Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in Current Affairs.

For several hours the grandmother thumped the sagging skins of the ‘dilapidated drum and sang of the home-coming of warriors. It was causing strain to her. So she was persuaded to stop.

दादी कई घण्टों तक लटकते हुए टूटे ढोल के चमड़े पर थाप देती रहीं तथा योद्धाओं के घर वापसी के गीत गाती रहीं। इससे उन्हें बहुत ही थकान हो रही थी। इसलिए उन्हें रुकने के लिए आग्रहपूर्वक समझाना पड़ा।

The grandmother enjoyed the return of the author differently. She fed for a longer time to the sparrows with frivolous rebukes. In the evening she collected the women of the neighbourhood, got an old drum and sang of the home-coming of warriors.

दादी ने लेखक की वापसी का आनंद भिन्न प्रकार से लिया। हल्की झिड़की के साथ उन्होंने गौरेयाओं को देर तक खिलाय। शाम को उन्होंने पड़ोस की महिलाओं को एकत्रित किया, एक पुराना ढोल लिया तथा योद्धाओं के घर तौटने का गाना गाया।

Khushwant Singh’s grandmother was closely involved in bringing him up when the author lived with her in the village during his early life. She used to wake him up early in the morning. While bathing and dressing him, she sang her prayers. She hoped that the young boy Would learn it by heart. She then gave him breakfast-a stale chapati with butter and sugar.

Then they would go together to the temple school. While the author learnt his lesson, the grandmother would read holy books. They returned home together. A turning point came in their friendship when his parents called them to city. Although they shared a room, she could not help him much. She hated music, science and western education. The common link of their friendship was gradually snapped.

The priest taught the alphabet and the morning prayer at the village school. He made the students stand in rows on either side. They would sing the alphabet and the morning prayer in a chorus.

After going through the portrait of the author’s grandmother, we come to know that the prayer was an inseparable part of her life. There are so many instances of this. She used to keep her rosary in her hand and tell the beads all the time. When the author was going abroad, she came to leave him to the station. But she did not stop telling the beads of her rosary even then. Her lips were moving in prayer, her mind was lost in prayer. Her fingers were busy telling the beads of her rosary. When the author returned from abroad and met her at the station, she still had no time for words. While she clasped the author in her arms, she was still reciting prayers. Even when she was about to die, she refused to stop praying.

लेखक की दादी के शब्दचित्र को पढ़ने के पश्चात् हमें पता चलता है कि प्रार्थना उनके जीवन का अभिन्न अंग थी। इसके कई सारे उदाहरण हैं। वह अपनी माला को अपने हाथ में रखकर हर समय माला जपती रहती थीं। जब लेखक विदेश जा रहा था तो वह उसे विदा करने स्टेशन पर आई। लेकिन उस समय भी उन्होंने अपना। माला जपना- बंद नहीं किया। उनके होठ प्रार्थना में हिलते रहे, उनका मन प्रार्थना में खोया हुआ था। उनका हाथ माला जपने में व्यस्त था। जब लेखक विदेश से लौटा तो वह उससे मिलने के लिये स्टेशन गईं उनके पास उस समय भी बातचीत करने के लिए समय नहीं था। जब उन्होंने लेखक को अपनी बाहों में कसकर पकड़ा, उस समय भी वह प्रार्थना कर रही थीं। यहाँ तक कि जब वे मरने वाली थीं उन्होंने प्रार्थना बंद करने से मना कर दिया।

When the author’s parents were settled in the city, they called the author and grandmother to come there. That was the turning point. Though the author and grandmother shared the same room, she did not go with him to the school. She gradually remained away from his activities and him.

The village school was quite simple and small. It was attached to a temple. The priest himself acted as the teacher. He taught the alphabet and the morning prayer at the school. In comparison, the English school in the city provided a contrast. They gave instructions in English and taught modem science and music. They didn’t teach anything about God and the scriptures at the English school.

