DAV PUBLIC SCHOOL, PAKHOWAL ROAD, LUDHIANA

CLASS:XII
SUBJECT: ENGLISH CORE-301
SUMMER HOLIDAYS ASSIGNMENT
COMPOSITIONS- PRACTICE EXERCISE

(Signatures, Full Name and Designation)

Question 1: The water supply will be suspended for eight hours (10 am to 6 pm) on 6th of March for
cleaning of the water tank. Write a notice in about 50 words advising the residents to store water for a day.
You are Karan Kumar/Karuna Bajaj, Secretary, Janata Group Housing Society, Palam Vihar, Kurnool.
Question 2: You are Ruhi/Rahul, head girl/boy of ABC convent school. Your school is going to organize an
inter-school singing competition. Write a notice for your school notice board inviting names of all the
interested students.

FORMAT OF FORMAL INVITATION CARD:

Name of the host

INVITATION LINE
Purpose of the invitation
Day and date:
Venue:
Time:
CHIEF GUEST (In case of School Event)
With Best Compliments: Note: (In case of school event)

Question 3: You are Faiz/Falak Mazumdar living at 39, Udampur Colony, Shimla. You decide to hold a
dinner party to congratulate your grandparents on their golden wedding anniversary. Draft a formal
invitation in not more than 50 words to all family members to attend a grand dinner at home.
Question 4: Divine Heart Sr Sec School, Ambala is going to host Van Mahotsav on its campus in July. As
the head of Eco-Club draft an invitation card for the parents and students to join the same.
Letter to the Editor
Question 5: You are a resident of Shivaji Nagar Pune. You are concerned about the increasing number of
road mishaps in your city. Write a letter to the editor of a local magazine “Jan Chetna” highlighting the
problem and suggesting measures to check the problem.
Question 6: People have adapted to wearing face masks as a „new normal‟. But most of them do not know
how to dispose of them properly. Spread awareness regarding the disposal of protective masks by writing a
letter to an editor of a popular newspaper.

Literature

CHAPTER: THE LAST LESSON

QI. State whether the following statements are TRUE/FALSE:
1. The Phrase "What a thunderclap these words were to me!" uses the same literary technique as "It was so
warm, so bright!"
2. The statement "My books, that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, were old friends now" employs
the same literary device as "The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods."
3. The phrase "holding on to my desk, my heart beating" uses the same literary technique as " the scratching
of the pens over the paper."
4. The expression" puts off learning till tomorrow " employs the same literary device as "have the key to
their prison."
5. The phrase "They looked like little flags floating everywhere" uses the same literary technique as
"bearing on with all his might."
6. The statement "For forty years he had been there in the same place" employs the same literary device as
"the hopvine that he had planted himself twined about the windows."
7. The phrase "Don't go so fast, bub" uses the same literary technique as "Go to your place quickly, little
Franz."
8. The expression "I've plenty of time" employs the same literary device as "Now those fellows out there
will have the right to say to you."
9. The phrase "the most beautiful language in the world" uses the same literary technique as the clearest, the
most logical."
10. The statement "Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?" employs the same literary
device as "Vive La France!"
QII. Complete the sentence appropriately:
1. Franz's initial reluctance to go to school and his thought of running away show his dislike for studies and
his attraction to_______
2. The unusual quietness in the school and M. Hamel's formal attire indicate the___ of the day's events.
3. The presence of village elders in the classroom, an uncommon occurrence, demonstrates their _____ for
the French language and culture.
4. M. Hamel's criticism of Alsace, saying it "puts off learning till tomorrow," highlights the regions
tendency towards____
5. The narrator's sudden change in attitude towards his books, from seeing them as a nuisance to viewing
them as old friends, reflects his growing __________
6. M. Hamel's statement about holding fast to one's language being like having a key to their prison
emphasizes the importance of language in preserving _________
7. The description of the writing lesson, with phrases like "France, Alsace" looking like little fags,
symbolize the ____ of the French language.
8. The detail about the hopvine M. Hamel planted himself twining to the roof illustrates the teacher's ____
to the school.
9. Old Hauser's emotional spelling lesson at the back of the room represents the villager's ____ for their
missed educational opportunities.
10. M. Hamel's final act of writing "Vive La France!" on the blackboard serves as a powerful ______ in the
face of cultural oppression.

