See textbook on page 28.
Answer:
A classroom activity.
Question 2.
See textbook on page 28.
Answer:
A classroom activity.
Question 3.
Based on your reading of the story, answer the following questions by choosing the correct option:
(a) Mrs. Bramble was a proud woman because
(i) she was the wife of a famous boxer.
(ii) she had motivated her husband.
(iii) she was a good housewife.
(iv) she was the mother of a child prodigy.
Answer:
(iv) she was the mother of a child prodigy.
(b) “The very naming of Harold had caused a sacrifice on his part.” The writer’s tone here is
(i) admiring
(ii) assertive
(iii) satirical
(iv) gentle
Answer:
(ii) assertive
(c) Harold had defied the laws of heredity by
(i) becoming a sportsperson
(ii) being good at academics
(iii) being well-built and muscular
(iv) respecting his parents
Answer:
(ii) being good at academics
(d) Harold felt that he was deprived of the respect that his classmates would give him as
(i) they did not know his father was the famous boxer, ‘Young Porky’.
(ii) his hero, Jimmy Murphy had not won the wrestling match.
(iii) he had not got Phil Scott’s autograph.
(iv) Sid Simpson had lost the Lonsdale belt
Answer:
(i) they did not know his father was the famous boxer, ‘Young Porky’.
Question 4.
Answer the following questions:
(i) they did not know his father was the famous boxer, ‘Young Porky’.
Question 4.
Answer the following questions:
(a) What was strange about the manner in which Mrs. Bramble addressed her son? What did he feel about it?
(b) Why was it necessary to keep Harold’s father’s profession a secret from him?
(c) When Mr. Bramble came to know that he was to become a father what were some of the names he decided upon? Why?
(d) Describe Mr. Bramble as he has been described in the story.
(e) Why was Mrs. Bramble upset when she came to hear that Bill had decided not to fight?
(f) Who was Jerry Fisher? What did he say to try and convince Bill to change his mind?
(g) How did Harold come to know that his father was a boxer?
(h) Why was Harold upset that his father had not told him about his true identity? Give two reasons.
(i) Do you agree with Harold’s parents decision of hiding from him the fact that his father was a boxer? Why/Why not?
(b) Why was it necessary to keep Harold’s father’s profession a secret from him?
(c) When Mr. Bramble came to know that he was to become a father what were some of the names he decided upon? Why?
(d) Describe Mr. Bramble as he has been described in the story.
(e) Why was Mrs. Bramble upset when she came to hear that Bill had decided not to fight?
(f) Who was Jerry Fisher? What did he say to try and convince Bill to change his mind?
(g) How did Harold come to know that his father was a boxer?
(h) Why was Harold upset that his father had not told him about his true identity? Give two reasons.
(i) Do you agree with Harold’s parents decision of hiding from him the fact that his father was a boxer? Why/Why not?
Answer:
(a) Harold didn’t like the manner in which Mrs. Bramble addressed her son. Nor did he relish the habit of his mother of referring to herself in the third person. She spoke as if she were addressing a baby. She would never use “I” but said, “Yes, mother will hear you, precious”. Now Harold was a young man of ten. He had already won the spelling and dictation prize to his credit. He felt bad about it.
(b) Harold was very different from ordinary children. Harold’s parents wanted to keep Mr. Bramble’s profession a well guarded secret from him. Harold was made to believe the fiction that his father was a commercial traveller. They didn’t want Harold to die of ‘disgrace’ by knowing the truth that his father was a man of ‘wrath’ and a bloody boxer.
(c) Mr. Bramble was a famous boxer. When he came to know that he was to become a father he had many names in his mind for his child. All of them were related to the world of boxing. He wanted his child to be named John, if a boy, after Mr. John L. Sullivan or if a girl, Marie, after Miss Marie Lloyd. But he had to sacrifice his choice when his wife opposed him.
(d) Mr. Bramble was an ‘excellent man’ and nobody ‘could help liking him’. He was a professional boxer better known as ‘Young Porky’. There was not a boxer in London whom he could not overcome in a twenty- round contest. He was famous for his left hook. But he was a very considerate, self- sacrificing and diffident character. He could sacrifice his name, fame and money as a boxer not to ‘disgrace’ Harold.
