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Bihar Intermediate English (BSEB) study materials
Bihar Intermediate English (BSEB) study resources

Bihar Intermediate English (BSEB) practice questions

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Question 1Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In the BSEB prose lesson 'The Earth is Not Ours', what central environmental warning does the writer give to human beings?

  1. That technology alone will solve every environmental problem
  2. That human beings should migrate to other planets before the earth cools down
  3. That the earth belongs to all living creatures and humans must stop exploiting it Correct answer.
  4. That the earth is doomed and nothing can be done to save it

Explanation

The lesson argues that human beings are only one of many species sharing the planet, so they have no right to treat nature as private property. The writer urges restraint and responsible stewardship rather than escape or despair.

Question 2Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'I Have a Dream', which phrase does Martin Luther King Jr. repeatedly use to describe his vision for the future of America?

  1. Let freedom ring from every hill
  2. Now is the time
  3. I have a dream Correct answer.
  4. We shall overcome someday

Explanation

The speech's most famous refrain is 'I have a dream', repeated to build emotional force around his vision of racial equality. 'Let freedom ring' is also present but serves as a closing device, not the title refrain.

Question 3Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In the lesson 'Bharat is My Home', what does the speaker mean by calling India his home in a moral sense?

  1. That only people born in one particular region are true Indians
  2. That every citizen, regardless of religion or region, belongs equally to the nation Correct answer.
  3. That the nation is a private property of the government
  4. That the speaker owns a house in every state of India

Explanation

The phrase treats the whole country as a shared household in which all communities have equal membership. It is an inclusive, ethical claim about belonging, not a statement about property or birth.

Question 4Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Artist', what does the story suggest about the true value of a work of art?

  1. It is decided by the number of copies sold
  2. It lies in the sincere labour and vision of the artist rather than in market price Correct answer.
  3. It exists only when it is displayed in a museum
  4. It depends entirely on the price fixed by rich buyers

Explanation

The narrative contrasts the artist's inner dedication with the commercial world's pricing of art. Its message is that artistic worth is rooted in integrity of creation, not in money or public display.

Question 5Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'A Child is Born', what contrast does the writer draw about childbirth in traditional societies?

  1. Birth there is handled entirely by the state health system
  2. Birth there is treated as a private medical procedure with no rituals
  3. Birth there is a shared community event marked by ritual and collective support Correct answer.
  4. Birth there is considered unimportant and is not celebrated

Explanation

The essay sets the communal, ritual-rich experience of birth in traditional communities against the more clinical, individualised approach of modern urban life. The writer emphasises social bonding and shared responsibility.

Question 6Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Earth is Not Ours', the writer's argument about human domination of nature can best be described as a call for:

  1. transfer of all land to private corporations
  2. complete abandonment of modern technology
  3. humility and restraint in the use of natural resources Correct answer.
  4. rapid industrial expansion in developing nations

Explanation

The essay critiques the attitude of mastery over nature and asks humans to use resources responsibly. It advocates moderation and humility, not the rejection of all technology or the expansion of industry.

Question 7Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'I Have a Dream', what historical document does King invoke when he speaks of the promise of equality?

  1. The Treaty of Versailles
  2. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution Correct answer.
  3. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  4. The Magna Carta

Explanation

King frames civil rights as the fulfilment of the founding American promise that all men are created equal. He draws on the Declaration and Constitution to argue that segregation breaks that promise.

Question 8Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'Bharat is My Home', the speaker's tone towards the diversity of Indian culture is best described as:

  1. affectionate and accepting of all communities Correct answer.
  2. mocking and satirical
  3. indifferent and neutral
  4. suspicious and hostile towards outsiders

Explanation

The speaker presents India's plural culture as a source of strength and speaks with warmth about all its people. The tone is inclusive and welcoming, not hostile, indifferent or mocking.

Question 9Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Artist', how does the artist respond to the wealthy patron's offer for his painting?

  1. He refuses to let money determine the worth of his creation Correct answer.
  2. He immediately accepts any price offered
  3. He gives the painting away to the government
  4. He destroys the painting out of anger

Explanation

The artist resists the patron's attempt to fix the value of his work by price alone. His refusal underscores the story's theme that art has a value beyond commerce.