When the grandmother threw the little bits of bread to the sparrows, hundreds of little birds collected around her creating a veritable bedlam of chirpings. Some perched on her legs, on her shoulders and head but she smiled and never shooed them away.

जब दादी गौरेयाओं के सामने रोटी के छोटे-छोटे टुकड़े डालती थीं तो सैंकड़ों छोटे-छोटे पक्षीं चहचहाकर शोर मचाते हुए उनके इर्द-गिर्द एकत्र हो जाते थे। कुछ उनकी टांगों पर, उनके कंधों पर तथा सिर पर बैठ जाते लेकिन वह मुस्करा देतीं और कभी भी उन्हें नहीं भगाती थीं।

D) they did not teach about God and the scriptures in the English school.

In the village, the temple priest used to teach the alphabet and the morning prayer. That was ‘schooling’, according to the grandmother. But, in the city school, the author had to learn modern education with English, Science, Mathematics, etc. When he came back from school she would ask him about the lessons. But she understood very little of it. As there was no teaching.about God and scriptures, she felt unhappy.

Grandma often told the author and his friends about various games she had played as a young girl. This appeared absurd and hence the author and his friends treated her games as fables of prophet.

Young girls are pretty like the buds of a flower. The author had never seen his grandma young. The author thought she could never have been pretty but full bloomed flower like beauty.

The author thought his grandma was getting very old. He believed that before he returned from foreign study, she may have kicked her bucket. But she came to receive him in a cool headed way on his return from abroad.

Elders who have deep love for young ones do leave a life time impression in the minds of children. I had seen my grandpa when I was very young. He was not rich. But he had deep- seated love for me. He used to walk three kilometers to just spend a few hours with me. He would not use the money my dad gave him for bus. He would walk back and save the money to buy either toys or books for me. The first book he presented me while I was in Std. VII hooked me on to the joy of reading. The book had short stories of endearing value.

For the first time, I realized, that printed book can transport one to a world of fantasy and indefinable joy. The thrill of identifying myself with warriors, pilgrims, fishermen and great souls of the past kindled a spark in me. Now, I go to the book fair every year and buy books. I have started reading for specific purposes. I owe my reading habit to my grandpa. In the life of Mahatma Gandhi also, his mom’s influence was great. She told him many moral stories.

Dr. Ambedkar who shared a small room with his dad, learnt to lead a simple life all through his life. Unnikrishnan’s daughter Uthra Unnikrishnan has got influenced by her father and taken to singing even for films at a very young age. Her singing of “Kaiveesum Katrai” in the movie ‘Straberry’ and Azhage in “Saivam” Tamil movies has got her national level reputation. In this story also grandma’s influence on Khushwant Singh was so great that he made her immortal in his biographical story “The Portrait of a Lady”. Her love for simple life, street dogs and sparrows made an indelible mark in Khushwant Singh’s boyhood memories. “Grandmothers create memories that the heart holds forever. ”

The grandmother worked on a spinning wheel.

The boy author’s parents got settled in the city. They sent for them. That was a turning point in their friendship.

As years rolled by, the author grew up. He had a room of his own. English education did not cover scriptures and God. These distanced her from her grandson.

1. C. stretching canvas a cross the gaping holes.

2. D. Both ‘B’ and ‘C’

3. D. Another electric pump

4. A. The debris floating around the cabins.

Frustration was written in bold letters on the faces of the voyagers. Ceaseless efforts had brought very little relief to them. But they did not lose hopes. They had been pumping out the accumulated water for the last 36 hours. A few centimetres of water was still left. Because of the strong wind no sail could be put on the main mast. If they did the pressure could further damage the ship. So they hoisted only the storm jib. They tried to head towards the direction of the two islands. That day they had their first meal in almost two days.

