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Here we are providing Albert Einstein at School Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

Albert Einstein at School Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots

Albert Einstein at School Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Do you think Albert is being impolite while answering the history teacher’s questions? Give your reasons.
Answer:
Albert was not being rude to his history teacher. He was honest enough to tell the teacher what he thought of the subject.

Question 2.
What characteristic of Einstein’s nature is highlighted in the exchanges between him and the history teacher?
Answer:
Einstein’s honesty is highlighted in his exchange with the history teacher. He does not hide his dislike for learning facts.

Question 3.
What was Einstein’s chief objection against learning history?
Answer:
Einstein’s chief objection against learning history was that there was no point in learning dates arid facts. They could easily be looked up in the books. It would be more useful to learn the reasons behind the facts.

Question 4.
What did Mr Koch think of Albert?
Answer:
Mr. Koch thought very highly of Albert. He knew that Einstein was brilliant. He said soon Einstein would be in a position to teach him. He recommended him for higher studies in mathematics.

Question 5.
How was the history teacher and math teacher’s opinion about Albert different?
Answer:
The history teacher thought that Einstein was rude and impudent. He did not make any attempt to learn historical facts. On the other hand, the maths teacher, Mr. Koch, thought Einstein was brilliant. He had taught him all he could. He gave him a reference for admission to a college or an institute.

Question 6.
Who is Elsa? What advice does she give to Albert to clear the diploma?
Or
Who was Elsa? What advice did she give to Einstein?
Answer:
Elsa is Albert’s cousin. She lives in Berlin and comes to Munich from time to time. She advises him to learn enough so that he can repeat the lessons in the diploma exams and pass.

Question 7.
Why did Yuri call Einstein the world’s worst liar?
Answer:
Yuri sent Einstein to meet Dr Weil, a new doctor, for a certificate. He said this because he knew that Einstein could not lie, therefore he told Einstein to be absolutely truthful with Dr Weil. In fact, world’s worst liar was not an insult. It highlights Einstein’s honesty and his inability to lie.

Question 8.
What was Yuri’s advice to Albert regarding his meeting with Dr Ernst Weil? Give two reasons why Yuri advised Einstein so.
Answer:
Yuri advised Albert not to lie to Dr Ernst Weil. He said so because he knew Dr. Weil could not be deceived by lies. Secondly, Einstein was the world’s worst liar, so he should not even try deception.

Question 9.
Why was Albert nervous when he met the doctor? What does this nervousness indicate about his nature?
Answer:
Albert was nervous when he met the doctor because he could not decide what to tell him. We know that he was a truthful person and was nervous when there was a possibility that he would have to lie.

Question 10.
Einstein was not happy in his lodgings. What disturbed him the most?
Answer:
Albert’s room was in the poorest quarter of Munich. The most unbearable element in his environment was slum violence. His landlady used to beat the children and was in turn beaten up by her husband.. This was extremely repulsive to Einstein.

Question 11.
Why does the biographer refer to Albert’s interest in music as a comfort’?
Answer:
Interest in music was a ‘comfort’ to Einstein because it gave him some solace. He found the school as well as his lodgings detestable. He had no friends except Yuri. Playing his violin was the only source of comfort to him.

Question 12.
What was Albert’s plan for further education after leaving the school at Munich?
Answer:
Einstein planned to continue his education in Milan in an Italian college or institute. To secure admission there, he would get a certificate from his maths teacher.

Question 13.
How did Albert hope to get admission to an Italian college without a diploma from the German school?
Answer:
Albert hoped to get admission to an Italian college on the strength of the reference his maths teacher Mr. Koch would give him as his maths teacher has a very good opinion about him as a student of maths. He praised his mathematical prowess and wrote a glowing reference for Albert.

Question 14.
Finally, the head of the school and Albert were in agreement about a matter. What was it?
Answer:
Albert Einstein and the head teacher were in agreement over the matter of the former’s leaving school. Einstein wanted to leave the school because he hated it. The head teacher wanted him to leave because he was too rebellious and disturbed teachers and students.

Question 15.
Why did the head teacher at Munich school expel Albert?
Answer:
The head teacher expelled Einstein from school because he felt the latter was rebellious and did not allow studies to progress in class. The teachers found him argumentative and obstructive

Question 16.
What reasons did the head teacher offer for expelling Albert from school?
Answer:
The head teacher said Einstein would have to leave because the teachers could not teach their classes due to his attitude and behaviour. He said Einstein was in constant rebellion and hindered regular work.

Albert Einstein at School Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
What are Einstein’s views on education as revealed in his conversation with the History teacher?
Answer:
Einstein got into an argument with his history teacher. He was extremely honest about what he thought about various study subjects. He told the history teacher point blank that he did not see any advantage in learning dates. If one needed to know, dates could always be found in books.

It was not just dates, but he found no advantage even in learning facts. He did not think learning facts was education at all. He felt it would be more important to know the reasons behind the facts, for example, why battles were fought. His history teacher sarcastically called his views as Einstein’s theory of education.

Question 2.
Why did Einstein consider the school ‘a hateful place’?
Or
Why did Einstein want to get away from school?
Answer:
Einstein did not like his school at Munich at all. He considered it a hateful place where he did not wish to go back to the next morning. Most of the days were filled with unpleasant experiences. He had been sent there to take his diploma, but he wished he could leave the school.

He was expected to learn things by heart, which he did not like. The teachers were unsympathetic and sarcastic. There was hardly any study of science at school. The only subject he liked was maths, His maths teacher was extremely happy with him. After six months, Einstein got so fed up with the school that he wanted to get away.

Question 3.
Write a brief essay on Albert Einstein’s unhappy days in his school.
Answer:
Einstein did not like his school at Munich at all. He considered it a hateful place where he did not wish to go back to the next morning. Most of the days were filled with unpleasant experiences. He had been sent there to take his diploma, but he wanted to leave the school.

He was expected to learn things by heart, which he did not like. The teachers were unsympathetic and sarcastic. There was hardly any study of science at school. The only subject he liked was maths. His maths teacher was extremely happy with him. After six months, Einstein got so fed up with the’ school that he wanted to get away.

Question 4.
Albert Einstein found himself miserable both in the German school and his quarters at Munich. What were the reasons for his misery and how did he attempt to get out of the situation?
Answer:
Einstein did not like his school at Munich at all. He considered it a hateful place where he did not wish to go back to the next morning. Most of the days were filled with unpleasant experiences. He had been sent there to take his diploma, but he wished he could leave the school. His living quarters were shabby and squalid. The food was bad. Above all this, there was an atmosphere of slum violence.

Einstein knew that if he ran away from school, he would be sent back by his father. Therefore, he wanted to leave school ‘officially’, with a valid reason. If he could get a certificate from a doctor that he had suffered a nervous breakdown and that he needed rest for a long time, he could get away with it. His friend, Yuri, was a medical student. He asked him to find a doctor who would be willing to give him such a certificate. Einstein felt that if he had to live longer in Munich and study in the school, he would really have a nervous breakdown.

Question 5.
Were the teachers interested in understanding Albert and bringing out his potential?
Answer:
At the school, the teachers did not seem to be interested in helping Einstein and in bringing out his potential as his history teacher signified traditional style of learning and did nothing to bring out the talent of Albert and even could not convince him of the relevance of his subject and became sarcastic. Only the maths teacher cared for Einstein and helped him and truly recognized the potential of Albert. He was impressed by his phenomenal talent and gave him a reference for admission to a college in Milan.

Question 6.
What was Einstein’s plan to get away from school? How was Yuri of help to him?
Answer:
Einstein knew that if he ran away from school, he would be sent back by his father. Therefore, he wanted to leave school ‘officially’ with a valid reason. If he could get a certificate from a doctor that he had suffered a nervous breakdown and that he needed rest for a long time, he could get away with it. His friend Yuri was a medical student. He asked him to find a doctor who would be willing to give him such a certificate. Einstein felt that if he had to live longer in Munich and study in the school, he would really have a nervous breakdown.

Question 7.
Comment on the role of Yuri as described in the extract.
Answer:
Yuri was a good friend of Einstein. He was a medical student himself. Einstein felt very close to him. In fact, he was the only one for whom Einstein had any feeling. Yuri tried to keep his spirit up. When Einstein wanted to leave school in a manner that he would not be sent back, he asked for Yuri’s help. He wanted Yuri to find a doctor who would certify that he was suffering from a nervous breakdown and needed rest for at least six months. Yuri introduced him to Dr Ernst Weil who had recently acquired a medical degree. Thus, Yuri was extremely helpful.

Question 8.
Show how Albert did not finally need the certificate from Dr Weil.
Answer:
Albert Einstein was sick and tired of his school at Munich and desperately wanted to leave. He thought of obtaining a certificate from Dr Ernst Weil saying that he was suffering from a nervous breakdown and needed rest for six months. After obtaining this certificate, he wanted to meet the head teacher. He was surprised, however, to be summoned by the head teacher. He thought he would be punished for laziness and bad work.

The head teacher informed him that his work Was so terrible that he could not be tolerated in the school any more and he would have to leave. He said that his presence in the class made it impossible for the teachers to teach and for the students to learn. He was being expelled for being in constant rebellion. Thus, he did not need the medical certificate at all.

Question 9.
Keeping the whole story in mind, briefly discuss Einstein’s character as it is revealed here.
Answer:
Even as a student Einstein had a mind of his own. He was honest enough to tell the history teacher what he thought of the subject. He was interested in the study of science and mathematics. He could not simply cram facts and was sure to fail in the examination. He hated violence.

He loved maths and music which soothed his troubled nerves Albert was sure of his potential and had self¬pride. He did not bow down before Mr. Braun or the head teacher. They branded him as a rebel or mischief maker: It was only his maths teacher who understood and appreciated his mathematical abilities. On the whole he detested the school.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots

• The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Question Answer
• The Address Question Answer
• Ranga’s Marriage Question Answer
• Albert Einstein at School Question Answer
• Mother’s Day Question Answer
• The Ghat of the Only World Question Answer
• Birth Question Answer
• The Tale of Melon City Question Answer

Here we are providing Mother’s Day Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

Mother’s Day Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots

Mother’s Day Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
How did Mrs Fitzgerald try to help Mrs Pearson?
Answer:
Mrs. Fitzgerald is the only person behind transforming and emboldening Mrs Pearson. She magically changes her own personality with Mrs. Pearson. While enacting as Mrs. Pearson, Mrs Fitzgerald acts tough with her husband and children. She made Mrs. Pearson realize her own importance in the family. Rather, she inspired Mrs Pearson to stand for her rights and refuse to be ordered about by her family members.

Question 2.
What advice does Mrs Fitzgerald give Mrs Pearson regarding being the boss in her family?
Answer:
Mrs. Fitzgerald encourages Mrs. Pearson to be the mistress in her own house. She acquaints Mrs. Pearson with her rights in the family. She tells her that her husband and children should share her work, the value of her work should be acknowledged by all her family members. Mrs. Pearson is realized of her status in the family. She is told to put her foot down and be the boss of her family. Her family is expected to learn to treat her properly.

