Class 11 English Hornbill (Reading Skills) Chapter 1 The Portrait Of a Lady

Key Concept: Understanding the Text

b) The material of the photograph frame

[Solution Description]

In the poem “A Photograph,” the word ‘cardboard’ refers to the material on which the photograph is mounted. It is used to describe the old and fragile nature of the photograph, highlighting the passage of time and the memories associated with it.

Key Concept: Thinking about language

c) Punjabi

[Solution Description]

The author, Khushwant Singh, and his grandmother likely communicated in their native language, which is Punjabi. This is inferred from the cultural context of the story and the setting in a traditional Indian household where elderly family members often prefer their mother tongue.

Key Concept: Understanding the text

c) The author’s grandmother and her grandfather’s photograph

[Solution Description]

The first paragraph of “The Portrait of a Lady” describes the author’s grandmother and her grandfather’s photograph. This is a direct fact from the text.

Key Concept: Vocabulary

a) Walking in water for fun

[Solution Description]

In the poem, “paddling” refers to the action of walking or playing in shallow water, as the two girl cousins are described as holding the mother’s hands while they went paddling. This suggests that it means walking in water for fun.

Key Concept: Different senses of the word ‘tell’

d) give information to somebody

[Solution Description]

The word ‘tell’ in this sentence is used to convey information or communicate something to someone. Here, the grandmother is informing her family about her impending death.

Key Concept: Accompanying Him to School

c) The school was attached to the temple.

[Solution Description]

The grandmother accompanied the narrator to school because the school was attached to the temple, and she would sit inside reading the scriptures while the children were taught by the priest.

Key Concept: Past Perfect Tense

b) It was the first time since I had known her that she did not pray.

[Solution Description]

The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is formed using “had” + the past participle of the verb. In the sentence “It was the first time since I had known her that she did not pray,” the verb “had known” is correctly used in the past perfect tense to indicate that the knowing occurred before the event of her not praying.

Key Concept: Grandmother’s Death

c) They flew away quietly

[Solution Description]

When the grandmother’s corpse was carried off, the sparrows took no notice of the bread crumbs that were thrown to them and flew away quietly.

Key Concept: Inference

b) A photograph mounted on cardboard

[Solution Description]

The word ‘cardboard’ refers to a photograph mounted on cardboard. It is used to describe the physical form of the photograph that captures a moment from the past, specifically showing the poet’s mother and her cousins during a beach holiday.

Key Concept: Personality Traits

b) Revolting, serenity, and resignation

[Solution Description]

The text uses words like “revolting,” “serenity,” and “resignation” to convey the grandmother’s character and the narrator’s perception of her. These words help paint a vivid picture of her personality.

Key Concept: Symbolism – The Sparrows

b) Her nurturing and compassionate nature

[Solution Description] The sparrows that the grandmother feeds symbolize her nurturing and compassionate nature. Their silence after her death expresses their sorrow, highlighting the deep bond she shared with all living beings.

Key Concept: Grandmother’s Relationship with Sparrows

c) Feeding the sparrows

[Solution Description]

The grandmother’s happiest moment of the day was in the afternoon when she fed the sparrows. She would sit in the verandah breaking bread into little bits, and hundreds of sparrows would gather around her, creating a joyful atmosphere.

Key Concept: Role of the Priest

b) The alphabet and the morning prayer

[Solution Description]

The priest taught the children the alphabet and the morning prayer. This is directly stated in the passage.

Key Concept: Emotional Response

b) She showed no emotion and continued praying

[Solution Description]

The grandmother did not show any emotion when the narrator decided to go abroad. She quietly kissed his forehead and continued praying with her rosary, indicating her acceptance of the separation.

Key Concept: Friendship Change

b) When the narrator’s parents settled in the city

[Solution Description]

The turning point in their friendship was when the narrator’s parents sent for them to settle in the city. At this point, the grandmother no longer accompanied the narrator to school, leading to a gradual decrease in their interaction.

Key Concept: Understanding the text

a) Childhood in the village, city schooling, university abroad

[Solution Description]

The author’s relationship with his grandmother went through three phases:

1) When he was a child and they lived together in the village.

2) When he moved to the city for school, which caused a distance between them.

3) When he went to university abroad, leading to further separation.

These phases show the evolving nature of their bond as the author grew older.

Key Concept: Early Bond

c) She was reading the scriptures

[Solution Description]

The grandmother sat inside reading the scriptures because the school was attached to the temple. The text states, “While the children sat in rows on either side of the verandah singing the alphabet or the prayer in a chorus, my grandmother sat inside reading the scriptures.”

