Text Book Solutions All Class

Answer the following questions in short:

Q1. What is the writer’s opinion about work?

Ans. The writer claims that he loves work. It fascinates him so much that he sits back and admires it. He hates to part with it. He does not like to do more than his share.

Q2. Why does the writer call the two youngsters at the sculls, “Simpleminded”?

Ans. The youngsters were made fool of them by the old and experienced boatmen. They told them stories of their past feats and made them work hard by rowing their boats. So they are called simple-minded.

Q3. How do the old boatmen differ from the new ones?

Ans. The old boatmen are crafty and experienced who avoid work by befooling the new ones. The simple minded novices feel quite proud of being allowed to row these old, wonderful oarsmen and they row the boat with great zeal without stopping.

Q4. After exchanging their sculls for the second time, why did Bow and Stroke become friendly?

Ans. When they exchanged their sculls for the second time and felt them inconvenient, they concluded that the man has given them the wrong set of sculls. They both abused the man and became quite friendly and sympathetic.

Q5. Quote the remark which the writer makes to tell you that he has got .

Ans. The writer opines that before sailing on the Thames, he had no style. He says, “It was not till I came to the Thames that I got style. My style of rowing is very much admired now. People say it is so quaint.”

Answer the following questions in short:

Q1. Who was Mrs. Sarah Hill? Why is there a memorial to her in the church?

Ans. Mrs. Sarah Hill was a lady who left 1 pound in her will to be divided at Easter, every year between two boys and two girls who have never been undutiful to their parents, who never told a lie to steal or to break windows and this was the reason why her memorial was put in the church.

Q2. Why was the writer not satisfied with the contribution of Mrs. Sarah Hill?

Ans. The writer felt the sacrifice of the two boys and girls to be too great to receive such a petty amount.

Q3. Mention the ingredients of Irish stew.

Ans. All the vegetables they found in their hampers including bacon, potted salmon and pork pie etc. were the ingredients of the Irish stew.

Q4. What contribution did Montmorency want to make to the stew?

Ans. Montmorency wanted a dead rat to contribute to the stew.

Q5. Mention how Montmorency and Harris reacted when George played the Banjo.

Ans. When George played on the banjo, Harris complained of headache and Montmorency howled steadily right through the performance.

Q6. What happened to Harris after supper?

Ans. Harris felt upset due to the stew as he was not used to high living.

Answer the following questions in short:

Q1. What is Jim’s opinion about fox-terriers?

Ans. The writer thought that fox-terriers are worse four times than other dogs.

Q2. Why did Montmorency shrink with fear by the name of “Cats”?

Ans. Once Montmorency had picked up a fight with a large black tom (a he cat), a very strong animal who just waited for Montmorency to come to it with a look that said, “Yes! you want me?” Montmorency retreated and allowed that cat to continue his walk. From that day, the word ‘Cats!’ made him shrink with fear.

Q3. What all things were things brought by the three friends before leaving Marlow?

Ans. Before leaving Marlow, they filled up their boat with vegetables weighing more than ten pounds.

Q4. Why did the writer think he might have typhoid?

Ans. The three friends had no water left in their jar. They wanted tea so they took water from the river, boiled it and prepared tea. All of them sat to drink it. But George and Harris paused with their cups halfway to their lips whereas the writer had emptied half his cup. When they saw a dog who eased up into the river water, the writer was worried whether he might have typhoid.

Q5. Why do you think Harris believed that his friends have brought him in trouble?

Ans. Harris had been sitting, without knowing it, on the very verge of a small gully. He asked George and Jim to give him a spoon to help the gravy with. Meanwhile he tumbled down into the gully. He blamed George and Jim for doing it deliberately and bringing him in trouble.

Very Short  Answers Type Questions

Q1. What was special about the ruins of old priory in the grounds of Ankerwyke House?

Ans. The ruins were famous for meetings between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, his second Queen.

Q2. Why did the writer call the small boy an angel?

Ans. The writer called him an angel because the boy had taken them to his house and his mother provided them with food and shelter at such a time when they could find no room in any hotel.

