The Necklace - MCQs

 

Q No	Question	Choice A	Choice B	Choice C	Choice D
1	Matilda Loisel was born into a family of	pheasants	landlords	clerks	businessmen
2	Matilda married an undistinguished man because	she has no dowry	no hopes	no means of becoming known	all the three
3	Which word gives the opposite meaning of ‘incessantly’?	off and on	non stop	continuously	all the time
4	Which of the following has not tortured and angered Matilda?	poverty of her apartment	shabby walls	worn chairs	her husband
5	Even though Matilda was simple, she was unhappy because	she married a petty clerk	she is not beautiful	she wanted luxuries	she was not content
6	What do you mean by ‘inscribe’?	to print	to copy	to duplicate	none of these
7	Why Matilda was not delighted by the invitation to the ball?	She didn’t like parities	She didn’t have proper dress	She didn’t like her husband’s minister	She was afraid of the minister
8	Why did M Loisel think that his wife would be delighted by the invitation to the ball?	The party would be attended by very few select people	It was a prestigious party	It was a good opportunity to go out and socialize with rich and wealthy	The minister would be happy to receive them
9	When her husband asked about the cost of the costume, what amount did she say?	the exact amount	an amount that would not be too difficult for her husband to say yes	a big amount so that he would refuse it	a small amount so that he would immediately say yes
10	The money was saved by M Loisel for	an emergency	to buy jewelry was his wife	to buy a gun	to give a party to his friends
11	Mme Louisel thought that she would look ‘poverty-stricken’ if she had	no dress	no ornament	no shoes	no clutch
12	What was the suggestion of M Louisel?	she should not bother about ornament	she could as well wear natural flowers	she would be looking pretty even without any ornament	nobody would bather what she was wearing
13	‘In this season they look very chic’ means	they look fashionable	they look outdated	they look gaudy	they look normal
14	While the wife was having  great time at the ball, the husband was	in his office doing work	half asleep	talking to the minister	watching his wife dance
15	What made Mme Matilda utter a cry soon after returning home from the ball?	She was angry with her husband	She was very tired	She lost the necklace	She was wounded
16	She was sure that the necklace was not lost in the minister’s house as	she felt it while coming out	she saw it when she was before a mirror	her husband told her that it was around her neck	the cab driver told her so
17	They had waited for ______ before taking the decision to replace the necklace.	six days	one week	ten days	three days
18	A usurer is a _____	person who works in a bank	person who lends money at higher interest	a person who arranges loans	a person who collects loans
19	‘A frigid tone’ is  ______	a friendly tone	a personal tone	an affectionate tone	an impersonal tone
20	Mme Forestier did not open the jewel-box as Mme Loisel feared. Because _____	Mme Forestier knows the value of the necklace	Mme Loisel was worried that the replacement might be detected	both are correct	both are wrong
21	What is the meaning of ‘odious’?	very difficult	very unpleasant	very hard	very awful
22	What was the ‘horrible life of necessity’ they faced?	they had to clear the fearful debt	they had to change their life style	they had to do all the hard work	they had to live like poor people
23	Which of the following statements is not correct?	The couple worked hard to repay the loan	The couple blamed each other	The husband had worked during nights	The wife did all the chores of the house
24	Who was Jeanne?	the wife	the minister	the wife’s friend	the husband’s friend
25	‘…I am decently content,’ said Matilda to her friend because	she could replace the necklace	she could repay the loan	both are right	both are wrong
26	‘How singular is life, ….’ . Whose thought was this?	M Loisel	Mme Loisel	Mme Forestier	None of these
27	The real worth of the necklace was not over ……..	500 francs	450 francs	400 franks	500 sous
28	‘They were just alike.’ Whose words were these?	The jeweler at Palais-Royal	M Loisel	Mme Loisel	Mme Forestier
29	A chaplet of diamonds means	a diamond necklace	a diamond chain	a diamond jewel set	none of these
30	Why did her friend address her as ‘poor Matilda’?	because they mistook the necklace to be original	because they had to take a loan	because they lost all the savings	because Matilda was really poor

 

Q No	Ans	Q No	Ans	Q No	Ans
1	C	11	B	21	B
2	D	12	B	22	A
3	A	13	A	23	B
4	D	14	B	24	C
5	D	15	C	25	C
6	A	16	A	26	B
7	B	17	B	27	A
8	C	18	B	28	C
9	B	19	D	29	A
10	C	20	C	30	A

 

Madam Rides the Bus

 

Introduction:

The lesson ‘Madam Rides the Bus’ tells us about a brave eight-year-old village girl. She liked watching the hustle and bustle of the street. Her favorite sight was of a bus arriving and departing. She developed a deep desire to travel by bus. To fulfill her desire, she needed information about the bus journey.  She had planned her bus ride in such a way that she could be back at home before her mother woke up from her afternoon nap. The story describes to us how innocently but responsibly she fulfilled her deepest desire. The story also tells us about her experiences on the bus ride. An incident that happens during her trip makes her realize the reality of death.

