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Sunday, February 14, 2021

SSLC English Exam 2021: Focus Area Lesson 5 - "THE BEST INVESTMENT I EVER MADE" - passage-based Q&A and Grammar elements

 The Best Investment I Ever Made


1. Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow:

 On the second day, out from New York, while making the round of the promenade deck, I suddenly became aware that one of the passengers was watching me closely, following me with his gaze every time I passed. I wanted to rest, to avoid the tedium of casual and importunate ship-board contacts. I gave no sign of having noticed the man.

 1. When and where does the incident mentioned in the passage occur?

2. What did the narrator suddenly aware of?

3. What was the stranger doing?

4. Why did the narrator ignore the man?

5. Pick out a word that is similar to ‘boredom’ in meaning.

2. Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow:

 On the following forenoon, I again observed my fellow voyager watching me earnestly from his deck chair. Now a lady was with him, obviously his wife. The situation by this time had begun to intrigue me. I discovered from my steward that they were Mr and Mrs John S_ from a small suburb of London. When another day passed without event, I began to feel certain that Mr S_ would remain too shy to carry out his obvious desire to approach me. However, on our final evening at sea Mrs S_ decided the matter. With a firm pressure on his hand and a whispered word in his ear, she urged her husband towards me as I passed along the deck.

     1.     What did the narrator observe the following forenoon?

2.     Who was now with his fellow voyager?

3.     What did the narrator discover from his steward?

4.     According to the narrator, what was the problem of his fellow  voyager?

5.     On their final evening at sea, how did Mrs S_ decide the matter?

3. Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow:

   There was in his voice and manner, indeed in his whole personality, a genuine enthusiasm that was disarming. I found myself liking him instinctively. Questioning him further, I learnt that he and his wife had been active for the past 15 years in the field of youth welfare. He was by profession, a solicitor, but in addition to his practice at the courts, found time to act as director of a charitable organisation devoted to the care of boys and girls, mostly from city slums, who had fallen under the ban of the law.


1.     What was disarming in the whole personality of the man?

2.     When questioned further, what did the narrator learn about the man?

3.     What was the  man by profession?

4.     What was the man doing in addition to his profession?

5.     Pick out a word that means ‘making someone like you’.

 4. Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow:

I was a young doctor at the time and had just set up a practice in a working-class district of London. On a foggy November night, towards one o'clock, I was awakened by a loud banging on the door. Hurriedly, I threw on some clothes and went downstairs. It was a sergeant of police, in dripping helmet and cape, mistily
outlined on the doorstep. A suicide case, he told me abruptly, in the lodgings around the corner-I had better come at once.

1.    Where was Dr. Cronin practising when he was a young doctor?

2.     What awakened Dr. Cronin from his sleep at night?

3.     Who banged on the door?

4.     What happened in the lodgings around the corner?

5.     ‘I had better come at once.’  Replace the underlined phrase with a suitable word from the brackets.     (once, immediately, easily, tomorrow.)


5. Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow:

As he regained his strength, he told us his story. His parents were dead. An uncle had found him a position as clerk in a London solicitor's office. He had been in the city only six months. Utterly friendless, he had fallen victim to the loose society of the streets, had made bad companions and like a young fool, eager to taste pleasure far beyond his means, had begun to bet on horses. Soon he had lost all his small savings, had pledged his belongings and owed the book-maker a disastrous amount. In an effort to recoup, he had taken a sum of money from the office safe for a final gamble that, he was assured, was certain to win. But this last resort had failed. Terrified of the prosecution that must follow, sick at heart, sunk in despair, he had shut himself in his room and turned on the gas.

1.     How did the young man arrive in the town?

2.     What kind of a life  did he lead in the town?

3.     What did he do to recoup his loss?

4.     How did he try to commit suicide?

5.     Find out a word that means ‘a person who manages money in bets’.

6. Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow: 

There was a pause. The three of us, the sergeant, the landlady and me, as the sole witnesses of the near tragedy, had the same unspoken thought in our minds.
We decided to give the young man a fresh start.  The sergeant, at considerable risk to his job, resolved to make no report upon the case, so that no court proceedings would result. The landlady offered a month's free board until he should get upon his feet again. While I, making perhaps the least contribution, came forward with seven pounds ten shillings for him to put back in the office safe.
 