Question 3.
How does the changed Mrs Pearson behave with her daughter Doris?
Answer:
The changed Mrs. Pearson talks to her daughter in a cool incisive manner. She has not kept tea. ready for her and refuses to iron her yellow dress. She criticises her boy friend Charlie.

Question 4.
Why does Doris say, “Mum-what’s the matter with you?”
Answer:
Doris, Mrs. Pearson’s daughter, finds that her tea is not ready. Moreover, Mrs. Pearson tells her to iron her dress herself. She announces that she might go out to Clarendon for a meal. All this is unusual for Doris and she gets irritated.

Question 5.
What is Doris’ reaction when Mrs Pearson says she will work only forty hours a week?
Answer:
On hearing that Mrs. Pearson will work only forty hours a week, Doris cannot believe her ears. She asks her mother where will she go for a weekend? She wonders if all this crazy talk is the result of an accident or a hit on the head.

Question 6.
Doris says, “You’ll see” to her father. What does she mean?
Answer:
When George asked Doris why she was crying Doris said this, meaning he would see for himself how Mrs Pearson had changed. She was refusing to work for the family and talking tough to the family members.

Question 7.
How does Mrs Pearson express her disapproval of Charlie Spence?
Answer:
Mrs. Pearson comments that Charlie Spence has buck teeth and is half-witted. Mrs. Pearson feels that had she been there in Doris place, she would have found someone better.

Question 8.
Mrs Pearson says, “I’ve joined the movement.” What does she mean?
Answer:
Mrs. Pearson says, “I have joined a movement”, while talking to her son Cyril. She further says that when Cyril doesn’t want to do something, he doesn’t be it at home or office. Similarly, she will also do what she feels like.

Question 9.
How is George Pearson treated at the club?
Answer:
At the club, George Pearson is always mocked at by the members. He is called Pompyompy Pearson because they think him to be slow as well as pompous.

Question 10.
What does Mrs Pearson tell her husband about her visit to the bar?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson had not prepared tea and George did not want any, yet he was annoyed that tea was not available. Mrs Pearson asked him if he had ever shouted at the bar for not keeping something he didn’t want.

Question 11.
Why is Mrs Pearson always ordered about by her family members?
Answer:
Mrs. Pearson is always ordered about by her family members because she never asserts herself. She is very submissive and serves her family like a servant. She never raises her voice at them. She avoids creating an unpleasant situation. Her family has started taking her for granted.

Question 12.
George, Doris and Cyril were all ungrateful. How?
Answer:
George, Doris and Cyril were all ungrateful. They did not acknowledge or appreciate the labour and concern of Mrs. Pearson. They took her for granted. They even bullied her, never thought that she should get her rightful place of honour in the family.

Question 13.
What advice does Mrs Fitzgerald give to Mrs Pearson after they change back personalities?
Answer:
After they changed their personalities, Mrs. Fitzgerald tells Mrs. Pearson not to give any explanations, not be meek or soft with her family. Instead, she should give a stern look or speak in harsh tone from time to time.

Question 14.
How does the Pearson family spend the evening finally?
Answer:
The evening was spent the way Mrs. Pearson wanted. It was her children who prepared the dinner. She simply relaxed and was busy playing a game of rummy. She was also busy chit-chatting with her husband.

Mother’s Day Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Not only in Pearson’s family, but in most families mothers are taken for granted. They do all work and get no respect. Based on your reading of the story, write a paragraph on the topic: ‘The Need to Respect Mothers.’
Answer:
“Mom; why do you make the same old food every day?”
“Hey’Mom, couldn’t you iron my clothes?”
“I feel you are partial to your youngest, my naughty brother.”
Such comments are commonplace in families. Like the prime minister of a country, the mother is held responsible for all big and small matters. There is very little appreciation of the woman who works tirelessly for the family. We should get out of this mindset and give our mothers the respect they deserve. For a change, we could enjoy the healthy food she prepares, iron our clothes ourselves and help her with household chores. Mothers offer selfless love which lasts through all ordeals and through our lives. A mother is God’s blessing and we should recognise her worth.

Question 2.
What last warning did Mrs Fitzgerald give Mrs Pearson?
Answer:
Mrs. Fitzgerald was a bold and creative lady. Her presence in Mrs Pearson’s life holds great importance. Had she been missing from Mrs. Pearson’s life, Mrs. Pearson would never have changed. She advised Mrs. Pearson to remain firm and not to allow her children to be bossy and authoritative. She told her, never to get bullied by her children and husband. She asked her to fight for her rights. She also told her to be confident as well as courageous. Mrs. Fitzgerald painted out that, let her family realize her significance for which she needed to maintain her family position. She was made to realize that nothing is above self-respect and self-esteem of a person.

Question 3.
What impression do you form of Mrs Annie Pearson? How does Mrs Fitzgerald bring about a change in her personality?
Answer:
Mrs Annie Pearson by nature was a quiet, submissive person, who thought her prime duty was to serve the family and look after their needs. Consequently her husband, son and daughter bullied her and ordered her about. Mrs Fitzgerald thought Annie Pearson should not allow this to happen and should assert herself. Mrs Fitzgerald exchanged personalities with Annie Pearson. Now Annie was bold, assertive, even rude to her family members. They soon came to their senses and understood that they should not burden her with work. Mrs Fitzgerald thus helped Annie in a big way.

Question 4.
Mrs Annie Pearson and Mrs Fitzgerald are totally opposite to each other in their attitudes. Show the difference between their personalities.
Answer:
In their attitudes, Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Fitzgerald are poles apart. They have a totally different nature. Mrs. Pearson is diffident, soft, timid and fearful. She obeys the orders of all her family members meekly. She never questions them. She works in her own house like a servant. She is often bullied by her husband and children.

In short she keeps on suffering quietly and hates unpleasantness. On the other hand, Mrs. Fitzgerald is a strong, dominating, confident and courageous woman. She is well-acquainted with her rights. She demands respect and help from others. She speaks her mind and asserts herself. In the play, she also establishes the identity of woman as an important person. Overall, she is a true exemplar of the contemporary woman.

Question 5.
How does the behaviour of Mrs. Pearson change towards each family member — Doris, Cyril and George?
Answer:
Mrs. Pearson’s behaviour towards Doris—In front of Doris, Mrs. Pearson smokes and tells her to make tea for herself. She tells Doris to eat outside, iron her yellow dress herself, condemns and criticizes her boyfriend Charlie Spence. Mrs. Pearson’s behaviour towards Cyril—When Cyril comes from outside and demands tea, he is not provided tea.

She announces that she has joined a movement and won’t keep working. She asks Cyril to take out his things himself. She doesn’t want to do any mending for him. She announces that she wouldn’t work on weekends. Mrs. Pearson’s behaviour towards George Mrs. Pearson denies him tea. She asks him to prepare it on his own. She says that she find him too funny and pokes fun at him by telling him that the club members rightly call him pompy-ompy. This way Mrs. Pearson’s behaviour undergoes a drastic change with one and all.

Question 6.
How does Mrs Pearson deal with her husband in her new personality?
Answer:
In her altogether new personality, Mrs. Pearson pokes fun at her husband. She tells George that his friends at the club laugh at him. He has never been a perfect husband, as he leaves his wife alone at home to do household chores. She checks George when he speaks disrespectfully to Mrs. Fitzgerald.

Mrs. Pearson warns her husband not to misbehave with Mrs. Fitzgerald and says that she would slap him in front of Mrs. Fitzgerald. On seeing such an unexpected bold behaviour, George gets completely shocked and baffled. On seeing his own daughter, Doris weeping, George couldn’t help her, He feels too helpless and nervous to speak up. George stares at his wife in bewilderment. He finally gives up and moves out of the room.

Question 7.
What is the main idea of the play? Has it been brought out effectively by the writer?
Answer:
The main idea of the play is that a woman has some rights in the family — her husband and children should share her work. The value of her work should be recognized — she has an important status in the family. It has been effectively brought out in the play. The playwright has used an extraordinary method for doing so. Here, the personalities of Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Fitzgerald are exchanged.

Question 8.
What is the difference between Mrs Pearson and Mrs Fitzgerald? How do they complement each other?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson is a timid and diffident woman. She continuously slogs for providing comfort to her son, daughter and husband. She is always given orders by her family. She is a highly devoted and dedicated mother as well as wife but, gets no thanks or gratitude in return.

On the other hand, Mrs Fitzgerald is assertive and flushed with confidence. She is enjoying her life without compromising her self-respect and individuality. She advises Mrs. Pearson to assert herself and stop working like a slave for her family. Both of them have dissimilar qualities but still, they complement each other. Mrs Fitzgerald gives Mrs Pearson the courage and will to assert herself.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots

• The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Question Answer
• The Address Question Answer
• Ranga’s Marriage Question Answer
• Albert Einstein at School Question Answer
• Mother’s Day Question Answer
• The Ghat of the Only World Question Answer
• Birth Question Answer
• The Tale of Melon City Question Answer

Here we are providing Father to Son Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

Father to Son Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

Father to Son Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Why is the father unable to understand his son in ‘Father to Son’?
Answer:
The father is unable to understand his son in the poem ‘Father to Son’ due to miscommunication and generation gap. Though he and his son lived together in the same house but they did not share any love or interests, therefore, he does not understand him.

Question 2.
Why is the father unhappy with his son?
Answer:
The father is unhappy with his son because there is no interaction between them though they live under one roof. They don’t understand each other and live like strangers. They even don’t share any interest.

Question 3.
‘I would have him prodigal.’ What does the father in Elizabeth Jennings’ poem mean by this?
Answer:
The father wants that his son should return to him just as the prodigal son had returned in the biblical story. The son was a wastrel and idler. He left home and went away. Yet, when he would return after several years, the father would celebrate his return.

Question 4.
What does the father feel about this stranger-like relationship with his son? Does he wish to change it?
Answer:
The father is unhappy about this stranger-like relationship. He, of course, wishes to change it as he is ready to accept his prodigal son. He will love to start living with him in the same house.

Question 5.
The anguish of the father comes through very strongly in the poem. Show his feelings about his son as expressed in the poem.
Answer:
The father is much more perplexed and upset. He regrets at having lost opportunities to build relationship with his son. He wants to make good relations with his prodigal son and keep him in the same house where they live with love and worth.

Question 6.
What kind of relationship do the father and the son share? Why is it so?
Answer:
The relationship between the father and the son is estranged. They live like strangers though they live under one roof. Their interests are totally different. The father does not share what his son loves. There is no understanding between the two because there is lack of communication.

Question 6.
Why does the father feel he and his son are like strangers to each other?
Answer:
The father feels that he and his son are like strangers to each other because there is no interaction between the father and the son. As there is no love, warmth or understanding between them, they even do not share any common interest. They have a communication gap though they have been living under the same roof for years.

Father to Son Extra Questions and Answers Reference-to-context

Read the extracts given below.

Question 1.
I do not understand this child
Though we have lived together now
In the same house for years. I know
Nothing of him, so try to build
Up a relationship from how
He was when small.

Answer the following.

