Answers of Practice Paper 6 | Harbourpress

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Answers of Practice Paper 6

Section A – Drama The Merchant of Venice – Shakespeare

Answer 1.

a) Earlier in this scene, Jessica says that she is never in a happy mood when she hears music. To this Lorenzo says that this is because her soul pays keen attention to the music. He further gives an example of a wild herd of young, untrained colts that leap around like they mad, roaring and neighing loudly. They do so because it is in their blood. But on hearing a trumpet’s sound they all stand still. Sweet music makes them peaceful.

b) The poet Ovid, in one of his poems, wrote about the great musician Orpheus who could make trees, stones and rivers move and draw them towards him by his sweet power of music. Lorenzo adds to this by saying that there is nothing in this world which is so stubborn or fierce, that music cannot change its nature even for some time. A person who does not have music in himself is fit for nothing but treachery, plots and destruction.

c) Shylock, Jessica’s father also hates music. We come to know this in Act II- Scene 5 when Shylock warns Jessica to close the ears, by which he meant windows, of his house. He hated the sound of different instruments played during masques so he did not want the sound of the fife to enter his house. He calls music as the ‘vile squealing of wry-necked fife’ and ‘shallow foppery’. This clearly shows that he hates music. He warns her by saying that such people who dislike music are untrustworthy.

d) Lorenzo tells Jessica that men who do not like music and harmonious melodies are only fit for treason, violence and pillage. The motions of their spirit are as dull as nights and their affections are as dark as Erebus and no such man should be trusted.

e) Later in the scene, Portia listens to music and immediately recognizes it as her own home’s music. She comments that it sounds much better at night than by day. To this Nerissa says that it is silence that imparts this sweet quality of the music. Moreover, Portia says that the crow and the lark seem to be singing with the same melody when neither is being listened to. And if the nightingale sings at daytime along with the cackling geese, then people would not appreciate its music at all. She further says that there are many things that are perceived at their highest perfection by the mere fact of their having perceived at the appropriate time.

Answer 2.

a) The Prince of Arragon was enjoin’d by oath to three things before choosing the casket. Firstly, he would never reveal to anyone about his choice of caskets. Next, if he would fail to choose the right casket then he would never ever talk to any other lady in way of

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marriage. Lastly, if he fails to choose correctly, he would leave immediately without any questions.

b) Before making the choice of caskets, the Prince of Arragon reads and scrutinizes the writings on them. On reading the inscription on gold he says that the words ‘many men’ could also indicate to the fool majority who are so slow-witted and have so little wisdom that they judge only by outward appearances and get easily deceived. He compares such people to the martlet who foolishly builds its nest on the outside and then gets destroyed during storms and hence he refuses to chose the gold casket. He does not choose lead as he considers it very dull and base and he says that lead should become more appealing for Arragon to choose it.

c) In the above lines, Prince of Arragon wishes that if estates, degrees and high-level officers were not obtained dishonestly and that the pure honour would not be purchased by the merit of the person who deserves it then there would be many who should cover would stand bare and many who commanded would take command. Moreover there would be many those who belong to the lower class could be picked out from the true sons of nobility.

d) The Prince of Arragon chooses the silver casket. His choice of the silver casket tells us about his vanity and arrogance. Silver stands for conceit, vanity and self-deception which also reflect the three traits of Arragon’s personality. He himself thinks that he deserves Portia and will find her portrait in the casket. He considers silver as a treasure house and feels that he is the one who deserves her rightfully.

e) In the silver casket that he chooses, the Prince of Arragon found a portrait of a blinking idiot along with a scroll. He asks himself in disgust whether he deserved nothing but a fool’s head. He wonders if that is his only prize and are his deserts no better. He immediately remembers the Oath he had taken and accordingly leaves at that very instant without talking or asking any Answers.

Section B - Poetry A Collection of Poems

Answer 3.

a) The poet is enchanted by the woods and calls them lovely, dark and deep. The woods are restful, seductive and lovely like deep sleep. The woods represent sensuous enjoyment, the darkness of ignorance as well as the dark inner self of man. The darkness of the woods stands for mystery. However the poet cannot enjoy the natural scenery in the woods because has promises to keep.

b) ‘Promises’ are the responsibilities and duties that the speaker must perform. Sleep is a well rest after a day long journey. It is a symbolic of a deserved reward which the poet achieves after keeping his promises. Symbolically, sleep could also be interpreted as a metaphor for death or eternal sleep that comes at the end of man’s journey in this world.

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c) Woods are lovely distractions. They are charming and attractive. They can hinder us from doing our duty.

d) The last two lines symbolically mean that he has to live and keep his promises before he can “sleep” permanently in the ‘dark deep woods’.

e) Frost’s poetry is entirely free from conventional and artificial elements. He deals with the life of humble dwellers in the country side with their work, their love and pleasures and their humble joys and sorrows. In the poem there is not a hint of the town. The speaker too is a traveller with his horse drawn carriage. The owner of the woods also lives in a village.

Answer 4.

a) Gold jewellery and ornaments made of gold are referred to in the above extract. The goldsmiths are busy making jewellery items. They are making gold girdles (an ornament worn around the waist) for dancers and scabbards (sheath for a sword) for the king to keep his sword in.

b) Items like wristlet, anklet, rings, and bells for the blue pigeons, girdles and scabbards were on sale. It reflects and refers to the rich segment of the society.

c) The word ‘frail’ refers to the bells made for the blue pigeons’ feet. They are extremely delicate and light weight like that of a delicate wing of the dragonfly. The bells are made frail to enable the pigeons to fly easily without any burden.

d) The figure of speech in the above line is a simile. There is a direct comparison between the bells made for the feet of blue pigeons and the delicate/frail wings of a dragonfly.

e) In this poem, the poet is trying to remind the Indians about the variety of goods available in the traditional bazaars. The goods are meant for the rich and poor. The bazaar has practically everything needed in a city- food items, cosmetics, jewellery, fruits, music and flowers. The poet is persuading the Indians to buy Swadeshi (Indian) goods and boycott foreign goods.

Section C – Prose Collection of Short Stories

Answer 5.

a) The party was hosted by an old banker on an autumn evening.There had been many clever men there, and there had been interesting conversations. Majority of the guests were journalists and intellectuals.The above extract tells us that the host was in a thoughtful and pensive mood.

b) In the opinion of some of them the death penalty ought to be replaced everywhere by imprisonment for life.The majority of the guests disapproved of the death penalty. They

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considered that form of punishment out of date, immoral, and unsuitable for Christian States.

c) In the host’s opinion Capital punishment was more moral and more humane than imprisonment for life. He argued that Capital punishment killed a man at once, but lifelong imprisonment killed him slowly. He believed that lifelong imprisonment dragged the life out of a human in the course of many years.

d) One of the guests observed that death penalty and life-imprisonment have the same object - to take away life. He declared that the State was not God and does not have the right to take away what it cannot restore.

e) A young lawyer of twenty five was of the view that the death sentence and the life sentence were equally immoral, but if he had to choose between the death penalty and imprisonment for life, he would certainly choose the life imprisonment. According to him, to live anyhow was better than not live at all. In my opinion, life imprisonment is better that capital punishment. Some people have written great books while they were in prison. If they were killed, they couldn’t have made that contribution. Sometimes innocent people are held to be guilty. If they are killed they cannot be brought back to life when they are found to be innocent. But if they are in jail, they can be set free.

Answer 6.

The mind governs the body. When the mind is diseased a person may do desperate acts. Some people have hallucinations and imagine hearing strange things that others can’t. Some see strange visions. There are others who are afflicted by imaginary fears. It is a diseased mind that impels a person to commit suicide. Johnsy was such a girl. Her mind was diseased. No doubt she had pneumonia, but she took a strange notion in her mind that she would die with the fall of the last leaf on the ivy vine outside her room. It was autumn and the leaves were falling fast. All her attention was fixed on the leaves. She was counting backward till only few leaved were left on the bare, ivy vine. The doctor rightly suspected that there was evil influence on her mind. She did not want to live. So his medicines could not cure her. He told Sue that if she was able to arouse Johnsy’s interest in life, she would survive.

Johnsy believed that the doctor said that she would not survive but Sue lied to her. She said that doctor said her chances of getting well were ten to one. Sue also said that she would bring some port wine for her. But Johnsy said that she did not want any wine. Sue spoke to old Behrman about Johnsy’s fancy. Behrman said it was nonsense. But he anted to save her at any rate. While Johnsy was asleep the last leaf fell. He thought Johnsy was sure to dies if she did not find the last leaf on the ivy. So while it rained and icy winds blew, old Behrman painted a leaf on the brick wall twenty feet above ground. When Johnsy saw the ivy in the morning, the last leaf was there. She thought it would fall soon. But it stayed where it was. Next morning Johnsy was better. She confessed that it was a wicked thought that she wanted to die. The doctor too said that she would live. She was out of danger. Johnsy wanted some broth and a little milk with a port in it. Now her will to live had come back to her. She said, “Someday I hope to paint the Bay of Naples.” Sue told her that the leaf was not real. Behrman, had painted it, but unfortunately he died.

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Answer 1.

a) ‘You’ is being referred to Bassanio who chose the lead casket and eventually won Portia This poetry was found on a scroll which was contained in the lead casket. Along with it, Bassanio found fair Portia’s counterfeit.

b) Bassanio had to choose from three caskets: gold, silver and lead. on seeing the inscription on gold casket bassanio remarks that the outward shows be least themselves, the world is still deceived with ornament . He means to say that looks are deceptive and can cheat or fool a person. He gives the example of a lawyer whose graceful voice and cover the criminal instead of punishing him. He also gives the example of people who wear beards like Hercules and Mars and potray themselves to be their likes but inwardly they have white livers. On seeing the silver casket he says that it was pale and a common drudge between man and man.

c) Before Bassanio, it was the prince of Morocco who chose the gold casket and the prince of Aaragon, who chose the silver casket. The prince of Morocco said that a base metal like lead could not contain the portrait of Portia and moreover he was of the opinion that a golden mind stoops not to shows of dross. The prince of Aaragon also said that lead was too lowly and worthless. The Moroccan prince found a skull with a scroll in one of it’s eye sockets. The prince of Aaragon found the portrait of an blinking idiot and a scroll in the silver casket.

d) In the law, Bassanio says what plea is so tainted and corrupt but being seasoned with a gracious voice, obscures the show of evil. In religion what damned error but some sober brow , a priest will bless the criminal and approve his sin with a text and hide the grossness with fair ornament For cowards, Bassanio says that there are cowards whose hearts are as false as stairs of sand yet they wear upon their chins the beards of Hercules and frowning Mars. Thus people says that worlds choice gets influenced by views.

e) Bassanio is a spendthrift yet loyal and romantic man. His debts and financial state, and constant asking of money from Antonio show his spendthrift nature. Bassanio is however a true romantic. He borrows money from Antonio just so that he can go to Belmont, and properly present himself as a suitor to woo Portia. His loyalty to both Portia and Antonio is shown in the play. Upon hearing of Antonio‘s state when shylock is going to have the bond forfeit , Bassanio immediately rushes to Venice to see Antonio. Bassanio is also very loyal to Portia as shown by the ring episode.

Answer 2.

a) The reference to Jacob refers to the story of when Jacob was guarding his uncle’s sheep. As payment, Jacob’s uncle promised him all ewes’s and rams born with either

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spots or stripes. Eventually Jacob made all the sheep look at wooden planks which showed sunrays in stripes, causing to give birth to striped sheep. Shylock makes this reference to show that one can make money by being clever. Shylock says that making thrift is not a crime unless you steal it.

b) Yes, I do believe Antonio has reason to beware of Shylock’s false appearance. Antonio knows much how he has mistreated Shylock. He also knows that Jews hate the Christians. Putting this together, he must know that Shylock has some evil, vengeful plan behind his false appearance and show of friendship.

c) Antonio and Bassanio approached Shylock to borrow three thousand ducats. Bassanio requires that amount so that he could go to Belmont and present himself as a suitor for Portia, but Antonio did not have that amount at hand, so he tells Bassanio to go to Venice and get loan on his name. Antonio is a good friend to Bassanio. He has lent money to Bassanio on numerous occasions if Bassanio does not pay it back. He is also willing to borrow money from his enemy, Shylock, for Bassanio’s sake, and later puts his life at risk for it.

d) Antonio has mistreated Shylock many times he has insulted him and his religion in front of his friends and called him a dog or cur. He has spat on him and kicked Shylock at Rialto. Antonio also hates the Jewish race that Shylock belongs to and lowered the rate of interest in Venice by lowering the rate of interest in Venice by lending money free of any interest.

e) I think the clause was conjured up by shylock in the spur of the moment, despite his deep hatred for Antonio, he could never have imagined a scenario where he could possibly get the better Antonio, as Antonio was a well-respected Christian merchant in the Christian city Venice. However, upon finally seeing his chances, Shylock must have thought of the first fatal idea he could imagine: cutting a pound of Antonio’s flesh. This cause sharpens Shylock’s desire for revenge when it is revealed that Antonio is unable to pay the bond. Most of the trial scene hints on shylock’s adamant desire for revenge on Antonio.


Answer 3.

a) “Narrow” Domestic Walls refers to the prejudices and discriminations in the society based on race, colour, creed, gender, religion , etc. They divide society up into many “fragments”.In today’s India, prejudices based on untouchability have led to widespread discrimination against so – called “untouchables”. Female infanticide, gender discrimination.

b) Next, the poet prays for words to come out of the depths of truth. In other words, the poet wishes that everyone would be honest all the time.Honesty is essential for the country‘s progress as it ensures that problem will be fixed by the government. Dishonesty and cheating in the government can lead to many problems.

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c) A metaphor is used to compare “reason” to a clear stream. This shows the poet’s desire for his country to follow a path of rationality. He wants his countrymen to be logical and reasonable, and to go back to the usual “dreary habits”.

d) “THEE” refers to the Almighty God. Thus, the poet desires that his fellow countrymen are led forward into everlasting thought and action by God. He wants his country to be a state of sound reasoning and righteous. He hopes that they, will awake into the heaven of freedom.

e) The first and last lines show that the poet wants his countrymen to free from oppression. He does not want them to have fear of anyone in there. He hopes that they will awake into a “heaven of freedom”. It shows his desire that Indian be free from the oppressive British. The book is ‘Gitanjali’ and it had won Tagore noble prize. It has 157 poems in it.

