todd. He explains how Todd doesn’t remember borrowing the dollar at all and keeps meeting him as usual. It is thus evident that the narrator exaggerates the case of his lost dollar.

Passage 3

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

We spent the evening together, talking about Bermuda. I was thinking of the dollar but of course I didn’t refer to it one simply can’t. I asked him what currency is used in Bermuda, and whether the American Dollar goes at par (I put a slight emphasis on the American Dollar), but found again that I could not bring myself to make any reference to it.

It took e sometime (I see Todd practically every day ay my Club) to realize that he had completely forgotten the dollar. I asked him one day what his trip cost him and he said that he kept no accounts. A little I asked him if he felt settled down after his trip, and he said that he had practically forgotten about it. So I knew it was all over.

Did the narrator directly seek his dollar from Todd?

Answer:
The narrator never asked Todd directly to return his dollar but instead expected Todd to remember that he owed him a dollar.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

When did the narrator realise that he is never going to get his dollar back?

Answer:
When the narrator asked Todd how much he spent on his trip, Todd told him that he kept no accounts. This practically proved that since the man doesn’t manage his finances well he would never have remembered the single dollar he once borrowed. Therefore, the narrator realised that he would never get his dollar back from Todd.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Do you think the narrator is obsessed with the loss of his dollar?

Answer:
Yes, the narrator seems to be obsessed with his lost dollar. He mentions the dollar throughout the story. In fact, every time he comes across Todd, he only thinks of his dollar, although he never directly asks for it and claims that it will not stand between their friendship.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What details did the narrator seek from Todd about his trip? Why?

Answer:
The narrator asked Todd about the currency used in Bermuda in a hope to remind him of the one American dollar that Todd owed him. Further, he asked Todd how much the trip to Bermuda cost him. The narrator made such several indirect references to money hoping that he would remember that one dollar he owes him. However, all the attempts made by the narrator failed miserably and he could never get his dollar back.

Passage 4

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

I bear Todd no grudge. I have simply added him to the list of men who owe me a dollar and who have forgotten it. There are quite a few of them now. I make no difference in my demeanour to them, but I only wish that I could forget.

I meet Todd very frequently. Only two nights ago I met him out at dinner and he was talking, apparently without self-consciousness, about Poland. He said that Poland would never pay her debts. You’d think a thing like that would remind him, wouldn’t you? But it didn’t seem to.

Why does the narrator bear no grudge?

Answer:
The narrator had lent his friend Todd a dollar which the latter has forgotten to pay back. In this reference, the narrator mentions that despite Todd forgetting about his dollar, he bears Todd no grudge. He does not give a reason for it except that there are quite a few of his other friends too who owe him a dollar and have forgotten about it.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What kind of list has the narrator made? Who is the latest person to be added to that list?

Answer:
The narrator has a list of men who owe him a dollar and who have forgotten to repay it. Having understood that Todd will never repay the dollar too, the narrator has added him to this list.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What could the narrator not forget?

Answer:
The narrator could not forget the people whom he had lent money and who have not paid him back. He doesn’t have any hard feelings for them but he cannot forget about his money either.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why did the narrator think that discussing about Poland would remind Todd about the unpaid dollar?

Answer:
One day the narrator met Todd out at dinner where Todd was talking about how Poland would never pay her debts. The narrator wished that Poland’s debts might remind Todd of the dollar he hadn’t paid the narrator. Unfortunately, this too didn’t remind Todd of the dollar.

Passage 5

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

But meantime, a thought – a rather painful thought – has begun to come in to my mind at intervals. It is this. If Todd owes a dollar and has forgotten it, it is possible – indeed it is theoretically probable – that there must be men to whom I owe a dollar which I have forgotten. There may be a list of them. The more I think of it the less I like it, because I am quite sure that If I had once forgotten a dollar, I should never pay it, on this side of the grave.

What painful thought comes to the narrator’s mind as he thinks about his lost dollar?

Answer:
As the narrator thinks about his dollar, he thinks it is quite possible that he too may have taken a dollar from people and has failed to repay it.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

How does the narrator feel about him being similar to Todd in not repaying the dollars he might have taken from people?

Answer:
The narrator feels uncomfortable at the thought of owing money to people. He feels that it is theoretically probable that there are people in the world from whom he may have taken a dollar but who haven’t asked their dollars back and whose dollar he too has forgotten about.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What is the tone of the given extract?

Answer:
The author has used a confessional tone in the given extract. In this extract, he realises that like Todd, he too may have forgotten about money taken from some men.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Explain the line “I should never pay it, on this side of the grave”.

Answer:
The narrator is trying to explain that if he had taken a dollar and had forgotten about it, and does not have a recollection of it so far then he will never remember in this life.

Passage 6

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

If there are such men I want them to speak out. Not all at once; but in reasonable numbers and as far as may be in alphabetical order and I will immediately, write their names down on paper. I don’t count here men who may have lent me an odd dollar over a bridge table: and I am not thinking (indeed I am taking care not to think) of the man who lent me thirty cents to pay for a bottle of plain soda in the Detroit Athletic Club last month. I always find the Canada frontier, and that man who advanced that thirty cents knows exactly why I felt that I had done enough for him, but if any man ever lent me a dollar to pay for a taxi when I was starting for Bermuda, I want to pay it.

… I want to start a general moment, Back to Honesty movement for paying all these odd dollars that are borrowed in moments of expansion. Let us remember that the greatest nations were built upon the rock basis of absolute honesty.

In conclusion may I say that I do particularly ask that no reader of this book will be careless enough to leave this copy round where it might be seen by Major Todd, of the University Club Montreal.

What kind of men is the narrator referring to in the given extract?

