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KSEAB SSLC English (First Language 14E) study materials
KSEAB SSLC English (First Language 14E) study resources

KSEAB SSLC English (First Language 14E) practice questions

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Question 1Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage opens: 'The bus wheezed up the ghat road, and the conductor, who had seen forty monsoons on this route, counted the hairpin bends aloud like a prayer.' Which reading of the underlined-style phrase 'counted the hairpin bends aloud like a prayer' best fits the passage's tone?

  1. It shows the conductor's long familiarity turning routine into something ritual and comforting. Correct answer.
  2. It indicates the conductor cannot remember the route and needs to count for accuracy.
  3. It proves the conductor is reciting an actual religious prayer required by his employer.
  4. It suggests the conductor is frightened and counting to calm his nerves on a dangerous road.

Explanation

The comparison 'like a prayer' plus 'forty monsoons' signals habitual, almost devotional familiarity rather than literal religion or fear. The simile works because repetition has made the count a comforting ritual. Reading tone requires linking the figurative language to the character detail already given.

Question 2Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

In an unseen passage, a narrator writes: 'My grandmother kept her spectacles in a tin that once held peppermints. She never ate the sweets; she said the tin smelled of a childhood she had lost.' Which inference about the grandmother is best supported by the passage?

  1. She is forgetful and often confuses sweets with her spectacles.
  2. She values the tin for the memory it carries rather than for its original purpose. Correct answer.
  3. She disliked peppermints and preferred to keep her spectacles in a clean container.
  4. She bought the tin recently because she wanted a safe place for her spectacles.

Explanation

The detail that she 'never ate the sweets' and treasures the smell of 'a childhood she had lost' shows the tin's emotional, memorial value. Inference questions ask what the details imply, not what is literally stated. The object functions as a keepsake, not storage.

Question 3Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage states: 'Although the village had electricity for a decade, the old woman continued to light her kerosene lamp at dusk, claiming that electric light was too sudden for her eyes.' The word 'sudden' is used here mainly to suggest that the electric light is:

  1. harsh and unaccustomed compared with the gentle glow she knows Correct answer.
  2. dangerous because of faulty wiring in the village
  3. expensive compared with kerosene for the old woman
  4. unreliable because power cuts happen every evening

Explanation

Applied to light, 'sudden' is figurative: it conveys brightness that feels abrupt and jarring to someone used to a soft flame. The contrast with the kerosene lamp supports a reading about comfort and habit. Context, not dictionary literalism, decides the meaning here.

Question 4Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

Read this sentence from an unseen passage: 'The scientist's report was praised for its candour; unlike her colleagues, she listed every failed trial alongside the successes.' In this context, 'candour' most nearly means:

  1. polite caution
  2. careful brevity
  3. technical precision
  4. honest openness Correct answer.

Explanation

The clause 'she listed every failed trial alongside the successes' defines the quality being praised, and that is frank honesty. Vocabulary-in-context items are solved by letting the surrounding words supply the meaning. 'Candour' therefore means open, truthful disclosure.

Question 5Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage says: 'The city's trees are not ornaments. They are lungs, filters, and shade-givers, and the municipality that fells them is burning its own future.' Which statement best expresses the writer's main argument?

  1. Trees provide essential environmental services and must be protected. Correct answer.
  2. The municipality is inefficient at maintaining the city's green cover.
  3. Trees should be planted only in parks and gardens, not along roads.
  4. Ornamental trees are more valuable than trees that give shade.

Explanation

The writer rejects the 'ornaments' label and lists functions - lungs, filters, shade - before condemning felling as self-destructive. That combination states a clear argument for protection. Identifying the main argument means finding the claim the whole sentence supports.

Question 6Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage describes a farmer: 'He read the sky the way others read a newspaper - a smear of cloud here, a shift of wind there, and he knew whether to sow or wait.' Which quality of the farmer is emphasised?

  1. His distrust of modern weather forecasting
  2. His habit of reading newspapers every morning
  3. His impatience with slow agricultural methods
  4. His skilled reading of natural signs through long practice Correct answer.

