Class XI Elective English Unit Test 1 (Stories)

Unit Test-I

Class XI-(2020-21)

ENGLISH (ELECTIVE)

XI Woven Words (English Elective) NCERT 

(Page No.08) Unit Test- 1 (Stories)

1.The Lament

Understanding the Text

Q:1: Comment on the indifference that meets Iona's attempts to share his grief with his fellow human beings.
Ans: Iona Potapov had lost his son, who died a week before. He wished to share his suffering and his emotions and grieve at his loss. However, the people he came across, whether passengers or others, were not interested in listening to his story. Either the people were in hurry or were tired or busy. Thus, none of them paid heed to his words as he began every time. Finally, he told it all to his horse.

Q:2: What impression of the character of Iona do you get from this story?
Ans: Iona was an old cabdriver; he lost his young son.Being lonely, he was reduced to a phantom figure. He desperately wished to talk and share his sentiments with someone. He was so shattered that he tried to talk to any or everybody. He lamented his loss, despair and melancholy encompassed him. He was plunged in the thoughts of his son so much that he was totally unaware of his surroundings, even the snow. He drove his sledge rashly and brandished his horse more than necessary. He lost control over his emotions and went one blabbing his loss in front of even the ones who would be least interested to know. He tried talking to his passengers, the policemen and the three drunkards. He was afraid for his withered age and that his son was gone. He knew it would be difficult for him to earn his livelihood. He even made a remark to the horse that had his young son been alive, they would not have suffered and would have had plenty of food to live on. His state was of a typical old man who loses his young son and feels helpless and only grieves.

Q:3: How does the horse serve as a true friend and companion to Iona?
Ans: When Iona realised that no body was listening to him and that he had no body to go to to grieve at his loss, he turned to his horse. He tried to talk to his passengers, the officers, the drunkards and the young cabdriver, about his son; how he fell ill, what did he say before he died. It was about to be a week since the mishap and the Cabby had had no body to talk to so far. Finally, he decided to go to look after his horse. It was unbearably painful to him to picture his son when he was alone. So he tried to keep himself occupied. He offered hay to the little horse as that was all he could as he had no corn as he did not earn much for he had lost his young son, he explained it to the horse. Iona's feelings were too much for him. The driver goes on explaining the whole story of his son to the horse, while the horse listened patiently and breathed over his master's hand like a true mate.

Talking About the Text:

Q:1: Empathy and understanding are going out of modern society. The individual experiences intense alienation from the society around him or her.
Ans: We have entered an era that feeds on globalisation. A world that is driven by fast technology. The age old emotions and sentiments are all bygone. There is little time for empathy and understanding. An ordinary human's lifestyle has evolved, changing the ethics of our society. People are busy and work is immense and the pressure that a human undergoes leaves no time for her/him to ponder or wonder. A state that makes a human mechanical and lacking in sensibility, which is overtaken by practicality. The concept of society has altered. The individual is alienated from the society. Human does contribute to the society but not with cultural values but only by technological advancement. The sharing and dependence have evaporated from our culture and we have restricted our zone by not giving way to feelings of joy, sorrow, fear or love any way. Humans have resigned from such emotions and are resolute not to give in to them.


Q:2: Behind the public face of the people in various occupations is a whole saga of personal suffering and joy which they wish to share with others.
Ans: Like Iona, every human has a portion of his/her heart unexplored. They guard it stealing it from everyone and yet they long for it to be uncovered; sharing it all with a companion, a friend, a mate. A human, like a diamond has many facets. The face people wear in public is just one of those facets. There is a child inside everyone, a male in every female and a female in every male, unknown, hidden. They keep them locked inside and yet crave to share it with someone. This world of today, where we all are much wiser and practical and much more busy, get little time to spend and share the inner self of ours with someone. The true face behind us all is shielded carefully and it longs to be known, understood. We all hold our souls back yet we wish to share our dark secrets with someone. Our sufferings, our joys, our desires, our hidden self. And in this modern world, few find that true mate with whom they can share their personal joys and sufferings, which they keep locked away in their hearts.

Appreciation:
Q:1: The story begins with a description of the setting. How does this serve as a fitting prelude to the events described in the story?
Ans: The story of Iona Potapov is one of suffering. The setting described in the beginning sets the mood of the reader, the atmosphere is full of gloom and darkness as it is a day covered with snow. The author has tried to evoke melancholy in the reader's heart through the environment he describes so that the reader is set in tune with the mood of the protagonist. The author describes the positions and appearance of Iona. He appears like a phantom who is lost as if he is not interested in the world any more, unaware of his surroundings and the snow that covered his eyelashes and even on his horse's back. This all sets the mood perfectly for a story that is to uncover the protagonist's loss at which he laments.