1.     Who were the sole witnesses of the tragedy?

2.     What could be the unspoken thought that the three people had in their minds?

3.     How would the sergeant help the young man? 

4.     What was the landlady’s offer?

5.   What contribution did Dr. Cronin make to help the young man?


Answers to the textual passage-based questions:

 Passage 1:

1.     The incident occurred on the deck of a ship on the second day of  Dr. Cronin’s journey back from New York.

2.     The narrator suddenly aware of the fact that one of passengers was watching him closely.

3.     The stranger was following the narrator  with his gaze every time he passed.

4.     The narrator wanted to take rest and to avoid the tedium of the importunate ship-board contacts. So, he ignored the man.

5.     ‘Tedium’ means ‘boredom’. 

Passage 2:

1.     The narrator again observed that his fellow voyager was watching him earnestly from his deck chair.

2.     Now there was a lady-obviously his wife- was with him.

3.     The narrator discovered from his steward that they were Mr. and Mrs. John_S from a suburb of London.

4.     He was too shy to carry out his obvious desire to approach the narrator.

5.     Mrs. John_S urged her husband towards the narrator with a firm pressure on his hand and a whispered word in his ear.

Passage 3:

1.     There was in his whole personality, a genuine enthusiasm that was disarming.

2.     The narrator learnt that the man and his wife had been active for the past 15 years in the field of youth welfare.

3.     The man was a solicitor by profession.

4.     In addition to his profession, he was acting as the director of a charitable organisation.

5.     ‘Disarming’ means ‘making someone like you’. 

Passage 4:

1.     When Dr. Cronin was young, he was practising in a working class district of London.

2.     A loud banging sound on the door awakened Dr. Cronin from his sleep at night.

3.     A sergeant of police banged on the door.

4.     A suicide attempt happened in the lodgings around the corner.

5.     ‘I had better come immediately’.

 Passage 5:

1.     His uncle had found him a job in a solicitor’s office in the town.

2.     He made bad companions and led a loose life.

3.     He took a sum of  money from his office safe for a final gamble.

4.     He shut himself in his room and turned on the gas.

5.     ‘Book-maker’ means ‘a person who manages money in bets’.

Passage 6:

1.     The sergeant of police, the landlady of the lodge and Dr. Cronin were the sole witnesses of the tragedy.

2.     The thought was that they should help the young man to make a fresh start in his life.

3.     Risking his own job, the sergeant decided not to report upon the case against the young man.

4.     The landlady offered him a month’s free board.

5.     Dr. Cronin gave the young man seven pounds and ten shillings to put back in his office safe.


Completing Conversation

1. Complete the following conversation suitably: 

Mr. John: You’re Dr. AJ Cronin,...............a...........?

Dr. Cronin: Yes, I’m Dr. AJ Cronin.

Mr. John: .....................b............?

Dr. Cronin: No, sorry. I don’t remember you.

Mr. John: Please see my card sir. If you go through this,.............c....... .

Dr. Cronin: Let me see. Sorry, still I can’t recognize you.

Mr. John: Then, I’ll tell you one incident.

Dr. Cronin: Now it’s dinner time. We had better.............d............ .

Mr. John: Okay sir, we can talk after dinner. 

Answers:

a.     aren’t you?                          c. you can recognize me.

b.     Do you remember me?       d. talk after dinner.

 2. Complete the following conversation suitably: 

Sergeant: Sorry to disturb you at this time.

Dr. Cronin:It’s alright ! I think you’ve got something urgent,......a....?

Sergeant: Yes doctor. There is a suicide case.

Dr. Cronin:....................b......................?

Sergeant: It happened in the lodgings around the corner.

Dr. Cronin: ...............c...............?

Sergeant: Yes, the patient is still alive. But he is in a critical stage.

Dr. Cronin: Then we had better...........d.................. .

Sergeant: Yes doctor, we can walk fast and reach there immediately. 

Answers:

a. haven’t you?                     c. Is the patient still alive?

b. Where did it happen?       d. reach there immediately

 3. Complete the conversation suitably: 

Dr. Cronin: ..............a........................?

Young man: I’m an orphan. My name is John.

Dr. Cronin: ...............b....................?