Question 10Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'A Child is Born', why does the writer describe the birth of a child as a moment of transformation for the whole family?

  1. Because the family immediately becomes wealthy
  2. Because new relationships and responsibilities are created around the child Correct answer.
  3. Because the child replaces the parents in the household
  4. Because the family must move to a new house

Explanation

The essay shows that a birth alters the roles and bonds of everyone involved, creating new duties and ties. The transformation is social and emotional rather than economic or physical.

Question 11Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Earth is Not Ours', the writer's use of examples from nature mainly serves to:

  1. show that every species has a rightful place in the ecosystem Correct answer.
  2. prove that wild animals are dangerous to humans
  3. argue that cities should be abandoned
  4. demonstrate that nature is indifferent to human needs

Explanation

The natural examples illustrate the interdependence of species and the idea that the earth is shared. They support an ecological argument, not a warning about danger or a call to abandon cities.

Question 12Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'I Have a Dream', what does King mean when he says the Negro is still in exile in his own land?

  1. That black Americans have chosen to leave the country
  2. That black Americans are denied full citizenship and equality at home Correct answer.
  3. That black Americans have been forced to live abroad
  4. That black Americans are excluded from all paid work

Explanation

The image of exile conveys that black Americans live as strangers in the country they helped build, denied the rights promised to citizens. It is a metaphor for segregation and exclusion, not literal emigration.

Question 13Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'Bharat is My Home', what does the speaker identify as the foundation of national unity?

  1. Uniform economic status for all citizens
  2. A single language spoken by everyone
  3. Mutual respect among people of different faiths and regions Correct answer.
  4. The dominance of one community over others

Explanation

The speech locates unity in mutual respect and equal belonging, not in forced uniformity. Language, wealth and communal dominance are not presented as the basis of national cohesion.

Question 14Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Artist', the story's ending most likely leaves the reader with which reflection?

  1. That genuine art outlasts the ambitions of those who try to buy it Correct answer.
  2. That art has no lasting value at all
  3. That artists should always obey their patrons
  4. That wealth is the true measure of talent

Explanation

The story contrasts the patron's desire for possession with the artist's commitment to his vision. Its closing reflection affirms the enduring worth of sincere art over commercial ambition.

Question 15Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'A Child is Born', the writer's attitude towards modern hospital births is best described as:

  1. indifferent to how children are born
  2. uncritically enthusiastic about every modern practice
  3. completely dismissive of doctors and hospitals
  4. respectful of medical care but aware of what it may lose Correct answer.

Explanation

The essay acknowledges the safety and hygiene of modern care while noting the loss of communal ritual and support. The stance is balanced, not hostile or blindly approving.

Question 16Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Earth is Not Ours', which attitude does the writer most strongly criticise?

  1. The protection of forests and wildlife
  2. The study of ecology in schools
  3. The belief that nature exists only to serve human needs Correct answer.
  4. The practice of planting trees in cities

Explanation

The essay attacks the anthropocentric view that the planet is a resource for humans alone. Conservation practices and ecological study are consistent with, not opposed to, the writer's argument.

Question 17Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'I Have a Dream', the phrase 'the table of brotherhood' is used to suggest:

  1. a place where only the wealthy are welcome
  2. a religious ceremony held in a church
  3. a society where people of all races share equally in peace Correct answer.
  4. a formal dinner hosted by the government

Explanation

The image of a shared table evokes fellowship, equality and reconciliation among races. It is a metaphor for social harmony, not a literal meal or an exclusive gathering.

Question 18Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'Bharat is My Home', the speaker's personal experience is used mainly to:

  1. make the call for national unity feel concrete and credible Correct answer.
  2. criticise the constitution of India
  3. show that travel is the best education
  4. prove that politics is unimportant

Explanation

The speaker draws on personal experience to give the appeal for unity emotional weight and authority. The purpose is to strengthen the message, not to dismiss politics or attack the constitution.

Question 19Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Artist', what does the patron's attitude towards the painting reveal about him?

  1. He has no interest in owning the painting
  2. He is himself a skilled painter
  3. He understands the artist's vision completely
  4. He values art mainly as a possession that enhances his prestige Correct answer.

Explanation

The patron treats the painting as an object of status and investment rather than as an expression of vision. This exposes his limited understanding of the artist's purpose.