Q:2: Comment on the graphic detail with which the various passengers who took Iona's cab are described.
Ans: The author described the passengers that took Iona's cab defining their character sketch. The first one was the officer. It gives an image of the impatience that the police personnel have. These characters portray the society we live in. How a drunkard might react to someone's grief and how a police officer would be unconcerned about someone's loss. Even the boy in the stable did not pay any heed to Iona's story. No body in the busy world had the time to stop and hear to what the poor old cab driver had to say.

Q:3: This short story revolves around a single important event. Discuss how the narrative is woven around this central fact.
Ans: The story has a simple plot and revolves around it. Iona Potapov, an ageing man, a poor Russian cab driver lost his dear son earlier week. A load that he carries, weighing his heart, Iona wishes to speak and share his grief desperately with someone. Thus, on finding no companion or friend to mourn over his grief he tries to share it with every one he comes across. He tries to share it with the passengers that board his sledge only to find how disinterested everyone is in his story. His agony grows and he is thrown into despair. All the while there is one thing that remains constant in the story, the loss Iona suffers and his attempt to overcome it. So, overwhelmed is the old father that he finally decides to go on and talk his heart out to his horse. The horse proves to be a true companion and listens to Iona's story patiently while munching hay.

Q:4: The story begins and ends with Iona and his horse. Comment on the significance of this to the plot of the story.
Ans: The story is a satire on how disengaged humans are that one has to find a true companion in an animal. Iona from the beginning of the story is portrayed with his horse. In the beginning, while Iona is struck with his loss and is melancholic, he and his horse stood unmoved. It appeared that they both shared similar grief. Both seemed unaware of their surroundings and of the heavy snow, the horse for being a slave animal and Iona due to his grief. The story narrates how Iona lashes his frustration by brandishing the horse unnecessarily, yet the horse is faithful to his master. Even by the end of the story, Iona is left unheard and his heavy heart knows no one to release his burden to. He finds solace in the company of his horse again. He goes up to him and gives him hay to munch. While he goes on speaking to the silent animal explaining how he lost his young son. He grieved, now that he is old and poor, to make things worse, he will be having trouble earning. The animal, not sure if understood what his master said, remained silent and heard it all peacefully proving its faithfulness to his master.

 

 2. A Pair of Mustachios

 Understanding the Text (Page No.17)

Q:1: What do you understand of the natures of Ramanand and Azam Khan from the episode described?
Ans: Seth Ramanand was a man whose every move was a calculated one. He was not one from a rich background, though he built up his business on the maxim that the customer is always right. Whereas, Khan Azam Khan was an impractical man. He took pride in his lineage and lived onto it though due to his false ego he became a pauper in the end.

Q:2: Identify instances in the story that show the business acumen of Ramanand.
Ans: Ramanand was a shrewd man who had a great business acumen. He was nothing if he was not amenable, having built up his business on the maxim that the customer is always right. When Azam came to him, Ramanand did agree to low his moustache gave Azam money against his wife's trinkets. However, Azam noticed after trading that the other end of Ramanand's moustache was still up. It was wise of Ramanand to turn down his moustache to keep his customer happy, however, he saved his pride as well by letting the other moustache up which made Azam, who lived in his false ego, to trade more gold  to make him turn down Ramanand's moustache. The whole game did save the honour of Azam to which he lived, but it actually made him a pauper to have traded his everything to satisfy his pride, while Ramanand gained taking advantage of Azam's foolishness.

Q:3: Both Ramand and Azam Khan seem to have very fixed views. How does Ramanand score over Azam Khan towards the end of the story?
Ans: Ramanand was a money minded man who would agree to his customer. Was not this how he had built all his money? However, Azam was a man who lived by his worn out pride, tracing his lineage that his father was a Sultan. He was proud in vain. He was determined that only a man who is successor of a warrior or is associated with a royal house can have a Tiger moustache. And a money lender is supposed to have a goat moustache. Ramanand did agree to Azam every time and turned the tip of his moustache down to keep his customer happy while raising the other end to tempt him to return with another possession to bargain. Stubborn they both were in their trading and pride. It helped Ramanand to gain possessions while Azam became a pauper bargaining all that he possessed to feed his false pride.

 

 

 

Talking About the Text:

Q:1: The episode has been narrated in a light vein. What social mores does the author seem to ridicule?
Ans: The author has mocked the society and its people who live in false pride of their community or lineage. How a fool who knows not of the practical matters and just to feed their image they go ahead auctioning their actual possessions. And such people are fooled by the smarter ones like Ramanand who bend but do not break. They alter their values according to the need of the situation but do not compromise entirely on their pride. They are the cunning ones who take advantage of fools who are stuffed with their worn out social status and forsake the present to protect the past. The author has ridiculed such people who weave their fall with their insensibilities.