(e) Mrs. Bramble didn’t like professional boxing. Nor did she want Harold to know that his father was ‘Young Porky’. But she was upset when she came to hear that Bill had decided not to fight. Big money was involved in the fighting. The winner was to get 500 pounds and even the loser was to get 120 pounds. Boxing had earned good money for the family and made possible to give Harold a good education. That money could give Harold a better start in life than they had ever had.
(f) Mr. Jerry Fisher was a boxing coach or trainer at the White Hart. He was a hard trainer. Bill’s fight with Jimmy Murphy was going to be a national affair. He was proud of Bill and was sure of his victory. He was shocked to know that Bill had given up the idea of fighting. He tried to convince Bill to change his mind. He reminded him of the handsome money that he would get by participating in the fight.
(g) Jerry Fisher disliked Bill now and he wanted to take revenge. The best way of taking revenge was to disclose Bill’s real identity to his son Harold. He disclosed that Bill was not a commercial traveller but a professional boxer, popularly known as ‘Young Porky’.
(h) When Harold came to know that his father was actually ‘Young Porky’, he was upset. He realised that he had been deprived of the honour of being the son of ‘Young Porky’. His schoolmates wouldn’t dare to call him ‘goggles’ if they knew that ‘Young Porky’ was his father. He had already betted two shillings that Jimmy Murphy would not last ten rounds against ‘Young Porky.’
(i) Harold’s parents’ decision of hiding from him the fact that his father was a boxer was not correct. They thought that Harold would die of disgrace if he came to know that his father was a man of wrath and called ‘Young Porky’. The truth was the other way around. Harold was deeply interested in boxing. He had betted two shillings that Jimmy Murphy would not last ten rounds against ‘Young Porky’. It was a dramatic irony that his parents hid from him the fact of which he could swank like anything.
Question 5.
The sequence of events has been jumbled up. Rearrange them and complete the given flowchart.
(1) Major Percy and Bill come to the house.
(2) Harold comes to know that his father is a boxer.
(3) Bill tells his wife that he is doing it for Harold.
(4) Jerry Fisher tries to convince Bill to reconsider.
(5) Mrs. Bramble is amazed to think that she has brought such a prodigy as Harold into the world.
(6) Harold wants to know what will happen to the money he had bet on Murphy losing.
(7) Mrs. Bramble is informed that Bill had decided not to fight.
(8) Mrs. Bramble resumes work of darning the sock.
(9) Harold is alone with his mother in their home.
Answer:
1. Harold is alone with his mother in their home.
2. Mrs. Bramble is amazed to think that she has brought such a prodigy as Harold into the world.
3. Mrs. Bramble resumes work of darning the sock.
4. Major Percy and Bill come to the house.
5. Mrs. Bramble is informed that Bill had decided not to fight.
6. Bill tells his wife that he is doing it for Harold.
7. Jerry Fisher tries to convince Bill to reconsider.
8. Harold comes to know that his father is a boxer.
9. Harold wants to know what will happen to the money he had bet on Murphy losing.
Question 6.
Choose extracts from the story that illustrate the characters of these people in it.
(a) Harold didn’t like the manner in which Mrs. Bramble addressed her son. Nor did he relish the habit of his mother of referring to herself in the third person. She spoke as if she were addressing a baby. She would never use “I” but said, “Yes, mother will hear you, precious”. Now Harold was a young man of ten. He had already won the spelling and dictation prize to his credit. He felt bad about it.
(b) Harold was very different from ordinary children. Harold’s parents wanted to keep Mr. Bramble’s profession a well guarded secret from him. Harold was made to believe the fiction that his father was a commercial traveller. They didn’t want Harold to die of ‘disgrace’ by knowing the truth that his father was a man of ‘wrath’ and a bloody boxer.
(c) Mr. Bramble was a famous boxer. When he came to know that he was to become a father he had many names in his mind for his child. All of them were related to the world of boxing. He wanted his child to be named John, if a boy, after Mr. John L. Sullivan or if a girl, Marie, after Miss Marie Lloyd. But he had to sacrifice his choice when his wife opposed him.