Hopes of survival were almost nil as black clouds began to build up, the wind became stormy and the waves rose higher. On January 5 the situation became worse. The weather was horrible. Frustration again dominated. Gordon Cook went to comfort the children. Jon asked his father if they were going to die. He tried to assure him that they would succeed in their efforts. Jon told him if they could be together they were not afraid of death. Listening to the words of the child Gordon regained courage. His determination to fight the storm became stronger. The following day the Wavewalke.

1. B. It had not been corrected for magnetic variation.

2. C. To prepare adequately for someone or something.

3. B. He had missed the island.

4. C. The writer’s son – Jonathan

At 6 p.m. on second January 1977 it appeared that the storm had calmed down. The wind stopped blowing and the sky grew dark. A roaring sound was heard. A huge cloud was seen closing on the ship. But the cloud turned out to be a huge wave. By the time it approached the ship the roaring transformed into a thunder. The torrent of water exploded on the deck.

There was water everywhere on the ship. It had entered the lower parts of the ship. The captain went down to find Lary and Herb trying to pump out the water. He plugged the big hole from where the water was gushing in. Debris floating around the cabins had blocked the hand pumps. Only one electric pump was in working order. He connected it tp the out-pipe- and it started working. With these efforts he was able to check the flooding of water in the ship.

(b) stale chapattis

Yes, I agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character. She was a strong woman with strong beliefs. Although she was not formally educated, she was serious about. the author’s education. She could not adjust herself to the western way of life, Science and English education. She hated music and disapproved of its teaching in school. She was a deeply religious lady. Her lips were always saying a silent prayer. She was always telling the beads of her rosary. She went to the temple daily and read the scriptures. She was distressed to know that there was no teaching about God and holy books at Khushwant’s new English school. She was a kind lady.

She used to feed dogs in the village. In the city, she took to feeding the sparrows. Although old in years and weak in body, she had great strength of mind. Knowing her impending death, she played a drum and sang with full-throated ease along with her neighbours. Just before her death, she refused to talk to the members of the family as she did not want to waste her time. She wanted to make up for the time lost when she had not prayed to God. She lay peacefully in bed saying prayers and telling the beads of her rosary till she breathed her last. 

“She made broken look beautiful; strong look invincible. She walked with the universe on her shoulders as an inspiration. ”

Khushwant Singh’s grandmother was closely involved in bringing him up when the author lived with her in the village during his early life. She used to wake him up early in the morning.

While bathing and dressing him, she sang her prayers. She hoped that the young boy would learn it by heart. She then gave him breakfast – a stale chapatti with butter and sugar. Then they would go together to the temple school. While the author learnt his lessons, the grandmother would read holy books. They returned home together. A turning point came in their friendship when his parents called them to the city. Although they shared a room, she could not help him much. She hated music, Science and Western education. The common link of their friendship was gradually snapped. ,

“The greatest gift of life is friendship and one should cherish it. ”

1. C. a sail.

2. A. the sound rising from the spray was too loud.

3. C. premonitory silence.

4. D. Both ’A’ and ‘B’

1. D. Both ‘A’ and ‘C’

2. A. his ship was greatly hurled upright.

3. D. Both ‘A’ and ‘B’

4. C. the decks were smashed and the ship was full of water.

I agree with the description. The colour white represents or signifies purity, innocence, divinity, serenity and light. Here in the portrait, the grandmother is a symbol of all these qualities. She wore spotless white clothes. She used to tell the beads of her rosary all the time and was always busy praying. In the village, she used to go to temple daily, read the scriptures and feed village dogs. She was disturbed upon knowing that English schools taught nothing about God and the scriptures. She used to spin at the spinning wheel and recite prayers from sunrise to sunset. The feeding of the sparrows was the happiest half-hour of the day for her. The sparrows even sat on her legs, shoulders and head. Such was her innocence.