Explanation

The analogy with reading a newspaper shows the farmer interpreting small natural signs fluently and confidently. The details 'a smear of cloud' and 'a shift of wind' are the text he reads. The emphasis falls on practised skill, not on the newspaper itself.

Question 7Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

In an unseen passage, a speaker says: 'If I had known the bridge would collapse, I would not have crossed it.' Which statement correctly describes the grammatical relationship in this sentence?

  1. It expresses a real past event that actually happened as described.
  2. It expresses an unreal past condition and its imagined result. Correct answer.
  3. It expresses a present habit that the speaker repeats regularly.
  4. It expresses a future possibility that depends on the weather.

Explanation

The pattern 'If I had known ... I would not have crossed' is the third conditional, used for imagined alternatives to what actually happened. The past perfect in the if-clause and 'would have' in the main clause mark the condition as contrary to fact. Recognising this pattern is essential for interpreting unseen narrative passages.

Question 8Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage contains: 'The hall, which had once hosted weddings, now stood silent; its chairs were stacked like arguments abandoned mid-sentence.' Which figure of speech is used in 'chairs were stacked like arguments abandoned mid-sentence'?

  1. Simile Correct answer.
  2. Hyperbole
  3. Personification
  4. Metaphor

Explanation

The word 'like' explicitly compares stacked chairs to abandoned arguments, which is the defining structure of a simile. A metaphor would state the comparison without 'like' or 'as'. Naming the device requires checking for the comparative marker.

Question 9Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage reports: 'By the time the relief team reached the hamlet, the floodwater had receded, leaving behind a grey film on every wall.' Which tense is used in 'had receded', and why is it appropriate here?

  1. Past continuous, because the water was still receding when the team arrived.
  2. Past perfect, because the receding happened before the team's arrival. Correct answer.
  3. Simple past, because the receding happened at a definite past time.
  4. Present perfect, because the effect of the flood continues into the present.

Explanation

'Had receded' is past perfect, used to place one past event before another past event - here, before the team reached the hamlet. This sequencing clarifies the order of events in narrative passages. The grey film on the walls is the later, visible result.

Question 10Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage begins: 'Every morning the postman arrives at seven, whistling the same tune. The dogs know him; the children wave; the old men nod. But today the gate is open, the letters lie scattered on the step, and no one is whistling.' What is the main function of the final sentence in the passage?

  1. It breaks the established routine to create suspense. Correct answer.
  2. It introduces a new character into the scene.
  3. It explains why the postman is late every morning.
  4. It summarises the postman's daily route through the village.

Explanation

The first sentence establishes a fixed, comforting routine, and the final 'But today' sentence disrupts it deliberately. The scattered letters and silence imply something has gone wrong, which is how suspense is built. Noticing contrast against an established pattern is a key comprehension skill.

Question 11Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage argues: 'Critics of online learning warn that it isolates students. Yet a student in a remote hill village, once cut off from every library, can now attend a lecture delivered a thousand kilometres away.' Which technique does the writer use in responding to the critics?

  1. Conceding a point and then offering a counter-example that outweighs it. Correct answer.
  2. Denying that the critics have made any valid observation at all.
  3. Quoting statistics to prove the critics factually wrong.
  4. Changing the subject to avoid addressing the critics' claim.

Explanation

The word 'Yet' signals that the writer accepts the critics' concern in part but then presents a concrete case that challenges its weight. This concede-and-counter move is common in persuasive unseen passages. The hill-village example is the counter-evidence.

Question 12Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage states: 'The museum's new wing is a glass box dropped onto a stone elephant. The old building does not resist; it simply looks embarrassed.' The humour in the second sentence depends mainly on which device?

  1. A rhetorical question addressed to the reader
  2. Personification that gives the building a human feeling Correct answer.
  3. An allusion to a well-known historical event
  4. A statistical comparison between old and new architecture

Explanation

The building 'looks embarrassed', which attributes a human emotion to stone and glass and produces the comic effect. Personification is the device; the first sentence's imagery supports it. Recognising the device clarifies why the sentence is funny rather than merely descriptive.