CHAPTER: LOST SPRING

QI. STATE WHETHER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS TRUE OR FALSE.
1. The phrase "army of barefoot boys" uses the same literary technique as "garbage has a meaning
different".
2. The expression "lord of the universe" employs the same literary device as "garbage to them is gold".
3. The phrase "a perpetual state of poverty" uses the same literary technique as "structures of mud".
4. The statement "Food is more important for survival than an identity" employs the same literary device
"Garbage to them is gold".
5. The phrase "eyes lighting up" uses the same literary technique as "eyes beam".
6. The expression "dream looms like a mirage" employs the same literary device as "spirals of bangles".
7. The phrase "vicious circle uses the same literary technique as "web of poverty".
8. The statement "Born in the caste of bangle makers" employs the same literary device as "a god-given
lineage".
9. The phrase "mind-numbing toil" uses the same literary technique as "killed all initiative".
10. The expression "trapped their fathers and forefathers" employs the same literary device as "imposed the
baggage on the child".
QII. SELF ASSESSMENT TEST:
Q1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become transit homes. Children grow up in them,
becoming partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking, Through the years, it has
acquired the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their heads,
even if it is a leaking roof. But for a child it is even more.
(i) How does the author's description of rag-picking as a "fine art" change our perception of this activity?
(ii) Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
The phrase "Garbage to them is gold" emphasizes the ____ (value/wastefulness) of what others discard in
the lives of these people.
(iii) Complete the following suitably.
The description of children as "partners in survival" suggests that they are forced to _____ at a young age.
(iv) What does the metaphor of "daily bread" imply about the role of garbage in their lives?
(v) Which statement best captures the essence of the children's relationship with garbage?
A. It's a nuisance they have to deal with
B. It's a source of play and entertainment
C. It's a means of survival and potential opportunity
D. It's a health hazard they try to avoid
(vi) How does the author contrast the adults' and children's perspectives on garbage?

Q.2 Answer the following questions in 40-50 words each.

(i) How is Mukesh different from other boys of his age?
(ii) In spite of the conditions prevailing in Seemapuri, children like Saheb and Mukesh are not devoid of
hope. How far do you agree?
Q3. Despite the difficulties that Mukesh's family goes through, his grandmother believes that their
occupation is their destiny. What could be the reasons behind this belief. State your response with evidence
from the text 'Lost Spring'

ASSERTION REASON QUESTION

1. Assertion: The children of Seemapuri are living a life of exploitation.

Reason: Extreme poverty forces them to lead such a life.

a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
2. Assertion: Most of the rag pickers appear walking barefoot in cities and on village roads.
Reason: They were caught in the web of a vicious circle of middlemen.

a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
3. Assertion: Garbage is wrapped in wonder for the elders in Seemapuri.
Reason: For the elders, it is a means of survival.

a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
4. Assertion: Saheb was not allowed to play tennis in the neighbourhood club.
Reason: He had proper shoes but no racquet to play tennis.

a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
e) Both A and R are false.
5. Assertion: Saheb is no longer his own master.
Reason: The tea canister which he carries is his own property.

a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
6. Statement 1: Mukesh insists on being his own master.
Statement 2: He has no fascination for continuing his family profession.

a) If Statement 1 is the cause, Statement 2 is the effect.

