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प्रश्न
The unexpected presence of a criminal wielding a gun triggers different reactions in the two men who entered the room. In this light, discuss the appropriacy of the title.
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उत्तर
A visitor usually comes during the wakeful hours. Nocturnal visitors are usually thieves. They don’t inform one in advance because the purpose of their visit is never noble enough to inform in advance. People involved in shady businesses only choose midnight to break into someone’s house. In this story, a spy is after an important report about missiles, a secretly guarded report, which is expected to be delivered to the private detective Ausable at 12.30 am. The spy gets the secret information from his trusted connections. So, he arrives earlier than Ausable and sneaks into his room using a passkey. The spy is brandishing his pistol to coerce the private detective to pass on the report as and when it arrives. Ausable outsmarts him by cooking up a story about a non-existent balcony beneath his window which extends from the neighboring apartment. He connects brilliantly the knock of Henry the waiter to that of police who might fire at Max as he is armed. So, the title of the story, “The Midnight Visitor” is very pertinent.
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संबंधित प्रश्न
What is the importance of Aksionov’s wife’s dream?
What made Aksionov think that Makar was the real murderer?
Why was the great beast not behaving naturally?
Why was Pi not afraid of the hyena?
Describe Pi’s struggle to find drinking water.
What was Pi's reaction when he discovered drinking water?
How did the presence of Richard Parker influence the attitude of Pi?
What was Baldwin’s advice to Gresham?
What did Gresham want Baldwin to do?
Now match the idioms under column A with their meanings in column B:
| A. IDIOMS | B. MEANINGS |
| save one’s skin | a sudden unexpected event or news |
| make both ends meet | to be the most powerful |
| a bolt out of a clear sky | viewed with suspicion and distrust |
| go to grave | to protect oneself from difficulty |
| have the whip hand | manage one’s expenses within one’s income |
| under a cloud | to exit the world |
What happened to Max finally?
How, according to Ausable, had Max entered the room?
Was Ausable really waiting for the police? Give reasons.
How did Ausable outwit Max?
Name a few things that make the earth a unique planet.
Do you enjoy watching movies? What type of movies do you like to watch? Here are the pictures of a few blockbuster movies.
Why does Margot wish to return to the earth?
What is the significance of the particular day described in the story “All summer in a day”?
What happens to Margot while the teacher is out of the classroom?
How did Margot describe the sun to others?
Now read the sentence below. Complete them appropriately with the word you identified from the grid.
William and other children have bullied her and ______her in a closet.
Study the title of the play “Remember Caesar”. Who is Caesar? What is he remembered for? Let us go through the pages of history succinctly to answer the above questions.
- Julius Caesar was a brilliant military general and great Roman monarch.
- He was born on the 13th of July in 100 BC (BCE).
- He created the Julian calendar which is the basis for today’s calendar.
- He was assassinated by a group of Roman senators in 44 BC(BCE).
- The day that Julius Caesar was murdered, 15th March was called the Ides of March in ancient Rome.
Complete the summary of the play, choosing the appropriate words from the list given below the passage.
Lord Weston was a (1)______ judge in England. Being pompous and vain, he told his secretary Roger that he had attained glory by hard work and (2)______. He expressed his displeasure over Roger’s request for a half-holiday. Suddenly, he discovered a piece of paper with the words (3)______ in his pocket, and he feared that the message was a warning conveyed by his enemies who had received legal punishments from him. As the message was sent on the 15th of March, (the day Julius Caesar was assassinated), he was (4)______ that someone affected by his fair judgement was plotting his murder. Sensing the definite attack, Lord Weston ordered his secretary to (5)______ all the doors and windows. But his wife remained (6)______ by the threat. So, Lord Weston was angered by her (7)______ reaction. He ordered Roger to send the cook and the (8)______ away. Both Weston and Roger took elaborate precautionary measures to thwart the (9)______ attempt. Finally, Weston was able to recollect that he had written the message “Remember Caesar” himself as a (10)______. Caesar was actually a gardener who had an appointment to visit Weston’s garden. The play revolves around Weston’s absent-mindedness which is the crux of the play.
| callous | unperturbed |
| well-known | gardener |
| reminder | zealous service |
| Remember Caesar | assassination |
| shut | convinced |
How did Lord Weston describe himself?
Why did the speaker consider his lifeless important?
Group Work
The play revolves around a ‘perceived threat’ and how Lord Weston and Lady Weston react to it. Let’s reverse their roles. Imagine a panic-stricken Lady Weston and a frivolous Lord Weston. Read the following piece of dialogue from the play and rewrite it to suit the changed roles.
| WESTON | My dear, your husband’s life is in grave danger. |
| LADY WESTON | The last time it was in danger you had been eating game pie. What is it this time? |
| WESTON (annihilating her flippancy with one broadside) | Assassination! |
| LADY WESTON | Well, well! You always wanted to be a great man and now you have got your wish! |
| WESTON | What do you mean? |
| LADY WESTON | They don’t assassinate anybody. |