Q3. What accommodation did the three friends get at Datchet?

Ans. At first they rejected all the hotels for this or that reason and later on there was no room left for them. Then a small boy took them to their house where his mother gave them two beds to sleep in.

Q4. What had the three friends forgotten to bring with them? How did the writer feel about its absence?

Ans. They forgot to bring mustard with them for which the writer hankered at lunch time and had his lunch without mustard.

Q5. What had Jim done while dreaming?

Ans. Jim, while steering the boat, began to dream and barged straight into a boat in which three old men were sitting on chairs and fishing.

Q6. Why did the three old men curse the three friends?

Ans. Jim barged the boat in which three men were sitting on chairs and fishing. They fell down and got badly hurt. After getting recovered, they cursed them comprehensively in a bad manner.

Short  Answers Type Questions

Q1. What was the reason behind rejecting two hotels by Jim and Harris?

Ans. The writer rejected the first hotel as it did not have a honeysuckle in its porch. Harris rejected the second hotel because he didn’t like the look of the man leaning against the front door and wearing ugly boots. These were the only two inns in the place.

Q2. What humour did the three friends experienced at Datchet?

Ans. After rejecting the second hotel they went back to the first hotel to stay. But it was full and there was no accommodation there. Already there were three men in one bed. Then they went to manor, the second hotel. The landlady told them they were the fourteenth party she had refused in the last one and a half hour. A shop nearby was also full with two married couples and a single gentleman. The grocer next door was also full. An old lady took them to her friend’s house which was also full. This way the three friends walked miles. Harris felt exhausted and unable to go further or die there. He requests George and Jim to kiss his mother on behalf of him and tell his relatives that he forgave them and died happily. They fell upon the neck of the small boy in gratitude and the boy unable to sustain himself, sank to the ground and the three friends fell down on top of him.

Q3. Narrate the experience of three friends in opening the pineapple tine.

Ans. George drew out a tin of pineapple from the hamper and all of them felt that life was worth living after all. They searched for a tin opener but could not find it. Harris tried to open it with a pocket knife but broke the knife and cut himself badly. George tried with a pair of scissors but the scissors flow up and struck his eye. Jim tried to make a hole in it with the spiky end of a hitcher which slipped and jerked him out between the boat and the bank into two feet of muddy water and the tin rolled over, uninjured, and broke a tea cup. Then they all tried to smash it with a large stone. George was narrowly saved by his straw hat. The description presents the three friends to be all humorous and behaving like idiots.

Q4. How does the writer describe sailing?

Ans. The writer knew no more thrilling sensation than sailing. He imagines to be flying while sailing. The wings of the rushing wind seem to take him onward. We feel no longer the slow puny thing of clay plodding and creeping tortuously upon the ground rather we are a part of nature. Our heart throbs against hers. The glorious arms of nature are around us, raising us up against her heart. Our limbs grow light. The voices of the air sing to us. We feel away from earth and the clouds close to our heads are like our brothers whom we desire to take in our arms.

Q5. Narrate their trip from Magna Charta Island to Marlow in your own words.

Ans. On the way from Magna Charta Island to Marlow, Jim was sailing the boat. Meanwhile he was lost in imagination dreaming of the beauty of nature and carelessly he barged a boat in which three old men were sitting on chairs and enjoying fishing. The three men fell down their chairs and got hurted and cursed the three friends with long and comprehensive curses. George said that he (Jim) should not give away his brilliant mind is steering boat rather a mere common place human being (like George) should sail it last they all should get drowned. George took the lines then and sailed the boat up to Marlow, where they left the boat by the bridge and went to stay at the “Crown.”

Very Short Answers Type Questions

Q1. What made George get up early when he was staying with Mrs. Gippings?

Ans. One evening his watch had stopped at a quarter past eight. He had an appointment the next day at nine. He woke up at 3:00 but when he saw his watch showing 8:15, he dressed and rushed downstairs.

Q2. What made him curse the lady and call her a lazy old woman?

