Question

Read the following passage and do the activities:

A1. Arrange the following in the correct order as it appears in the passage.     [2]

1. The door opened and Jim stepped in.
2. She turned white for just a moment.
3. He simply stared at her fixedly.
4. He needed a new overcoat.

Jim was never late. Della doubled the fab chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit for saying a little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: “Please God, make him think I am still pretty.” The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two-and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves. Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face.

A2.

1. What was Della’s greatest fear as she waited for Jim’s arrival?     [1]
2. Why did Jim look thin and serious?     [1]

A3.

1. Pick out the word from the passage that refers to the following:     [1]
   1. Emotions and feelings.
   2. Strange and Unique.
2. Write the Noun form of the following words:     [1]
   1. Silence
   2. Simply

A4. Do as directed:     [2]

1. “Please God, make him think I am still pretty”, she whispered.
   (Rewrite into Indirect Speech)
2. Della doubled the fab chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table.
   (Rewrite the following sentence as a Simple sentence)

A5. What kind of gifts do you like to exchange with your friends and family members?     [2]

Answer 1

A1.

ii. She turned white for just a moment.

i. The door opened and Jim stepped in.

iv. He needed a new overcoat.

iii. He simply stared at her fixedly.

A2.

1. Della’s greatest fear was that Jim would find her unattractive after she had cut her hair; she whispered a silent prayer asking God to make him think she was still pretty.
2. Jim looked thin and serious because he was only twenty-two years old and was already burdened with the responsibility of supporting a family.

A3. a.

1. Sentiments
2. Peculiar

A3. b.

1. Silence
2. Simplicity

A4.

1. She whispered a prayer to God, asking Him to make Jim think that she was still pretty.
2. Doubling the fab chain in her hand, Della sat on the corner of the table.

A5. I prefer exchanging gifts that are thoughtful, personalised, and meaningful rather than those that are merely expensive. For example, books, handmade cards, or items that reflect a shared memory are much more valuable to me because they strengthen the emotional bond between the giver and the receiver, much like the sacrifices characters often make for one another in literature.