Question

Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

‘It is a problem, a run - down machine, a stuffy room, full of little stabbing creatures that make an irritating noise.’ (Para 5)

1. What has turned into a stuffy room now? Why?
2. Explain’stabbing’.
3. Explain:‘a run-down machine’.

Answer 1

1. The world, once full of wonder for a child, has become a stuffy room to the adult. With age, the adult becomes preoccupied with problems and finds the insects’ sounds and bites irritating.
2. ‘Stabbing’ describes the sharp, piercing pain caused by an insect’s sting or bite. 
3. ‘A run-down machine’ means something worn out or no longer working well; here, it suggests that the world seems dull and troublesome to the adult.