Answer:
The narrator is referring to men from whom he may have borrowed money but whom he has forgotten to pay back.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

In conclusion may I say that I do particularly ask that no reader of this book will be careless enough to leave this copy round where it might be seen by Major Todd, of the University Club Montreal.

What does the narrator want those men to do?

Answer:
The narrator wants those men to speak out in reasonable numbers so that he can write down their names on paper and pay them back one by one.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

In conclusion may I say that I do particularly ask that no reader of this book will be careless enough to leave this copy round where it might be seen by Major Todd, of the University Club Montreal.

How according to the author are great nations built?

Answer:
According to the author, great nations are built on the rock basis of absolute honesty.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

In conclusion may I say that I do particularly ask that no reader of this book will be careless enough to leave this copy round where it might be seen by Major Todd, of the University Club Montreal.

Do you think the author wants his friend Todd to know that he expected him to return the dollar once upon a time?

Answer:
No. We know this because the author mentions not wanting a copy of his story to be lying around such that his friend Major Todd may see it and realise that he never returned the dollar to the author.

Question 5.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

In conclusion may I say that I do particularly ask that no reader of this book will be careless enough to leave this copy round where it might be seen by Major Todd, of the University Club Montreal.

Write a character sketch of the narrator with reference to the story My Lost Dollar.

Answer:
In the short story My Lost Dollar, the narrator describes his discomfort about living with the fact that his friends whom he had lent money have totally forgotten about the same. The author’s character at first appears to be a light-hearted one who can move on in life with the help of humour. However, as the story proceeds, it is seen that the author is rather sarcastic about Todd’s poor memory in relation to the lost dollar. Although he says that he will never hold a grudge against him over a dollar, his thoughts wander in the direction of his dollar every time the two meet. Deep within his heart, he wants his dollar back and makes many futile attempts at reminding Todd of the same. However, he keeps his attitudes and behaviour intact with Todd despite his problem of the lost dollar. When nothing worked out, he seemed to have written this story to express his feelings. He tells his readers to circulate the story wisely, as if trying to hint that if the story, with Todd’s name clearly in it, is read by Todd, he may remember to pay back the author his dollar after all.

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Where the Mind is Without Fear [Poem]

November 10, 2023May 15, 2022 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Where the Mind is Without Fear [Poem]

Passage 1

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth

What prayer does the poet make for his countrymen in the first line of the extract? Why?

Answer:
The poet prays that the people of his country may have no fear in their minds. He makes this prayer as this poem was written during the colonial rule in India when radical thoughts and free-spirited people were repressed.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth
What could be the dangers if knowledge is restricted?
Answer:
When knowledge is restricted, various blocks are imposed on the people trying to acquire knowledge. These restrictions are based on wealth, caste, class, gender, religion, etc.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What is meant by ‘narrow domestic walls’? Explain how these ‘walls’ can be detrimental to the country’s progress.
Answer:
The narrow domestic walls are those of caste, creed, religion, colour, and superstitions. If people get trapped within these ‘walls’ they will never become broad-minded and progress in life. As a result, the country’s progress will be affected.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Do you agree with the poet when he states that we must always give importance to ‘truth’?

Answer:
Yes, truth must be given a lot of importance. It is the truth that prevails in the end. No matter how bitter it is to experience, a single truth is better than thousand sugar coated lies.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How does the poet reflect the true meaning of freedom through the poem?

Answer:
In the poem, the poet has expressed a desire for his countrymen to be free not only from physical bondage but also from emotional barriers. He says that the characteristics of truth, fearlessness, clarity of thought and progressive thinking along with freedom from any kind of bondage is necessary for every human being.

Passage 2

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

What does ‘from the depth of truth’ refer to?

Answer:
The phrase ‘from the depth of truth’ refers to honesty. The poem was written during the time India was a British colony and Tagore used this phrase to urge Indians to be courageous and speak their hearts out before the world.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What does the phrase ‘tireless striving’ mean? What does the poet want people to achieve through tireless striving?

Answer:
The phrase ‘tireless striving’ is used by the poet to urge his countrymen to break free from sloth and inactivity and struggle hard constantly to achieve perfection in whatever they choose to do and thus make their country a free nation.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Name and explain the figure of speech in ‘clear stream of reason’?

Answer:
The figure of speech is metaphor because reason has been compared to ‘a clear stream’. A mind without reason and rationality is stagnated and unable to achieve its goal. On the other hand, a mind that thinks clearly will be able to achieve its goals.

Question 4

Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What does ‘dead habit’ refer to? How does it affect a person?

Answer:
Dead habit’ refers to mindless practicing of obsolete customs and traditions, old beliefs, superstitions and a narrow-minded attitudes. This habit corrodes the mind and renders it useless.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Give two examples of alliteration from the extract.

Answer:
(i)Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
(ii) Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

Passage 3

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Whom does ‘thee’ in the above extract refer to?

Answer:
The ‘thee’ in the above extract refers to the Almighty God to whom the poem is dedicated.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Whom does the poet ask the Almighty to lead?

Answer:
The poet is asks the Almighty to lead and guide the minds of the people of India who are under the British rule.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

What is meant by ‘ever widening thought and action’?

Answer:
The phrase ‘ever widening thought and action’ refers to a process where people break all obsolete rules, attain thoughtfulness and put those thoughts into action as they fight for freedom from colonial rule.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Explain the phrase ‘let my country awake’.

Answer:
The phrase ‘let my country awake’ is an indication of a prayer to the almighty to help the people of India fight for their freedom and break free from the bondages of British rule.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Why has the poet associated freedom with heaven?

Answer:
In the poem, the poet talks about freedom on two levels, the freedom of every individual and India’s freedom from the British rule, which lasted from 1857 to 1947. After almost a century of bondage, misery and discrimination, the poet feels that it is natural for freedom to feel like heaven. Hence, he has associated freedom to heaven in the given extract.