(d) Mr. Bramble was an ‘excellent man’ and nobody ‘could help liking him’. He was a professional boxer better known as ‘Young Porky’. There was not a boxer in London whom he could not overcome in a twenty- round contest. He was famous for his left hook. But he was a very considerate, self- sacrificing and diffident character. He could sacrifice his name, fame and money as a boxer not to ‘disgrace’ Harold.
(e) Mrs. Bramble didn’t like professional boxing. Nor did she want Harold to know that his father was ‘Young Porky’. But she was upset when she came to hear that Bill had decided not to fight. Big money was involved in the fighting. The winner was to get 500 pounds and even the loser was to get 120 pounds. Boxing had earned good money for the family and made possible to give Harold a good education. That money could give Harold a better start in life than they had ever had.
(f) Mr. Jerry Fisher was a boxing coach or trainer at the White Hart. He was a hard trainer. Bill’s fight with Jimmy Murphy was going to be a national affair. He was proud of Bill and was sure of his victory. He was shocked to know that Bill had given up the idea of fighting. He tried to convince Bill to change his mind. He reminded him of the handsome money that he would get by participating in the fight.
(g) Jerry Fisher disliked Bill now and he wanted to take revenge. The best way of taking revenge was to disclose Bill’s real identity to his son Harold. He disclosed that Bill was not a commercial traveller but a professional boxer, popularly known as ‘Young Porky’.
(h) When Harold came to know that his father was actually ‘Young Porky’, he was upset. He realised that he had been deprived of the honour of being the son of ‘Young Porky’. His schoolmates wouldn’t dare to call him ‘goggles’ if they knew that ‘Young Porky’ was his father. He had already betted two shillings that Jimmy Murphy would not last ten rounds against ‘Young Porky.’
(i) Harold’s parents’ decision of hiding from him the fact that his father was a boxer was not correct. They thought that Harold would die of disgrace if he came to know that his father was a man of wrath and called ‘Young Porky’. The truth was the other way around. Harold was deeply interested in boxing. He had betted two shillings that Jimmy Murphy would not last ten rounds against ‘Young Porky’. It was a dramatic irony that his parents hid from him the fact of which he could swank like anything.
Question 5.
The sequence of events has been jumbled up. Rearrange them and complete the given flowchart.
(1) Major Percy and Bill come to the house.
(2) Harold comes to know that his father is a boxer.
(3) Bill tells his wife that he is doing it for Harold.
(4) Jerry Fisher tries to convince Bill to reconsider.
(5) Mrs. Bramble is amazed to think that she has brought such a prodigy as Harold into the world.
(6) Harold wants to know what will happen to the money he had bet on Murphy losing.
(7) Mrs. Bramble is informed that Bill had decided not to fight.
(8) Mrs. Bramble resumes work of darning the sock.
(9) Harold is alone with his mother in their home.
Answer:
1. Harold is alone with his mother in their home.
2. Mrs. Bramble is amazed to think that she has brought such a prodigy as Harold into the world.
3. Mrs. Bramble resumes work of darning the sock.
4. Major Percy and Bill come to the house.
5. Mrs. Bramble is informed that Bill had decided not to fight.
6. Bill tells his wife that he is doing it for Harold.
7. Jerry Fisher tries to convince Bill to reconsider.
8. Harold comes to know that his father is a boxer.
9. Harold wants to know what will happen to the money he had bet on Murphy losing.
Question 6.
Choose extracts from the story that illustrate the characters of these people in it.
| Person | Extracts from the story | What this tells us about their characters |
| Mrs Bramble | (Para 12) “Bill we must keep it from Harold” | She was not honest and open with her son; concerned mother |
| Mr Bramble | (Para 33) | |
| Percy | (Para 109) | |
| Jerry Fisher | (Para 110 |
Answer:
| Person | Extracts from the story | What this tells us about their characters |
| Mrs Bramble | (Para 12) “Bill we must keep it from Harold” | She was not honest and open with her son; concerned mother |
| Mr Bramble | (Para 33) “The scales have fallen from his eyes”. | ‘Mr. Bramble was confused, diffident and easily influenced. |
| Percy | (Para 109) “I’d be ashamed to be so spiteful.” | Concerned about Harold and Bill; talkative |
| Jerry Fisher | (Para 110) “Tommy”, said Mr Fisher, ignoring them all, “you think your pa’s a commercial. He ain’t. He’s a fighting man.” | Revengeful; adamant |
Question 7.
