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Here we are providing Best Seller Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Literature Reader, Extra Questions for Class 9 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

Best Seller Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Literature

Best Seller Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Answer the following questions briefly.

Question 1
What were the topics discussed by the narrator and John when they recognized each other in the train?
Answer:
The narrator and John discussed about their health, family, the weather, and their successes since they last met each other and finally their destinations.

Question 2.
Were the narrator and John close friends?
Answer:
No, the narrator says that they had never been too close. They had exchanged views on local topics and pleasantries. They had never discussed more important topics like romance, literature, or ethics.

Question 3.
Why was the narrator surprised to see John getting down at Coketown?
Answer:
Coketown was a small town which looked poor and dismal. The narrator wondered whether John would get any business there.

Question 4.
Why do you think the Colonel allowed the salesman to marry his daughter even though he came from a lineage of Earls?
Answer:
The Colonel’s family was no longer rich and all the glory they once had was a thing of the past. He was probably impressed by the honesty of the salesman and the fact that he was quite prosperous in his own way. He may also have felt he genuinely loved his daughter and would keep her happy. Moreover, he iqade him laugh with his humorous stories. (Answers may vary.)

Question 5.
“You don’t see or hear of any such capers in real life.” Who is the speaker? What is he talking about? What is so ironical about his statement?
Answer:
The speaker is John Pescud. He is discussing the romance described in the best-selling novel. The irony is that the details of his romance with his wife were as daring and adventurous as the story he was ridiculing.

Question 6.
“No romance nothing like that!” Is this statement made by John Pescud strictly true?
Answer:
No, the statement is not true because the events leading to his marriage are highly romantic. He actually meets his wife during a train journey and follows her home, changing a number of trains in the bargain, moving completely away from his proposed destination and almost falling from the train and losing his life on the way. Finally, he finds out the details of her family and goes to meet her father expressing his intentions to marry her. Hence, his true life story had been as exciting, adventurous, and thrilling as any bookish romance.

Question 7.
Describe the girl’s father.
Answer:
The girl’s father was a retired Colonel from the army. He was a dignified looking man, tall, and aristocratic . looking. He belonged to a lineage of Earls but had now fallen upon hard times which could be seen in his shabby manner of dress. fJis family was the oldest family in Virginia.

Question 8.
Describe the house in which Jessie had lived.
Answer:
The mansion was a huge house as big as the Capitol at Washington with round white pillars about a thousand feet high, with porches and balconies. The ceilings in the reception-rooms and the ballroom were twenty- eight feet high. It had’ fifty rooms. The yard was full of rose- bushes, box-bushes, and lilacs.

Best Seller Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer type

Question 1.
Describe John Pescud.
Answer:
John Pescud was a small man with a wide smile, and an eye that seemed to be fixed upon that little red spot on the end of your nose.
He believed that when a man is in his home town, he ought to be decent and law-abiding. He worked at Cambria Steel Works as a travelling salesman selling plate glass. He was quite successful and had his salary raised twice since the last time he had met the narrator. He had bought some property and his firm was going to sell him shares as well. He was quite prosperous. He had met his wife during a train journey and been so impressed by her that he had followed her home, met her father, and got him to agree to his marrying her.Hence, we can see he was quite determined and romantic and could go to great lengths to achieve his ends.

Question 2.
Describe the sequence from the time John saw his wife till he married her.
Answer:
Pescud first saw his wife, Jessie reading a book in the train in which he was travelling. He got instantly attracted to her and followed her as she changed several trains till she finally reached Virginia. Her father came to receive her at the station and Pescud followed them till they reached their mansion. He booked himself in a hotel and found out details of the mansion and the people living in it from the landlord of his hotel. Finally, he met Jessie alone for the first time and spoke to her informing her of his intentions to marry her. Jessie informed him that her father may not approve of him and could set the hounds on him. Pescud was not a man to be frightened so easily and so he went to meet Jessie’s father at the mansion. The meeting was a surprisingly pleasant one and a year later, he married Jessie and her father moved in with them.

Question 3.
Bring out the irony in the story “The Best-seller”.
Answer:
The story is full of ironical instances. For example, the main protagonist of the story, John Pescud denounces best-selling novels as something inferior with no relation to real life but we find that the story of his marriage is even more dramatic and adventurous than any fictional romance. He ridicules the story of Trevelyan’s romance for a princess by saying that he finds it difficult to believe that people would like to marry people from different strata of society or different backgrounds. According to him, people generally marry within the same social circle, from the same background, or old school friends. Ironically, he himself marries a girl from an aristocratic . background, and goes to great lengths to ensure that the marriage takes place. In fact, even in the end he gets down at Coketown to look for a petunia sapling for his wife just because she had admired it on a previous trip. Therefore, we see that he does all that he believes is not possible for a normal suitor to do.