Young man: I’m working in a solicitor’s office in London.

Dr. Cronin: Something troubled you, ...........c...........?

Young man: Yes, I stole some money from my office, gambled and lost everything.

Dr. Cronin: ....................d.......................... ?

Young man: I took seven pounds and ten shillings from my office. 

Answers:

a.     Who are you? / What is your name?        

b.     Where are you working?        

c.       didn’t it?           

     d.   How much did you take from your office? 

4. Complete the following conversation suitably: 

Dr. Cronin: What can we do for the young man?

Sergeant: Let’s help him make a fresh start, ......a...........?

Landlady: I’m ready to give him a month’s free board.

Sergeant: I will not register case against him.

Dr. Cronin: If you do not register case against him,...........b............. .

Sergeant: Yes, it’s risky for my job, but it will be helpful for him.

Dr. Cronin: I would rather..............c.................... .

Sergeant: Yes, that’s good. If he gets the money to put back in the office, ..........d.........

Answers:

a. shall we?                                       c. give him the money to put back in the office.

b. It’ll be risky for your job.            d. he can avoid the prosecution.

Constructing Conversations

1.     After a long period of 25 years Mr. John meets Dr. Cronin on a ship, and they engage in a conversation. Prepare the likely conversation between them. 

Mr. John:    Good afternoon.

Dr. Cronin: Good afternoon. How can I help you?

Mr. John:    You’re Dr. AJ Cronin, aren’t you?

Dr. Cronin: Yes, I’m Dr. AJ Cronin.

Mr. John:    Do you remember me?

Dr. Cronin: No, sorry. I don’t remember you.

Mr. John:    Please see my card sir. If you go through this, you can recognize me.

Dr. Cronin: Let me see. Sorry, still I can’t recognize you.

Mr. John:    Then, I’ll tell you one incident.

Dr. Cronin: Now it’s dinner time. We had better talk after dinner.

Mr. John:    Okay sir, we can talk after dinner.

Dr. Cronin: Thank you. Bye! 

2. The sergeant of police wakes Dr. Cronin from his sleep banging  on the door. What would be the likely conversation between them? 

Sergeant:    Good evening, doctor.

Dr. Cronin:  Good evening.

Sergeant:    Sorry to disturb you at this time.

Dr. Cronin: It’s alright ! I think you’ve got something urgent, haven’t you?

Sergeant:   Yes doctor. There is a suicide case.

Dr. Cronin: Where did it happen?

Sergeant:    It happened in the lodgings around the corner.

Dr. Cronin: Is the patient still alive?

Sergeant:   Yes, the patient is still alive. But he is in a critical stage.

Dr. Cronin: Then we had better reach there immediately.

Sergeant:   Yes doctor, we can walk fast and reach there immediately. 

3. After much strenuous efforts, the young man became conscious and regained his health. He and Dr. Cronin engaged in a conversation. How could it be? 

Dr. Cronin: Hi, how do you feel now?

Young man: I’m okay now.

Dr. Cronin: Who’re you? What’s you name?

Young man: I’m an orphan. My name is John.

Dr. Cronin: Where are you working?

Young man: I’m working in a solicitor’s office in London.

Dr. Cronin: Something troubled you, didn’t it?

Young man: Yes, I stole some money from my office, gambled and lost everything.

Dr. Cronin: How much did you take from your office?

Young man: I took seven pounds and ten shillings from my office.

Dr. Cronin: Don’t worry. Now you may take rest. We’ll help you.

Young man: It’s very kind of you, doctor. Thank you very much!

4. Dr. Cronin, the sergeant and the landlady discuss how they should help the young man. What could be the conversation among them? 

Dr. Cronin: Hi all, good morning. What can we do for the young man?

Sergeant: Good morning doctor. Let’s help him make a fresh start, shall we?

Landlady: Poor boy, we should help him.  I’m ready to give him a month’s free board. 

Sergeant: That’s fine. I won’t register any case against him.

Dr. Cronin: If you don’t register case against him, it’ll be risky for your job.

Sergeant: Yes, it’s risky for my job, but it’ll be helpful for him.

Dr. Cronin: I would rather give him the money to put back in his office.

Sergeant: Yes, that’s good. If he gets the money to put back in the office, he can avoid the prosecution.

