Key Concept: About the Author

d) Malayalam

[Solution Description]

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer was a well-known Malayalam writer. His stories were originally written in Malayalam, which is the primary language of Kerala, India. Therefore, the correct answer is Malayalam.

Key Concept: Confident Dreams

b) Shave daily

[Solution Description]

The doctor decided to shave daily, grow a thin moustache, and always keep an attractive smile on his face to look more handsome.

Key Concept: Direct Concepts

c) To make oneself look attractive

[Solution Description] ‘To preen oneself’ means to spend a lot of time making oneself look attractive, and then admiring one’s appearance. The word is often used in disapproval.

Key Concept: Facing Fear

c) He got up quietly and ran away

[Solution Description]

After the snake slithered onto the table, the doctor got up quietly, went out through the door into the veranda, leaped into the yard, and ran for his life.

Key Concept: Comprehension

b) It slithered into the doctor’s lap and then moved towards the mirror

[Solution Description]

The snake unwound itself from the doctor’s arm and slowly slithered into his lap. From there, it crept onto the table and moved towards the mirror.

Key Concept: Character Traits

c) He wanted to make himself look handsome

[Solution Description]

The doctor admired beauty and believed in making himself look handsome. He adjusted his hair parting to look neat and decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to enhance his appearance.

Key Concept: Comprehension

a) Smeared oil and took a bath

[Solution Description] After the doctor escaped from the room, he smeared oil all over himself, took a bath, and changed into fresh clothes. This is directly mentioned in the text.

Key Concept: Narrator\’s Thought Process

c) To shave daily and grow a thin moustache

[Solution Description]

While looking into the mirror, the narrator decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. This was one of his decisions about his appearance.

Key Concept: Character Traits

c) Doctor

[Solution Description]

The narrator explicitly mentions that he was a doctor in the story. This is evident when he says, “I was unmarried and I was a doctor.”

Key Concept: Character Analysis

d) He remained calm

[Solution Description] The doctor did not jump, tremble, or cry out when the snake landed on his shoulder. He remained calm and composed, indicating that he was quick-thinking even in a crisis.

Key Concept: Snake’s Behavior

c) To enjoy its reflection

[Solution Description]

The snake moved towards the mirror because it was fascinated by its own reflection and wanted to observe it more closely.

Key Concept: Basic Concepts

b) To escape from a snake

[Solution Description] The doctor left his room because he encountered a snake and felt it was unsafe to stay there. He went to a friend’s house for safety.

Key Concept: General Knowledge

a) Sree Narayana Guru

[Solution Description]

Sree Narayana Guru was a prominent social reformer from Kerala, advocating equality and social justice.

Key Concept: Structure of the room

b) The roof was tiled with long supporting gables and no ceiling

[Solution Description]

The room had a tiled roof with long supporting gables that rested on the beam over the wall. There was no ceiling, and there was regular traffic of rats to and from the beam.

Key Concept: Snake’s Behavior

c) It looked into the mirror.

[Solution Description]

After coiling around the doctor’s arm, the snake looked into the mirror. It moved towards the mirror to observe its reflection, which suggests it was intrigued by its own image.

Key Concept: Character Analysis

b) He admires his own beauty and decides to shave daily.

[Solution Description]

The doctor admires his own beauty and believes in making himself look handsome. He decides to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to enhance his appearance. This is evident from his thoughts and actions while looking into the mirror.

Key Concept: Realism in Storytelling

c) Everyday life scenarios

[Solution Description] Realism in storytelling involves depicting characters, events, and settings in a way that reflects real life. The correct answer is the option that best defines realism.

Key Concept: Direct Recall

c) He smeared oil all over himself and took a bath

[Solution Description]

The doctor mentioned that he smeared oil all over himself and took a bath immediately after reaching his friend’s house.

Key Concept: Human Vanity

b) A woman doctor with money and a good practice

[Solution Description]

The protagonist decided to marry a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical practice. He also specified that she should be fat so that if he made a mistake and needed to run away, she wouldn’t be able to catch him.

Key Concept: Reflection

d) It was intrigued by the reflection

[Solution Description]

The snake was intrigued by its own reflection in the mirror. It wanted to see its reflection more clearly and spent time looking at it, just like the man had done earlier.

Key Concept: Outcome of Marriage

c) He married a thin, reedy person with the gift of a sprinter

[Solution Description]

Contrary to his initial desire, the doctor ended up marrying a thin, reedy person with the gift of a sprinter, as per God’s will.

Key Concept: Plot Detail

b) To look more handsome

[Solution Description]

The narrator decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to enhance his appearance and look more handsome, as he was a bachelor and a doctor.

Key Concept: Decisions

c) Shave daily and keep an attractive smile

[Solution Description]

The doctor made two decisions while looking into the mirror: he decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache, and he also decided to keep an attractive smile on his face to look more handsome.

Key Concept: Concept: The Snake and the Mirror

b) It slithered into the doctor’s lap and then moved towards the mirror

[Solution Description] In the story “The Snake and the Mirror,” the snake unwound itself from the doctor’s arm and slowly slithered into his lap. From there, it crept onto the table and moved towards the mirror. This suggests that the snake was curious about its own reflection.

Key Concept: Key Decision

b) Shave daily and grow a thin moustache

[Solution Description]

The doctor decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to enhance his appearance.

Key Concept: Quick Thinking

b) To shave daily and grow a moustache

[Solution Description]

The doctor made two decisions while looking into the mirror: to shave daily and grow a thin moustache, and to always keep an attractive smile on his face.

Key Concept: Character Traits

b) A thin reedy person with the gift of a sprinter

[Solution Description]

The doctor describes his wife as a thin reedy person with the gift of a sprinter.