The teacher will ask the students to answer these questions based on an interview given by the legendary WWE wrestler, Kane to Chris Carle of IGN. The students are to listen to the interview.
1. What were the video games that Kane liked playing earlier and which games later?
_________________
2. Who was Kane’s favourite wrestler when he was first getting into wrestling and who were some of the other wrestlers who influenced him into taking up wrestling?
_________________________
3. How according to Kane had the WWE changed in the past ten years?
________________________
4. Does Kane prefer performing with the mask or without the mask?
________________________
5. Why does Kane wrestle these days even though he has accomplished almost everything?
________________________
6. What is your impression of Kane as a person after you have heard this interview?
________________________
Answer:
Self attempt.
Writing Task
Self attempt.
Writing Task
Question 8.
Many people are of the opinion that violent, physical sports such as boxing, kick boxing and wrestling, to name a few should be banned while others think otherwise.
Express your opinion on the topic by either writing in favour of banning these sports or against banning them. While writing, you should also include the rebuttal to your questions. Try not to go beyond 200 words.
Answer:
BANNING VIOLENT PHYSICAL SPORTS
Many people think that violent physical sports such as boxing, kick boxing, wrestling, bull-fighting, to name a few, should be banned. And they think rightly so. What’s the main aim of sports and games? Pleasure and entertainment. They provide us thrill or ‘excitement’. They lift our spirits. We feel more animated and alive. And the entertainment that sports and games provide us is the healthy and wholesome entertainment. On the other hand, violent physical sports such as boxing, kick boxing and bullfighting provide us a vulgar pleasure. It is violent and sadistic in nature. When we watch hockey, badminton or cricket we enjoy them. We appreciate Gavaskar for defence, Vivian Richards for attack and Sachin Tendulkar for style. Similarly, we adore Maradona or Pele not for their foul play or hitting the opponents but for their scoring abilities. Similarly, we admire Federer for his craftsmanship and Nadal for his power play in lawn-tennis. All these sports lift us physically, mentally as well as spiritually.
Watch a ten or fifteen-round boxing match. What do you like the most in a boxing match? You like the punches, hooks and the maximum damage that a boxer can do to his opponent. At every punch or hook your desire to see assault and your blood is aroused. Before the bout ends you find both the players wounded, bleeding and their faces cut at more than half a dozen places. Some players even lose their lives during boxing bouts. What is bullfighting? It shows sheer lack of decency, lack of good taste that one craves for such violent sports. Such bloody and violent sports should be banned.
Question 9.
A large part of the story is composed of conversation between the characters.
Can you convert it into a play and in groups, present your version of the play before the class? Before that, decide onthe members of cast, minimum props required and also the costumes.
Answer:
A Classroom Activity.
Reference To Context
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
Question 1.
It was a constant source of amazement to Mrs. Bramble that she should have brought such a
prodigy as Harold into the world. Harold was so different from ordinary children, so devoted to his books, such a model of behaviour, so altogether admirable. (Page 29)
(a) Who is a prodigy child?
(b) Who was so proud of such a prodigy?
(c) Find a word in the extract similar in meaning to ‘commendable’.
Answer:
(a) A child with exceptional talents is called a prodigy child.
(b) Mrs. Bramble, Harold’s mother.
(c) Admirable.
Question 2.
The only drawback was that his very ‘perfection’ had made necessary a series of evasions and even deliberate falsehoods on the part of herself and her husband, highly distasteful to both. They were lovers of truth, but they had realised that there are times when truth must be sacrificed. At any cost, the facts concerning Mr. Bramble’s profession must be kept from Harold.(Page 29)
(a) What was the only drawback in Harold?
(b) Who indulged in evasions and deliberate falsehoods?
