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Maharashtra HSC English Literature (MSBSHSE) study materials
Maharashtra HSC English Literature (MSBSHSE) study resources

Maharashtra HSC English Literature (MSBSHSE) practice questions

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Question 1Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In the Maharashtra HSC prose section, which author wrote the essay 'The Cop and the Anthem'?

  1. Jerome K. Jerome
  2. R. K. Narayan
  3. Ruskin Bond
  4. O. Henry Correct answer.

Explanation

'The Cop and the Anthem' is a short story by the American writer O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter. The textbook presents it as a prose selection noted for its ironic twist ending, a hallmark of O. Henry's style.

Question 2Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

The central character of 'The Cop and the Anthem' is a homeless man named:

  1. Aram
  2. Bob
  3. Jimmy
  4. Soapy Correct answer.

Explanation

Soapy is the vagrant protagonist who schemes to be arrested so he can spend the cold winter in prison. His plans repeatedly fail, and his final resolve to reform is undercut by an ironic arrest.

Question 3Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Cop and the Anthem', what finally causes Soapy to be arrested?

  1. He steals an umbrella from a man.
  2. He fails to pay for a meal at a restaurant.
  3. He smashes a shop window deliberately.
  4. He is caught loitering near a church after deciding to reform. Correct answer.

Explanation

After hearing the church anthem, Soapy resolves to change his life, but a policeman arrests him for loitering near the church. The irony is that his genuine reform is rewarded with the punishment he had earlier sought in vain.

Question 4Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

Which prose selection in the Maharashtra HSC textbook is written by Anton Chekhov?

  1. The Snake and the Mirror
  2. The Cop and the Anthem
  3. The Beggar Correct answer.
  4. On Saying Please

Explanation

'The Beggar' is a short story by the Russian writer Anton Chekhov, translated into English. It concerns an impoverished drunkard whose life is changed by a cook's kindness and honest work.

Question 5Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In Chekhov's 'The Beggar', what does the cook Lushkov do that changes the beggar's life?

  1. She writes a letter to a wealthy relative on his behalf.
  2. She reports him to the police for begging.
  3. She gives him a large sum of money and sends him away.
  4. She gives him a piece of work chopping wood and later employs him. Correct answer.

Explanation

Lushkov sets the beggar to chopping wood so that he earns rather than begs, and this small act of firm kindness begins his reform. Chekhov shows moral change arising from practical help rather than sermons.

Question 6Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

The essay 'On Saying Please' argues that good manners are:

  1. unnecessary in modern city life
  2. a moral duty owed to others regardless of their status Correct answer.
  3. a mark of high social class only
  4. a legal obligation enforced by law

Explanation

A. G. Gardiner argues that courtesy is a small, freely given virtue that makes daily life bearable and should not depend on rank or wealth. His example of the polite bus conductor illustrates that courtesy costs nothing yet has moral value.

Question 7Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

Who wrote the essay 'On Saying Please'?

  1. Bertrand Russell
  2. A. G. Gardiner Correct answer.
  3. E. M. Forster
  4. Aldous Huxley

Explanation

'On Saying Please' is by A. G. Gardiner, an English essayist known for his urbane, conversational prose under the pen name Alpha of the Plough. The essay uses everyday incidents to reflect on courtesy.

Question 8Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Snake and the Mirror', the narrator is a:

  1. retired teacher living with his family
  2. young doctor in a small rented room Correct answer.
  3. student sharing a hostel dormitory
  4. travelling salesman in a hotel

Explanation

The narrator of Basheer's story is a young homeopathic doctor living alone in a rented room with few possessions. The snake's arrival and his fear-driven thoughts about his own vanity form the comic core of the tale.

Question 9Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Snake and the Mirror', why does the narrator feel ashamed after the snake leaves?

  1. He realises he was more concerned about his appearance than his danger. Correct answer.
  2. He had shouted for help from his neighbours.
  3. He had killed the snake without reason.
  4. He had lied to the doctor who treated him.

Explanation

While terrified, the narrator imagines how he looks and worries about his appearance, revealing his vanity. Basheer uses this self-mockery to create humour and gentle satire on human self-image.

Question 10Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

Which selection is a humorous account of two men attempting a domestic task with disastrous results?

  1. The Snake and the Mirror
  2. The Two Gentlemen of Verona Correct answer.
  3. The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse
  4. The Cop and the Anthem

Explanation

The prose selection titled 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' in the textbook is a light comic piece about two men and their mishaps, not Shakespeare's play. Its humour arises from ineptitude and exaggerated mishap.