Question 13Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage ends: 'She folded the letter, placed it in the drawer with the others, and switched off the light.' Which statement best describes the effect of this ending?

  1. It introduces a sudden crisis that demands immediate action.
  2. It reveals that the character has forgotten the letter's contents.
  3. It leaves the reader uncertain whether the letter was ever written.
  4. It resolves the story with a calm, deliberate act that suggests acceptance. Correct answer.

Explanation

The sequence of small, controlled actions - folding, placing, switching off - conveys composure rather than drama. Placing the letter 'with the others' implies a settled habit of keeping such letters. The effect is quiet closure, which is what the question asks about.

Question 14Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage says: 'The teacher's praise was a rare coin; the students spent it carefully.' Which interpretation of the metaphor is most accurate?

  1. Praise was given so often that students grew tired of it.
  2. Praise was scarce and therefore valued and used thoughtfully. Correct answer.
  3. The teacher paid students money instead of giving praise.
  4. Students collected praise in order to sell it to others.

Explanation

Calling praise 'a rare coin' makes it scarce and precious, and 'spent it carefully' extends the money image into careful use. The metaphor's two parts must be read together to yield the meaning. Literal money is not involved.

Question 15Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage contains: 'Having finished the harvest, the family gathered around the fire, and the grandmother began the story her mother had told her.' Which detail most strongly suggests that the story is part of an oral tradition?

  1. The grandmother is the oldest member of the family.
  2. The family gathered around a fire after the harvest.
  3. The story is passed from mother to daughter across generations. Correct answer.
  4. The harvest had been completed before the gathering.

Explanation

Oral tradition is defined by transmission through speech from one generation to the next, which is exactly what 'her mother had told her' describes. The other details set the scene but do not establish transmission. Selecting the strongest evidence means matching the concept to the exact wording.

Question 16Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage reads: 'The river is patient. It has worn down mountains, and it will wear down this dam too.' Which attitude does the writer express towards human engineering?

  1. Admiration for the dam's strength and durability
  2. Indifference to whether the dam stands or falls
  3. Confidence that nature's slow force will outlast human constructions Correct answer.
  4. Concern that the river will flood nearby farmland

Explanation

Personifying the river as 'patient' and contrasting mountains with the dam conveys the writer's belief in nature's enduring power. The future tense 'will wear down' makes the prediction explicit. The attitude is confident, not admiring of the dam.

Question 17Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

In an unseen passage, the phrase 'a silence you could fold and put away' appears. Which comment best explains the effect of this phrase?

  1. It suggests that the silence lasted only a moment.
  2. It shows that the characters were speaking in whispers.
  3. It compares silence to a loud noise that cannot be ignored.
  4. It turns an abstract quality into a solid, tangible object. Correct answer.

Explanation

Silence is abstract, but 'fold and put away' treats it as cloth you can handle, which is a concrete, tactile image. This technique makes an intangible mood feel physical to the reader. The effect depends on the verb choice, not on volume or duration.

Question 18Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage states: 'The committee's report was long on adjectives and short on evidence.' Which criticism of the report is being made?

  1. It relied on impressive wording instead of proof. Correct answer.
  2. It contained too few descriptive words for readers.
  3. It was written in a language the committee did not know.
  4. It was too brief to cover the topic properly.

Explanation

The balanced phrase 'long on ... short on ...' contrasts abundant descriptive language with a lack of supporting facts. The criticism is that style substitutes for substance. Idiomatic contrasts of this kind are common in unseen persuasive passages.

Question 19Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage describes a boy who 'practised the flute behind the cowshed every evening, though no one ever asked him to play.' Which inference about the boy's motivation is best supported?

  1. He plays for his own satisfaction rather than for an audience. Correct answer.
  2. He plays only because his parents insist on daily practice.
  3. He plays to annoy the neighbours who ignore him.
  4. He plays because he is paid to perform at village events.

Explanation

Practising in a hidden place and continuing although 'no one ever asked him to play' points to inner motivation. The contrast between effort and lack of audience is the key evidence. Inference should rest on stated details, not on invented ones.

