Question 4 - Chapter 1 - The Portrait of a Lady - Hornbill - Chapters (Literature) - English Class 11

Read the extract and answer the following questions.

Extract:

When I went up to University, I was given a room of my own. The common link of friendship was snapped. My grandmother accepted her seclusion with resignation. She rarely left her spinning-wheel to talk to anyone. From sunrise to sunset she sat by her wheel spinning and reciting prayers. Only in the afternoon she relaxed for a while to feed the sparrows. While she sat in the verandah breaking the bread into little bits, hundreds of little birds collected round her creating a veritable bedlam of chirrupings. Some came and perched on her legs, others on her shoulders. Some even sat on her head. She smiled but never shooed them away. It used to be the happiest halfhour of the day for her.

(The Portrait of a Lady)

Question (i)

What was the common link of friendship that was snapped between the narrator and his grandmother?

Answer:

Answer by the student:

The common link of friendship that was snapped between the narrator and his grandmother was their sharing of the same room.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to identify the words and phrases that the narrator uses to describe the common link of friendship that was snapped between him and his grandmother in the extract. We can use bullet points to list them:

given a room of my own

The common link of friendship was snapped

accepted her seclusion with resignation

• We can then use these points to write a complete sentence that summarizes the common link of friendship that was snapped between the narrator and his grandmother. We can use simple words and connect them with conjunctions like “and” or “because”. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words. For example:
• The common link of friendship that was snapped between the narrator and his grandmother was their sharing of the same room because he was given a room of his own and she accepted her seclusion .😊

Question (ii)

How did the narrator’s grandmother spend most of her time in the city?

(a) She went out to meet new people and explore new places

(b)  She sat by her wheel spinning and reciting prayers

(c) She read books and watched television

(d) She cooked and cleaned for her family

Answer:

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Answer by the student:

(b) She sat by her wheel spinning and reciting prayers

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to recall what the narrator says about his grandmother’s activities in the city in the extract. We can use quotation marks to indicate the exact words that he says. For example:
• He says that she “sat by her wheel spinning and reciting prayers”.
• We then need to compare this statement with the four given options and choose the one that matches it best. We can use a process of elimination to rule out the options that are different from what he says. For example:
• Option A is different because he does not mention anything about his grandmother going out or meeting new people or exploring new places.
• Option C is different because he does not mention anything about his grandmother reading books or watching television.
• Option D is different because he does not mention anything about his grandmother cooking or cleaning for her family.
• We can then conclude that option B is the correct answer because it is the same as what he says about his grandmother’s activities in the city. We can use bold formatting to indicate our choice. For example:
• The correct answer is B. She sat by her wheel spinning and reciting prayers .👍

Question (iii)

What did the narrator’s grandmother do to relax for a while in the afternoon?

Answer:

Answer by the student:

The narrator’s grandmother relaxed for a while in the afternoon by feeding the sparrows.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to locate the information that is directly given in the extract. We can use skimming and scanning skills to find the relevant part of the text quickly. For example:
• Skimming is reading quickly to get the main idea or gist of a text.
• We can skim the extract and see that it is about how the narrator’s grandmother’s life changed after moving to the city.
• Scanning is reading quickly to find specific details or facts in a text.
• We can scan the extract and look for keywords or phrases related to the question, such as “relaxed”, “afternoon”, or “sparrows”.
• We can then use these skills to find the answer in the fourth sentence of the extract. We can use quotation marks to indicate the exact words from the text. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words. For example:
• The answer is given in the fourth sentence of the extract: “Only in the afternoon she relaxed for a while to feed the sparrows “.😊

Question (iv)

How does the extract show that feeding sparrows was a source of happiness for the narrator’s grandmother?

Answer:

Answer by the student:

The extract shows that feeding sparrows was a source of happiness for the narrator’s grandmother by describing her smile and her interaction with the birds.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to infer how feeding sparrows was a source of happiness for
• the narrator’s grandmother from her actions and words in
• the extract. We can use clues such as verbs, adverbs, or expressions to help us. For example:
• The narrator says that she smiled but never shooed them away.
• The narrator says that some sparrows came and perched on her legs, shoulders, and head.
• The narrator says that it used to be the happiest half-hour of the day for her.
• We can then use these clues to write a complete sentence that explains how feeding sparrows was a source of happiness for
• the narrator’s grandmother in the extract. We can use simple words and connect them with conjunctions like “and” or “by”. We can also use bold formatting to highlight the key words. For example:
• The extract shows that feeding sparrows was a source of happiness for the narrator’s grandmother by describing her smile and her interaction with the birds.😊

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