Question 1:
‘I got up early, for me." It implies that:
- he was an early riser.
- he was a late riser.
- he got up late that morning.
Answer:
he was a late riser.
Question 2:
The bicycle ‘goes easily enough in the morning and a little stiffly after lunch.’ The remark is:
- humorous
- inaccurate
- sarcastic
- enjoyable
Answer:
humorous, enjoyable
Question 3:
The friend shook the bicycle violently. Find two or three sentences in the text which express the author’s disapproval of it.
Answer:
The following sentences express the author’s disapproval:
(i) It doesn’t if you don’t wobble it.
(ii) I didn’t see why he should shake it.
(iii) I felt as much as I should had he started whacking my dog.
Question 4:
‘‘... if not, it would make a serious difference to the machine.’’ What does ‘it’ refer to?
Answer:
‘It’ refers to the little iron balls in the ball bearing box of the bicycle.
Question 5:
Did the front wheel really wobble? What is your opinion? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer:
In my opinion, the front wheel didn’t wobble. It began to wobble only after the man had repaired it. It began to wobble later because some of the balls were lost.
Question 6:
What was the condition of the bicycle when the author returned from the tool shed?
Answer:
When the author returned from the tool shed, he found the man was holding the front wheel between his legs. He was turning the wheels with his fingers. The rest of the machine lay on the gravel path beside him.
Question 7:
‘Nothing is easier than taking off the gear-case.’ Comment on or continue this sentence in the light of what actually happens.
Answer:
The narrator’s friend stated that it is very easy to handle the gear-case of the bicycle. In reality, it requires a great skill to unscrew it.
Question 8:
What special treatment did the chain receive?
Answer:
First he tightened the chain so much that it could not move. Then, he loosened it so much that it was twice as loose as it was before.
Question 9:
The friend has two qualities—he knows what he is doing and is absolutely sure it is good. Find the two phrases in the text which mean the same.
Answer:
The two phrases are:
(i) cheery confidence in yourself
(ii) your inexplicable hopefulness
Question 10:
Describe ‘the fight’ between the man and the machine. Find the relevant sentences in the text and write them.
Answer:
The friend set out to refix the gear-case. He stood on, above and below the bicycle in different positions to work on it. First he worked from the off side, then from the on side. After that he lay on the ground to work at it from below. He then doubled himself across it, lost his balance and slid over onto his head. Eventually he lost his temper and a fight took place between the cycle and him. One moment the cycle was on gravel path and he was on top of it. The next moment he was on the gravel path and the bicycle on top of him.
Question 11:
Use should/must/ought to appropriately in the following sentences.
People who live in
glass houses _____________ not throw stones on others.
Answer:
should
Question 12:
Use should/must/ought to appropriately in the following sentence.
You _____________ wipe
your feet before coming into the house, especially during the rains.
Answer:
must
Question 13:
Use should/must/ought to appropriately in the following sentence.
You _____________ do
what the teacher tells you.
Answer:
should
Question 14:
Use should/must/ought to appropriately in the following sentence.
The pupils were told
that they _____________ write more neatly.
Answer:
should
Question 15:
Use should/must/ought to appropriately in the following sentence.
Sign in front of a
park: You _____________ not walk on the grass.
Answer:
should
Question 16:
Use should/must/ought to appropriately in the following sentence.
You _____________ be
ashamed of yourself having made such a remark.
Answer:
should
Question 17:
Use should/must/ought to appropriately in the following sentence.
He left home at 9
o’clock. He _____________ be here any minute.
Answer:
ought to
Question 18:
Use should/must/ought to appropriately in the following sentence.
‘Whatever happened to
the chocolate cake?’’
‘‘How _____________ I know? I have just arrived.’’
Answer:
should