Question 1 - Chapter 4 - The Adventure - Hornbill - Chapters (Literature) - English Class 11

Read the extract and answer the following questions.

Extract:

“This train goes to the Victoria Terminus*. I will take the Frontier Mail tonight out of Central.” “How far does it go? By what route?” “Bombay to Delhi, then to Lahore and then Peshawar. A long journey. I will reach Peshawar the day after tomorrow.” Thereafter, Khan Sahib spoke a lot about his business and Gangadharpant was a willing listener. For, in that way, he was able to get some flavour of life in this India that was so different. The train now passed through the suburban rail traffic. The blue carriages carried the letters, GBMR, on the side.

(The Adventure)

Question (i)

What is the name of the station where Gangadharpant boarded the train?

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

Gangadharpant boarded the train at Victoria Terminus.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer: 🚂

•   To answer this question, we need to read the extract carefully and look for clues that tell us where Gangadharpant got on the train.
•   The first sentence of the extract says, "This train goes to the Victoria Terminus". This implies that Gangadharpant is already on the train and is talking to Khan Sahib, who is his co-passenger.
•   The second sentence of the extract says , "I will take the Frontier Mail tonight out of Central". This tells us that Gangadharpant is planning to change trains at Central station, which is in Bombay.
•   Therefore, we can infer that Gangadharpant boarded the train at Victoria Terminus, which is also in Bombay and is the terminus of the GBMR line.

Question (ii)

 What does GBMR stand for in the context of the extract?

Answer:

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Answer as written by the student:

 GBMR stands for Great Bombay Metropolitan Railway.

 Step-by-step explanation of the answer: 🚆

•    To answer this question, we need to use our knowledge of abbreviations and railway history.
•    Abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases that are used to save space or time. For example, UN stands for United Nations and ASAP stands for as soon as possible.
•    Railway history tells us that different regions of India had different railway companies that operated under British rule. For example, there was the East Indian Railway (EIR), the North Western Railway (NWR), and the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR).
•    The extract mentions that the blue carriages carried the letters GBMR on the side. This means that GBMR is an abbreviation for a railway company that operated in Bombay (now Mumbai).
•    The only option that matches this description is Great Bombay Metropolitan Railway. Therefore, GBMR stands for Great Bombay Metropolitan Railway.

Question (iii)

 Why was Gangadharpant a willing listener to Khan Sahib's talk about his business?

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

 Gangadharpant was a willing listener to Khan Sahib's talk about his business because he wanted to get some flavour of life in this India that was so different from his own.

 Step-by-step explanation of the answer: 🗣️

•    To answer this question, we need to understand the theme and plot of the story.
•    The theme of the story is adventure and time travel. Gangadharpant is a historian who accidentally travels back in time from 1947 to 1918 due to a solar eclipse. He finds himself in a different India that is under British rule and has not yet witnessed the freedom struggle or partition.
•    The plot of the story follows Gangadharpant's journey as he tries to find his way back to his own time and place. He meets Khan Sahib, who is a businessman and a freedom fighter, on a train from Bombay to Delhi. Khan Sahib helps him with money and clothes and tells him about his business and political activities.
•    Therefore, we can infer that Gangadharpant was a willing listener to Khan Sahib's talk about his business because he wanted to get some flavour of life in this India that was so different from his own. He was curious and interested in learning more about this historical period and its people.

Question (iv)

 How does the author create a sense of contrast between the two Indias that Gangadharpant experiences?

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

The author creates a sense of contrast between the two Indias that Gangadharpant experiences by using details such as names, places, routes, and colours.

 Step-by-step explanation of the answer: 🎨

•    To answer this question, we need to analyse how the author uses language and imagery to create a sense of contrast between the two Indias that Gangadharpant experiences.
•    Contrast is a literary device that shows how two or more things are different or opposite. It can be used to highlight differences in characters, settings, themes, or moods.
•    The author uses details such as names, places, routes, and colours to create a sense of contrast between the two Indias that Gangadharpant experiences. For example:
•      Names: The author uses names such as Khan Sahib, Peshawar, Lahore, Frontier Mail, etc. These names belong to an India that was undivided and had a large Muslim population. They contrast with names such as Gandhi, Nehru, Partition, etc. that belong to an India that was divided and had a Hindu majority.
•     Places: The author uses places such as Victoria Terminus, Central, Bombay, Delhi, etc. These places belong to an India that was under British rule and had a colonial influence. They contrast with places such as Azad Maidan, Rajghat, Mumbai, New Delhi, etc. that belong to an India that was independent and had a national identity.
•      Routes: The author uses routes such as Bombay to Delhi, then to Lahore and then Peshawar. These routes belong to an India that was connected and had a common railway network. They contrast with routes such as Bombay to Delhi, then to Amritsar and then Wagah. These routes belong to an India that was separated and had a border checkpoint.
•      Colours: The author uses colours such as blue and red. These colours belong to an India that was under British rule and had the Union Jack as its flag. They contrast with colours such as saffron, white, and green. These colours belong to an India that was independent and had the Tricolour as its flag.

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