Unit-1 : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 16
Q1 : Complete the following sentences about the poem.
In the first stanza, the poet refers to four pieces of evidence: large shoes, a long bed, the Bible, fields cluttered with boulders and a leaky barn. This leads the poet to conclude that ‘the man of the house’ was ____________________________________
I think that the child was probably about six years old because __________________
The poet suggests that a woman lived in the farmhouse because _________________
The family probably left the farmhouse because ________________________________
Answer :
This question is to be answered on the basis of your own understanding, experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, a sample solution for discussion has been provided for your reference.
1.In the first stanza, the poet refers to four pieces of evidence: large shoes, a long bed, the Bible, fields cluttered with boulders and a leaky barn. This leads the poet to conclude that ‘the man of the house’ was large and tall, a believer of God and that he wasn’t a farmer, as the surrounding fields were muddles in a very disorderly manner with boulders and a barn which leaked.
I think that the child was probably about six years old because of the line ‘sandbox made from a tractor tire’ which suggests a plaything for a child of around the same age.
The poet suggests that a woman lived in the farmhouse it could be prominently interpreted by the lilac wallpapers and the organized way in which oilcloth was spread neatly on all the kitchen shelves.
The family probably left the farmhouse because they won a large fortune and went off to stay in the city and left this house as it was. The other reason can also be that a huge famine or some other natural calamity struck them because of which they had to leave immediately. Another reason can also be that they hadn’t repaid someone’s debts and were threatened to leave the house on short notice.
Q2 : The poet draws conclusions about the family without having met them. He
does this by lines such as:
Something went wrong, says the empty house
in the weed-choked yard…
Make other sentences like this, using ideas from the poem.
Answer :
- It seems that today all you see in movies is violence.
- Pollution is directly related to the question of our life and
death. This suggests the importance of cleanliness of our
environment. - The people are outraged this time. So, it is likely that the
Bill would be passed in the Parliament soon. - He didn’t
fair well in his exams. This suggests that he
wouldn’t
be eligible for entrance tests in DU.
Q3 : Imagine that a Social Worker comes to the abandoned farmhouse to find out what may have happened to the family. She makes the following observations in her note-pad
When I reached the farmhouse, I saw that the house was empty, which
____________. I wondered where they might have gone. __________________ the
owner was not a farmer, because of the boulders in the field and the leaky barn.
_______________ the family was poor, because I saw several sealed jars in the cellar.
Also _____________________ a woman lived there. It was obvious she had left in a
hurry. What was most touching was that the toys were scattered in the yard.
Answer :
1. Seemed very weird to me.
2. I was sure by the condition of the neighboring farmland that
3. I assumed from the condition of the house that
4. The neat oilcloths on the shelves and the lilac wallpaper suggested that
Q4 : Amit from Hyderabad has got admission to a college in Bengaluru. He has to share his room with another boy. When he arrives at the hostel he learns that his room mate has gone home for a few days. Based on his observations of the room, Amit writes a letter to his friend, Sumit, about his new room mate. (You may use some of the expressions suggested in C.3.) As Amit, write the letter.
Answer :
Hill Top College
Bengaluru
09TH May’12
Hello Sumit,
I have reached Bengaluru safely. I was just settling things up in my room when I thought of writing to you. I am so dead tired. My room was a mess when I entered. I have been dreading this day for so long and here it is. I am very tensed because of my existing roommate Ritesh. He is presently on vacation at his parents’ place in Mumbai. The entire room gave an impression of him as a very untidy person with no fixed time frame to complete his task. His things are thrown all over the place and the floor is sticky because of spilled coke. Ant attacks on leftover pizza have added to my misery. A wet towel is strewn over the only chair in the room. I am clueless about how to survive this chaos. You already know that I have always grown up in a very disciplined, neat and tidy environment. I don’t think I will be able to befriend him. Hope the future holds good for us and we become tolerant towards each other.
You take care and do keep in touch. I miss you friends already.
Love,
Amit.