Question 11Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

The story 'The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse' is set among which community?

  1. Irish
  2. Armenian Correct answer.
  3. Russian
  4. Bengali

Explanation

William Saroyan's story is set among an Armenian family, the Garoghlanians, known for their honesty. The boys' secret borrowing of a horse tests that family reputation for truthfulness.

Question 12Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse', why can Aram's family not be accused of stealing the horse?

  1. The family is famous for its honesty and would never steal. Correct answer.
  2. The horse was legally bought by the boys.
  3. The boys returned the horse before anyone noticed.
  4. The owner had abandoned the horse.

Explanation

The Garoghlanian family prides itself on honesty, so Aram cannot believe his cousin would steal. This reputation shapes the moral tension: the boys borrow the horse but must preserve the family name.

Question 13Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In the prose piece 'The Verger', the main character loses his job because he:

  1. refuses to wear the required robe
  2. argues with the vicar about money
  3. arrives late for work repeatedly
  4. cannot read or write Correct answer.

Explanation

The verger is dismissed when a new vicar discovers he is illiterate, yet he later prospers as a shopkeeper. The story's irony lies in the fact that his supposed disability leads to unexpected success.

Question 14Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

What is the ironic outcome in 'The Verger'?

  1. He learns to read and returns to the church.
  2. The vicar apologises and reinstates him.
  3. He inherits money from the vicar's family.
  4. The illiterate verger becomes a wealthy businessman. Correct answer.

Explanation

After losing his post for being unable to read, the verger opens a successful chain of tobacco shops and grows rich. The irony is that the quality deemed a disqualification becomes the source of his fortune.

Question 15Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

Which of these prose selections deals with the theme of a person's transformation through honest labour?

  1. On Saying Please
  2. The Cop and the Anthem
  3. The Snake and the Mirror
  4. The Beggar Correct answer.

Explanation

In Chekhov's 'The Beggar', the drunkard Lushkov is reformed by being given work and later becomes a sober, employed man. The story illustrates that practical help and dignity restore a person more effectively than charity.

Question 16Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'On Saying Please', the bus conductor is presented as a model of courtesy because he:

  1. gives free tickets to poor passengers
  2. reports the passenger to the police
  3. ignores all passengers equally
  4. treats a rude passenger with patience and good humour Correct answer.

Explanation

The conductor responds to an ill-tempered passenger with unfailing politeness, showing that courtesy is a choice within anyone's power. Gardiner uses him to argue that good manners are independent of social position.

Question 17Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

The prose selection 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank' is set in which kind of place?

  1. A rural village in Russia
  2. A small Indian town with a bank and a temple Correct answer.
  3. A large European city
  4. An American prison

Explanation

The story is set in an Indian town and shows how a rumour spreads through ordinary people and institutions such as the bank. The panic that follows illustrates the power of unverified talk.

Question 18Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

What central idea does 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank' illustrate?

  1. Children cannot be trusted with money.
  2. Banks are always dishonest institutions.
  3. A rumour can spread and cause real damage without any basis. Correct answer.
  4. Hard work is always rewarded in the end.

Explanation

A casual remark grows into a rumour that causes a run on the bank, demonstrating how unverified talk can have serious consequences. The story is a study in the psychology of rumour and panic.

Question 19Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In the prose selection 'The Monkey's Paw', the paw is dangerous because it:

  1. brings good luck to whoever holds it
  2. can only be used once by its owner
  3. belongs to a dangerous wild animal
  4. grants wishes in ways that bring unforeseen harm Correct answer.

Explanation

The monkey's paw grants wishes but twists them so that the fulfilment brings tragedy, as when the wish for money is met by a compensation payment after a death. The story warns against tampering with fate.

Question 20Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

Who is the author of 'The Monkey's Paw'?

  1. W. W. Jacobs Correct answer.
  2. O. Henry
  3. A. G. Gardiner
  4. Anton Chekhov

Explanation

'The Monkey's Paw' is a famous horror story by the English writer W. W. Jacobs. It is known for its suspenseful structure and its moral about the danger of greed and meddling with fate.

Question 21Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

Which of these prose selections uses a first-person narrator recalling a childhood memory?

  1. The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Correct answer.
  2. The Monkey's Paw
  3. On Saying Please
  4. The Verger

Explanation

Saroyan's story is narrated by Aram, who looks back on a boyhood episode involving his cousin and a horse. The first-person retrospective voice gives the story its nostalgic, reflective tone.

