(English Medium) ICSE Class 10 - CISCE Question Bank Solutions for English 2 (Literature in English)

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

De Levis: Social Blackmail? H'm!

Canynge: Not at all - simple warning. If you consider it necessary in your interests to start this scandal-no matter how we shall consider it necessary in ours to dissociate ourselves completely from one who so recklessly disregards the unwritten code. 

(i) Where are the speakers at present? What is referred to as Social Black-mail?

(ii) Who is Canynge? What scandal is being referred to? Why will it be a scandal? 

(iii)  Which race does De Levis mention later? What is his opinion about society? 

(iv) What does Canynge do soon after and what does he find? What was his reaction? What does the discovery prove?

(v) What is De Levis going through at this point of time? What light does it throw upon his character? What change do we see in his character later in the play? Give a reason to justify your answer. 

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

All that year the animals worked like slaves. But they were happy in their work, they grudged no effort or sacrifice, well aware that everything that they did was for the benefit of themselves and those of their kind who would come after ·them and not for a pack of idle thieving human beings. Throughout the spring and summer, they worked a sixty-hour week, and in August ...............

(i)  What did Napoleon announce in August? 

(ii) How much time had elapsed since the constitution of the Animal Farm? As summer wore on, what unforeseen shortages began to be felt? 

(iii) What new policy did Napoleon make? The new • policy brought a vague uneasiness among the animals. What did they recall? 

(iv) Who had agreed to act as an intermediary between the Animal Farm and the outside world ' Describe him?

(v) What roused the pride of the animals and made them reconcile to the new arrangement? In the meanwhile, what sudden decision was taken by the pigs? What do we learn about Napoleon at this juncture? 

The constitution of the animal farm had elapsed for two years. As the summer wore on,. various unforeseen shortages began to make themselves felt. There was need of paraffin oil, nails, string, dog biscuits, and iron for the horses' shoes, none of which could be produced on the farm. Later, there would also be need for seeds and artificial manures, besides various tools and, finally, the machinery for the windmill.

 What new policy did Napoleon make? The new • policy brought a vague uneasiness among the animals. What did they recall? 

 Who had agreed to act as an intermediary between the Animal Farm and the outside world ' Describe h~ 

What roused the pride of the animals and made them reconcile to the new arrangement? In the meanwhile, what sudden decision was taken by the pigs? What do we learn about Napoleon at this juncture? 

De Levis: Social Blackmail?

H'm ' Canynge: Not at all - simple warning. If you consider it necessary in your interests to start this scandal-no matter how we shall consider it necessary in ours to dissociate ourselves completely from one who so recklessly disregards the unwritten code. 

(i) Where are the speakers at present? What is referred to as Social Black-mail? 

Who is Canynge? What scandal is being referred to? Why will it be a scandal? 

 Which race does De Levis mention later? What is his opinion about society? 

 What does Canynge do soon after and what does he find? What was his reaction? What does the discovery; prove?

What is De Levis going through at this point of time ? What light does it throw upon his character ? What change do we see in his character later in the play ? Give a reason to justiji; your answer. 

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

De Levis:  Confront me with Dancy and give me fair play.

Winsor:  [Aside to Canynge] Is it fair to Dancy not to let him know?

Canynge:  Our duty is to the Club now, Winsor. We must have tills cleared up. [Colford comes in, followed by Barring and Dancy].

St. Erth:  Captain Dancy, a serious accusation has been made against you by this gentleman in the presence of several members of the Club.

Dancy: What is it?

St. Erth: That you robbed him of that money at Winsor's.

Danny: [Hard and tense] Indeed! On what grounds is he good enough to say that? 

(i) How does De Levis respond to Dancy's last question in the extract? 

(ii) How did Dancy wish to settle the matter? What was St. Erth's suggestion? 

(iii) Why did Dancy's friends wish him to take legal action against De Levis? What reasons did Dancy give for not wanting to do so? 

(iv) When Mabel Dancy later requests De Levis to withdraw the charge, how does he respond? What declaration does Dancy wish De Levis to sign? 

(v) What information does Gilman give to Twisden? Why did Twisden decide to withdraw from the case? 

 How did Dancy wish to settle the matter ? What was St. Erth's suggestion? 

 Why did Dancy's friends wish him to take legal action against De Levis ? What reasons did Dancy give for not wanting to do so ? 

 When Mabel Dancy later requests De Levis to withdraw the charge, how does he respond? What declaration does Dancy wish De Levis to sign? 

What information does Gilman give to Twisden? Why did Twisden decide to withdraw from the case ? 

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

'Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.'
(A Psalm of Life-H. W. Longfellow) 

(i) Explain-'Tell me not in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream!' What should not be considered the goal of life? 

(ii) What is the beating of the heart compared to? How is the heart described? IV/wt does the beating of the heart remind us of?

(iii) What does the poet mean when lie compares the world to a battlefield? What should our role be in this battle? 

(iv) How should we view the past and the future? what advice does the past give in this context?

(v) What do we learn from the lives of great men? What is the final message of the poem ? Give one reason why the poem appeals to you. 

What is the beating of the heart compared to ? How is the heart described ? IV/wt does the beating of the heart remind us of?

What does the poet mean when lie compares the world to a battlefield? What should our role be in this battle? 

How should we view the past and the future? what advice does the past give in this context?