Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
A little later, when he went to the pump to wash, he saw the school children pouring by with their
satchels across their shoulders. They all wore the same clothes – grey shorts or skirts and light blue shirts
or blouses – faded and mended, and they all had their hair oiled and combed down very flat. Some
went by in laughing, racing groups, others had to be led by their mothers or grandparents to the school
building. This reminded him of his sisters in the village. The boys in the kitchen now looked at him with less hostility. Jagu seemed pleased with Hari too, and
sometimes handed him a glass of tea in the middle of the day. When he had a few moments to spare,
Jagu sat down at one of the long wooden tables, drummed loudly on it and sang a song in a dialect Hari
did not know. When he caught Hari listening and smiling, he smiled back. Then Hari knew that he too
had a village somewhere that he called home. It was just that he was a silent, hardworking, worried man
and had no time and no gift for speech.
It was the watch mender, Mr. Panwallah, who was truly a benefactor, the kindest and most helpful of
all. One afternoon, during those hot, still hours when there were no customers for a change, Hari was
standing in front of the eating house, idly watching the traffic because he was too tired to do anything
else, and Mr. Panwallah called to him to come and sit beside him on the bench behind the counter in his
shop.
“Want to help?” he asked. “Want to learn how to make a clock tick? I’m just going to open this big
grandfather clock sent to me for repair – you’ll be able to see the workings plain. Don’t often get a
piece like this anymore - wall clocks, yes, and electronic gadgets – but you don’t often come upon a
grandfather clock like this. It’s a real piece of luck, being able to show you one of this size. Look,” he said,
swinging open the door at the back and revealing the machinery to a fascinated Hari who felt as if the
door had opened into a new and strange house. Mr. Panwallah showed Hari what was wrong with it,
what had made it stop. “Interesting, isn’t it? How would you like to learn? Tell you what – I’ll take you
on as an apprentice. You don’t have much to do between two and four, do you? Of course you will have
to ask Jagu first. I can pay you a little, not much, and you can help me for two hours a day. Perhaps I can
make a watch mender of you.” -Village by the Sea, Anita Desai
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(i) For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage) from the options
provided:
1. satchels (line 2)
(a) snatching (b) scarves. (c) school bags (d) sweaters
2. spare (line 7)
(a) share (b) offer (c) thin (d) extra
(ii) Which word in the passage is the opposite of ‘closed”?
(a) behind (b) fascinated (c) opened (d) revealing
(iii) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words:
(a) How were the school children dressed?
(b) In what way was Jagu kind to Hari?
(c) What did the song tell Hari about Jagu?
(d) Which sentence in the passage tells us that Jagu was not a talkative man?
(e) Why were there no customers at that time of the day?
(iv) In not more than 50 words describe how Mr. Panwallah introduced Hari to watch mending.
Show SolutionHide Solution↓
(i) 1. Correct option: (c) school bags
Explanation:Thesentencedescribesschoolchildren
carrying satchels across their shoulders, which
refers to school bags used to carry books and other
materials.
2. Correct option: (d) extra
Explanation: The sentence mentions that Jagu used
his “few moments to spare,” meaning the extra
time he had available. “Spare” in this context means
additional or free time.
(ii) Correct option: (c) opened
Explanation: The passage states, “Look,” he said,
swinging open the door at the back and revealing
the machinery to a fascinated Hari who feel as if the
door had “opened” int a new strange house.
Here, “opened” is the opposite of “closed,” as it
refers to making something accessible by moving a
cover or barrier.
(iii) (a)Thestudentsweredressedinfadedandmended
uniforms. Boys wore grey shorts and blue shirts
andgirlsworeskirtsandblouses ofthe same colour.
(b) Jagu was a cheerful character who enjoyed singing
in his local language. He was kind-hearted enough
to offer tea to Hari.
(c) The song revealed Jagu’s sensitive heart and his
willingness to be friendly with Hari. The smile he
gaveHariwhenthelatterseemedtolistensmilingly
to the song was one of acceptance. Hari felt a sense
of belonging to the village because Jagu seemed
friendly. (d) The sentence is “It was just that he was a silent,
hardworking, worried man and had no time and
no gift for speech.” ‘No gift of speech’ reveals that
he was not a talkative man.
(e) The afternoon was hot, still and stifling, and
people preferred to stay indoors rather than going
to the eatery and have hot teas. Hence, there was
practically no footfall at the place.
(iv) Summary
Rough Draft [50 words]
Panwallah invited Hari to see
the workings Of a huge
grandfather clock. Opening the door
at its back, he revealed
the machinery. The interior looked
like a strange house. He
revealed the problem that made
the clock stop and offered
to make Hari his apprentice
or a potential watch mender.
[50]
Panwallah invited Hari to see
the workings of a huge
grandfather clock. Opening the door
at its back, he revealed
the machinery. The interior looked
like a strange house. He
revealed the snag that made
the clock stop and offered
to make Hari his apprentice
or a potential watch mender.