Question

Read the following extract and do the given activities:

More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours, more insects, and the endless rain. My mother twisted through and through, groaning on a mat. My father, sceptic, rationalist, trying every curse and blessing, powder, mixture, herb and hybrid. He even poured a little paraffin upon the bitten toe and put a match to it. I watched the flame feeding on my mother. I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the poison with an incantation. After twenty hours it lost its sting. My mother only said Thank God the scorpion picked on me And spared my children.

A1. State whether the following statements are true or false:   (2)

1. The narrator’s father was a rationalist.
2. It was summer when the incident took place.
3. Mother found relief after twenty hours.
4. Mother thanked the neighbours for sparing her children.

A2. What were the efforts taken by the father and the holy man to reduce the pain of the mother?   (2)

A3. Find out an example of ‘Antithesis’ from the extract.   (1)

Answer 1

A1.

1. This statement is true.
2. This statement is false.
3. This statement is true.
4. This statement is false.

A2. Despite being a rationalist, the father attempted to alleviate his wife's misery by burning paraffin on the damaged toe and enlisting the help of a holy man to perform rituals and incantations in the hopes of taming the poison.

A3. “Sceptic, rationalist” while also trying every curse and blessing.