Question 4.
A newspaper reporter hears of the marriage of Pescud and Jessie. He interviews them and writes an article for the paper entitled: A Modern Romance.
Answer:
Pittsburgh, 19 March, 20xx
And we thought romances were the creations of highly imaginative minds! Recently I had the privilege of interviewing Mr and Mrs Pescud of Pittsburgh on their fairy-tale romance which culminated in marriage a year ago.Mr John Pescud is a highly successful man working for Cambria Steel Works as a travelling salesman selling plate-glass. He comes from a humble background while Mrs Pescud belongs to an old aristocratic family of Virginia. How they met can make any best-selling novel pale in comparison!

Well, Pescud first saw his wife, Jessie reading a book in the train in which he was travelling. He got instantly attracted to her and followed her as she changed several trains till she finally reached Virginia. In fact he says that during that time his business took a back seat! Jessie’s father came to receive her at the station at Virginia and Pescud followed them till they reached their mansion. He booked jiimself in a hotel and found out details about the family from the landlord of his hotel. On the third day, he met Jessie alone for the first time and informed her of his intentions of marrying her.

Jessie was obviously taken aback and informed him that her father may not approve of him and probably would set the hounds on him. Pescud was not a man to be frightened so easily. He met Jessie’s father at the mansion. The meeting was surprisingly a pleasant one and a year later he married Jessie. Today, the old Colonel, her father lives with them in Pittsburgh! As Shakespeare had wisely said—“All’s well that ends well!”

Best Seller Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
“I wish you might know John. A. Pescud. He is of the stuff that heroes are not often lucky enough to be made of”
(a) What is the narrator’s tone here?
Answer:
The narrator’s tone here is sarcastic.

(b) Why was Pescud unlike a romantic hero?
Answer:
Pescud was unlike a romantic hero as he was neither good-looking like a romantic hero nor was he employed in an exotic profession.

(c) What was John Pescud’s profession?
Answer:
John A. Pescud was a travelling salesman for a plate-glass company.

Question 2.
“Say, ” said Pescud, stirring his discarded book with the hand, “did you ever read one of these best sellers? I mean the kind where the hero is an American swell—sometimes even from Chicago—who falls in love with a royal princess from Europe who is travelling under an alias andfollows her to her father’s kingdom or principality? ”
(a) What was Pescud’s attitude towards the best seller?
Answer:
Pescud’s attitude towards the best seller was one of dislike and contempt.

(b) Explain “American swell”.
Answer:
An “American swell” is a wealthy, fashionably dressed American.

(c) What does “Princess under an alias” mean?
Answer:
“Princess under an alias” means the lady is a rich man’s daughter, travelling in disguise.

Question 3.
“Well, this fellow chases the royal chair-warmer home as I said, andfinds out who she is. ”
(a) Whom does “this fellow” refer to?
Answer:
Here “this fellow” refers to the man from Chicago.

(b) Who does the narrator refer to as “the royal chair warmer” and where does the fellow chase it to?
Answer:
The narrator refers to the princess as the royal chair warmer. The fellow chases her to her father’s kingdom in Europe.

(c) What does he mean by ‘“the royal chair warmer’?
Answer:
The royal chair warmer means somebody who holds a position in the royal court.

Question 4.
“He slaps the king’s Swiss bodyguards around like everything whenever they get in his way. He’s a great fencer, too. ”
(a) Whose qualities are being described in these lines?
Answer:
The qualities being described in these lines are of the hero of a best seller.

(b) What is the speaker’s attitude towards the hero of a romantic novel?
Answer:
The speaker’s attitude towards the hero of a romantic novel is one of ridicule.

(c) What is the true intention of the speaker towards best sellers?
Answer:
The true intention of the speaker towards best sellers is that he wishes to make fun of the stories of the best sellers.

Question 5.
“These kind of love-stories are rank on-the-level. I know something about literature, even if I am in plate glass. ”
(a) By “these kind of love stories” what does the writer imply?
Answer:
By “these kind of love stories” the author implies romances described in best sellers.

(b) Why are these stories described as “rank on-the-level”? What does rank on the level mean?
Answer:
These stories have been described as “rank on-the-level” as the narrator feels the stories are of a poor quality. Rank on the same level means true and believable.

(c) What opinion does the speaker have of these stories?
Answer:
The speaker has a poor opinion of bestselling romances.