Ans. George was angry with Mrs. Gippings for not waking at a decent time. He thought he was already late and she was yet sleeping with locked main door which he himself had to open.

Q3. What advice did the policeman give to George?

Ans. The policeman advised George to go back home and throw his watch.

Q4. What made George think policeman would handcuff him?

Ans. George was afraid of making his breakfast for fear of noise which might make Mrs G. wake up and that she would think it was burglars, open the window and call “Police!” and lest police should handcuff him.

Q5. What made George laugh at the writer and what made him mump soon?

Ans. In a hurry to dress, the writer’s shirt fell into the water which made George laugh loudly. But soon he felt ashamed when Jim told him that it was his (George’s) shirt.

Short  Answers Type Questions

Q1.  What made the three friends not to swim although they earlier had planned to do so?

Ans. The three friends had decided to have and early morning swim but the chilly wind and the cold water made them lose their zeal for it. Harris and George were reluctant but the writer decided to go down to the edge and just throw water on him. So he took his towel and crept to the branch of a tree that dipped into the water. The branch gave way and he fell into the water with a tremendous splash.

Q2. What happened to the writer and how did he try to hide the humiliation?

Ans. The writer decided to go down to the edge of water and just to throw water on himself. He crept to the branch of a tree that dipped into the water. As the writer stepped in, the branch gave way and he fell into the water with a loud splash. Harris cried “By Jove! old J.’s gone in.” The writer tried to hide the humiliation by telling that it was lovely and that they both were clumsy not to come in. He showed as if he were enjoying in the cold water. He asked George and Harris to try it but could not persuade them.

Q3. Describe the humour in Harris’s attempt to prepare breakfast.

Ans. Harris offered to cook scrambled eggs for all of them for breakfast. He assured them that it was his specialty. It made their mouths water. They handed him the stove, the frying-pan and half a dozen eggs. He had difficulty in breaking the eggs and putting them into the frying-pan. Whenever he touched the pan he burned himself. He was also afraid of messed eggs running up his trousers and sleeve. He just dropped everything into the frying-pan and danced. After sometime what they got was a teaspoonful of burnt and unappetizing mess.

Q4. Find out the great historical event that happened on June 1215 in England.

Ans. The signing of the Magna charta by king John, was the great historical event that took place in June 1215. It was a charter of liberties to which the English barons forced King John to give his assent. The Magna Charta was signed by the king at Runningmede in England.

Long Answers Type Questions

Q1. Harris had a boastful nature that always landed him in nothing but trouble. Explain.

Ans. Harris always seems boasting of himself. He boasts that he prepares very good scrambled eggs. But while doing so he makes a fool of himself. He is troubled of breaking the eggs and also looks incapable of getting them into the frying-pan after breaking them. He keeps the broken eggs off his trousers and preventing them from running up his sleeve. He put half a dozen eggs into the pan at last and then squatted down beside the pan. Then he dropped everything into the pan. He kept on flicking his fingers about and cursing the things and dancing around the stove. Finally all that came out was a teaspoonful of burnt and unappetizing looking mess.

Q2.Describe the character sketch of Jim as an admirer and lover of history.

Ans. A new fact of Jim’s nature has come out in this Chapter in the form of his love for history. He recount a memorable event of history, illustrating it with great verbal pictures full of details describing King John, the barons and the people of England. He has given us a vivid picture of the events that compel King John to sign the charter of liberty. The inner struggle of the king when he debates with himself to cut loose, a signal to his french troops, one desperate charge upon the rebellious barons and then he weighs the odds against him. His heart sinks before the stern faces of the English fighting men and the arm of King John drops back on to his rein, he dismounts and takes his seat in the barge. Thus he takes his first step to the signing of the great charter of liberties the Magna Charta. The writer has described and recorded the event for his readers and the posterity.

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1. Should you finish your work before you sleep ?

Ans. Yes, we should finish our work before we sleep.

Q.2. What will you do If your sleep Is disturbed at midnight?

Ans. I’ll read a book for sometime and then try to sleep.

Q.3. Do you help your mother In the kitchen ?