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions India’s Heroes

November 10, 2023May 15, 2022 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions India’s Heroes

Passage 1

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

All forty hands went up in unison. Mrs Baruah beamed. Clearly, this assignment had not been a drudge.
“Wonderful!” Mrs Baruah said. “Remember that it does not have to be a profession. You can also speak of someone whom you’d want to be like -maybe a role model or a mentor. You may even talk of a particular trait or quality that you admire in a person and wish to emulate. ”
A crackle of sheets was heard as students hurriedly arranged the pages on which they had written their assignments. They were eager to speak in front of their classmates.

What was Mrs Baruah’s class eager about?

Answer:
Mrs Baruah’s class was eager about speaking in front of their classmates about what they would like to be when they grow up.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Why were all the forty students eager to talk in front of the class?

Answer:
Each student in Mrs Baruah’s class had prepared a speech on what they would like to become when they grew up. The children had put in all their feelings and efforts in their speeches and were excited about presenting their views before their class.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Which figure of speech has been used in the sentence ‘A crackle of sheets was heard…’

Answer:
The figure of speech used in the line is onomatopoeia.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What instructions did Mrs Baruah give her students before they began their speeches?

Answer:
Mrs Baruah told her students that the speeches didn’t necessarily have to be about which profession they wanted to choose. It could be about a person who may have influenced them or even a quality or trait that they admired in a person and would wish to emulate.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What do you think Mrs Baruah wanted to emphasise when she said that the children could talk about a person or a quality they admire?

Answer:
Mrs Baruah wanted the students to express their perception of their future selves through the speeches. Therefore it could also be about a person or even a quality that the students wished to emulate. She thus tried to emphasise that a person can become successful not merely by choosing a profession, but also by having a role model and strong values to follow and emulate.

Passage 2

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

However, he had worked hard on his assignment and had written it from the depth of his heart. It was different from the others as it did not focus on any one person, profession or quality. It was a combination of traits and people from different walks of life- people who had stirred Kabeer’s heart.

Clearing his throat, he began, “When I grow up, I want to be brave like Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan, the thirty-one year old National Security Guard (NSG) commando, who laid down his life fighting the terrorists in Mumbai in November 2008.”

How was Kabeer’s assignment different from others?

Answer:
Kabeer’s assignment did not talk about what profession he wanted to choose when he grew up or about any one person or quality he admired. It has a mention of people who had made a difference to hundreds who were affected during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Why had Kabeer worked hard on his assignment?

Answer:
Through Kabeer’s speech it is visible that he was deeply affected by the terrorist attack. He was also profoundly inspired by the people he spoke about. Therefore, though he was not good at making public speeches he prepared well for this speech by gathering detailed information on all the martyrs of 26/11.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What happened in November 2008 in Mumbai?

Answer:
In November 2008, ten terrorists carried out a series of coordinated shooting and bombing acts in Mumbai. The attack lasted for four days.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

In what way do you think had Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan stirred Kabeer’s heart?

Answer:
Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan was deployed to clear Hotel Taj of terrorists. He arranged for the evacuation of one of his commandos who was injured in the exchange of fire. Despite knowing that his life was in danger, he told his team to stay down and went upstairs to handle them. He bravely fought till the end despite being hit with bullets.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Which qualities of Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan did Kabeer want to emulate?

Answer:
Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan didn’t think twice about risking his life when he was deployed to clear Hotel Taj. He not only chased the terrorists, but also helped with the evacuation of the soldiers injured during the firing. Instead of escaping from the scene, he faced death bravely and selflessly. Kabeer wanted to become like Major Sandeep and put others’ lives and wellbeing before his own.

Passage 3

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Outside the birds chirped, cars honked and the younger children were enjoying their recess. However, class 8A, oblivious to everything, was all years as Kabeer continued. “When I grow up, I want to be like Vishnu Dattaram Zende, who was an announcer with the Mumbai railways for 10 years. On 26 November, he heard a loud explosion at one end of the CST platform and saw that some people had bloodstains on their clothes. He guessed that something was wrong and used the public announcement system to tell people to go out from a different exit. Instead of running for his life, for almost half an hour he continued to make announcements, even though he knew that the terrorists could attack him. They fired a bullet into Vishnu Zende’s cabin, but it missed him.

How is the scene outside the classroom different from the atmosphere inside?

Answer:
The atmosphere outside the classroom was relaxed and carefree. The birds chirped, the cars honked and Younger children were enjoying their break time as usual.. In contrast to this, inside the classroom, the air was rather tensed as Kabeer narrated one of the most horrible terror attacks on Mumbai that killed hundreds of innocent people.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What did Vishnu Zende do after he saw people running around with bloodstained clothes?

Answer:
Vishnu Zende sensed that something was wrong when he saw people running around with bloodstained clothes and immediately used the public announcement system to direct people to the other exit of the station.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What happened as Vishnu Zende made the announcements?

Answer:
As Vishnu Zende tried to rescue the people stranded at CST, the terrorists fired a bullet in the direction of the cabin where he was making the announcements. However, he survived the attack as the bullet narrowly missed him.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What is common between Mr Zende and Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan?

Answer:
Both Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan and Mr Zende prioritised the lives of fellow citizens over their own during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008. In doing this, Major Sandeep lost his life while Mr Zende missed death narrowly. However, the risk did not stop them from saving the lives of people threatened during the night of the attacks.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How did Vishnu Zende’s presence of mind help the hundreds of commuters inside CST?

Answer:
When Vishnu Zende heard an explosion and saw some people running here and there with bloodstains on their clothes, he sensed danger and without wasting time, used the public announcement system to save the lives of many others. He asked the passengers to not go in the direction where the blast was heard but instead exit from the station from a safer point. His presence of mind helped many innocent people save their lives.