Dr. Cronin: Okay friends, thank you. Let’s go to him and inform him of our decisions.

Editing

1. Edit the marked errors in the following passage.

 Haltingly he told me that this had been their first visit to america (1).   It was not entire (2) a holiday trip. They had been making a toor (3) of the New England  states, inspecting many of the summer recreational camps for young people their (4).

Answers:  1. America  2. entirely  3. tour   4. there

2. Edit the marked errors in the following passage.

We walked the short distance in silence, even our footsteps muffled by the fog, and turned into the narrow entrance of a (a) old building. as (b) we mounted the creaking staircase, my nostrils was (c)stung by the sick-sweet odour of illuminating gases (d).

Answers: a. an    b. As  c. were   d. gas

3. Edit the marked errors in the following passage.

 With the sergeants (1) help, I began the work of resuscitation. For an entire hours (2) we laboured     with out (3) success. Despite our most strenuous exertions, it appeared uselessly (4).

Answers: 1. sergeant’s   2. hour   3. without  4. useless

4. Edit the marked errors in the following passage.

 The landlady offered a months (1) free board until he should got (2) upon his feet again. While I, making perhaps the least contribution, came foreward (3) with seven pounds ten shilling (4) for him to put back in the office safe.

Answers: 1. month’s  2. get   3. forward  4. shillings

Phrasal Verbs

1. Replace the underlined words with suitable phrasal verbs choosing from the brackets.

 After 25 years Mr. John meets (1) Dr. Cronin during a voyage. But Dr. Cronin cannot understand (2) at first who Mr. John is.  When Mr. John explains (3) to him an incident happened 25 years ago, Dr. Cronin is extremely surprised (4) to see the man whom he had once saved from the verge of death. 

      (puts across, make out, taken aback, comes across)

Answers: 1. Comes across  2. make out  3. puts across   4. taken aback

2.  Replace the underlined words with suitable phrasal verbs choosing from the brackets.

      Dr. Cronin wore (1) his coat and hat and  went (2) to the lodge where a young man committed the suicide attempt. They arrived (3) immediately in the room, which was filled with the smell of illuminating gas. They felt the smell was unable to tolerate (4). 

      (set out, put on, put up with, turned up)

Answers: 1. Put on  2. set out  3. turned up   4. put up with

3. Replace the underlined words with suitable phrasal verbs choosing from the brackets.    

      Dr. Cronin started the resuscitation work. He continued (1) his strenuous efforts for an hour without success. Being completely exhausted, he decided (2)  to abandon (3) his efforts. But miraculously, the young man recovered (4) from the critical stage and slowly became conscious.

      (made up his mind, went on, got over, give up)

Answers: 1. went on  2. made up his mind  3. give up   4. got over

4.Replace the underlined words with suitable phrasal verbs choosing from the brackets. 

 When the young man regained his strength, he explained (1) to the trio his story. He  arrived (2) in the town only six months ago. Soon he made friendship (3) with some youths in the town. He led a loose life, lost everything and finally tried to finish (4) his life.

            (turned up, got on, put an end to, put across, ) 

Answers: 1. put across  2. turned up  3. got on   4. put an end to

5. Replace the underlined words with suitable phrasal verbs choosing from the brackets.

Mr. John established (1) a charitable organization. He and his wife travelled (2) to different parts of the world to learn about charity work. They also kept (3) some portion of their income to help the needy people. They are never tired of their noble work and still continue (4)  with their ideal life.   

            (set out,  put aside,  set up,  go on)

Answers:  1. set up  2. set out  3. put aside   4. go on

Cloze Test Questions

1. Complete the following sentences using suitable words from brackets 

1.  Mrs. John was bolder...........Mr. John.      (than, the, as)

2.  Mr. John was .....timidest person in the ship.   (as, than, the,)

3.  Dr. Cronin’s contribution was......than the others’.   (little, less, least)

4.  Mrs. John was not as ......... as Mr. John. (nervous, more nervous, most nervous) 

 5.  This is  .......... than all other investments he made in his life.      (good, better, best) 

Answers: 1. than  2. the  3. less   4. nervous   5. better

Reported Speech

1.     Report the following sentences:


       Dr. Cronin:  Who are they?