Q:2: What do you think are the reasons for the references made to the English people and the British monarchy?
Ans: Indian society, unfortunately, is the one that takes pride in the language and culture of their rulers and not in their own rich and vibrant history. The nabobs and babus that were in British Raj are still looked up and are respected. Though the truth is that these are the people that ensured English Queen's authority on our land. The reference in the story of Mulk Raj Anand makes it clear. He cites an example of how the nabobs and generals in English army are to wear the prestigious lion moustache, which is worn by resplendent rajas and maharajas of our land. This makes clear how we Indians take pride in being slaves of Britishers.

Q:3: What do you think is the message that the author seems to convey through the story?
Ans: The author has tried to make a point that how people living by age old impractical values weave their own fall and create unnecessary disturbance in the society. One should evolve as the time advances and the society grows. Sticking to false pride is not what will bring prosperity to one. One must be cautious and keep a wide eye to see if one is taking advantage of their virtues.

Appreciation: 
Q:1: Comment on the way in which the theme of the story has been introduced.
Ans: One may find the introduction too abstract and may wonder what the story holds. In the beginning, it seems that it might be an essay on how Indians take pride on their style of moustaches. It is only later the reader realises the significance of the introduction. The author wisely served the reader with the detail description of the object around which the whole story will revolve. How men rise and fall by altering and sticking to their status symbols, such as moustachios.

Q:2: How does the insertion of dialogue in the story contribute to its interest?
Ans: It is rather incorrect to say that there is any insertion of dialogue in the story. The story is in the dialogue form in itself. However,, in the beginning, it is a little descriptive and the author alone goes on narrating the significance of the moustachios and the pride of different class associated with their particular style of moustaches. However, it serves as an introduction to the actual story giving a picture to the reader of what values will be cause of various turns in events in the story.

 

3. The Rocking-horse Winner
Understanding the Text (Page No.35)

Q:1: What was the reason for young Paul's restlessness at the beginning of the story? How did it find expression?
Ans: Paul, the first born of Hester, desired to be lucky for his mother's sake. He desired her affection and wanted her not to worry. The mother however, considered her husband unlucky. Even she herself was not able to earn much, though their lifestyle extended beyond their income. This left a dissatisfaction in the mother's heart and thus she found herself incapable of loving her children. The boy, Paul, sensed the tension that hovered the house and heard every other thing in the house whispering that there should be more money He realised how his mother grieved at his father having no luck or 'lucre' to earn money that led to a loveless household. Thus, he tried to prove it to his mother that he was lucky unlike his father and worthy of his mother's love. He wished to wipe his mother's worries and got her what she desired, money,  to win what he desired, her mother's love. Thus, he rode his rocking horse and betted on the horses predicting the winning horse through his clairvoyance. This made him tried and restless. The desire to earn more and more and even more left him insatiable and thus his anxiety showed on his face. He strained and thus rode harder before Derby and though he achieved 80,000 pounds for his mother, he died proving his luck to his mother for love's sake.

 

Q:2: Why do you think Paul's mother was not satisfied with the yearly birthday gift of 1,000 pounds for five years.
Ans: The incident defines a great deal of the character of Hester, Paul's mother. A beautiful woman though she was, who started with all advantages, had no luck. Thus, dissatisfied as she was for her husband not being able to fulfil her desires for a lavish lifestyle. She felt that her household and her children had been thrust upon her and should not love them. Thus, Paul did for her what his father could not do. He earned her money through his luck. He was desperate to prove it to her that he was worthy of it. So, he decided to give her mother his hard earned 5,000 pounds discretely. Uncle Oscar and Paul brought up a scheme that they would give Hester 1000 pounds for five years on her birthday. However, as the mother was under a debt, rather than trying to discover who was being generous towards her, she asked for the 5,000 pounds all in once to end her debt. It seems that Hester was not the one to learn from her lessons and so she returned to her lavish lifestyle not treading carefully and did not save anything for a rainy day. She was not a lady to be satisfied. She knew from the beginning that she and her husband had a little income and thus should have altered their lifestyle. However, she blamed it all on her husband for being unlucky and never loved or supported her family.