(c) What does the clause ‘Mr. Bramble’s profession must be kept from Harold’ mean?
Answer:
(a) His very ‘perfection’ was his only drawback.
(b) Harold’s parents indulged in evasions and deliberate falsehoods.
(c) It means that his father was a professional boxer. This fact must be concealed from Harold.
Question 3.
Certainly he was very persuasive. Mr. Bramble had fallen in with the suggestion without demur. In private life he was the mildest and most obliging of men, and always yielded to everybody. The very naming of Harold had caused as sacrifice on his part. (Page 30)
(a) ‘He’ here stands for whom?
(b) What does the phrase ‘without demur’ mean here?
(c) Who had to sacrifice in the naming of Harold?
Answer:
(a) Major Percy Stokes.
(b) Without reluctance or objection.
(c) Mr. Bramble had to sacrifice in the naming of Harold.
Question 4.
So, Harold grew in stature and intelligence, without a suspicion of the real identity of the
square-jawed man with the irregularly-shaped nose who came and went mysteriously in their semi-detached, red-brick home. He was a self-centred child, and, accepting the commercial traveller fiction, dismissed the subject from his mind and busied himself with things of more moment. (Page 31)
(a) Who kept the identity of the square-jawed from Harold?
(b) Who was ‘the square-jawed man’?
(c) What was Harold told about his father?
Answer:
(a) Harold’s parents and Major Percy Stokes kept the identity of the square-jawed from Harold.
(b) Mr. Bramble was ‘the square jawed man’.
(c) He was told that his father was a commercial traveller.
Question 5.
“Percy, if you don’t keep quiet, I’ll forget I’m your sister and let you have one. What do you mean, Bill, you’ve come home? Isn’t there going to be the fight next week, after all?” {Page 33)
(a) Who is snubbing Percy?
(b) Why has Bill dropped the idea of fighting?
(c) Name the chapter in which these lines occur.
Answer:
(a) Mrs. Bramble is snubbing Percy.
(b) He is afraid of his publicity.
(c) ‘Keeping It From Harold.’
Question 6.
“How about the money?” Repeated Mrs. Bramble. “Goodness knows I’ve never liked your profession, Bill, but there is this to be said for it, that it’s earned you good money and made it possible for us to give Harold as good an education as any duke ever had, I’m sure. (Page 33)
(a) What is Bill’s profession?
(b) What gave good money to the Brambles?
(c) Write the verb form of ‘education’.
Answer:
(a) Professional boxing is Bill’s profession.
(b) Bill’s professional boxing gave good money to the Brambles.
(c) Educate.
Question 7.
“Tommy,” said Mr. Fisher, ignoring them all, “you think your Pa’s a commercial. He ain’t. He’s a fighting-man, doing his eight-stone-four ringside, and known to all the heads as ‘Young Porky.’” (Page 37)
(a) Who was Mr. Fisher?
(b) Whom did Mr. Fisher address?
(c) What does ‘ain’t’ stand for here? What else does it stand for?
Answer:
(a) Mr. Fisher was a boxing coach or trainer.
(b) Mr. Fisher addressed Harold.
(c) Here ‘ain’t’ stands for ‘is not’. It also stands for ‘am not’ and ‘are not’.
Question 8.
How long do you suppose they’d go on calling me, ‘Goggles’ if they knew that you were my father? They’d chuck it tomorrow, and look up to me like anything, I do call ilrotten. (Page 38)
(a) Who does the word ‘they’ here refer to?
(b) Who is the speaker here?
(c) What is ‘rotten’ in the eyes of the speaker?
Answer:
(a) Harold’s schoolmates.
(b) Harold is the speaker.
(c) Bill’s idea of withdrawing from the contest is ‘rotten’ in the eyes of the speaker.
Question 9.
Pa, can’t you give me a picture of yourself boxing? I could swank like anything. And you don’t know how sick a chap gets of having chaps call him, ‘Goggles.’ (Page 38)
(a) The speaker wants to swank. Why?
(b) Why does the speaker feel sick?
(c) Find a word in the extract similar in meaning to ‘man’.
Answer:
(a) Harold wants to swank as he is the son of a famous boxer ‘Young Porky’.