Question 22Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Cop and the Anthem', Soapy's repeated failures to be arrested create which literary effect?

  1. satire on religion
  2. tragedy
  3. romantic suspense
  4. irony Correct answer.

Explanation

Each attempt to get arrested fails, and the one moment he decides to reform he is arrested, producing situational irony. The reversal exposes the gap between intention and outcome that defines the story.

Question 23Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In Basheer's 'The Snake and the Mirror', the mirror chiefly serves to:

  1. reveal the narrator's vanity about his appearance Correct answer.
  2. symbolise the doctor's medical skill
  3. show the snake its own reflection
  4. frighten away the snake

Explanation

The mirror reflects the narrator's self-absorption: even in danger he thinks about how he looks. Basheer uses it as a comic device to expose human vanity.

Question 24Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

The essay 'On Saying Please' belongs to which genre?

  1. familiar essay Correct answer.
  2. one-act play
  3. biography
  4. short story

Explanation

It is a familiar essay: a personal, informal piece that reflects on everyday conduct in a conversational style. Gardiner's use of anecdote and gentle argument is typical of the familiar essay form.

Question 25Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

Which statement best captures the moral of Chekhov's 'The Beggar'?

  1. Wealth is the only route out of poverty.
  2. Charity is always wasted on the poor.
  3. Genuine help gives people the means to help themselves. Correct answer.
  4. Begging should be punished by law.

Explanation

Lushkov's firm but kind approach gives the beggar work and self-respect rather than endless alms, and he reforms. Chekhov suggests that enabling self-help is more valuable than mere charity.

Question 26Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Cop and the Anthem', what does Soapy ultimately decide to do after hearing the church anthem?

  1. Leave the city for a warmer climate
  2. Seek revenge on the restaurant staff
  3. Reform his life and find honest work Correct answer.
  4. Return to the restaurant and pay his bill

Explanation

The anthem triggers a moral awakening in Soapy; he resolves to abandon vagrancy and seek employment. This transformation is central to the story's ironic ending, where his newfound resolve is immediately undercut by his arrest.

Question 27Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse', how does Aram justify keeping the horse to himself?

  1. He plans to return the horse after winning a race
  2. He believes the horse was abandoned and needs care
  3. He convinces himself that taking the horse is not stealing because his family is poor Correct answer.
  4. He thinks the owner has too many horses already

Explanation

Aram rationalizes that because his family is poor and the horse's owner is rich, borrowing the horse is not really theft. This self-deception reflects the story's exploration of innocence and moral ambiguity within the Armenian community.

Question 28Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Verger', what immediate consequence does the new vicar's discovery have for Albert Edward Foreman?

  1. He is asked to take a pay cut
  2. He is dismissed from his post as verger Correct answer.
  3. He is transferred to another parish
  4. He is promoted to a higher position in the church

Explanation

The vicar learns that Foreman cannot read or write and insists that a verger must be literate, so Foreman loses his job. This dismissal sets in motion the ironic reversal that leads to his later prosperity.

Question 29Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'On Saying Please', how does the author contrast the bus conductor's behaviour with that of the passenger who abuses him?

  1. The conductor retaliates with equal rudeness
  2. The conductor refuses to collect the fare from the passenger
  3. The conductor reports the passenger to the police
  4. The conductor remains polite and does not let the insult disrupt his duty Correct answer.

Explanation

The author presents the conductor as a model of courtesy who responds to rudeness with calm professionalism. This contrast illustrates the essay's argument that good manners are a form of moral strength, not weakness.

Question 30Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', what role does the barber play in spreading the rumour?

  1. He tries to warn the bank manager about the gossip
  2. He repeats and embellishes the rumour to his customers Correct answer.
  3. He originates the rumour about the bank's collapse
  4. He is the first to withdraw all his money

Explanation

The barber, like other townspeople, passes on and exaggerates the rumour, helping it spread rapidly. This illustrates how gossip gains momentum through repetition and embellishment, a central theme of the story.

Question 31Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Monkey's Paw', what is Mr. White's third wish, and what is its immediate result?

  1. He wishes for the paw to be destroyed, and it vanishes
  2. He wishes for two hundred pounds, and he receives it the next day
  3. He wishes for his son to return, and the son appears at the door
  4. He wishes for his son to be alive again, and the knocking at the door stops Correct answer.