Answer 4.

a) Life has been compared to a battle. It has compared this way as life is a constant truggle to come out on the top and win. One has constantly struggle through life and face all the difficulties and obstacles like in a battle.

b) “Bivouac” refers to a temporary camp. Here it means the earth, a temporary home for our mortal bodies and immortal souls. According to the poet, one should emerge a hero in the Bivouac of life. Instead of being like everyone, else in the herd of dumb, driven cattle, one should try to do something unique and different.

c) The poet says that we should not trust the future, no matter however pleasant it may seem. The poet also say that we should not reply on the past as the dead past has already buried itself. The poet advises us to live in the present. We should remain faithful to god and let our minds guide us.

d) In the previous stanza, the poet compares our heart to drums that are muffled. Despite them being “stout and brave” and tough, our hearts still beat like drums a funeral march to our grave.

e) According to the poet, we should emulate the live of great men who have made amazing achievement by doing this we can leave “footprints on sand of time” or a mark on history in the same way they have. This action would benefit a forlorn and shipwrecked brother. It would inspire a lost person and make them realize once again that they have a hope in life.

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Answer 5.

a) As the moon rose, Sher Singh immediately noticed the sight of bear tracks in the dust. The frightful shape of the square front paw and the long back one made him glance around uneasily. He had flashback and remembered how once a man had been mauled by a bear and all his face had been torn away by the bears sharp claws.

b) When Sher Singh got tired and fatigued, he decided to take rest on a cliff above a riverbed. He knew he could go no longer further without rest. He lay his burden against the tree and took support as blood returned under his forehead. His rest was short-lived as he heard the heavy movements of elephants near the riverbed. They were heading up the nullah. They were so near that he could see their black backbones, smell them and hear the brush of hide against hide. Prayers after prayers fled like birds when a huge tusker was heading towards Sher Singh, but he soon took a u-turn and Sher Singh was safe.

c) Sher Singh soon reached the first river. He had been there before but that was during the daytime and he very well knew that during that time of the year, he could easily ford it. But his confidence about the river was soon over as he stepped into the water. There was an icy edge to it and in the middle it was deeper than usual. He also had to tread on the water very carefully because of the slime on the stones. He had to feel for foothold and be sure not to fall. The water was waist deep and Sher Singh thought that perhaps the snow water was already melting and coming down.

d) After crossing the first bridge, Sher Singh was very tired. But the thought of the kutcha, impermanent bridge at the second river made his spirit drive faster than his body. From this we know that Sher Singh is a very chivalrous young boy and he is a fighter.

e) In my view, the second river was the most perilous hurdle that Sher Singh encountered in his journey. He had expected there to be a kutcha, impermanent bridge over the river which would help him easily cross it. But to his utter dismay all he could hear was the steady roar of a flood and the bridge had submerged. Just then a huge uprooted tree, which had rolled down a steep waterfall, banged into the drowning bridge with a crash. A loud tearing sound was heard and the bridge was broken. Sher Singh could not swim through the flooded river and the load made it almost impossible. He decided to find his way among the wreck of the bridge. He set his brother down and gave him some river water to drink. Then he plaited some grass and made a rope to keep them together in the deafening flood. They moved forward despite all obstacles, feeling in the darkness for things to hold. The flood water deafened him, and timber banged and bruised him, but he went on and on. Finally, they reached a better road and were safe.

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Answer 6.

The Nightingale came to September when she was heartbroken and mourning the death of her parrot. The Nightingale cheered her up and offered to take the parrot’s place. September was happy to find such a nice companion. She decided to share her joy with her sister. The bird sang a song to each of her sisters. The king and the queen also admired the bird.

The bird was a free creature. He flew in the blue sky and enjoyed the beauty of nature. His freedom and experience in the free, open air inspired him to sing ever new songs which he sang to September every day. Their friendship was based on mutual trust and love. The friend flew into September’s room, sang to her and flew back. September never suspected that he would not come back. But September’s sister did not like Nightingale because their parrots could not sing. They could only repeat a few words. They advised September to put him in a cage. Unless she did so she could not be sure of him.

Though September did not like the idea but she thought there was some wisdom in what they said. May be the bird took fancy of someone else and might not return. There could be danger to his life. There were men with snares. So, when the bird came back, she caught him and hurriedly put him in a cage.

The Nightingale had never suspected such a breach of faith at September’s hands. He protested. But September assured him that she was doing it just to protect him from the royal cats. But when she did not release him the next morning, the bird was depressed. September’s sisters approved of her action.

The bird could not sing, and was about to die. September realized that freedom was essential for him.

She thought it was wicked of her to be selfish as to have the bird all to herself at the cost of his freedom. True friendship requires sacrifice and mutual trust. She let the bird go. She promised that she would never be so selfish again, and he would be free to fly in and fly out of her room any time. The bird too trusted her and he kept his words. He always came back with new songs.

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Answer 1.

a) Antonio is a rich merchant, living in Venice. He is of a melancholic nature and forms the centre around which the title of the drama revolves. Antonio is conversing with two of his Venetian friends Salanio and Salarino.

b) Antonio is probably sad about his merchandise. He is anxious and worried about his business of carrying goods to various countries all around the world. He fears about the safety of his ships due to the merchant-marring rocks and the perils of the water and the land. His mind is ‘tossing on the ocean’ as said by Salarino there where his ships are sailing to their destination. But basically, it is his tendency of acquiring a melancholic nature which makes him sad.

c) Salarino, giving reasons for Antonio’s sadness says that, his mind in tossing on the ocean, there where his rich argosies with portly (stately) sail, or as if they were the seigniors and rich burghers of the flood (respectable citizens of the sea). His ships have been described majestically as if they were the pageants (processions) of the sea that over peered and overlooked the petty traffickers (small ships) that curtsying to them, did them reverence. Thus, their moving up and down on the flood meant that they bowed in respect to Antonio’s richly laden ships that carried expensive and valuable items of great value.

d) Salarino give reasons for Antonio’s melancholy and says that even if he had ventures or ships sailing abroad, he would fear every object that would create misfortune for his ventures. His wind (breath) cooling his broth (soup) would blow him to an ague and he would shiver with fright to imagine what harm a great wind at sea, would do to his ships. If he would see the sandy hour-glass run, he would be reminded of the fatal sand flats, the quicksand and the banks and how his wealthy Andrew would be docked in sand, vailing her high tops lower than his ribs. He would see the holy edifice of stone at church, and he reminded of the merchant-marring dangerous rocks at sea, which on touching his gentle vessel’s (ship) side, would scatter all the spices being carried by it and enrobe the roaring water with her silk. Thus the cargo, which was so valuable just a moment ago, would then be worth nothing.

e) Later in the play, when Antonio is not able to raise three thousand ducats to fair his dear friend, Bassanio, to Belmont to woo Portia, he enters into a deadly bond with Shylock, the Jew. Shylock had been Antonio’s sworn enemy not only because he was a Christian but also for all the humiliations and racial discriminations that had been inflicted upon him like spitting upon him and kicking him like a dog on the Rialto, scorning the Jewish race. Further, since Antonio lent out money gratis, it brought down the rate of usance of

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other merchants in Venice. Thus seeing the opportunity, as the one to avenge himself on Antonio, Shylock and he sign a bond that if Antonio failed to pay the three thousand ducats at the decided place and time, the forfeit would be nominated for an equal pound of flesh to be cut out from him from whichever part of the body pleased Shylock. Despite being confident then about his ventures, Antonio is proved terribly wrong and he suffers great loss at sea. ‘His estate became very low, his creditors grew cruel, he had no money to pay back the borrowed three thousand ducats and his bond to the Jew is forfeited. So, he had to be tried in the Venetian court of law to confess the bond and let Shylock take out a pound of flesh from nearest to Antonio’s heart.

Answer 2

a) Salarino is talking to his friend Salanio, in Venice.Earlier they were talking about Shylock, the Jewish moneylender.Shylock’s daughter, Jessica had eloped with a Christian, Lorenzo and stole away all the jewels, precious stones, two sealed bags of ducats and double ducats, a diamond and turquoise (that Shylock had from Leah, a memento of his courtship). This act was greatly condemned by him, which made him go mad. With a passion strange, confused, variable and outrageous the ‘dog Jew’ cried about in the Venetian streets for justice, his daughter and money, with children following him. He even went to search them in Antonio’s ship but they were not found and so with raised out cries Shylock raised the Duke.

b) Antonio is the ‘kinder gentlemen’. Salarino says that a man kinder than him is so noble that he shall not tread the earth. Bassanio, along with Gratiano, set forth to sail towards Belmont to woo Portia and to take the test of the lottery of caskets so that Bassanio could marry her. Antonio was still in Venice. They both were the best of friends. So, Antonio and Bassanio part as he boards the ship to leave for Belmont.

c) (i) When Bassanio leaves for Belmont, and says that he would make some haste of his return to Venice, Antonio tells him ‘Slubber not business for my sake’. Thus, he advises Bassanio not to haste or rush through his marriage or courtship for his sake. (ii) Antonio advises Bassanio to ‘stay till the very ripening of the time’, that is, to wait patiently till the right time arrives. So he tells him to remain in Belmont and pay all his attention, employ his chiefs thoughts to courtship and such fair ostents (displays) of love and be merry, cheerful without worrying about him.

d) Antonio tells Bassanio that for the Jew’s (Shylock’s) bond that he had with him, it should not enter into his mind of love. Instead Bassanio should employ his chiefest thoughts and focus on courtship and such fair ostents of love as shall conveniently become him them and bring credit for him. According to the bond which was a one-sided bond, only signed by Antonio with Shylock, if he would fail to pay the fixed amount of money (three thousand ducats borrowed from Shylock) at the fixed time and place, then the forfeit would be nominated

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for an equal (exact) pound of flesh from whichever part of the body pleased Shylock (nearest his heart). This was the kindness he offered, just for the sake of some merry sport. It was a fatal one which demanded Antonio’s life.

e) When Salarino makes the speech, it demonstrated the true, deep-rooted friendship and bond of love that was shared by Antonio and Bassanio. Antonio truly loved Bassanio and was ready to give up his own life to fulfill Bassanio’s needs of furnishing him to Belmont to fair Portia. He was a dear friend who was ready to sacrifice everything, his purse, person and extremest means for Bassanio. It also shows Antonio’s generosity and how much he depended on Bassanio for moral support. When he clasps his hand with an arondorously sensible affection and eyes big with tears before they part, it shows his selfless love for his dear friend. Besides he is concerned enough by advising him not let his bond enter Bassanio’s mind of love that should focus on his lottery of caskets. Thus, he is truly the ‘kinder gentleman that treads not the earth’.


Answer 3.

a) The speaker Professor Sheth has three sons. One is a Sales Manager, another a Bank Manager and both have cars. The Professor’s third son is also doing well but he is not as rich as the other two sons. So he is considered as the ‘black sheep of the family’ who brings dishonour and shame to his family by bringing down their name. This reveals the typical mentality of Indians of judging a person by the extent of their managerial jobs and considering economic success (income) at the right parameter to judge men. Further, having a car, was considered as a luxury and it showed that such a man demanded respect from the society. No importance was given to knowledge, education.

b) The speaker, Professor Sheth tells that his health is okay, quite manageable with usual aches and pains. But he does not suffer from diabetes, heart attack and blood pressure. However due to his old age, his is rarely able to move out, only now and then. He attributes his good health to the sound habits in his youth. He might have led quite a simple and natural life as a youth, and had he not been addicted to drugs, smoking or drinking that could lower his self-esteem.

c) The Professor’s previously been geography student is being talked about when the says that ‘Now you are a man of weight and consequence.’ The figure of speech used in the sentence for poetic effect is a Metaphor. In the previous line a Simile is being used to show that previously the student looked thin like a stick. However in the next line, he indirectly compares his student to a fat man. This is symbolic of the fact that now; his student has become an important and influential part of the society. Thus, he is called as a ‘man of weight and consequence’.

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d) The three examples of Indian English used in the poem are ‘Our progress is progressing’, ‘whole world is changing. In India also we are keeping up.’,‘Old values are going, new values are coming’ and ‘Everything is happening with leaps and bounds’. The error in three sentences is the wrong use of the Present Continuous Tense. When he says that our progress is progressing, he means to say that India is also progressing. Old values are being replaced by new westernized cultures and traditions are being lost. The pace is so fast, that everything happens with leaps and bounds. Thus things are changing with the blink of an eye. India too is keeping up with the advancements in the world.

e) ‘The Professor’ is a Satire to the Indians who boast of speaking English and keep on rambling illogically. Some are really narrow-minded and ridiculous and they consider economic success more important than knowledge and academic excellence. Further they confine the lives of girls to the four walls of the house and are conservative to simply marry them off to economically well-off boys. Cars were symbolic of a person being financially sound. Instead of talking about studies, the professor makes himself ridiculous by talking about his family, eleven grandchildren and ironically states that he is in favour of family planning. He makes several errors while speaking English and shifts to the topic health. He is quite funny when he talks of not suffering diabetes, blood pressure, heart attack and hoping to score a century. In the end he concludes by making a statement that his ‘humble residence’ is on the ‘opposite houses’ back side’ which is quite humourous. Also, instead of the student’s recognition, he introduces himself.

Answer 4.

a) It was daytime, the sun was shining bright in the sky and yet the soldier boy was feeling cold. Hence he says that it might be fatigue because of which he might be getting old. Actually, he was losing consciousness and his senses were becoming weak as he was about to die. At that moment, the soldier was sitting calmly on the ground under the tree on the battlefield where the long, devastating war had been fought, in Asia, Vietnam. He was beckoning the narrator.

b) In the beginning, the speaker describes the scene where everything had been destroyed. The battle had been long, hard and lasted throughout the night and scores of figures lay on the ground still (dead) by morning’s light. There were deep, big craters and several lifeless bodies lying on the ground. Also there had been a bomb explosion in the nights, on the mountain’s crest, which caused the destruction.

c) The soldier boy seeked a sip of water from his canteen to aid his wound. He felt a small pain in his chest due to the bomb explosion. To cure his pain, the soldier smiled as brightly as he could and asked for some help. Further he had endured appalling conditions on the battlefield when there was neither food, water nor anyone to provide any aid, for long hours.The large stain on the soldier’s shirt captured the narrator’s

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attention. It was all reddish-brown from the soldier’s warm blood (that oozed through the wound) mixed in the Asian dirt and soil.

d) It was eminent to the soldier that he was going to die. He was losing consciousness, his senses were becoming weak and he was being engulfed in darkness. The pain he felt in his chest was intense. He felt fatigued as if he was getting old for sun was shining bright and yet he felt cold. As he winced up at the sun, despite the day’s beginning to him, it was growing dark and dim. Further he also said that he thought before he travelled on, he would get some rest. The soldier suffers from mental and psychological agony when he thinks about his family. He says that it was silly that a man like him so full of vim and zest could be defeated by a small pain in his chest. His wife could never imagine that her man so full and grown would be too weak to stand alone. His mother, never thought as she held him to his breast, that his son would be sitting ‘HERE’ one day due to a small pain in his chest.

e) When the soldier boy died quietly from the small pain in his chest, the speaker was greatly disturbed. He was unaware of the emotional turmoil that took over him, cried and pulled the soldier by his side. He felt their wounds to be pressed, that large on in his heart (emotional pain) against the small one in his chest (physical pain). The large ache in his heart refers to the greater guilt on the part of humanity that cannot give up wars. Such battles have long-lasting and profound effects on the soldiers who serve in the army and battle it out on the front. They suffer from immense and intense physical, mental and psychological agony. Yet, they never fail to show their true spirits with a smile and give up their life for a noble cause. The poet has humanized soldiers by bringing out the pathos, miseries, fear and trauma they suffer from the war. Loneliness haunts them and the war takes a serious toll on their lives, sooner or later.


