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Question
Its a cruel thing to leave her so.”
“Then take her to the poorhouse: she’ll have to go there,” answered the blacksmith’s wife, springing away, and leaving Joe behind.
For a little while the man stood with a puzzled air; then he turned back, and went into the hovel again. Maggie with painful effort, had raised herself to an upright position and was sitting on the bed, straining her eyes upon the door out of which all had just departed, A vague terror had come into her thin white face.
“O, Mr. Thompson!” she cried out, catching her suspended breath, “don’t leave me here all alone!” ,
Though rough in exterior, Joe Thompson, the wheelwright, had a heart, and it was very tender in some places. He liked children, and was pleased to have them come to his shop, where sleds and wagons were made or mended for the village lads without a draft on their hoarded sixpences.
“No, dear,” he answered, in a kind voice, going to the bed, and stooping down over the child, “You she’n’t be left here alone.” Then he wrapped her with the gentleness almost of a woman, in the clean bedclothes which some neighbor had brought; and, lifting her in his strong arms, bore her out into the air and across the field that lay between the hovel and his home.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Describe the feelings and plight of Maggie when she was left alone.
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Solution
Maggie felt desolate and frightened at being left helpless in the rundown cottage that was the only home she had known. Her spine was broken so with a painful effort, she raised herself to an upright position and tried to sit on the bed, in an effort to strain her eyes upon the door out of which all had just departed, uncaring that she was alone and not in a position to help herself. Her thin white face reflected a vague terror at the thought of the dark future she could foresee for herself.
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Ashamanja Babu lived in a small flat in Bhowanipore. A clerk in the registry department of Lajpat Rai Post Office, Ashamanja Babu was fortunate as he could walk to his office in seven minutes flat without having to fight his way into the buses and trains of Calcutta. He lived a rather carefree life as he was not the kind of person to sit and brood about what might have been had fate been kinder to him. On the whole, he was quite content with his lot. Two Hindi films and fish twice a week-these were enough to keep him happy. The only thing that 10 perturbed him at times was his lack of companionship. A bachelor with few friends and relatives, he often wished he had a dog to keep him company. It need not be a huge Alsatian like the one owned by the Talukdars, who lived two houses down the lane; it could be any ordinary little dog which would follow him around·morning and evening, wag its tail when he came home from work and obey his orders faithfully. Ashamanja Babu's secret desires were that he would speak to his dog in English. 'Stand up', 'Sit down', 'Shake hands' - how nice it 20 would be if his dog obeyed such commands! That would make him really happy. On a cloudy day marked by a steady drizzle, Ashamanja Babu went to the market in Hashimara to buy some oranges. At one end of the market, beside a stunted kul tree, sat a man. As their eyes met, the man smiled. Was he a beggar? His clothes made him look like one. Ashamanja Babu noticed at least five sewn-on patches on his trousers and jacket. But the man didn't have a begging bowl. Instead, by his side was a shoe-box with a 30 little pup sticking its head out of it. 'Good morning!' said the man in English. Ashamanja Babu was obliged to return the greeting. 'Buy dog? Dog buy? Very good dog.' The man had taken the pup out of the box and had put it down on the ground. 'Very cheap. Very good. Happy dog.' 'How much? What price?' 'Ten rupees.' A little haggling and the price came down to seven rupees. Ashamanja Babu paid the money, put the pup back in the shoe-box, closed the lid to save it from the drizzle, and turned homewards, forgetting all about the oranges. |
- For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage) from the options provided: (2)
- perturbed (line 11)
- frightened
- unsettled
- confused
- mocked
- stunted (line 25)
- prevented from growing
- prepared for tricks
- prevented from taking action
- allowed to do stunts
- perturbed (line 11)
- Which word in the passage means the opposite of the word 'expensive'? (1)
- carefree
- ordinary
- cheap
- haggling
- Answer the following questions briefly in your own words:
- What kept Ashamanja Babu happy? (2)
- What does this tell you about him? (2)
- What is that one other thing he needed to complete his happiness? (1)
- Why did Ashamanja Babu think the man was a beggar? (2)
- Why did Ashamanja Babu forget about his oranges? (2)
- In not more than 50 words, narrate the series of events from the time the puppy was taken out of the box till it was paid for. (8)