Ans. No.

Q.4. When do you get angry?

Ans. I get angry when my will is not carried out.

Q.5. Do you like to share your food with your find?

Ans. Yes.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1. What did George suggest his friends?

Ans. George’s friends intended to take the supper and go to bed that night. But George suggested them that they should put up the cover before eating supper.

Q.2. How did they feel after eating the supper?

Ans. They felt contented and happy. They realised that they were quarrelsome and ill-tempered before eating the supper. After eating the food they began to love each other and everybody.

Q.3. Why couldn’t the narrator sleep that night?

Ans. The narrator couldn’t sleep that night because the sound of the lapping water round the boat and the wind among the branches kept him restless and disturbed.

Q.4. How was the night described ?

Ans. It was a glorious night. The moon had sunk and left the quiet earth alone with the stars. It was full of comfort and of strength. Night, like some great loving mother, gently laid her hand upon their feverish heads and removed their pain.

Q.5. What story did the narrator relate?

Ans. The narrator related the story of a good knight who was lost in the dark forest. The name of the dark forest was Sorrow. The good knight saw a vision.

Q.6. Why did the three dropped the idea of camping at Magna Charta?

Ans. Now they didn’t want to look at any scenery but just to eat supper and go to bed, so they dropped the idea of camping there.

Q.7. Why George suggested to make camp first?

Ans. He suggested to put up the tent before eating supper because it was getting dark and they might not be able to see what they were doing.

Q.8. Give one example each to show the changed behaviour of three friends after supper.

Ans. After supper all of them felt deeply contented and satisfied with themselves and with the world. Harris, in moving about, trod on George’s corn. George was not annoyed but he only said, “Steady, old man”, and nothing happened. Had this happened before supper there would have been a scene. Harris also was very humble and regretted by saying, “oh I’m sorry, old chap.” George said why could not they be always like this, away from the sin and temptation, leading sober and peaceful lives and doing good. Jim said it was the sort of thing he had often longed for himself. Thus they behaved politely and friendly.

 
Q.9. Why could the writer not sleep after the supper?

Ans. The writer felt restless and uncomfortable because of the hardness of the boat, novelty of the place and the sound of the lapping water round the boat.

 
Q.10. How does a person feel when his stomach is empty according to Jim?

Ans. He feels tired and annoyed. He cannot work, he cannot think, even he cannot bear someone talking about anything.

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1. Do you like a shirker?
Ans. No.

Q.2. Who cleans your bedroom In the morning?
Ans. My maid cleans it in the morning.

Q.3. Who cooks food for you?
Ans. My mother cooks food for me.

Q.4. Do you like to take umbrella with you In the rainy season?
Ans. No, I don’t like to carry umbrella with me.

Q.5. Do you go out for a walk in the morning?
Ans. No/Yes.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1. Who were the two men that the narrator saw?
Ans. The narrator saw two men who were looking for their boat which had gone off when they were trying to disentangle their tow-line.

Q.2.With whom did the narrator go On a river trip ?
Ans. The narrator went on a river trip with a young girl, his cousin.

Q.3.How did the narrator try to find Wallingford lock?
Ans. The narrator consulted a map in order to find Wallingford lock.

Q4. What Information did the narrator get about Wallingford?
Ans. The narrator came to know that there was no Wallingford lock for the last one year.

Q.5. Who told the narrator that Wallingford lock  did not exist there for  the last one year?
Ans. The occupants of the boat that came near  their boat told them that Wallingford lock did not exist there for the last one year.

Q.6. What work was given to George when he joined his friends?

Ans. When George joined his friends, they made him tow them up to Runnymede.

Q.7. How did George try to escape work?

Ans. George tried to escape the work by putting off the tow-lines, but Jim and Harris made him tow.

Q.8. In what way tow-lines are strange and unaccountable?

Ans. Tow-lines are strange and unaccountable because the one who tries to disentangle it, thinks all the faults lie with the man who rolled it up. It is too difficult to disentangle the rolled up tow-lines.