Answer 5

a) Some unknown jungle sense made him hesitate between one step and the next. Suddenly, he saw a cobra sunning itself in the last of daylight, spreading its hood to show the beautiful spectacle mark on its neck. But the creature of metallic scales, poison in its teeth, swaying and tongue playing in and out like a leech only wanted to get back. Sher Singh stepped back and stood frozen. The snake contracted, hissed, slowly subsided and slid off into the matted grass. In his mind, Sher Singh had a plan that if he could simply cross the rivers that lay between him in Laldwani and his goal, in Kalaghat’s hospital, he could get some lift in a broken-down truck or a cart for the last part of his journey, where for immemorial centuries there had been nothing but ox and pony. But not there, where the path was rutted with cart-wheels and his feet sank into the silk-soft dust.

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b) At night when the stars blazed and the sky blushed purple and black, Sher Singh had travelled quite some distance. So he decided to rest on a cliff over the river-bed, outside the ravine and above it. As Sher Singh let down his burden, Kunwar, slowly against a tree, he felt intense pain. His muscles thrilled with pain as they shrunk to their original positions because they were pressed due to Kunwar’s weight and where the band had pressed his forehead, the blood returned underneath. Thus Sher Singh was fatigued, exhausted and did not have the strength to move any further.

c) While Sher Singh rested, he heard the snorting and trumpeting of the trunks of a herd of elephants in the distance that was approaching them. As the herd came nearer, Sher Singh could see the dark oily flow of musth discharge on his cheeks. Under such conditions, the elephants (Bulls along with the babies and cows) could kill and chase anyone, where he might not bother about anything. At one point, the seemed so near that Sher Singh could smell them, hear the squeaking of sand underneath their feet and the rubbing of rough hides as they brushed past each other. This aggression made him chilled with fright. With Kunwar to carry, Sher Singh could neither run nor climb up the hill. Further creaming could do nothing but bring catastrophe upon him. Thus it would be difficult to escape the situation and so, prayer after prayer fled up like birds from his frightened spirit.

d) Sher Singh had expected to easily cross the first river because he had often been there by day. And he knew that, at that point of the year, before the snow water came gushing down like boiling green milk, he could easily cross it. But as he stepped into it, the water was colder than usual; it had an icy edge to it. In the middle it was deeper. He had to feel for the foot-hold in the waist-deep waters and be sure not to fall due to the slime on the stones. The thought of the presence of kutcha impermanent bridge at the second river made his spirit drive faster than him. Rings of bamboo had been driven into the river-bed,filled with stones and then some more bamboos to make the piers.It was then laced with grass and surfaced with river-gravel.

e) The primeval jungle in which the struggle of vegetation and of life continued, presented a number of challenges to the boy. Luxuriant bamboos sprang fast from its nodules, impenetrable thorn thickets fought for air and undergrowth the scrub and grass. This made it difficult for the boy to pass through. Also there were a number of animals that lived in this jungle. Monkeys, raucaous peacocks, tigers, panthers, bear and elephants. Moreover, the beasts of prey posed more danger to humans and to domestic animals now than before because the deer were now so poached and decimated.

Answer 6.

It is natural tendency to borrow money from our friends. People lend money to their near and dear ones, when the latter are in need. However, what is painful about

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this act is the fact that while in the human memory stays surprisingly strong in the lender’s case; it diminishes with time in the case of the borrower. We see in the story that whenever the narrator meets his friend, his mind is preoccupied with the thought of the one dollar he has lent to his friend, and much of his conversation is also guided by the same thought. Ironically, he himself says that he might have forgotten to return the money borrowed from others. In the chapter My Lost Dollar by Stephan Leacock, the narrator’s friend, Major Todd, was leaving for Bermuda on a holiday for three weeks. He needed a dollar in change to pay his taxi. The narrator lent the dollar to him. It was about a year ago, and the narrator even remembers the exact date on which he lent the money to his friend. But his friend meets him frequently, and he is as frank and friendly as ever, but he does not seem to remember that he borrowed a dollar from the narrator and that he ought to pay him. The narrator is thinking about the dollar all the time. When Todd writes a letter to the narrator from Bermuda, the narrator expects to find a dollar enclosed with the letter. But he is disappointed. Todd has written about the weather at Bermuda but he does not even mention the dollar. When Todd returns from Bermuda, the narrator meets him at the rain. He suggests that they had better take a taxi to reach the club. He suggests taking taxi on purpose. His aim is to remind Todd of the dollar he borrowed to pay his taxi. But Todd does not take the hint. The narrator does not let go any opportunity to remind Todd of the dollar. But Todd is such a good friend that narrator has not the heart to ask him to return the loan. He just gives indirect hints. Perhaps he cannot afford to displease Todd. After all a dollar is an insignificant sum of either of them. Though the narrator wants his dollar back, he would not tell Todd to return it. But the narrator suddenly realizes that there might be many of friends who lent him a little money on some occasion. But like Todd he does not remember who his creditors are. He wants them to speak up. But he is afraid that their number might be so big that he won’t be able to pay them all at once. So he wants to make a list of them, and pay them by and by. Then he thinks that he needs not repay all of them. He intends to pay only those who lent him a dollar just as he lent one to Todd to pay his taxi when he was leaving for Bermuda. It is human nature to remember the money they lend, but forget the money they borrow. Thus lending or borrowing money is the surest way to destroy relationships.

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Answer 1.

a) When Antonio and Bassanio request Portia to take the three thousand ducats, originally to pay Shylock’s bond, Portia flatly refuses to take it. Being disguised as the judge, Portia says that he is well paid that is satisfied. Since he was satisfied in delivering Antonio from the bond, he accounts himself to be well paid. His mind was never mercenary and so as respect, he simply requests Antonio to recognise him when they meet again. Bassanio insists that Portia should take some remembrance of / from them, as a token of gratitude (tribute) and not fee. He feels to push his request further and tell her to grant him two things from them, not to deny this and pardon him.

b) Portia requests Antonio to give his pair of gloves that she should wear. She tells Bassanio to give her the ring that he had worn on his finger and that he should not draw back his hand, out of his love and respect for the judge. Gratiano gives away his ring to Nerrisa, the judge’s clerk. Gratiano tries to justify his action, when asked about it by Nerrisa, by saying that the judge’s clerk had begged it as a fee for taking some pains in writing. He was a scrubbed boy, a prating clerk who could not be denied at all by Gratiano.

c) Bassanio hesitates to comply with Portia’s request by first excusing that he would not shame himself to do so. Then, he revealed that there was no value on it than it ppeared. It was given by his wife with a vow to never sell, give away or part with it. He instead offers to buy the dearest ring in Venice by proclamation and give it to the clerk. Later, on Antonio’s request, out of love and respect for the judge who had saved the life of his dearest friend, Bassanio being beset with shame and courtesy, could not let ingratitude besmear his honour. So, he gave the ring to the judge.

d) When Portia first gave Bassanio the ring during the marriage, he vowed never to sell, give away, lose or part with the ring. He also promised saying that if it ever parted from his finger, then parted life and Portia should be bold enough to exclaim that Bassanio was dead. In the last scene, Antonio’s convinces Portia that from then onwards, Bassanio would never break any marriage oath. He says that he had once risked his soul and body to pay Bassanio’s debt and the judge had saved him. Now, since that judge had taken away the ring, Antonio was ready to become a surety for Bassanio and agreed to forfeit his same body and soul, which had been previously risked, if ever Bassanio broke a vow.

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e) When Portia and Nerrisa reveal that they had their husband’s rings, all are dumbfounded. It is then that Portia reveals that she had been the lawyer who saved Antonio. She gives the letter from Padua, from his cousin Doctor Bellario which signified that Portia was the doctor of law, Nerrisa her clerk. Lorenzo and Jessica would inform them that they felt as soon as their husbands had returned just then, they had not entered their house. Portia further revealed to Antonio that she had strangely chanced upon a letter which that three of his argosies had come back to the harbour in Venice, richly laden with profits. Since Portia had fought the case and saved Antonio, he says that she had given him life and living. Nerrisa, without charging anything as a fee, had good news for Lorenzo and Jessica. The rich Jew, Shylock, had recorded a deed of gift regarding all properties and wealth that he possessed, would be given to them when he died. This is presented to Lorenzo and Jessica.

Answer 2.

a) When Antonio confessed the bond with Shylock in the Venetian court of law and Portia failed to drive away Shylock from his envious plea for justice, Shylock insisted upon his bond. So Portia tells Antonio to lay bear his bosom and prepare himself for Shylock’s knife. She asks if Antonio wished to say anything. So, Antonio speaks these lines to Bassanio. Antonio, as his last wish, takes Bassanio’s hand and tells him to grieve or felt guilty that he had incurred their losses and sacrificed his life for his dear friend.

b) According to Antonio, who personifies fortune, he calls it her usual custom to let the poor man outlive his wealth and see the ruin of his life and property, with hollow eyes and wrinkled brow, let the man live an age of poverty. Antonio feels that fortune is being kind to him that is her usual custom as she is cutting him off from the lingering penance (Prolonged suffering). He feels lucky to die in a manner where he shall not live in poverty.

c) Antonio tells Bassanio to commend himself to his honourable wife, Portia, to speak him fair at his death and when the tale is told about the process of Antonio’s end, bid Portia to be the judge and let her decide whether Bassanio once had a love. He further tells Bassanio not to regret that he was fallen to this for you and not to repent that he had best of a friend because of his act and foolishness. In turn, Antonio tells that he would not repent for paying his friend’s debt because if Shylock cut his flesh deep enough, he would instantly pay him with all his heart.

d) After the extract, Bassanio says that he had a wife, Portia, who was his life itself. But his wife, his life and even the entire world could not occupy a position above Antonio. He offered to sacrifice all of them for the sake of his friendship. Gratiano protested by saying that he loved his wife, Nerrisa with all his heart. To save Antonio, he offered to sacrifice

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by wishing that Nerrisa were dead (in the heaven) so that she could entreat some heavenly power to intervene and curb Shylock’s cruel devil. Shylock reacted by saying that, that was what Christian husbands had to say about their wives! His daughter, Jessica, too had eloped with a Christian husband, Lorenzo. He wished that his, daughter would rather be married to a stock of Barrabas (a notorious criminal) than these cruel Christian husbands who did not care about their wives.

e) Antonio and Bassanio shared a deep-rooted love and feeling for each other. On hearing about Antonio’s ruined estate, Bassanio immediately marries Portia in Belmont and hurries towards Venice. He also offers to sacrifice his flesh, blood and bones before he loses a drop of blood through his fault. Next, he offers to sacrifice his hands, heart and head if ten times the three thousand ducats did not suffice Shylock’s malice. He keeps on pressing the judge to wrest the law once and save Antonio. Antonio shows his friendship by readily agreeing to give up his life for the fulfillment of the bond. He does not hesitate and even when he prepared his bosom for Shylock’s knife, he told Bassanio not to grieve that he was fallen to this for him. He told Bassanio not to repent about his death and Antonio did not repent that he paid his debt. Even while dying, he is concerned about Bassanio and tells him to commend his love to Portia.


Answer 3.

a) The poet requests not to tell him in mournful numbers and sorrowful verses regarding the lamentation and futility of life that it was simply an empty dream, a meaningless illusion. To him, the soul that slumbers and spends his life aimlessly is already dead as it does not reflect the true nature of humans. He later says that life is real and earnest and grave is not its goal. According to a Biblical reference God pronounced the ‘Law of Death’ on Adam and Eve condemning them that ‘Dust thou art, and to dust thou returnest’. Thus man’s body would return back to ashes just as it was made from clay, but not the soul.

b) According to the poet, ‘Art is long and time is fleeting.’ He compares his life to a piece of artwork. He wants to convey that the work or task assigned to us is too demanding and long, and time is fleeting, flying and passing by leaving us bewildered. Under such conditions, it negatively impacts the human body because our hearts, although are stout and brave, still like muffled drums are beating funeral marches to the grave, reminding us about death.

c) The poet conveys that neither sorrow (wordly pains) nor enjoyment (material pleasures) is our destined end or way. But it is to act today and work hard, that we brighten our future and our tomorrow finds us farther than today. Thus the poet urges us to live and act in the living present for a better tomorrow. He advises us to let the dead past bury it

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and forget it, and trust no future, however pleasant, as it is yet unborn and unknown.

d) The poet strongly advocates bravery and heroic action in life by comparing our life to the world’s broad battlefield, where every man has to play his part as a soldier, in the given time and battle it out. We are temporary soldiers in the bivouac of life. So he urges us not to be like dumb-driven cattle (referring to the meek and submissive people) but to be a hero in the strife of life. He asserts that we should have the capability to fight and struggle in life, learn to be a master of our own decision and acts.

e) According to the poet, one can draw motivation from other people. He tells us that we should be reminded about noble people who teach us that like great men; even we can make our lives sublime and departing, leave behind our footprints in the sands of time. These footprints refer to the milestones of achievements and setting inspiring examples behind us. The poet asks us to act as inspiration for others. He convinces us that in life, one must leave behind footprints in the sand of time, that perhaps another forlorn ad shipwrecked, ruined and disheartened brother, sailing over life’s solemn main (ocean of life) shall see us and take heart again, gain hope and confidence, rebuild and stand up again to fight in life.

Answer 4.

a) The poet believes that we humans can claw into the earth’s belly, dig deep into the earth’s crust, pickup the priceless gems, natural resources and metals and adorn (enrich) ourselves with these priceless gems. Here, clawing into the earth’s belly signifies putting in labour bit by bit to find the resources to enrich one. These resources refer to the intellectual, social and traditional values which enable her to accomplish her dreams or in what she believes.

b) If a pebble is thrown upwards, it will pierce the heavens and thus one can see the angels at play. Taken on a deep, symbolic level, the pebble thrown upwards symbolises the innumerable efforts made by man to achieve his desires. The poetess says that with the right conviction and effort, one can attain the unachievable goals and heaven-like comfort and satisfaction. On a spiritual level, it means raising our conscience to another level and being one among God, just like angels, which represent the goals.

c) The poetess talks about the capability of facing challenges, with a strong will-power and determination when she talks about ‘I can dive into the depths’. She believes that she can dive right into the depths and swim with the sharks. Here, the depths represent the ocean of life. The sharks symbolise the difficulties, hurdles and obstacles one must face in life. The poetess believes that she can face the challenges in the ocean of life and cross all hurdles, achieving success in the end.