Passage 4

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

“When I grow up, I want to be like Karambir Singh Kang, the General Manager of the Taj Hotel, who, instead of worrying about his own safety or his family’s needs, first helped his guests and staff out of the hotel. His wife and children were trapped in a room engulfed by fire. They died of suffocation. Even on hearing of their deaths, Karambir Singh Kang did not abandon his responsibilities, and continued to fight for his guests’ safety. The noble and the loyal manager, despite his own irreparable loss, still remains at the Taj helping to restore the heritage structure.

What did Karambir Singh Kang do on hearing about his wife and children?

Answer:
Karambir Singh’s wife and children were trapped in a room engulfed by fire. They died of suffocation. However, despite hearing this news, he continued to fight for the safety of his guests.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How is Karambir Singh Kang’s act exceptional and commendable?

Answer:
Karambir Singh Kang bravely continued to rescue the guests despite knowing that his family was in danger. Even after coming to know that his wife and children had died of suffocation, he continued to save the guests of his hotel. Only an extraordinary human being could have done this. Karambir Singh’s act is indeed exceptional and commendable.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where is Karambir Singh Kang at present?

Answer:
Karambir Singh did not abandon his responsibilities after the attack. Despite his own irreparable loss, he still remains at the Taj helping to restore the heritage structure.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Do you think Karambir Singh Kang should have saved his family first and then rescued the guests?

Answer:
The situation in which Karambir Singh Kang was caught was a very difficult one. If he had saved his family at the cost of the life of the guests, he would have never been able to forgive himself for failing his duties. Whether or not he should have saved his family was not at all in his control. He rescued those whom he came across first and unfortunately by the time he reached his family, they had lost the battle with life.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

In what way does Kabeer want to emulate Karambir Singh Kang when he grows up?

Answer:
When Kabeer grows up, he wants to be like Karambir Singh Kang so that he may have the courage to answer duty calls first and then prioritise his personal life.

Passage 5

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

“When I grow up, I want to be fearless like Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who pursued the terrorists in a jeep. He was gunned down by terrorists near Cama Hospital, along with his valiant comrades DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar. Hemant Karkare was a brave officer who served in Austria for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing of India, as an Intelligence Officer. Shaheed Karkare spent his life fighting terror, to make our tomorrow terror-free.”

“When I grow up, I want to be caring like Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, popularly known as Chotu Chaiwala, a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station. He was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. Had it not been for the efforts of people like him, many of the wounded might not have made it to the hospital on time.”

How did Kabeer feel as he read his speech?

Answer:
Kabeer was overwhelmed by the emotions as he read a strong emotional account of what happened during the November 2008 attacks. However, like a brave soldier, he contained his emotions and continued to read his speech.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Who was Hemant Karkare?

Answer:
Hemant Karkare was the chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad. He served as an Intelligence Officer in Austria for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing of India.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How was Hemant Karkare killed?

Answer:
Hemant Karkare was gunned down by terrorists near Cama Hospital as he was bravely pursuing them in a jeep.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How did Chotu Chaiwala contribute to saving the injured people?

Answer:
Chotu Chaiwala was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. He was a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station and whose original name was Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How do the people mentioned in this extract contribute during the terrorist attack of 26/11?

Answer:
The trio, Hemant Karkare, DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar were highly qualified police officers who faced the terrorists in Mumbai on 26 November 2008fearlessly. The three were killed in action by the terrorists during attack. On the other hand, Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, popularly known as Chotu Chaiwala, was a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station. He was no officer or had no arms, but he was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. Had it not been for the efforts of people like him, many of the wounded might not have made it to the hospital on time.

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions The Inchcape Rock

November 10, 2023May 15, 2022 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English SolutionsThe Inchcape Rock [Poem]

Passage 1

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea,
The Ship was still as she could be;
Her sails from heaven received no motion,
Her keel was steady in the ocean.

Without either sign or sound of their shock,
The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.

What is the rhyme scheme of the given lines?

Answer:
The rhyme scheme of the given lines is aa-bb-cc-dd.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea,
The Ship was still as she could be;
Her sails from heaven received no motion,
Her keel was steady in the ocean.

Without either sign or sound of their shock,
The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.

Why didn’t the waves move the Inchcape bell?

Answer:
The waves were small and there was no stir in the air or sea therefore they did not move the Inchcape bell.

Question 3
RRead the extract and answer the questions that follow:

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea,
The Ship was still as she could be;
Her sails from heaven received no motion,
Her keel was steady in the ocean.

Without either sign or sound of their shock,
The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.

Which lines indicate that the ocean was calm and steady?

Answer:
The lines ‘No stir in the air, no stir in the sea’ and ‘So little they rose, so little they fell’ indicates that the ocean was calm and steady.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea,
The Ship was still as she could be;
Her sails from heaven received no motion,
Her keel was steady in the ocean.

Without either sign or sound of their shock,
The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.

Name and explain the figures of speech in
a. Without either sign or sound of their shock,
b. So little they rose, so little they fell,

Answer:
Without either sign or sound of their shock,
Alliteration: The sound ‘s’ has been repeated in the words ‘sound’ and ‘shock’.

So little they rose, so little they fell,
Repetition: The phrase ‘so little they’ has been repeated in the lines for poetic effect.

Passage 2

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung,
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell,
The Mariners heard the warning Bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock,
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok

Why was the bell placed on the rock?

Answer:
The bell was placed on the rock so that sailors who were sailing off the eastern coast of Scotland could know that they are close to the Inchcape Rock hidden under the waves and prevent crashing into it.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung,
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell,
The Mariners heard the warning Bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock,
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok

What warning did the bell give?

Answer:
When the sea surged, the bell on the buoy floated and rung and warned the sailors of the rock which was hidden below the waves.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung,
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell,
The Mariners heard the warning Bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock,
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok

Who tied the bell to the rock?

