Mrs Packletide’s Tiger-10th std

EXTRA QUESTIONS

1.What was the compelling motive for Mrs. Packletide’s sudden

deviation towards the footsteps of Nimrod?

,.... Was her jealousy of Loona Bimberton. Loona Bimberton had had

a joy ride in an aeroplane with an Algerian pilot.

2. What does Nimrod refer to? Why has the author alluded to Nimrod?

In the Bible, Nimrod was the great grandson of Noah and was

considered to be a skillful hunter. A person who is an expert or

devoted to hunting in referred to as Nimrod. The author refers to the footsteps of Nimrod to highlight

the fact that Mrs. Packletide was not passionate about hunting. All she wanted was

to counter the exploits of Loona Bimberton.

3. What did Loona talk of all the time?

Loona talked of nothing else but how she was carried eleven miles in

an aeroplane by an Algerian pilot.

4. What does the word counter mean? ...-to return a blow (attack) by another blow.

5. Why is Mrs. Packletide described as ‘exception’?

Mrs. Packletide was an exception since she was not swayed by

hunger or love just as other people in the world. All her motives and

actions were motivated by her extreme dislike for Loona Bimberton.

6. Circumstances roved propitious’ what does the author mean by this

statement?

The author tells his readers that circumstances proved favourable for

Mrs. Packletide as her hunt for a tiger was over. This was because a

tiger was seen in the forest adjoining a neighbouring village.

7. Why did she offer the villagers a thousand rupees?

She offered the villagers a thousand rupees because she wanted

them to arrange for a safe and convenient shooting of the tiger.

8. What were the two fears harboured y the villagers?

The villagers feared that the tiger would wander off to another village

and that he would die before the date of the shooting.

10. What has been said about Miss Mebbin’s attitude towards service?

Miss Mebbin would only work for as much as she was paid. She would

not stretch herself to oblige her mistress and do more that what the

job required.

11. What is meant by an accurately sighted rifle?

An accurately sighted rifle is one wherein all the parts are perfectly

aligned so that the rifle hits the target accurately.

12. What arrangements were made for the hunt?

A safe platform has been made in a tree, a goat has been tethered

to a tree, a rifle has been sighted for Mrs. Packletide and she has a

pack of small cards to pass her time on the platform.

13. What does the mention of the cards tell us about the nature of the

activity being undertaken by the woman?

Mrs. Packletide is taking the hunt in a very light-hearted manner after

ensuring that it was free from any risk.

14. What does Mrs. Packletide mean by the term ‘incidental expenses’?

Mrs. Packletide refers to the expenses she had to undergo, to buy the

silence of her companion Louisa Mebbin who had threatened to

reveal the truth about the hunt to her rival Loona Bimberton.

Tenses

Complete the following headlines using the correct form of the verb.

1. Delhi University ________________ the admission process schedule next

week. (announce)

2. A man claimed that he _________________ of Rs 45 000 last week near

Central Park. (rob)

3. Pollutions levels in the city ______________________ (fall) over the last

three weeks.

4. Young mountaineer ___________________ (scale) Everest in his first

attempt.

5. Good Samaritan ____________ (ferry) 100 patients to hospital this year.

 B. Fill in the blanks

I was walking to the library at the end of the road when I (a) __________ (run) into Gita. Gita (b) __________ (tell) me that she (a) __________ (visit) Mohan who (c) __________ (admit) to the hospital the

day before. She told me that Mohan (d) __________ (complain) of

severe pain in his abdomen for over a week. When he went to the

local hospital the doctors there (e) __________ (diagnose) the problem

as appendicitis. They (f) __________ (advise) Mohan to undergo

surgery for the removal of the inflamed appendix. After the surgery,

Mohan (g) __________ stay (stay) in the hospital for a day. Gita added

that Mohan (h__________ not __________ able (be) to take the final

examination next week. Therefore, his mother (i) __________ (decide)

meet the principal and request him to grant dispensation for Mohan.

C. Correct the following sentences.

1. Mohan studies for an hour.

2. I have left for Amritsar next week.

3. She will go to bed when she finishes her assignment.

4. Raina was suffering from fever since Monday.

5. She cannot pass unless she will work hard.

6. He would talk as if he were mad.

7. I saw ‘Jungle Book’ several times.

8. In case you will not turn up in time you will be punished.

9. I passed the UPSC exam this year.

10. Did you not take your breakfast yet?

The Mirror - 10th std

Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow..