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d) The poetess believes that she can do many things, accomplish many goals amidst the human angels, surrounded by the world’s treasures. ‘Human angels’ are the saintly people who have dedicated their lives for the good of humanity. The speaker calls them so as they work without nay selfish motives. ‘The world’s and life’s treasures’ symbolise the various intellectual and cultural resources, values and traditions. She believes that she can attain the heights following that path of great people surrounded by her values. The stanza shows the principle of inter-dependence. It states that earth can become a heaven-like blissful place to live in if all the humans follow the righteous path.

e) The use of Anaphora is beautifully described in the poem. Every stanza begins with the words ‘I believe’ which shows the poetess dreams and aspires. ‘I can’ conveys the capabilities in her and her strong determination and dedication that she can achieve what she believes in. This demonstrates the psychological principle of self-belief and the innumerable capacities man has been endowed with. In the concluding stanza of the poem, the emphasis shifts when the poetess says that ‘I firmly believe’. Here, her dream has turned into a strong conviction, a firm belief that cannot be changed. She is well aware of her duties and obligations in life and knows that before venturing into the accomplishment of her goals, she has to complete the task of her goals, she has to complete the task assigned to her, here as a woman, on earth where she dreams, breathes and lives in reality.


Answer 5.

a) Alagu was decided upon to be the head-panch of the Panchayat case involving Jumman Sheikh and his maternal aunt, who was not being well looked after as mentioned in the deed. Holding the balance equal, Alagu made mincemeat of Jumman in his cross-examination and every Answer he thundered out felt like a blow of a hammer. In the end, Alagu gave the verdict against his friend saying that Jumman must give a monthly allowance out of the realization of the aunt’s property lest the deed transferring her land to him would be deemed void. Thus, Jumman was stunned as the words fell on his ears like a thunderbolt. His friend, to him, had suddenly turned into a bitter enemy. A single blast of truth had snapped their bonds of friendship. The tree of friendship that they had planted together, its roots instead of going deep into the ground were sorely shaken and loosely held in sand. They became sworn enemies and if ever they met, it was like a sword meeting the shield.

b) Alagu had purchased the pair of bullocks, the previous year, from the Bateshwar fair.

With their western breed, beautiful long curved horns and their fat, strong, fresh appearance of the bullocks became the envy of the village. As ill luck would have it, one of the bullocks died soon after the Panchayat which further intensified the conflict between Jumman and Alagu. Jumman said that God’s punishment had overridden Alagu for his treacherous conduct of passing the judgement against his

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friend. Alagu suspected that Jumman had poisoned the bullock to death. His wife went about, openly accusing Jumman of the crime. The two viragos went about and hurled abuses at one another, coming out of the house. Their husbands dragged them away from the battlefield with great difficulty and Alagu had to wield his stick to quiten the other woman.

c) Alagu sold the other bullock to Samjhu Sahu the cart-driver who carried on business

transactions between the village and town selling commodities. After a trial, Samjhu Sahu purchased the bullock on the understanding that he would pay the price of the bullock, two hundred and fifty rupees, after a month to Alagu. Sahu greatly ill-treated the bullock. Finding the bullock strong and hefty, he overworked it. Unlike proper care and rest at Alagu’s place, the bullock was on the unceasing rounds of trips to and fro the village. Three trips to the town were now its daily routine, sometimes even four. It was hardly allowed to take its rest. In a month, it was reduced to a skeleton. If the bullock, although tired and tottered from the day’s work, could not move any further, a shower of invariable blows of the stick from Sahu were rained upon it. Once, despite being jaded and wearied out from three trips, it was loaded with twice the normal weight for its fourth trip. It could not move more than a few yards and collapsed. Sahu rained down his blows until death came as a welcome release to the bullock.

d) Due to the death of the bullock and losses suffered by Samjhu Sahu and his wife due to theft, they had lost all their life’s earnings. After a month, Alagu went to them to ask for the price of the bullock, which made them fly at him like mad people. They were infuriated and accused him of selling a dead beast in an evil hour. Telling him to wash his face in dirty water, they said that they were true banias. They refused to pay the price of the bullock and told Alaguto use theirs for two months and return it. Nevertheless, Alagu could not forgo the sum once when Sahu’s tongue was unusually sharp, even Alagu lost his temper. Sahu’s wife, secure in womanhood, attempted to attack him but Alagu hit back with great zeal. This ultimately led to an elaborate quarrel and people of the village supported their contention, rallied vigorously canvassed and met for the second Panchayat.

e) Jumman Sheikh, who had been Alagu’s enemy since the firs Panchayat, became the head-panch in his case. Sitting in that position, he knew that he had to hold the balance even, sift right from wrong, not allow his personal feelings to swerve him one hair’s path from truth and not utter anything which would be remotely construed unfair. Going into the depth of consideration, Jumman examined and pronounced the verdict in favour of Alagu, that he was entitled to the full price of the bullock for at the time that it was sold, it did not suffer from any defect. The death of the bullocks was caused due to want of proper care. Alagu was in no wise to blame and it was completely upto him whether Sahu should be fined. Despite being an enemy, Alagu was pleased with Jumman’s sense of fairness and justice. Jumman then came and apologized to him saying that justice knew neither friendship nor enemity. The panch spoke the voice of

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god and the tears that the two friends shed that day washed away all the dirt and misunderstanding, the withered creeper of their friendship became green again and they reconciled.

Answer 6.

It is natural tendency to borrow money from our friends. People lend money to their near and dear ones, when the latter are in need. However, what is painful about this act is the fact that while in the human memory stays surprisingly strong in the lender’s case; it diminishes with time in the case of the borrower. We see in the story that whenever the narrator meets his friend, his mind is preoccupied with the thought of the one dollar he has lent to his friend, and much of his conversation is also guided by the same thought. Ironically, he himself says that he might have forgotten to return the money borrowed from others. In the chapter My Lost Dollar by Stephan Leacock, the narrator’s friend, Major Todd, was leaving for Bermuda on a holiday for three weeks. He needed a dollar in change to pay his taxi. The narrator lent the dollar to him. It was about a year ago, and the narrator even remembers the exact date on which he lent the money to his friend. But his friend meets him frequently, and he is as frank and friendly as ever, but he does not seem to remember that he borrowed a dollar from the narrator and that he ought to pay him. The narrator is thinking about the dollar all the time. When Todd writes a letter to the narrator from Bermuda, saying that the temperature was nearly upto 100. This disappointed the narrator as he expected to find a dollar enclosed with the letter. When Todd returns from Bermuda, the narrator meets him at the railway station. He makes various attempts to remind Todd of the dollar which he had borrowed. He suggests that they had better take a taxi to reach the club. He suggests taking taxi on purpose. His aim is to remind Todd of the dollar he borrowed to pay his taxi. But Todd does not take the hint. Next he asked him what was the currency used in Bermuda and whether the American dollar went at par with it. He put emphasis on the ‘American dollar’ so as to remind Todd of his loan. Sometime later he asked him what his trip had cost to which Todd said he kept no account. With the last attempt to remind him of the dollar the narrator asked if he felt settled down after his trip to which his friend replied that he had practically forgotten about it. The narrator finds ironical that Todd should comment on Poland which would never pay her debts when he himself was in the same habit. However, Todd is such a good friend that narrator has not the heart to ask him to return the loan. He just gives indirect hints. Perhaps he cannot afford to displease Todd. After all a dollar is an insignificant sum of either of them. Thus, the chapter ‘My Lost Dollar’ by Stephan Leacock, presents an amusing account of the author’s efforts to retrieve a dollar lent to his friend Todd.

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Answer 1.

a) Antonio is addressing Bassanio. The speaker refers to Shylock as the devil. Bassanio needed three thousand ducats to go to Belmont in order to woo his lady love Portia. Antonio, whom Bassanio asks for money is unable to supply the present wants of his friend. So Antonio asks Bassanio to borrow money from someone for which Antonio shall be bound. Bassanio goes to Shylock to borrow money. So, Bassanio is with Shylock deciding and talking about the terms of the loan.

b) Antonio insults Shylock’s practice of charging interest on his loans. So Shylock gives example of Jacob and Laban. Jacob was an undeserving heir to the property. His mother deceived Abraham, the rightful heir and made Jacob the heir. Laban gave some ewes and rams to Jacob and said that all the eanlings which were streaked or pied would fall as Jacob’s hire. During the mating season, Jacob placed planks in front of the sheep, so when she conceived she would give birth to streaked or pied babies and so fall as Jacob’s hire. Shylock says it was his way of business and there was nothing wrong in it. Similarly, the interest which he charged on his loan was his way of expanding business. So, Shylock had produced a holy witness to substantiate his argument of charging interest.

c) Antonio reminds Bassanio of the goodly falsehood outside has. He says a devil like shylock can cite scriptures from the bible .He further says that Shylock was like a villain with a smiling cheek and compared to the goodly apple rotten at the core.

d) By using the word ‘barren metal’ Antonio refers to the interest charged by Shylock on the money he gave as loans. Here, Antonio gives a classic example of Anti-usury and says that since when did friends start taking an interest as profit on the unproductive money lent to friends.

e) Bassanio says, “You shall not sign such a bond for me, I’d rather dwell in my necessity” to Antonio. By this, he was trying to prevent Antonio from signing the bond with its cruel terms. Shylock says that with a light heart they should sign a bond. He says that if the sum, expressed is not paid back on a particular day then he (Antonio) should be facing some repercussions. He says that after three months if Antonio was unable to pay back the money to Shylock, he should be entitled to a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. So, Bassanio refuses to Antonio and requests him not to sign such a cruel bond for him.

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Answer 2.

a) The speaker is Antonio. Shylock in the trial scene wants to somehow hurt Antonio and does his best to get the pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. So, Antonio who has given up hope persuades Bassanio to stop trying to change the heart of Shylock. And moreover, he calls himself a tainted weather, i.e. a diseased sheep of the flock and so he must die earlier lest he should disease others too.

b) Shylock says he had an oath in heaven. He says that he owned the pound of flesh. It was his and so he would have it. Referring to the magnificoes he says that, many among them had bought slaves and have used them cruelly. He asks them, whether they would make the slave’s bed as soft as theirs or give them the same nutritious food as them if Shylock told them to? They would say that the slaves were theirs and they would do whatever they wanted to do with them. Similarly, the pound of flesh was rightfully his and he would have it.

c) The people who enter are Portia and Nerissa who are dressed as men/doctors of law. Portia’s name is Balthazar. They have come from Padua. They both have dressed as men and although Bassanio is married to Portia, he is unable to recognize his own wife and so does Gratiano.

d) Shylock was hard-hearted and did not budge an inch and did not show mercy towards Antonio and he says that Gratiano does not have wit enough to change his decision. So, Gratiano says that he made him waver in his faith in Christianity and believe in Pythagoras that souls of humans were infused with animal souls. He says that Shylock’s currish spirit by governed by a wolf who was hanged for human slaughter for his desires are wolfish, bloody, starved and ravenous.

e) Gratiano accuses this person of having a currish spirit, of a wolf, which when

hanged its soul moved from the gallows and infused in the unhallow’d dam of his mother and that’s how his desires too are wolfish, bloody, starved and ravenous. He also calls Shylock a disgusting dog and says that he would go to hell. He says that killing Shylock would be justice.


Answer 3.

a) The speaker is a retired professor of Geography, Professor Sheth. He is addressing his former student.

b) When the student says that he had three issues (children) the Professor says that is good, since it was the time of family planning.

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c) The speaker Professor Sheth says that his wife died some years ago and one of his sons was Sales Manager and the other was Bank Manager, both had cars. The third son was doing well but not as good as his other brothers and so calls him a black sheep. He says his daughter, Sarala and Tarala were married and their husband were very nice boys.

d) The speaker says that the world was changing, new values were coming and India is also keeping up. Progress was taking at a very fast pace. And we need to keep up with changing times.

e) The speaker says that the usual aches and pains were the price of old age. He says that he did not have any diabetes, blood pressure or heart attacks and this was because of sound habits in youth.

f) The speaker calls his student a man of weight and consequence and says that earlier he was thin like a stick. After he says that he was a man of weight and consequence, he realizes that it was cheap remark and it might offend his student, so covers it up by saying it was a good joke.

Answer 4.

a) The poet tells us that life is real and it should not be treated lightly. It provides us with great opportunities for making our lives better. He says that grave or death is not the ultimate end of life. The body comes from dust and returns to dust, not the soul. Life remains beyond the grave. The soul does not perish when the body perishes.

b) This is a biblical reference. By this the poet says that man was made from dust and shall return to dust. God formed man out of clay and breathed life into him. When Adam and Eve, the first human beings, disobeyed God, they were punished. One of the punishments was a pronouncement of the law of death on them. God said, “Dust Thou Art, To Dust Returnest”.

c) The poet asks not to tell him in sorrowful verses that life is a meaningless illusion. By the line ‘The soul is dead the slumbers’, the poet intends to convey to his readers that one who is not aware of his heavenly life, is really a dead man. He is morally and spiritually dead as he is not aware of the purpose of life and is ignorant.

d) Heartbeats are like muffled drums which are beating softly while advancing towards the funeral marches and eventually to the grave. The figure of speech is Simile i.e. a direct comparison by saying that the heartbeats are ‘like’ muffled drums he uses a Simile.

e) According to the poet the lives of all great men remind us that we too we can make our lives sublime(noble) and while departing leave behind us footprints(noble deeds) on the

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sands of time which would probably help a forlorn and ship wrecked brother who was sailing over life’s solemn main, and would take heart again.


Answer 5.

a) The scene was taking place in a busy market, outside a shop selling cold drinks. The writer says that though the society had financial disparity, and there was unemployment, poverty and hunger, yet the market had shops full of items waiting to be sold. Though things were expensive, the demand for such goods had not gone down for there were customers purchasing them. People were enjoying themselves, eating and drinking.

b) Rizwan asked several questions to Kasim. He did so because he was looking for a man, who worked for a living but was not a shopkeeper as he wanted to interview him. A newspaper had offered him a job but before he could get it, he had to interview five people and submit the report to the office.

c) When asked about his family, Kasim says that his family and children lived in the village. They had no land there. His father was old and starving, his only son was four years old and did not go to school. He just ran after dogs and did nothing. He himself did not have any brother. His father, grandfather and great grandfather worked hard as physical laborers.

d) Kasim was ignorant of the welfare policies of the new government which included offering land to the poor farmers to start farming. However, he was not interested. Besides he was skeptical about government’s promises. He understood that such schemes were futile and false just to solicit votes. The government had made several promises in the past but never kept any of them. Besides Kasim was happy with his present occupation.

e) We learn that the speaker Rizwan had unending problems back home. His mother was ill, his father had died almost two years ago and his two younger brothers had to drop out of school due to financial problems. The name of the author is Nasira Sharma.