Question 20Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage says: 'The village fair, once a week-long affair of cattle and clay toys, now lasts a single afternoon and sells plastic.' Which change does the passage record?

  1. A decline in the fair's duration and in the traditional nature of its goods Correct answer.
  2. A shift of the fair from afternoon to evening hours
  3. An increase in the number of cattle brought to the fair
  4. A rise in the price of clay toys across the region

Explanation

The contrast between 'week-long' and 'a single afternoon', and between 'clay toys' and 'plastic', records both a shortening and a loss of traditional wares. The structure 'once ... now ...' marks change over time. Both halves of the contrast must be captured.

Question 21Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage reads: 'He was not unkind, but he was ungenerous with time, and his workers learned to ask their questions in a single breath.' What does the phrase 'ask their questions in a single breath' suggest about the workers?

  1. They were nervous about speaking to him at all.
  2. They had to speak quickly to fit within his limited patience. Correct answer.
  3. They practised breathing exercises before meetings.
  4. They were forbidden from asking more than one question.

Explanation

Since the man is 'ungenerous with time', the workers compress their questions into one breath to avoid wasting his moments. The idiom conveys speed under pressure, not a formal ban. Linking the idiom back to the stated trait gives the meaning.

Question 22Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage says: 'The library's silence was not empty; it was crowded with the murmur of pages turning and the small coughs of the diligent.' Which statement best captures the writer's view of silence?

  1. Silence can be full of quiet, purposeful activity. Correct answer.
  2. Silence in a library is boring and should be broken.
  3. Libraries should allow more conversation among readers.
  4. Silence means the absence of all activity and sound.

Explanation

The writer explicitly denies that the silence is 'empty' and fills it with turning pages and coughs, redefining silence as busy concentration. The paradox 'crowded with' is the clue. The view is appreciative, not critical.

Question 23Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage states: 'The scheme was announced with drums and banners; the funds, however, arrived with neither.' Which tone does the writer adopt towards the scheme?

  1. Warm nostalgia for village festivals
  2. Dry irony at the gap between promise and delivery Correct answer.
  3. Enthusiastic support
  4. Neutral reporting without judgement

Explanation

The contrast between noisy announcement and silent funding is presented with understated wit, which is the mark of dry irony. The word 'however' turns the sentence against the scheme. Tone is inferred from contrast and word choice, not from explicit opinion.

Question 24Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage contains: 'The old carpenter measured twice, marked the wood with a pencil stub, and then stood still for a long moment before the first cut.' Which detail most suggests that his work involves judgement, not only technique?

  1. He pauses to think before making the first cut. Correct answer.
  2. He measures the wood twice before marking it.
  3. He is described as an old carpenter.
  4. He uses a pencil stub rather than a new pencil.

Explanation

Measuring twice shows care, but the still, thoughtful pause before cutting shows deliberation and judgement. The question asks for the strongest evidence of judgement specifically. Distinguishing between related details is central to evidence-selection items.

Question 25Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage ends: 'The seed lay in the dark soil, doing nothing that anyone could see.' Which interpretation of the closing line is most reasonable?

  1. It shows that the farmer has abandoned the field.
  2. It suggests that apparent inactivity may hide growth about to happen. Correct answer.
  3. It proves that the seed will never sprout.
  4. It indicates that the soil is too poor for farming.

Explanation

The phrase 'doing nothing that anyone could see' invites a reading about hidden processes rather than failure. Seeds germinate underground before any visible sign appears. The line's effect is quiet anticipation, which the correct option captures.

Question 26Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage ends with the sentence: 'The inspector wrote nothing in his notebook, and the villagers understood that the matter was closed.' Which inference about the inspector is best supported by the passage?

  1. He intended to return and record details later.
  2. He was unable to write in the local language.
  3. He had forgotten to bring his notebook.
  4. He had decided the case needed no further action. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage links the empty notebook directly to the villagers' conclusion that 'the matter was closed', so the blank page signals a decision to drop the case. An inference must be drawn from the words given, and the closing phrase supplies that meaning.