1. ‘most of the time i meditate on the opposite wall

It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long

I think it is a part of my heart. But it flickers.

Faces and darkness separate us over and over. ’

I. How does ‘I’ meditate on the opposite wall?

‘I’ the mirror is fixed permanently on a wall. So it rests there day and

night and absorbing the pink wall that is opposite it. It seems that

since it is in this state so it is involved in contemplation or deep

thinking.

II. How has the wall become a part of the speaker?

The mirror is a permanent fixture on the wall. This close association

makes the mirror feel that it has become a part of the wall.

III. Explain: ‘But it flickers’

By ‘it’ the mirror means the wall on which the mirror has been fixed.

When people move past the mirror it is not able to see the opposite

wall so it says that the image flickers.

2. ‘She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.

I am important to her. She comes and goes.

Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.’

I. Why does ‘she’ come there often?

She comes there often to see her face reflected in the mirror.

II. What is her reaction on seeing her image?

She cries on seeing her aged face as she was a beautiful woman in

her youth. She knows that she cannot get back to being young and

beautiful again.

III. Explain ‘agitation of hands’

She moves her hands convulsively or wrings them in an effort to

control her anger, sadness and agitation.

3. ‘I am important to her. She comes and goes

in me she has drowned young girl, and in me an old woman

Rises towards her day after day like a terrible fish’

I. How is the mirror important to her?

The mirror is her constant companion.

II. Explain ‘in me she has drowned a young girl’

The woman has lost her youth and the beauty that is associated

with it.

III. Mention the figure of speech in the last line.

Simile

The woman who has lost her youth and beauty is compared to

dead fish. Just as dead fish rise to the surface and float so does the

fact that she has aged continue to barge her senses.

 Answer the following (short answers). 

1. Why does the mirror appear to be a lake in the second stanza?

What aspect of the mirror is being referred to here?

The mirror appears to be a lake because it reflects the image of the

woman objectively like a mirror. The dispassionate and objective

reflection of the mirror is intensified in it because it has depth as its

third dimension.

2. How does the narrator convey the fact that the woman looking at

her reflection in the lake is deeply distressed?

The woman looking at her reflection has tears in her eyes and her

hands move agitatedly showing her feelings of distress. She turns

away from the reflection towards the dim light of the moon and

candles.

3. What makes the woman start crying?

The woman looks at her reflection in the lake. When she sees that

she has aged and is no longer as young and beautiful she feels

distressed. She feels upset because she knows that aging is an

irreversible process. She will never be young and beautiful again.

This reality hits her hard and she cannot accept it. Therefore she

starts crying.

4. In the second stanza why does the poet talk about the lake? What

is the poet trying to focus on?

In the second stanza replaces the mirror as a source of reflection

by a lake which reflects more than what is on the surface. This is

done to add a third dimension of depth to the reflection of the

woman. The poet wants to convey the idea that inner beauty is as

important as outward appearance.

5. What do you think the ‘terrible fish’ in the last line symbolises? What

is the poetic device used here?

The phrase ‘terrible fish’ symbolises the ugly reality of the loss of

youth or the inevitability of aging. It is difficult for a person to

accept this loss of beauty and vigour. The sadness of this reality is

depicted as a terrible fish.

 Long Answers 

1. Imagine you are the mirror. Write a speech that you would like to

deliver to the humans who come to see their reflection in you.

I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to express my

feelings and share my thoughts with you. As you know all my life is

spent in faithfully reflecting all that comes before my eyes.

I reflect exactly what comes before me. I am not a liar. I am always

truthful. I do not help any of you to romanticise about themselves.

Over the years i have seen many human beings growing old. I may

be tarnished a bit and speckled. These are signs of aging and are

akin to the wrinkles on the bodies of young men and women. Many

women have come before me. They have behaved very strangely.