b) If Statement 1 is the effect, Statement 2 is the cause.
c) Both the statements are the effects of a common cause.
d) Both the statements are the effects of independent causes.
CHAPTER: DEEP WATER
QI. State whether the following Statement is TRUE/ FALSE:
1. The Phrase "All we have to fear is fear itself" is an example of paradox.
2. The author's description of the water as having a "dirty yellow tinge" is an example of personification.
3. The sentence "I was shrieking under water" contains a paradox.
4. The phrase "tender arms like Mother's" is an example of simile.
5. The statement "The curtain of life fell" is an example of metaphor.
6. The phrase "icy horror would grab my heart' uses both personification and metaphor.
7. The sentence "I shouted with joy, and Gilbert Peak reurned the echo" is an example of pathetic fallacy.
8. The phrase "piece by piece, he built a swimmer" is an example of alliteration.
9. The sentence "I had conquered my fear of water" contains hyperbole.

Read the extracts given below and attempt the questions that follow:
1. My breath was gone. I was frightened. Father laughed, but there was terror in my heart
at the overpowering force of the waves. My introduction to the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool
revived unpleasant memories and stirred childish fears. But in a little while I gathered
confidence. I paddled with my new water wings, watching the other boys and trying to learn by
aping them. I did this two or three times on different days and was just beginning to feel at
ease in the water when the misadventure happened. (CBSE)
Questions
(i) Choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below:
Statement 1: The author’s father laughed to mock his son’s inability to swim.
Statement 2: The author wanted to swim just to prove to his father that he can swim.
(a) Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false.
(b) Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true.
(c) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.
(d) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred.
(ii) “My introduction to the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool revived unpleasant memories and stirred
childish fears.” It can be inferred that this was a clear case of ............ .
(a) suppression (b) oppression
(c) depression (d) repression
(iii) The misadventure that took place right after the author felt comfortable was that .............
(a) the author slipped and fell into the swimming pool
(b) a bully tossed him into the pool for the sake of fun
(c) his coach forgot to teach him how to handle deep water
(d) his father couldn’t help him from drowning into the water
 (iv) Choose the option that describes the equipment used by the author while
learning to swim

1 2 3 4
(a) Option 1 (b) Option 2
(c) Option 3 (d) Option 4
(v)The author’s fear of water was ............ .
(a) very terrifying
(b) a sweet memory
(c) his regular companion
(d) vanishing slowly
(vi)What does the word ‘aping’ mean?

I. Multiple Choice Questions

1. The most appropriate justification for the title of the chapter ‘Deep Water’ is that
(a) it’s about the dangerous depth of the swimming pool.
(b) it reveals the author’s lack of surety about overcoming his fear of swimming.
(c) it underlines the author’s fear of water and how he overcame it.
(d) it includes the methods of the author’s coach to overcome the fear of deep water.
2. Samuel has a phobia of heights but is scared and can’t overcome it. Choose the option that
displays an advice.

1 2 3 4
Get to the If I were Unbelievable! Feat is
swimming you, I’d what’s the a major
pool and begin problem? I’ve issue if
jump in it small. done bungee you let it
from the Like jumping! It’s control
highest spending a piece of you. I
diving 10 mins. cake. think it
board that looking will take
you see down a firm
there. from my grip on
balcony, you if
each day, you don’t
for a week. address
it soon.

