Question

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Ever since a year ago, 2052, the election year, the force had been cut down from three cars to one. Crime was ebbing, there was no need now for the police, save for this one lone car wandering and wandering empty streets.

1. Which event that took place in 2052 does the story refer to? (Understanding)
2. Why had the police force been reduced? (Understanding)
3. What does the passage hint at about activities of the people at night? (Analysis)
4. Earlier the narrator says that seeing a car wandering at night is an incredible thing. How? (Understanding)
5. Comment on the lone car’s ‘wandering and wandering empty streets.’ (Analysis)

Answer 1

1. The story refers to the election held in 2052. After this election, the police force was reduced because the authorities believed that crime had greatly decreased.
2. The police force was reduced from three cars to one because crime was ebbing and there was supposedly little need for police protection.
3. It suggests that people rarely went outside at night. They stayed indoors, mainly watching television, leaving the streets completely deserted.
4. It is incredible because the streets are so empty and silent that even a police car is rarely seen. The automated car itself seems to be wandering without much work to do.
5. The repetition emphasizes the loneliness and emptiness of the city. It also creates an eerie atmosphere and shows how technology has replaced human activity and interaction.