Question 6.
Maybe I’ve had notions about them somewhat like yours. But tell me more about yourself. Getting along all right with the company?
(a) Who asks the question? Of whom?
Answer:
The narrator asks the question to John Pescud.

(b) What does the speaker want to know and what was the listener’s reply?
Answer:
The speaker wanted to know if the listener was enjoying his work and making enough money. The listener replied that he was enjoying his prosperity.

(c) Can you think of other words that has the same meaning as “notions”.
Answer:
The word notion means an idea, belief or an opinion.

Question 7.
“Met your affinity yet, John?”
(a) What did the speaker want to know?
Answer:
The speaker wanted to know whether John had met the girl he wanted to marry and had falling in love.

(b) What does the author mean by the word “affinity”?
Answer:
The word “affinity” in this context refers to someone with whom the person has a close relationship.

(c) What was John’s reply and how had John met his affinity?
Answer:
John replied that he was already married and John recounted how he had seen her on the south-bound, going to Cincinnati, and fell in love with her.

Question 8.
“I saw, across the aisle, the finest looking girl I’d ever laid eyes on. Nothing spectacular, you know, but just the sort you want for keeps. ”
(a) Who is the speaker?
Answer:
The speaker here is John Pescud.

(b) What is he describing?
Answer:
The speaker is describing his first meeting with his wife.

(c) Explain the phrase “want for keeps”.
Answer:
The phrase “want for keeps” means the wish to have something forever or permanently.

Question 9.
“But I let the plate glass business go to smash for a while. ”
(a) What is “plate glass business”?
Answer:
The speaker’s profession of a travelling salesman selling sheet glass used for window panes etc. is the “plate glass business”.

(b) “Go to smash” means
Answer:
To fall into ruins.

(c) Why did he do this?
Answer:
The speaker did that so that he could spend time finding out all he could about the girl he had seen in the train.

Question 10.
“By-and-by, I got him down to local gossip arid answering questions. ”
(a) Who is the speaker? Who is he speaking about?
Answer:
John is the speaker here. He is speaking about the landlord of the hotel.

(b) About whom did he want information?
Answer:
John wanted information on the girl he had seen in the train

(c) What does “by-and by” mean?
Answer:
Here “by-and by” means gradually.

Question 11.
“Not ifyou hadn’t woken up when the train started in Shelbyvffie.”
(a) Who is the speaker of these lines?
Answer:
The speaker of these lines is Jessie, the girl John Pescud married.

(b) Who is the person being spoken to?
Answer:
The person being spoken to is John Pescud.

(c) What does this statement show the speaker knew as she changed trains?
Answer:
This statement shows that she always knew she was being followed as she changed trains.

Question 12.
“He’ll feed you to his fox-hounds. ”
(a) Who is the speaker of these lines? Who is being spoken to?
Answer:
Jessie is the speaker of these lines. She is speaking to John.

(b) Who is being referred to as “He”?
Answer:
In the extracted line, the speaker’s father, Colonel Allyn is being referred to as “He”.

(c) Why does the speaker make this statement?
Answer:
The speaker makes this statement because she wants to discourage the listener from speaking to her father.

Question 13.
“The relating of anecdotes and humorous occurrences has always seemed to me…to be a particularly agreeable way ofpromoting and perpetuating amenities between friends. ”
(a) Who is the speaker?
Answer:
The speaker of the extracted lines is John A. Pescud.

(b) What quality of the speaker is revealed in these lines?
Answer:
John Pescud’s wisdom, power of observation and his insight into the human mind are revealed in these lines.

(c) Explain: “perpetuating amenities between friends”.
Answer:
The given phrase means strengthening existing relationships.

Question 14.
“One of the dotted brown ladies insisted on having windows raised, now that the rain beat against them. The porter came along with his mysterious wand and began to light the car’’

(a) Whom does “dotted brown lady” refer to and how had she behaved earlier?
Answer:
“Dotted brown lady” refers to one of the ladies in the narrator’s train. Earlier she had refused to open the window.

(b) What attitude would the writer like to depict here?
Answer:
By this incident, the narrator wanted to highlight the contradictory behaviour of the women on the train.

(c) What does he mean by mysterious?
Answer:
It seemed to the narrator that the object the porter was carrying was peculiar and interesting.

Question 15.
“Good-luck to you, Trevelyan”
(a) Who was Trevelyan?
Answer:
Trevelyan was the name of the hero of the best-selling novel.

(b) Who is being called “Trevelyan”?
Answer:
Here John A. Pescud is being called Trevelyan.