Answer:
The Abbot of Aberbrothok, a good natured soul, had tied the Inchcape Bell to the rock.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung,
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell,
The Mariners heard the warning Bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock,
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok

Name and explain the figure of speech in the lines:
And over the waves its warning rung.

Answer:
Inversion: The normal order of words has been reversed for emphasis.
The correct order is ‘Its warning rung over the waves.”

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung,
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell,
The Mariners heard the warning Bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock,
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok

Whom did the mariners bless? Why?

Answer:
The mariners blessed the Abbot as by tying the bell to the Inchcape Rock he had been instrumental in saving many sailing accidents.

Passage 3

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Sun in the heaven was shining gay,
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyaunce in their sound.

The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck,
And fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

How did the buoy look from a distance?

Answer:
The buoy looked like a dark spot on the vast green ocean.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Sun in the heaven was shining gay,
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyaunce in their sound.

The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck,
And fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

Why did the birds sound happy that day?

Answer:
The birds sounded happy that day as the day was bright and sunny.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Sun in the heaven was shining gay,
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyaunce in their sound.

The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck,
And fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

Who was Sir Ralph?

Answer:
Sir Ralph the Rover was a pirate.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Sun in the heaven was shining gay,
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyaunce in their sound.

The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck,
And fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

What does the phrase ‘fixed his eye on the darker speck’ indicate?

Answer:
The phrase indicates that the pirate set his wicked eye on the Inchcape Bell and stared at it intently.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Sun in the heaven was shining gay,
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyaunce in their sound.

The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck,
And fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

List words from the given lines that reflect happiness.

Answer:
Gay, joyful, joyaunce

Passage 4

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

He felt the cheering power of spring,
It made him whistle, it made him sing;
His heart was mirthful to excess,
But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness.

His eye was on the Inchcape Float;
Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat,
And row me to the Inchcape Rock,
And I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Who is the ‘he’ referred to in the first line?

Answer:
The ‘he’ referred to in the first line is Sir Ralph the Rover.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

He felt the cheering power of spring,
It made him whistle, it made him sing;
His heart was mirthful to excess,
But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness.

His eye was on the Inchcape Float;
Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat,
And row me to the Inchcape Rock,
And I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

What kind of happiness was reflected on his face?

Answer:
The happiness on Sir Ralph’s face was rooted in wickedness.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

He felt the cheering power of spring,
It made him whistle, it made him sing;
His heart was mirthful to excess,
But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness.

His eye was on the Inchcape Float;
Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat,
And row me to the Inchcape Rock,
And I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

In which direction did the Rover want his men to row?

Answer:
The Rover wants his men to row him to the Inchcape Rock.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

He felt the cheering power of spring,
It made him whistle, it made him sing;
His heart was mirthful to excess,
But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness.

His eye was on the Inchcape Float;
Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat,
And row me to the Inchcape Rock,
And I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Explain the line “I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Answer:
The above lines indicate that the Rover had come up with a wicked plan to wreck the good intended work of the Abbot of Aberbrothok.

Passage 5

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row,
And to the Inchcape Rock they go;
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And he cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.

Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound,
The bubbles rose and burst around;
Quoth Sir Ralph, “The next who comes to the Rock,
Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Where do the boatmen row the boat?

Answer:
The boatmen rowed the boat to the Inchcape Rock.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row,
And to the Inchcape Rock they go;
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And he cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.

Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound,
The bubbles rose and burst around;
Quoth Sir Ralph, “The next who comes to the Rock,
Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

What did Sir Ralph the Rover do?

Answer:
Sir Ralph the Rover bent over from his boat and cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row,
And to the Inchcape Rock they go;
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And he cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.

Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound,
The bubbles rose and burst around;
Quoth Sir Ralph, “The next who comes to the Rock,
Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Why did the Rover cut the bell?

Answer:
The rover cut the bell because he wanted ships to crash against the rock so that he could then plunder their goods.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row,
And to the Inchcape Rock they go;
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And he cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.

Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound,
The bubbles rose and burst around;
Quoth Sir Ralph, “The next who comes to the Rock,
Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Name and explain the figure of speech in:
a. Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound,
b. The bubbles rose and burst around;

Answer:
Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound
Onomatopoeia: The word ‘gurgling’ is used to hint the sound of the drowning bell.

The bubbles rose and burst around;
Alliteration: The sound ‘b’ has been repeated in the words ‘bubbles’ and ‘burst’.

Passage 6

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover sail’d away,
He scour’d the seas for many a day;
And now grown rich with plunder’d store,
He steers his course for Scotland’s shore.

So thick a haze o’er spreads the sky,
They cannot see the sun on high;
The wind hath blown a gale all day,
At evening it hath died away.

Where did Sir Ralph the Rover sail? Why?

Answer:
Sir Ralph the Rover sailed into the sea as looking out for ships that crashed against the Inchcape Rock so that he could raid and plunder them.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover sail’d away,
He scour’d the seas for many a day;
And now grown rich with plunder’d store,
He steers his course for Scotland’s shore.

So thick a haze o’er spreads the sky,
They cannot see the sun on high;
The wind hath blown a gale all day,
At evening it hath died away.

Why were his men unable to see anything when they steered towards Scotland?

Answer:
A thick haze had spread over the sky due to which his men couldn’t see anything when they steered towards Scotland.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover sail’d away,
He scour’d the seas for many a day;
And now grown rich with plunder’d store,
He steers his course for Scotland’s shore.

So thick a haze o’er spreads the sky,
They cannot see the sun on high;
The wind hath blown a gale all day,
At evening it hath died away.

The word sail’d means ‘sailed’, but is written in a different way. Find other such words in the given lines and also state their modern spelling.