They have tried to see in their faces what they once had. Not

finding the beauty of their youth they have shed tears of anguish. I

understand their sense of despair but i have always wanted to be

truthful. I’m not like the candles or the moon that hide the

blemishes of aging in their soft and muted light. I feel that human

beings must accept that they will age and their bodies will wrinkle

and lose the strength and flexibility over a period of time. When

they don’t accept this change they break up as individuals and

spend their lives grieving over the inevitable.

2. Suppose you are the woman who has been watching her face in

the mirror for years and has grown old. You now realize that you

are not young as you used to be and get upset and agitated. Write

a diary entry expressing your thoughts and feelings.

Day and date
time

dear diary,

I feel that the mirror on the wall in my house has become an

integral part of my life. i have been looking at my face in it for

years. I have been doing do to feel that nothing has changed and

i am still the beautiful young woman that I used to be. But now

when I look at the emerging wrinkles on my face I am distressed. I

found that my face is not mine but of some other woman. It seems

that I have drowned my youth in the silvery surface of the mirror.

How terrible I feel about my changing youth! Have i lost my youth

and beauty forever? These questions make me sick and agitated.

The reality is heard to accept and eats into my consciousness. I

look for reassurances from the candles and the moon. Their muted

light hides the signs of aging and i look beautiful. I know that I am

getting old and that the cruelty of Time will not spare me.

Two Gentlemen of Verona-EXTRA QUESTIONS

EXTRA QUESTIONS

1.Where did the narrator meet the boys the first time?

The narrator was driving through the foothills of the Alps when his car

was stopped by the two boys.

2. What did the driver warn the narrator against? Why?

The driver warned the narrator against buying the strawberries from

the boys. The driver felt that narrator would get better fruit in the

market. Besides that the two boys’ shabby appearance made him

suspect that they were hard up for money and would cheat the

narrator out of some money.

3. What do the following phrases mean?

a. ‘doing a brisk business’- doing active business

b. as trade slackened – as business became slower

4. What does the narrator refer to by the phrase ‘remarkable demeanour’?

The narrator refers to the childlike innocence and the trusting nature

of the boys. Jacopo was lively and Nicola had an engaging smile. Yet

they both exhibited a seriousness that would scarcely be found in any

other teenagers.

5. ‘We are not complaining, sir.”

What does this statement tell you about the boys?

This statement speaks of the boys’ willingness to work hard, their grit

and determination to face problems squarely without whining.

6. Why does Nicola seem ‘put out’ when his brother asks the

author for a favour?

Nicola has a sense of dignity. He believes that the problems of life can

be resolved by being responsible and working hard with the available

resources. He does not want a hand out given in sympathy. So he

gets annoyed with his brother when he asks the narrator for a favour.

7. What do you understand by the following statements?

a. “We do many things, sir,” Nicola answered seriously .He

glanced at us hopefully.

The narrator was bemused to find the two boys who had sold him

strawberries the previous day, polishing shoes the next morning. He

had taken them to be fruit vendors. When he asked them about this

change of trade they explained that they did many different jobs to

earn money and elaborated on the kind of work they did.



b. He coloured deeply under his sunburn and then grew pale.

When the narrator asked the boys what they did with their money,

they were taken aback. This question was an intrusion into their

privacy and they were certainly not willing to share their private life

with him. Moreover, they felt a little embarrassed when they

considered what the narrator would think of them as they led a frugal

life despite making a decent sum of money.

c. He smiled uncomfortably. “Just plans sir,” he answered in a low

voice.

The narrator was curious to know what the boys did with the money

they earned. He assumed that just like many others who migrate to a

land of opportunity, the boys too had plans to go to the united States.

The boys in turn did not want to share any of their problems with the

narrator so they did not elaborate on their plans.

d. Yet in both these boyish faces there was a seriousness which

was far beyond their years.

The writer impresses upon the reader the cruelty of war. The two

young teenagers ought to be going to school, playing games and

enjoying life without the burden of earning a living. The war had

robbed them of a father and their elder sister was battling

tuberculosis. They had to earn money to pay for her treatment and to

satisfy their needs too. They did odd jobs from morn to midnight

without complaining. The challenges of life had made them grow up

before their time and their faces reflected the maturity they had

attained the hard way.