Answer 6.

It is natural tendency to borrow money from our friends. People lend money to their near and dear ones, when the latter are in need. However, what is painful about this act is the fact that while in the human memory stays surprisingly strong in the lender’s case; it diminishes with time in the case of the borrower. We see in the story that whenever the narrator meets his friend, his mind is preoccupied with the thought of the one dollar he has lent to his friend, and much of his conversation is also guided by the same thought. Ironically, he himself says that he might have forgotten to return the money borrowed from others. In the chapter My Lost Dollar by Stephan Leacock, the narrator’s friend, Major Todd,

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was leaving for Bermuda on a holiday for three weeks. He needed a dollar in change to pay his taxi. The narrator lent the dollar to him. It was about a year ago, and the narrator even remembers the exact date on which he lent the money to his friend. But his friend meets him frequently, and he is as frank and friendly as ever, but he does not seem to remember that he borrowed a dollar from the narrator and that he ought to pay him. The narrator is thinking about the dollar all the time. When Todd writes a letter to the narrator from Bermuda, saying that the temperature was nearly upto 100. This disappointed the narrator as he expected to find a dollar enclosed with the letter. When Todd returns from Bermuda, the narrator meets him at the railway station. He makes various attempts to remind Todd of the dollar which he had borrowed. He suggests that they had better take a taxi to reach the club. He suggests taking taxi on purpose. His aim is to remind Todd of the dollar he borrowed to pay his taxi. But Todd does not take the hint. Next he asked him what was the currency used in Bermuda and whether the American dollar went at par with it. He put emphasis on the ‘American dollar’ so as to remind Todd of his loan. Sometime later he asked him what his trip had cost to which Todd said he kept no account. With the last attempt to remind him of the dollar the narrator asked if he felt settled down after his trip to which his friend replied that he had practically forgotten about it. The narrator finds ironical that Todd should comment on Poland which would never pay her debts when he himself was in the same habit. However, Todd is such a good friend that narrator has not the heart to ask him to return the loan. He just gives indirect hints. Perhaps he cannot afford to displease Todd. After all a dollar is an insignificant sum of either of them. Thus, the chapter ‘My Lost Dollar’ by Stephan Leacock, presents an amusing account of the author’s efforts to retrieve a dollar lent to his friend Todd.

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Answer 1.

a) The injunctions were that firstly he could never disclose his choice of casket to anyone. Secondly, if he makes the wrong choice, he would never be able to woo any other lady in terms of marriage and lastly if he chose the wrong casket, he would have to leave the place immediately. Hazard here means ‘risk’; it means that the suitor would have to take his chances by taking the casket test. Portia is being modest and uses this word as she feels that she is not worthy enough for men to risk their marriage lives because if Arragon chose the wrong casket then he never be able to woo another lady in terms of marriage.

b) By saying the above lines, Arragon means that he has prepared himself and he is ready to take the risk. He wishes that his fortune would be with him and he would pick the right casket. Portia had earlier said that one of the three caskets contains her portrait and if he selects the correct one then she would marry him. She also said that if he selected the wrong casket then he would have to prevent from disclosing his choice of casket, he would never get to woo another lady in terms of marriage and he would have to leave the place immediately.

c) She feels that she is being dictated by destiny for the most important decisions of her life because due to her father’s will, she can neither refuse the one whom she dislikes nor marry the one whom she likes. Nerissa told Portia that her father was a very wise man and because of his casket test only the one who truly deserved Portia, would get to marry her.

d) While selecting his casket, Arragon talks about martlet, a small bird, who builds its nest on the outside walls of a building and thus brings danger upon itself by doing so. He also says that he would not select the golden casket whose inscriptions were ‘he who chooseth me shall get what many men desire.’ He says that he would not be like the foolish multitude who go by the outward appearances and fail to understand the true meaning of something.

e) The Prince of Arragon chose the Silver casket. As a result of his selection, he found a portrait of a blinking idiot inside with a scroll attached to it. Inside the scroll the inscription were, ‘the fire has seven times tried this, Seven times tried that judgment is, that never did choose amiss some there be, that shadow’s kiss but such have a shadow’s bliss, there be fools alive I wish, silvered over

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and so was this, I will ever be your head, so be gone you are sped.’ Arragon says that he’d come with one fool’s head and now he goes with two. He bids a goodbye to Portia and he says that he would keep his oath and would patiently bare his wroth.

Answer 2.

a) When Portia gives the ring to Bassanio she says that if he parts from it or loses it, or gives it away he would presage the ruin of their love and it would be her vantage to exclaim upon him. Bassanio makes a plea by saying that if she knew to whom he gave the ring, for which he gave the ring, and how unwillingly he gave the ring, when nothing would be accepted but the ring Portia would abate the strength of her anger.

b) When the lawyer (Portia) asked for Bassanio’s ring as his fee, Bassanio was hesitant and reluctant and he was unwilling as if was gifted to him by his dear wife. He says that he would get him the best ring in Venice by proclamation instead of the one he had. Bassanio did refuse to give but on further persuasion from Antonio, he finally gave it away on account of the lawyer’s deservings and Antonio’s love.

c) Portia says if Bassanio knew how much the ring meant or if he knew half the worthiness of the person who gave the ring or if he knew how much his own honor depended on keeping the ring, he would not have parted with it. She further says that no man would so unreasonable to insist on taking the ring if he had defended with zeal.

d) Bassanio tells Portia that there was a wise doctor of Rome, who helped save Antonio’s life, and he had begged Bassanio for the ring and when he did deny the doctor the ring, he left without it, dejected. He further said that no other thing would be accepted other than the ring and the doctor was really worthy. Upon Antonio’s further persuasion he finally agree t give away the ring.

e) Later in the scene, Portia unfolds the secret by giving the same ring she had of Bassanio. And revealing that the young lawyer from Padua from Bellario, who had saved Antonio’s life from Shylock, was none other than she herself. She then gives a letter to Antonio, which informed him that three of his argosies which are richly laden have come back to harbour suddenly. Portia says that her clerk Nerissa too had good news for Lorenzo and Jessica and hands a special deed of gift wherein the rich Jew after he dies passes his possession to them.


Answer 3.

a) Reason here refers to the intellect of the country men. The poet compares reason to a clear stream as he wants the intellect of his countrymen to have clarity in their thoughts. If reason is lost in illogical and outdated customs, civilized society will have lost its

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existence. The poet does not want his countrymen to led astray from their goal in the dry desert sand of dead habits.

b) By using the word ‘narrow domestic walls’ the poet refers to the narrow local divisions created by prejudices like caste, creed, colour, region, religion and narrow superstitions. If the mines of the countrymen are engulfed with narrow domestic walls, their vision is blurred their minds are no longer enriched by thoughts and actions which are worthy and beneficial to the nation. Hence this narrow approach pertaining to prejudices affects the nation’s progress.

c) The ‘tireless striving’ stretches its arm towards perfection. The hindrances are lethargy, irrational thinking, dead old habits and customs are the hurdles in achieving perfection.

d) The poet wished that education in his country would not be the monopoly of the rich and the affluent. It should be freely available without any restrictions. According to the poet, if knowledge was not imparted then people could not hold their heads high with pride in knowledge and strength. People lacked self-confidence and self-respect as education was a monopoly of the rich and the aristocratic class.

e) The poet prays to the almighty to brings India to such a heavenly state where our minds are without fear and heads are held high. Tagore has a religious bend of mind and profound humanism. The poem is in the form of a prayer to a universal father figure, God. He asks the almighty who is the source of all our joy to let his country awake to a blissful heaven of freedom.

Answer 4.

a) ‘Clawing into earth’s belly’ refers to dig deep into the Earth’s surface to get precious gems, minerals, stones and metal that lie within. Symbolically it refers to the labour which is put in bit by bit to achieve something.

b) The poet believes that if she threw a pebble upwards, it would pierce the heaven and

she would be able to see the ‘angels at play’. Human angels are the saintly people who dedicate their lives for the good of humanity. They consider themselves as the servants of people. The poet believes that humans can achieve that status of an angel if they do their duty diligently and follow a righteous path.

c) By saying ‘dive right into the depths’ the poet means that she can jump into the depths and swim with the sharks. By saying this she interprets that she can swim into the ocean of life and can cross all the hurdles (sharks) that come in life.

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d) The three realms are the sky, the Earth’s interior and the depths of ocean. She intends to conquer the sky by soaring to great heights and she believes by doing so she can also touch the silky clouds and feel the stars. She intends to conquer the interiors of earth by clawing (digging) into the earths’ belly, picking up the priceless gems and adorning herself with them. And lastly she plans to conquer the depths by swimming across the ocean of life and crossing all the hurdles.

e) The poet dreams of reaching great heights, touching the silky clouds and feeling the stars. She desires to throw pebbles upwards which will pierce the heaven and help her see the angels at play. She dreams swimming across the ocean of life and face all the difficulties. She dreams of clawing into the earth’s belly, picking up the priceless gems and adorning herself with them. She dreams of doing many things but first she dreams of completing the role assigned to her where she lives and breathes.


Answer 5.

a) Panchayat had taken place because Jumman’s aunt had filed a complaint against him. The old lady’s entreaty was that she was abused constantly and was taunted for everything she did. She said that she was cursed for everything she ate and constantly ill-spoken to by Jumman’s wife, Kariman.

b) Most of the villagers offered her only verbal sympathy which they never meant. Others cursed the hard times which had brought her to such a pass. Some advised her to make it up with her nephew. The village also didn’t lack men to whom the site of the aged woman with her white hair and tooth less mouth and the body bent as a bow was a source of constant fun. The number of those who felt genuine pity for her was small indeed.

c) Ramadhan Mishra and others cursed the old woman because she chose Alagu as the head panch who was Jumman’s best friend. No, I don’t think that she was wrong. This is because although they were friends, in the eyes of the panch both the lady and Jumman were equal. This was because the Panch has no friend nor does it have foe (enemy). All are equal in the eyes of the Panch and the voice of the Panch was the voice of the God. She was not wrong because she knew that Alagu, when given the duties of the head panch, would be fair. She also knew that Alagu would not kill his conscience for the sake of friendship.

d) Alagu carried out his proceedings as the head panch by asking questions to Jumman as well as the aunt. He kept firing questions at Jumman and afterwards deciding with the

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other Panchs gave the verdict that Jumman would have to provide with a separate allowance or the deal they had signed would be cancelled.

e) Jumman became conscious of the severity of the office when he was made the head panch in the fight between Alagu and Samjhu Sahu. At that point he did not realize the pressure that would have been on Alagu and thought that the panch has no friend nor does he have enemy. He realised that voice of the Panch is the voice of the God and finally gave the verdict in Alagu’s favour. His verdict stated that since the bullock was perfectly fine when it was given to Sahu, it was not Alagu’s fault. It died and the only reason for its death was over-exhaustion and lack of nutrition. He further announced that Sahu would have to pay for the bullock to Alagu. Thus, Jumman too became conscious of the severity of office, he was holding. He understood that the Panch has no private feelings and that the Panch knows neither friend nor foe it only speaks the voice of God.

Answer 6.

In her story ‘Journey by Night’, the author Norah Burke, depicts the extraordinary power of human will, if we have the determination to do something, we can always find a way to do it.

The story is set in the vast forests of India, along the foothills of the Himalayas. The story begins in Laldwani a small village about fifty miles from Kalaghat, a town in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. The story deals with the theme of fraternal love and care. Sher Singh’s love for his brother Kunwar is selfless. Right from the time his mother decided to send the ailing Kunwar to the hospital, Sher Singh takes upon himself the responsibility of carrying him there.

It was evening when he began the journey. He walked through the village and reached the jungle. Kalaghat was fifty miles away. He thought that if he was able to cross the jungle and the two rivers, he might be able to hitch a ride in a bullock cart or a truck for the last part of the journey.

Passing through the jungle he encountered a cobra sunning itself in the fading sunlight on the path. It rose with a hiss spreading its hood. Sher Singh froze and then slowly backed away. The snake also slid off into the matted grass. Sher Singh quickened his steps and came near the river bed. He was tired and wanted to take rest. As soon as he put his brother down he heard the jostle and squeal of elephants. He was frightened but could not do anything. He prayed with an abated breath. The herd soon disappeared into the jungle. He picked up his brother with great difficulty and stepped into the cold water of the shallow river. As he reached the shore he noticed fresh footprints of a tiger but did not lose courage and moved forward. He reached the second river around midnight. He found it flooded and the bridge broken and submerged. He gathered some grass and plaited it into a rope which he tied around his brother and himself so that they would keep together. He then entered the water just above the bridge. He moved forward despite all obstacles. He was deafened by the flooded water, banged and bruised against the bridge, and finally crossed the river and reached a

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better road where he saw signs of civilization. People helped him into a bullock cart and he managed to board a truck which dropped him at the hospital; where he admitted his brother.

Sher Singh did not have any money with him so in the morning he went down to the rail yard and got work of loading coal. He worked the whole day and got some money with which he bought some flour, mustard oil and chilies. He cooked a meal for himself in the hospital compound. The doctor called for him. Expecting the worst he went up to him where the doctor applauded him for his bravery and informed him that his brother was out of danger. His willpower and determination to save his brother’s life made him accomplish something that seemed almost impossible.

Hence the proverb: Where there’s a will there’s a way stands true to form.

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Answer 1.

a) Earlier Lorenzo had said that music has a soothing effect on unhandled colts. He says that it’s the nature of wild, untrained animals to leap around like crazy roaring and neighing loudly. They do so because it’s in their blood. However, if they happen to hear a trumpet or any kind of music they all stand still. Sweet music makes their wild eyes peaceful.

b) Lorenzo says that music was one of the reason why poet Ovid wrote that the great musician Orphus could make trees, stones and streams move from place to place by the power of his music. According to Lorenzo music could not change one’s fierce nature, but it could at least change for some time.

c) The other who shows dislike for music is Shylock. Lorenzo warns Jessica that people who do not like music are fit only for treasons, stratagems, and spoils. The motions of his spirit are dull as night and his affections as dark as Erebus and no such man must be trusted.

d) Lorenzo means to say that a man who cannot be moved by the harmonious melodies is fit only for treachery, violence and destruction.

e) Later in the play, Portia says that goodness depends on circumstances and she says that music no matter how sweet, it sounds sweeter only by the night. Portia says that the crow may sound as sweet as the lark unless we have heard both of them and if the nightingale sings during the daytime when every goose is cackling then she would sound as bad as a wren.