Answer:
scour’d: scoured
plunder’d: plundered
o’er: over

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover sail’d away,
He scour’d the seas for many a day;
And now grown rich with plunder’d store,
He steers his course for Scotland’s shore.

So thick a haze o’er spreads the sky,
They cannot see the sun on high;
The wind hath blown a gale all day,
At evening it hath died away.

Find words from the given lines that mean: steal, mist and guide

Answer:
steal: plunder
mist: haze
guide: steer

Passage 7

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
So dark it is they see no land.
Quoth Sir Ralph, “It will be lighter soon,
For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.”

“Canst hear,” said one, “the breakers roar?
For methinks we should be near the shore.”
“Now, where we are I cannot tell,
But I wish we could hear the Inchcape Bell.”

They hear no sound, the swell is strong,
Though the wind hath fallen they drift along;
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock,
“Oh Christ! It is the Inchcape Rock!”

Why couldn’t the sailors tell where they were?

Answer:
There was a lot of haze and darkness engulfing the ocean due to which the sailors couldn’t see where they were.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
So dark it is they see no land.
Quoth Sir Ralph, “It will be lighter soon,
For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.”

“Canst hear,” said one, “the breakers roar?
For methinks we should be near the shore.”
“Now, where we are I cannot tell,
But I wish we could hear the Inchcape Bell.”

They hear no sound, the swell is strong,
Though the wind hath fallen they drift along;
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock,
“Oh Christ! It is the Inchcape Rock!”

What fate does the ship meet at the end of the stanza?

Answer:
The ship crashes against the Inchcape rock at the end of the stanza.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
So dark it is they see no land.
Quoth Sir Ralph, “It will be lighter soon,
For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.”

“Canst hear,” said one, “the breakers roar?
For methinks we should be near the shore.”
“Now, where we are I cannot tell,
But I wish we could hear the Inchcape Bell.”

They hear no sound, the swell is strong,
Though the wind hath fallen they drift along;
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock,
“Oh Christ! It is the Inchcape Rock!”

What conditions lead to the wreckage of the ship?

Answer:
Bad weather and the absence of the Inchcape bell caused the ship to crash against the rock.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
So dark it is they see no land.
Quoth Sir Ralph, “It will be lighter soon,
For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.”

“Canst hear,” said one, “the breakers roar?
For methinks we should be near the shore.”
“Now, where we are I cannot tell,
But I wish we could hear the Inchcape Bell.”

They hear no sound, the swell is strong,
Though the wind hath fallen they drift along;
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock,
“Oh Christ! It is the Inchcape Rock!”

Why did the sailor wish he could hear the Inchcape Bell?

Answer:
In the absence of the bell, the sailors were clueless about where they were or if they were near the shore. Moreover, they had no way of avoiding crashing into the dreaded Inchcape Rock if they drew close to it. Hence, a sailor thought it would be good had the bell been there.

Passage 8

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair,
He curst himself in his despair;
The waves rush in on every side,
The ship is sinking beneath the tide.

But even in his dying fear,
One dreadful sound could the Rover hear;
A sound as if with the Inchcape Bell,
The Devil below was ringing his knell.

How did Ralph the Rover react to the ship hitting the rock?

Answer:
When the ship hit the Inchcape Rock, Ralph the Rover realised what a grave mistake he had made by cutting off the Inchcape Bell. His ship was now sinking as waters entered the vessel from all sides. In despair, agony, and frustration he tore at his hair and cursed himself for cutting off the bell.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair,
He curst himself in his despair;
The waves rush in on every side,
The ship is sinking beneath the tide.

But even in his dying fear,
One dreadful sound could the Rover hear;
A sound as if with the Inchcape Bell,
The Devil below was ringing his knell.

Whom did Sir Ralph the Rover hear ringing the bell as the ship sank?

Answer:
Sir Ralph the Rover believed he heard the Devil ringing the bell as though indicating that he himself had come to drag the rover to hell for his cruel deeds.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair,
He curst himself in his despair;
The waves rush in on every side,
The ship is sinking beneath the tide.

But even in his dying fear,
One dreadful sound could the Rover hear;
A sound as if with the Inchcape Bell,
The Devil below was ringing his knell.

Compare and contrast the character of Sir Ralph the Rover with that of the Abbot of Aberbrothok?

Answer:
The Abbot was a benevolent and an empathetic man while the pirate was a cruel and an inhuman pirate. On the one hand, the abbot placed a bell on the Inchcape Rock to warn sailors of the hidden rock. On the other hand, Sir Ralph the Rover cut the bell off because he did not want sailors to sail across the rock safely. The Abbot taught for the well being of others while Sir Ralph only thought about plundering and increasing his wealth. He was so reckless that he didn’t think twice before cutting off the bell. Ultimately, divine justice was served and he was punished for his recklessness.

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Journey by Night

November 10, 2023May 15, 2022 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Journey by Night

Passage 1

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Sher Singh himself was only twelve years old, brown and cheerful, a child of the jungle, and his brother was several years younger. There had been other children of course, but they were dead, carried off by cholera and influenza and such, and by jungle accidents. Now there was only this Sher Singh, and the little brother Kunwar.

‘I will wring out rags in boiling water and lay them on his stomach,’ said their mother. She did not smile. She did not weep. She had lived through everything over and over again.

‘What shall I do? Asked Sher Singh, who was feeling ill inside him because of his brother. ‘I will get the sticks for the fire. And the dung. I will get the water. Let me tear up the rag’.

Why did the mother not smile or weep?
Answer:
Mother was worried about Kunwar’s failing health and thought that she’d lose him too like her other children. She was tired and alone and had lived through the deaths of many of her children before hence, she neither smiled nor wept.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will wring out rags in boiling water and lay them on his stomach,’ said their mother. She did not smile. She did not weep. She had lived through everything over and over again.

