Question

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

When I came back to my village, I saw my grandmother in tears. I was surprised, for I had never seen her cry even in the most difficult situations. What had happened? I was worried. ‘Avva, is everything all right? Are you okay?’ I used to call her Avva, which means mother in the Kannada spoken in north Karnataka. She nodded but did not reply. I did not understand and forgot about it. In the night, after dinner, we were sleeping in the open terrace of our house. It was a summer night and there was a full moon. Avva came and sat next to me. Her affectionate hands touched my forehead.

(i) Complete the following sentence with the appropriate option.

The phrase ‘never seen her cry in the most difficult situations’ tells us that the grandmother was ______.

1. strong-willed
2. understanding
3. considerate
4. bold

(ii) Complete the following with the correct option from those given in the brackets.

Grandmother did not reply when the narrator asked if she was alright because she might have been too ______ (emotional/tired) to respond.

(iii) Identify the clue from the extract that indicates a rural setting with traditional customs.

(iv) Which lines of the extract establish a tender atmosphere?

(v) Which of the following aspect is NOT emphasised in the given extract?

1. the emotional turmoil of the grandmother.
2. the affectionate bond between the narrator and her grandmother.
3. the grandmother’s regret over her lack of education.
4. the narrator’s concern for her grandmother.

Answer 1

(i) The phrase ‘never seen her cry in the most difficult situations’ tells us that the grandmother was strong-willed.

(ii) Grandmother did not reply when the narrator asked if she was alright because she might have been too emotional to respond.

(iii) The clue is “we were sleeping in the open terrace of our house”, which reflects the rural setting and traditional way of life.

(iv) The lines that establish a tender atmosphere are:
“Avva came and sat next to me. Her affectionate hands touched my forehead.”

(v) the grandmother’s regret over her lack of education.