Question

Read the given extract and answer the questions.

Unaware of what his name represents, he roams the streets with his friends, an army of barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon. Over the months, I have come to recognise each of them. “Why aren’t you wearing chappals?” I ask one. “My mother did not bring them down from the shelf,” he answers simply. “Even if she did, he will throw them off,” adds another who is wearing shoes that do not match. When I comment on it, he shuffles his feet and says nothing. “I want shoes,” says a third boy who has never owned a pair all his life. Travelling across the country I have seen children walking barefoot, in cities, on village roads. It is not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot, is one explanation.

1. What is the writer’s purpose in allowing the boys to speak for themselves via dialogue, as opposed to only a writer’s commentary?    1
2. The line, "It is not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot" can be best classified as:    1
   1. A fact
   2. An opinion
   3. A theme
   4. A plot point
3. Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line, "an army of barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon”.     1
4. Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that the writer's association with the boys is not a recent one.    1
5. Based on the context provided in the extract, select the most likely comment that the writer would have made, based on the boy's reaction to the mismatched shoes.      1
   1. "Why are your shoes mismatched? That's not a good look."
   2. "Don't worry about your shoes, you can wear a matching pair later."
   3. "I like your shoes. What matters is that they protect your feet."
   4. "Have you chosen to mismatch your shoes?"
6. Complete the sentence with ONE word.      1
   The phrase "he answers simply", suggests that the boy's response to the writer's question about why he wasn't wearing chappals was ______.

Answer 1

1. 
   
   • To give voice to their hopes, dreams, and struggles in a way that is immediate and relatable.
   • To add a sense of authenticity and realism to the story.
   • To make the experience more engaging and memorable for the reader.
2. An opinion
3. 
   
   • The boys are barefoot, which suggests that they may come from poor or marginalized backgrounds and do not have access to proper footwear.
   • The phrase "an army of barefoot boys" implies that the boys are a unified group, and that they have a sense of solidarity or shared identity.
   • The comparison to "morning birds" suggests that the boys are lively and energetic, and that they move around quickly and unpredictably.
   • The fact that the boys "disappear at noon" suggests that their time is limited or constrained in some way, and that they may need to return to their homes or other responsibilities.
   • The use of the word "disappear" may also imply that the boys are overlooked or ignored by the wider society, and that they are not given the recognition or support that they need.
   • The phrase "like the morning birds" could also imply that the boys are vulnerable, and that their carefree lifestyle may be disrupted by external factors such as poverty, exploitation, or violence.
4. The line from the text: "Over the months, I have come to recognize each of them."
5. "I like your shoes. What matters is that they protect your feet."
6. straightforward/uncomplicated/direct/clear