‘What shall I do? Asked Sher Singh, who was feeling ill inside him because of his brother. ‘I will get the sticks for the fire. And the dung. I will get the water. Let me tear up the rag’.

What happened to the other children?

Answer:
Sher Singh and Kunwar had many siblings but unfortunately they had died due to serious illnesses such as cholera and influenza and by jungle accidents.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will wring out rags in boiling water and lay them on his stomach,’ said their mother. She did not smile. She did not weep. She had lived through everything over and over again.

‘What shall I do? Asked Sher Singh, who was feeling ill inside him because of his brother. ‘I will get the sticks for the fire. And the dung. I will get the water. Let me tear up the rag’.

What was wrong with Kunwar?

Answer:
Sher Singh’s younger brother Kunwar was seriously ill. It was not clear what was wrong with him, but the child was constantly crying due to the pain in his stomach and fever.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will wring out rags in boiling water and lay them on his stomach,’ said their mother. She did not smile. She did not weep. She had lived through everything over and over again.

‘What shall I do? Asked Sher Singh, who was feeling ill inside him because of his brother. ‘I will get the sticks for the fire. And the dung. I will get the water. Let me tear up the rag’.

What does the sentence ‘She had lived through everything over and over again.’ mean?

Answer:
Sher Singh’s mother had other children apart from Kunwar and Sher Singh. However, they had all died due to illnesses such as influenza and cholera or forest mishaps.

Question 5.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will wring out rags in boiling water and lay them on his stomach,’ said their mother. She did not smile. She did not weep. She had lived through everything over and over again.

‘What shall I do? Asked Sher Singh, who was feeling ill inside him because of his brother. ‘I will get the sticks for the fire. And the dung. I will get the water. Let me tear up the rag’.

What does the phrase ‘carried off by’ mean?

Answer:
The phrase ‘carried off’ in the given context means ’caused the death of someone’.

Passage 2

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

They used fuel recklessly to get the water hot soon. They laid steaming cloths on the child’s little belly. But after a bit Sher Singh’s mother said,’ He must be carried into hospital at Kalaghat.’

Then Sher Singh knew that his brother was dying. When she said the word ‘Hospital’ He knew it, For all jungle people are well aware that hospital is but the resort of the doomed. Something took him by her throat.

‘I will run for my father,’ he cried.

‘It may be days before you find him.’

Why was fuel being burned recklessly?

Answer:
Mother thought that if she wrung out rags in boiling water and laid them on Kunwar’s stomach, he would feel better. They used fuel recklessly so as to boil the water sooner.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will run for my father,’ he cried.

‘It may be days before you find him.’

What does the line ‘something took him by the throat’ mean?

Answer:
Mother said that Kunwar had to be taken to the hospital. Sher Singh knew that people from the village went to the hospital only to never return. In addition, the absence of his father, scared Sher Singh all the more and he felt choked under emotional stress which is expressed in the words ‘something took him by the throat’.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will run for my father,’ he cried.

‘It may be days before you find him.’

Would it be possible for Sher Singh to find his father so that he could take Kunwar to the hospital?

Answer:
Sher Singh’s father was out on a hunting expedition and it would not be possible for him to find his father in time to take his little brother to the hospital.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will run for my father,’ he cried.

‘It may be days before you find him.’

How did Sher Singh help his mother in making Kunwar feel better?

Answer:
Sher Singh ran around to collect the sticks and dung to set up the fire and the water to boil the rags in. He also tore up the rag so that Mother could wring out the rags in and lay them on Kunwar’s stomach.

Passage 3

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Kalaghat was at least fifty miles away, but Sher Singh hoped that if he could get through the jungle and cross the two rivers that lay between him and his goal, he might get a lift in a bullock cart or perhaps even a broken – down truck for the last part of his journey. Motors were now beginning to appear even on jungle roads where for immemorial centuries there had been nothing but ox and pony.

But not yet.

Here, where the path was rutted with cart wheels, and his bare toes disappeared into silk-soft dust, he was alone on the track that wound into forest, into night.

What all would Sher Singh have to cross before reaching the hospital in Kalaghat?

Answer:
Sher Singh would have to get through the jungle and cross two rivers to reach the hospital in Kalaghat.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

But not yet.

Here, where the path was rutted with cart wheels, and his bare toes disappeared into silk-soft dust, he was alone on the track that wound into forest, into night.

Why did Sher Singh have to go alone with Kunwar?

Answer:
Sher Singh’s father was not at home and it would be days before he returned from his hunting expedition. Therefore, Sher Singh had to take his sick brother Kunwar alone to the hospital.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

But not yet.

Here, where the path was rutted with cart wheels, and his bare toes disappeared into silk-soft dust, he was alone on the track that wound into forest, into night.

What mode of transport was Sher Singh hoping to get a lift in to reach the hospital?

Answer:
Sher Singh was hoping to get a lift in a bullock cart or perhaps even a broken-down truck for the last part of his journey to the hospital in Kalaghat.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

But not yet.

Here, where the path was rutted with cart wheels, and his bare toes disappeared into silk-soft dust, he was alone on the track that wound into forest, into night.

What can be said about Sher Singh’s determination to get his brother to the hospital?

Answer:
Sher Singh was not big enough to carry Kunwar on his back. However, this did not deter him from setting off from his village to Kalaghat nonetheless. He had mentally the ways he would take to get to the road that could get him a lift till the hospital. This shows that he was strongly determined to save his brother’s life.

Passage 4

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Kunwar, was twitching and groaning on his back, was already getting heavier. Oh, for a rest to let aching muscles draw up from the painful stretching and strain. But it was too soon to rest yet, and presently he got his second wind.