Question 27Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage contains the line: 'The notice board outside the clinic was a museum of good intentions - appointments cancelled, promises postponed, warnings unread.' Which statement best describes the effect of the comparison?

  1. It suggests the board is carefully preserved and valued.
  2. It implies the notices were written by historians.
  3. It presents the notices as relics of plans that were never carried out. Correct answer.
  4. It shows that the clinic has stopped treating patients.

Explanation

A museum holds things preserved from the past, so calling the board a 'museum of good intentions' turns the notices into records of plans that were announced but never fulfilled. The three examples that follow all show postponement or neglect, which confirms the reading.

Question 28Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage reports: 'The new road cut the journey to the market from four hours to forty minutes, yet the young people left the village faster than the vegetables could reach the town.' Which comment best explains the writer's point?

  1. Improved transport brought unexpected social costs. Correct answer.
  2. Vegetables spoil quickly on long journeys.
  3. The road was badly built and soon became unusable.
  4. The market town had stopped buying vegetables.

Explanation

The sentence sets a clear benefit, a much shorter journey, against an ironic outcome, quicker departure of the young. The contrast is the point: better transport made leaving easier and so weakened the village it was meant to help.

Question 29Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage states: 'The headmaster insisted that every pupil learn the school song, though he himself hummed it in a key nobody could follow.' Which feature of the writing is most evident here?

  1. A serious complaint about pupil discipline
  2. A neutral record of a school assembly
  3. A gentle irony directed at the headmaster's authority Correct answer.
  4. A description of musical training methods

Explanation

The headmaster demands a standard he cannot meet himself, and the detail about his unsteady humming undercuts his authority. This mild, amused contradiction between claim and behaviour is the mark of gentle irony rather than neutral reporting.

Question 30Reading Comprehension (Unseen Passages)

An unseen passage reads: 'The survey found that three in four households owned a smartphone, but only one in four had used it to pay a bill. Ownership, it seemed, had run far ahead of use.' Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?

  1. Most households bought phones mainly to pay bills.
  2. Having a device does not guarantee that people use its full range of functions. Correct answer.
  3. Households without smartphones are unable to pay bills.
  4. Smartphones are too expensive for most households.

Explanation

The figures show high ownership but low use for a particular function, and the writer's own summary, 'ownership had run far ahead of use', states the gap directly. The supported conclusion is therefore about the difference between possessing something and using it.

Question 31Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

In the KSEAB First Language English prose piece 'The School Boy', the speaker's complaint is chiefly directed at which target?

  1. The strictness of formal schooling that cages a child's natural joy Correct answer.
  2. The refusal of his parents to buy him books
  3. The cruelty of his fellow pupils in the playground
  4. The distance he must walk to reach the school building

Explanation

The poem presents the schoolboy who loves summer mornings and resents being confined indoors. His protest is against an education system that stifles natural delight rather than against classmates or parents. The imagery of a caged bird reinforces that the target is formal schooling itself.

Question 32Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

In the prose lesson 'A Wrong Man in Workers' Paradise', the artist from the earthly world is initially regarded by the workers as someone who:

  1. guards the gates of the paradise
  2. contributes useful labour to the community
  3. teaches the workers to read and write
  4. wastes time on ornaments with no practical value Correct answer.

Explanation

The workers' paradise values only productive labour, so the artist's doodling and decorating are seen as idle waste. He is tolerated at first as useless because he produces nothing of utility. The story's irony is that his 'useless' art eventually transforms the community.

Question 33Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

The central transformation in 'A Wrong Man in Workers' Paradise' occurs because the artist's work:

  1. increases the workers' output of goods
  2. persuades the workers to abandon their paradise
  3. reveals a hidden treasure beneath the workshop floor
  4. introduces beauty and delight into a purely utilitarian world Correct answer.

Explanation

The artist decorates everyday objects, and the workers gradually discover the pleasure of beauty. Their paradise is changed not by greater efficiency but by the introduction of art. The story argues that beauty is a genuine human need, not a luxury.