Meanings of some words and phrases:

Curious: eager to know or learn something

Wistfully: longingly, desirably

Kindle: set alight (fire), here, feelings [to bring out feelings]

A slang expression: informal words, often used within a close group

Devoured: enjoyed thoroughly

Canvas: a coarse fabric

Blind: a partition

Haughtily: proudly

Repulsive: causing strong dislike

Curtly: rudely brief or abrupt

Drivel: silly nonsense, unnecessary talk

Thriftily: to spend money carefully

Resolutely stifled: suppressed/ controlled with determination

Ventured out: went cautiously, courageously

Hamlet: a small settlement with a few houses

Gobbling up: to swallow or eat hastily

Glee: happiness and joy

Thoroughfare: a busy public road

Merchandise: things for sale

Railroad crossing: an intersection where a railway line crosses a road or path

Spreadeagled: spread out

Haunted: returned repeatedly to her mind; was impossible to forget

Pokes her nose: takes an interest in something that doesn’t concern her

Summary:

‘Madam rides the bus’ is about an eight-year-old village girl named Valli. She did not have friends to play with so she would spend her time by looking at the outside affairs going on the street. Her favourite part was to look at the bus that passed by her village every hour. It gave her endless joy to look at the new set of passengers each time the bus crossed by. She developed a wish to travel by bus. Soon, the wish turned into a desire and she determined to fulfill it.

She started listening to the conversations between her neighbours who frequently traveled by bus and in the process, would ask a few careful questions here and there to collect more information. She came to know that the town is six miles away from her village and it took the bus forty-five minutes to travel one side. The fare was thirty paise. She started planning and re-planning so that she could sneak out during her mother’s afternoon nap and come back without her knowledge. She needed to save sixty paise, the fare money. She had to resist the temptation of candy, peppermint, and a ride on the merry-go-round to save the money.

Finally, she saved enough money, and one fine day, the brave eight-year-old took the bus. She refused to take any help from the conductor or fellow passengers. It was an amusing sight for everyone to see such a small girl all alone acting like an adult. The conductor was of the joking sort and thus, referred to Valli as a grown-up ‘madam’. Valli would stand on her seat to be able to see clearly from the window while everyone advised her to sit for her own safety. Each time someone would poke their nose in her business, Valli would get annoyed as she did not consider herself a child. She did not want to be friends with an elderly lady who was worried about her because she thought she was not socially capable enough.

She enjoyed seeing what was going on outside. The sight of a running cow in the middle of a road abruptly was a funny scenario for her. Upon reaching the town, she refused to get down the bus because she was too afraid to do so alone. While returning, she had the same enthusiasm until she saw a cow lying lifeless on the road. It was the same cow that was so joyous previously. She sat down silently for the rest of the journey.

Upon reaching home, she found her mother and aunt talking about the endless possibilities in the world outside. Valli affirmed what her mother was saying, leaving both of them astonished. She then justified her reaction by mentioning that she was casually agreeing to what her mother was saying.  Her aunt then referred to Valli as a nose-poking child who acts like a grown-up lady. Only Valli knew what she was referring to because, after all, no one knew about her bus journey.

Answers to the Textual Questions

Page 119

1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?

Valli’s favourite pastime was to stand in the front doorway of her house and look at the street outside.

2. What was the source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?

The sight of the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town was a source of unending joy for Valli. Her strongest desire was to ride the bus.

3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find these details?

Valli found out that the bus journey to the town took 45 minutes and the one-way fare was 30 paisa. She listened carefully to the conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus and asked a few discreet questions here and there. This way she picked up various small details about the bus journey.

4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?

Valli was planning to go to the town and then return back by the same bus. She planned to make a trip to the town while her mother took the afternoon nap. She saved enough money for the journey.

Page 122

1. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?

The conductor called Valli ‘madam’ because she behaved like a woman. She declined his help and was very quick in her answers to the conductor’s questions. This made the conductor call her madam.

2. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? (or) What does she see now?

Valli wanted to look outside the bus. She found her view blocked by the canvas blind that covered the lower part of the window. In order to have a better view, she stood up on the seat and peered over the blind. She saw a canal, palm trees, grassland, mountains, green fields, and the sky.

3. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?

Valli replied that there was nobody in the bus who was a child. She told her that she had paid her fare of 30 paise like every other passenger in the bus.

4. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?

Valli did not want to make friends with the elderly woman because she looked quite repulsive. She had big earholes and was wearing ugly earrings. Apart from this, she was chewing betel and her mouth was filled with betel juice.