       Steward:    They are Mr. and Mrs. John_S.


       a. What did Dr. Cronin ask the steward?

  b. What did the steward reply? 

Answers:

a. Dr. Cronin asked the steward who they were.

b. The steward replied that they were Mr. and Mrs. John_S.

 2. Report the following sentences:

       Mr. John: Do you know who this man is?

       Mrs. John: No, I don’t know.

       a. Mr. John asked Mrs John.........................

       b. Mrs John replied.....................................

Answers:

a. Mr. John asked Mrs. John if she knew who that man was.

b. Mrs. John replied (negatively) that she didn’t know.

 3. Report the following sentences:

       Mrs. John: Don’t be nervous. Let’s go and talk to Dr. Cronin.

       Mr. John: Ok, we can go and talk to Dr. Cronin.

       a. What did Mrs. John tell Mr. John?

       b. What did Mr. John respond? 

Answers:

a. Mrs. John told Mr. John not to be nervous, and she suggested that they should go and

    talk to Dr. Cronin.

b. Mr. John agreed to the suggestion and said that they could go and talk to Dr. Cronin.

 4.     Report the following sentences:

      Mrs. John: What did this man do for you?

      Mr. John: He saved my life 25 years ago.

a.     Mrs. John asked Mr. John..................................

b.     Mr. John replied................................................. 

Answers:

a. Mrs. John asked Mr. John what that man had done for him.

b. Mr. John replied that he had saved his life 25 years before.

 5.     Report the following sentences:

Mr. John: Do you remember me now?

Dr. Cronin: I don’t remember I have ever met you before.

a.     What did Mr. John ask Dr. Cronin?

b.     What did Dr. Cronin reply? 

Answers:

a. Mr. John asked Dr. Cronin whether he remembered him then.

b. Dr. Cronin replied that he didn’t remember he had ever met him before.

 6.  Report the following sentences:

Sergeant: Will you change your life?

Young man: Yes, I’ll change. I will never go back to my bad company.


a.   What did the sergeant ask the young man?

b.     What did the young man reply? 

Answers:

a. The sergeant asked the young man if he would change his life.

b. The young man replied (positively) that he would change his life, and he also said that he would never go back to his bad company.

Sentence Analysis  

1. ‘My thoughts sped back a quarter of a century’.

 Identify the subject Noun Phrase. 


Answers: The Subject Noun Phrase: My thoughts

__________________________________________________________

2. ‘I remembered the sole occasion when I had seen this man before.’

          Identify the Relative Clause. 

Answer:   The Relative Clause: when I had seen this man before 

_______________________________________________________________

3.  He had taken a sum of money from the office safe.

        Identify the verb Phrase.

Answer:  The Verb Phrase: had taken a sum of money from his office safe

_______________________________________________________________

4.  ‘A long bar of silence throbbed in the little attic.’
      Identify the Subject Noun Phrase and the Head Noun

Answers: The Subject Noun Phrase: A long bar of silence.     Head Noun: bar

_______________________________________________________________

5.   ‘The landlady offered a month’s free board’.

        Identify the Object Noun Phrase.

Answer:  The Object Noun Phrase: a month’s free board

_______________________________________________________________

6.  ‘The ship moved on through the still darkness of the night’.

       Identify two Prepositional Phrases. 

Answers:     Prepositional Phrases: through the still darkness,   of the night

Sentence Patterns

A) Identify the pattern of the following sentences: 

1. I went below.

Ans. (SVA)

2. He took a sharp breath.

Ans. (SVO)

3. He spoke a few words tensely in my ear.

Ans. (SVOA)

4. The veils parted.

Ans. (SV)

5. I was a young doctor.

Ans. (SVC)

6. He told us his story.

Ans. (SVOO)

7. He found himself exhausted.

Ans. (SVOC) 

B) Construct your own sentences in the following patterns: 

1. SV         (All our efforts failed.)

2. SVO      (Dr. Cronin noticed a strange man.)

3. SVC      (He was a solicitor.)

4. SVA      (He sat on a vacant chair.)

5. SVOO   (His uncle found him a job.)

6. SVOA   (He had shut himself in his room.)

7. SVOC   (Their help made Mr. John a new man.)


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