(i) T is talking about …………..
(ii) The relationship between ‘I’ and the ‘child’ is …………..
(iii) T wants to build up a relationship with his daughter. [True/False]
Answer:
(i) his son
(ii) estranged
(iii) False

Question 2.
Though we have lived together now
In the same house for years, I know
Nothing of him, so try to build
Up a relationship from how
He was when small.

Answer the following.

(i) ‘I’ and ‘him’ are …………
(ii) ‘I’ is pained that no communication exists between ……………..
(iii) Name the poet.
Answer:
(i) father and son.
(ii) him and his son.
(iii) Elizabeth Jennings.

Question 3.
The seed I spent or sown it where
The land is his and none of mine!
We speak like strangers, there’s no sign
of understanding in the air.
This child is built to my design
Yet what he loves I cannot share

Answer the following.

(i) ‘I’ refers to and ‘his’ is ……………..
(ii) They speak like strangers because there is no love or understanding …………… between …………..
(iii) The last two lines tell us that the father and son have different tastes. They do not share their likes. [True/False]
Answer:
(i) a ‘father’; his son
(ii) them
(iii) True

Question 4.
This child is built to my design
Yet what he loves I cannot share.
Silence surrounds us.

Answer the following.
(i) The meaning of the first line is that the child is my son in ……………….
(ii) The relationship between the father and the son is ……………….
(iii) Find an expression which shows the desolation the father feels.
Answer:
(i) looks and heredity
(ii) estranged
(iii) ‘What he loves I cannot share.’/ or silence surrounds us.

Question 5.
…I would have
Him prodigal, returning to
His father’s house, the home he knew,
Rather than see him make and move
His world. I would forgive him too,
Shaping from sorrow a new love.

Answer the following.

(i) ‘I’ does npt want that his son should move away to make a new world of his own. [True/False]
(ii) ‘I’ would forgive his son for showing strangeness and coldness
(iii) The meaning of the last line is that the father will forgive his son for whatever sorrow he has given to him and try to build a new, loving relationship with his son. [True False]
Answer:
(i) True
(ii) to his father
(iii) True

Question 6.
Silence surrounds us. I would have
Him prodigal, returning to
His father’s house, the home he knew.
Rather than see him make and move
His world. 1 would forgive him too,
Shaping from sorrow a new love.

Answer the following.

(i) Name the poem and the poet.
(ii) Silence surrounds the father and the son because there is no love or communication between them.
They live like strangers under one roof. [True/False]
(iii) The father’s desire is that this son should ……………
Answer:
(i) ‘Father to Son’ and the poet is Elizabeth Jennings.
(ii) True
(iii) come back home.

Question 7.
Father and son, we both must live
On the same globe. and the same land,
He speaks: I cannot understand
Myself, why anger grows from grief.
We each put out an empty hand,

Answer the following.

(i) The first two lines express the helplessness and anguish of ……………
(ii) Lines 3 and 4 say that the father cannot understand why he becomes angry in spite of his grief when his son speaks. [True/False]
(iii) They both are trying yet they turn apart because of their ego.
Answer:
(i) the father.
(ii) True
(iii) to forgive each other.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Poem

•  A Photograph Question Answer
• The Laburnum Top Question Answer
• The Voice of the Rain Question Answer
• Childhood Question Answer
• Father to Son Question Answer

Here we are providing The Laburnum Top Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

The Laburnum Top Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

The Laburnum Top Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
How does the Laburnum tree appear in September?
Answer:
Leaves become yellow, the seeds fall.

Question 2.
How does the laburnum tree appear in September? Does the arrival of the goldfinch bring about a change in it?
Answer:
The laburnum tree looks yellow and still in September afternoon sunshine. It bursts into activity and life when the goldfinch arrives. There is plenty of sound and movement in its branches.

Question 3.
Describe the laburnum top.
Answer:
The laburnum tree is silent and quiet. Its leaves are yellowing and seeds fallen. It stands in yellow September light.

Question 4.
Why did the goldfinch enter the thickness of the laburnum tree? Quote the line/ words which support your answer.
Answer:
To feed her young ones; the relevant line/words are ‘the engine of her family’ and ‘she stokes it full’.

Question 5.
What happened when the goldfinch came to the laburnum tree?
Answer:
There was sound, activity and movement when the bird came, there was plenty of chirping. She went in to feed her chicks and the whole tree seemed to vibrate with the fluttering of wings and the shrill sound of her chicks.

Question 6.
How is the tree transformed during the bird’s visit? Write the line that shows this transformation.
Answer:
The tree is silent, still and empty before and after the bird’s visit. When the bird comes, there is sound of chirping, fluttering of wings and the whole tree comes alive. The line is ‘the whole tree trembles and thrills’.

Question 7.
In the poem ‘Laburnum Top’, what is the bird’s movement compared to?
Answer:
The bird’s movement has been compared to that of a lizard. Her movement is smooth and clean like a lizard’s.

Question 8.
Why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet in ‘The Laburnum Top’?
Answer:
The image of the engine has been evoked by the poet in The Laburnum Top to show the stirrings and the sounds and energy that can be seen when the goldfinch enters the thick leaf cover in the laburnum tree and feeds her chicks.

Question 9.
What do you notice about the beginning and end of the poem ‘The Laburnum Top’?
Answer:
The tree was silent before the goldfinch came. It became silent again after she left.

Question 10.
What do you like most about the poem?
Answer:
The poem is about the laburnum tree which is still and silent and losing its leaves. It bursts into life when a goldfinch comes to feed her chicks. After her departure, the tree becomes empty and silent again. The life and energy that the bird brings to the tree is its most attractive feature of the poem.

The Laburnum Top Extra Questions and Answers Reference-to-context

Read the extracts given below.

Question 1.
The Laburnum top is silent, quite still
In the afternoon yellow
September sunlight,
A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen.

Answer the following.

(i) In these lines the poet is describing
(ii) The scene depicted here is of a laburnum tree in and its stillness.
(iii) The mood in these lines is of
Answer:
(i) a laburnum tree.
(ii) September sunlight
(iii) serenity arid stillness

Question 2.
Then sleek as a lizard, and alert, and abrupt,
She enters the thickness, and a machine starts up
Of chitterings, and a tremor of wings, and trillings—
The whole tree trembles and thrills.

Answer the following.

(i) ‘She’ in the second line is …………..
(ii) The ‘machine’ referred to in the second line is the nest of the goldfinch where feed and flutter.
(iii) The whole tree trembles and trills because of lizard. [True/False]
Answer:
(i) a goldfinch
(ii) chicks
(iii) False

Question 3.
It is the engine of her family.
She stokes it full, then flirts out to a branch-end
Showing her barred face identity mask

Answer the following.

(i) The word ‘engine’ has been used to describe ‘her family’ because of the energy, movement and
sound the generates.
(ii) She stokes the engine by feeding her family as needs stoking.
(iii) The first line contains a …………..
Answer:
(i) bird family
(ii) an engine
(iii) metaphor

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Poem

•  A Photograph Question Answer
• The Laburnum Top Question Answer
• The Voice of the Rain Question Answer
• Childhood Question Answer
• Father to Son Question Answer

Here we are providing The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
What is the Green Movement? Why has it become popular all over the world?
Answer:
The Green Movement was started in 1972 in New Zealand. It has informed the people that earth is a living organism which needs to be cared for. It tells us to co-operate and co-exist with other species. The Green Movement takes a holistic view of the situation and seeks to preserve environment as well as continuous development.

Question 2.
What is the holistic and ecological view of the world that has emerged in recent times?
Answer:
The holistic and ecological view is that earth itself is an organism which needs to be cared for. It has its metabolic needs and vital processes which need to be respected and preserved. We need to save the earth for our future generations.

Question 3.
What is the concept of ‘sustainable development’?
Answer:
The development which meets the needs of the present and at the same time preserves the environment for future generations is sustainable development.

Question 4.
What do you mean by ‘sustainable development’?
Answer:
‘Sustainable development’ is the only way to save the planet earth. It means that development should not be at the cost of the environment. The resources of the earth should be used with restraint so that they are available for future generations too.

Question 5.
Who is ‘the world’s most dangerous animal’? Why is it called so?
Answer:
Human beings are the most dangerous to the environment. They cause more destruction to the environment than any other species does.

Question 6.
Who is ‘the world’s most dangerous animal’? Why is it called so?
Answer:
The human being is the most dangerous of all animals because he destroys the elements of nature that sustain him. He does not spare animals, his fellow creatures. He exploits and overuses the natural resources like water, land forest, etc.

Question 7.
What was the significance of placing a mirror in the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia?
Ans.
In the zoo at Lusaka in Zambia, a mirror has been placed in the cage under which a notice reads, ‘The world’s most dangerous animal’. This notice actually tries to put light on the fact that we humans are the most destructive creatures present on the earth. This has been deliberately done by the zoo authorities to make us realise that we are the real culprits. This step of the zoo authorities up brings some hope.

Question 8.
What are the earth’s principal biological systems? What is happening to them and what can be the results?
Answer:
The four principal biological systems are fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. They are the . foundation of global economy as they supply us with food and raw materials required by the industries. At present, these biological systems are under threat and stress. In the near future, fisheries will deplete, grasslands will turn into wastelands, forests will start disappearing and croplands will also deteriorate. We need to awake and arise before it’s too late. Sense and sensibility is required on the part of all human beings.

Question 9.
Explain the statement‘forests precede mankind; deserts follow’.
Answer:
Forests help in nurturing mankind — man destroys forests so thoughtlessly that deserts grow where once forests flourished. Man destroys himself by destroying forests.

Question 10.
How are the biological systems endangered by human beings?
Answer:
The biological systems of the earth are fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. These are being fast depleted due to the uncontrolled greed of human beings. Forests are being lost at the rate of an acre and a half per second.

Question 11.
What is the status of the earth’s forest systems?
Answer:
Tropical forests are eroding at the rate of 40 to 50 million acres a year. We are losing one and a half . acre of forests per second.

Question 12.
What is the role of industries in the preservation of the environment?
Answer:
Industries have to exercise restraint about using natural resources. The top officers need to become guardians of the environment — control effluents — place filters on smoke emissions — take necessary steps.

Question 13.
Has the growth of world population contributed to the bad environment situation today?
Answer:
Due to population growth, great pressure is placed on natural resources. Natural resources like forests, rivers are getting depleted.

Question 14.
Explain Margaret Thatcher’s statement made by her, during the years of her Prime Ministership on the earth-as an ailing planet.
Answer:
We have to take care of our planet so that our children too may enjoy its bounty. We should not deplete and ruin the planet.

Question 15.
We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children. Elucidate this keeping in mind the lesson ‘The Ailing Planet’.
Answer:
We need to practise sustainable development — development which meets the needs of the present and at the same time preserves the environment for future generations.

Question 16.
Justify the title of the essay.
Answer:
The planet earth is thought of as someone ailing, i.e. sick. We need to restore the health of the planet.