Q:3: What was the reason for the anxiety of Paul's mother as he grew older?
Ans: Paul was an autistic child who also suffered Oedipus-complex. The story pictures a very young Paul who is at the threshold of teenage and is very eager to fight the sounds that keep whispering in his house that “there must be more money He was desperate to bring happiness to his mother through money and desired to replace his father in her life. As Paul grew impatient and betted on racing horses to earn money by means of gambling. Hester, realised that her son was indulging too much in horse racing and asked the gardener and her brother to keep him away from it. She realised how tensed Paul had grown. Yet she knew not that the worry that had been eating and consuming him up was of his mother. Eager to win, Paul lost, and lost again. It was before Derby, he grew worried to earn for his mother and prove his luck to her. She was worried so much that she left the party in the middle to return to her son to see him safe and healthy. However, it was the last time she saw her son in senses.

Q:4: Paul's final bet his family richer but cost him his life. Explain.
Ans: Paul was a child that was doomed. There had to be some signs, indications to his disintegrating health, implying his mental situation. He was possibly an autistic child who needed more than general attention and care from his family. He heard the house whispering to him all the time that there must be more money. The child was possibly schizophrenic as well for he was hearing sounds that did not exist. And he was oedipal for sure. All these were already leading him to the inevitable, however, the child had no knowledge to what was happening to him. He tried and tried to earn for his mothers sake. He wanted to prove that he is lucky to earn and deserving of her love. And he did earn in Derby 80,000 pounds by predicting that Malabar would win through his clairvoyance. However, it deteriorated his health so much that he died in few days afterwards.

Talking About the Text:

Q:1: 'Luck is necessary for success in life'.
Ans: There are many who believe luck is important and one may find many such who believe in hard work. It is not though that those who believe in luck do not work hard. It is just that they believe in “do your best and God will do the rest However, there are those who completely blame their fate for everything and do not do anything to change or improve it. Still there are people that believe that hard work is greater than luck and that it has the power to change the destiny. One may find various beliefs around them and it depends on what they chose to believe in.

Q:2: Although Paul's mother liked to be rich she did not approve of betting on horses.
Ans: Paul's mother foolishly wished to be rich and yet was not able to achieve or materialise her desire. She blamed it on her husband for being unlucky. However, she was one of those humans who do not tread as per their cloth. She was used to a lavish lifestyle and blamed her husband and misfortune for low income. Yet there was one thing appreciable about her that she was against gambling. She did remark in her conversation with her brother that she had seen her family members pursuing it and how it led to their fall. She advised her son to not indulge in it and made him promise that he will not think about racing horses any more.

 

Q:3: What were the voices that Paul heard? Did they lead him to success in the real sense?
Ans: Although the house Paul and his family lived in was a pleasant one, the money they had was not enough to maintain the social position they had to keep up. The mother realised that father had no luck to make enough money so she decided to do something on her own. It was then that the house started whispering from every corner that “there must be more money The sounds started haunting the place and made Paul very uncomfortable and distressed and disturbed him. Though there were expensive gifts coming on Christmas, Paul could hear behind the shining rocking horse that “there must be more money It is plausible that Paul was schizophrenic and imagined the voices on being stressed due to their misery. As it is written in the text that no body said it aloud and there is no mention of anyone else hearing such voices, it is clear that Paul imagined his fears giving them voice. Paul's fear transferred into him through his mother constantly haunted him and became his driving force. The boy was oedipal and unknowingly wished to replace his father from his mother's life. So, the autistic boy drove his shinning horse ferociously until he “got thereand would be sure of the horse that would win the next race. There were times when he was not sure, so he would be careful. The gardener Bassett was his partner throughout. Later even uncle Oscar joined as such was the conviction with which Paul used to declare the winning horse's name, and the horse used to win in actual. Call it clairvoyance or sheer luck, which he aspired to have to prove to be worthy of his mother's luck, Paul made money by betting on horses and fi8nally left 80,000 pounds for his family by losing himself.

 

4.The Adventure of the Three Garridebs

Understanding the Text (Page No.54)

Q:1: What clues did Sherlock Holmes work upon to get at the fact that the story of the three Garridebs was a ruse?
Ans: The first time Holmes felt wry of the story when the American Garrideb was angry at Nathan to have involved a detective. When Sherlock noticed the Garrideb in English appearance and he pointed it out to him that how come that he was an American and yet was dressed so English. The American said that he was a lawyer in Kansas, Holmes made his bait by pointing out to a unreal late Dr. Lysander Starr, who Holmes said to be a Mayor in 1830. and as he had suspected, Garrideb fell for it, he reciprocated by saying that good old Dr. Starr's name was still honoured. Holmes was then sure that as he had suspected, Garrideb was never a lawyer in Kansas. Holmes grew sure of that the story of Alexander Garrideb was made up by John Garrideb when he brought an advertisement published in a local paper of Birmingham that was from some Howard Garrideb. Holmes and Watson both noticed the written piece to have been in American English and they concluded that the piece was published in the paper by Garrideb himself to set Nathan off to Birmingham to buy time so he can intrude in his room without any disturbance.