Question 20Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'A Child is Born', the writer's description of the naming ceremony primarily highlights:

  1. the medical health of the mother
  2. the economic cost of raising a child
  3. the way a community formally welcomes and identifies the newborn Correct answer.
  4. the legal registration required by the state

Explanation

The naming ceremony is presented as a social ritual through which the community recognises and welcomes the child. Its significance is cultural and communal rather than legal or financial.

Question 21Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Earth is Not Ours', the title itself expresses which idea?

  1. That humans have legally purchased the earth
  2. That no one has any responsibility for the planet
  3. That the planet is held in trust for all life, not owned by humanity Correct answer.
  4. That the earth will soon be sold to another species

Explanation

The title denies human ownership and implies a shared, entrusted planet. It is a moral claim about stewardship, not a literal statement about sale or the absence of responsibility.

Question 22Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'I Have a Dream', King's repeated references to 'now' serve mainly to:

  1. show that the past was better than the present
  2. suggest that the struggle can wait for a better time
  3. create a sense of urgency that delay is unacceptable Correct answer.
  4. argue that change is impossible

Explanation

The insistent use of 'now' presses the audience to act immediately rather than accept gradual delay. It conveys urgency and impatience with postponement, not nostalgia or despair.

Question 23Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'Bharat is My Home', the speaker's vision of patriotism is best summarised as:

  1. loyalty to a single political party
  2. loyalty to one's own region above the nation
  3. loyalty to a foreign country
  4. loyalty to the nation's inclusive ideals rather than to one community Correct answer.

Explanation

The speech defines love of country as commitment to its shared, plural ideals and to all its people. It is not partisan, regional or directed abroad.

Question 24Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Artist', the conflict in the story is chiefly between:

  1. two rival artists competing for fame
  2. two nations at war
  3. artistic integrity and commercial greed Correct answer.
  4. a father and a son over inheritance

Explanation

The story's tension arises from the clash between the artist's devotion to his vision and the patron's desire to control art through money. It is not a rivalry between artists or a family or national dispute.

Question 25Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'A Child is Born', the essay's overall method of development relies mainly on:

  1. a statistical survey of birth rates
  2. comparison between traditional and modern practices of childbirth Correct answer.
  3. a fictional story with invented characters
  4. a step-by-step scientific manual for delivering babies

Explanation

The essay develops its argument by contrasting traditional communal birth practices with modern clinical ones. It is reflective and comparative rather than a manual, fiction or statistical report.

Question 26Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In the BSEB prose lesson 'The Earth is Not Ours', the writer's central claim about ownership of the planet is that the earth belongs to all living beings and that humans are merely its caretakers. Which statement best captures the responsibility this claim places on people?

  1. People should leave nature untouched and abandon all cultivation of land.
  2. People should use natural resources freely because the earth was made for human comfort.
  3. People should compete with other species for control of scarce resources.
  4. People should treat the earth as a shared trust and use its gifts with restraint. Correct answer.

Explanation

The lesson argues that the earth is a common inheritance, not private property, so humans hold it in trust for other creatures and for future generations. That trust demands careful, restrained use rather than unlimited exploitation or total abandonment of cultivation.

Question 27Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'I Have a Dream', King insists that the marchers have come to the capital to 'cash a cheque' that the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence promised. What does this extended metaphor imply about the demand for civil rights?

  1. That civil rights are a distant ideal with no basis in existing law.
  2. That civil rights must be purchased through gradual economic sacrifice.
  3. That civil rights are a charitable gift the government may withhold at will.
  4. That civil rights are a lawful entitlement already promised and now overdue. Correct answer.

Explanation

The cheque image treats equality as a promised payment that has fallen due, so the demand is lawful and just rather than a plea for charity. King grounds the claim in founding documents, insisting that America has defaulted on a promise it already made.

Question 28Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'Bharat is My Home', the speaker describes India as a house in which many languages, faiths and customs live together. Which value does this image most directly recommend to citizens?

  1. Tolerance, in which differences are accepted as part of a shared household. Correct answer.
  2. Isolation, in which each community keeps strictly apart from the others.
  3. Assimilation, in which smaller cultures dissolve into one dominant culture.
  4. Uniformity, in which a single language replaces all regional tongues.

