Question

Read the following extract and complete the activities given below : 
A1  Compare the old and new house and complete the table : 

Points	Old House	New House
Surrounding	razzle-dazzle	–
Size of the house	–	big

I was thirteen, the year we moved to the Cantonment at Allahabad. In stark contrast to the razzle-dazzle of the city’s commercial areas like Katra and Chowk, the Cantonment was a quiet, orderly place with broad tree-lined roads that still carried the names of long-dead Britishers. Our bungalow was on a sleepy by-lane called MacPherson Road. When we first saw it, my brothers and I were delighted. It was by far the biggest house we had ever lived in. The task of furnishing those huge, echoing rooms daunted mother.

“Is a slightly smaller house not available?” she asked father, “We do not have enough curtains for this place. And the furniture seems a little inadequate. Why did they have to plan the kitchen at such a distance from the dining-room? It is like doing a route march. And who is going to help me keep this place clean and dusted?”
 Her misgivings and objections were undoubtedly valid. But, seeing our crestfallen faces, she sighed and gave in. We made extravagant promises to help in the household chores. Keep our rooms tidy. Put away our toys and books. She smiled with amused disbelief, her mind already working out how many meters of curtain-cloth would be needed and so on. 

A2  Complete :
Complete the following list of objections that the mother had with the new house :
(i) Inadequate _______ 
(ii) Do not have _______
(iii) Kitchen at a distance from _______
(iv) A very big _______ 

A3 Personal response:
Do you agree with the objections raised by the mother? Explain. 

Answer 1

A1 

Points	Old House	New House
Surrounding	razzle-dazzle	a quiet place on a sleepy by-lane
Size of the house	small	big

A2 
(i) Inadequate furniture
(ii) Do not have enough curtains
(iii) Kitchen at a distance from the dining-room, like a route-march
(iv) A very big  she wanted something smaller

A3  I agree with most of the objections raised by the mother because she had a practical viewpoint regarding the size of the house and its maintenance. She had the convenience and comfort of her family in mind since the kitchen was too far from the dining room and the place would take more time to clean and dust due to its size. I, however, do not agree with the concern regarding the curtains since they can be altered and it's not a long-lasting problem.