मैं इस वर्णन से सहमत हूँ। सफेद रंग शुद्धता, भोलेपन, दिव्यता, गंभीरता तथा प्रकाश को प्रकट करता है। यहाँ पर उक्त शब्दचित्र में दादी इन सभी गुणों की प्रतीक हैं। वह बेदाग सफेद कपड़े पहना करती थीं। वह हर समय अपनी माला को जपा करती थीं। वह हमेशा ही प्रार्थना में व्यस्त रहती थीं। गाँव में वह प्रतिदिन मंदिर जाया करती थीं। वह धर्मग्रंथ पढ़ा करती थीं। वह गाँव के कुत्तों को खिलाया करती थीं। वह यह जानकर परेशान हो गईं कि अंग्रेजी विद्यालय में ईश्वर तथा धर्मग्रंथों के बारे में कुछ भी नहीं पढ़ाया जाता था। वह सूर्योदय से सूर्यास्त तक चरखा काता करतीं व प्रार्थना किया करती थीं। गौरेयाओं को खिलाना उनके लिए दिन का सबसे अधिक प्रसन्नता देने वाला आधा घंटा होता था। भले ही गौरेयाएं उनकी टाँगों, कंधों तथा सिर पर बैठ जाया करती थीं। यह उनका भोलापन ही था।

Half an hour in the afternoon, grandma devoted her time for feeding sparrows. That half- an-hour was the happiest time of the day for grandmother.

She woke him up in the morning and got him ready for school. She would fetch his wooden slate which she had washed and plastered with yellow chalk, tiny earthen ink-pot and a red pen, tie them in a bundle and hand it to him. She gave him breakfast before going to school.

वह उसे सुबह उठातीं और उसे विद्यालय के लिए तैयार किया करती थीं। वह उसकी लकड़ी की उस तख्ती को लेकर आती थीं जिसे वह धोकर पीले चॉक से पोत देती थीं, छोटी-सी मिट्टी की दवात और लाल कलम लातीं, इन सबको एक गठरी में बाँधतीं और इसे उसे सौंप देती थीं। विद्यालय जाने से पूर्व वह उसे नाश्ता देती थीं।

Those chapattis were used to feed the village dogs, which followed them from the temple door.

For Kushwanth Singh’s grandmother, there was no other pastime and happier activity than that of feeding the sparrows in the afternoon for half an hour. The sparrows could be seen perched on her but were never shooed away by her.

The grandmother thought that music had a lewd association. It was the monopoly of harlots and beggars. It was not meant for gentlefolk. She did not like it at all.

दादी माँ के विचार से संगीत का संबंध कामुकता से था। इस पर वेश्याओं एवं भिखारियों का एकाधिकार था। यह भद्र पुरुषों की चीज़ नहीं थी। वह इसे बिल्कुल पसन्द नहीं करती थीं।

In the afternoon the grandmother would feed the sparrows. Sparrows used to come and perch on her legs, shoulders, and even on her head. She smiled but never shooed them away. On her death, they also mourned. They took no notice of the bread thrown to them.

दोपहर के समय दादी माँ गौरेयाओं को खिलाया करती थीं। गौरेयाएँ आकर उनकी टाँगों पर, कंधों पर तथा सिर पर भी बैठ जाया करती थीं। वह मुस्करा देती थीं लेकिन कभी भी उन्हें नहीं भगाती थीं। उनकी मृत्यु पर वे भी दु:खी हुईं। उन्होंने अपने लिए डाले गये रोटी के टुकड़ों पर कोई ध्यान नहीं दिया।

The grandmother kissed the forehead of the narrator before he left for abroad. The narrator considered it the last sign of physical contact. He might not see her again. He did not expect his old grandmother to live for five more years. She was a terribly old lady.

The author’s grandmother used to say her prayers aloud as she got him ready to go to school. She hoped that he would listen and get to know them by heart. He never paid attention to her prayers. He only listened to her voice because he loved it.