(b) Harold feels sick because he is called ‘Goggles’ by his classmates.
(c) Chap.
Question 10.
“Bill,” said Mr. Fisher, “you and me had better be getting back to the White Hart.” Bill rose and followed him without a word. (Page 38)
(a) What is the White Hart?
(b) Why did Bill follow Mr. Fisher?
(c) Find a word in the extract which means ‘went behind’.
Answer:
(a) The place where Bill gets training in boxing is known as the White Hart.
(b) He followed Mr. Fisher to join the contest.
(c) Followed.
Many people are of the opinion that violent, physical sports such as boxing, kick boxing and wrestling, to name a few should be banned while others think otherwise.
Express your opinion on the topic by either writing in favour of banning these sports or against banning them. While writing, you should also include the rebuttal to your questions. Try not to go beyond 200 words.
Answer:
BANNING VIOLENT PHYSICAL SPORTS
Many people think that violent physical sports such as boxing, kick boxing, wrestling, bull-fighting, to name a few, should be banned. And they think rightly so. What’s the main aim of sports and games? Pleasure and entertainment. They provide us thrill or ‘excitement’. They lift our spirits. We feel more animated and alive. And the entertainment that sports and games provide us is the healthy and wholesome entertainment. On the other hand, violent physical sports such as boxing, kick boxing and bullfighting provide us a vulgar pleasure. It is violent and sadistic in nature. When we watch hockey, badminton or cricket we enjoy them. We appreciate Gavaskar for defence, Vivian Richards for attack and Sachin Tendulkar for style. Similarly, we adore Maradona or Pele not for their foul play or hitting the opponents but for their scoring abilities. Similarly, we admire Federer for his craftsmanship and Nadal for his power play in lawn-tennis. All these sports lift us physically, mentally as well as spiritually.
Watch a ten or fifteen-round boxing match. What do you like the most in a boxing match? You like the punches, hooks and the maximum damage that a boxer can do to his opponent. At every punch or hook your desire to see assault and your blood is aroused. Before the bout ends you find both the players wounded, bleeding and their faces cut at more than half a dozen places. Some players even lose their lives during boxing bouts. What is bullfighting? It shows sheer lack of decency, lack of good taste that one craves for such violent sports. Such bloody and violent sports should be banned.
Question 9.
A large part of the story is composed of conversation between the characters.
Can you convert it into a play and in groups, present your version of the play before the class? Before that, decide onthe members of cast, minimum props required and also the costumes.
Answer:
A Classroom Activity.
Reference To Context
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
Question 1.
It was a constant source of amazement to Mrs. Bramble that she should have brought such a
prodigy as Harold into the world. Harold was so different from ordinary children, so devoted to his books, such a model of behaviour, so altogether admirable. (Page 29)
(a) Who is a prodigy child?
(b) Who was so proud of such a prodigy?
(c) Find a word in the extract similar in meaning to ‘commendable’.
Answer:
(a) A child with exceptional talents is called a prodigy child.
(b) Mrs. Bramble, Harold’s mother.
(c) Admirable.
Question 2.
The only drawback was that his very ‘perfection’ had made necessary a series of evasions and even deliberate falsehoods on the part of herself and her husband, highly distasteful to both. They were lovers of truth, but they had realised that there are times when truth must be sacrificed. At any cost, the facts concerning Mr. Bramble’s profession must be kept from Harold.(Page 29)
(a) What was the only drawback in Harold?
(b) Who indulged in evasions and deliberate falsehoods?
(c) What does the clause ‘Mr. Bramble’s profession must be kept from Harold’ mean?
Answer:
(a) His very ‘perfection’ was his only drawback.
(b) Harold’s parents indulged in evasions and deliberate falsehoods.
(c) It means that his father was a professional boxer. This fact must be concealed from Harold.
Question 3.
Certainly he was very persuasive. Mr. Bramble had fallen in with the suggestion without demur. In private life he was the mildest and most obliging of men, and always yielded to everybody. The very naming of Harold had caused as sacrifice on his part. (Page 30)
(a) ‘He’ here stands for whom?