Question 34Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

In the lesson 'The Eyes Are Not Here', the narrator's blindness is significant because it:

  1. causes the train to stop between stations
  2. prevents him from boarding the train
  3. makes the girl refuse to speak with him
  4. allows him to conceal his blindness and converse freely with a fellow traveller Correct answer.

Explanation

The narrator hides his blindness and enjoys a warm conversation with a girl who, we later learn, is also blind. His concealment lets the exchange unfold naturally and creates the story's gentle irony. The revelation at the end gives the encounter its poignancy.

Question 35Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

The ending of 'The Eyes Are Not Here' is effective mainly because the reader discovers that:

  1. both the narrator and the girl are blind Correct answer.
  2. the girl was the narrator's relative
  3. the train never left the station
  4. the narrator had been dreaming throughout

Explanation

The final exchange reveals that the girl is also blind, which recasts the entire conversation in a new light. The irony lies in two blind people describing the world to each other. This delayed disclosure is what gives the story its emotional force.

Question 36Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

In 'The Gift of the Magi', Della's decision to sell her hair demonstrates:

  1. her vanity about appearance
  2. her willingness to sacrifice her most prized possession for love Correct answer.
  3. her desire to leave her husband
  4. her wish to buy clothes for herself

Explanation

Della sells her beautiful long hair to buy a gift for Jim, showing selfless love. The story's irony is that Jim has sold his watch to buy combs for her hair. Both sacrifices reveal the depth of their mutual affection.

Question 37Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

The title 'The Gift of the Magi' connects the couple's presents to the Magi because, like the Magi's gifts, theirs are:

  1. expensive and showy
  2. useless and quickly discarded
  3. offered with wisdom and sacrificial love Correct answer.
  4. bought with borrowed money

Explanation

The Magi brought gifts to the Christ child out of reverence and wisdom. O. Henry's narrator compares Jim and Della's sacrifices to those gifts, valuing the spirit above the object. The point is that true giving lies in sacrifice, not in the price paid.

Question 38Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

In the prose piece 'The Stolen Bacillus', the anarchist's request for a culture is dangerous because he believes he is receiving:

  1. a cure for a disease
  2. a sample of drinking water
  3. a deadly cholera bacillus to unleash on the city Correct answer.
  4. a rare perfume

Explanation

The anarchist asks for the cholera germ, intending to spread a deadly epidemic. The bacteriologist, realising too late, chases him across London. The twist is that the tube actually contains a harmless organism, undermining the anarchist's plan.

Question 39Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

The humour in 'The Stolen Bacillus' depends chiefly on the fact that the tube the anarchist steals contains:

  1. an explosive chemical
  2. a sample of the bacteriologist's blood
  3. a harmless bacterium that only colours the water Correct answer.
  4. the deadly cholera germ he wanted

Explanation

The bacteriologist reveals that the stolen culture is a harmless organism that tints water, not the cholera germ. The anarchist's grand terror is therefore empty, and the chase becomes comic. The irony exposes the gap between the villain's ambition and reality.

Question 40Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

In 'The Model Millionaire', Hughie Erskine's kindness to the beggar is rewarded because the beggar turns out to be:

  1. the landlord of Hughie's house
  2. a wealthy baron who was posing for a portrait Correct answer.
  3. Laura's uncle
  4. a famous painter

Explanation

The ragged old man is actually Baron Hausberg, who was modelling for a portrait by Alan Trevor. Hughie gives him his last coin out of genuine pity. The Baron later repays him generously, rewarding disinterested kindness.

Question 41Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

The theme most clearly illustrated by 'The Model Millionaire' is that:

  1. poverty is a punishment for laziness
  2. wealth always corrupts character
  3. artists are dishonest about money
  4. genuine generosity is often repaid in unexpected ways Correct answer.

Explanation

Hughie's spontaneous charity to a supposed beggar leads to an unexpected reward from the Baron. Wilde presents generosity as a virtue that returns in surprising form. The story values kindness over calculation.