The author’s grandmother was a very religious lady. We come to know this through the different habitual actions. She visited the temple every morning and read scriptures. At home she always mumbled inaudible prayers and kept telling the beads of rosary. She would repeat prayer songs in a sing-song manner while getting the writer ready for school. She hoped that he would learn them by heart. She didn’t like English school as there was no teaching of God and scriptures. Even while spinning at her spinning wheel she would recite prayers.

erhaps it was only once that she suspended her prayers. It was on the evening prior to her death when she felt over excited while celebrating the arrival of her grandson with songs and drumming. She continued praying and telling beads of her rosary till her last breath. The family members realized that her antic behaviour was a celebration of her contented life. “Grandma s prayers are the reason a lot of us are still here. ”

One day the author was going on a busy street. Suddenly he was struck by a fast-moving vehicle. As a result of this accident, the author lost his eyesight.

Correct answer is True

Correct option is (i) mind

Correct option is (iii) God

1. Planning the voyage :

Gordon Cook had taken his inspiration of round the world voyage from captain James Cook who had completed this feat 200 years before. To fulfil his dream Gordon had spent 16 years on sharpening his seafaring skills. He had built a wooden boat, ‘Wavewalker’, which was 23 metres, weighing 30 tons. He had spent months fitting and testing it in the roughest weather they could find. They had planned a voyage which would last 3 years and cover a distance of 2,55,000 kilometres.

2. The Christmas tree:

Gordon Cook, along with his family and two crewmen set sail in July 1976 from Plymouth, England. The first part of the journey passed pleasantly. They had sailed down to Cape Town. They were now entering the roughest sea. It was southern Indian Ocean. Strong winds began to blow. On December 25, 1976 they were 3500 km east of Cape Town. Though the weather was bad, they had a Christmas tree and celebrated Christmas in a wonderful way.

3. The storm:

On January 2, 1977 there were huge waves. They could put up only a small sail in front of their ship. They secured everything tightly with ropes. At 6 p.m. a huge wave had hit the boat. Gordon Cook was thrown overboard. But his lifeline pulled him back to the boat. On the ship the water rushed in everywhere. Pumps had stopped working. More water got accumulated. One electric pump was in working order. Gordon Cook had plugged the hole from where the water gushed in. There was no response to the radio messages sent by them for help. On January 6 the Wavewalker came out of the storm. At 6 p.m. a complete outline of the island ‘Amsterdam’ was seen by them.

Both the adults and the children stand together when faced with danger. There is not much difference in the way they react. The only difference is that children can't fight the sea like others. But they don't panic at all. They in no way add difficulties of the elders. They show rare courage. Jon says to his father , “We Are Not afraid to dying if we can all be together.” It adds to the father determination to fight the sea. Mary , Larry and Herb all play their role heroically.

The thought came to the King that he would never fail if he knew three things. These three things were: 

1. What is the most important time to begin something? 

2. Who should a King consider the most important? 

3. What is the most important thing for a king to do?

C) grandfather

(i) (a) break (b) brake 

(ii) (a) waist (b) waste

(iii) (a) principal (b) principle 

(iv) (a) bred (b) bread 

(v) (a) lessen (b) lesson 

(vi) (a) pale (b) pail 

(vii) (a) threw (b) through 

(viii) (a) corpse (b) corps

1. manage – manager, management 

2. differ – different, difference 

3. beauty – beautiful, beautious 

4. peace – peaceful, placemaker 

5. arrange – arranged, arrangement 

6. collect – collector, collective 

7. approve – approval, disapprove 

8. narrate – narration, narrator 

9. class – classic, classify

1. spotless 

2. sunset

3. grandmother 

4. half-hour 

5. singsong 

6. over-straining 

7. courtyard 

8. gentle folk 

9. homecoming

They were 3,500 kilometres east of Cape Town on 25 December. The weather was very bad. Still they had a wonderful holiday – complete with a Christmas tree. New Year’s Day saw no improvement in weather.

(i) False

(ii) False