(a) Option 1 (b) Option 2

(c) Option 3 (d) Option 4
3. The chap that threw me in was saying, “But I was only fooling.” Choose the option
mentioning the personality traits of this ‘chap’.
1. persuasive 2. irresponsible
3. domineering
4. manipulative 5. callous
(a) 1,2,3 (b) 2,4,5
(c) 2,3,5 (d) 1,3,5
4. William Douglas was a friend and adviser of
(a) President Kennedy
(b) President Cleveland
(c) President Roosevelt (d) President Clinton
5. In the essay, William Douglas talks about his fear of
(a) fire (b) lizards
(c) snake (d) water
6. The writer decided to learn to swim when he was about
(a) ten or eleven years old
(b) fifteen or sixteen years old
(c) twenty years old
(d) eighteen years old
7. He decided to learn swimming in the pool at
(a) the local club (b) his school
(c) Y.M.C.A (d) Country Club
8. His mother warned him against swimming in the Yakima River because it had
(a) strong currents
(b) it was meant only for boating
(a) many people had drowned there
(b) it had no lifeguards around
9. The author hated to walk naked to the pool as he had
(a) skinny arms (b) bony chest
(c) skinny legs (d) hairy legs
10. The incident in childhood had taken place at the beach in
(a) Florida (b) Washington
(c) New York (d) California
11. The introduction to the Y.M.C.A swimming pool revived for Douglas
(a) childhood fear of water
(b) memories of holiday at the beach
(c) memories of father and son companionship
(d) a terrible accident
12. The misadventure at the Y.M.C.A pool happened when
(a) Douglas was accompanied by friends
(b) he was with his father
(c) he was alone
(d) he was with his mother
13. The boy who threw Douglas into the pool was about
(a) twenty years old
 (b) eighteen years old
(c) twenty-one years old
(d) fifteen years old
14. Douglas calls him a
(a) nasty human being
(b) a brute
(c) a beautiful physical specimen
(d) a big bully

POEM- MY MOTHER AT SIXTY-SIX

QI. Identify the poetic devices / literary devices used in the following text:

TEXT POETIC DEVICE

"..face ashen like that of a corpse"
"...Wan, pale as a late winter's moon"

'trees sprinting' and'merry children'-symbolic of youth, vigour,

vitality, life and growth
'late winter's moon'-symbolic of death.
"trees sprinting"
"smile and smile and smile..."
"merry children spilling out of their homes"
"late winter's moon"
"I looked again at her wan, pale face"
The words 'drive' and 'doze'
"all I did was smile and smile and smile..."
"but all I said was, see you soon
The green trees racing (inanimate) while the mother like a corpse
"home to Cochin last Friday morning"
“doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that of a corpse"
"put that thought away, and looked out at young."
"that she was old as she looked but soon"
"security check, standing a few yards

Q II
II.A. Choose the option that applies correctly to the two statements given below. (STATEMENTS 1-5)
(a) Assertion can be inferred but the Reason cannot be inferred.
(b) Assertion cannot be inferred but the Reason can be inferred.
(c) Both Assertion and Reason can be inferred.
(d) Both Assertion and Reason cannot be inferred.
1. Assertion: The poet compares her mother's face to that of a corpse.
Reason: The poet wants to emphasize the physical signs of aging in her mother.
2. Assertion: The poet looks out at "Young Trees sprinting" and "merry children spilling out of their
homes".
Reason: The poet is trying to distract herself from thoughts about her mother's aging.
3. Assertion: The poet repeats the word "smile" three times at the end of the poem.
Reason: The poet is genuinely happy to see her mother.
4. Assertion: The poet experiences "that old familiar ache" at the airport.
Reason: The poet is reminded of her childhood fears about losing her mother.
5. Assertion: The poet describes her mother as "wan, pale as a late winter's moon".
Reason: The poet wants to convey the beauty of her aging mother.
II.B Choose the option that applies correctly to the two statements given below. (STATEMENTS 6-
10)
(a) Both the assertion and the reason are true, and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion.
(b) Both the assertion and the reason are true, but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
(c) The assertion is true, but the reason is false.
(d) The assertion is false, but the reason is true.