The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Why does Nani Palkhivala call the earth ‘The Ailing Planet’? How can the ailing planet survive?
Answer:
The word ‘ailing’ means sick or not improving. Nani Palkhivala, the author, feels that the current state of our planet ‘Earth’ is like that of a patient whose health is not recovering. The Earth is in poor health as its vital systems like forests, water, atmosphere are deteriorating day by day. All these components of the earth sped to be revived. There is still a scope of survival of this ailing planet.

It just needs our attention and care. We should take certain steps for preserving our environment for the future generations. We have to be thoughtful in the usage of natural resources, environment has to be enriched by replenishment of the four biological systems. Industries should curb their level of pollution. We all need to monitor our activities. Overall, awareness has to be created among all and sundry.

Question 2.
‘No generation has a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life with a full repairing lease.’ Explain with reference to The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role.
Answer:
No generation can deplete the earth of its resources. The use of water, trees, minerals should be such that they are available to the coming generations too. Therefore, we should understand the concept of sustainable development, i.e. development which meets the needs of the present and at the same time preserves the environment for future generations.

It is essential that we preserve the four principal biological systems of the earth — the fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. So, we should plant trees for the future, take a holistic view of the environment and the planet and act with responsibility. This is what the Green Movement is all about.

Question 3.
What is the concept of sustainable development? Why did it become greatly popular?
Answer:
Sustainable development is the talk of the town these days. It is the organizing principle for meeting human development goals while at the same time sustaining and preserving the natural resources. The desired result is a state of society where living conditions and resource use to continue to meet humans needs without undermining the integrity and stability of the natural system.

It focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations. This concept has become greatly popular because it has treaded a path to preserve the environment. It says that if you cut trees, you ought to also plant them. We should always keep in mind, the needs of the future generations. Fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands should not be over used. One is expected to be wise and witful.

Question 4.
Which are the earth’s principal biological systems? What is their current ecological status?
Answer:
The earth’s principal biological systems are — fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. These are the foundation of global economy as they supply food and raw materials for industries. The current ecological status of these systems are under threat. Human claims on these systems are reaching an unsustainable level. This has resulted in almost collapse of fisheries, disappearing forests, grasslands are converting into barren wastelands and croplands are also deteriorating. Many species are on the verge of extinction.

Question 5.
How has the growth of world population affected the environment? Support your answer with suitable argument.
Answer:
World population is growing at an alarming rate. It is growing by leaps and bounds, in the 19th century it was around 2 billion which went up to around 3.7 billion in the 20th century and since then, there is no turning back. Increasing population gives birth to the twin problem of poverty and unemployment. It cripples growth of a nation.

With the rising population, there is an increase in the demand of the products but the supp remains the same. As a result, we face problems like inflation. The growing population also exploits the natural resources. It also puts four systems under stress. It results in lack of space and fall in the standard of living. Only awareness, thoughtfulness and education can bring down the population growth.

Question 6.
What do you understand by the term ‘a holistic and ecological view’? Explain.
Answer:
The expression ‘holistic and ecological view’ is a revolutionary concept that recognises earth as a living organism with its own metabolic requirements which need to be preserved. We need to take into consideration the whole earth from the point of view of its atmosphere and environment. At present, the earth is like a patient is in poor health. Its vital systems like forests and water are worsening and have to be brought back to health.

Question 7.
“Are we to leave our successors a planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and an ailing environment”. Explain.
Answer:
It is a question mark raised by an international commission on ecology and environment. It is extremely pertinent as well as frightening. This question should actually awaken our inner conscious. Man’s so-called progress has taken a heavy toll on the earth’s environment.

Deforestation on large scale has led to a cycle of floods and droughts. This has affected the grasslands and the croplands and they are rapidly getting converted into deserts. Their productivity is getting depleted year by year. They are fast becoming unsustainable. This means climate change and a hotter planet leading to the extinction of several species and low food production and scarcity of potable water. ‘Ailing environment’ will mean polluted air, water and soil which will make survival difficult for the coming generations.

Question 8.
Is there hope for environmental enrichment in future? What is needed to bring about the change from degradation to enrichment?
Answer:
Though it has been too late, but as the saying goes, ‘Nothing is Impossible’. We can still hope that this environment enrichment is possible. The picture can be changed with only human efforts. We all need to become responsible and smart. There should be some restraint in the usage of natural resources. All the four biological systems need replenishment. Industrial pollution should be checked. On the whole, an awareness that we should leave the earth’s resources for the future generations is essential. People need to be thoughtful and sensible.

Question 9.
“We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children.”
Margaret Thatcher’s words highlight the theme of the lesson ‘The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role.’ You feel very concerned about this earth which is being destroyed gradually. Write an article in about 100 words on ‘Save the Planet Earth.’
Answer:
Save the Planet Earth
Margaret Thatcher’s statement about our planet makes a very valid point. It is the responsibility of each generation to use the resources of the earth judiciously. Today air, water, soil, trees and rivers are being consumed or polluted as if there will be no tomorrow.

The picture is dismal. The vital systems of the earth are deteriorating due to overuse and pollution. We need to practise sustainable development which means development that meets the needs of the present and preserves the environment for future generations too. We need to preserve the fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands of the earth. It is equally important to control the growth of the population and act responsibly towards the earth.

Question 10.
“The growth of the world population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society” is the opinion of experts on world matters. Present your views in an article in about 100 words how growing population can take the world back to prehistoric times.
Answer:
The Population Bomb.The startling fact is that in every four days, the world population rises by a million. The effect of uncontrolled population growth, in one word, is shortage of natural as well as man-made resources which will lead to bloody fights among individuals as well as among nations.
Shortage of :

• food and water
• petrol and other fuels
• facilities for education
• facilities for health care
• housing

These shortages will lead to the growth of :

• poverty
• conflict
• moral degradation

There is an urgent need to control population growth.

Question 11.
“It has been well said that forests precede mankind; deserts follow,” says Nani Palkhivala, ‘ Bring out the truth of this statement in an article of 100 words.
Or
Explain the statement ‘forests precede mankind; deserts follow’.
Answer:
(Choose your points)
Forests precede mankind — because they provide all the resources needed to sustain life. Forests provide — food – shelter — material for building — raw material for industry. The present situation in India is grim. We are losing forests at the rate of one and a half acre per second which means 3.7 million acres a year. These are government figures. The actual loss could be eight times. Loss of forests is causing flood, drought, lack of wood, disappearance of wildlife. We need to plant forest at least five times the rate than we are using them.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Prose

• The Portrait of a Lady Question Answer
• We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Question Answer
• Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues Question Answer
• Landscape of the Soul Question Answer
• The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Question Answer
• The Browning Version Question Answer
• The Adventure Question Answer
• Silk Road Question Answer

Here we are providing Ranga’s Marriage Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

Ranga’s Marriage Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots

Ranga’s Marriage Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Why is there no mention of Hosahalli in any Geography book?
Answer:
Hosahalli is neither mentioned by the English experts, nor by the Indians. As a result, Hosahalli is not in geography books or atlases.

Question 2.
Give an example to show that the narrator is proud of his village.
Answer:
The narrator is proud of his village. He reveals his pride in his small village Hosahalli when he speaks glowingly of it. If the state of Mysore is to Bharatvarsha what the sweet ‘Karigadabu’ is to a festive meal, then Hosahalli is to Mysore State what the filling is to ‘Karigadabu’.

Question 3.
Why was Ranga’s homecoming a great event?
Answer:
People came to see Ranga out of curiosity. He had gone to Bangalore to study. People were curious if his education had changed him.

Question 4.
Describe the village scene when Ranga returned from Bangalore.
Answer:
When Ranga returned from Bangalore, people came to see Ranga out of curiosity. He had gone to Bangalore to study. There he studied for six months and returned with a great knowledge of English. The curious villagers collected around his house to observe whether his education had changed him. But everyone was surprised to see that Ranga was the same as he had been six months ago when he had first left their village. One old lady commented that he had not changed his caste in six months after feeling the sacred thread still on his chest.

Question 5.
Why does the narrator refer to the Black Hole of Calcutta?
Answer:
The narrator in the story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’ talks of Ranga’s house as ‘the Black Hole of Calcutta’ because of the large crowd that had gathered to see Ranga when he came home after completing his studies. If all the people had gone inside, the house would have become as crowded as the Black Hole of Calcutta.

Question 6.
Did Ranga select his bride according to the views he held on the subject of marriage?
Answer:
No. Ranga did not select his bride according to the new fangled ideas on marriage he had acquired. He fell in love for an eleven-year-old girl Ratna and married her.

Question 7.
Ranga possessed certain qualities that endeared him to Shyama, the narrator. Mention those qualities.
Answer:
Ranga possessed certain qualities that endeared him to Shyama, the narrator. Ranga was well educated, he respected the traditions. He bent low to touch Shyama’s feet. He did not remove his sacred thread.

Question 8.
How did the author make the marriage of Ranga and Ratna possible?
Answer:
The narrator decided Ranga should marry Ratna. He arranged that Ranga should hear Ratna sing and get a glimpse of her. He made Ranga think she was out of reach for him. Then he arranged with the astrologer to tell him that he could get the girl he liked. Ranga and Ratna were married.

Question 9.
How did the narrator let Ranga have a glimpse of Ratna?
Answer:
The narrator asked Rama Rao’s wife (Ratna’s aunt) to send her to his house to get some buttermilk. When Ratna came, he sent for Ranga. He asked Ratna to sit for a while and sing a song. Ranga came for while she was singing. His curiosity and interest were roused.

Question 10.
What arrangements did the narrator make with Shastri, the astrologer?
Answer:
The astrologer had been briefed by Shyama about what to say — he did so — Ranga was already interested in Ratna He told him that it was possible to marry the girl he was thinking of.

Question 11.
Why does the narrator compare himself to a he-goat and Ranga to a lion?
Answer:
The narrator referred to a story in which a clever he-goat was able to scare away a lion. Here, he himself is the shrewd goat who has laid a plot for Ranga’s marriage. Ranga, though like a lion, who unable to escape the wiles of the clever he-goat.

Question 12.
This is a humorous story. Which part did you find the most amusing?
Answer:
The most amusing part of the story is the narrator’s and Ranga’s visit to astrologer. The narrator was determined to get Ranga married to Ratna. He went to a Shastri and told him to keep everything ready to read the stars and also tutored him what to say.

The next day the narrator took Ranga to see the Shastri and challenged the astrologer to tell them what was worrying Ranga. After pretending to read some papers and counting on his fingers, the Shastri declared ‘It’s about a girl’. Her name is perhaps similar to that of something found in ocean like ‘Ratna’.

Ranga’s Marriage Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
What are the narrator’s views about English language?
Answer:
The narrator was not fond of English language. English was not spoken or used in the village. Ranga was the first person to go out of the village to study English. People felt that he would have changed due to his English education. There is also resentment against English. Hosahalli was not included in any geography book by any Englishman. The narrator sarcastically calls English a ‘priceless commodity’.

Question 2.
What were Ranga’s ideas about marriage? Do you find any change in them at the end of the story? How?
Answer:
Ranga was the accountant’s son and the first person to go out of Hosahalli for education. He was the most eligible bachelor in the town.When he returned from the city, he said he would marry when he found the ‘right girl’. The ‘right girl’ would be mature, not likely to misunderstand him. Besides, he felt that a man should marry the girl he admired. But Ranga did not adhere strictly to his views. He was attracted to Ratna, the eleven-year-old niece of Rama Rao and ended up marrying her.