(c) Why does the speaker call the other man Trevelyan?
Answer:
The narrator felt that the travelling salesman was as much of a romantic as the hero in the best-selling novel.

Question 16.
“Say, did you ever crack open a wormy English walnut? That’s what that house was like. ”
(a) Whose house is being mentioned here?
Answer:
The house being described here is Jessie’s house.

(b) Name the literary device used here?
Answer:
The literary device used here is a simile.

(c) What does the writer want to say here about the house?
Answer:
The writer wants to say that the inside of the house was very shabby unlike the grand exterior.

Here we are providing The Man Who Knew Too Much Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Literature Reader, Extra Questions for Class 9 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

The Man Who Knew Too Much Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Literature

The Man Who Knew Too Much Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Answer the following questions briefly.

Question 1.
Why did his fellow trainees dislike Private Quelch?
Answer:
Private Quelch’s fellow trainees disliked him because each time one of them made a mistake he would publicly correct him. Whenever one of them shone in their work, he outshone them. He had a very patronising and condescending attitude towards them.

Question 2.
“We used to pride ourselves on aircraft recognition.” How was their pride shattered?
Answer:
The pride of the author and his fellow trainees was shattered when Private Quelch announced that the plane was a North American Harvard Trainer even without looking up at it, adding that it could be identified by the harsh sound of the engine which was caused by the high speed of the airscrews.

The Man Who Knew Too Much Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
“At first, Private Quelch was a hero in the eyes of his fellow soldiers.” Support this observation with suitable examples from the story in about 80-100 words.
Answer:
It is true that at first the narrator and the others at the training camp were in awe of the amount of knowledge Quelch .had about everything under the sun and that is why they had nicknamed him “Professor”. Therefore, the narrator says that when he was able to answer all the questions the Sergeant asked him about rifles accurately, it “enhanced” his glory in the eyes of his colleagues. At another place the narrator mentions, “He had brains. He was sure to get a commission before long.” Again, commenting on his hard working nature he writes, “He worked hard. We had to give him credit for that”, and again, “He was not only miraculously tireless but infuriated us all with his heartiness.” And finally he writes, “At first we had certain respect for him but soon we lived in terror of his approach.”

Question 2.
Private Quelch knew “too much”. Give reasons to prove that he was unable to win the admiration of his superior officers or his colleagues.
Answer:
Though everyone agreed that Quelch knew too much, he soon lost all their respect because of his habit of correcting his colleagues publicly whenever they made a mistake. If anyone shone at his work, he made sure to outshine them. He was always trying to patronise them and show off his knowledge to them. After a while they just couldn’t take his condescending ways any longer and steered clear of him.

Question 3.
Attempt a character sketch of Private Quelch.
Answer:
Private Quelch was a dedicated, committed, and focused man. He had set his heart on becoming an army • officer and getting a stripe and he left no stone unturned to achieve his goal. He borrowed the traihing manual and read it thoroughly, even staying up late at night to prepare himself for the classes to be held the next day. He was very keen to acquaint himself with every aspect of army life and would badger his instructors with all sorts of questions till he got his answers. He worked very hard and during the long marches he never appeared tired or exhausted.

But with all his good qualities, he was not popular because of his habit of showing off and behaving in a condescending manner. If anyone made a mistake he was sure to correct them with no thought to the fact that he was offending their feelings. In fact, he did not even spare his teachers. The Sergeant and the Corporal were highly offended at his interruptions of their lessons and that is why he was sent to the cook house as a punishment by the Corporal. However, the punishment did not seem to have had any effect on his behaviour because he was heard lecturing the cooks on the correct method of peeling potatoes.

Question 4.
You are the “Professor”. Write a diary entry after your first day at the cookhouse, describing the events that led to this assignment, also express your thoughts and feelings about the events of the day in about 175 words.
Answer:
21 January 20xx
Today was my first day at the cook house! It wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be! But I was appalled to see how little the cooks know about cooking. Today I had to lecture them on the correct way of peeling potatoes. They have been peeling them so thickly that a lot of the vitamins are getting lost! By the time I complete my term here I will have taught them a thing or two.