6. Assertion: The poet experiences a sense of emotional conflict during her journey
Reason: The poet alternates between observing her aging mother and looking at symbols of youth and
vitality.
7. Assertion: The poet's repeated smiling at the end of the poem indicates genuine happiness.
Reason: The poet wants to hide her true emotions from her mother.
8. Assertion: The poem explores the theme of the inevitability of aging and death.
Reason: The poet compares her mother's face to that of a corpse and a late winter's moon.
9. Assertion: The poet's childhood fear resurfaces during her journey.
Reason: The poet is afraid of flying and going through airport security.
10. Assertion: The poem uses contrasting imagery to highlight the mother's aging.
Reason: The poet juxtaposes descriptions of her mother with images of young trees and merry
children.
II.C. Choose the option that applies correctly to the two statements given below. (Q.1l-14)
(a) Cause - Effect
(b) Problem - Solution
(c) General - Specific
(d) Statement - Example
11. Statement 1: The poet sees her mother dozing with an open mouth.
Statement 2: The poet realizes her mother's face looks ashen like a corpse.
12. Statement 1: The poet looks out at young trees
sprinting and merry children.
Statement 2: The poet puts away the thought of her mother's aging.
13. Statement 1: The poet experiences 'that old familiar ache'.
Statement 2: The poet recalls her childhood's fear.
14. Statement 1: The poet sees her mother as "wan, pale as a late winter's moon".
Statement 2: The poet feels the pain of her mother's aging.

POEM- KEEPING QUIET

QI. Identify the poetic /literary devices used in the following text:

TEXT POETIC DEVICE

face of the earth
earth can teach us
"victory with no survivors"
put on clean clothes
in the shade
when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive
"Wars with gas; wars with fire"
without rush without engines
Life is what it is about
"Let's not speak in any language, let's stop for a second."
we will count
not move our arms much
Sudden strangeness
would look at his hurt hand
walk about with their brothers
I want no truck with death
his hurt hands
we will all keep
we would all be
would not harm whales
would put on clean clothes
what I want
If we were not so single minded
man gathering salt
wars with gas
in the shade
Fishermen in the cold sea
his hurt hands
wars with fire
brothers
Earth can teach us
Green wars
clean clothes
count to twelve
would not harm whales
Green wars
wars with fire
wars with gas
Victory with no survivors
no truck with death
not move our arms so much.
"wars / walk about with their brothers in shade"
"Now we will count to twelve, not move our arms so much." (Prominent sound of 'o')
"victory with no survivors, would put on clean clothes and walk about with cheir
brothers." (Prominent sound of the vowel 'o')
"lets not speak in any language,
lets stop for one second,"
Repetition of a word at the start of two or more consecutive lines.
"let's not speak in any language"- The word language has been used by the poet to
show different races.
"Fishernmen in the cold sea"
the cold sea actually refers to the coldness of the fishermen
"and for once could perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death."
The sentence is being continued to the next line without a break.

QII
II.A. Choose the option that applies correctly to the two statements given below. (ST 1-5)
(a) Assertion can be inferred but the Reason cannot be inferred.
(b) Assertion cannot be inferred but the Reason can be inferred.
(c) Both Assertion and Reason can be inferred.
(d) Both Assertion and Reason cannot be inferred.

1 Assertion: The poet suggests counting to twelve as a way to initiate a moment of stillness.
Reason: The number twelve symbolizes completeness and unity in many cultures.
2. Assertion: The poet believes that a moment of silence could lead to peace and harmony among
people.
Reason: The poem suggests that constant activity and noise contribute to misunderstandings and
conflicts.
3. Assertion: The poet advocates for complete inactivity as a solution to the world's problems.
Reason: The poem emphasizes the importance of taking a break from our busy lives to reflect.
4. Assertion: The poet suggests that nature can teach us valuable lessons about life and death.
Reason: The poem mentions how everything in nature seems dead at times but later proves to be
alive.
5. Assertion: The poet believes that silence can help us understand ourselves better.
Reason: The poem suggests that our constant activity prevents us from self-reflection.
II.B. Choose the option that applies correctly to the two statements given below. (St.6-10)
(a) Both the assertion and the reason are true, and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion.
(b) Both the assertion and the reason are true, but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
(c) The assertion is true, but the reason is false.
(d) The assertion is false, but the reason is true.