Q.9. Why, according to writer it’s better to let one person tow?

Ans. According to the writer it is better to let one person tow. When two persons are towing, they get chattering and forget the boat.

Q.10. Why did the three friends regret not having stopped at Penton Hook?

Ans. There was a quiet wooded part of the river and a good shelter. The friends desired to enjoy this natural beauty but it was a dull and weary task at the end of the day. They regretted it and wished afterwards that they had stopped at Penton Hook and enjoyed it in the morning when they were refreshed.

Q.11. Which lock was writer looking for? Why couldn’t they find it?

Ans. The writer was looking for the Wallingford lock. They could not find it because there was no Wallingford lock for the last one year.

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1. Do you like those policemen who accept bribe?
Ans. No.

Q.2. will sing if you do not know how to sing?
Ans. No.

Q.3.Who takes your pet dog out In the morning?
Ans. My servant takes my pet dog out in the morning.

Q.4. What Is your favourite colour ? Why?
Ans. Red. 1 like this colour because it is bright.

Q5. Do you tie your pet dog at night?
Ans. No, I allow him to wander about in the courtyard.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1. How did a man try to blackmail Jim and Harris? 
Ans. Jim and Harris stopped under the willows by Kempton Park and lunched. A gentleman came there and asked them if they knew they were tresspassing. He threatened to remove them. But actually he wanted a shilling and was trying to blackmail them.

Q.2. What was Harris’ ‘fixed Idea’ ? What did his friends think about him ?
Ans. He thought that he could sing a comic song. But all his friends thought that he could not sing a song and would never be able to sing and that he should not be allowed to sing.

Q.3. Who brought the German singer to sing a song ? How did the narrator react to the song?
Ans. The two young students from Germany brought the German singer to sing a song. The narrator did not understand German. He simply watched the young men. When they Uttered, the narrator tittered. When they roared, the narrator also roared

Q.4. Was the song comic ? What was it all about?
Ans. No, the song was not comic at all.it was  about a young girl who had given up her life to save her lover’s soul . It was a tragic song.

Q.5. What was the Duchess of York fond of?
Ans. The Duchess of York was fond of dogs. She had a special graveyard made for the large number of dogs that she kept.

Q.6. Why Jim and Harris wanted to kill the owner of the park?

Ans. They wanted to kill the owner of the park for employing a blackmailer keeper who declined the offer of bread and jam but wanted a shilling in return of trespassing the park.

Q.7. In what situation Harris wanted to sing a comic song?

Ans. Harris is so furious on the matter of blackmailing them by the gentleman in shirt-sleeves and a short pipe that he wants to kill the owner of the park with all his kith and kin and even to burn their house and then he wants to sing a comic song on their ruins.

Q.8. Who was Herr Boschen? What happened with him?

Ans. Herr Boschan was a German singer. Once he had made the German Emperor weep by his tragic song. In the present episode, it is told that he is going to sing his famous comic song. Nobody understood the German language so they laughed and tittered thinking it a comic song whereas it was really a tragic song. The singer was surprised and even angry to see people laughing rather than weeping.

Q.9. Why did the two people insulted the singer?

Ans. The two young men who had just returned from Germany seemed restless and uncomfortable in the fashionable party. The polished conversation and the high-class tastes of the people at the party, were beyond them. So they felt humiliated and in order to take revenge, they insulted the singer.

Q.10. What had George brought with him and why?

Ans. He brought a curious oilskin-covered parcel in his hand and that was not a frying pan but a banjo.

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1. Where should you learn swimming?
Ans. We should learn swimming in a swimming pool.

Q.2. Would you carry a dog with you on a boat trip?
Ans. No

Q.3. What type of clothes should you wear when you go to your office?
Ans. We should wear neat and tidy clothes.

Q.4. Where should you keep the bottle of water in a hamper when you go out for a picnic?
Ans. We should keep the bottle of water at the top in a hamper.

Q.5. Do you iron your clothes yourself in the morning?
Ans.  Yes

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1.What colour did the narrator like In all his things and why?
Ans. The writer liked a little red in all his things. His hair was a sort of golden brown. So he thought that the dark red matched with his hair. Similarly he liked red silk handkerchief round his waist.