After all, I was chosen by Corporal Turnbull for this task. I think he was greatly impressed by my knowledge of grenades. He let me give the whole lecture by myself. Even the Sergeant had been impressed by my knowledge of rifles. I have no doubt they think I am the best trainee in the camp! I know that I march the best and my hut is the cleanest. I simply love reading the training manual. I know the others call me “Professor” behind my back because of all my knowledge. I feel so good. I am eagerly waiting for my stripe. Only then will I fulfil my dream of becoming an army officer. I wonder whether I will get the Best Trainee Award

The Man Who Knew Too Much Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
“I first met Private Quelch at the training depot. A man is liable to acquire in his first week of Army life together with his uniform, rifle, and equipment—a nickname. ”

(a) What was the nickname given to Private Quelch? Why did he get his nickname?
Answer:
The nickname given to Private Quelch was Professor because of his habit of sermonising.

(b) Where did the narrator meet him?
Answer:
The narrator met him at an army training camp.

(c) What do you think does the word “liable” mean in this context?
Answer:
The word ‘liable’ means ‘likely’ in this context.

Question 2.
“When he hadfinished, he put questions to us and perhaps in the hope of revenge, he turned with his questions again and again to the Professor. ”

(a) Whom does “he” refer to and why was “he” looking for revenge?
Answer:
In the extracted line, “he” refers to the Sergeant. He was looking for revenge because the Professor had disturbed him during his lecture.

(b) What had “he” been lecturing the trainees on?
Answer:
The Sergeant had been lecturing the trainees on the mechanism of a rifle.

(c) Can you think of another word that has the same meaning as revenge?
Answer:
avenge, exact retribution, make retaliation for

Question 3.
“No Sergeant. It’s all a matter of intelligent reading. ”
(a) Who is the speaker?
Answer:
Private Quelch is the speaker.

(b) What had the sergeant wanted to know?
Answer:
The sergeant wanted to know whether he had been trained previously.

(c) What did the speaker mean by “intelligent reading”?
Answer:
By “intelligent reading” the speaker meant reading up the training manual the day before.

Question 4.
“That was our introduction to him. ”
(a) Who is the person being talked about?
Answer:
The person being talked about is Private Quelch.

(b) Where did they meet him for the first time?
Answer:
They met him for the first time at rifle training.

(c) What do you mean by “introduction” in this context?
Answer:
introduction means the action of introducing . In this extract, it talks about how the narrator and his batch mates got acquainted with private Quelch.

Question 5.
“In pursuit of his ambition, he worked hard. ”
(a) Who is being referred to as “he”? What was “his” ambition?
Answer:
Private Quelch is being referred to as “he”. His ambition was to become an army officer and to get a stripe before his peers did.

(b) Can you name some other word with the same meaning as ambition?
Answer:
aspiration, desire, goal

(c) How did “he” work hard?
Answer:
Private Quelch worked hard by reading up training manuals, questioning his instructors incessantly and drilling enthusiastically. He was also tireless on route marches and would march to the canteen like a guardsman when officers were in sight.

Question 6.
“At first we had a certain respect for him, but soon we lived in terror of his approach. ”

(a) Whom does the word “him” refer to?
Answer:
Here, “him” refers to Private Quelch.

(b) Why did the speaker respect him?
Answer:
The speaker respected him for his knowledge, intelligence and hard work.

(c) Why was the narrator terrified at his approach?
Answer:
The narrator as well as the other trainees, was terrified at his approach because Private Quelch lectured ‘ everyone on everything under the sun.

Question 7.
“He was not a man to be trifled with.,.He was our hero and we used to tell each other that he was so tough that you could hammer nails into him without his noticing it. ”
(a) Whom does “He” refer to?
Answer:
In this extract “He” refers to Corporal Turnbull.

(b) What does a man “not to be trifled with” mean?
Answer:
It means that he was not a man one could act frivolously with.

(c) Explain: One could hammer nails into him without his noticing it.
Answer:
This exaggerated claim meant that Corporal Turnbull was an immensely strong and sturdy man.

Question 8.
“The squad listened in cowed, horrified kind of silence ”
(a) What was the squad doing at this time?
Answer:
The squad was learning about a grenade from Corporal Turnbull at this time

(b) Why were they horrified?
Answer:
The lecture had been interrupted by the Professor and so the squad were scared of the reaction of the Corporal.

(c) Give the meaning of the word “cowed”?
Answer:
“Cowed” means quieted or subdued.

Question 9.
“Through the open door we could see the three cooks standing against the wall as if at bay. ”
(a) Give the meaning of the phrase “keeping at bay”?
Answer:
“Keeping at bay” means keeping a safe distance from someone or something.

(b) Why were the cooks standing against the wall?
Answer:
The cooks were standing against the wall because they were listening to Private Quelch’s lecture in their kitchen.

(c) Who were the cooks reacting against?
Answer:
The cooks were reacting against Private Quelch.