Key Concept: Symbolism

c) Bittersweet acceptance of loss

[Solution Description]

The line “Both wry with the laboured ease of loss” suggests that both the poet and her mother experience a sense of irony and sadness as they deal with the inevitability of loss. The ‘wryness’ indicates a bittersweet acceptance of this loss.

Key Concept: Winter Landscape

c) White

[Solution Description]

The primary color associated with a winter landscape is white, due to the snow that covers the ground, trees, and other surfaces.

Key Concept: Physical Appearance

b) Silver and untidy

[Solution Description]

The grandmother had silver locks that were scattered untidily over her pale, puckered face.

Key Concept: Character Relationship

b) To teach the narrator prayers

[Solution Description]

The grandmother recited her morning prayer in a monotonous sing-song to help the narrator learn it by heart. She hoped that the narrator would listen and memorize the prayer through repetition. Although the narrator loved her voice, he never bothered to learn the prayer.

Key Concept: The Grandmother’s Reaction to Music Lessons

b) She remained silent, showing her disapproval.

[Solution Description]

The grandmother was very disturbed by the idea of music lessons. To her, music had lewd associations and was the monopoly of harlots and beggars, not meant for gentlefolk. She said nothing, but her silence meant disapproval.

Key Concept: Comprehension

b) They flew away quietly.

[Solution Description]

The passage states that “When we carried my grandmother’s corpse off, they flew away quietly.” Therefore, the sparrows flew away quietly when the grandmother’s corpse was carried off.

Key Concept: Character Description

b) Leaning forward with a stoop

[Solution Description]

The grandmother is described as having a stoop, which she balances by resting one hand on her waist. This detail highlights her aged and frail posture.

Key Concept: Religious Person

b) She was seen telling the beads of her rosary.

[Solution Description]

The author describes his grandmother as a deeply religious person. She is often seen telling the beads of her rosary, which indicates her devotion to prayer and faith. This is one of the primary ways the author highlights her religious nature.

Key Concept: Phase 2: Moving to the City

c) It included English words and Western science.

[Solution Description]

In Phase 2: Moving to the City, the grandmother was unhappy with the author’s education because it included English words and Western science, which she did not believe in. She was also distressed that there was no teaching about God and the scriptures.

Key Concept: Character Description

c) She believed music was meant only for harlots and beggars.

[Solution Description] The grandmother had a negative attitude towards music, associating it with lewdness and considering it inappropriate for gentlefolk. This is evident when she was disturbed by the narrator’s announcement of music lessons and her subsequent silence, which indicated disapproval.

Key Concept: Understanding the Text

c) Village school

[Solution Description]

The author initially went to a village school, as mentioned in the text. This is a direct fact from the autobiographical account.

Key Concept: Literary Device

a) Metaphor

[Solution Description] The phrase “a turning-point” uses metaphor, a literary device that compares two unlike things directly without using “like” or “as.” Here, it refers to a significant moment of change in the narrative.

Key Concept: Autobiographical Account

b) The personal experiences of the author

[Solution Description] An autobiographical account is a written record of a person’s life, written by that person. It primarily focuses on the personal experiences and events in the author’s life.

Key Concept: Simile Identification

b) Her eyes sparkled like diamonds.

[Solution Description] A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using “like” or “as.” Among the options, “Her eyes sparkled like diamonds” is a simile because it uses “like” to compare her eyes to diamonds.

Key Concept: Grandmother’s Daily Routine

c) She spun yarn and recited prayers all day.

[Solution Description] After the author grew up, the grandmother spent most of her day spinning and reciting prayers. This is evident from the text where it states, “From sunrise to sunset she sat by her wheel spinning and reciting prayers.”

Key Concept: Understanding the text, Thinking about language

d) Pain intertwined with gradual acceptance

[Solution Description]

The phrase “the laboured ease of loss” indicates a contradiction between effort and simplicity. The narrator feels the pain of losing his mother (laboured), but over time, he has come to accept it (ease). This paradox highlights the complexity of dealing with grief, where acceptance coexists with lingering sadness.

Key Concept: Irony in “The Portrait of a Lady”

c) She showed no emotion or sentimentality

[Solution Description]

The author expected his grandmother to be upset when he decided to go abroad for further studies. However, she showed no emotion or sentimentality, which is ironic because one would expect a grandmother to be emotional at such a moment of parting.