Key Concept: Theme: Fear

c) He was turned to stone and held his breath

[Solution Description]

The doctor’s initial reaction to the snake was one of sheer terror. He described being “turned to stone” and held his breath, unable to move. This fear was heightened by the suddenness of the snake’s appearance and its proximity to his face.

Key Concept: Doctor’s Dreams

b) Shaving daily and growing a thin moustache

[Solution Description] The doctor dreams of shaving daily and growing a thin moustache to look more handsome, as mentioned in the story.

Key Concept: Foreshadowing

c) A warning of something unusual

[Solution Description]

The passage mentions the regular traffic of rats, which creates an unsettling atmosphere. This foreshadows something unexpected or ominous happening later in the story.

Key Concept: Appearance and Dreams

c) Shave daily and grow a thin moustache

[Solution Description] The doctor decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome.

Key Concept: Basic Concepts

c) She is thin and has the gift of a sprinter.

[Solution Description]

The doctor mentions that his wife is a thin, reedy person with the gift of a sprinter. This indicates she is slender and quick.

Key Concept: Alternate Ending

c) He smiles feebly at himself

[Solution Description]

The doctor initially feels a sense of danger and death lurking close by. He acknowledges his lack of preparedness and the absence of any medicine in the room. Despite the fear, he smiles feebly at himself, showing a mix of fear and resignation.

Key Concept: Character Analysis

b) He is proud of his appearance.

[Solution Description]

The doctor is proud of his appearance and admires his own smile. This is evident from the text where he says, “I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile.”

Key Concept: Activities

d) All of the above

[Solution Description]

After the narrator could not sleep, he got up and went out to the veranda for a little air. When he found no wind, he returned to the room, sat on a chair, opened a box beneath the table, took out the Materia Medica book, and opened it at the table.

Key Concept: Basic Understanding

c) Doctor

[Solution Description] The narrator mentions that he was unmarried and a doctor, indicating his profession.

Key Concept: Character Analysis

c) It was enjoying its reflection in the mirror

[Solution Description] In the story, the snake unwound itself from the doctor’s arm and slowly slithered into his lap. From there, it moved onto the table and crept towards the mirror. This indicates that the snake wanted to see its reflection closely.

Key Concept: Reaction of the protagonist

d) He remained still and silent.

[Solution Description]

The passage states, “I didn’t jump. I didn’t tremble. I didn’t cry out. There was no time to do any such thing.” This indicates that the protagonist did not react immediately due to the suddenness of the event.

Key Concept: Plot Understanding

b) To look more handsome.

[Solution Description]

The doctor believed that growing a thin moustache would make him look more handsome, especially since he was a bachelor and a doctor.

Key Concept: Physical Position of the Snake

d) Around his left arm above the elbow.

[Solution Description]

The snake slithered along the doctor’s shoulder and coiled around his left arm above the elbow.

Key Concept: Author’s Thoughts

b) He admired his beauty and decided to look more handsome.

[Solution Description]

The author admired his own beauty and decided to make himself look more handsome. He adjusted his hair using a comb and made decisions about shaving daily and growing a thin moustache.

Key Concept: Basic Concept

a) Redemption

[Solution Description]

The main theme of the story “The Thief” revolves around the transformation of a thief who learns the value of honesty and trust.

Key Concept: Vanity and Self-Admiration

b) To look more handsome

[Solution Description] The doctor in the story was very conscious of his appearance and wanted to look more handsome. He believed that shaving daily and growing a thin moustache would enhance his looks, especially since he was a bachelor and a doctor.

Key Concept: Snake and the Mirror

c) It admired its reflection and moved towards the mirror

[Solution Description]

The snake turned its head and looked into the mirror. It seemed to admire its own reflection, unwound itself from the doctor’s arm, and slowly slithered towards the mirror.

Key Concept: Reaction to Danger

c) He ran away as fast as he could.

[Solution Description]

When the snake moved towards the mirror, the author got up from the chair quietly and went out through the door into the veranda. From there, he leapt into the yard and ran for all he was worth. This shows that the author took immediate action to escape from the dangerous situation.

Key Concept: Foreshadowing, Irony

b) The doctor’s obsession with cleanliness and appearance

[Solution Description]

The thief leaving behind the dirty vest foreshadows the doctor’s continued focus on appearances, even after the traumatic event. It highlights the irony of his vanity, as he is more concerned about the cleanliness of his vest than the loss of his other belongings.

Key Concept: Understanding the Narrative

b) Moves towards the mirror

[Solution Description]

The snake unwinds itself from the doctor’s arm and slowly slithers into his lap. From there, it creeps onto the table and moves towards the mirror, possibly to enjoy its reflection at closer quarters.

Key Concept: Humorous Contrast

b) Due to the contrasts between dreams and reality

[Solution Description]

The story becomes humorous due to the contrasts it presents between dreams and reality. The doctor’s actions and the thief’s choice to leave the dirty vest create a humorous situation despite the seriousness of the theft.

Key Concept: Sentence Length

b) Short, incomplete sentences

[Solution Description] The second translation is characterized by short, incomplete sentences. This style creates a more fragmented and immediate narrative effect.

Key Concept: The Snake and the Mirror

c) It moved towards the mirror.

[Solution Description]

The snake unwound itself from the narrator’s arm, slithered into his lap, crept onto the table, and moved towards the mirror to enjoy its reflection at closer quarters.

Key Concept: Comprehension

b) It moved towards the mirror

[Solution Description]

The snake unwound itself from the doctor’s arm and slowly slithered into his lap. From there, it crept onto the table and moved towards the mirror.

Key Concept: Character Decision

c) To shave daily and grow a thin moustache

[Solution Description]

The doctor made two significant decisions: to shave daily and grow a thin moustache, and to always keep an attractive smile on his face. These decisions were aimed at making him look more handsome.