(b) What does the phrase ‘without demur’ mean here?
(c) Who had to sacrifice in the naming of Harold?
Answer:
(a) Major Percy Stokes.
(b) Without reluctance or objection.
(c) Mr. Bramble had to sacrifice in the naming of Harold.
Question 4.
So, Harold grew in stature and intelligence, without a suspicion of the real identity of the
square-jawed man with the irregularly-shaped nose who came and went mysteriously in their semi-detached, red-brick home. He was a self-centred child, and, accepting the commercial traveller fiction, dismissed the subject from his mind and busied himself with things of more moment. (Page 31)
(a) Who kept the identity of the square-jawed from Harold?
(b) Who was ‘the square-jawed man’?
(c) What was Harold told about his father?
Answer:
(a) Harold’s parents and Major Percy Stokes kept the identity of the square-jawed from Harold.
(b) Mr. Bramble was ‘the square jawed man’.
(c) He was told that his father was a commercial traveller.
Question 5.
“Percy, if you don’t keep quiet, I’ll forget I’m your sister and let you have one. What do you mean, Bill, you’ve come home? Isn’t there going to be the fight next week, after all?” {Page 33)
(a) Who is snubbing Percy?
(b) Why has Bill dropped the idea of fighting?
(c) Name the chapter in which these lines occur.
Answer:
(a) Mrs. Bramble is snubbing Percy.
(b) He is afraid of his publicity.
(c) ‘Keeping It From Harold.’
Question 6.
“How about the money?” Repeated Mrs. Bramble. “Goodness knows I’ve never liked your profession, Bill, but there is this to be said for it, that it’s earned you good money and made it possible for us to give Harold as good an education as any duke ever had, I’m sure. (Page 33)
(a) What is Bill’s profession?
(b) What gave good money to the Brambles?
(c) Write the verb form of ‘education’.
Answer:
(a) Professional boxing is Bill’s profession.
(b) Bill’s professional boxing gave good money to the Brambles.
(c) Educate.
Question 7.
“Tommy,” said Mr. Fisher, ignoring them all, “you think your Pa’s a commercial. He ain’t. He’s a fighting-man, doing his eight-stone-four ringside, and known to all the heads as ‘Young Porky.’” (Page 37)
(a) Who was Mr. Fisher?
(b) Whom did Mr. Fisher address?
(c) What does ‘ain’t’ stand for here? What else does it stand for?
Answer:
(a) Mr. Fisher was a boxing coach or trainer.
(b) Mr. Fisher addressed Harold.
(c) Here ‘ain’t’ stands for ‘is not’. It also stands for ‘am not’ and ‘are not’.
Question 8.
How long do you suppose they’d go on calling me, ‘Goggles’ if they knew that you were my father? They’d chuck it tomorrow, and look up to me like anything, I do call ilrotten. (Page 38)
(a) Who does the word ‘they’ here refer to?
(b) Who is the speaker here?
(c) What is ‘rotten’ in the eyes of the speaker?
Answer:
(a) Harold’s schoolmates.
(b) Harold is the speaker.
(c) Bill’s idea of withdrawing from the contest is ‘rotten’ in the eyes of the speaker.
Question 9.
Pa, can’t you give me a picture of yourself boxing? I could swank like anything. And you don’t know how sick a chap gets of having chaps call him, ‘Goggles.’ (Page 38)
(a) The speaker wants to swank. Why?
(b) Why does the speaker feel sick?
(c) Find a word in the extract similar in meaning to ‘man’.
Answer:
(a) Harold wants to swank as he is the son of a famous boxer ‘Young Porky’.
(b) Harold feels sick because he is called ‘Goggles’ by his classmates.
(c) Chap.
Question 10.
“Bill,” said Mr. Fisher, “you and me had better be getting back to the White Hart.” Bill rose and followed him without a word. (Page 38)
(a) What is the White Hart?
(b) Why did Bill follow Mr. Fisher?
(c) Find a word in the extract which means ‘went behind’.
Answer:
(a) The place where Bill gets training in boxing is known as the White Hart.
(b) He followed Mr. Fisher to join the contest.
(c) Followed.