Key Concept: Descriptive Imagery

c) A scene of loud and chaotic bird sounds.

[Solution Description]

The phrase “a veritable bedlam of chirrupings” describes the sounds made by birds. The word ‘bedlam’ refers to a scene of uproar and confusion. Thus, the phrase implies that the chirrupings were loud, chaotic, and created an atmosphere of noise and activity.

Key Concept: Grandmother’s Daily Routine

a) Spinning and reciting prayers

[Solution Description]

The grandmother spent her day spinning and reciting prayers from sunrise to sunset. She only took a break in the afternoon to feed the sparrows.

Key Concept: Talking about the text

c) They gathered quietly and did not eat the bread crumbs

[Solution Description]

When the author’s grandmother died, the sparrows expressed their sorrow by sitting scattered on the verandah and in her room, right up to where she lay dead. They did not chirrup or eat the bread crumbs offered to them, showing their grief silently.

Key Concept: Religious Activity

b) Sang religious hymns

[Solution Description]

The grandmother collected the women of the neighborhood, got an old drum, and started to sing. She thumped the sagging skins of the dilapidated drum and sang of the home-coming of warriors for several hours.

Key Concept: Rosary in Hand

c) Her unwavering faith and devotion

[Solution Description]

The grandmother is depicted as a deeply religious and prayerful person throughout the story. Her constant use of the rosary, whether she is walking around the house, at the railway station, or on her deathbed, signifies her unwavering faith and devotion to her prayers. This act symbolizes her spiritual focus and her serene acceptance of life’s events, including her impending death.

Key Concept: Talking about the text

c) They sat silently and refused to eat.

[Solution Description]

The sparrows expressed their sorrow by sitting scattered on the floor of the verandah and room without chirruping. They refused to eat the bread crumbs offered to them, which was unusual as they normally would have eaten them. When the grandmother’s corpse was carried off, they flew away quietly, showing their grief.

Key Concept: Understanding the text

c) There was no teaching about God and the scriptures

[Solution Description]

The grandmother was distressed because the city school did not teach about God and the scriptures, which were important to her. Additionally, she did not believe in the things taught at the English school.

Key Concept: Character Behavior

c) She remained silent and prayed

[Solution Description]

When the narrator decided to go abroad, the grandmother was not upset or sentimental. She came to the railway station to see him off but did not talk or show any emotion. Instead, she silently kissed his forehead and continued her prayers.

Key Concept: Understanding the text

c) She focused on praying and telling her beads.

[Solution Description]

The author’s grandmother believed that her end was near and decided to stop talking to focus on praying and telling her beads. She ignored the protests of the family and peacefully passed away while praying. This behavior shows her strong religious faith and acceptance of her impending death.

Key Concept: Character Analysis

b) She prepared breakfast and recited prayers while helping the narrator get ready for school.

[Solution Description]

The grandmother would wake up the narrator, help him get ready for school, recite her morning prayer, prepare his wooden slate, ink-pot, and pen, and give him breakfast. She also carried stale chapattis for the village dogs. This routine indicates her disciplined and caring nature.

Key Concept: Concept: Western Science

b) The law of gravity

[Solution Description]

The narrator taught his grandmother concepts of western science such as the law of gravity, Archimedes’ Principle, and the world being round. These teachings made her unhappy because she did not believe in them.

Key Concept: Spiritual Strength

c) She omitted her prayers and sang to celebrate the author’s homecoming.

[Solution Description]

In her final hours, the grandmother omitted her prayers for the first time to sing and celebrate the author’s homecoming. When she fell ill, she calmly accepted her impending death and spent her last moments in prayer.

Key Concept: Contextual Meaning

b) Brief

[Solution Description]

The word “transient” is used to describe something that is not permanent or lasting for only a short time. In the poem, it refers to the fleeting nature of the moment captured in the photograph.

Key Concept: Character Analysis

c) She was very disturbed and disapproved silently

[Solution Description]

The grandmother was very disturbed by the announcement of music lessons because she believed that music had lewd associations and was not meant for gentlefolk. She did not say anything but her silence indicated disapproval. Her reaction shows her traditional beliefs and disapproval of modern education.

Key Concept: Sparrows’ Reaction

c) Flew away quietly

[Solution Description] When the grandmother’s corpse was carried away, the sparrows flew away quietly. This action further emphasized their sense of loss and mourning for her.