NOTICE PRACTICE

A cultural festival is going to be organized in Eagle House Public

School, Mumbai. The festival will showcase the diversity of India

through the exhibition of handicrafts, food stalls, dance, music and

drama. As Pratibha/Prateek the Headgirl/Headboy draft a notice

to be displayed on the school notice board.

(Contents of the notice: A cultural festival ..... Eagle House School

the highlights will be - food stalls with the fare from states of

...dances from .... Drama

Dates-... to ....

Timing:.....

For further details please contact

Two Gentlemen of Verona-10std

Answer the following questions briefly.

a) Why didn't Luigi, the driver, approve of the two boys?

Luigi is a local driver who has seen much and heard much about

Verona. He is used to the ways of cheats and fraudsters. Nicola and

Jacopo standing by the roadside to sell fruit was an unusual

occurrence. Good quality fruit was generally sold at the market.

Moreover, their ragged and torn attire made him conclude that they

were so impoverished that they would get bad quality fruit and sell it

at a high price to make some easy money.

b) Why were the narrator and his companion impressed by the two

boys?

The two boys’ clothing did not pass muster for them to be to be

considered decent or respectable. Yet the narrator and his friend

found something appealing in their grave faces and their trusting

nature. Their simplicity and childlike appearance seemed to draw the

writer and his friend to them.

c) Why was the author surprised to see Nicola and Jocopo working as

shoeshine boys?

The author found the two boys as fruit vendors when they drove into

Verona . He built a fixed notion of them as fruit sellers. But next day, he

was surprised to find them shining shoes beside the fountain in the

public square. The author did not expect to meet them again shining

shoes.

d) How were the boys useful to the author?

According to the narrator and his friend, both Nicola and Jacopo

seemed propitious. They proved to be prompt and skillful in tending to

the needs of the author and his friend. If the author and his friend

required a pack of American cigarettes or seats for the opera or the

name of a good restaurant, Jacopo and Nicola proved handy to

meet their needs.

e) Why were the boys in the deserted square at night? What

character traits do they exhibit?

The boys had been at the deserted square at night resting on the

pavements waiting for the bus from Padua. They had a bundle of

newspapers with them which they intended to sell to the passengers.

This shows that they did not submit to the adversity in their life. They

chose to face it with courage and determination. They were willing to

go the extra mile in order to earn money. They went beyond their age

and showed extreme diligence and determination to get what they

required.

f) The narrator asked the boys, "Must you work so hard? You both

look rather tired." The boys reply, "We are not complaining, sir."

What do you learn about the boys from their reply?

The boys are the greatest hope for society wherein some people

tread on the wrong track when misfortune befalls them. The two boys

struggle to earn their livelihood enduring pain and suffering without

complaining. They do not mind the hard work because their goal is to

get treatment for their sister so that she recovers from the tuberculosis

that afflicts her spine.

2. Complete the following.

a. The phrase ‘make the rounds’ means to go around from one place to

another.

b. The narrator describes the boys’ demeanour as remarkable because

even though they were in their teens they displayed a seriousness that

is rarely seen in boys of that age.

c. The narrator presumed that the boys were saving up money to go to

the United States.

The narrator was proved wrong when he came to know that the boys

were paying for their sister Lucia’s treatment in a nursing home.

d. The two boys grew to hate the Germans as they had lost their father in

the war and a German bomb had destroyed their beautiful home.

Long Answers

a. Justify the title ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’.

A gentleman is a person who is kind and considerate towards others.

He treats people with respect and serves the needs of others. His

adheres to high standards of behaviour and is mindful of his duty. The

two boys worked hard: they sold fruit, shone shoes, acted as tourist

guides and even sold newspapers well past midnight to make enough

money to pay for their sister’s treatment in a hospital. They never

complained nor did they speak of their problems to garner sympathy

from others. They led a frugal life saving every penny they got. They

faced the challenges of life with courage and were never

disheartened by the toil of their existence. The two teenagers

displayed a maturity that went well beyond their age. They were true

gentlemen.

b. How does the story ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’ by AJ Cronin

promise hope for society?

The story with the importance of family and commitment towards

relationships. The boys selflessness touches the heart and a salute

goes up in admiration for the girt and determination of the two. The

boys ad lost their father in the war and their home too was destroyed

by the enemy. But this did not deter them from their course. They

displayed nobility that went far beyond the call of duty. They worked

at numerous jobs and ran errands to make money for their sister’s

treatment.