Explanation

The household image keeps diversity intact while binding it into one home, so the recommended value is mutual tolerance rather than erasure or separation. Differences are not a threat to unity but the texture of it.

Question 29Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In the lesson 'The Artist', the painter refuses to sell the work that the wealthy patron admired. Which reading of his refusal is best supported by the story's treatment of art and money?

  1. He doubts his own skill and is ashamed to let the painting be seen.
  2. He believes the painting carries a personal truth that money cannot buy. Correct answer.
  3. He is bargaining for a higher price and expects the patron to return.
  4. He has promised the painting to another buyer before the patron arrived.

Explanation

The story sets the artist's inner commitment against the patron's wish to possess and display, and the refusal affirms that some creations belong to a truth rather than a market. The patron's money cannot purchase the meaning the work holds for its maker.

Question 30Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'A Child is Born', the writer describes the newborn's arrival as a moment that changes the relationships around it. Which change does the essay most emphasise?

  1. The family's ties are renewed and the child becomes a shared bond. Correct answer.
  2. The neighbours withdraw from the family to give it privacy.
  3. The family's elders lose their authority to the new parents.
  4. The household's economic burden becomes the main topic of talk.

Explanation

The essay treats birth as a social event that reknits the family, drawing relatives and neighbours closer around the child. The newborn acts as a bond that renews old ties rather than as a disruption of them.

Question 31Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Earth is Not Ours', the writer contrasts the way birds, rivers and forests belong to the landscape with the way humans claim land as property. This contrast is developed chiefly in order to do which of the following?

  1. Argue that people should imitate the migratory habits of birds.
  2. Suggest that human claims to exclusive possession are a kind of arrogance. Correct answer.
  3. Show that natural creatures hold legal rights of ownership over land.
  4. Prove that forests and rivers are more valuable than human settlements.

Explanation

The natural examples function as a moral contrast: creatures share the earth without deeds, while humans assert exclusive ownership. The writer uses that gap to question the pride behind treating the planet as a possession.

Question 32Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'I Have a Dream', King warns against 'drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred'. How does this warning function within the speech's overall argument?

  1. It urges protesters to abandon the struggle and accept their present condition.
  2. It concedes that the opponents of civil rights have justice on their side.
  3. It keeps the movement's demand for justice from turning into revenge against opponents. Correct answer.
  4. It proposes that the struggle be postponed until public opinion changes.

Explanation

The warning distinguishes rightful anger at injustice from hatred of persons, preserving the movement's moral authority. King demands justice while refusing to let the demand curdle into vengeance.

Question 33Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'Bharat is My Home', the speaker recalls his own travels across regions of India. In the essay these recollections serve mainly to do which of the following?

  1. Show that travel is the only way to become a good citizen.
  2. Establish his personal experience as evidence for the unity he describes. Correct answer.
  3. Prove that regional differences are gradually disappearing.
  4. Demonstrate his superior knowledge of Indian geography.

Explanation

Personal travel supplies the speaker with first-hand experience of India's variety, and he offers it as testimony that diversity and unity coexist. The recollections support the argument rather than display erudition.

Question 34Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Artist', the patron praises the painting warmly but the artist remains uneasy about the praise. What does this unease most likely reveal about the artist's standard of judgement?

  1. He suspects the patron of planning to copy the painting.
  2. He judges his work by inner truth rather than by public approval. Correct answer.
  3. He regrets having shown the painting to anyone at all.
  4. He distrusts all wealthy people regardless of their taste.

Explanation

The artist's unease shows that admiration from a patron does not satisfy him, because his measure of a work is its honesty rather than its reception. Praise that misses the work's meaning leaves him dissatisfied.

Question 35Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'A Child is Born', the writer notes that the newborn is welcomed by people who cannot yet know what the child will become. What does this detail most suggest about the community's attitude?

  1. Their welcome is conditional on the child's future achievements.
  2. Their welcome is a formal duty performed without feeling.
  3. Their welcome is an unconditional gift offered before any merit is shown. Correct answer.
  4. Their welcome depends on the family's social standing in the village.

Explanation

Because the child has done nothing to earn acceptance, the welcome expresses pure generosity rather than reward. The essay uses this to present birth as a moment when a community gives freely.

