HSC Commerce (Marathi Medium) १२ वीं कक्षा - Maharashtra State Board Question Bank Solutions for English

Find and explain the significance of various exciting incidents in the extract.

Following are some dialogues of the major characters in the extract. Find out who the speaker is, his/her tone, style, significance, etc., of the dialogue.

Read the extract again and complete the web by highlighting the qualities of the following character:

Read the extract again and complete the web by highlighting the qualities of the following character:

Read the extract again and complete the web by highlighting the qualities of the following character:

Describe the character of Mary Morstan from Dr. Watson’s point of view.

Sherlock Holmes is the leading character in the extract. Explain.

Dr. Watson, the narrator, is one of the major characters in the novel. Illustrate

Holmes is always one step ahead of Dr. Watson in solving cases. Elucidate.

Arrange the sentences in the correct sequence as per their occurrence in the extract:

Discuss the importance of the following statement in light of the extract.

The trio − Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Mary decide to visit Lyceum Theatre.

Discuss the importance of the following statement in light of the extract.

Mary received Pearls every year on the same day.

Discuss the importance of the following statement in light of the extract.

Holmes carefully examined the paper given by Mary.

Cite various references (lines) from the extract that tell us about the time and period of the events.

Write in brief the theme of the extract of the novel ‘The Sign of Four’.

Following are some dialogues of the major characters in the extract. Find out who the speaker is, his/her tone, style, significance, etc. of the dialogue.

Expansion of Idea:

Expand the following idea in about 100-150 words by using the points.

'Beauty is truth, truth beauty'.

• Meaning of the proverb
• Significance of the proverb
• Add your own points.

Read the extract and complete the activities given below:

Punctually at midday, he opened his bag and spread out his professional equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook, and a bundle of Palmyra writing. His forehead was resplendent (glorious) with sacred ash and vermilion, and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam (shine) which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted. The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced by their position placed as they were between the painted forehead and the dark whiskers (mustaches) which streamed down his cheeks: even a half-wit’s eyes would sparkle in such a setting. To crown the effect he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head. This colour scheme never failed. People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia stalks. He sat under the boughs of a spreading tamarind tree which flanked a path running through the Town Hall Park. It was a remarkable place in many ways. A surging crowd was always moving up and down this narrow road from morning till night. A variety of trades and occupations was represented all along its way: medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians, and above all, an auctioneer of cheap cloth, who created enough din all day to attract the whole town. Next to him in vociferousness came a vendor of fried groundnut, who gave his ware a fancy name each day, calling it “Bombay Ice Cream” one day and on the next “Delhi Almond,” and on the third “Raja’s Delicacy,” and so on and so forth, and people flocked to him. A considerable portion of this crowd dallied before the astrologer too. The astrologer transacted his business by the light of a flare which crackled and smoked up above the groundnut heap nearby. Half the enchantment of the place was due to the fact that it did not have the benefit of municipal lighting. The place was lit up by shop lights. One or two had hissing gaslights, some had naked flares stuck on poles, some were lit up by old cycle lamps, and one or two, like the astrologer, managed without lights of their own. It was a bewildering crisscross of light rays and moving shadows. This suited the astrologer very well, for the simple reason that he had not in the least intended to be an astrologer when he began life; and he knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself next minute. He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers. Yet he said things which pleased and astonished everyone: that was more a matter of study, practice, and shrewd guesswork. All the same, it was as much an honest man’s labour as any other, and he deserved the wages he carried home at the end of a day.

A1. State if the given statements are True or False. (2)

i. The astrologer used to have the preparation of his business in quite professional way.

ii. The physical appearance of the astrologer hardly created an impact on the customers.

iii. The place was busy with a variety of occupations.

iv. The astrologer’s style of handling the business lies in his skills.

A2. Complete the given web. (2)

A3. The astrologer was a shrewd judge of a character. Explain with some details from the extract. (2)

A4. We need to understand even the smallest details of the business in order to succeed. Write your views. (2)

A5. Do as directed. (2)

1) It was a remarkable place in many ways.
(Choose the correct alternative to rewrite the given sentence as an exclamatory sentence)

1. It was a remarkable place in many ways!
2. How a remarkable place in many ways it was!
3. What a remarkable place in many ways it was!
4. What remarkable in many ways the place it was!