Question 10.
“Most of us could not help glancing at Private Quelch who stood rigidly to attention and stared straight in front of him with an expression of self-conscious innocence. ”
(a) Why did everyone glance at the Professor?
Answer:
Everyone glanced at the Professor to check his reaction as they were expecting Turnbull to give him some tough punishment.

(b) What did they expect would happen?
Answer:
They expected Private Quelch to be punished for trying to show off his knowledge to the Corporal.

(c) What does the Professor’s “self-conscious innocence” show?
Answer:
The Professor’s self-conscious innocence shows that he did not expect to be punished.

Here we are providing Keeping it from Harold Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Literature Reader, Extra Questions for Class 9 English was designed by subject expert teachers.

Keeping it from Harold Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English Literature

Keeping it from Harold Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Answer the following questions briefly.

Question 1.
What kind of a boy was Harold?
Answer:
Harold was an intelligent boy with a deep interest in academics. He was self-absorbed and did not show much interest in his parents. In fact, his parents were in awe of him and wondered how such a child had been bom to them. Later on however we find that he has an interest in boxing and has in-depth knowledge about it as well.

Question 2.
Who was Major Percy Stokes? What kind of a man was he?
Answer:
Major Percy Stokes was the brother of Mrs Bramble. He was a troublemaker who did not seem to be involved in any constructive work. He was the person to instigate Mr Bramble into quitting boxing before the big fight.

Question 3.
How did the Major instigate Mr Bramble to give up boxing?
Answer:
Major Percy had written letters and pamphlets giving him reasons why he should give up boxing before the scheduled big fight. He scared Mr Bramble by telling him that his secret would be out if he fought because it was going to be covered extensively by the reporters and there was every chance of his photograph being plastered in the newspapers.

Question 4.
Mr Bramble had already decided to quit after the big fight, then why does his decision to quit before the fight upset his wife?
Answer:
His wife was upset because by quitting before the fight they would not be able to get the large amount of money that he would have otherwise got, irrespective of the fact whether he lost or won. The money would have helped in paying for Harold’s education.

Question 5.
Why did Percy keep a safe distance from Mr Fisher when he arrived at the Brambles’ house?
Answer:
Percy kept a safe distance because Mr Fisher held him responsible for Mr Bramble’s decision to quit before the big fight. He was afraid that in his anger and frustration, Mr Fisher might beat him up.

Question 6.
Pick out sentences from the lesson which show that Jerry Fisher was burning with anger.
Answer:
“Jerry Fisher’s face was a study in violent emotions. His eyes seemed to protrude from their sockets like a snail’s.”

Question 7.
Why did Fisher tell Harold the truth about his father’s boxing profession?
Answer:
Fisher was so angry with Mr Bramble at backing out from the professional fight scheduled to be held on Monday that he felt he had been treated badly and was desperate to take revenge. So he told Harold the truth, knowing that the Brambles had not wanted this.

Question 8.
Was Harold’s reaction expected by his parents? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
No, they had not expected Harold to be so happy to have a father who was a professional boxer. They had expected him to be embarrassed and look down upon him but the opposite happened.

Keeping it from Harold Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Harold writes a letter to his friend on the day that he finds out the truth, telling him about his father’s profession and expressing his pride in his achievements. Write the letter.
Answer:
11 January 20xx
XYZ
Dear Sam,
I am writing to give you an extremely exciting bit of news. Remember we had laid a bet on Young Porky to win the fight on Monday? Well rest assured, we are going to win! You may wonder how I can be so sure of this; well the truth is that Young Porky is my father! Surprised? Well so was I when I got to know of this. I was kept in the dark because my parents thought I would be embarrassed at the thought of having a boxing champion as my father! Really it is so difficult to understand adults sometimes! How could I be embarrassed? I am jumping with joy. I can hardly wait to tell the whole class about it! At last they will behave in a respectful manner with me and stop calling me “Goggles”! Gosh, how I hate that name!
Well, see you in school. By the way, would you like to get some passes for the fight?
Your friend
Harold

Question 2.
What does Major Percy stokes mean when he said the scales have fallen from his eyes. Do you think he was the one who convinced his brother in law not to participate in the big fight?
Answer:
Major Percy Stokes was the one of the few who advised both Mr & Mrs Bramble that they should keep Mr Bramble’s profession from his son, Harold. He had always disliked his brother in law’s profession and when he managed to convince Bill Bramble from fighting on Monday, he declared to Mrs Bramble that Bill, her husband had finally realized the error of his ways. The realization is what he referred to as the scales falling, from his eyes.Yes, he was the one who convinced Bill to stop fighting. He had been sending letters to Bill and he mentioned how his fight was going to affect Harold. This made Bill change his mind.

