Q. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:My family was not rich. We just managed to make both ends meet. We economised on everything. We bought food on subsidised rates and our meals had no variety. My sisters made their dresses at home and I used to go through terrible scenes on account of lost buttons and torn trousers. Uncle Jules, my father's brother, was the only hope of the family. I had heard about him since childhood; so I knew details of his life up to the day of his departure for America Uncle Jules had visibly diminished my father's share of the inheritance after he had swallowed his own.Once, he wrote to us saying that he would soon make up for the damage done by him. After two years, another letter arrived informing us that he was undertaking a long sea voyage on account of his business and he hoped to see us once he would return. Uncle Jules, who up to that time had not been worth his salt, suddenly became a good man. For ten years, nothing was heard from him; but as time went on my father's hope grew.His letter became the gospel of the family. It was read on the slightest pretext and it was shown to everybody. Thousands of schemes were planned on the strength of his expected return. One day, following the wedding of one of my sisters, all of us took a trip to America.At a distance on the deck, an old ragged sailor was opening oysters with his knife and passing them to some gentlemen. He was dirty, wrinkled, and didn't lift his eyes from his work. Both my sisters and my brother-in-law, gathered around the old man to buy some oysters. My father suddenly appeared to be worried and said in a low voice, "It's strange that the man opening the oysters looks like Jules."My father enquired from the captain, who confirmed that it was indeed Jules, my Uncle Jules, My father murmured: "What a catastrophe!" My parents were visibly upset and it was decided that in my brother-in-law's presence none of us would acknowledge Uncle Jules as our family member. It would be such a shame if we did. I was given five francs to pay for the oysters my sisters had bought. As Jules returned the change, I gave him a generous tip, carefully observing him all the time. As we approached the harbour, a violent desire seized me to see my legendary uncle who had fallen from grace. I wanted to say something consoling to him, something tender but by then no one was eating any more oysters and he had disappeared.
(a)Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage: One word answers or short phrases will be accepted.
(i) subsidised (line 2)
(ii) swallowed (line 7
(iii) seized (line 29)
(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words,
(i) What kind of life did the narrator's family lead? (2) (ii)What damage did Uncle Jules do to the family? (1)
(iii) How did the family react to the expected return of Uncle Jules? (2)
(iv) State the circumstances that led to the recognition of Uncle Jules on the ship. (2) (v)How did the narrator's parents react after recognising Jules? Why? (2)
(c) In not more than 50 words, narrate how the great hopes of the family were shattered at the end. (8)
Answers
Answer:
(i) subsidised: Economised
(ii) swallowed: Diminished
(iii) seized: Gathered
(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own
(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words,
(i) What kind of life did the narrator's family lead?
- The narrator's family was not rich. they just managed to make both ends meet. Their meals had no variety. He used torn trousers and homemade dresses by his sisters and most of them were of lost buttons.
(2) (ii)What damage did Uncle Jules do to the family?
- Uncle Jules had visibly diminished the share of the inheritance of the narrator's father after he had swallowed his own.
(iii) How did the family react to the expected return of Uncle Jules?
- Thousands of schemes were planned on the strength of his expected return.
(iv) State the circumstances that led to the recognition of Uncle Jules on the ship
- The circumstances that led to the recognition of Uncle Jules on the ship was that on account of his business he was undertaking a long sea voyage and he hoped to see us once he would return.
(2) (v)How did the narrator's parents react after recognising Jules? Why?
- The narrator's parents were visibly upset because he was dirty, wrinkled who was selling oysters.
(c) In not more than 50 words, narrate how the great hopes of the family were shattered at the end.
- Uncle jules Swallowed the share of inheritance of the narrator's father and said that he would soon make up for the damage done by him. But his words were only kept in letters and he didn't return. To participate a weeding ceremony they went to America and there found uncle Jules who was dirty, wrinkled and was selling oysters. Narrator's parents were upset because thousands of schemes were crushed.
Answer:
(A)
1)subsidised - low
2) swallowed - engulf
3) seized - take hold of suddenly and forcibly
(B)
1) Narrator z family was not rich. they just managed to make both ends meet . they economised on everything.They bought food is on low rates and their food had no variety.narrator z sister made their dresses own at home using narrator z torn trousers and buttons.
2)Uncle Jules had visibly diminished narrator z fathers z share of the inheritance after he had swallowed his own.