Question

Read the following passage carefully and complete the activities:

B1. State True or False:     (02)

1. On the eighty-fifth day, the old man succeeds in hooking a salmon with his bait.
2. Mandolin was his apprentice.
3. The old man hardly had any experience in fishing.
4. During the First World War, the old man had worked with the Red Cross.

An old and experienced Cuban fisherman has a run of terrible bad luck and is unable to catch any fish for eighty-four days. His young and devoted apprentice, Manolin, has been forced by his parents to start working with another fisherman. The old man resolves to sail out farther than all the other fishermen and attempt to catch the really big fish. On the eighty-fifth day, he succeeds in hooking a marlin with his bait but the marlin is too strong for him and starts pulling the boat. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ is the story of the old man’s struggle with the marlin and his later battle against sharks.

Social/Historical context:

Hemingway’s novel is based on real events and it also draws heavily on his own life. He had the experience of fishing in the Cuban waters and like the old man he was also a fan of baseball. He worked for the Red Cross during the First World War and was injured by shrapnel when he was in Italy. Hemingway always talks about the need to struggle against defeat or death and how determination and endurance can help one to win this struggle The old man is at the end of the novel very near death, but we know that the story of his suffering and loss will live on in the memories of the people of his village. Ultimately his story becomes one of triumph because the tales of his life will on even after his death.

B2. Complete the following bubbles with the help of the passage: (02)

B3. Make meaningful sentences of your own using the below-given words or phrases: (02)

1. devoted
2. to be forced by.

B4. Do as directed: (02)

1. He is unable to catch any fish for eighty-four days.
   (Pick the infinitive in the sentence)
2. Hemingway always talks about the need to struggle against defeat or death.
   (Rewrite the sentence as a Negative sentence, without changing its meaning)

B5. Would you prefer to read a book or see a film based on the book? Give reasons for your answer: (02)

Answer 1

B1.

1. False.
   On the eighty-fifth day the old man succeeds in hooking a marlin with his bait.
   
2. True.
   Manolin was his apprentice.
   
3. False.
   The old man was highly experienced in fishing.
   
4. True.
   During the First World War, Hemingway had worked for the Red Cross.
   

B2.

B3.

1. We should be devoted towards our work.
2. The enemy was forced by the army to retreat.

B4.

1. Infinitive – to catch
2. Hemingway never fails to talk about the need to struggle against defeat or death.

B5.

I would always prefer to read a book over watching a movie based on the book. We use our own imagination while reading a book. A book is much more detailed than a movie. A movie is bound by time. Also, most movies based on books cut out many important parts and descriptions from the book. I think a book’s true essence is not completely captured in its movie.