Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
In those days I worked in a cubicle, two whole sides of which were French windows. (I didn’t know at that time they were called French windows.) Seeing me sitting at my desk tearing up newspapers day in and day out, most people thought I was doing next to nothing. It is likely that the Boss thought likewise too. So anyone who felt I should be given some occupation would barge into my cubicle and deliver an extended lecture. The ‘boy’ in the makeup department had decided I should be enlightened on how great literary talent was being allowed to go waste in a department fit only for barbers and perverts. Soon I was praying for crowdshooting all the time. Nothing short of it could save me from his epics
(Poets and pancakes)
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Question (i)
List any two sensory details present in this extract.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
Two possible sensory details present in this extract are:
- The sight of the cubicle with two sides of French windows
- The sound of the 'boy' in the makeup department delivering an extended lecture
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to identify two details from the extract that appeal to one or more of the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch.
- Sensory details help the reader to imagine and understand the situation better.
- In this extract, one possible sensory detail is the sight of the cubicle with two sides of French windows, which shows the appearance and location of the narrator's workplace.
- Another possible sensory detail is the sound of the 'boy' in the makeup department delivering an extended lecture, which shows the annoyance and boredom of the narrator who had to listen to his epics.
- Therefore, these are two possible sensory details present in this extract.😊
Question (ii)
What was the narrator's job in the studio?
- Tearing up newspapers
- Writing scripts
- Editing films
- Shooting crowds
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(a) Tearing up newspapers
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to recall the information given in the extract about the narrator's job in the studio.
- The extract tells us that the narrator worked in a cubicle where he sat at his desk tearing up newspapers day in and day out.
- This was his job as a scriptwriter who had to cut out news items and stories from newspapers and magazines and use them as sources for his scripts.
- Therefore, the correct option is A. Tearing up newspapers.😎
Question (iii)
Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase "fit only for barbers and perverts" shows that ____________.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
the 'boy' in the makeup department had a low opinion of his own department
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to find a phrase that best completes the sentence and matches the context of the extract.
- The phrase "fit only for barbers and perverts" shows that the 'boy' in the makeup department had a negative and contemptuous view of his own department and the people who worked there.
- He compared them to barbers, who cut hair, and perverts, who have abnormal or unacceptable sexual behavior.
- Therefore, the phrase that fits the blank is the 'boy' in the makeup department had a low opinion of his own department.👏
Question (iv)
Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line "most people thought I was doing next to nothing".
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
One possible inference that can be drawn from the line "most people thought I was doing next to nothing" is that the narrator's job was not appreciated or understood by others in the studio.
Step-by-step explanation:
- They did not realize that tearing up newspapers was a part of his creative process as a scriptwriter, and they assumed that he was idle and unproductive.
- They also did not respect his privacy or space, and they barged into his cubicle to give him some occupation or lecture.
- Therefore, this line suggests the narrator's frustration and isolation in his workplace.🙏
Question (v)
What does the term 'epics' mean in this context?
- Long poems about heroic deeds
- Long stories about historical events
- Long speeches about literary talent
- Long films about grand themes
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(c) Long speeches about literary talent
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to know the meaning of the term 'epics' in this context.
- Epics are usually long poems or stories that narrate the adventures and achievements of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation.
- However, in this context, the term 'epics' is used sarcastically by the narrator to refer to the long speeches that the 'boy' in the makeup department delivered to him about how great literary talent was being wasted in a department fit only for barbers and perverts.
- Therefore, the correct option is C. Long speeches about literary talent.👍
Question (vi)
Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
- The Misunderstood Scriptwriter
- The Enlightened Makeup Boy
- The French Windows in the Cubicle
- The Tearing of Newspapers
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(a) The Misunderstood Scriptwriter
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to identify the main theme or message of the extract.
- The extract focuses on how the narrator, who was a scriptwriter in the studio, was not valued or recognized by others for his work. He had to tear up newspapers as a part of his job, but most people thought he was doing next to nothing.
- He also had to endure the unwanted lectures and advice from the 'boy' in the makeup department, who thought that his own department was inferior and unsuitable for literary talent.
- The narrator felt annoyed and bored by his epics and wished for crowdshooting to save him.
- Therefore, the headline that best captures this idea is A. The Misunderstood Scriptwriter.😊