Question 3.
How did the narrator carry out his resolve to get Ranga married to Ratna?
Answer:
The narrator decided that Ranga should marry Ratna. He arranged that Ranga should hear Ratna sing and get a glimpse of her. He said that she was probably married and made Ranga think she was out of reach for him. Then he arranged with the astrologer to tell him that he could get the girl he liked. Ranga and Ratna were married.

Question 4.
What was the role of the astrologer in bringing about the marriage of Ranga with Ratna?
Answer:
The astrologer had been briefed and tutored by Shyama about what to say. He did the same. He pretended to do some calculations in front of Ranga and concluded that a girl was responsible for Ranga’s present condition and the girl’s name perhaps was similar to that of some things found in ocean, such as Ratan or Kamala. Ranga was already interest in Ratna. In this way the astrologer planed an important role in bringing about the marriage of Ranga with Ratna as he helped the narrator who made Ranga admit his love for Ratna. The astrologer gave Ranga confidence that it was possible to marry the girl he was thinking of.

Question 5.
Who was Ranga? What was special about him? Ranga represents modern rural India where the youth aspire to improve their life through education. Comment.
Answer:
Ranga was village accountant’s son. His father took enough courage, to send him to Bangalore to study and to earn his living. He was special because he was the first young man of the village to go to town to study. Education is the instrument of change in modern times.

Young men go to cities to get education. They get opportunities. Their prejudices and superstitions are removed. Their social behaviour changes. The educated young men can stand against evils like dowry. They give respect to women as well as educate their children. Education can fulfil the aspirations of rural India and give the villagers a life of dignity.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots

• The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Question Answer
• The Address Question Answer
• Ranga’s Marriage Question Answer
• Albert Einstein at School Question Answer
• Mother’s Day Question Answer
• The Ghat of the Only World Question Answer
• Birth Question Answer
• The Tale of Melon City Question Answer

Here we are providing The Portrait of a Lady Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

The Portrait of a Lady Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

The Portrait of a Lady Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Give a description of Khushwant Singh’s grandmother according to his earliest memory of her.
Answer:
Khushwant Singh felt that his grandmother could never have been any different from what he had seen her to be. She must always have been old. She was short, fat and bent. Her face was covered with wrinkles. She walked with a stoop and always dressed in white.

Question 2.
Khushwant Singh said about his grandmother: ‘She could never have been pretty, but she was always beautiful.’ Explain.
Answer:
Khushwant Singh’s grandmother was not pretty in the conventional sense of having physical beauty, but she had great inner beauty. She had a calm and serene personality.

Question 3.
Why was it hard for the author to believe that his grandmother was once young and pretty?
Answer:
The author had seen his grandmother always as an old person. His earliest memory was that of an old lady. Therefore, as a child, he found it difficult to believe that she had been any different ever. He could not believe that once she was young and pretty.

Question 4.
Khushwant Singh’s grandmother was not pretty but was always beautiful. Explain the meaning of this statement.
Answer:
Khushwant Singh’s grandmother was not attractive and good-looking, but she had an extremely gracious personality. Her serenity and calmness gave her an inner beauty.

Question 5.
What was Khushwant Singh’s and his grandmother’s routine in the village?
Answer:
The grandmother used to wake Khushwant Singh up in the morning, bathe him, dress him, and accompany him to school. While he studied, she sat in the temple and read scriptures. On return, she fed stale ‘chapattis’ to the village dogs. She used to prepare his wooden slate by plastering it lightly with yellow chalk.

Question 6.
Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother.
Answer:
The relationship changed from total dependency during their village stay to a hint of withdrawal during the city stay as the grandmother could not comprehend the efficacy of a curriculum based on science, sans religious instructions. Later, this changed to an overall affection for the author.

Question 7.
What proofs of the friendship between the grandmother and the grandson do you find in this story?
Answer:
As a very young child, the author shared a very intimate relationship with his grandmother. She went to school with him and helped him with his lessons. In the city, this friendship weakened, but love for each other remained.

Question 8.
The grandmother was a kind-hearted woman. Give examples in support of your answer.
Answer:
The grandmother was a kind-hearted person. In the village, she used to feed chapattis to the street dogs. In the city, she started feeding sparrows.

Question 9.
What caused a turning point in the friendship of Khushwant Singh with his grandmother?
Answer:
A turning point came about with the author’s shift to the city and admission in an English school. Though they shared the same room, the grandmother did not accompany him to school and was disapproving of its academic and recreational curriculum, leading to further distancing.

Question 10.
Draw a comparison between village school education and city school education.
Answer:
In the village school, the author learnt the alphabet and the morning prayer. He wrote on wooden board slates. The city school gave him modern education in English and science. There was no religious instruction. He was taught music, of which his grandmother disapproved.

Question 11.
Why was the author’s grandmother unhappy with city education?
Answer:
The city school education made the grandmother’s help at lessons redundant as the instructions were in English. She disapproved of science education, balked at his learning music and was critical of the lack of religious instructions at the school.

Question 12.
What was the happiest moment of the day for the grandmother?
Answer:
The happiest moment of the day for the grandmother was when she fed bread crumbs to the sparrows. In the afternoons, she used to feed the birds. They became so free with her that they perched on her shoulders and made great noises.

Question 13.
What was the happiest moment of the day for the Grandmother? Why?
Answer:
When the grandmother fed the sparrows and they hopped around her. She remained secluded from the family, but enjoyed the chirping and hopping of the sparrows.

Question 14.
Which activity did the grandmother find most relaxing when she lived in the city?
Answer:
In the city, the grandmother started feeding sparrows in the afternoon. She broke bread into small crumbs and scattered around her for the sparrows. They came and ate and sat on her head and shoulders. She loved this.

Question 15.
What did the author think was the last physical contact with his grandmother? Was it really so?
Answer:
The author received a moist kiss on his forehead from his grandmother when he was going abroad. He thought this was his last physical contact with her because she was so old that she might not be alive when he would come back. But she hugged him when he came back from abroad.

Question 16.
What did Khushwant Singh’s grandmother think of education in the city school?
Answer:
Khushwant Singh’s grandmother did not approve of the education in the city school. She could not understand English and science. She did not like the absence of religious instructions. When Khushwant Singh started learning music, she was distressed.

Question 17.
What do you think was the cause of the grandmother falling sick?
Answer:
Overexertion — She had sung and celebrated her grandson’s return.

Question 18.
“When people are pious and good, even nature mourns their death.” Justify with reference to ‘Then Portrait of a Lady’.
Answer:
When the grandmother passed away, thousands of sparrows clustered in the verandah and the room, without chirruping. When the body was taken away, the birds left quietly, as if to declare that even nature acknowledged the godliness of a true benefactor.

Question 19.
How did the grandmother receive the narrator when he returned from abroad and how did it affect her?
Answer:
The overjoyed grandmother had organized a musical soiree taking the lead as the drummer and singing of the homecoming of warriors. The strain resulted in mild fever which the grandmother interpreted as a premonition of her end. She began praying instead of talking.

The Portrait of a Lady Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
“Religion was the dominant feature of her life.” Comment on this statement in regard to Khushwant Singh’s grandmother as projected in ‘The Portrait of a Lady’.
Answer:
The first introduction of the grandmother made by the author depicts her telling the beads of her rosary with her lips muttering an inaudible prayer.
As the custodian of her grandchild in the village, she said her morning prayers while engaged in the task of bathing and dressing her grandson. While her grandson studied, the grandmother studied the scriptures.

She also disapproved of the education at the English school because of the absence of religious instructions.
In her last moments, she detached herself from her immediate family and preferred making peace with God. Besides prayers, she was given to animal care, by feeding stray dogs at the temple door and sparrows in the city home. Thus, her religion stepped beyond ritual to one of showing kindness to the tiniest creatures of God. Indeed, the grandmother was religious in body and spirit.

Question 2.
Draw a character sketch of Khushwant Singh’s grandmother as portrayed by him in the lesson ‘The Portrait of a Lady’.
Answer:
The grandmother had a strong character. She was a deeply religious woman. Prayer was of paramount importance to her. She spent most of her time in prayer. She was kind to animals too. In the village, she fed street dogs and in city, shifted to feeding sparrows. She remained calm through the various changes in her life. She did not protest, even though she disapproved of Khushwant Singh’s education. She accepted her seclusion quietly when he was given a separate room.

When her grandson left for studies abroad, she did not show her emotions and kept remarkable self-control. In her last moments, she withdrew herself from the family and devoted herself to prayer. Khushwant Singh had a long and loving relationship with his grandmother. She was very affectionate to him. She took excellent care of him while he was a child.

Question 3.
Write a character sketch of the author’s grandmother by using the following words: affectionate, caring, kind and benevolent, religious, a strong woman.
Answer:
The author had a long and loving relationship with his grandmother. She was very affectionate to him. She took excellent care of him while he lived with her as a child in the village. The grandmother was a deeply religious woman. Prayer was of paramount importance to her. She spent most of her time in prayer. She was kind to animals too. In the village, she fed street dogs and in city, shifted to sparrows.

The grandmother was a woman of great strength of character. She did not show her disapproval of her grandson’s education. She accepted her seclusion quietly. When her grandson left for studies abroad, she did not show her emotion and kept remarkable self-control. In her last moments, she withdrew herself from the family and devoted herself to prayer.

Question 4.
The grandmother herself was not formally educated but was serious about the author’s education. How does the text support this?
Answer:
The grandmother took her grandson’s education very seriously. When he was in her custody in the village, she prepared his wooden slate, accompanied him to school and helped him with his lessons. In the city when he started learning English, science and music, which she did not approve of. She did not voice her disapproval or insist on village-like education but trusted that his father was doing the best for him. Nor did she protest when he was given an independent room or was sent abroad for further study.

Question 5.
Gradually, the author and the grandmother saw less of each other and their friendship was broken. Was the distance in the relationship deliberate or due to the demands of the situation?
Answer:
The relationship between the grandmother and the author traced the graph of gradual change from a parental role to that of a grandmother, due to changing circumstances. Moving to the city and the change in the educational curriculum with the author’s admission into an English-medium school led to her first orientation to her changed circumstances. The grandmother realized that her affection could no longer be a wholly possessive one.

As the author graduated to the university level, his lifestyle underwent changes and the grandmother realized that her role as an educator had ceased altogether. She, therefore, adopted the role of a loveable elder overseeing her grandson’s progress and basking in it. When he returned from England, the grandmother, was no longer concerned with his day-to-day achievements, but showed her elation by organizing a musical soiree, even overstraining herself in her excitement, leading to dire circumstances.