Question 3.
After returning from Mr Bramble’s house, Jerry Fisher writes a diary entry about the events that had just taken place and how he tried to ensure that Bramble would take part in the big fight on Monday. Write the diary entry, mentioning the role played by the Major and his reasons for telling the truth to Harold.
Answer:
15 January 20xx
Just returned after saving a potentially dangerous situation! I don’t know how I kept my hands off that Major Percy Stokes! He was the creator of all my stress. Imagine forcing a star performer to quit days before one of the biggest boxing fights seen in this part of the world? How could he be so irresponsible? He is such a trouble maker I should have kept a closer watch on him. Bill, our young Porky is such a simple man.

He may have a mean left hook in the ring but he is so meek and docile in real life. Thank God the secret of his profession is finally in the open. I still see no reason for all this cloak and dagger stuff. A boy should be brought up to respect his father’s profession. After all he is paying all his bills! Thank God the boy has more intelligence than his parents.

He was so excited to learn that his father was the real Young Porky! Really, Mrs Bramble and her fancy notions… what is wrong in being a professional boxer, especially if one is so talented as Porky? What an irony that the young boy has such deep knowledge about the boxing world. Anyway, the training has’restarted and I am hopeful of a great win on Monday!

Question 4.
Describe Mr Bramble as he has been described in the story.
Answer:
Mr Bramble is a successful professional boxer nicknamed “Young Porky” by his fans. He is a talented boxer and has an enormous fan following. Though he has a very effective left hook which has won him many boxing matches, he is a gentle soul, meek, mild, and submissive at home. He looks like a tough boxer with his square jaw and irregular shaped nose but at heart is a very sensitive man easily dominated by his wife. He is extremely proud of his son, Harold’s intelligence and brilliance in school. He is selfless and sacrificing and decides to give up his professional life as a boxer so that his son is not embarrassed by it. He is also very easy going and accommodating as he does not insist on naming his son after his idol as he had thought of before his birth.

Question 5.
Do you think Percy had ulterior motives? Be creative when you write your answer.
(Encourage the student to think creatively and formulate his own answer.)
Answer:
The way Percy is behaving makes one suspicious of his character. Not only does he depend on his sister Mrs Jane Bramble for money but he also manages to speak ill of them. It seems that Percy is green with envy for the success of his brother in law and does his best to convince him not to fight right till the eleventh hour.

The fight meant financial security for Bill and his family as well , as for Harold’s education but somehow Percy manages to convince Bill that his profession would embarrass Harold when in fact the opposite happened. The story also mentions how he likes to voice his opinions with disregard to other’s views. It can be conjectured that maybe he had an ulterior motive in making Bill opt out of the fight.

Keeping it from Harold Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
“Mrs Bramble looked up, beaming with a kind of amiable fat-headedness. A domestic creature, wrapped up iri Bill, her husband, and Harold, her son. At the present moment only the latter was with her. He sat on the other side of the table, his lips gravely pursed and his eyes a trifle cloudy behind their spectacles. ”

(a) Give two adjectives to define Mrs Bramble
Answer:
amiable; domestic.

(b) Why is Mrs Bramble called a domestic creature?
Answer:
Mrs Bramble has been called a domestic creature because she is totally devoted to her family and household affairs.

(c) Why was Mrs Bramble proud of her son?
Answer:
Mrs Bramble was proud of her son because he was a child prodigy.

Question 2.
“At the moment only the latter was with her. He sat on the other side of the table, his lips gravely pursed and his eyes a trifle cloudy behind their spectacles. ”
(a) Who is “her”? Who is the person sitting with her?
Answer:
Here, “her” refers to Mrs Bramble. The person sitting with her is Harold.

(b) What does the word trifle mean?
Answer:
In this context, “trifle” means tiny or miniscule.

(c) What was Mrs Bramble’s attitude towards “him”?
Answer:
Mrs Bramble’s attitude towards him was of joy, pride and awe.

Question 3.
“Bill, we must keep it from Harold. ”
(a) Who is the speaker of these lines? What was the fact that must be kept from Harold?
Answer:
The speaker of these lines is Mrs Bramble. The fact that had to be kept from Harold was that his father was a boxer.

(b) What does the phrase “keep it from” mean in the extract?
Answer:
The phrase “keep it from” means that they want to conceal it from Harold.

(c) Why did they wish to keep it from Harold?
Answer:
They wished it be kept from Harold, as they thought the knowledge would be shocking and embarrassing to him as a boxing career was not thought to be respectable.