Answer 2.

a) The princes that come to woo Portia had to undergo a test called the casket test. In order to be eligible to give the casket test, they had to take three oaths which were; If he chose wrong, he would not woo a lady in terms of marriage, If he chose wrong casket he had to be gone immediately without a word and the third that he would never tell anyone which casket he chose.

b) The Prince of Arragon says that lead was dull and lead should become fairer before he would give any hazard for lead. The inscription the lead casket bore, “who chooseth me shall give a hazard all he hath,” so Arragon rejects it by saying that it should become more appealing to him before he would hazard anything.

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Arragon doesn’t choose the lead casket saying that it has to be more attractive fro him to risk or give anything. The inscription on the gold casket which said, he who chooses me will get what many men want, forced him not to choose it. The word many according to him referred to most people who are fools and chose by whatever is flashy. They don’t go beyond what their eyes see. They don’t bother to find out what’s on the inside.

c) Arragon reads the inscription on the silver casket which says that “who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves”. Arragon, justifies by saying that no one should go beyond their deserving. He says that had all the degrees, offices and lands which had been taken corruptly and all were earned by the true deserving of the person, then, all those people (to whom everyone bows down) would stand bare, as in their hats on their heads would be removed and all those people who were not covered would stand bare.

d) The Prince of Arragon chooses the silver casket. Silver stands for conceit, vanity and self-deception- all three traits of Arragon’s personality.

e) The Prince finds a scroll in the casket along with a portrait of a blinking idiot. He then asks himself if he deserved no more than a fools head and whether his deservings are no better. He says that he came with one fools head and he was leaving with two. Since he loses, he immediately leaves, which was one of the instructions of the oath.


Answer 3.

a) The poet believes that if she throws a pebble upwards, she could pierce the heavens and see the angels at play. By this, she symbolizes that by throwing a pebble i.e. by the correct high ambition, aims and hopes one can achieve great heights. For confident people, sky is the limit. By referring to the angels, she refers to the angels at play in heaven. She also means to say that man has innumerable capabilities a person could achieve any goal, even piercing the heavens. The pebble symbolizes hard work and efforts.

b) The poet says that she believes she could dive right into the depths and swim with the sharks. By this, she symbolizes that for success she is ready to take risks. By the sharks she means the obstacles and the other giants who have already reached the great heights of success and in front of whom she was much tinier and a less achiever. Nevertheless, she says that she is ready to take risks in order to succeed by diving right into the depths. She says that by diving into the depths and by swimming with the sharks she

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would develop courage and develop the ability to dodge obstacles/deal with them effectively. She symbolizes courage.

c) The poet says that she believes she can claw into the earth’s belly and pick up the priceless gems and adorn herself with it. By this she says that the world is filled with innumerable treasures. If she would work hard, she could find treasures in the earth. She says by hardwork, determination and perseverance she could dig deep into the earth and find treasures which she would enrich herself with. The treasures that the world has are not yet fully discovered, she says that we could find these treasures and adorn ourselves with it.

d) The line I believe is repeated in every stanza of the poem but, in the last stanza the emphasis is heightened the emphasis shifts from ‘I believe’ to ‘I firmly believe’. Through this she conveys that she is firm on her belief that she has to fulfill all her duties and responsibilities before she goes on to achieve and pursue her dreams and aspirations. She says that she has responsibilities to fulfill before she can achieve all of her goals and dreams.

e) This poem highlights the position of women in a society. Especially an Indian society. A woman is a mother, daughter, sister, etc. She has various roles in society. She has many roles which have to fulfill at any cost. Mothers sacrifice a lot for their kids. They put their kid’s needs, aspirations and wants before their own. The poem ‘I Believe’ shows how a woman has courage, determination, aspiration, power, conviction but all of this is after her role, and responsibility is fulfilled. Thus, this poem is applicable to women in general and mothers in particular.

Answer 4.

a) The soldier boy was underneath the tree in the battlefield. The soldier wanted a sip of water from the narrator. The narrator sees the large stain on his shirt from his warm blood mixed in with Asian dirt. He sees blood all over him.

b) The soldier says that the battle had been long, hard and had lasted through the night and scores of figures i.e. dead bodies of soldiers were found by day. The soldier says that due to a bomb explosion his friends/soldiers died and he was the only survivor of the army of two hundred. So, he says that he was luckier than the rest since he was just left with a small pain in his chest.

c) The soldier boy is brave. He patiently endures the “small pain”. The soldier says that he kept on firing at the opposition and he tried to do his best. He says that since he was the only one left, he tries to find some aid desperately, but found nothing except for big deep craters and bodies on the ground. Till the very end he shows to be brave. He calls his pain a small one though it may be a grave one. He smiles through his pain which shows that he was brave.

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d) The soldier thinks about his wife and mother. He says that what his wife would be thinking of her man so strong and so grown who was now weak and infirm to stand alone. He is pained to think about his mother as she held him to her breast, could find himself defeated by a small pain in his chest. It would be very difficult for them to imagine him in such a condition.

e) The poet pulls the dead soldier around him and pulls him to his side. The soldier dies quietly from a small pain in his chest. He says, he does not remember what had happened then, he says he must have cried. He then puts his arms around him and pulls him to his side. As he hugged the soldier he could feel the wounds pressed. However, the narrator calls his wound to be a larger. The larger wound symbolizes the guilt on the part of humanity. The guilt that humans still use wars as an instrument to bring solutions to the world problems and ironically achieve world peace. The poem makes us realize that wars are futile and they cause nothing but destruction. In a war no one is a winner since both parties lose out on the terms of land, money and men. Thus, the poem ‘Small pain in my chest’ brings out the theme of futility of wars.


Answer 5.

a) Sher Singh’s mother was unaffected by the child’s illness. She had been through the same situation various times, she had children carried away by influenza or by jungle accidents and Kunwar was also probably one of them. So, she had no feeling of regret. She suggested that Kunwar be carried to the hospital. Sher Singh cried out saying that he would run to find his father who was out for a photographic expedition.

b) Sher Singh’s father was with the men of the village as beaters in the jungle for a photographic expedition. Sher Singh Bahadur was called so because of what all he had done. Whenever there was a search of a big game, either to shoot or to photograph it, they sent for him. He had spent all his life in Laldwani cultivating his piece of land and as a hunter or a guide through the jungle. All down his skull and back there went a scar of a claw which had hit him while saving a comrade. The scar opened upto the flesh. He could find tigers where there were no tigers at all. He could look at the dry grass and let everything that had happened there. He could listen to a chital calling and say a panther had just killed one of them and they could still see him with his skill. Thus, he was called Sher Singh Bahadur.

c) Sher Singh just got away from a big danger i.e. the snake. And with the site bare tracks in the dust, he quickened his steps. He heard the jostle and squeal of elephants from far away. It was the period of heightened aggression in elephants, in this condition they would uproot trees or kill men. He could hear the elephants coming towards him. Sher

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Singh chilled with fright as he could neither climb nor run with Kunwar to carry and if he shouted if would only bring big catastrophe upon them. Fortunately, the big tusker snorted, trumpeted, shook his head and hurried on angrily up the river bed with all the herd behind him.

d) Sher Singh imagined the first river to be shallow and not cold and easily walkable and crossable. But when he reached there, he found the water to be unusually cold than before. A glacier had melted a day before probably and so the water was cold, the slime on the stones, made it difficult to walk, he had to feel for foot hold and be sure not to fall as the water was wait deep. But he made sure to keep Kunwar’s head above the water.

e) Sher Singh was very brave. He himself offers to take his brother Kunwar to the hospital which was fifty miles away from his village. He faces a lot of difficulties on his way. He had to cross a jungle before he could get any help. He encounters snakes, elephants, rivers on his way. He crosses two rivers, one unusually cold and the other fuming just to save his brother. After reaching Kalaghat, since he has no money he works and earns money from loading and unloading coal. He buys food and funds for himself rather than help from others which is commendable for a twelve year old. Thus, he can also be called Sher Singh Bahadur.

Answer 6.

‘Hunger’ by Nasira Sharma is set against the background of the Iranian Revolution. The monarchy was replaced by a republic. The new government promised to help the common people and to do away with the property, hunger and unemployment. But despite promises nothing changed in reality. The government promised to give land to the landless, give loans to the unemployed to set up their own business. But socioeconomic situation remained unaltered. The markets are full of goods, and despite rising prices, there are buyers. Restaurants are open and there are people who are eating and drinking and enjoying themselves. But there is another side to the coin. There are people like Kasim, who sell old clothes, and there are buyers who cannot afford to buy new clothes. People like Kasim work hard, and make both ends meet with much difficulty. His family lives in a village and lives on the brink of starvation. His father and grandfather were physical laborers. Their condition has not changed. When Rizwan asked Kasim who was the Shah, he replies that he does not know. It is because political change has had no affection him in any way. Kasim is not interested in any of the schemes the government has launched for the good of men like him. He is a disillusioned man. Once he took part in a rally and shouted slogans all day long. As a result of it he had to go without food because he lost a working day. He does not want a loan from a bank. He is already under debt.

Rizwan is an educated man. Back home his mother is ill, and his two brothers have dropped out of school because he is unable to pay their school fee. He has found a job with a newspaper. He has to interview five persons to retain his job. He has been able to interview only Kasim. But the interview is incomplete. Kasim does not give his address in the big city he has no place to live.

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The story is a satire on the political propaganda. The benefit of the welfare policies of the government does not filter down to the poor. All the welfare schemes like providing land to the landless, jobs to the unemployed, loans to start a business are hollow and meaningless. They are nothing but electoral gimmicks. Though the story is set in Iran, and a satire at Iran’s welfare schemes. But it is true of all developing economies. Economic disparity is too wide. There is a yawning gulf between the haves and have nots.

Even India is like Iran. On the one hand, there are people, who have so much wealth that they have to stash it in foreign lands. On the other hand, there are poor millions who don’t even have water to drink. Millions of children go naked and barefoot. There is no change in their poverty. Even after seventy years of independence their chosen representatives were not able to help them.

Every developing economy suffers from corruption and apathy. The poor are exploited all over the world. It has no political or geographical borders.

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Answer 1.

a) Arragon had to observe three injunctions upon the oath that he had taken before the casket test. First, never to reveal to anyone which casket it was he chose. Second, that if he loses, never to woo any lady in terms of marriage. Lastly, if he lost the test then he would have to be gone immediately without wasting any time.

b) On reading the inscription on the golden casket, Arragon says that he would not jump with multitude. He says that many fools look at the outside and get attracted to the outside of gold and do not bother about what lies in the interior. He compared those foolish multitude to the market who builds it’s nest on the outside walls in the way of wind and destruction. It pries not to the interior just like the foolish multitude. Eventually, Arragon chooses the silver casket.

c) The Prince of Morocco took this test prior to him. Prince of Morocco chooses the golden casket. The Prince chose the golden casket giving the explanation that a gem like Portia cannot be contained in anything undervalued to gold. And moreover, the entire world desires Portia. He says that in England they have a coin in which an angel is inscribed upon, but here Portia is inside it. Thus, he chooses the golden casket.

d) Arragon found the portrait of a blinking idiot opening the silver casket. On seeing the blinking idiot’s portrait, Arragon recalls the inscription on the silver casket- ‘Who chooseth me, must get as much as he deserves.’ He says that did he deserve nothing better than a blinking idiot. He feels that he deserved Portia. He further adds that was his deserving only this portrait. He finally says that he has lost the test, he had come with one idiot’s head but was retiring with two.

e) Portia says that many such people who choose by outside are not successful. To convey this she gives the example of the moths who are attracted by the light of the candle, but when they go near it, they burn themselves. The casket test was devised by Portia's father to help her choose the right partner who rightly loved her. Eventually, Bassanio, a young Venetian chooses the right casket.

Answer 2.

a) ‘He is well paid that is well satisfied’ means that the one who is satisfied by his work and other's happiness, is well paid and does not desire material possessions like money for his payment. This statement reveals Portia is a self-less and self-contended female who does not crave or have greed for money. She had helped out her husband’s friend, Antonio, and did not demand anything in return. Moreover, she does not want any exchange of formality by money.

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b) Bassanio offered three thousand ducats to Portia for her services. At that moment, Antonio had nothing to give to Portia as all his ships had wrecked and lost. He did not have money nor commodity to give to Portia in exchange of having saved his life from the cruel Jew. Thus, he says that he was indebted to Portia in love and service.

c) Bassanio said that Portia could ask for anything else but not the ring. He says that the ring on his finger was a very small thing to ask for doing such a big task. Bassanio was reluctant to part with that ring because it was given to him by his wife, Portia, and bound with oaths of love. Thus, it had ceremonious values for him. Portia had made him promise not to lose it or give it away or part with it. Instead, Bassanio promised to give her the ring of greatest value in Venice which would be claimed by proclamation in the Venetian market

d) Portia further accused Bassanio by saying that he was doing very well in this. First, it was he who taught her to beg for something and then, by refusing to give the ring he was teaching her how a beggar should be answered. She thus, leaves the place saying, that Bassanio might keep the ring with himself. She justifies that she rightly deserved the ring for all she had done- saved his dearest friend, Antonio, from the clutches of the Jew. She said that if Bassanio's wife is not a mad woman and understood how rightly she deserved it, then she would excuse Bassanio for giving the ring away.

e) Gratiano, too parted away with his ring to Nerissa. The ring episode takes place at the end of the play. It gives a light, merry and happy ending to the play when Bassanio and Gratiano are accused of losing the ring. The audience are thus given a light mood at the end after the intense trail scene and end the play on a humorous note.


Answer 3.

a) The poet urges us to take interest only in present because past is dead and cannot be brought back and future is unborn. We cannot trust future however it may be pleasant. It is only the present when we have the power to do anything. The poet further implores that we should have courage and confidence in ourselves and likewise have trust and faith on God in heaven. We should do our duty with courage and leave the rest to God.

b) In the preceding extract, the poet metaphorically calls this world a battlefield and each one of us a soldier. As a soldier has to fight and struggle facing dangers with courage, each one of us has to fight the battle of life with courage.

c) The lives of great men inspire us and remind us that we can make our lives sublime and purposeful. We can inspire others by leaving out footprints in form of our good deeds when we depart from this world. So that an unhappy and deserted man who has utterly gone astray from the right path gets confident again. It can inspire many generations after our death to carry forward our legacy.

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d) The poem ends with a note of the poet urging us to leave lamenting that life is an empty dream. We should act positively without whiling away our time in useless pursuits and meaningless thinking. We should do our best with full faith in God. ‘Let us then be up and doing With a heart for any fate Still achieving still pursuing Learn to labour and wait’

e) The Psalm of Life is a lyrical poem with religious emotions. Its teaches us to live in present, to be a hero in the battle of life and have a positive attitude towards life. It deals with the role of action in human life. If decries pessimism, fatalism and defeatism. It urges a person to be active and work with full zeal without wasting his time or being pre occupied with the result of one’s actions. It also reminds that God’s grace will be bestowed on men of action. Psalm is a sacred song. Out here Psalm means a prayer to God or an invocation to mankind to follow the path of righteousness. Hence, the title is appropriate.