Q:2: What was John Garrideb's objective in inventing the story of Alexander Hamilton Garrideb and his legacy?
Ans: John Garrideb's prepared a fool proof plan. However, as Holmes said even the best criminals leave behind some clues. John had the knowledge of a note printing machine, cloistered below the room Nathan Garideb was living in. The previous tenant of the room was a man named Waldron or Rodger Presbury, he was the owner of the machine and he was shot by John Garrideb or James Winter, alias Morecroft, alias Killer Evans. Thus, so that no body suspects his intentions, Garrideb wove the intricate plan and decided to break in Nathan's house when he was off to Birmingham to see the third Garrideb.

Q:3: Why didn't John Garrideb like the idea of including Holmes in the hunt for the third Garrideb?
Ans: Holmes was a detective, and a renowned one. John Garrideb was afraid that Sherlock Holmes and his partner Watson will suspect his motives and will jeopardise his plan. Involving a detective in a plan that had a fake story, other that the fact that Garrideb, alias Killer Evans, who had a criminal background was not safe.

Q:4: Who was Roger Presbury and how was John Garrideb connected with him?
Ans: Roger Presbury was a man shot by John Garrideb over cards in a night club on the Waterloo Road in January, 1895. His appearance matched with the appearance of Waldron, the previous tenant in Nathan Garrideb's room, who acquired the note printing press. It was this printing press that John Garrideb was after and carved out the whole plan to acquire it.

 

Q:5: How did Holmes guess that John Garrideb would go to 136, Little Ryder Street? Did he expect to find what he ultimately did before he went there?
Ans: John Garrideb was furious over the fact that Nathan got a detective involved in the whole case and as Holmes and Watson knew this they expected John Garrideb to show up immediately after their meeting in Nathan's apartment. They knew that John will come to question and express his discomfort over Nathan's actions. However, Holmes and Watson did put the man at ease by clearing it to him that they were least interested in any matter and won his confidence by showing that they were just to help him in discovering another Garideb. Thus, Garrideb did appear at Little Ryder Street. To their amazement, he had acted promptly by coming up with the advertisement of Howard Garrideb and with a neat plan of sending Nathan away to Birmingham and knocking the detectives out of his way so that he can carry his plan out without any hindrance.

 

Talking About the Text:

Ans: The expression is made by Watson on being shot on his thigh by Killer Evans. When he got shot, Holmes led him to a chair and with great concerned asked him if was hurt. For the first time,. Says Watson, the clear hard eyes of Holmes were dimmed for a moment and firm lips were shaking. Watson says that it was worth a wound, worth many wounds, to know the depth of loyalty and love that lay behind that cold mask. It was no doubt a professional relation that Holmes and Watson shared. However, it had grown into a friendship that ran much deeper than it appeared. It was in this moment that Watson caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain.

Q:2: The cleverest of criminals leave behind clues to their crime.
Ans: A statement made by Sherlock Holmes. It is so true that even the cleverest of criminals leave behind clues to their plan. See how hard John Garrideb tried to work things out and made such a fool proof plan that anybody would have fallen to it. Yet Holmes was able to sort it out with his applied intelligence. He looked for loose ends and caught Garrideb at various points where he got assured of his fake identity and the loop holes in his plans were visible. First when he pretended to be a American, though he was actually, he was caught due to his British look. Then, when Holmes pointed out Dr. Starr, it was clear that Garrideb had not done his homework that he responded with such conviction as if there was a Dr. Starr in real. Even the advertisement he got published was not edited properly and the language in it was easily recognised to be American English. Thus, though Killer Evans had a well knit plan, he could not fool Holmes.

 

Q:3: How did Holmes' digressions sometimes prove in the end to have a bearing on the matter on hand?
Ans: It is a queer thing about many detectives that they often deviate from the original question. It may seem surprising to anyone. Same was the case with Sherlock Holmes, when on a case visit, he seemed to digress from the objective. For example, he would ask a person to be interrogated about his plans, however he would ask him about his nationality and talk about his attire. Little the person would come to know what Holmes is progressing at. While he is solving the mystery in his mind. He would never run a background check on a person by directly asking him his whereabouts. He would pretend to know a person from the suspect's vicinity and call out his name to check if the person is honest about his background. However, the suspect would not realise and will fall to the bait by exclaiming how well he knows the person, while in reality the person does not even exist in reality. This way Holmes does his inspection of the matter and does not bring it to the suspect's notice as well.