2) He spread out his professional equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowrie shells.
(Choose the correct alternative to rewrite the given sentence as a compound sentence)

1. He spread out his professional equipment but it consisted of a dozen cowrie shells.
2. He spread out his professional equipment and it consisted of a dozen cowrie shells.
3. He spread out his professional equipment that it consisted of a dozen cowrie shells.
4. He spread out his professional equipment and it had consisted of a dozen cowrie shells.

A6. Find the synonyms for the following words from the passage. (2)

1. Confusing
2. hanging around
3. difficult to understand
4. magical effect

Read the extract and complete the activities given below:

The young lift-man in a City office who threw a passenger out of his lift the other morning and was fined for the offence was undoubtedly in the wrong. It was a question of “Please.” The complainant entering the lift, said, “Top.” The lift-man demanded “Top-please,” and this concession being refused he not only declined to comply with the instruction but hurled the passenger out of the lift. This, of course, was carrying a comment on manner too far. Discourtesy is not a legal offence, and it does not excuse assault and battery. If a burglar breaks into my house and I knock him down, the law will acquit me, and if I am physically assaulted, it will permit me to retaliate with reasonable violence. It does this because the burglar and my assailant have broken quite definite commands of the law. But no legal system could attempt to legislate against bad manners or could sanction the use of violence against something which it does not itself recognize as a legally punishable offence. And our sympathy with the liftman, we must admit that the law is reasonable. It would never do if we were at liberty to box people’s ears because we did not like their behaviour, or the tone of their voices, or the scowl on their faces. Our fists would never be idle, and the gutters of the city would run with blood all day. I may be as uncivil as I may please and the law will protect me against violent retaliation. I may be haughty or boorish and there is no penalty to pay except the penalty of being written down an ill-mannered fellow. The law does not compel me to say “Please” or to attune my voice to other people’s sensibilities any more than it says that I shall not wax my moustache or dye my hair or wear ringlets down my back. It does not recognize the laceration of our feelings as a case for compensation. There is no allowance for moral and intellectual damages in these matters.

A1. Read the following statements and pick out the statement which expresses the intention of the writer. (2)

1. There is an importance of good manners and civility.
2. The wound on one’s self-respect is more painful than physical wound.
3. One needs to be courteous with a liftman.
4. Strict laws can civilize people.

A2. Pick out some examples of behaviour from the extract that are not punishable under law. (2)

A3. “The passenger damaged the liftman’s self-respect”. Support your answer with some facts from the extract. (2)

A4. What if - ‘Discourtesy is a legal offence?’ Write your response in about 30 words. (2)

A5. Do as directed. (2)

1) If I am physically assaulted, it will permit me to retaliate.
(Choose the correct alternative to use ‘unless’)

1. Unless I am physically assaulted, it will permit me to retaliate.
2. Unless I am physically assaulted, it would not permit me to retaliate.
3. Unless I am physically assaulted, it will not permit me to retaliate.
4. Unless I am not physically assaulted, it will not permit me to retaliate.

2) The law will protect me against violent retaliation.
(Choose the correct alternative to use a modal auxiliary showing ‘obligation’)

1. The law can protect me against violent retaliation.
2. The law could protect me against violent retaliation.
3. The law may protect me against violent retaliation.
4. The law must protect me against violent retaliation.

A6. Find out the words from the passage which mean the following: (2)

1. Lack of courtesy
2. Fight with the fists
3. Uncultured
4. An attacker

A1. Soapy’s attempts to get into Winter Island:

A2. Complete the given statement in 30 words.

Soapy couldn’t enter the restaurant because ______

A3. Soapy had confidence in himself from the lowest button of his vest upward. Here the lowest button of his vest upward means ______

A4. If a person tries to damage the public property, how you will react in such a situation.
(write your response in 3/4 lines)

A5. Do as directed.

1) The policeman refused to accept Soapy even as a clue.
(Choose the correct alternative to transform as a negative statement)

1. The policeman didn’t accept Soapy even as a clue.
2. The policeman had never accepted Soapy even as a clue.
3. The policeman didn’t accepted Soapy even as a clue.
4. The policeman couldn’t accept Soapy even as a clue.

2) “Don’t you think that I might have had something to do with it?” said Soapy.
(Choose the correct alternative to change the sentence into indirect speech)

1. Soapy asked if he didn’t think that he might have something to do with that.
2. Soapy asked if he didn’t think that he might have had something to do with that.
3. Soapy asked if he didn’t thought that he might have had something to do with that.
4. Soapy asked if he didn’t think that he might had had something to do with that.

A6. Match the words in column A with column B: