I85PREP
⌘ K
Maharashtra SSC English - Second/Third Language (MSBSHSE) study materials
Maharashtra SSC English - Second/Third Language (MSBSHSE) study resources

Maharashtra SSC English - Second/Third Language (MSBSHSE) practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Maharashtra SSC English - Second/Third Language (MSBSHSE) understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In the Maharashtra SSC English textbook, the prose lesson 'The Thief's Story' by Ruskin Bond is narrated by which character?

  1. Hari Singh Correct answer.
  2. The police inspector
  3. Anil
  4. The magistrate

Explanation

The story is told in the first person by Hari Singh, the young thief who befriends and then robs Anil. Readers learn events only through Hari's thoughts and observations, which is why the narrative voice is his and not the victim's or an official's.

Question 2Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

What does the narrator of 'The Thief's Story' finally do with the stolen money?

  1. He buys a ticket to a distant city
  2. He gives it to the police inspector
  3. He returns it to Anil Correct answer.
  4. He hides it under a tree

Explanation

Hari Singh takes the money from under Anil's mattress but, remembering Anil's trust and the promise of learning to write, he comes back and slips it back. The return marks the turning point of the story and shows his conscience winning over greed.

Question 3Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In the lesson 'On Saying Please', what does the author argue a person should do when a waiter or attendant is rude?

  1. Answer rudeness with equal rudeness
  2. Report him at once to the manager
  3. Keep one's temper and behave courteously Correct answer.
  4. Refuse to pay for the service

Explanation

The essay argues that good manners are a social duty and that courtesy should be maintained even when others are rude. The author insists that one person's bad manners do not justify bad manners in return, since politeness is a moral quality we control ourselves.

Question 4Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Gift of the Magi', why does Della decide to sell her hair?

  1. To buy a platinum fob chain for Jim's watch Correct answer.
  2. To buy a Christmas turkey
  3. To buy herself a set of combs
  4. To pay the rent for their flat

Explanation

Della sells her long hair to a wigmaker so that she can buy a Christmas present worthy of Jim's treasured watch. The chain she chooses is the gift, and the irony is that Jim has sold the watch to buy combs for her hair.

Question 5Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In the prose lesson 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', what rumour spreads through the town?

  1. That the bank is going to close down Correct answer.
  2. That a new branch is opening nearby
  3. That the interest rates will be doubled
  4. That the manager has run away abroad

Explanation

A careless remark by the sweeper Nathu is repeated and distorted until people believe the bank is failing. The panic leads customers to withdraw their money, showing how an unverified rumour can damage an institution.

Question 6Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

Which quality of Anil in 'The Thief's Story' most affects Hari Singh's decision to reform?

  1. His wealth and social position
  2. His friendship with the police
  3. His strictness about money
  4. His trust and willingness to teach Hari Correct answer.

Explanation

Anil takes Hari in, feeds him, and promises to teach him to write, showing trust rather than suspicion. It is this generosity and the hope of education that make Hari feel unable to betray him, so the transformation rests on trust and teaching.

Question 7Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'On Saying Please', the author uses the example of a bus conductor chiefly to show that

  1. passengers should carry exact change
  2. public transport workers are usually rude
  3. courtesy can be given freely and costs nothing Correct answer.
  4. conductors deserve higher wages

Explanation

The conductor in the essay is cheerful and polite even when passengers are not, and the author uses him to illustrate that good manners are a free gift anyone can offer. The example supports the argument that courtesy is a moral choice, not a paid service.

Question 8Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

What is the central irony in 'The Gift of the Magi'?

  1. Della's hair grows back within a week
  2. The gifts bought by both prove useless because of each other's sacrifice Correct answer.
  3. Jim earns more than Della expected
  4. The couple forget to celebrate Christmas

Explanation

Each partner sells the very thing the other's gift was meant to adorn, so the presents cannot be used. This double sacrifice is the irony, yet the story treats it as proof of the depth of their love rather than as a waste.

Question 9Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', which sequence best matches the spread of the rumour?

  1. Sweeper to servant to townspeople to bank customers Correct answer.
  2. Customers to manager to sweeper to servants
  3. Police to manager to newspaper to customers
  4. Manager to clerk to sweeper to townspeople

Explanation

The rumour begins with Nathu the sweeper, passes to the servant of a bank employee, and then circulates among townsfolk until customers rush to withdraw money. Tracing this chain shows how distortion grows with each retelling.

Question 10Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In the lesson 'The Turning Point of My Life' (prescribed prose), what kind of turning point does the narrator describe?

  1. A victory in a school competition
  2. A sudden change of career caused by an accident
  3. A gradual realisation that reshaped his outlook Correct answer.
  4. A financial windfall that made him rich

Explanation

The narrator presents the turning point as an inner, gradual change in understanding rather than a single dramatic event. The lesson's message is that life's direction can shift through quiet reflection and experience.

Question 11Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Thief's Story', what detail shows that Hari Singh is an experienced, calculating thief before he meets Anil?

  1. He writes letters to his family
  2. He owns a shop in the town
  3. He keeps changing his name and appearance to avoid suspicion Correct answer.
  4. He has never spoken to a policeman

Explanation

Hari explains that he changes his name frequently and adjusts his manner to suit each target, which shows practised deception. This background makes his eventual choice to return the money a genuine change of heart.

Question 12Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'On Saying Please', the author treats bad manners as

  1. a private matter with no effect on others
  2. a breach of social duty that harms others Correct answer.
  3. a sign of high intelligence
  4. a crime punishable by law

Explanation

The essay argues that manners are not trivial but a form of social obligation, because rudeness spreads unhappiness to others. The author therefore treats bad manners as a moral failing rather than a legal offence.

Question 13Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

What does the platinum fob chain in 'The Gift of the Magi' symbolise about Della's feelings for Jim?

  1. Her hope of selling it later for profit
  2. Her desire to give him something worthy of her love Correct answer.
  3. Her regret at having married him
  4. Her wish to display his wealth to others

Explanation

Della searches for a gift 'worthy' of Jim and chooses the chain because it suits his prized watch, expressing her devotion. The chain's quiet simplicity mirrors the couple's poverty and the sincerity of their love.

Question 14Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', what finally restores calm among the bank's customers?

  1. The bank produces enough cash to pay every depositor Correct answer.
  2. The manager makes a public speech denying the rumour
  3. The sweeper is dismissed from his job
  4. The police arrest the gossipmongers

Explanation

The bank survives the run only because it can pay the anxious depositors, proving that it is solvent. The lesson's point is that facts and demonstrated strength, not mere denials, restore confidence.

Question 15Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Thief's Story', the promise 'I will teach you to write' is significant because it

  1. proves that Anil is wealthy
  2. offers Hari a future beyond stealing Correct answer.
  3. persuades the police to release Hari
  4. frightens Hari into leaving town

Explanation

Literacy represents respectability and a way to earn honestly, so Anil's promise gives Hari something to lose by stealing. The offer of education is what makes betrayal feel impossible and drives the story's moral climax.

Question 16Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'On Saying Please', the author's tone towards those who are rude is best described as

  1. angry and sarcastic
  2. bitter and vengeful
  3. gently persuasive and mildly humorous Correct answer.
  4. coldly scientific

Explanation

The essay persuades through light humour and everyday examples rather than scolding, which suits its aim of changing behaviour. This genial tone lets the author make a moral point without sounding preachy.

Question 17Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

Which statement best captures the theme shared by 'The Thief's Story' and 'The Gift of the Magi'?

  1. Secrecy always leads to disaster
  2. Selfless love or trust can transform people Correct answer.
  3. Poverty destroys all human goodness
  4. Wealth is the surest route to happiness

Explanation

Both stories show that generosity and trust change people: Hari reforms because of Anil's faith, and the couple's mutual sacrifice deepens their love. Neither story claims that poverty destroys goodness; rather, goodness shines through hardship.

Question 18Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', the author's main purpose is to satirise

  1. the inefficiency of sweeper services
  2. the dishonesty of servants
  3. the credulity of people and the power of gossip Correct answer.
  4. the greed of bank managers

Explanation

The story ridicules how quickly people believe and repeat unverified talk, and how panic feeds on itself. The bank is nearly ruined not by fraud but by the town's readiness to believe a rumour.

Question 19Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Gift of the Magi', the narrator's remark that the magi 'invented the art of giving Christmas presents' serves mainly to

  1. elevate the couple's sacrifice above mere cleverness Correct answer.
  2. suggest that gifts should always be expensive
  3. prove that the story is historically accurate
  4. criticise Jim and Della for being foolish

Explanation

The closing allusion to the Magi frames Jim and Della as truly wise givers because their gifts came from sacrifice, not calculation. The narrator thus praises their love while gently noting that their choices were 'foolish' in a worldly sense.

Question 20Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

Comparing the two thieves' figures in the prescribed prose-Hari Singh in 'The Thief's Story' and the narrator's attitude to wrongdoing in 'On Saying Please'-which contrast is most accurate?

  1. Hari is punished by law, while the essay ignores wrongdoing
  2. Hari never steals, while the essay describes a theft
  3. Hari feels guilt and repents, while the essay argues that wrongdoing should be met with courtesy Correct answer.
  4. Hari is a policeman, while the essay praises crime

Explanation

Hari's story dramatises personal repentance, whereas the essay argues that one should answer others' faults with patience and good manners. The contrast is between an inner moral change and a social rule for responding to rudeness.

Question 21Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Thief's Story', why does Hari Singh find it difficult to board the train with the stolen money?

  1. The train has already left the platform
  2. He has lost the money in the crowd
  3. He is stopped by the police at the station
  4. His conscience troubles him as he thinks of Anil's trust Correct answer.

Explanation

As Hari waits at the station, he recalls Anil's kindness and the promised lessons, and his conscience refuses to let him leave. The internal conflict, not an external obstacle, is what turns him back.

Question 22Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In the prescribed prose 'The Turning Point of My Life', the narrator suggests that a turning point is often recognised

  1. immediately, at the moment it happens
  2. by other people before oneself
  3. through official certificates and awards
  4. only in hindsight, after its effects become clear Correct answer.

Explanation

The narrator reflects that we usually understand the significance of a decisive experience only later, when we see how it shaped us. This emphasis on retrospection is central to the lesson's reflective tone.

Question 23Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'On Saying Please', which example best matches the author's idea that courtesy is 'contagious'?

  1. A conductor refuses to give change to a passenger
  2. A polite word from the conductor calms an irritated passenger Correct answer.
  3. A passenger shouts at the conductor and others join in
  4. A passenger reports the conductor to the depot manager

Explanation

The author suggests good manners spread from person to person just as rudeness does, so a calm, polite response can soften another's temper. This illustrates his claim that courtesy, like bad temper, passes between people.

Question 24Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

A student writes about 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank': 'The story shows that a single careless sentence can harm many people.' Which detail from the lesson best supports this statement?

  1. The bank hires new clerks during the year
  2. The manager counts the cash in the vault every evening
  3. The townspeople celebrate a festival near the bank
  4. Nathu's remark about the bank is repeated until customers withdraw their savings Correct answer.

Explanation

The harm in the story flows directly from an offhand remark that grows into a rumour and triggers a run on the bank. This detail supports the student's claim about the wide consequences of careless speech.

Question 25Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Gift of the Magi', which sentence best states the narrator's attitude to Jim and Della's 'foolishness'?

  1. He admires it as wiser than worldly cleverness Correct answer.
  2. He ignores it and describes only their poverty
  3. He treats it as a joke with no serious meaning
  4. He condemns it as reckless and selfish

Explanation

The narrator calls the couple foolish yet compares them favourably to the Magi, implying that sacrificial love is a higher wisdom. The tone is tender and admiring rather than mocking or condemnatory.

Question 26Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In the prescribed prose lesson 'The Thief's Story', Anil first meets Hari Singh under what circumstances?

  1. Hari Singh, watching a wrestling match, flatters Anil and asks for work. Correct answer.
  2. Anil catches Hari Singh stealing from a shop and offers him work instead of the police.
  3. Hari Singh approaches Anil at a wrestling match and flatters him into a friendship.
  4. Hari Singh tries to rob Anil on a train and is caught by a fellow passenger.

Explanation

The lesson opens with Hari Singh, then a practised fifteen-year-old thief, meeting Anil at a wrestling match. He flatters the young man and asks for work, and Anil, who is easy-going and trusting, agrees to feed and teach him. The meeting is the starting point of the moral change the story traces.

Question 27Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'On Saying Please', how does the author explain that good manners cost the person who practises them nothing?

  1. Courtesy matters only between equals, so no one is ever placed under an obligation.
  2. Politeness is valuable only because it earns the speaker a reputation for good breeding.
  3. Good manners are a duty imposed by law and so require no personal sacrifice.
  4. Courtesy is a small courtesy of speech and manner that creates goodwill without any expense or loss to the giver. Correct answer.

Explanation

The author's argument is that a courteous word or gesture is freely given and costs the giver nothing, yet it multiplies goodwill and makes daily life smoother. He contrasts this with rudeness, which is equally free but spreads ill feeling. Courtesy is therefore a kind of moral small change that everyone can afford.

