Question

Read the extract and complete the activities given below:           Soapy left his bench and strolled out of the square and across the level sea of asphalt, where Broadway and Fifth Avenue flow together. Up Broadway, he turned and stopped at a luxurious cafe. Soapy had confidence in himself from the lowest button of his vest upward. He was shaven, and his coat was trim and his neat, black bow had been presented to him by a lady missionary on Thanksgiving Day. If only he could reach a table in the restaurant unsuspected, success would be his. The portion of him that would show above the table would raise no doubt in the waiter’s mind. A roasted mallard duck, thought Soapy, would be about the thing with a bottle of wine and then some cheese, a cup of coffee and a cigar. One dollar for the cigar would be enough. The total would not be so high as to call forth any extreme of revenge from the cafe management; and yet the meat would leave him filled and happy for the journey to his winter island. But as Soapy set foot inside the restaurant door, the head waiter's eye fell upon his tattered trousers and decadent shoes. Strong and ready hands turned him about and conveyed him in silence and haste to the side-walk and averted the ignoble fate of the menaced mallard. Soapy turned off-Broadway. It seemed that his route to the coveted island was not to be an easy one. Some other way of entering the limbo must be devised. At a corner of Sixth Avenue, electric lights and cunningly displayed wares behind plate glass made a shop window attractive. Soapy took a stone and dashed it through the glass. People came running round the corner, a policeman in the lead. Soapy stood still with his hands in his pockets and smiled at the sight of brass buttons. “Where’s the man that done that?” inquired the officer agitatedly. “Don’t you think that I might have had something to do with it?” said Soapy, with a friendly voice, as one greets good fortune. The policeman refused to accept Soapy even as a clue. Men who smash windows do not remain to chat with the police. They take to their heels. The policeman saw a man half-way down the block running to catch a car. Withdrawn club he joined in the pursuit. Soapy, with disgust in his heart, drifted along, twice unsuccessful.

A1. Soapy’s attempts to get into Winter Island:

Attempt 1	______
Attempt 2	______

A2. Complete the given statement in 30 words.

Soapy couldn’t enter the restaurant because ______

A3. Soapy had confidence in himself from the lowest button of his vest upward. Here the lowest button of his vest upward means ______

A4. If a person tries to damage the public property, how you will react in such a situation.
(write your response in 3/4 lines)

A5. Do as directed.

1) The policeman refused to accept Soapy even as a clue.
(Choose the correct alternative to transform as a negative statement)

1. The policeman didn’t accept Soapy even as a clue.
2. The policeman had never accepted Soapy even as a clue.
3. The policeman didn’t accepted Soapy even as a clue.
4. The policeman couldn’t accept Soapy even as a clue.

2) “Don’t you think that I might have had something to do with it?” said Soapy.
(Choose the correct alternative to change the sentence into indirect speech)

1. Soapy asked if he didn’t think that he might have something to do with that.
2. Soapy asked if he didn’t think that he might have had something to do with that.
3. Soapy asked if he didn’t thought that he might have had something to do with that.
4. Soapy asked if he didn’t think that he might had had something to do with that.

A6. Match the words in column A with column B:

A	B
1) stroll	a) border place between heaven and hell
2) decadent	b) walk in a leisurely way
3) limbo	c) old and worn out
4) coveted	d) very hard and torn
	e) greatly desired

Answer 1

A1.

Attempt 1	Soapy tried to enter a luxurious cafe. He thought he would consume a hearty meal and refuse to pay the bill. That would enable him to land in to the Winter Island if the cafe owners handed him over to the police
Attempt 2	He smashed the glass window at an attractive shop with a stone and remained on the spot to get arrested.

A2. Soapy couldn’t enter the restaurant because although he was shaven, his coat was trim and wore a neat black bow, his shoes were decadent and trousers were tattered. The head waiter in the luxurious cafe noticed it and turned him away.

A3. Soapy was clean-shaven. He was wearing a coat and a black bow. This attire looked ideal for the luxurious cafe except for the fact that he was wearing tattered trousers and worn-out shoes which played spoilsport. Despite this, Soapy was confident about his vest and felt that the people will notice only the coat once he sits. So here the lowest button of his vest upward refers to the upper part of his attire i.e., the coat.

A4. Vandalism is a social evil which needs to be eliminated. Damaging public property is an obnoxious act. If a person tries to damage public property, I will make him realise that he is hurting his own reputation in society by indulging in such acts. Person resorting to vandalism can never be adored in a civil society. So I will tell the person involved in such acts to opt for peaceful protest in case if they want to put across their viewpoint to the government.

A5.

1) The policeman didn’t accept Soapy even as a clue.

2) Soapy asked if he didn’t think that he might have had something to do with that.

A6.

A	B
1) stroll	b) walk in a leisurely way
2) decadent	c) old and worn out
3) limbo	a) border place between heaven and hell
4) coveted	e) greatly desired