1.

Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
One boy had on a worn jersey and cut-off khaki pants; the other a shortened army tunic gathered in loose folds about his
skinny frame. Yet, gazing at the two little figures, with their brown skins, tangled hair and dark earnest eyes, we felt ourselves
strangely attracted.
(a) Who were the two boys?
(b) What were the two boys doing there?
(c) What is the meaning of ‘tangled’?
(d) What makes the author and his friend feel strangely attracted?
Ans :
(a) Nicola and Jacopo were the two boys.
(b) They were selling strawberries.
(c) The word ‘tangled’ means twisted together untidily.
(d) The shabby clothes of the two little boys strangely attracted the author and his friend.
2. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
When the resistance movement began secretly to form they were among the first to join. When the war was over, and we had
peace at last, they came back to their beloved sister.
(a) Who are ‘they’ here?
(b) Why did they join the resistance movement?
(c) What is the meaning of ‘resistance’?
(d) Why did they (two brothers) come back to their beloved sister?
Ans :
(a) The two brothers Nicole and Jacopo.
(b) They joined the movement because the war waged by Germany had destroyed their family. It had killed their father. Their
house had been destroyed and their father also died.
(c) ‘The refusal to accept’ or ‘comply with something’.
(d) Their beloved elder sister Lucia was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine and was in the hospital.
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3. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
“We do many things, sir,” Nicola answered seriously. He glanced at us hopefully. “Often we show visitors through the town...
to Juliet’s tomb... and other places of interest.”
(a) What all things did the boys do?
(b) Why did the boy glance hopefully?
(c) What is the meaning of the phrase ‘Juliet’s tomb’ here?
(d) What did they show visitor through the town?
Ans :
(a) The boys sold strawberries, newspapers, polished shoes and did all odd jobs.
(b) The boy thought that the author would provide them with some work.
(c) The place where Juliet, the woman Romeo loved was buried.
(d) They showed visitors Juliet’s tomb and other places of interest through the town.
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4. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
“All right,” I smiled. “You take us along.” As we made the rounds, my interest was again provoked by their remarkable
demeanour.
(a) Where did the boys take the author?
(b) What made the author inquisitive about the two boys?
(c) What is the meaning of the word ‘demeanour’?
(d) Why did the author smile while he asked the boys to take them along?
Ans :
(a) The boys took the author to see the places around.
(b) The two boys did all kind of jobs and each time the author saw them, they were doing different jobs.
(c) The word ‘demeanour’ means appearance or behaviour.
(d) The author was impressed to see their willingness to do any kind of work with pleasure. So, he smiled.
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5.Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
They were childish enough, and in many ways quite artless. Jacopo was lively as a squirrel. Nicola’s smile was steady and
engaging. Yet in both these boyish faces there was a seriousness which was far beyond their years.
(a) What is the meaning of the word ‘artless’?
(b) What do the lines tell us about the character of two boys?
(c) How could author judge so much about the character of the two boys?
(d) Jacopo was lively as a squirrel. Which figure of speech is used in this line?
Ans :
(a) The word ‘artless’ means innocent.
(b) The two boys were simple, childish but still had some maturity in their eyes.
(c) The two boys had met author many times and everytime the author was somehow attracted by their demeanours.
(d) The figure of speech used here is simile because comparison is made between two different things—Jacopo and a squirrel.
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6. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
He coloured deeply under his sunburn, then grew pale. He looked to the ground. “You must be saving up to emigrate to
America,” I suggested. He looked at me sideways, spoke with an effort. “We should greatly like to go to the States. But here, at
present, we have other plans.”
“What plans?”
(a) Why did ‘he’ colour deeply under his sunburn?
(b) What is the meaning of ‘emigrate’?
(c) Why did the boy speak with an effort?
(d) “At present, we have other plans”. What do you learn about the boys from their attitude?
Ans :
(a) The author asked the two boys why they worked so hard and ate so meagre.
(b) ‘Emigrate’ means leaving one’s own country and going to some other place.
(c) The boy speaks with an effort because he was ashamed of the question asked by the author.
(d) When the narrator presumed the boys were hoarding up their money to emigrate to the United States, they did not want
him to know about their invalid sister.
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7. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
There was a pause. Nicola was glaring at his young brother in vexation. “We could not think of troubling you, sir.”
(a) Why was there a pause?
(b) What is the meaning of ‘vexation’?
(c) Why did Nicola glare at his brother?