Page 125

1. How did Valli save money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?

Valli had very painstakingly saved every stray coin that came her way. She resisted every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, etc. It had been very difficult for her. Even at the village fair, she resisted the temptation to be on the merry-go-round. Thus, she had been able to save sixty paise for her first bus journey.

2. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?

Valli saw a young cow, tail high in the air running very fast right in the middle of the road in front of the bus. The driver sounded his horn again and again to make the cow move away. But the more he honked, the more frightened the animal became and faster it galloped. This all seemed very funny to Valli and she laughed so much that there were tears in her eyes.

3. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?

Valli had planned that she only wanted to ride on the bus. She would spend thirty paise on her fare, go to the town and then come back by the same bus before her mother woke up. She didn’t want to see the town. She had neither money nor the inclination. 

4. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall have a drink? What does this tell you about her?

Valli had saved only sixty paise for the trip. She didn’t want to waste any money on the drink as she had to come back by the same bus at any cost. So, when the conductor suggested her to get down and have a drink she refused. He offed to bring one for her but she still refused. This shows that she was a strong-willed and well-mannered girl.

Thinking About the Text

(Page 127)

1. What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.

Valli’s deepest desire was to go on a bus ride. The words and phrases in the story that tell this are ‘source of unending joy’, ‘stare wistfully’, and ‘kindle in her longings, dreams, and hopes’.

2. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?

For days together Valli listened carefully to conversations between her neighbors and people who regularly used the bus and asked a few discreet questions here and there. She came to know that the town was six miles from her village, the bus fare was thirty paise and the bus trip took forty-five minutes. She also thought that if she stayed on the bus and came back by the same bus it would only cost her sixty paise. She painstaking saved each and every penny she got, resisting all temptation to buy peppermints, toys, etc, and even a ride on the merry-go-round at the village annual fair so as to save sixty paise. It was a secret trip that she had planned without the knowledge of her parents.

3. What kind of person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences from the text and fill in the blanks. The words you fill in are the clues to your answer.

Valli was a confident girl who did not think that her age was a limitation to her traveling alone to the town. She considered herself a grown-up and acted like one.

4. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘Madam’?

The conductor called Valli ‘Madam’ as she behaved like a grown-up and did not think that she was a child. She also refused his help and told him that she can manage on her own.

5. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.

Valli thoroughly enjoyed her ride on the bus. The following lines from the text tell us about it. She saw so many things on her way. A canal, palm trees, grasslands, distant mountains. “Oh! it was all so wonderful,” that’s what she felt. “Sometimes the bus seemed on the point of gobbling up another vehicle that was coming towards them or a pedestrian crossing the road. Somehow it passed smoothly, leaving all obstacles behind and then she saw a cow running very fast, in front of the bus. This all seemed very funny to Valli and she laughed and laughed till tears flowed from her eyes.”

6. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?

Valli refused to look out of the window on her way back as she saw the dead body of the cow who was running towards the bus when she was going to town. This made her sad and frightened.

7. What does Valli means when she says… “I was just agreeing with you what you said about things happening without our knowledge”.

While making this statement, Valli was trying to hide the fact about her bus ride. She was also feeling elated at making a successful attempt at her plan.

8. The author describes the things that Valli sees from an 8 year old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for his statement?

Yes, for example when the author says, ‘she was fascinated by the bus’ and ‘watching the bus fill with a new set of people each time was a source of unending joy for her’. ‘The seats were soft and luxurious’. The description that the author gives when Valli looked outside is also typical of an 8-year-old. A cow running in front of the bus fascinated the child whereas the sight of a dead cow brought tears to her eyes and she refused to look outside the window on her return journey. This also describes the behavior of an 8-year-old child aptly.

Weathering the Storm in Erasma

 

Introduction:

The story gives an account of the storm that hit the coastal town of Ersama in Odisha state in the year 1999. A young boy Prashant faced the fury of the storm and reached his village. The details of how he worked hard to help the villagers overcome the devastation caused by the storm inspire us to have courage and a positive approach towards life. This is written by Harsh Mander. He is an Indian author, teacher, and social activist.

Meanings of some words and phrases:

Menacing: dangerous and harmful

Fury: extreme strength

Incessant: unceasing, continuous

Ancient: old

Rent: filled

Swirled: moved or flowed along with a whirling motion

Mortar: a mixture of lime, cement, sand, and water used to construct buildings

Surge: gush

Refuge: shelter

Wrought: produced as a result of something

Fractured: broken

Bloated: swollen

animal carcasses: dead bodies of animals

blessing in disguise: an apparent misfortune that eventually has good results

Tender: soft, raw

huddled: together in a group

flashed through his mind: came to his mind

Bereaved: to have lost a family member or a friend to death

Recede: reduce

Expedition: journey

Waded: swam

Macabre: horrible

Catastrophe: disaster

Remnants: small remaining quantities

eyes brimming: eyes were full of tears

Motley: desperate, varied in appearance or character

Battered: injured

Tumult: uproar of a disorderly crowd force

Triumphantly: victoriously

Bellies: stomach

Orphaned: a child who loses either one or both of his parents to death

Stigma: disgrace

foster families: a family that provides custody or guardianship for children whose parents are dead or unable to look after them

Summary:

Weathering the Storm in Erasma narrates the adventures of a young man Prashant who was marooned on a rooftop for two nights following a dreadful storm.