Explanation

Mr. White's third wish is for his resurrected son to go away, and the knocking ceases. This wish is made in terror, and it underscores the story's warning about interfering with fate.

Question 32Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Snake and the Mirror', what does the narrator do immediately after the snake falls on his shoulder?

  1. He sits still, petrified, and prays Correct answer.
  2. He grabs the snake and throws it away
  3. He jumps up and runs out of the room
  4. He calls for his neighbour to help

Explanation

The narrator is paralysed with fear and sits motionless, praying for deliverance. His stillness is a key detail that heightens the story's suspense and humour.

Question 33Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Beggar', how does Lushkoff repay the cook's kindness after he reforms?

  1. He admits that her scolding and hard work motivated him to change Correct answer.
  2. He gives her money from his earnings
  3. He writes her a letter of recommendation
  4. He offers to marry her

Explanation

Lushkoff confesses to the advocate that it was the cook's harsh words and the physical labour she assigned that spurred his transformation. This ironic revelation highlights Chekhov's theme of unintended moral influence.

Question 34Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse', why does Mourad keep the stolen horse hidden in a barn?

  1. To prevent the owner from finding it Correct answer.
  2. To sell it at the market
  3. To protect it from the winter cold
  4. To train it for a race

Explanation

Mourad hides the horse to avoid detection, as the boys know taking it is wrong. His secrecy reflects the story's tension between innocence and moral responsibility.

Question 35Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Cop and the Anthem', why does Soapy fail to get arrested at the restaurant?

  1. He cannot pay the bill, but the waiter takes pity on him
  2. He is thrown out before he can order a meal Correct answer.
  3. He is recognised by a police officer who lets him go
  4. He decides not to enter the restaurant at all

Explanation

Soapy is denied entry to the restaurant because of his shabby appearance, so his plan to dine and refuse payment fails. This pattern of near-arrests contributes to the story's ironic humour.

Question 36Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

What does the mirror symbolise in 'The Snake and the Mirror'?

  1. The narrator's vanity and self-image Correct answer.
  2. The narrator's medical knowledge
  3. The snake's attraction to shiny objects
  4. The narrator's fear of death

Explanation

The mirror reflects the narrator's preoccupation with his appearance and his self-perception as a handsome doctor. It serves as a symbol of vanity, which is gently mocked in the story.

Question 37Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Verger', what is the ironic twist regarding Foreman's illiteracy?

  1. He returns to the church as a vicar
  2. He learns to read and write later in life
  3. His illiteracy becomes the foundation of his business success Correct answer.
  4. He hires a secretary to read for him

Explanation

Foreman's inability to read and write leads to his dismissal, but it also enables him to start a successful tobacconist business because he cannot read the 'No Smoking' signs. This irony is central to the story's theme of unexpected outcomes.

Question 38Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'On Saying Please', what does the author mean by 'good manners are a form of self-respect'?

  1. Courtesy reflects inner discipline and respect for oneself Correct answer.
  2. Good manners are only important in formal settings
  3. Politeness is a sign of weakness
  4. Politeness is a way to gain social status

Explanation

The author argues that good manners stem from self-respect and a disciplined character, not from a desire for approval. This perspective elevates courtesy to a moral quality rather than a superficial social skill.

Question 39Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', what is the ultimate result of the rumour about the bank?

  1. The bank collapses due to a run on withdrawals Correct answer.
  2. The bank receives a government bailout
  3. The townspeople discover the rumour is false and apologise
  4. The bank manager is arrested for fraud

Explanation

The rumour causes panicked customers to withdraw their money, leading to the bank's collapse. This outcome illustrates the destructive power of unverified gossip.

Question 40Prose (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Monkey's Paw', how does Sergeant-Major Morris describe the paw's origin?

  1. It was a family heirloom passed down through generations
  2. It was given to him by a fakir who wanted to prove fate rules life Correct answer.
  3. It was bought at a market in India
  4. It was found in a haunted house

Explanation

Morris explains that the paw was enchanted by an Indian fakir to demonstrate that fate governs human life. This backstory establishes the paw's supernatural power and the theme of destiny.

Question 41Poetry (prescribed textbook selections)

In the MSBSHSE English Poetry section, which poem is written in the form of a sonnet addressed to a season of mist and mellow fruitfulness?

  1. The Inchcape Rock
  2. Ode to a Nightingale
  3. Where the Mind is Without Fear
  4. To Autumn Correct answer.

Explanation

John Keats's 'To Autumn' opens with the address 'Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' and is built as an ode in three eleven-line stanzas, not a ballad or a dramatic monologue. Candidates should link the opening apostrophe to the title.