Answer 4.

a) The poetess asks her lover not to love her for superficial qualities like her smile, her way of speaking gently or her looks. She says so because these are time bound and might change in the years to come. With age these things are bound to change and at that time, he might not love her.

b) The poetess condemns the notion of being loved, based on external appearances. Love based on external appearances is short lived and will soon die. External appearances are temporary as they deteriorate with age and time. The poetess says that is probable that she might smile for another day. She says that a trick of thought comes to her that these things might bring a sense of pleasant ease on one day and not on other and thus love so wrought may be unwrought.

c) Just before the given extract, the poetess asks her lover not love her for the sake of wiping her cheeks dry. The poetess says so because she was always in pain due to an uncurable disease which made her head and back ache all the time. She was also handicapped then. Thus, she asks her lover not to love her for the sake of wiping her tears out of pity. The consequence of the comfort given to her would be that the comfort would make her forget the pain. She would then have no more tears to shed and thus lose his love thereby.

d) Here ‘creature’ has been used to invoke pity in man. It is referred to the sight of a whimpering dog or flopping young bird which immediately invokes pity in humans. The poetess was suffering from a disease due to which he suffered from head and back ache all the time. She was also handicapped. She has thus, used the word ‘creature’ for herself as she wanted to invoke pity. If this ‘creature’ is comforted it would no longer weep.

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e) The poetess finally says that she wants her lover to love her for love’s sake only, that he might evermore love her through love’s eternity. Such love lives long and for eternity. This poem appeals to me a lot as it has given an altogether different perspective of love. This poem shows that love based on external appearances is short lived while that based on love only is true love and last long. This is the thought that I like about this poem as the poetess is handicapped and appeals to her lover to love her for love’s sake.


Answer 5.

a) Sher Singh was a twelve year old boy, who was dark and cheerful and a jungle boy. He was the son of Sher Singh Bahadur. His brother was suffering from a severe stomach ache and was groaning with pain. He also had high fever. Since the little boy Kunwar was going through so much pain, she said that Kunwar must be taken to the hospital at Kalaghat.

b) Sher Singh’s father, Sher Singh Bahadur, was out on a jungle expedition for a photography shoot with all the villagers as beaters Sher Singh’s mother was a hill woman and she knew how to carry loads up the hills and down the dale all day long without any complaint. She tore one of her two saris and made a sling out of it. She tied a band of it round his head and the sling down his shoulders and back. She then put Kunwar in it. Sher Singh’s mother could not accompany him as she had to stay behind to mind the cattle and work their land without which they would have to starve.

c) Sher Singh’s very first encounter was with a snake who was sunning itself in the path in the last of the daylight. It rose up and down hissing, showing his broad hood to show the spectacle mark on his back. Sher Singh stood frozen and slowly backed away. This metallic creature with scales only wanted to escape as much as the boy himself wanted to. It slid off and disappeared into the matted grass. After a while Sher Singh encountered another challenge in facing the first river. He had often been there by the day and at that time of the year, before the snow came melting down like boiling green milk, he knew that he could easily ford the river as it would not be that cold and would be shallow. When Sher Singh entered, he realised that snow has already melted and the river was deeper and colder than what he had expected. He had to be careful and sure-footed to look out for foothold due to slime on the stones that were by on the river bed. The water was waist-deep but finally Sher Singh managed to cross it.

d) After reaching his destination, Sher Singh realised that he did not have any money. In the morning he went to the railway to get work loading coal. With the money that he got, he bought some coarse atta, mustard oil and chillis and went to the hospital compound where other relatives were camping. The doctor addressed him as ‘Sher Singh Bahadur’. The doctor asked him that was it he who had brought this little boy alone all the way

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from Laldwani to Kalaghat, which was fifty miles away. With a big smile, that Kunwar would live and he could come and see him.

e) Sher Singh is a twelve year old jungle boy who displays immense courage and bravery out of fraternal love when the situations demand him to. He had the will in his heart to save his little brother, who was several years younger to him, as he loved him a lot and did not want to lose. He is seen as a determined character who decides to reach his goal, the hospital at Kalaghat, despite the hurdles that he faced in the jungle. Had it not been for his will to save his brother, his spirit to cross all obstacles between him and his goal, he would have lost his brother, Kunwar. In the end, we see that Sher Singh is given the title of ‘Bahadur’ and his bravery is well rewarded when he succeeds in saving Kunwar.

Answer 6.

‘Hunger’ is a heart rending story written by Nasira Sharma. It deals with the theme of economic gap between the rich and poor and how the condition of uneducated poor and educated unemployed is the same. It also gives a description of how the under-privileged and deprived sections of the society suffer.

Rizwan, a journalist who had just got a job in the Kihaan newspaper, was educated but did not have a single penny in his pocket. When his job compelled him to interview five people who earned a living but did not own a shop, he interrogates Kasim, a rag seller. During this interrogation we see how the under-privileged are suffering. Kasim earned only five-hundred rupees a month, which barely gave him a living. He did not have house there and thus slept under the bridge or outside a shop or wherever he got place. His family lived far away from him in a village. When asked about educating his son, he says that he would make him join his own work when he would be five next year. Kasim did not care to know who the Shah was or whatever the people were happy in his reign. This shows that the under-privileged are so busy struggling with their lives to earn a living that they do not know who rules them. Kasim further says that his fore fathers had been doing physical labour as well and had died of it. It happens many a times that such people are promised of a lot of things in exchange of campaigning, but none are kept by the government. This also happened with Kasim and thus, he does not have any faith in them. Such is the state of all the under-privileged sections of the society: they are deprived of their rights, respect and dignity and continue to struggle to live.

Rizwan also finds himself in a similar position as that of Kasim. He is unemployed, does not have money, starving and his family condition is not good. His mother is ill and two brothers had to drop out of school due to financial crisis.

Thus, this story portrays a heart-rending and pitiable condition of the poor and deprived sections of the society like Rizwan and Kasim. The reigning ruler or any other things do not affect them but that they should work daily for a living is the primary important thing for them.

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Answer 1.

a) Earlier in the play, Bassanio means to express his confused state of mind when he says ‘upon the rack’. He is confused because he feels tortured about choosing the wrong casket. Portia interprets this in another way. She says that there must be some treason mingled in with Bassanio’s love that he feels tortured.

b) According to Portia, if Bassanio wins the casket test, then music will sound as the flourish of cornets as when the subjects bow down to a newly crowned monarch. She further says that music should then sound like those dulcet sounds which are played for the bridegroom outside his window on the morn of his marriage to summon him to marriage.

c) Bassanio does not choose the golden casket saying that the outward shows least themselves. He gives various examples for justifying this. He says that many cowards grow long beards like Hercules and Mars. Actually, if such people are inward searched, their livers are found to be paler than milk. This shows how cowardly they are actually. Bassanio also cites the example of wigs. Many females wear wigs and look beautiful when the wind blows their golden locks. Actually, this is the dowry of a second head. Bassanio also rejects the silver casket saying that it is the means of exchange between man and man. Bassanio chooses the leaden casket saying that its paleness moves him more than anything else. He says that the leaden casket seems more eloquent than any other.

d) Portia reprimands Bassanio when he tries to justify his giving away the ring. Portia tells him that if he knew the half the worth of her who gave the ring to him, the worth of the ring, or his worth to contain the ring, then he would have fought with zeal claiming that the ring held ceremonious value for him. If he had done so, then there is no who would have forced him to part with the ring.

e) Portia had planned to conceal her identity by dressing as a young bragging youth. She says that when Nerissa and herself would be dressed as youths, she would prove to be the better. She would wear her dragger with a braver grace. Portia would speak with the voice between a man and boy and change her two small steps into manly strides. She further adds that she will tell them how many ladies sought her love, but she refused and they all died because of that. This made her feel sorry for them. Portia would act in such a way that it had been just a year since she had left her education.

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Answer 2.

a) Antonio enters this scene at that moment. Aside, Shylock says that how like a fawning publican was Antonio looking. He says that Antonio had railed him even there where most merchants congregated that is the Rialto about him, his bargains and his well-won thrift, which Antonio called as interest. Shylock says that he hates Antonio for he is a Christian, but moreover because he lends out money gratis, that is without interest. He thus, concludes by saying his tribe will be cursed if lets Antonio escape and forgive him.

b) Shylock says that he had borne all of Antonio’s nagging and insults with a patient shrug because ‘sufferance is the badge of his tribe’. He gives various instances when he did not react, but patiently bore those insults. Antonio had called him a cut throat dog, a misbeliever, spat upon his Jewish gabardine and also spurned him like a cur(dog). He had moreover, insulted Shylock upon the Rialto with these things just because he was a Jew and charged interest.

c) Antonio is very sure that the Duke of Venice cannot help him escape from Shylock’s clutches. This is because the foreign traders have special rights in Venice. If these are challenged then the character of Venice and its laws will suffer. Thus, in future this would set an example for violation of the Venetian laws and people would misuse it.

d) When Duke says that Antonio will be shown mercy by Shylock at the last hour, then Shylock replies that he will not do so. If people think what he will do with a pound of useless Christian flesh, he would not answer that and say that it was his humour. His ‘humour’ means his wish and merriment. He further says that if his house be infested to with rats and he be pleased to give away ten thousand ducats to have them banned, it was his choice. He further says that some people do not like the sight of gaping pigs, some that cannot behold a cat while some cannot contain themselves when they hear a bagpipe sing in the nose. Just like these things have no particular reason to occur, similarly Shylock says that it was his humour to have Antonio’s pound of flesh.

e) Shylock gives the example of Jacob and Laban’s story to justify his money-lending. He says that when Laban and Jacob were compromised on the eanlings, Jacob was going to be paid through them for having grazed the sheep. It was decided that the eanlings which would be streaked and pied would fall as Jacob’s heir. So Jacob put bars infront of the sheep after their breeding. It was believed that the lambs would be affected by whatever their mother saw. Thus most of the sheep were striped and fell to Jacob’s heir. Shylock gave this example to justify his well won profit.


Answer 3.

a) ‘Calmly’ actually means sitting peacefully. When the narrator saw the young soldier boy, he seemed to be sitting peacefully. This was very ironical as the soldier boy was sitting away from the battlefield and although in pain he was calmly waiting for his death. He

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had just fought a long and hard war. He was also very badly injured, yet not showing it. It was ironical to say that he was sitting ‘calmly’ after fighting a tough long-lasting battle and was still sitting in the battlefield.

b) The soldier boy requests for a sip of water on that morn for he had a small pain in his chest. The narrator sees a stain on the soldier boy’s shirt. It was all reddish-brown from his blood mixed in with Asian dirt. Asian dirt here refers to the soil of battle field, the battle between North Vietnam and South Vietnam.

c) The soldier boy had a fatal injury, but was trying to hide it. He was going to die but does not readily accept the fact. He thus refers to the ‘sun’ that he sees the sun shining bright, yet he was feeling cold and justifies by saying that he must be getting old and that it was only a clue that the soldier boy was near his death, but was trying to hide it with a smile. Moreover, it also means that as sun gives life and sustains life, the soldier boy knew that he was going to die, he felt that the sun’s rays were diminishing.

d) Before dying the soldier boy says that how can it be getting dark so soon as he winced up at the sun. He felt that the day had just began. Then, he says that it was good that it was getting dark, so that he could rest a little before he travels on. After this the young soldier boy quietly dies. On a symbolic level, rest signifies eternal death and travel on means reach the heaven.

e) The narrator says that he must have cried as he hugged the young soldier boy. This was because he could fele the larger wound in his heart press against the smaller one in his chest. The larger wound was of the ‘guilt on the part of humanity to give up wars’. The poem ends on a very heart-rending note. It signifies the futility and brutality of wars. Wars do not give anything, but only increase hatred and lead to death. The narrator thus refers to the guilt on the part of humanity to give up wars. The battle did not prove the superiority of anyone, but only made the soldiers lose their lives.

Answer 4.

a) The poet says that the person who sleeps and wastes his time in useless pursuits, his soul is already dead. He also says that the body is mortal but not the soul. He says that the body has come from dust and will return back to dust, but this will not happen with the souls. Our souls are immortal and do not die.

b) The poet has compared our heartbeats to the beating of muffled drums. The poet says that though our hearts are stout and brave, they are beating towards death. They are beating in funeral march. A funeral is sorrowful and the sound of muffled drums is also used for the sorrowful times. Drums are muffled to be beaten during sad occasions. Thus, the author compared the beating of muffled drums to our heartbeats.

c) ‘In the bivouac of live’ means a temporary camp of troops. Here, it signifies that we are like these bivouacs who have some temporarily on the earth.

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The poet says that the world is a broad field of battle where every person comes and does his part like every soldier plays a part in a battlefield. Thus, the poet wants us to be a hero in this strife and not like dumb driven cattle who follows others.

d) Lives of ‘great men’ all remind us that we can also make our lives meaningful like they had. We should learn from their good deeds. Just like they have left their good deeds behind them like footprints for other to follow, we too can learn from them to get up from our failure and turn towards our success. Thus, when we die we too can leave footprints behind us for others to follow.

e) Yes, the poem carries the message of hope and encouragement for the readers. In the first stanza, the poet says that we must not waste our time in sleeping and day dreaming as such a person is already dead. The poet also encourages us by saying that momentary happiness and sorrow should not affect us. Our goal should be to act tomorrow in a better way than yesterday so that our future is better. The poet also asks us to get inspired from the lives of great men and make our lives useful too. He asks us to bury our past and work in the present. He also asks us to patiently work and wait for the fruits of hard work.


Answer 5.

a) Jumman and his wife became supremely indifferent towards the maternal aunt once the deed of transfer was made. Kariman (Jumman’s wife) grudged even the little food that the old lady had. No meal was now served to her without letting loose a barb or two dipped in gall or poison. The very bread that the aunt ate seemed to be seasoned with meat of abuse. Kariman called her an old hag and wished for her to die. She even cursed and humiliated her by saying that she was a great lady who couldn’t swallow a morsel without her dal being seasoned with ghee.

b) The old lady’s patience called its limits unable to bare the constant nagging and insults, she poured her pitiable tale into the ears of each and every villager. She related the humiliation, curses and abuses she faced at Jumman’s house. She wanted to enlist their sympathy and wanted them to do justice to her. She requested Alagu to go to the Panchayat and take part in it and do whatever he considered just and fair.

a) Ramadhan Mishra was one of the villager who nursed a grievance against Jumman as Jumman had settled some of his tenants in his own village. He asked Jumman to choose his nominee as the head Panch when the Panchayat had assembled.

b) Alagu announced the Panchayat has gone into the matter most carefully. It was their opinion that Jumman was liable to pay his aunt a fixed monthly allowance out of the realisation from her property. If he did not comply with the decision, the deed of transferring her property to him would be deemed void.