Question 6.
Talk with your family members about elderly people who you have been intimately connected with and who are not there with you now. Write a short description of someone you liked a lot.
Answer:
My Grandfather
I was extremely fond of my grandfather. I sometimes felt that he was more fond of my younger brother than of me. This did not stop me from spending as much time with him as I could. Much later, I came to know that he had been a freedom fighter. He had taken part in the freedom . movement along with Gandhiji, Nehruji and others. He never spoke about the hardships of those days, but only of the songs they sang and the help they gave to one another. To my eight-year-old imagination, his accounts opened up pictures of a fascinating life. It was my grandmother who told me of his imprisonment and the ‘lathi blows’ he received. I rubbed his shoulders and arms hoping the chronic pain would ease. He died when I was twelve. Ever since, I have felt that a strong support from my life has gone.

Question 7.
Khushwant Singh’s grandmother wrote a letter to her sister describing her life with her grandson in the village. Write this letter on her behalf.
Answer:
Dear Parminder
May the Guru’s blessings be with you and your family.
I am very happy these days as my grandson, Khushwant, has come to live with me. His parents have gone to the city. The boy will remain with me till they settle down. Khushwant is a serious and an adorable child. He listens intently as I recite my prayers while getting him ready for school. I hope he learns them. I have become busy and my lonely life has acquired meaning. I prepare his wooden slate and take him to school. While he studies, I remain in the temple and read the scriptures, talk to the priest. After school as we return, I feed chapattis to the dogs. Khushwant is delighted when the dogs follow us. I pray that you and your family remain well. With namaskar to your husband and love to your children.
Your sister
Satinder

Question 8.
As Khushwant Singh’s grandmother, express your views on the education the boy was receiving in the city school. Compare the situation with education in the village.
Answer:
Khushwant now goes to an English medium school in this city. I am not at all happy with the educa¬tion he gets. In the city, there is no concern for God and spiritual matters. His education does not tell him anything about our scriptures or other religious matters. He is taught English. I cannot help him with his lessons, unfortunately he has to manage by himself. The scientific names and principles are totally new to me.

The most objectionable are the lessons in music. Music is for the lowly; beggars and harlots to earn their livelihood. It is not for decent folk. However, I do not interfere. In the village school, he learned about religion and prayer. I think that was better.

Question 9.
Khushwant Singh’s mother observed closely the behaviour of his grandmother when he returned home after studying abroad, her way of celebrating the occasion, her illness and death. Write an account of this on her behalf.
Answer:
This morning my son, Khushwant, returned from England after five years of studies. All of us were excited including Beeji, his grandmother. Unlike others, she kept her excitement under check. She insisted on going to the station to receive him. When he arrived, she hugged him silently, all the time saying her prayers.

In the evening, she took out an old drum and called the women of the neighbourhood. Together they sang for hours, celebrating the return of her grandson. I was anxious for Beeji and implored her to stop and not tire herself unduly. This was the only time she was not praying. The next day she was down with fever and exhaustion. We were anxious, because in spite of the doctor’s reassurance, Beeji was sure her end had come.

She stopped talking to us and lay quietly on the bed telling the beads of her rosary. Her end came peacefully. We came to know only when her fingers stopped moving.

Question 10.
‘The Portrait of a Lady’ partly dwells on the loneliness and insecurity of the old age and effort of the old to fit in. Driven by such thoughts while reading the lesson, you think about the life of many old men and women in India, who lead a lonesome existence in the end of their life. Write an article in 120-150 words on “Life of Old People”.
Answer:
Life of Old People
No one wants to become old, but everyone has to. While young, no one thinks of what life would be like in the old age. The old, on their part, await attention from the young for their small and big needs. Life is difficult for the old in all ways. Their physical strength is low and they easily fall victim to diseases.

Their financial condition is poor. They have a small pension or limited income or no income. Most devastating of all is loneliness. Their sons and daughters are busy with their lives and the preoccupations of the young. The old feel neglected and irrelevant. This dismal situation should not be allowed to exist. Various agencies, like the government NGOs and social organizations should provide the elderly with financial and physical support. Families should have place for the old. Nowadays the law demands that the young take care of their aged parents

Question 11.
“My grandmother and I were good friends”, Khushwant Singh says.
Love between generations is becoming a thing of the past.
In modern times the old people are not loved, but neglected. It is the duty of the young to look after their old parents and grandparents.
Write an article in about 100 words on the urgent need to give love and protection to the old people.
Answer:
Our Old Folk
(Choose and develop any three points for your article)

• Sad plight of old people. Nobody cares for them. They lack even the basic needs of life.
• The old become targets of criminals.
• The reason is breakdown of the joint family system.
• economic pressures on the young.
• highly egocentric younger generation.
• Solution to the problem may be – old age insurance, financial security for the old.
• a recognition of what the old have done for the young is essential.
• The old should get the same kind of love and security as Khushwant Singh’s grandmother got from her family.

Question 12.
Khushwant Singh’s grandmother was kind to animals. Sparrows were her best friends. Today sparrows have all but disappeared from our cities. Singh says, “There were no dogs in the streets and she took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard of our city house.”
Milan Kundera, the Czech novelist, says, “Mankind’s true moral test… consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals.” Write an essay in about 100 words on the prevention of cruelty to animals.
Answer:
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
We see cruelty to animals all around us.

• Exploitation of animals that work for men.
• Cruelty to and neglect of useful animals like cows, horses, elephants.
• No health care for animals.
• Wild animals decimated for their body parts.

Solutions – Active participation of common people in extending kindness to animals is needed.
Organisations like S.P.C.A to extend their sphere – plans like ‘Save the Tiger’ and ‘Save the Sparrows’ should get popular support.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Prose

• The Portrait of a Lady Question Answer
• We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Question Answer
• Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues Question Answer
• Landscape of the Soul Question Answer
• The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Question Answer
• The Browning Version Question Answer
• The Adventure Question Answer
• Silk Road Question Answer

Here we are providing We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
What was the narrator’s purpose of making the voyage from Plymouth, in 1976?
Answer:
The narrator’s purpose of making the voyage in 1976 was to duplicate the round-the-world voyage undertaken 200 years earlier by Captain James Cook. This idea had inspired their thoughts for 16 years and they spent their leisure time practising their seafaring skills in British waters.

Question 2.
What preparations did the author and his wife make for their round-the-world sea voyage?
Answer:
Honed their seafaring skills.

Question 3.
Describe the narrator’s boat in the chapter ‘We’re Not Afraid to Die …If We Can All Be Together’.
Answer:
A revolutionary, pedal driven watercraft built for fun, speed and stability — It could cruise all kinds of water passengers could travel in dry comfort at a pace few can match — It’s the closest thing to walking on water.

Question 4.
Who were Larry and Herb?
Answer:
Larry Vigil, an American and Herb Seigler, a Swiss seaman, were taken on board ‘ Wavewalker’ as crew members to help in the voyage through the Southern Indian Ocean.

Question 5.
Describe the weather conditions on January 2.
Answer:
In January 2, the weather was disastrous for the saviours. The winds were screaming and sending up giant sprays of water. When the wind dropped, the sky darkened and the waves towered up high like enormous clouds.

Question 6.
Describe the weather and sea conditions leading to the wave hit to ‘Wavewalker’. What was the effect of the wave hit?
Answer:
The hit followed a wind drop. The sky darkened followed by a roaring wave with a frightful breaking crest. An explosion hit the vessel smashing the captain’s head against the wheel and making the masts lie horizontally.

Question 7.
Describe the disaster of the large wave which destructed the narrator’s boat.
Answer:
The large wave hurled the boat upright, jerked the captain’s lifeline taut and smashed the decks. Broken timbers hung perilously and the entire starboard side bulged inwards so that water broke over the boat.

Question 8.
How did the disaster strike ‘Wavewalker’?
Answer:
As the mast of the boat was near horizontal, a wave hurled the boat upright. It hit the vessel with an explosion-like roar. The ship was filled with water but the captain could not leave the wheel to examine the damage.

Question 9.
How did the narrator suffer due to the wave hit?
Answer:
The narrator was flung overboard and sank below the waves. When his head bobbed up, he grabbed the guard rails, sailed through the air and fell on the deck. His ribs were cracked, his teeth broken and his mouth was bleeding.

Question 10.
What measures were taken to save the ship from sinking?
Answer:
The captain controlled the direction of the ship to meet the waves. Larry and Herb pumped sea water out and fixed the starboard side holes with canvas and waterproof hatch covers.

Question 11.
What problems did they face in these efforts?
Answer:
Additional problems arose when their handpumps were blocked by debris, the electric pump short- circuited and the water level rose threateningly. Sadly, the two handpumps had been wrenched overboard but an electric pump below the chartroom proved to be a saviour.

Question 12.
How did Sue suffer when the wave struck the ship?
Answer:
Sue.had received a bump above her eyes. It kept hurting and swelled alarmingly, leading to two enormous black eyes. She even had a deep cut in her arm, but remained stoic because she did not want to worry her parents.

Question 13.
How did Sue and Jonathan face the disaster that struck their ship?
Or
How did the narrator’s children Jonathan and Suzanne show courage in the hour of great storm?
Answer:
Jonathan showed courage and said he wasn’t afraid of dying if all of them died together. Suzanne, too, quietly bore her pain. She made a card expressing her love and gave it to her father.

Question 14.
Why did the captain get no replies to his Mayday calls?
Answer:
The captian did not get any response to his Mayday calls as his boat was in a rather remote corner of the world.

Question 15.
Were the children afraid during this ordeal?
Answer:
The children must have been scared but Jonathan told his father that he was not afraid to die if they could all be together.

Question 16.
What was the only hope for these sailors?
Answer:
To reach lie Amsterdam, one of the two tiny islands in the Indian Ocean.

Question 17.
How did the voyagers on Wavewalker finally manage to reach the lie Amsterdam?
Answer:
Due to the knowledge of the sea in the area and good seamanship of the captain and crew of‘Wavewalker’, the voyagers finally managed to reach the lie Amsterdam.

Question 18.
What efforts did the narrators make to save the ship? How were their lives saved?
Answer:
The narrator and his wife worked as a team and controlled the steering to meet the waves. They covered the gaping holes with canvas and hatch cover, while Larry and Herb pumped out the water and saved the boat from drowning.

We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
The story ‘We’re Not Afraid to Die’ has a lesson ‘optimism helps to endure direst stress’. Do you agree? Why/Why not?
Answer:
The real life account of survival against impossible odds in ‘We’re Not Afraid to die…’ is a story of courage, determination and optimism.The narrator, his wife and two children were on the Wavewalker on a round-the-world voyage. In the Indian Ocean, they encountered bad weather and their boat was badly battered. The narrator was thrown overboard, but managed to get back on the boat.

The children too were injured. The boat was getting flooded, but nobody gave up. The narrator kept trying to save the boat. The children had faith in their father. They pumped out water from the boat, but more water came in. Gradually, the fury of the storm eased, but the boat was still leaking. The narrator was able to steer the boat to lie Amsterdam 165 km away. Throughout this ordeal, all the members on the boat, including the children, remained hopeful and cheerful. Never did anyone show despair. Their optimism was a source of strength to the narrator.

Question 2.
‘We’re Not Afraid to Die … If We Can All Be Together’ traces down the saga of hardship and bravery as portrayed in this adventure story.
Answer:
The ship encountered strong gales. They double-lashed everything but an enormous wave smashed the captain’s head, cracked his ribs, and broke his teeth, while throwing him overboard.