Prashant had gone to the coastal town of Erasma in Orissa to spend a day with his friend seven years after his mother’s demise. It was that fateful day the storm-lashed in full fury with heavy wind and rain. Trees were uprooted and water entered neck deep inside the friend’s house. For two days, everyone took refuge on the roof until the situation calmed down a bit.

Although everyone tried to pursue Prashant to stay for a few more days as the situation had not fully settled, he was determined to move ahead. Using a stick to guide him, he waded his way through the water to his village, eighteen kilometers away. He found his family members in a Red Cross shelter. Things were not going on well in the Red Cross camp. He filled in as a leader and did several things to solve the problems they faced.

Prashant saw a crowd of 2500 people at the shelter. Many had lost their families in the disaster. They were grief-stricken as the catastrophe had snatched everything. For the last 2 days, they had survived on green coconuts but they were running out of stock. Prashant took control of the situation. He formed a group with some elders and young people. They persuaded the merchant to give them the stock of rice and after 4 days the crowd ate a meal. Then the group of volunteers cleaned the shelter and tended to the injured people. Prashant engaged the widows to work for an NGO which gave food for work. He engaged the children by arranging sports matches for them. The volunteers managed to set up foster families comprising of the widows, orphaned children, and lone men who would form a family and support each other. Like this Prashant overcame his grief.

Think About It:

1. What havoc has the super cyclone wreaked in the life of the people of Orissa?

The super cyclone devastated everything in Orissa. The majority of the houses had blown away by the strong winds and rains. Muddy water covered everything as far as the eye could see. Many people lost their lives. Bloated animal carcasses and human corpses floated in every direction. Even the strongest of the trees had been uprooted. People became homeless. Children lost their parents and became orphans. There was a shortage of food and drinking water. People were sad and helpless. The scenes were gruesome and heart-wrenching.

2. How has Prashant, a teenager, been able to help the people of his village?

Prashant, who was a teenager decided to help the people of his village by stepping in as a leader. He organized a group of youths and elders to jointly pressurize the merchant to given rice for the people living in the shelter. After this, he organized a team of youth volunteers to clean the shelter and to tend wounds and fractures of the many who had been injured.

Prashant found that a large number of children had been orphaned. He brought them together and constructed a polythene shelter for them. He asked some women to look after them. He conducted sports events and cricket matches for children to keep them active and engaged.

Women were mobilized to look after the orphan kids, while the men secured food and other essentials for the shelter. When he realized that the women were becoming too grief-stricken, he persuaded them to start working in the food-for-work program.

3. How have the people of the community helped one another? What role do the women of Kalikuda play during these days?

The people of the community came together to help one another under the leadership of Prashant. They jointly started the relief work. They persuaded the merchant to part with his rice for the people in the shelter. They gathered branches from fallen trees to lit a fire, on which they cooked rice for all to eat.

When the military helicopter did not return after dropping some food parcels, the youth task force made the children lie in the sand with the empty utensils on their stomachs to communicate to the passing helicopters that they were hungry. This formula worked well and the helicopter started making regular rounds of the shelter to drop food and other basic needs.

Women were mobilized to look after the orphans, while the men secured food and other essentials for the shelter. Women started working in the food-for-work program started by an NGO.

4. Why do Prashant and other volunteers resist the plan to set up institutions for orphans and widows? What alternatives do they consider?

Prashant and the other volunteers resisted the plan to set up separate institutions for orphans and widows because they felt that in such institutions children will grow up without love and affection and widows would suffer from stigma and loneliness.

Prashant and his group suggested that the children and widows should be resettled in their own community where they can get a homely environment. They suggested setting up of foster families made up of childless widows and children without adult care.

5. Do you think Prashant is a good leader? Do you think young people can get together to help people during natural calamities?

Yes, there is no doubt that Prashant is a very good leader. He has all the qualities of a leader.  Though he himself was grief-stricken, he got a hold of himself and decided to initiate the relief work in the village. He helped the people of his village in every possible manner to bring their lives back on the track. He is full of energy and has great motivational power.

Yes, young people can definitely get together to help people during natural calamities. Youth is the power of a society who can use their strength and vigor to help people in need.