(d) What kind of trouble they are thinking of?
Ans :
(a) There was a pause because the author had offered to take the two boys to a nearby village.
(b) The word ‘vexation’ means annoyance.
(c) Nicola glared at his brother because he had asked for a favour from the author.
(d) The boys thought that the narrator might be annoyed to take them to a nearby village Poleta.
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8. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
“It won’t be any trouble.” He bit his lip, then, in a rather put out tone, he said, “Very well.” The following afternoon we drove
to the tiny village set high upon the hillside.
(a) What won’t be any trouble?
(b) Why did he bite his up?
(c) What is the meaning of ‘put out’?
(d) Why did Nicola say ‘very well’ in a ‘put out’ tone?
Ans :
(a) Taking the two boys to the nearby village won’t be a trouble.
(b) He bit his lip because he didn’t want to take favour from anyone.
(c) The world ‘put out’ means annoyed.
(d) Nicola was not willing to accompany them to a trip to a nearby village, but his brother Jacopa agreed. So, he said “very
well” with disgust.
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9. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
She led me through a cool, tiled vestibule into the hospital —for hospital the villa had become. At the door of a little cubicle
the nurse paused, put her finger to her lips, and with a smile bade me look through the glass partition.
(a) Who is she in the lines?
(b) What is the meaning of ‘vestibule’?
(c) What did the author see through the glass cubicle?
(d) What impression do you have about the nurse’s dealing with the narrator?
Ans :
(a) ‘She’ in above lines is the nurse.
(b) The word ‘vestibule’ means lobby.
(c) The author saw two boys seated at the bedside of a girl of about twenty.
(d) The nurse was cordial and cooperative. She welcome the narrator and very politely guided him to see the two boys sitting
before their ailing sister in the hospital.
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10. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :
“You will get fruit much better in Verona. Besides, these boys...”
(a) Who speaks these lines and to whom?
(b) Why does the speaker disapprove of the boys?
(c) What fruit has been referred to here?
(d) Do you think that the speaker in the extract commented rightly against the boys?
Ans :
(a) Luigi, the driver, speaks these lines to the author.
(b) The speaker does not like their shabby appearance. He doubts them as cheats or thieves.
(c) Wild strawberries have been referred to here.
(d) No, the speaker, Luigi, was wrong. Though the boys were shabbily dressed, they were not cheats or thieves at all.
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11. Read the extract given below and answer briefly the questions that follow.
They greeted us with friendly faces.
“I thought you picked fruit for a living”, I said.
(a) Who are ‘they’?
(b) How did ‘they’ greet the narrator?
(c) What did the narrator think ‘they’ did for a living?
(d) What does ‘friendly faces’ imply in the given extract?
Ans :
(a) ‘They’ here stands for the two boys, Nicola and Jacopo.
(b) They greeted the narrator in a very respectful and courteous manner.
(c) The narrator thought that they picked wild strawberries for earning their livelihood.
(d) ‘Friendly faces’ implies they were sincere and honest, and the narrator was impressed by the earnestness and genuineness
he saw in their eyes.
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12. Read one of the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
He smiled uncomfortably, “Just plans, sir,” he answered in a low voice.
(a) In the above line, who is talking and to whom?
(b) What plans is the speaker referring to?
(c) Give the antonym of ‘smiled’.
(d) Why did Nicola smile uncomfortably?
Ans :
(a) Nicola is talking to the narrator.
(b) The speaker Nicola is referring to their plans for saving money for the treatment of their sister.
(c) ‘Frowned’ is the antonym of ‘simile’.
(d) He smiled uncomfortably because he did not want any favour from anybody.
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13. Read one of the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
“We do many things, sir”, Nicola answered seriously. He glanced at us hopefully.
(a) What many things did the boys do?
(b) Why did they have to do them?
(c) Give the antonym of ‘seriously’.
(d) What impression do you have about their attitude?
Ans :
(a) The boys did many things such as shoeshining, selling fruits, hawking newspapers and conducting tourists round the town
and running errands.
(b) They were doing these things to earn money for the treatment of their sister who was in hospital.
(c) ‘Carelessly’ is the antonym of seriously.
(d) The boys, though fairly young, were dignified and self-reliant. They did not want anyone to pity on them.
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14. Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Nicole sat upright, tired. A bundle of unsold newspapers lay at his feet. Jacopo, his head resting upon his brother’s shoulder,
was asleep.