Later, clinging to the guard rails he managed to be tossed back. The ship was filled with water as the starboard gaped open, broken timber lay strewn and more water crept in.

While Mary held the wheel, he checked on the children and covered the starboard hole with waterproof hatch covers. Their Mayday calls went unheeded all night, adding to the distress.

After 15 hours of battling the waves, they calculated their chances of reaching lie Amsterdam, but 36 hours later, they were afloat, even as weather conditions deteriorated.

By 5 p.m. the captain had dozed off after ordering Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees. The next he knew was his children congratulating him on locating the island.

Question 3.
‘Our optimistic attitude helps us to face extremely dangerous situations.’ Discuss with reference to the story ‘We’re Not Afraid to Die….’
Answer:
It was the optimism of the narrator, the captain of the Wavewalker, that saved the lives of his family and the crew members. The craft suffered serious damage during the storm and could have sunk with all on board. But the narrator had an extremely positive approach. There was never a thought of giving up or allowing the situation to overwhelm him. Rather, he constantly looked for solutions as problems came up one after the other.

The narrator was calm throughout the crisis and was, therefore, able to meet the challenges of the moment. He and his crew members were determined to weather the storm. He was thrown overboard but came back and hung on to the wheel. He arranged for pumping the sea water out.

The children were a great source of strength to him. Their faith in him heightened his desire to protect them and his ship. Because of his calmness, he was able to make the best use of his navigation skills and seamanship.

Question 4.
How did the children’s presence and behaviour during the crisis affect the narrator?
Answer:
The children on board were fully aware of the crisis looming over their boat and yet did not panic or express their anxiety, which strengthened the narrator’s resolve to save the ship. His determination to fight against all odds was further strengthened when his son proclaimed that they did not mind dying, but only wished to die together. This encouraging bravery sharpened the narrator’s innovative streak as he worked meticulously at calculating wind speeds, changes of course, drift and current, to reach their destination.

When Sue had handed the narrator a ‘Thank-you’ card, the touching gesture dispelled negativity and boosted his determination. Even when he turned skeptical of his calculations about reaching the island, the children still had implicit faith in him and believed he had guided them to the safety of the island.

Question 5.
What qualities helped the Captain of the ship and his crew overcome the crisis?
Answer:
The boat was in the hands of an able captain, who had impeccable seamanship skills. Like all seasoned salts, he believed in a back-up plan, for every emergency. He was an ideal parent who found strength in the gestures of affection and consideration his children displayed, and forgetting self-preservation, worked for the common good. He was innovative and managed to connect the electric pump under the chartroom floor to save the situation. When proper tools were destroyed, he used makeshift devices to calculate their course at sea for reaching the tiny islands.

The captain showed remarkable perseverance and was not deterred by the many setbacks he encountered. Though realistic about their slim chances to reach safety, he did not demonstrate his anxiety and thus managed to everyone confident. This leadership trait inspired his shipmates to remain buoyant.

Question 6.
‘We’re Not Afraid to Die’ is a story of adventure. Helen Keller, blind and deaf American writer and social reformer, said, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Write an article in about 100 words on the topic ‘Adventure makes life worth living’.
Answer:
Adventure Makes Life Worth Living (Choose your points)
What goes into adventure?

• do the unusual
• take risks
• do what no one has/few have done before

What does adventure give us?

• thrill
• a sense of achievement
• fame and money
• satisfaction and happiness

Adventurous people know how to work as a team.
Some famous adventurers — Edmund Hilary (conquered Everest), James Cameron (made a solo journey to the deepest trench in the Pacific Ocean.

Question  7.
In the words of the captain of Wavewalker, the crew was ‘cheerful and optimistic under direst stress,’ and was able to bring the ship out of crisis. James Branch Cabell, the American novelist and essayist, says, “The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.”
Write an article in about 100 words showing how optimism is infinitely preferable to pessimism.
Answer:
Optimism — the ability to see something positive in the most difficult circumstances.

• Optimism enables one to find solutions to seemingly impossible situations.
• Optimism keeps a man hopeful.
• A man continues to strive and work if he is optimistic.

Pessimism, on the other hand, leads to despair, inactivity and failure.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Prose

• The Portrait of a Lady Question Answer
• We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together Question Answer
• Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues Question Answer
• Landscape of the Soul Question Answer
• The Ailing Planet: the Green Movement’s Role Question Answer
• The Browning Version Question Answer
• The Adventure Question Answer
• Silk Road Question Answer

Here we are providing The Address Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

The Address Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots

The Address Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Describe the first visit of Mrs daughter to the house of Mrs Dorling.
Answer:
Mrs daughter found Mrs Dorling’s house and rang the bell. Mrs Dorling opened the door but was-not happy to see the visitor. She rudely said that people who had left did not return. She did not allow the visitor to come in and closed the door saying she could not do any thing for her.

Question 2.
Why do you think Mrs. Dorling, knowingly refused to recognize the narrator when she went to meet after years?
Answer:
Mrs Dorling had removed many valuables and antiques from the narrator’s family on the pretext of taking care of them. Now, that the narrator, the daughter of Mrs S, had come to claim them, Mrs Dorling did not wish to return them. Therefore, she refused to recognize her.

Question 3.
How did the narrator realise that she had come to the right address?
Answer:
The narrator knew that she had come to the right address because the woman who opened the door was wearing her mother’s green cardigan.

Question 4.
Who was Mrs Dorling? Why did she visit Mrs S’s house frequently?
Answer:
Mrs Dorling was merely an acquaintance of Mrs S. Mrs S belonged to a wealthy Jewish family and all her possessions were beautiful and of great value. The Second World War broke out and the Jews were persecuted everywhere. The Germans were in control. Jews had to leave their homes and possessions behind to save their lives. In this background Mrs Dorling revived her acquaintance with Mrs S and carried away suitcases and sackfuls of precious things saying she wanted ‘to save’ all the nice things.

Question 5.
Why did Mrs S ask her daughter to remember the address of Mrs Dorling?
Answer:
Mrs Dorling had taken the valuable possessions of Mrs S for safe keeping. Mrs S wanted her daughter to remember the address so that she could claim their belongings some day after the war.

Question 6.
How did the narrator in ‘The Address’ come to know that the cutlery was silver?
Answer:
In her conversation with Mrs. Dorling’s daughter, the narrator realised that Mrs. Dorling had stolen her family’s valuable possessions. She remembered that her mother had asked her to polish the silver cutlery.

Question 7.
What were the narrator’s feelings initially about the things that had been left with Mrs Dorling?
Answer:
The narrator was not interested in claiming the things that were stored with Mrs. Dorling as ‘the things’ were lifeless possessions. They were not important as dear and loved ones whom she had lost during the war. Her mother did not survive after the war. Moreover, she was afraid that they would remind her of her past.

Question 8.
Why does the narrator say, “I was in a room I knew and did not know”?
Answer:
All around in Mrs. Dorling’s home the narrator saw the precious possessions of her family. They were displayed in an ugly setting. Though the things were known to her, their environment was tasteless and crude.

Question 9.
How was Mrs Dorling taking care of the antiques and other things she had taken from Mrs S?
Answer:
Mrs. Dorling did not take good care of the antiques, and other things she had taken from Mrs. S. She arranged the things in a very taskless manner. She did not even know that the spoons, knives and forks she was using every day were made of silver.

Question 10.
Why did the narrator not wait for Mrs Dorling on her second visit?
Answer:
When the narrator went the second time to 46, Marconi Street, she noticed the Hanukkah which belonged to her family, the antiques, her familiar woollen table cloth, a painting, the teapot and the silver cutlery of her family. They were arranged in a tasteless way and handled carelessly. She was filled with disgust and suddenly did not want those beautiful things. She did not want to meet Mrs Dorling and left the house.

Question 11.
Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?
Answer:
The narrator wanted to forget the address because she did not want to take back her family’s precious possessions—the antiques, silver, paintings, etc. from Mrs Dorling. Initially, she had gone to 46, Marconi Street to take back her belongings, but when she saw them in a different setting, used carelessly and crudely she no longer felt the attachment and desire to have them back as she had felt earlier. In fact, she was so repelled by her experience that she did not even wait for Mrs Dorling and came away. She felt it would be easy to forget that address.

Question 12.
Could Mrs S’s daughter get back to her old life after she came back to the city where she lived before the war?
Answer:
No, she could not. Before the war—Mrs S and her daughter lived a life of comfort and luxury. Their house was full of beautiful things and expensive antiques. Their everyday cutlery was made of silver.

After the war, Mrs S’s daughter came back to the town alone. The family was probably dead. She lived in a small room. The bread that she ate was dark and tasteless. She had seen fear and insecurity. She did not even have place to keep her mother’s possessions which they left under Mrs. Dorling’s custody. Her lifestyle did not at all resemble her earlier luxurious living.

The Address Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Why did the narrator, Mrs S’s daughter, specially make a trip to 46, Marconi Street? Did she achieve her purpose?
Answer:
The narrator, Mrs. S’s daughter, specially made a trip to 46, Marconi Street to get back her mother’s priceless belongings which Mrs. Dorling had taken from her mother with the understanding that she would return them after the war. No, she did not achieve her purpose as she could not get them back. The narrator met with an extremely cold and unfriendly atmosphere at 46, Marconi Street. Mrs Dorling did not like that she had come back for them. She refused to recognize her first, she did not allow the narrator to enter their house. Then she pretended to be busy and closed the door on her face.

Question 2.
How did Mrs Dorling receive Mrs S’s daughter when she came back after several years? How do you explain her behaviour?
Answer:
Mrs Dorling was extremely cold and unfriendly to the narrator, Mrs S’s daughter, when she came back after several years. She understood she had come to claim the beautiful possessions like antiques and silver cutlery which had belonged to her family. Mrs Dorling had no intention of returning them. Therefore, she was cold and rude. She did not even let her in. She told her that she could not do anything for her. It was not convenient for her to meet the narrator and that she should come some other time. Then she closed the door while the narrator was still on the doorstep.

Question 3.
Describe the second visit of Mrs S’s daughter to the house of Mrs Dorling. Why did she not wait to meet Mrs Dorling?
Answer:
When the narrator went the second time to 46, Marconi Street, it was Mrs. Dorling’s daughter who opened the door and let the narrator come into the house. Immediately she recognized her mother’s priceless possessions, she noticed the Hanukkah which belonged to her family. The walls had the antiques. Her familiar woollen table cloth was on the table and she recognized a painting, the.teapot and the silver cutlery of her family.

Seeing these things, however, they did not give her any pleasure because they were arranged in a tasteless way and handled carelessly. She was filled with disgust and suddenly lost the desire to get those beautiful things back. So she did not want to meet Mrs Dorling and left the house, deciding never to visit 46, Marconi Street again.

Question 4.
How did Mrs Dorling acquire the possessions of Mrs S? What extraordinary circumstances made it possible? Do you justify Mrs Dorling’s conduct?
Answer:
Mrs. Dorling was merely an acquaintance of Mrs S. Mrs S belonged to a wealthy Jewish family and all her possessions were beautiful and of great value.