Around him lay primeval forest in which the struggle of vegetation and the struggle of life continued as they had done since the beginning of the world. Luxuriant bamboo sprang fast from its nodules; impenetrable thorn thickets fought for air; trees and undergrowth and scrub and grass, And in his jungle lived the animals of the forest, the monkeys and raucous peacocks, tiger and panther and bear and elephant. Since the deer were now so poached and decimated, the beasts of prey were obliged to kill domestic animals for food. Sometimes even man.

Why did Sher Singh feel that Kunwar was getting heavier?

Answer:
Sher Singh was only twelve years old, too young to carry another boy on his back. He was finding it difficult to carry Kunwar, who was burning with fever. His muscles got tired after carrying his brother and hence, he felt that the boy was getting heavier.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why has the author called the jungle primeval?

Answer:
The jungle was dense and full of flora and fauna. It had been there since the beginning of the world. This is the reason why the author calls the forest primeval or ‘ancient’.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Describe the jungle as mentioned in the passage.

Answer:
The jungle was luxuriant with bamboo and thorn thickets. There was undergrowth and grass all around. There animals such as monkeys, raucous peacocks, tigers, panthers, bears and elephants too. The beasts of prey would not only kill domestic animals but also humans for food as the most of the deer in the forest were poached.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Describe Kunwar’s discomfort.

Answer:
Kunwar was so ill that he was disoriented. He kept twitching and groaning on Sher Singh’s back. He had high fever and a severe pain in his stomach. It was not clear what was wrong with him, but his mother thought that he must have contracted cholera or influenza, diseases that had taken away lives of other villagers in the past.

Passage 5

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Their ears flapped, their tails swung, their shadows were brilliant on the white sand, much brighter than any shadow by day. They were so near he could smell elephant, hear the squeak of sand crushed under their feet, and the brush of rough hide, one against the other. He could see the toss and hustle of great heads and black backbones.

The tusker was playing his trunk to find fro to learn whatever the breeze could tell him; and suddenly he hesitated. The trunk came round towards the boys.

Sher Singh chilled with fright. With Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor run. If he shouted, it could not but bring the catastrophe upon them.

Prayer after prayer fled up like birds from is frightened spirit.

Where was Sher Singh and what was he doing when he heard the elephants approaching?

Answer:
Sher Singh had reached a cliff which was above a river-bed when he realised that he could not go any further without some rest. He slowly laid down his brother, supporting him against a tree when he heard the elephants approaching.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

The tusker was playing his trunk to find fro to learn whatever the breeze could tell him; and suddenly he hesitated. The trunk came round towards the boys.

Sher Singh chilled with fright. With Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor run. If he shouted, it could not but bring the catastrophe upon them.

Prayer after prayer fled up like birds from is frightened spirit.

Described the elephants mentioned in the passage as seen by Sher Singh?

Answer:
Sher Singh while on his way to the hospital Sher Singh came across a herd of elephants moving along a water body in the jungle. He saw their ears flapping, and their tails swinging as they moved. He also heard the crushing of sand under their feet and the brushing of their rough hide against each other.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

The tusker was playing his trunk to find fro to learn whatever the breeze could tell him; and suddenly he hesitated. The trunk came round towards the boys.

Sher Singh chilled with fright. With Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor run. If he shouted, it could not but bring the catastrophe upon them.

Prayer after prayer fled up like birds from is frightened spirit.

Why was Sher Singh frightened?

Answer:
Sher Singh saw a herd of elephants walking past the river bed below the cliff he was sitting on with Kunwar. Among the cows and the babies, there was a tusker whose cheeks were smeared with dark, oily musth. In that condition, if the elephant spotted him and Kunwar, they both could have been killed by him. This thought frightened Sher Singh.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

The tusker was playing his trunk to find fro to learn whatever the breeze could tell him; and suddenly he hesitated. The trunk came round towards the boys.

Sher Singh chilled with fright. With Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor run. If he shouted, it could not but bring the catastrophe upon them.

Prayer after prayer fled up like birds from is frightened spirit.

What does the expression ‘prayer after prayer fled up’ mean?

Answer:
Sher Singh knew the danger which the herd of elephants posed to him and his little brother. With Kunwar on his back, he could neither run nor climb if the tusker in the herd attacked them. Therefore, with cold fear in his heart, Sher Singh prayed fervently for some aid. The author uses the expression ‘prayers after prayers fled up’ to stress on his nervousness.

Passage 6

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Far away, in another world, there came the yap of pi-dogs heralding village.
Suddenly, somehow…….. people.
After that, the next he knew they were in a bullock cart, then a truck.
‘Where have you come from, boy?’
“Laldwani.’
‘You carried him alone? Across the river in flood?
They were at the hospital.

What was Sher Singh’s condition by the time he reached the road?

Answer:
Sher Singh was exhausted by the time he reached the road. The gushing river seemed to have sucked up all his strength. He neither knew what happened nor was in the condition to wring his dhoti dry. He stumbled as he walked, and his knees bent and trembled under the weight of his brother

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why did the doctor call out Sher Singh ‘Bahadur’?

Answer:
Sher Singh Sher Singh travelled the entire way from Laldwani to the hospital in Kalaghat all alone on foot by night carrying his ailing little brother on his back. On his way he braved the dense forests and gushing ice-cold waters of the stormy river. When the doctor realised all that this twelve-year-old boy had gone through for his brother’s life, he added the title ‘Bahadur’ to his name.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

How did the boys finally reach the hospital?

Answer:
After carrying Kunwar on his back through the primeval forest and struggling through the cold river, Sher Singh reached a road from where he got a lift in a bullock cart and then a truck which finally took him to hospital at Kalaghat.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What did Sher Singh eat while his brother was being treated in the hospital?

Answer:
Sher Singh had no money when he reached the hospital so he worked at the rail yard loading coal. He used the money that he got for his work to buy some coarse flour, mustard oil, and chillies. This he then used to prepare his own meal.