Question 28Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Gift of the Magi', why does Della visit the shops and haggle so fiercely over the price of her hair?

  1. She is collecting money to pay the rent on their flat.
  2. She is buying a winter coat for herself before Jim comes home.
  3. She hopes to sell her hair and then buy back the same hair as a wig.
  4. She wants to buy a gift for Jim but has only one dollar and eighty-seven cents saved. Correct answer.

Explanation

Della has saved a tiny sum, one dollar and eighty-seven cents, and cannot buy a worthy present for Jim with it. Her only valuable possession is her long hair, so she sells it and bargains hard to get the best price. The haggling shows her determination to give Jim something fine.

Question 29Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', who is Nathu and what is his job at the beginning of the story?

  1. The manager of the bank who first hears the rumour.
  2. A young sweeper boy who works at the bank and complains about unpaid wages. Correct answer.
  3. A customer who comes to withdraw his savings in a panic.
  4. A newspaper reporter who spreads the story for a scoop.

Explanation

Nathu is the sweeper boy employed at the bank, and the story begins with his grumbling complaint that his wages have not been paid. His careless talk sets the rumour in motion. He is a minor employee, not an official, which makes the rumour's reach all the more striking.

Question 30Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In the prescribed lesson 'The Turning Point of My Life', the narrator's turning point is shown to arise mainly from which kind of experience?

  1. An unexpected personal encounter or event that changes the direction of his thinking. Correct answer.
  2. A formal examination result that decided his future career.
  3. A long family discussion in which the elders chose his profession.
  4. A carefully planned programme of study that he followed from childhood.

Explanation

The lesson presents a turning point as something that arrives through an unforeseen experience rather than through planning. The narrator looks back and sees how a particular incident redirected his life. The emphasis is on the transformative power of a single moment seen clearly only in retrospect.

Question 31Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Thief's Story', which detail best shows that Anil is careless about money and trusting by nature?

  1. He keeps his money under the mattress and never counts it before sleeping. Correct answer.
  2. He locks his cash in a strong box and hides the key.
  3. He refuses to teach Hari Singh to write until the boy earns his trust.
  4. He threatens to call the police when Hari Singh first asks for work.

Explanation

Anil's habit of stuffing notes under the mattress and not checking them reveals a trusting, unworldly man. This carelessness is exactly what tempts Hari Singh. It also makes Anil's later forgiveness more striking, since he had every reason to be suspicious.

Question 32Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'On Saying Please', the author's account of the bus conductor chiefly illustrates which point about courtesy?

  1. Courtesy is a sign of weakness that confident people can safely ignore.
  2. Courtesy can be shown by anyone in any position and wins respect without any show of authority. Correct answer.
  3. Courtesy is a formal rule that passengers must be forced to obey.
  4. Courtesy is a matter of birth and cannot be learnt by ordinary people.

Explanation

The conductor is a humble employee, yet his cheerful politeness wins the passengers' goodwill and even makes them behave better. The author uses him to show that courtesy does not depend on rank or wealth. It is available to everyone and quietly commands respect.

Question 33Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Gift of the Magi', what makes Jim's reaction when he sees Della's short hair so important to the story?

  1. He stares at her with a strange expression because the combs he has bought are now useless. Correct answer.
  2. He does not notice the change in her hair at all.
  3. He is angry because she has spoilt her appearance before the party.
  4. He immediately suggests that she buy a wig with the money he has saved.

Explanation

Jim's odd, stunned look is explained when the reader learns he has sold his watch to buy the ornamental combs Della had longed for. Her cropped hair makes the gift useless, just as his watch makes her chain useless. The moment completes the story's pattern of exchanged sacrifices.

Question 34Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank', which chain of people carries the rumour outward from Nathu's remark?

  1. The watchman, then the postman, then the schoolteacher.
  2. The customers, then the government inspectors, then the court.
  3. Nathu, then the tailor, then the washerman, then the barber and others in the town. Correct answer.
  4. The bank manager, then the police, then the town newspaper.

Explanation

The rumour grows as it passes from one servant or tradesman to another, each adding a detail. Nathu's complaint reaches the tailor, then the washerman, then the barber, and so on through the town. The story uses this chain to show how distortion and panic spread.

Question 35Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

Which line of reasoning best explains why the humour in 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank' is satirical rather than merely comic?

  1. It makes readers laugh at the exaggerated panic while exposing how easily crowds abandon reason. Correct answer.
  2. It laughs at the foolishness of a single character and leaves society untouched.
  3. It relies on puns and wordplay rather than on situation.
  4. It ends with a moral speech that tells readers exactly what to think.