The Second World War broke out and the Jews were persecuted everywhere. The Germans were in control. The Jews had to leave their homes and possessions behind to save their lives.

In this background, Mrs Dorling revived her acquaintance with Mrs S and carried away suitcases and sackfuls of precious things saying she wanted ‘to save’ all the nice things. Mrs Dorling had no intention of returning those fine things. Mrs Dorling’s behaviour cannot be justified. She acted out of greed and meanness. She did not even admit Mrs. S’s daughter into her house and was exceedingly rude.

Question 5.
Why did the narrator say that forgetting Mrs Dorling’s address would be the easiest of all the things?
Answer:
The narrator said that forgetting Mrs. Dorling’s address would be easy because of the painful experience of the narrator. Besides, Mrs. Dorling did not take good care of her mother’s possessions. She was saddened to see the crudeness of Mrs Dorling’s household and the insensitive way, the precious antiques of her family were handled. She immediately decided to forget about everything connected with her past. She wanted to continue living her new life. She resolved to forget the address as she felt that of all the things, she had to forget, forgetting the address would be the easiest.

Question 6.
Compare the lifestyle of Mrs S before the war with her daughter’s after the war.
Answer:
Before the war Mrs S and her daughter lived a life of comfort and luxury. Their house was full of beautiful things ,and expensive antiques. Their everyday cutlery was made of silver. After the war, Mrs S’s daughter came back to the town alone. The family was probably dead. She lived in a small room. The bread that she ate was dark and tasteless. She had seen fear and insecurity. She did not even have place to keep cutlery. Her lifestyle did not at all resemble her earlier luxurious living.

Question 7.
Justify the title of the story ‘The Address’.
Answer:
‘The Address’ is a title that indirectly brings out the pain that war inflicted on the narrator. The address was 46, Marconi Street where a woman named Mrs Dorling lived with her family.
The address was important to the narrator because her mother had given the family valuables to Mrs Dorling for safekeeping. When after the war the narrator went back to the address she found her family’s precious possessions in an ugly setting. Their value was not appreciated and they were used carelessly.

She was so repelled that she decided to leave the things and forget the address. The address becomes too painful to remember. It becomes symbolic of the shabbiness and the pettiness of Mrs Dorling. She was very keen about getting things back but ironically resolved to forget about them and begin a new life, leaving the past behind.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots

• The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Question Answer
• The Address Question Answer
• Ranga’s Marriage Question Answer
• Albert Einstein at School Question Answer
• Mother’s Day Question Answer
• The Ghat of the Only World Question Answer
• Birth Question Answer
• The Tale of Melon City Question Answer

Here we are providing The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots, Extra Questions for Class 11 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
To which tribe did Mourad and Aram belong? Which traits of the tribe are highlighted in the story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’?
Answer:
Mourad and Aram belonged to the Garoghlanian tribe. The Garoghlanians were extremely poor but they were known for honesty for centuries. They were proud first, honest next and believed in doing the right deeds. No one of their tribe would ever steal. Everyone trusted them.

Question 2.
What are the unique traits of the Garoghlanian tribe?
Answer:
The unique traits of the Garoghlanian tribe were that they were extremely poor but still they were 1 famous for their honesty for centuries. They were proud as well as honest; they believed in doing the right deeds. No one o^ their tribe would ever steal. They were trustworthy.

Question 3.
Why did Aram find it hard to believe that Mourad had stolen the horse?
Answer:
Though Mourad was too poor to buy a horse, Aram found it difficult to believe that he had stolen it. This was because Mourad came from a family that firmly upheld honesty as their special trait and were proud of it.

Question 4.
Why was Aram delighted and frightened at the same time when he saw his cousin Mourad on a beautiful white horse?
Answer:
Aram was delighted because of the beautiful white horse. He wanted to ride. He was delighted and frightened by ‘the pious stillness and humour’ in Mourad and the horse. This means that he was frightened because Mourad was on a horse which he could never have bought.

Question 5.
How can we say that Aram and Mourad were very fond of riding?
Answer:
Mourad brought a horse which did not belong to him. Though he knew that their tribe was well- known for honesty, but he could not help stealing John Byro’s horse for riding. They enjoyed riding at 4:00 a.m. when it was still dark. They used to race the horse across fields, vineyards, orchards, irrigation ditches and country roads. Thus we can say that Aram and Mourad were very fond of riding.

Question 6.
Mourad said, “I have a way with a horse”. Do you agree? Give an example to prove your point.
Answer:
Yes, we agree that Mourad had a way with a horse. When John Byro got the horse back, he found the horse better tempered because Mourad was good at dealing with a wild white horse. The horse wanted to run wild in the beginning but Mourad felt he could make the horse do anything he wanted.

Question 7.
What were the peculiarities in Uncle Khosrove’s behaviour?
Answer:
Uncle Khosrove, who had a furious temper was known to be crazy. He was so impatient and irritable that he stopped anyone from talking by roaring, ‘It is no harm; pay no attention to it.’ His son came to him to tell him that their house was on fire. He silenced him saying ‘enough’. ‘It is no harm, I say’. He was irritated and snubbed when John Byro told him about his horse having been stolen.

Question 8.
What did John Byro say to the boys when he found them walking with it one morning?
Answer:
John Byro met the boys walking with his horse which had been stolen. He studied the horse, asked its name and examined its teeth. He said if he did not know their parents’ honesty he would swear that it was his horse. He only called it the ‘twin’ of his horse.

Question 9.
What do you think induced the boys to return the horse to its owner?
Answer:
The boys belonged to the Garoghlanian tribe which was well known for its honesty. When John Byro met the boys walking with his horse which had been stolen, he studied the horse, asked its name and examined its teeth. He said if he did not know their family’s honesty, he would swear that it was his horse. The boys became conscience-stricken. They realized that what they did was wrong and this could bring disgrace to their family. This made them return the horse.

Question 10.
Describe Mourad’s parting from the beautiful white horse.
Answer:
Mourad had spent some time looking after the horse. He loved it even though it was not his own. When he left it in John Byro’s vineyard, he put his arms around his neck, pressed his nose into the horse’s nose and patted it. The horse had grown stronger and better tempered in his care.

Question 11.
Why did John Byro visit Aram’s house in his surrey after getting his horse back?
Answer:
John Byro visited Aram’s house to show the horse that had been stolen and returned. He showed that the horse was stronger than ever and better tempered.

Question 12.
How did little Aram define stealing when he had to decide whether or not to ride the horse?
Answer:
Little Aram was crazy about horses and was longing for a joyride on the horse. When he guessed that Mourad had stolen the horse, he defined that stealing a horse for a ride was not like stealing money. It would become stealing if he and Mourad wanted to sell the horse.

Question 13.
Why did Mourad steal the horse and then return it?
Answer:
Mourad stole the horse because he had passion to ride but was too poor to buy one. He returned the horse because he had no intention of stealing it. Besides farmer, John Byro, reminded him of the high reputation of his family for honesty.

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Aram did not think they had stolen the white horse even though they kept it with them for a long time. Why did Mourad steal the horse? Why did they return it?
Answer:
Aram did not think they had stolen the white horse even though they kept it with them for a longtime because in his opinion it would become stealing only when they had the intention to sell the horse for money or keep it with them forever. Therefore, they did not think they had stolen the horse.

Mourad stole the horse because he had passion for riding; but he was too poor to buy a horse. They returned the horse back because their conscience instructed them to do so. The meeting with John Byro changed Mourad’s mind and heart. John Byro did not claim the horse, though he felt that it was his lost horse. He only spoke about the honesty of their family which prompted them to return the horse to its rightful owner.

Question 2.
What impression do you form of the narrator (Aram) after reading the story?
Answer:
Aram is a nine years Armenian boy who narrates the story. He is longing for a joyride on a horse. He is the only character in the story who not only narrates incidents and actions but also gives useful information about other characters and their traits as well. He also provides the description of the Garoghlanian, tribe, their traits, etc.

He finds it hard to believe that Mourad has stolen a horse because he comes from a family that firmly upholds honesty as their special trait and are proud of it. In his opinion, stealing a horse for a ride is not the something as stealing something else, such as money. He convinces himself by saying this that it would become stealing when they offer to sell it. Aram enjoys riding the horse.

The temptation to ride a beautiful horse cannot be resisted by him. Aram loves adventure that’s why he decides not to talk about the stolen horse.

Question 3.
The narrator mentioned ‘a crazy streak’ running in his family. Which two characters showed this streak in their behaviour and words? Write briefly about them showing how they could be called crazy.
Answer:
Mourad and Uncle Khosrove were the two characters who showed a crazy streak in their behaviour. Mourad was a thirteen-year old Armenian boy. He belonged to Garoghlanian tribe. He was fond of riding to the point of craziness. He sang out of joy when riding a stolen horse. He said confidently that he had a way with horses.

He was crazy like his uncle Khosrove and was considered the natural descendent of his crazy uncle. Uncle Khosrove had a furious temper1 and was known to be crazy. He was so impatient and irritable that he stopped anyone from talking by roaring, ‘It is no harm; pay no attention to it’. He said this even when his son came running to tell him that their house was on fire. He got irritated and snubbed John Byro when he told him about his horse having been stolen.

Question 4.
Do you think John Byro recognised his horse? Why did he not accuse the boys of stealing his horse?
Answer:
Yes, John Byro recognized his horse. When he met the boys, walking with his horse which had been stolen, asked its name and examined its teeth. He said it must be the twin of his stolen horse. He said that he trusted their family’s honesty, so he was not willing to create a fuss and did not have any intention to call them thieves.

Though he recognized his horse but he told them that he would not even suspect them of stealing a horse. John Byro did not blame the boys nor made any formal complaint regarding the theft of his horse. He merely touched upon their family honour. This had the desired effect on the children and they returned the horse.

Question 5.
“We had been famous for our honesty for something like eleven centuries,” the narrator describes his family in these words. Do you think it is possible to remain honest in modern times?
Answer:
Yes. It is possible to be honest in modern times too as seen in the story. Mourad and Aram were honest too. Mourad took the horse because he loved to ride but could not afford to buy one – he had all the intention of returning the horse. There are many examples of honest behaviour – Gandhiji inspired truthfulness by his example Satyameva Jayate (Truth alone triumphs) was adopted as national motto of India on 26th January, 1950.

Even today, honest people such as Anna Hazare are ready to fast unto death for upholding honesty. Many such activists have put their lives at stake to fight for and uphold truth. Some of them have even laid down their lives. Young people are very idealistic and wish to eliminate corruption and dishonesty. Unfortunately many amongst us find it difficult to follow the future gains at the cost of present-day hardships and therefore, we tend to choose the easy way out. But truth is like a bitter pill that actually is good for our health in the long run.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots

• The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Question Answer
• The Address Question Answer
• Ranga’s Marriage Question Answer
• Albert Einstein at School Question Answer
• Mother’s Day Question Answer
• The Ghat of the Only World Question Answer
• Birth Question Answer
• The Tale of Melon City Question Answer