मराठी

Read the Extract Given Below and Answer the Question that Follow. Explain the Line, ‘There Was Nothing to Do About Him.’ - English 2 (Literature in English)

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प्रश्न

“If you are rested I would go,” I urged. “Get up and try to walk now.”
“Thank you,” he said and got to his feet, swayed from side to side and then sat down backwards in the dust.
“I was taking care of animals,” he said dully, but no longer to me. “I was only taking care of animals.”
There was nothing to do about him. It was Easter Sunday and the Fascists were advancing toward the Ebro. It was a grey overcast day with a low ceiling so their planes were not up. That and the fact that cats know how to look after themselves was all the good luck that the old man would ever have.

Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.

Explain the line, ‘There was nothing to do about him.’

टीपा लिहा

उत्तर

This line expresses the sadness and pity that the soldier feels for the old man as he realises that if the old man sits on the bridge he would surely die. He is loyal to the military system and has to obey orders and do his duty. He can do nothing for the old man and knows that inevitable death is in his fate.

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  या प्रश्नात किंवा उत्तरात काही त्रुटी आहे का?
पाठ 2.02: Old Man at the Bridge - Passage 5

संबंधित प्रश्‍न

Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?


What are the Guru’s words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember them?


“There were three animals altogether,” he explained. “There were two goats and a cat and then there were four pairs of pigeons.”
“And you had to leave them?” I asked.
“Yes. Because of the artillery. The captain told me to go because of the artillery.” “And you have no family?” I asked, watching the far end of the bridge where a few last carts were hurrying down the slope of the bank.
“No,” he said, “only the animals I stated. The cat, of course, will be all right. A cat can look out for itself, but I cannot think what will become of the others.”
“What politics have you?” I asked.
“I am without politics,” he said. “I am seventy-six years old. I have come twelve kilometers now and I think now I can go no further.”
“This is not a good place to stop,” I said. “If you can make it, there are trucks up the road where it forks for Tortosa.”
“I will wait a while,” he said, “ and then I will go. Where do the trucks go?” “Towards Barcelona,” I told him.
“I know no one in that direction,” he said, “but thank you very much.

Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.

Does the old man have a family? What were the animals he was worried about?


Lights were shining from every window, and there was a savoury smell of roast goose, for it was New-year’s eve—yes, she remembered that. In a corner, between two houses, one of which projected beyond the other, she sank down and huddled herself together. She had drawn her little feet under her, but she could not keep off the cold; and

she dared not go home, for she had sold no matches, and could not take home even a penny of money. Her father would certainly beat her; besides, it was almost as cold at home as here, for they had only the roof to cover them, through which the wind howled, although the largest holes had been stopped up with straw and rags. Her little hands were almost frozen with the cold. Ah! perhaps a burning match might be some good, if she could draw it from the bundle and strike it against the wall, just to warm her fingers. She drew one out—“scratch!” how it sputtered as it burnt! It gave a warm, bright light, like a little candle, as she held her hand over it. It was really a wonderful light. It seemed to the little girl that she was sitting by a large iron stove, with polished brass feet and a brass ornament. How the fire burned! and seemed so beautifully warm that the child stretched out her feet as if to warm them, when, lo! the flame of the match went out, the stove vanished, and she had only the remains of the half-burnt match in her hand.

Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.

What did she imagine when she lighted the first match?


The women came out on the shore, and made for the stepping—?stones. They had plenty to laugh and bicker about, as they approached the river in a noisy crowd. They girded up their skirts, so as to jump from stone to stone, and they clanked their sickles and forks together over their shoulders to have ease of movement. They shouted their quarrels above the gush of the river. Noise frightens crocodiles. The big mugger did not move, and all the women crossed in safety to the other bank. Here they had to climb a steep hillside to get at the grass, but all fell to with a will, and sliced away at it wherever there was foothold to be had. Down below them ran the broad river, pouring powerfully out from its deep narrow pools among the cold cliffs and shadows, spreading into warm shallows, lit by kingfishers. Great turtles lived there, and mahseer weighing more than a hundred pounds. Crocodiles too. Sometimes you could see them lying out on those slabs of clay over there, but there were none to be seen at the moment.

Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.

What were they doing on the hill?


Read the extract give below and answer the questions that follow:

All around the field spectators were gathered Cheeril!g on all the young women and men Then the final event of the day was approaching The last race about the beginning. 
- Nine Gold Medals, David Roth 

(i) Where had the 'young women and men' come from? What had brought them together? How had they prepared themselves for the event?

(ii) What was the last event of the day? How many athletes were participating in this event? What signal were they waiting for? 

(iii) What happened to the youngest athlete halfway through the race? How did he respond? 

(iv) What 'strange' tum did the story take at this point? 

(v) Why does the poet say that the banner - 'Special Olympics' could not have been nearer the mark? What human quality does the poem celebrate?


“But mother says that kind is good…” What is mother referring to?


Multiple Choice Question:

What type of people do entertain such fears?


Read the lines given below and answer the following question:

Iris: Of her society
Be not afraid. I met her deity
Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son
Dove-drawn with her.

Whom does Iris refer to as ‘her’?


Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.

In the poem, Telephone Conversation, the speaker resented the landlady asking him about the colour of his skin because ______.


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