Question 36Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Earth is Not Ours', the writer's tone when describing landscapes scarred by careless industry is best described as which of the following?

  1. Restrained sorrow mixed with reproach. Correct answer.
  2. Neutral detachment that offers no judgement.
  3. Triumphant celebration of economic progress.
  4. Amused indifference to the fate of the land.

Explanation

The descriptions of damaged land carry grief at what has been lost together with blame for the carelessness that caused it. The tone is controlled rather than shrill, but it clearly passes judgement.

Question 37Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'I Have a Dream', King imagines a future in which 'the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners' sit together. What does this specific pairing contribute to the speech's vision of reconciliation?

  1. It shows that slave owners' descendants should be excluded from the new society.
  2. It shows that reconciliation is impossible until the older generation dies out.
  3. It shows that the descendants of both sides must forget the past entirely.
  4. It shows that former adversaries can share a table without either side being erased. Correct answer.

Explanation

By naming both sets of descendants, King pictures a shared future in which neither group is destroyed or silenced. Reconciliation means sitting together, not one side's disappearance.

Question 38Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'Bharat is My Home', the speaker says that true patriotism is shown not by praising the nation but by serving its people. Which action best exemplifies the patriotism the essay describes?

  1. Working to reduce hardship among the country's poorest citizens. Correct answer.
  2. Comparing India favourably with other nations in public speeches.
  3. Preserving one's own region's customs and ignoring the rest of India.
  4. Reciting patriotic slogans at public gatherings.

Explanation

The essay locates patriotism in service rather than in rhetoric, so practical work for the welfare of fellow citizens is its clearest expression. Slogans and comparisons are words; service is the deed the speaker values.

Question 39Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'The Artist', the story's central conflict develops between two sets of values. Which pairing best names them?

  1. Rural poverty against urban wealth.
  2. Technical skill against formal training in art.
  3. Youthful ambition against the caution of old age.
  4. Artistic integrity against the desire to own and display. Correct answer.

Explanation

The story opposes the artist's commitment to honest creation with the patron's wish to possess the work as an object of display. The tension is about what art is for, not about age, region or training.

Question 40Prose (prescribed textbook lessons)

In 'A Child is Born', the writer gives close attention to the small rituals and gestures that surround the birth. What is the main effect of this detailed attention?

  1. It argues that rituals should be replaced by modern procedures.
  2. It shifts the essay's focus from the child to the writer's own childhood.
  3. It makes the shared customs of the community concrete and vivid. Correct answer.
  4. It establishes the writer's expertise in medical practice.

Explanation

By dwelling on gestures and customs, the essay renders the community's shared life in concrete detail rather than in abstract statement. The particulars make the reader feel the culture surrounding the birth.

Question 41Poetry (prescribed textbook poems)

In the BSEB Class 12 English poetry section, which poem opens with the line 'If ever you should go by chance / To jungles in the east'?

  1. The Lake Isle of Innisfree
  2. The Soldier
  3. A Thing of Beauty
  4. Snake Correct answer.

Explanation

D. H. Lawrence's 'Snake' begins with this invitation to follow the speaker to a water-trough in the East, where the encounter with the snake takes place. The opening sets up the hot Sicilian July setting and the speaker's divided feelings.

Question 42Poetry (prescribed textbook poems)

In 'A Thing of Beauty', Keats says a beautiful thing keeps 'a bower quiet for us' and gives us 'sleep / Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing'. What does this show about the poet's view of beauty?

  1. It is valuable mainly because it can be sold or exchanged
  2. It offers comfort and renewal that strengthen us against sorrow Correct answer.
  3. It lasts only as long as the season in which it appears
  4. It distracts us from the duties we owe to society

Explanation

Keats presents beauty as a permanent source of joy that soothes the mind, gives restful sleep and restores health. The 'bower quiet' image suggests a sheltered place where the tired spirit recovers. Beauty, for him, is a remedy for the 'gloomy days' of life.

Question 43Poetry (prescribed textbook poems)

In Rupert Brooke's 'The Soldier', the speaker says the corner of a foreign field where he is buried will be 'forever England'. What does this mean?