Explanation

Satire corrects folly by making it ridiculous, and here the target is the crowd's readiness to believe and act on a wild report. The exaggeration of the panic is funny, but the laughter is aimed at a real human weakness. The story does not simply mock one person; it holds up a mirror to society.

Question 36Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Thief's Story', Hari Singh's decision to return the stolen money is best understood as a conflict between which two forces?

  1. Hunger for easy money and the pull of the trust and respect Anil has shown him. Correct answer.
  2. Loyalty to his old companions and ambition to become rich quickly.
  3. Love of travel and longing for a settled home.
  4. Fear of the police and desire for a reward.

Explanation

Hari Singh is a skilled thief who acts on habit and need, yet Anil's kindness and the promise to teach him to write awaken a different self. The struggle is between the old life of easy money and the new possibility of self-respect. His return to Anil shows which force wins.

Question 37Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In the prescribed prose lessons, which pair of characters most clearly illustrates that generosity is measured by sacrifice rather than by the price of a gift?

  1. The bus conductor and the rude passenger
  2. Jim and Della Correct answer.
  3. Nathu and the bank manager
  4. Anil and Hari Singh

Explanation

Jim and Della each give up the possession they value most, and the gifts they buy become useless, yet the sacrifice is what makes the gifts precious. The narrator calls them the wisest of all who give and receive. Price is beside the point; the cost to the giver is everything.

Question 38Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

A student argues that 'On Saying Please' and 'The Boy Who Broke the Bank' both warn about the power of small things. Which comparison states this most accurately?

  1. In both, the central figure is a bank employee who loses his job.
  2. In both, the author argues that rules and laws are the only reliable guide to conduct.
  3. In both, the main lesson is that money should be saved carefully for emergencies.
  4. In both, a small act of speech or behaviour has large consequences, whether spreading goodwill or spreading panic. Correct answer.

Explanation

The essays share a theme about scale: a courteous word can brighten a whole bus, while a careless complaint can empty a bank. Both authors show that minor human actions ripple outward. The comparison is about consequences, not about money or rules.

Question 39Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Turning Point of My Life', why does the narrator say a turning point is often recognised only after it has passed?

  1. Because the event is kept secret from the narrator by others.
  2. Because its importance becomes clear only when later events reveal what it led to. Correct answer.
  3. Because turning points are always recorded in official documents.
  4. Because the narrator has forgotten the details of the event.

Explanation

At the moment of an unexpected event, a person cannot see where it will lead. Looking back, the narrator can trace the consequences and so identify the moment as decisive. The insight depends on hindsight rather than on secrecy or records.

Question 40Prose (Prescribed Textbook Lessons) - Reading Comprehension and Text-Based Questions

In 'The Thief's Story', what does Anil's silence about the theft after Hari Singh returns the money suggest about him?

  1. He no longer trusts Hari Singh and stops teaching him to write.
  2. He knows what happened but chooses to forgive and to keep teaching the boy. Correct answer.
  3. He is planning to hand Hari Singh over to the police later.
  4. He is unaware that the money was ever taken.

Explanation

The notes are damp and the boy has returned, and Anil's quiet acceptance implies that he understands without accusing. He continues the lessons and even gives Hari Singh a note, showing forgiveness rather than punishment. This mercy is what finally changes the boy.

Question 41Poetry (Prescribed Poems) - Comprehension, Appreciation, and Figures of Speech

In the prescribed poem 'Where the Mind is Without Fear', the speaker asks that his countrymen be led forward by which quality?

  1. obedience to custom
  2. desire for material wealth
  3. ever-widening thought and action Correct answer.
  4. fear of worldly punishment

Explanation

Tagore's prayer ends by asking that the mind be led 'forward into ever-widening thought and action', presenting free, expanding reason as the guiding force rather than fear or habit. The other qualities either belong to the 'narrow domestic walls' the poet rejects or to the dead habit he prays against.

Question 42Poetry (Prescribed Poems) - Comprehension, Appreciation, and Figures of Speech

What figure of speech dominates the line 'Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake'?

  1. Simile using 'as'
  2. Onomatopoeia of an alarm
  3. Personification of the country as a sleeper Correct answer.
  4. Hyperbole of endless sleep

Explanation

The country is treated as a living being that can be roused from sleep, which is personification. The line has no comparison with 'as', no sound-imitation, and no deliberate exaggeration of quantity, so the other labels do not fit.