6. Assertion: The poet suggests that a moment of collective stillness could lead to greater self-
understanding.
Reason: The poem emphasizes the importance of silence in interrupting our habitual patterns of
thought.
7. Assertion: The poet believes that stopping all activity would solve the world's problems.
Reason: The poem calls for a brief moment of stillness and reflection.
8. Assertion: The poet uses natural imagery to suggest hope for humanity.
Reason: The poem compares human potential for renewal to the Earth's cycles of death and rebirth.
9. Assertion: The poet advocates for complete inactivity as a way of life.
Reason: The poem emphasizes the importance of embracing life rather than death.
10. Assertion: The poet believes that a moment of stillness could prevent all forms of violence.
Reason: The poem mentions fishermen not harming whales during this moment of pause.
II.C. Choose the option that appropriately describes the relationship between the two statements
given below. (ST 11-15)
11. Statement 1: The poet asks everyone to "not speak in any language."
Statement 2: The poet envisions "a sudden strangeness" where we would all be together.
(a) Cause-effect (b) Problem – Solution (c) General –Specific (d) Statement - Example
12, Statement 1 : The poet suggests stopping “for one second" and not moving our arms so much.
Statement 2: It would be an exotic moment without rush, without engines."
(a) Problem – Solution (b) Statement – Elaboration (c) General –Specific (d) Condition - Result
13. Statement l: The poet mentions "fishermen in the cold sea.”
 Statement 2: The fishermen "would not harm whales."
(a) Cause-effect (b) Problem – Solution (c) General –Specific (d) Statement - Example
14. Statement 1: The poet states, "What I want should not be confused with total inactivity."
Statement 2: The poet declares, "Life is what it is about; I want no truck with death."
(a) Statement-Clarification (b) Problem - Solution (c) Cause – Effect (d) General - Specific
15. Statement 1: The poet suggests that we are "single-minded about keeping our lives moving"
Statement 2: We experience "this sadness of never understanding ourselves."
(a) Cause – Effect (b) Problem - Solution (c) General – Specific (d) Statement - Example

CHAPTER : THE THIRD LEVEL

Q I. Complete the sentence appropriately:
I. The psychiatrist's explanation of Charley's experience as a "waking-dream wish fulfillment" highlights
two things: Charley's unhappiness and his desire for________
2. Charley's fascination with stamp collecting reflects his need for two things: a temporary refuge from
reality and a connection to____________
3. The description of Galesburg in 1894 emphasizes its charm through two aspects: its tranquil environment
and its ________________
4. Charley's inability to find the third level again suggests two things: the elusive nature of his discovery and
the possibility that it was________________
5. The hollow roar that Charley hears in the tunnel symbolizes two things: the presence of open space ahead
and the anticipation of ____________
6. The old-style currency Charley purchases reveals two aspects about him: his determination to revisit the
third level and his willingness to _____________
7. Sam's letter from 1894 indicates two things: his belief in Charley's discovery and his decision to
________
8. The description of people on the third level, with their 1890s attire, reflects two things: a stark contrast
with modernity and an atmosphere of ___________
9. Louisa's initial reaction to Charley's story reflects her worry about his mental state and her reluctance to
____
10. The discovery of Sam's first-day cover proves two things: that Sam found the third level and that
Charley's experience was___________

QII. STATE WHETHER THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS TRUE OR FALSE.