Key Concept: Unusual Behavior Before Death

c) They sat silently and ignored the bread crumbs

[Solution Description]

After the grandmother’s death, thousands of sparrows gathered in her room and verandah, sitting silently without chirruping. They did not eat the bread crumbs offered to them and flew away quietly when her corpse was taken for cremation.

Key Concept: Main Events

c) They sat quietly and did not eat.

[Solution Description]

The sparrows expressed their sorrow by sitting quietly in the verandah and room where the grandmother’s body lay. They did not chirp or eat the bread crumbs offered to them. Their silence and refusal to eat showed their grief over her death.

Key Concept: Expected Emotional Reaction

c) She remained calm and prayed

[Solution Description]

The grandmother did not show any emotion or talk much. She came to the railway station, moved her lips in prayer, and silently kissed the narrator’s forehead.

Key Concept: Character Analysis

b) She showed no emotion and silently prayed

[Solution Description]

The grandson expected his grandmother to be upset when he left for abroad. However, she was not sentimental. She came to the railway station but did not talk or show any emotion. Her lips moved in prayer, and she silently kissed his forehead. This indicates her calm and composed nature despite the separation.

Key Concept: Symbolism, Comparative Literature

a) Darkness as internal human nature vs. darkness as societal corruption

[Solution Description] In “Lord of the Flies,” darkness symbolizes the inherent savagery within humans, as shown by the boys’ descent into chaos. In “Heart of Darkness,” darkness represents the moral corruption and exploitation in colonial Africa. While both use darkness to depict savagery, “Lord of the Flies” focuses on internal human nature, whereas “Heart of Darkness” critiques external societal structures.

Key Concept: Inference

b) The sea

[Solution Description] The poem states that ‘the sea, which appears to have changed less,’ suggesting that the sea remains relatively unchanged over the years. This contrast with the transient nature of human life is highlighted by the poet.

Key Concept: Grandmother’s Routine

c) She did not believe in the teachings of the English school

[Solution Description]

The grandmother sat inside reading the scriptures because she did not believe in the things taught at the English school and preferred to focus on her religious practices.

Key Concept: Talking about the text

b) Strong and resilient

[Solution Description] The text suggests that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character. Instances like her resilience and her ability to adapt to changing circumstances support this description.

Key Concept: Contextual Meaning

b) A calm and peaceful appearance

[Solution Description]

The phrase “an expanse of pure white serenity” describes the grandmother’s face, which is portrayed as calm and peaceful despite her age and wrinkles. The use of “pure white serenity” suggests a state of tranquility and peacefulness, emphasizing the grandmother’s calm demeanor.

Key Concept: Feeding Sparrows

b) In the courtyard

[Solution Description]

In the city house, the grandmother fed the sparrows in the courtyard. This was mentioned as part of her routine in the city.

Key Concept: Behavioral Change

c) She was celebrating the homecoming of warriors

[Solution Description]

The woman stopped praying and started singing with the drum to celebrate the homecoming of warriors. This was a significant change in her behavior, as she had never skipped her prayers before.

Key Concept: Universal Themes, Personal Reflection

c) The evolution of familial bonds over time

[Solution Description] The story delves into the theme of generational relationships and the inevitable changes that occur as individuals grow and evolve. It reflects on how these relationships shape personal identity and how the passage of time affects familial bonds, making it a universally relatable experience.

Key Concept: Religious Beliefs

b) It did not teach about God and the scriptures

[Solution Description]

The grandmother was distressed because the English school did not teach about God and the scriptures, which she believed were important.

Key Concept: Basic Knowledge

b) 1915

[Solution Description]

Khushwant Singh was born in the year 1915. This is a well-known fact about the author.

Key Concept: Grandmother’s Disapproval of Western Education

c) She was unhappy and distressed by it

[Solution Description]

The grandmother was unhappy with the narrator learning about western science and learning, such as the law of gravity, Archimedes’ Principle, and the world being round. She did not believe in these concepts and was distressed because there was no teaching about God and the scriptures.

Key Concept: Description of the Grandmother

a) Short, fat, and slightly bent with a wrinkled face

[Solution Description]

The grandmother was described as short, fat, and slightly bent. Her face was covered with wrinkles, and she had silver locks scattered untidily over her pale face. She hobbled about the house in spotless white clothes, always telling the beads of her rosary.

Key Concept: Past Perfect Tense

b) The train had left before we arrived at the station.

[Solution Description]

The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is formed using had + past participle of the verb. Among the options, the sentence that correctly uses the past perfect tense is “The train had left before we arrived at the station.”