(a) What time of the day it was?
(b) What do the words ‘sitting upright’ suggest? Does it mean one can sit upside down too?
(c) Why were they carrying newspapers with them?
(d) What do you guess about the nature of the boys?
Ans :
(a) It was midnight.
(b) It means to sit with one’s back straight. It just suggests that the person was sitting confidently and with alert mind.
(c) They wanted to sell them in the last bus from Padua.
(d) They were innocent and hard-working, and so they were resting after day’s work on the stone pavement beneath the light.
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15. Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
‘Well’ I said, “we’re leaving on Monday, is there anything I can do for you before we go ?”
(a) What was the attitude of the author, implied in the extract?
(b) What was Nicola’s reaction to his brother’s demand?
(c) Why did the author ask the boy if he could do anything before he went away ?
(d) What the narrator could do for them before they left the place?
Ans :
(a) The author was kind hearted and had empathy for them.
(b) Nicola glared at his younger brother in vexation.
(c) The author knew that they were in need of help.
(d) The narrator could send them to Poleta by car.
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16. Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
I could scarcely believe my eyes and before I could recover breath my two passengers had leaped from the car.
(a) Who are the two passengers here?
(b) What movement to the word ‘leap’ suggest here?
(c) Why could the speaker scarcely believe his eyes?
(d) ‘I could scarcely believe my eyes’. What does this line indicate?
Ans :
(a) Two passengers were Jacopo and Nicola.
(b) The word ‘leap’ suggests ‘Jumped out’.
(c) Author was surprised to see that the two passengers ran inside a large roofed villa.
(d) The narrator was surprised as the boys guided him to a large villa.
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17. Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
For my part, I did not say a word—I knew they would prefer to feel that they had safely kept their secret.
(a) Which word in the text best replaces the word ‘utter’?
(b) Who had divulged the secret to the author ?
(c) What was the secret?
(d) Why did not the narrator say a word while driving them back to the city?
Ans :
(a) The word ‘utter’ can be replaced with the word ‘say’.
(b) The nurse told the secret to the author.
(c) The secret was that their sister was suffering from tuberculosis.
(d) The narrator knew that they would prefer to feel that they had safely kept the secret.
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18. What errands did Nicola and Jacopo do to earn their living?
Ans :
The two boys did all kind of odd jobs. They polished shoes, sold strawberries, conducted tours of the town. They sold
newspapers in the midnight. The two boys never shied from work. They ran errands and they were always eager to work.
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19. What made the two boys take part in resistance movement?
Ans :
The two boys had a happy family and they were well bred children. The Germans bombed their city and destroyed their home.
Their father was also killed in the war. The boys and their sister were thrown in the streets. The boys were forced to live in a
shelter. So, to show their hatred towards the Germans, they joined the resistance movement.
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20. Why was the author surprised to see two brothers shining shoes?
Ans :
The author was surprised to see the two boys working as shoeshiner because the previous day when he met them on the hills,
they were selling strawberries. He didn’t know that the two boys did various jobs.
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21. How were the two boys helpful for the author?
Ans :
The two boys ran errands for the author and his friend. If the author and his friend wanted a pack
of cigarettes or seats for the opera or the name of a good restaurant, Nicola and Jacopo could be
relied upon to satisfy their needs.
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22. Why did Nicola say ‘just plans’ when the author asked them what their plans were?
Ans :
Nicola says just plans because he didn’t want to disclose anything about their life to the author. The two boys were very
secretive about their personal life. They had a lot of self-respect and didn’t want anyone’s help or sympathy.
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23. Why was Nicola annoyed when Jacopo asked the author for a favour?
Ans :
When the author asked the two boys if before going back he could do anything for them, the younger brother Jacopo asked
him to drop them to a nearby village, Poteta, by car. The elder brother didn’t like taking favour from anyone. So, he was
annoyed.
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24. How did the two boys take care of their sister?
Ans :
The two boys worked hard day and night. They did all kind of odd Jobs. They were not ashamed of any kind of job. They wore
simple clothes and ate very meagre food. They had bare minimum needs. They had kept their sister in an hospital and gave all
the money they earned for her treatment. They paid her a visit once in a week.
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25. How was the life of the boys before the war?
Ans :
The two boys had a very comfortable and cultural life. Their father was a well known singer. Their sister Lucia had been
training herself as a singer. They had a comfortable house to live in. The war destroyed their life totally.
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26. How did the war change their life?