Question 42Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

In 'The Selfish Giant', the Giant's garden remains in perpetual winter until:

  1. the seasons change naturally with time
  2. the Giant lets the children back into the garden Correct answer.
  3. the Giant builds a high wall
  4. the Giant plants new flowers himself

Explanation

The garden stays cold and barren because the Giant has shut the children out. Only when he opens the garden to them does spring return. The tale makes the point that selfishness brings isolation and generosity brings life.

Question 43Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

The child the Giant eventually meets in the corner of his garden is significant because the child:

  1. is one of the village children who hid
  2. bears marks of suffering and later welcomes the Giant to his garden Correct answer.
  3. orders the Giant to leave
  4. asks the Giant for money

Explanation

The small child has wounds on his hands and feet and later appears to the Giant as a figure of grace. The Giant's death at the end is framed as a welcome into paradise. The child symbolises divine love rewarding the Giant's change of heart.

Question 44Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

In the lesson 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' by A. J. Cronin, the two boys earn money in the city mainly by:

  1. selling newspapers and shining shoes Correct answer.
  2. guiding tourists to the cathedral
  3. working in a hotel kitchen
  4. begging at the railway station

Explanation

Nicola and Jacopo sell newspapers and run errands, and Nicola shines shoes to support their sister. Their hard, honest work contrasts with their shabby appearance. Their earnings go towards their sister's medical treatment.

Question 45Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

The narrator's admiration for the two boys in 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' grows when he learns that they are working to:

  1. save for a trip abroad
  2. buy new clothes for themselves
  3. repay a debt to the narrator
  4. pay for their sister's medical treatment Correct answer.

Explanation

The boys' earnings go towards the care of their sick sister, which reveals their selflessness. Their dignity and sacrifice earn the narrator's respect. This revelation turns a chance encounter into a moral lesson.

Question 46Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

In 'The Farmer's Wife' as presented in the First Language prose collection, the central conflict arises from:

  1. the tension between domestic duty and personal aspiration Correct answer.
  2. a quarrel over land boundaries
  3. a dispute about the price of grain
  4. a rivalry between two villages

Explanation

The story focuses on a woman's inner struggle between household obligations and her own desires. The conflict is psychological and domestic rather than a dispute over property. Her choices reveal the constraints placed on women in her setting.

Question 47Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

In 'The Golden Touch' as retold in the prose section, King Midas's wish is granted by:

  1. his daughter, who has magical powers
  2. a merchant who sells enchanted gloves
  3. a wizard who demands gold in return
  4. the god Dionysus, through a favour Correct answer.

Explanation

Midas receives the golden touch as a boon from the god Dionysus, who grants his wish. The gift quickly becomes a curse when food and his daughter turn to gold. The story warns against greed and the desire for limitless wealth.

Question 48Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

The lesson of 'The Golden Touch' is reinforced most strongly when Midas:

  1. cannot eat or save his daughter because of the touch Correct answer.
  2. defeats a rival king
  3. builds a palace of gold
  4. gives away all his treasure

Explanation

The golden touch turns food and his beloved daughter into metal, showing that greed destroys what sustains life. Midas then begs to be rid of the gift. The consequence, not the wish, delivers the moral.

Question 49Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

In 'The Last Leaf', the leaf that remains on the wall is significant because it:

  1. belongs to a tree that never loses leaves
  2. is the only real leaf left on the vine
  3. is painted by Behrman and gives Johnsy hope to live Correct answer.
  4. marks the grave of Sue's sister

Explanation

Behrman paints a leaf on the wall so that Johnsy, who believes she will die when the last leaf falls, keeps hope. The painted leaf saves her life but costs Behrman his own. The story celebrates self-sacrifice and the power of hope.

Question 50Prescribed Prose (First Language English Textbook)

Behrman's death at the end of 'The Last Leaf' is best understood as:

  1. a sacrifice that gives his life meaning as his 'masterpiece' Correct answer.
  2. an accident unrelated to the plot
  3. the result of a long illness he already had
  4. a punishment for his bad temper

Explanation

Behrman catches pneumonia after painting the leaf in the cold, and his act becomes the masterpiece he always dreamed of. His death is presented as a noble sacrifice rather than a random event. The story links artistic achievement with selfless love.