1. Charley believes that there are three levels at Grand Central Station.
2 The psychiatrist suggests that Charley's experience is a form of wish fulfillment.
3. Charley's stamp collection serves as a permanent escape from reality.
4. The people Charley sees in the third level are dressed in modern clothing.
5. Sam Weiner disappeared after he went to the third level.
6. The currency Charley tries to use at the third level is modern money.
7. Louisa supports Charley's search for the third level throughout the story.
8. The note from Sam indicates he has been at the third level for two weeks.
9. The atmosphere at the third level is described as chaotic and noisy.
10. Charley finds a first-day cover among his stamp collection that proves Sam's existence in 1894.
Read the extracts given below and attempt the questions that follow:
1. Yes, I’ve taken the obvious step: I talked to a psychiatrist friend of mine, among others. I told him about
the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking-dream wish fulfillment. He said I was
unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad.
Questions
(i) What did the narrator tell the psychiatrist?
(a) about the wish fulfilment
(b) about his wife
(c) about the obvious step
(d) about the third level
(ii) What was the psychiatrist’s reaction when Charley talked to him?
(iii) Why was his wife kind of mad?
(a) The psychiatrist friend said that it was dream fulfillment.
(b) The narrator had continued alone.
(c) He had taken the obvious step.
(d) The psychiatrist friend said that he was unhappy.
(iv) Where was the third level?
2. Everything points to it, they claimed. My stamp collecting, for example; that’s a ‘temporary refuge from
reality’. Well maybe, but my grandfather didn’t need any refuge from reality; things were pretty nice and
peaceful in his day, from all I hear, and he started my collection. It’s a nice collection too, blocks of four of
practically every
U.S. issue, first-day covers and so on. President Roosevelt collected stamps too.
Questions
(i) What does the term ‘refuge from reality’ mean?
(a) escaping from the present situation
(b) going to a psychiatrist
(c) being unhappy
(d) looking from the third level
(ii) Why didn’t the narrator’s grandfather need refuge from reality?
(a) He was too old.
(b) He lived in peaceful times.
(c) He didn’t find the third level.
(d) He didn’t face waking dream wish fulfillment.
(iii) Who else collected stamps?
(iv) Describe the collection that the narrator inherited?
 3. I’m just an ordinary guy named Charley, thirty-one years old, and I was wearing a tan gabardine suit and
a straw hat with a fancy band. I passed a dozen men who looked like me. And I wasn’t trying to escape from
anything; I just wanted to get home to Louisa, my wife.
I turned into Grand Central from Vanderbilt Avenue, and went down the steps to the first level,
where you take trains like the Twentieth Century.
Then I walked down another flight to the second level, where the suburban trains leave from, ducked
into an arched doorway heading for the subway—and got lost.
Questions
(i) Which word in the passage means ‘a place located in the outskirts of the city’?
(a) gabardine (b) suburban
(c) duck (d) arched
(ii) What is gabardine?
(a) a doorway
(b) subway
(c) firm durable fabric
(d) a type of suck fabric
(iii) Which word in the passage means ‘moved downwards’?
(a) arch (b) doorway
(c) ducked (d) subway
(iv) Where did Charley get lost?
4 I turned towards the ticket windows knowing that here—on the third level at Grand Central—I could buy
tickets that would take Louisa and me anywhere in the United States and we wanted to go in the year 1894.
And I wanted two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois.
Have you ever been there? It’s a wonderful town still, with big old frame houses, huge lawns, and
tremendous trees whose branches meet overhead and roof the streets. And in 1894, summer
evenings were twice as long, and people sat out on their lawns, the men smoking cigars and talking
quietly, the women waving palm-leaf fans. with the fire-flies all around, in a peaceful world.
.To be back there with the First World War still twenty years off, and World War II over forty years
in the future...
Questions
(i) Where is Charley?
(ii) Where was the narrator planning to go?
(a) New York (b) Grand Central
(c) Galesburg (d) home
(iii) Who did he plan to take along?
(b) his friend (b) his wife
(c) his psychiatrist (d) his grandfather
(iv) What does the narrator mean by ‘First World War’ still twenty years off’?

5.But now we’re both looking every weekend, because now we have proof that the third level is still there.
My friend Sam Weiner disappeared! Nobody knew where, but I sort of suspected because Sam’s a city boy,
and I used to tell him about Galesburg – I went to school there – and he always said he liked the sound of
the place. And that’s where he is, all right in 1894.
Questions
 (i) What is the proof that Charley and his wife have?

(ii)Where had Sam gone according to Charley?

(a)New York (b) Galesburg
(c) home (d) third level
(iii)Where did the narrator go to school?
(c) New York (b) City
(c) Galesburg (d) Suburban
(iv)Why did Sam choose the particular place and in which year?