Ans :
Their father was killed in the war. A bomb destroyed their home and thrown the three children into the streets. They suffered
horribly from near starvation and exposure to cold weather. For months they kept themselves alive in a sort of shelter built
with their own hands amid sort the rubble.
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27. What happened when the boys rejoined the author?
Ans :
The author got to know about the painful story of the two boys but didn’t want them to feel let down. So, he just behaved
normally with them as if he didn’t know anything. He safely kept their secret. He was touched by their devotion to their sister.
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28. Why were the author and his friend attracted towards the two boys?
Ans :
The author and his companion saw the two boys selling strawberries and were strangely attracted towards them. The two
boys were wearing shabby clothes but had earnest eyes. They were young but had a zest to earn money. Rather than fooling
around like other kids of their age, they were trying hard to earn some money.
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29. “We do many things, sir’. Explain this statement with reference to context.
Ans :
Nicola and Jacopo both were very hard-working children who worked day and night to earn money. The author and his
companion first saw the two boys when they were selling strawberries. Then the next day they saw them polishing shoes in
the public square. Then they told the author that they worked as a guide too. They did many a job willingly and never said no
to any job of the author.
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30. What was the thing about the boys that struck the author the most?
Ans :
The author was struck by their willingness to work. The two boys were very hardworking and even during the hot summer
season they shined shoes, sold fruits, hawked newspapers, conducted tourists around the town and ran errands. They worked
really hard to earn money. Though they were small, they had a zest to work and earn money.
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31. What were the two boys doing sitting on the pavement in the deserted square?
Ans :
The two boys were in a great need of money. They worked hard day and night to earn money. They neither ate well nor did
they bother about their clothes. Their only concern was to earn money. They were waiting for the last bus from Padua in the
midnight to sell all their papers. They were very tired and sleepy, yet they didn’t complain.
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32. Why did the boys hate the Germans?
Ans :
The boys hated the Germans because their father had been killed in the war against the Germans. Their home had been
destroyed by a bomb throwing the three children into streets. They had suffered horribly from near starvation and exposure
to the cold winter.
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33. What touched the author deeply in the end?
Ans :
The author was touched by their deep devotion to their sister. The war had not broken their spirit. Their selfless action
brought a new nobility to human life, gave promise of a greater hope for human society. The author was impressed by the way
the boys tried to keep their secret.
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34. The boys’ sacrifice, their sincerity and devotion, the cause and the maturity they display in their actions give a new hope to
humanity. Explain.
Ans : The story ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’ is a heart-warming story of two brothers Jacopo and Nicola, aged 12 and 13. The
two boys chose a hard life for themselves so that they could pay for the treatment of their sister afflicted with tuberculosis.
The boys exhibit sincerity and devotion and do every odd job to get their sister treated. The two boys wore simple clothes, ate
meagre and kept themselves awake tell late at night to earn and save money. The two boys did all the jobs such as, polishing
shoes, selling newspapers and sometimes acting as guides to the tourists. The author is himself fascinated by the two boys and
wants to help them. But the two boys don’t want anyone’s help. The author is filled with admiration for the relentless efforts
of the boys. Even war couldn’t break their spirits
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35. A true gentleman is one who does great deeds and possesses nobility and magnanimity of heart. Elaborate.
Ans :
The story unfolds and gives us the definition of a real gentleman. The two little brothers set an example for everyone and
showed how one can behave and be a gentleman even in the adverse situation of life. Though very young, they lived a life of
nobility and sacrifice. They show maturity beyond their age. They belong to a very good family but never feel shy of doing odd
jobs. They never resort to evil means to earn their living. They adopt the path of truth, dignity and righteousness. They
sacrifice all the pleasures and desires for the treatment of their sister.
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36. Write a character-sketch of two boys—Nicola and Jacopo.
Ans :
The two boys had lost their mother at a very young age. Their father also died in the early stages of war. The two boys lived a
life of comfort but the war totally changed their life. The boys were thrown on the streets but still their spirits were not
broken. They were full devoted to their sister, so they did all sorts of odd jobs. They were never afraid of doing hard work.
They kept their life simple and were always willing to work. They were very proud of themselves and never felt bad doing
lowly jobs. They didn’t want sympathy from anyone. The author is impressed by their willingness to work.
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37. The two boys, though very young in age, were very mature in their deeds. Comment.