Question 4.
“Enemies said that he liked the sound of his own voice.”
(a) Who is “he”?
Answer:
In the extracted line “he” refers to Major Percy Stokes.

(b) What does “to like the sound of his own voice” mean?
Answer:
The turn of phrase “to like the sound of his own voice” means he liked to voice his opinion all the time; he liked to dominate all conversation.

(c) What role does he play in this situation?
Answer:
In the given situation he was playing the role of a troublemaker.

Question 5.
“In private life he was the mildest and most obliging of men, and always yielded to everybody. ”
(a) Whom does “he” refer to and what was his profession?
Answer:
In the extracted line “he” refers to Mr Bramble. He was a professional boxer.

(b) What does ‘most obliging of men’ mean?
Answer:
It means that Mr Bramble was very accommodating and helpful.

(c) What aspect of his character does this line reveal?
Answer:
This line reveals that he was a good natured, meek and obedient man.

Question 6.
“You simply couldn’t take a boy like that aside and tell him that the father whom he believed to be a commercial traveller was affectionately known… as ‘Young Porky’.”
(a) Why is he being called “a boy like that”?
Answer:
In the extracted line Harold is referred to as “a boy like that” because the boy was brilliant academically and behaved with great dignity.

(b) Who is a “commercial traveller”?
Answer:
A “commercial traveller” is a travelling representative of a firm, getting orders for it.

(c) Why could the boy not be told the real identity of his fatlier?
Answer:
The boy could not be told the real identity of his father because they believed he would be embarrassed and it would upset him.

Question 7.
“Martha the general pattered along the passage and then came the sound of voices speaking in an undertone. Footsteps made themselves heard in the passage. The door opened. The head and shoulders of Major Percy Stokes insinuated themselves into the room. ”
(a) Who was Martha?
Answer:
Martha was the help who did all the work in the house.

(b) Who walked in behind Martha?
Answer:
Mr Bramble and Percy walked in behind Martha.

(c) Explain: “the head and shoulders of Major Percy Stokes insinuated themselves into the room.”
Answer:
Major Percy peeped into the room stealthily.

Question 8.
“Jerry Fisher’s a hard nut, ” said Mr Bramble apologetically. “He don’t like people coming round talking to a man he’s training, unless he introduces them or they ’re newspaper gents. ”
(a) Who is Jerry Fisher?
Answer:
Jerry Fisher is Mr Bramble’s manager, promoter and trainer.

(b) Why didn’t Fisher like people coming to meet the boxers?
Answer:
Fisher didn’t like anyone coming to meet the boxers because they disrupt the concentration of the boxer

(c) Who are “newspaper gents”?
Answer:
The “newspaper gents” are news reporters.

Question 9.
“How about the money? Goodness knows I’ve never liked your profession.”
(a) Who is the speaker? Which profession is being discussed?
Answer:
The speaker is Mrs Bramble. They were discussing about boxing.

(b) What is a profession? Can you give some other examples of a profession.
Answer:
A profession means a job or a career. Some examples are teaching, construction, architecture, etc.

(c) What has the listener just decided to do?
Answer:
The listener has decided to give up boxing.

Question 10.
“It’s hard, I just wanted to break his neck for him. ”
(a) Who is the speaker?
Answer:
The speaker of the extracted line is Mr Fisher.

(b) Whose neck does the speaker wish to break?
Answer:
The speaker wishes to break Major Percy’s neck.

(c) Why does the speaker want to break his neck?
Answer:
The speaker wants to break his neck because he suspects that he had encouraged this star performer to give up boxing.

Question 11.
“The four adults surveyed the innocent child in silence. ”
(a) Why is the child being called innocent?
Answer:
The child is being called innocent because he was not aware of the truth about his father’s profession

(b) Why was there silence in the room?
Answer:
The people in the room were tense as they were not sure how much the child had overheard, thus there was silence in the room.

(c) What do you mean by ‘surveyed’?
Answer:
It means that the four adults were observing the chuild, Harrold.

Question 12.
“How long do you suppose they ’d go on calling me, ‘Goggles ’ if they knew that you were my father? ”
(a) Who is the speaker?
Answer:
The speaker of the extracted line is Harold.

(b) Why did his friends call him “Goggles”?
Answer:
Harold’s friends called him “Goggle’s because he wore spectacles.

(c) In what way was the speaker’s reaction most unexpected?
Answer:
Harold’s reaction was unexpected because they had expected him to be embarrassed about his father’s profession but here he was proud of his father