The value that comes across in the story is that although war ravages

and destroys life and property it does not destroy the sprite of these

two boys. They find in themselves the courage to pick up the pieces

of their broken lives and rebuild a bright future. Their selflessness,

devotion to duty and cheerfulness inspires us to move forward despite

all odds to face squarely the challenges of life and emerge victorious.

THE LETTER-10th std

THE LETTER

EXTRA QUESTIONS
(a)Who was Ali? Where did he go daily?

Answer

Ali was a clever and crack shot hunter, Coachman. He was so obsessed with hunting that not a day would pass when he would not hunt. He would go to the post office daily.

(b) "Ali displays qualities of love and patience". Give evidence from the story to support the statement.

Answer

Ali had been visiting the post office regularly for last five years to get a letter from his only daughter, Miriam about her well-being. He was the first one to arrive at the post office and last one to go. Such was the height of his love for his daughter. He even suffered insult, humiliation and ridicule of the post office employees patiently. Though he had grown extremely old and frail and his end was drawing near, yet he gave five gold guinneas to Lakshmi Das, a post office clerk, to deliver the letter at his grave. So he was an epitome of love , patience, hope and faith.

(c) How do you know Ali was a familiar figure at the post office?

Answer

Ali was a well known figure at the post office because he had been visiting the post office regularly for last five years. He sat on the same bench everyday waiting for his name to be called. The postmen made fun of him. Even though there would be no letter for him, they would call out his name, just to see his reaction. The post office became a place of pilgrimage for Ali. Even bad weather could not deter him. He was always the first one to arrive to the post office.

(d) Why did Ali give up hunting?

Answer

His only daughter Miriam got married and left him. Ali then understood the real meaning of love and separation. So he gave up hunting.

(e) What impression do you form of the postmaster after reading the story 'The Letter'?

Answer

In the beginning the postmaster appears to be haughty, arrogant, ill-tempered, unfeeling, selfish, impatient, insensitive, indifferent, irresponsible and unresponsive. His face is as inexpressive as a pumpkin. There is no sign of loveliness in his features. He does not understand Ali's feelings and anxiety. He considers Ali a mad man and rebuke him by calling him a 'pest'.But, he undergoes a complete transformation when he himself faces the mental trauma of not getting the news of his own daughter's well-being. Now he realises the pain and suffering of Ali. He is full of remorse, guilt and repentance. He becomes loving, caring, helpful and sympathetic.

(f) The postmaster says to Ali, "What a pest you are, brother!" Do you agree with the statement? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer

Ali used to go to the post office daily. He would go and sit at a particular bench everyday, waiting for his name to be called out. He would not bother anyone. On that particular day, he had come to the post office after several days as he had fallen ill. Since he had not come for many days, he enquired for his letter from the postmaster. The postmaster, who was in a hurry to leave, lost his temper on Ali and called him a pest. Ali was not at all a pest; it was just that he came after many days so he was curious to know whether a letter had come for him.

(g) "Ali came out very slowly, turning after every few steps to gaze at the post office. His eyes were filled with tears of helplessness, for his patience was exhausted, even though he still had faith." Why were Ali's eyes filled with tears of helplessness? What had exhausted his patience but not his faith?

Answer

Ali had waited endlessly for his daughter’s letter, he felt helpless. The employees at the post-office made fun of him but he couldn’t resist the temptation of seeing Miriam’s letter. When he was insulted by the post master, who called him a ‘pest’, Ali’s patience was exhausted but his unflagging hope told him that a letter would surely arrive.

(h) "Tortured by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigri to wait." Who is tortured by doubt and remorse? Why? What is he waiting for?

Answer

The postmaster is tortured by doubt and remorse. He is filled with remorse because he failed to understand Ali’s concern about his daughter. The postmaster’s daughter was unwell and he anxiously waited for some news of her. When he saw an envelope of a shape and colour that he expected, he quickly snatched it. However, it was not addressed to him but to Ali. His disappointment at not receiving any news of his daughter made him realize the sorrow and pain of Ali who had waited for five years for some news from his daughter.