Question 42Poetry (prescribed textbook selections)

The poem 'The Inchcape Rock' by Robert Southey is best described as which kind of poem?

  1. A narrative ballad telling a moral story Correct answer.
  2. A free-verse meditation on city life
  3. An elegy mourning a dead poet
  4. A Petrarchan sonnet on unrequited love

Explanation

Southey's poem tells a story in ballad stanzas, with narrative action, dialogue and a clear moral outcome. Its legend of the pirate who cuts the warning bell and later drowns on the same rock marks it as a moral ballad rather than a lyric.

Question 43Poetry (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'Where the Mind is Without Fear', the speaker prays that his country awake into a heaven where knowledge is free and the world has not been broken up by which force?

  1. Foreign trade routes
  2. Rising ocean tides
  3. Domestic walls of narrow thinking Correct answer.
  4. Seasonal storms

Explanation

Tagore contrasts a heaven of freedom with a world 'broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls'. The image attacks parochialism and division within the nation, not natural forces.

Question 44Poetry (prescribed textbook selections)

Which figure of speech is used in the line 'The sun came up upon the left, / Out of the sea came he' from 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'?

  1. Personification Correct answer.
  2. Hyperbole
  3. Oxymoron
  4. Onomatopoeia

Explanation

The sun is referred to as 'he' and described as rising 'out of the sea' like a living being, which is personification. Onomatopoeia would require imitative sound, oxymoron a self-contradicting pair, and hyperbole exaggeration.

Question 45Poetry (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'Small Towns and Rivers', the poet presents rivers primarily as what?

  1. Industrial channels for transporting goods
  2. Dangerous floods to be feared
  3. Living presences that carry memory and continuity Correct answer.
  4. Boundaries dividing two nations

Explanation

The poem treats rivers as animate, remembering presences linked to the life of small towns. They embody continuity and cultural memory rather than commerce or political division.

Question 46Poetry (prescribed textbook selections)

The poem 'The Planners' by Boey Kim Cheng is chiefly concerned with which theme?

  1. The rivalry between two architects
  2. The beauty of untouched wilderness
  3. The joy of travelling to new cities
  4. The erasure of history and imperfection by relentless development Correct answer.

Explanation

The speaker criticises planners who grind down the past and 'erase the flaws' of a city, producing sterile perfection. The poem mourns the loss of memory and human imperfection in urban renewal.

Question 47Poetry (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'Father Returning Home', the title figure is shown travelling home by train carrying what characteristic object?

  1. A basket of flowers
  2. A leather briefcase
  3. A fishing rod
  4. A bag stuffed with books Correct answer.

Explanation

Dilip Chitre depicts the father with a 'bag stuffed with books', a detail that signals his clerical, book-bound working life. The image also emphasises the weight and weariness of his daily routine.

Question 48Poetry (prescribed textbook selections)

Which of these poems from the MSBSHSE selection is written by an Indian poet and expresses a prayer for national awakening?

  1. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
  2. Where the Mind is Without Fear Correct answer.
  3. The Inchcape Rock
  4. To Autumn

Explanation

Rabindranath Tagore's 'Where the Mind is Without Fear' is a prayer for a fearless, united and awakened India. The other three poems are by British poets writing in different traditions.

Question 49Poetry (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'To Autumn', the second stanza shifts from the abundance of harvest to which activity?

  1. The first frost killing the crops
  2. The migration of birds to warmer lands
  3. The slow labour of the gleaner and the drowsy reaper Correct answer.
  4. The singing of nightingales in the orchard

Explanation

The middle stanza personifies Autumn as a harvester seen winnowing, reaping and gleaning, half-asleep beside a cider press. This shift from ripeness to labour slows the poem's pace.

Question 50Poetry (prescribed textbook selections)

In 'The Inchcape Rock', Sir Ralph the Rover cuts the bell from the rock chiefly because he wants to do what?

  1. Punish the Abbot for a personal insult
  2. Collect the metal to sell for profit
  3. Spoil the Abbot of Aberbrothok's good work out of spite Correct answer.
  4. Prevent sailors from hearing a false alarm

Explanation

The Rover's motive is malicious delight in undoing the Abbot's charitable deed, as he says the next sailor will not bless the Abbot. It is spite, not need or grievance, that drives him.