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Jumman was stunned, he could not understand that his best friend on whom he relied so much had suddenly turned into a bitter foe. As a result the strong roots of their friendship were now sorely shaken.

c) At the end of the story, Jumman tells Alagu that now he understood that as a head Panch, a Panch has no private feelings of his own. All that matters is to administer justice, he was convinced that the Panch speaks the voice of God. Upon hearing this, Alagu broke down and wept on Jumman’s shoulders. The tears which he had shed that day washed away all the dirt and dust of misunderstanding between the two friends and thus withered and faded creeper of their friendship once again became fresh and green.

Answer 6.

‘Journey by Night’ is a story of bravery and courage written by Norah Burke. It deals with the theme of fraternal love, extreme courage and bravery and that where there is will, there is a way.

Sher Singh a twelve year old boy who lives in the jungle, displays immense courage and bravery by travelling through the deadly jungle by the night, all alone carrying his little brother to Kalaghat. He crossed the various hurdles of the jungle and two rivers which lay between him and his goal.

The first obstacle was the snake. The snake was sunning itself in the last of daylight showing the spectacle mark on its back. Sher Singh stood frozen and slowly backed away. The snake then slid away as it also wanted to escape as the boy himself wanted to. After a while, Sher Singh encounters a herd of wild elephants. The herd was full of babies and mummies and its leader was seen having a flow of dark oily musth. The elephants were down the ravine while Sher Singh rested above the river on the cliff. Slowly, the elephants trunk sensed the smell of human blood and turned its trunk towards Sher Singh. Prayer after prayer fled from its frightened spirit like birds. Finally, they turned away and left. Sher Singh also saw bear tracks and looked around uneasily, but walked courageously on his path. Then came the two rivers. He expected the first river to be shallow and before the snow-melted and came down like boiling green milk. When he entered the river, the river was colder and deeper and the stones on the river bed were slimy. He had to feel for foothold, but finally managed to cross the river. He expected a bridge to be there on the second river, but it had broken and drowned. With great difficulty, Sher Singh Plaited the grass into rope so that he and his brother would keep together. He was deafened, blinded and finally crossed the river though it seemed deadly. The water reached upto his head still he managed to keep his brother, Kunwar’s head above. He finally reached his destination crossing all hurdles and with the help of a truck to the hospital.

Thus, this story displays immense courage and bravery. Sher Singh managed to cross the jungle despite all hurdles and reached the hospital and succeeded in saving his brother’s life.

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Answer 1.

a) The speaker is the Prince of Morocco-who had come to try his luck and choose the right casket to win Portia’s hand in marriage. Prince of Morocco has already looked at the lead, and silver casket and is now commenting upon the gold casket. The prince has already commented about the lead and silver casket. Upon comparing the three caskets, it is Morocco’s opinion that it was a very base metal and no other metal was as valuable as gold. Morocco then asks himself if Portia’s picture lied within the lead casket but then quickly erases the thought saying that it was sinful to think such a thing. The cerecloth in which Portia would be wrapped while being buried would be more valuable than lead. Therefore, the thought is referred to as sinful.

b) ‘So rich a gem’ is compared to Portia. Morocco thinks that Portia is a priceless and precious gem which can never be kept in any other casket than gold. In England, there was a coin on which the figure of the angel was stamped with gold but that was just a insculped upon. According to Morocco, in the golden casket, lied Portia’s picture. He would win Portia’s hand in marriage if he chose the right casket.

c) The Prince of Morocco chooses the gold casket. On opening the casket, he finds a skull i.e. carrier death, with a scroll in its eye socket. Morocco is shocked to see a carrier death head. He thought Portia’s counterfeit would be inside but instead found a skull. The skull was kept to show the suitor that his judgement were wrong and he had not acted wisely as he was bold. He had just chosen by outward appearance. It signifies that all that glitters is not gold and guilded tombs infold worms in them. It emphasizes that looks are deceptive.

d) Prince of Morocco says that his suit was cold indeed and all his hard work i.e. Labour had gone to waste. He then bids heat farewell and welcomes frost, he tells Portia that he had too grieved a feast to take a tedious leave and losers always parted like that. Here, heat refers to the comfort which he would get if he won Portia’s hand in marriage.

e) The message on the scroll said all that glitters was not gold, often people have said so. Many men had sold their lives just to see gold i.e. to behold its outside. Gilded tombs often contain worms i.e. even tombs which appear beautiful from outside contain worms. Had Morocco been as wise as bold, young in limbs i.e. at a very young age if he had been wise in judgement, his answer would have not been inscrolled. The scroll then states that the suitor’s suit was cold and tells him to leave immediately.

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Answer 2.

a) The scene takes place in a garden outside Portia’s house in Belmont. Gratiano is addressing to Nerissa. Gratiano had given away his wedding ring to a judge’s clerk. He had got the ring from Nerissa and had sworn to keep it till he died. He had not kept his promise and therefore, there was a quarrel.

b) When asked what the matter was, Gratiano says that it was about a paltry ring, a hoop of gold whose posy was in all the world’s cutler’s poetry “Love me and leave me not”. Cutler’s poetry means the words that are inscribed upon the inside of a ring.

c) Portia blames Gratiano in this matter. Portia says that it was not a good thing to part with his wife’s first gift. It was a thing which Gratiano had promised to keep and which was stuck on his fingers with oaths of love and riveted with flesh. Gratiano had not kept his promise and had parted with it. Portia says that she had given Bassanio a ring too and made him swear not to part with it, lose it or give it away. Gratiano had given Nerissa too unkind a cause to grieve about. If Bassanio would have done that, Portia too would be very upset.

d) Portia mockingly says that she too had given Bassanio a ring and made him swear not to part with it, lose it or give it away. Gratiano had given his wife too unkind a cause to grieve about if Bassanio would have done that, Portia would be mad at him. After hearing Portia, Bassanio wishes that he could cut his hand and say that he had lost the ring defending it. Bassanio feels scared about how he would face Portia once she knew about the ring.

e) Upon hearing Gratiano, Nerissa asks him why he talked about the posy or the value of the ring. Gratiano had sworn that he would not give away, part or lose the ring and would wear it till his death. But he had given it to a judge’s clerk. Nerissa believed that Gratiano had not given it to a man but a girl. Therefore, she said that the judge’s clerk would never grow hair on his beard.


Answer 3.

a) The poet, Elizabeth Browning is addressing to her lover i.e. Robert Browning to love her genuinely and unconditionally. The poet feels that the love based on outward appearances is not true love. She says that love based on looks, way of smiling and speaking gently is unwelcome. She says that it’s not true love and knows that love based on external appearances cannot endure. When the reason goes away, love also fades. Therefore, she wants her lover (Robert Browning) to love her unconditionally and for its own sake.

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b) The poetess reveals that the attention based on looks, smiling or way of speaking is unwelcome. By such ways, a suitor might fall victim to a ‘trick of thought’ i.e. a particular way of thinking which may mislead a person. Such things change from day to day with the mood of each partner. If her smile pleases him one day, what happens the day she has no smile for him. She knows that love based on outward appearances is not true love and cannot endure. She is thinking woman and therefore does not want her lover to love her for such reasons.

c) According to the poetess, other kind of impermanent love is the one which is out of pity. The poetess tells her lover not to love her out of pity. She even says that a creature might forget to weep. The poetess says that this is impermanent as when she stops crying, his love for her will never fade away. She uses the word creature instead of saying herself as she is alluding to creatures like a whimpering dog and flopping bird which invoke human pity. Such a kind of a love is impermanent as when her tears will go away and she will not cry anymore, he might stop loving her. She wants her lover to love her genuinely and unconditionally without any reasons.

d) The figure of speech used in the last two lines of the extract is personification. The words ‘love’s sake’ and ‘love’s eternity’ are personified presenting love as eternal quality which should be valued for its own sake. True love can last only if two people love each other without reasons and unconditionally. Therefore, the poetess has personified love.

e) The poetess has presented love as an eternal quality. Elizabeth Browning is a thinking woman and wants her lover to love her unconditionally. According to her, love based on outward appearances is not true love. Love should be shared between two people who genuinely care for each other. She presented love as a quality which should be valued for its sake only. The poetess wishes that her husband (Robert Browning) should love her without reasons and genuinely because the love based on reasons is not true love and cannot last forever. This is what the poetess wishes to convey through the poem. The poem is also reflecting about how love should be and what love is in reality.

Answer 4.

a) ‘He’ is referred to the soldier boy who was sitting calmly underneath a tree. The soldier boy is addressing the narrator as ‘Sir’. It is morning time in the poem.

b) The soldier boy was sitting underneath a tree very calmly. The soldier boy beckoned to the narrator and asked him if he could help by smiling as best as he could. He requested the narrator for a sip of water as he was tired and exhausted. The battle had been long. The soldier boy and his comrades had fought all day and all night with scarcely any rest. He was tired and thirsty therefore, he wanted a sip of water in the morning.

c) The soldier boy says that the battle had been long and hard and had lasted through the night. Scores of figures i.e. dead bodies lay still on the ground, when the morning came i.e. by morning’s light. When the soldier boy looked around for help, the only things he

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found were big, deep craters in the earth and bodies on the ground, and he still kept firing and tried to do his best. But finally sat down with a small pain in his chest.

d) The narrator says that the soldier boy smiled as best as he could in that condition. The soldier boy was sitting calmly underneath a tree. When the narrator approached him, he was wounded. The soldier boy had fought very hard and now had a small pain in his chest. He was very tired and exhausted and was also hurt. He did not want to acknowledge the fact that he was wounded therefore he said it was simply because of fatigue and he must be getting old.

e) The soldier boy was hurt and bleeding but did not want to acknowledge the fact. Instead, he says that it was just a small pain in his chest and was because of fatigues and old age. At the end, the boy dies from the small pain in his chest. Larger pain refers to the greater part of humanity which had not been able to give up wars, even after such a long time. On the battlefield, there is trauma, chaos and horror. Soldiers also suffer from mental and physical agony. This is an anti-war poem talking about the futility of wars. Wars are fought to bring peace but only bring about destruction. Soldiers who battle it out on the front line cannot handle too much and the battlefield takes its toll on them sooner or later. Therefore, the poem indirectly shuns hatred and warfare which cause great loss and damage.


Answer 5.

a) Todd is the narrator’s friend and a Major at the University Club Montreal. Todd has been to Bermuda. Todd wrote a letter to the narrator from Hamilton, Bermuda saying how the temperature was nearly upto 100.

b) The narrator went to the station to pick Todd. The narrator suggested that they take a taxi upto the club. The narrator made this suggestion in an attempt to remind Todd about the dollar he had borrowed from the narrator. Todd did not seem to get a clue and casually answered that they should walk. It was not accepted.

c) The narrator and Todd went to a club to spend the evening. The narrator made different attempts to remind Todd about his dollar. He asked what currency was used in Bermuda and if American dollar was at par. He put a slight emphasis on the American dollar but Todd did not seem to remember and the narrator could not bring himself to make any reference to it.

d) The narrator again asked Todd what his trip cost him but Todd said he had kept no accounts. He further asked him if he felt settled after his trip and Todd said he had practically forgotten about it. The narrator really wanted to get his dollar back and never forget about it. He said that if someone had borrowed a dollar from him, he would carry

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the recollection of it to the grave. It shows that the narrator wanted to get his dollar back as any cost.

e) The story, ‘My Lost Dollar’ by Stephen Leacock is about the theme of forgetfulness of humans. Forgetfulness is a common tendency between people. The borrower and the lender, both sometimes forget about the money. The borrower might forget but the lender always remembers it. In this story, the lender is the narrator and the borrower is his friend Todd. It is a humorous story in which Todd had borrowed a dollar from the narrator while starting for Bermuda. The narrator was sure that Todd would give it back but when Todd returned he had practically forgotten about it. Inspite of making various attempts to remind Todd about it, he did not remember it. At last, another thought entered the narrator’s mind. If people had borrowed a dollar from him, it was probable that he had borrowed a dollar from people. The entire story is about a dollar which Todd had borrowed from the narrator and had forgotten to pay it back.

Answer 6.

The story ‘God lives in the Panch’ written originally in Hindu by Munshi Premchand revolves around the theme that Truth alone Triumphs. The story establishes that the Panchayat system is congenial for dispensing justice and that the voice of the Panch is the voice of God. The story highlights the role of the Panch in dispersing justice. The Panch knows neither friend nor foe. Justice and truth prevail and when the Panch is impartial, it is as if God speaks through the Panch. In the story two cases are brought before the Panchayat and in both the cases it is truth and in both the cases it is truth that prevails. This establishes that it is man’s innate goodness that makes him stick to the path of justice and truth. The protagonists Jumman Sheikh and Alagu Chowdhari are good friends since childhood. They are business partners and they share common outlook on life as well. Though they are neither closely related, nor do they belong to the same religion, they share an inseparable bond of friendship. Their friendship however, is put to test by an incident threatening to shake up its very foundation. Jumman has a maternal aunt who transfers her property in Jumman name on the condition that he would look after her. Once the property is transferred, Jumman’s attitude towards his aunt changes completely. He becomes indifferent towards her and his wife constantly abuses and rebukes the old lady. The aunt, unable to bear the constant insults eventually approaches the Panchayat for redressal. Before the Panchayat meeting she tries to garner support of the villagers without much success. She finally approaches Alagu and makes him aware of his responsibility as a conscientious individual. At the Panchayat assembly, Alaguis in a dilemma of whether he should support his friend or let himself be guided by an inner realization. He chooses justices over friendship and on cross examining Jumman delivers the verdict in support of Jumman’s aunt. The judgment shocks Jumman and he cannot accept the truth that friendship cannot over ride justice. He seeks an opportunity for revenge. He does not have to wait too long for Alagu is driven to approach the Panchayat. Alagu had sold a bullock to SamjhuSahu on the understanding that he would pay the price in a month’s time. However, before the term ended, the bullock died due to the excessive workload and in

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humane treatment meted out to it. The trader refuses to pay Alagu the money for the bullock and the matter is referred to the Panchayat. Jumman is elected as the head Panch at the Panchayat assembly and Alagu feel certain that the verdict will not be in his favour. However, Jumman suddenly becomes conscious of the gravity of his office. He realizes that he needs to sift right from wrong and not utter anything that may remotely be construed as unfair. He does not let his personal feelings hinder the administration of justice and delivers a verdict, based on the evidence, in favour of Alagu. Alagu is overwhelmed with joy at Jumman’s fairness in dispensing justice. The misunderstanding between the two is dissolved and they once again seal their bond of friendship.

Answers of Practice Paper 6 | Harbourpress

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