  1. His grave will be visited by English tourists every year
  2. The soil itself will become English because an English body rests in it Correct answer.
  3. The English army will capture and annex that foreign territory
  4. The foreign country will adopt the English language and customs

Explanation

Brooke imagines that the earth which holds an Englishman's body is transformed, so that the foreign field becomes a piece of England. The idea joins the soldier's body to the nation's soil and makes his death a form of lasting possession.

Question 44Poetry (prescribed textbook poems)

In W. B. Yeats's 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree', what does the speaker say he will build there?

  1. A wooden bridge across the water
  2. A stone tower beside the lake
  3. A small cabin of clay and wattles Correct answer.
  4. A garden wall of grey rock

Explanation

The speaker plans a 'small cabin' made of 'clay and wattle', a simple dwelling that matches his wish for a plain life close to nature. There he will keep 'nine bean-rows' and a hive for honey-bees.

Question 45Poetry (prescribed textbook poems)

In 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree', the speaker says he hears the lake water 'in the deep heart's core' while standing on a grey roadway. What effect does this contrast create?

  1. It proves that he has actually returned to Innisfree at last
  2. It indicates that the lake water is flooding the roadway
  3. It suggests he has forgotten the lake and now prefers the city
  4. It shows that the imagined island consoles him even in a dull city setting Correct answer.

Explanation

The grey roadway stands for the ordinary urban life in which the speaker is physically trapped, while the water's sound in his heart shows the island's continuing hold on his imagination. The contrast makes the poem a wish for escape that is already half-fulfilled in memory.

Question 46Poetry (prescribed textbook poems)

In D. H. Lawrence's 'Snake', how does the speaker first react when the snake comes to the water-trough?

  1. He throws a log at the snake at once
  2. He waits and lets the snake drink before him Correct answer.
  3. He calls other people to kill the snake
  4. He runs away and hides behind a tree

Explanation

The speaker describes himself as a second-comer who waits, because the snake had reached the trough first. He stands 'like a second-comer' and lets the snake drink in peace, an attitude of respect that later gives way to regret.

Question 47Poetry (prescribed textbook poems)

Why does the speaker in 'Snake' call the snake's act of drinking at the trough a 'courtesy'?

  1. The snake drinks politely and then lifts its head like a guest taking leave Correct answer.
  2. The snake shares its water with the speaker
  3. The snake has been invited to the trough by the speaker
  4. The snake bows to the speaker before drinking

Explanation

The speaker observes the snake drinking 'softly' and lifting its head 'like one who has had enough', as a guest might do after a meal. This image of courtesy deepens his later sense of guilt at having treated a dignified creature as an enemy.

Question 48Poetry (prescribed textbook poems)

In 'Snake', what does the speaker most regret after throwing the log?

  1. That the snake escaped before he could kill it
  2. That he missed the snake and wasted his effort
  3. That he acted from a petty fear and betrayed his own respect for the snake Correct answer.
  4. That he had not brought a companion to help him

Explanation

The speaker calls the act 'a pettiness' and wishes the snake would return so that he could honour it. His regret is moral: he obeyed the voice of his education, which told him that snakes must be killed, and betrayed the reverence he had felt.

Question 49Poetry (prescribed textbook poems)

In Kamala Das's poem 'My Grandmother's House', what does the speaker compare her ancestral home to?

  1. A place of warmth and belonging that she longs to recover Correct answer.
  2. A museum she visits only as a tourist
  3. A prison from which she escaped with relief
  4. A business property she wants to sell

Explanation

The speaker recalls the house where her grandmother lived as a place of love and security, and she longs for it as a source of identity. The poem's imagery of the house and the grandmother's care expresses a search for belonging in a life that feels rootless.

Question 50Poetry (prescribed textbook poems)

In 'My Grandmother's House', the speaker says she would peer through the windows of her grandmother's house. What does this detail suggest?

  1. She is looking for a servant to let her in
  2. She is inspecting the house for repairs
  3. She is planning to break into the house
  4. She is an outsider looking in at a home she has lost Correct answer.

Explanation

The image of peering through the window places the speaker outside a home that is no longer hers, and the longing in the poem grows from that sense of exclusion. The house becomes a symbol of the emotional security she cannot re-enter.