Question

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

For the fifth day in succession, I set out on the wearisome search for a house. My husband had

been very ill and the doctor was insistent that we must give up living in the town. It was essential

for him to breathe the purer air of the country, if he was to get strong again. So, I was feverishly

house- hunting.

Of course, I had seen innumerable houses, but there was something wrong with all of them.

Some were too large, some were too small. Some were surrounded by too much land and some

had so little garden that it was practically non- existent. Some could never have been repaired

since they were built: roof tiles were missing, walls and ceilings were cracked, woodwork was

rotting, paint peeling. It would require a fortune to make them habitable. Some were so ugly

outside that I made no attempt to penetrate to the interior.

I was sure that one house was haunted. I could feel a ghostly presence following me from room

to room and hear the swish of skirts that I could not see. I have never been afraid of ghosts, but

I did not want to share my home with one. I have heard too many tales of the tricks that spirit

occupants of houses can get up to, if they are offended by the living owners. It would be

uncomfortable to be on bad terms with a companion who was alive, but intolerable with a dead

one.

The morning of the fifth day brought no better result, and I was so disappointed that I very

nearly gave up looking at anything more that week. However, something impelled me to go on

after lunch; and I found exactly what I wanted.

(a) Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage: One word answers or

short phrases will be accepted.

i. in succession

ii. innumerable

iii. impelled

(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.

i. Why was it necessary for the author to find a new house?

ii. What was the author’s first impression about the innumerable houses she had seen?iii. What made the author guess that some houses she saw had never been properly looked

after?

iv. How did the author know that one of the houses was haunted? Why didn’t she want to

live in a haunted house?

v. Why did the author nearly give up looking for houses? What did she find at the end?​

Answer 1

• The meaning of the words are as follows:

1. In succession- following one after the other.
2. Innumerable- Too many to be counted.
3. Impelled- urge someone to do something

• The answers to the given questions are as follows:

1. The author had to find a new house because the doctor was insisting to her and her husband to give up living in the town and live somewhere where her husband could breathe purer air.
2. The author felt that something was wrong with all of them.  Some were too large, some were too small while some were surrounded by too much land and some  had so little garden that it was practically non- existent.  Some could never have been repaired , their roof tiles were missing, walls and ceilings were cracked, woodwork was  rotting, paint peeling. Some were so ugly that she made no attempt to penetrate to the interior.
3. The author guessed that some houses she saw had never been properly looked after as their roof tiles were missing, walls and ceilings were cracked, woodwork was  rotting, paint peeling.
4. The author could feel a ghostly presence following her from room  to room and she heard the sound of swish of skirts. She had never been afraid of ghosts, but  she did not wanted to share her home with one. She had heard too many tales of the tricks that spirit  occupants of houses can get up to, if they are offended by the living owners. It would be  uncomfortable to be on bad terms with a companion who was alive, but intolerable with a dead  one according to her.
5. The author nearly gave up looking on houses because every house that she saw had something wrong in it.

Answer 2

Answer:

For the fifth day in succession I set out on the wearisome search for a

house. My husband had been very ill and the doctor was insistent that we must

give up living in the town. It was essential for him to breathe the pure air of the

country, if he was to get strong again. So I was feverishly house hunting of

course. I had seen innumerable houses, but there was something wrong with all

of them. Some were too large, some too small. Some were too large, some too

small. Some were surrounded by too much land and some had so little garden

that it was practically non – existent, some would never have been repaired since

they were built ; roof – tiles were missing, walls and ceilings were cracked,

woodwork was rotting, paint peeling. It would require a fortune to make them

habitable. Some were so ugly outside that I made attempt to penetrate to the

interior. I was sure that one house was haunted, could feel a ghostly presence

following me from room to room and feel the swish of skirts that I could not see.

I have never been afraid of ghosts but I did not want to share my home with one.

I have heard too many tales of the tricks that spirit occupants of houses can get

up to, if they are attended by the living owners, it would be uncomfortable to be

on bad terms with a companion who was alive, but intolerable with a dead one.

The morning of the fifth and brought no better result and I was so

disappointed that I nearly give up looking at anything more that week. However,

something impelled me to go on after lunch, and I found exactly what I wanted.4