CHAPTER: THE TIGER KING

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQ)
Q1. Which proverb accurately describes the story of 'The Tiger King'?
A. Our fate is written in the stars, but we hold the pen to our story.
B. A person often meets his fate on the road he took to avoid it.
C. Fate may steer us, but we determine how we sail.
D. Fate is a river, and we are the navigators.

Q2. At the end of the story 'The Tiger King' , what ULTIMATELY led to the Maharaja's death?
A. his inability to let go of his obsession with tigers
B. his fight against the astrologers in his kingdom
C. his incompetence towards running his state
D. his hatred towards the tiger population

Q.3 What does the word 'hindsight' mean in the given sentence from 'The Tiger King' ?
"This account is only a rumour rife in Pratibandapuram. But with hindsight, we may conclude it was
based on some truth.
A. an expectation B. an afterthought
C. a common knowledge D. .a prediction of events.

Q.4 The Maharaja's anxiety reached a fever pitch..."

A. When the bidding reached a fever pitch, one of the team's absence was notable.
B. The excitement of the audience reached a fever pitch when they saw the star perform.
C. The scenic beauty of the place reached a fever pitch when it began to snow.
D. The climax of the film reached fever pitch when the protagonist was assassinated.

Q.5 Pick the statement that is NOT an example of satire from the story.
A. The twist of fate when the toy tiger proved to be fatal for the king.
B. News of king's ailment got the attention of not one, but three surgeons.
C. King wilfully exploiting nature and subjects for his selfish interests.
D. The king celebrates his triumph but readers anticipate his doom.

Q.6 Which phrase best indicates the narrator's determination to tell the story?
A. "I have come forward to tell you"
B. "Even the threat of a Stuka bomber will not throw me off track"
C. "Right at the start, it is imperative to disclose"
D. "The manner of his death is a matter of extraordinary interest"

Q7. Select the option that best expresses the astrologers hesitation:
A. "The child will grow up to become the warrior of warriors"
B. "But..." they bit their lips and swallowed hard.
C. "This is a secret which should not be revealed at all"
D. "The child born under this star will one day have to meet its death"

Q.8 Which option best reflects the Maharaja's determination to kill tigers?
A. "The Maharaja started out on a tiger hunt"
B. "The Maharaja was thrilled beyond measure when he killed his first tiger"
C. "The Maharaja vowed he would attend to all other matters only after killing the hundred tigers"
D. "Not that he faced no dangers"

Q.9 Which phrase best indicates the dewan's fear of the Maharaja?
A. "Shuddering at the sight of the gun, the dewan cried out"
B. "Your Majesty! I am not a tiger!"
C. "No, and I'm not a gun!"
D. "Don't talk nonsense! Why should I marry you?"

Q.10 Which option best expresses the Maharaja's obsession with killing the hundredth tiger?
A. "He had this one thought during the day and the same dream at night"
B. "The Maharaja's anxiety reached a fever pitch"
C. "It seemed easier to find tiger's milk than a live tiger"
D. "Thus the Maharaja was sunk in gloom"

Q.11 Which option best reflects the hunters' dilemma after the Maharajas shot?
A. "The tiger looked back at them rolling its eyes in bafflement".
B. "The men realised that the tiger was not dead; the bullet had missed it"
C. "The hunters wondered what they should do"
D. They decided that the Maharaja must not come to know that he had missed his target"

Q.12 Which phrase best indicates the shopkeeper's fear of the Maharaja?
A. "The wooden tiger cost only two annas and a quarter.
B. "But the shopkeeper knew that if he quoted such a low price to the Maharaja, he would be punished".
C. "Your Majesty, this is an extremely rare example of craftsmanship"
D. "A bargain at three hundred rupees!"

Q.13 Which option best conveys the irony of the Maharaja's death?
A. "The next day, infection flared in the Maharaja's right hand"
B. "Three famous surgeons were brought in from Madras"
C. "The operation was successful. The Maharaja is dead"
D. "In this manner the hundredth tiger took its final revenge upon the Tiger King"