Question

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow.

“The soil, the land, the earth... shouldn’t someone let the land rest a bit?” the old woman said, softly, smiling. “Rest? Let the land rest? I don’t understand,” Velu looked at her, a little puzzled. “Yes, my son, that is the difficulty. You don’t realise that the earth is old...”

(i) The old woman's advice was accompanied with a soft tone and a smile. What does that tell us about her?

(ii) Fill in the blank with the correct option from those given below.

The old woman’s advice ______ Velu, at that moment.

1. failed to impress
2. confused
3. scared
4. made sense to

(iii) State one thing about the old woman when she referred to Velu as ‘my son’, while offering advice.

(iv) Complete the following sentence with a suitable explanation.

The ‘difficulty’ that the old woman mentions is due to the fact that ______.

Answer 1

(i) The old woman’s soft tone and smile show that she is kind, calm, patient, and understanding.

(ii) The old woman’s advice confused Velu, at that moment.

(iii) By calling Velu “my son”, the old woman shows affection and concern for him. She speaks to him in a caring and motherly manner.

(iv) The ‘difficulty’ that the old woman mentions is due to the fact that Velu does not realise that the earth also needs rest after being cultivated continuously for many years.