Q.2. What does the narrator say about the two ladies who went with him for a boat ride?
Ans. He says that they were beautifully dressed. But they were dressed for a photographic studio and not for a river picnic. They thought that a drop of water would ruin their dress.

Q.3. Describe the narrator’s visit to a village church.
Ans. The narrator once visited a village church. He was admiring the lovely landscape when he saw an old bald-headed man him. He was carrying a bunch of hand that shook and jingled at every He insisted that Jim should But Jim protested and ran away.

Q.4.What was Harris Interested In ? Why had joined the trip ?
Ans. Harris was interested in tombs, graves, epitaphs and monuments. He had joined the trip only to see Mrs. Thomas’ grave.

Q.5.How did Harris send the boat Into the bank?
Ans. Harris wanted to have a drink. He wanted to take out a bottle from the hamper. The bottle was at the bottom of the hamper, In order to find it he had to lean further and further. In trying to steer at the same time, he pulled the wrong line and sent the boat into the bank.

Q6. What objection did writer raised?
 Ans. Harris wanted to visit Mrs. Thomas’s tomb but who she was, was not known to him. Jim objected it strongly and said that they had to reach Shepperton by 5 to meet George.

Q7. Why Jim disliked the blazer of George.
 Ans. His blazer was gaudy and showy which did not suit him, so Jim did not like it.

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1 Have You seen the Taj Mahal in Agra?

Ans.  No/Yes.

Q.2. How do you decorate the walls of your bedroom?

Ans. I hang the photographs of my favourite actors to decorate my bedroom.

Q.3. What type of students do you like?

Ans. I like those students who study hard and are helpful to others.

Q.4. What do you do In the evening?

Ans. I go out for a long

Q.5. Can you find particular house of a map?

Ans. No/Yes.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1. In what type of the houses did the nobles and courtiers live ?

Ans. The nobles and courtiers lived in red brick houses. They had oak stairs that did not creak.

Q.2. What type of boy named Stivvings was?

Ans. Stivvings was the most extraordinary, boy at the narrator’s school. He loved studies. He wished to win prizes and grow up to be a clever man. He wanted to bring credit to his parents. He used to fall ill twice a week.

Q 3. How did Montmorency create a mess?

Ans. Montmorency howled and turned a somersault and the top hamper jumped up and all the things came out. Thus he created a mess.

Q.4. How was Harris lost In the maze at Hampton Court?

Ans. Once Harris went in the maze to someone. He had studied the thought that it was very simple to But he was lost in the maze. He to the entrance and tried again way out but failed.

Q.5. How were the persons lost In the maze rescued?

Ans. The young keeper came and gave instructions to them, but they could not understand anything. He also got lost with them. Then the old keeper came and rescued them.

Q.6 Why was Kingston so famous?

Ans. Kingston saw many kings Crowned, Great caesar crossed the river there, Roman Kings camped there and Queen Elizabeth of England stopped there which made it famous.

Q.7 With Whom is Harris being compared and Why?

Ans. Harris is compared with Queen Elizabeth who is described to have visited all public houses of Kingston. In the same way Harris knows every nook and corner where one can find drinks as he is fond of drinking.

Q.8 Why do you think the owner of shop had covered the old oak paneling with blue wall paper?

Ans. The owner of the shop had covered it with blue wall paper because oak paneling looked very gloomy. He did not like the look as he thought it would be like living in a church.

Q.9 What was peculiar about Stivvings?

Ans. Stivvings’ ambitions were indeed peculiar because when other boys of his age explored all ways and means to get sick and to miss school, Stivvings felt sad that due to his ill health he was not able to do his Latin exercise.

Q.10 Do you think Harris was a good guide? Why or Why not?

Ans. Harris was not a good guide. He could not come out of the maze. He met some people who were lost and asked them to follow him. But every time he tried to begin from the entrance, he lost his way and took them in a middle and found no way to come out.