Ans :
The two boys Nicola and Jacopo, just 13 and 12 years old, were mature beyond their age. They did all sort of physical labour to
earn money. At this tender age, the two boys should have been to school and enjoyed their life playing and having fun with
their friends but they lived a very tough life. They never complained to anyone about it. They were proud of themselves and
the work they do. They never begged in front of anyone and didn’t like taking favours from anyone. They took the
responsibility of their sister upon themselves as any parent would do. They met the needs of her sister and even paid her a
visit once in a week.
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38. War brings nothing but destruction. Explain.
Ans :
War brings nothing but destruction. People become homeless, kids become orphans and many die of hunger and because of
the aftermaths of war the people suffer a lot. In the story also, the boys’ father died in the war. Their house was destroyed and
they were rendered homeless. They made a shelter from the rubbles and stayed there for many days. They lived a very
cultured and comfortable life but the war totally destroyed their life. They suffered horribly from near starvation and exposure
to cold winter. War is always ugly, horrible and evil. Everyone hates war because its another name is destruction.
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39. They had always known a comfortable and cultured life.’ If one has got ‘family values one can surmount all the hurdles and
emerge as a winner. On the basis of the story ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’, write a paragraph to support the above statement.
Ans :
It is very important to stand upon the family values as they help us take decisions and move ahead in the tough times of our
lives. Our family values make us the person we are. Truth, honesty, dedication, collectivism and sacrificing individual interests
for collective interest are some of the things which help us face the oddities of life with all our strength. The materialistic
things cannot bind a person of strong values and he is bound to reach at the top. The values and principles play a very
important role as they teach us the essence of life. It is important to value and treasure the relationships. Sharing of the
responsibilities, giving financial and emotional support to the other members of the family make us a good and strong human
being with a courage to move mountains.
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40. ‘Their father, a widower, a well-known singer, had been killed in the early part of the war. Shortly afterward a bomb had
destroyed their home and thrown the three children into the streets.’–The result of wars is orphaned children, shattered
economics and unemployed youth. Write a passage with reference to the text.
Ans :
Man, has never been satisfied by his achievements. The hunger for power and money has led to wars in the world. But the
common people are the sufferers of the wars. Many epidemics and diseases spread during the war which cause more deaths.
The result of wars is orphaned children, homeless people, shattered economies and unemployed youth. People suffer
physically as well as emotionally. The results of wars leave a permanent scar on the mind and soul of the people. People and
even soldiers suffer from high level of stress after such large scale killings. Children also suffer from trauma. They are
separated from their parents and have to live in orphanages. The infrastructure of the country is damaged and the life is
totally disturbed.
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41. ‘Yet their devotion had touched me deeply. War had not broken their spirit. Their selfless action brought a new nobility to
human life, gave promise of a greater hope for human society.’–On the basis of the statement, ‘People respect, morality and
integrity of character’ write a letter to your younger brother in the hostel who always looks down upon himself and lacks
confidence.
Ans :
Man faces many problems in life. One has to face the problems with dignity without compromising one’s morality. A person
who has morality and integrity of character is respected by all. If we have integrity of character we will have to face the
difficulties in life but still we will come out as winners. People will respect the persons who adhere to a code of moral values.
Our character is build up by our morality and ethical values. Our character is what we really are. Morals are rules or habits of
conduct with reference to standards of right or wrong. Integrity is the adherence to a code or standard of values. Morality is
not just a subject, it is life put to test in dozens of moments. Character, morals and integrity together make us a person. If a
person with integrity says something, he will actually practice it and make others proud of it.
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42. ‘“Of course, everything is so difficult now, food so scarce and dear, we could not keep going unless we charged a fee. But
every week, Lucia’s brothers have made their payment.” She added simply, “I don’t known what they do, I do not ask. Work is
scarce in Verona. But whatever it is, I know they do it well.”’–Tough situations bring out our hidden qualities and talents. So,
one must not be afraid of the hardships of life and should face all the problems and hurdles of life with a balanced mind. Write
a paragraph explaining the above statement.
Ans :
Tough situations teach us a lot in our life. Trials and tribulations of life help us understand the greater scheme of things.
Tribulations are constructive rather than destructive. They help us cope up the situations of life and make us a better human
being.
They help us exploit our hidden talents and energies. They help us to be more creative when life is difficult. Our mind gets
creative. They propel us to do something interesting. Hardships grow our compassion and humility. When we go through
difficult times it is an opportunity to realise god’s faith, compassion, power and grace.