Question 43Poetry (Prescribed Poems) - Comprehension, Appreciation, and Figures of Speech

In 'The Pilgrim', why does the poet describe the road as 'long and weary'?

  1. To suggest the pilgrim has lost the way
  2. To show the hardship that tests the pilgrim's devotion Correct answer.
  3. To prove the journey is physically impossible
  4. To compare the road with a river

Explanation

The weariness of the road is a test of the traveller's steadfastness, a common idea in devotional poetry where the difficulty of the path measures the sincerity of the seeker. The road is not said to be impassable, and the pilgrim is not described as lost.

Question 44Poetry (Prescribed Poems) - Comprehension, Appreciation, and Figures of Speech

Which line from a prescribed poem best illustrates 'alliteration'?

  1. 'Silent and slow the shadows creep' Correct answer.
  2. 'O my Luve's like a red, red rose'
  3. 'Ten thousand saw I at a glance'
  4. 'The moon was a ghostly galleon'

Explanation

Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words, as in 'silent and slow the shadows'. The other lines illustrate metaphor, simile and hyperbole respectively, not alliteration.

Question 45Poetry (Prescribed Poems) - Comprehension, Appreciation, and Figures of Speech

In 'The Height of the Ridiculous', what finally happens to the poet's servant after he reads the poet's humorous verses?

  1. He writes a reply in verse
  2. He bursts into uncontrollable laughter Correct answer.
  3. He falls asleep from boredom
  4. He becomes angry and leaves

Explanation

The comic poem turns on the servant laughing so violently at the verses that he cannot stop, and the poet is told he died of laughter. The humour lies in the exaggerated effect of the writing on the reader.

Question 46Poetry (Prescribed Poems) - Comprehension, Appreciation, and Figures of Speech

In 'Animals', the poet says he stands and looks at the animals 'long and long'. What does this phrase chiefly convey?

  1. Weariness after a long walk
  2. Fear of their wildness
  3. Confusion about their habits
  4. Sustained, admiring contemplation Correct answer.

Explanation

The repetition of 'long' stresses the length and steadiness of the poet's gaze, showing quiet admiration rather than fatigue or alarm. The whole poem turns on his preference for the calm self-possession of animals over human restlessness.

Question 47Poetry (Prescribed Poems) - Comprehension, Appreciation, and Figures of Speech

In 'The Twins', the poet contrasts two brothers chiefly to bring out which idea?

  1. That physical strength decides a person's worth
  2. That wealth is the only measure of success
  3. That brothers always quarrel over money
  4. That outward differences may hide inner likeness Correct answer.

Explanation

The poem sets the two brothers side by side and shows how appearances and habits differ while their essential nature remains the same. The irony works by exposing how people judge by surface detail.

Question 48Poetry (Prescribed Poems) - Comprehension, Appreciation, and Figures of Speech

A question on a prescribed poem asks you to identify the 'rhyme scheme' of a four-line stanza. What should you do first?

  1. Write the central idea of the poem
  2. Count the total number of words in the stanza
  3. Mark the final sound of each line with a letter Correct answer.
  4. Identify the figure of speech in line one

Explanation

Rhyme scheme is recorded by giving the same letter to lines that end with the same sound, so labelling line-endings comes first. Word counts, figures of speech and theme belong to other kinds of appreciation questions.

Question 49Poetry (Prescribed Poems) - Comprehension, Appreciation, and Figures of Speech

In 'O Captain! My Captain!', the captain is 'fallen cold and dead' while the ship has 'weather'd every rack'. What does the contrast chiefly express?

  1. Joy at the ship's safe return with no sorrow
  2. Anger that the voyage was badly managed
  3. Relief that the captain has retired
  4. Triumph for the nation coupled with grief for its leader Correct answer.

Explanation

The safe arrival of the ship stands for the success of the national cause, while the dead captain stands for the murdered leader, so victory and mourning are held together. The poem's emotional force depends on that double feeling.

Question 50Poetry (Prescribed Poems) - Comprehension, Appreciation, and Figures of Speech

Which figure of speech is used in 'The wind was a torrent of darkness'?

  1. Oxymoron
  2. Onomatopoeia
  3. Metaphor Correct answer.
  4. Simile

Explanation

The wind is directly called a torrent of darkness, an identification without 'like' or 'as', which makes it a metaphor. A simile would need an explicit comparison word, and the other devices do not match the structure.