Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in Current Affairs.

Correct option is D) to making

(c) White Paper

Correct option is D) children

Correct option is C) being

Correct option is A) women

Correct option is B) paws

Correct option is B) it

G’s Ed. World School

Green Grove

Elysian City

Ludhiana

May 15, 2020

Mr. Vikram Arya

115 – A

Sector -16

Chandigarh

Subject: Invitation for Debate Competition

Dear Vikram:

I hope you are in great health and your upbeat, creative mood. I am writing to invite you to be the chief guest over the National Debate Competition to be held at our school on May 30, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. Approximately 40 prestigious schools from the nation are going to participate. We will be highly obliged and grateful if you could enhance the competition with your charismatic and inspirational presence. The school will bear all the expenses of your travelling, lodging and boarding besides paying you your visit fee. Do confirm your availability at the earliest. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Manish Shukla

President Literary and Debating Society

G’s Ed World School

38 B Delhi Cantt

Delhi

15th April 2020

My dear Mohit

It has been only a week since I paid a visit to your village. Your mother was quite hale and bearing when I met her last. Who knew that her end was so near ? I sympathies with you on this irreparable loss, Your mother was a noble lady. She loved me like her own son. Now you should take heart. May God give you the great strength to bear this heavy loss patiently! She has been taken away from us when she was needed most. Her loving and kind face will always haunt me, I pray to God to grant peace to her soul.

With deepest sympathies

Yours sincerely

Vishal

Correct option is D) their

1. (b) begins

2. (b) protected

3. (b) appropriate

4. (b) special/unusual

5. (b) granted

6. (a) repeat/say or do again

7. (c) asserted

8. (c) toughness

9. (c) storehouses

10. (d) ambassador/deputies

11. (c) avoided

12. (a) dictatorship

13. (a) Self-government

14. (a) old/middle ages

15. (a) face/resist

Anna Smith

xyz city

Dear aunt,

How have you been? It's been a while since I last wrote to you. I hope everyone there is well.

Right now I am very burdened by my final exams and I haven't really studied anything. You are the first person I want to tell this to since you have always helped me with my homework. Is there something you recommend me to do? Should I study a particular topic?

I will look forward to your prompt reply.

Lots of love,

Correct option is D) father’s

1. (a) isolated

2. (b) restricted

3. (b) persistence

4. (c) inborn

5. (c) glaring

6. (b) worry

7. (b) grateful

8. (b) farmers

9. (b) workers

10. (b) refill

11. (c) depressed/frustrated

12. (d) firmness

13. (a) doctrines

14. (b) autocracy

15. (b) gifted

16. (c) campaign

17. (c) successors/heirs

18. (a) bequest

19. (c) sufficiently

20. (b) hopeful

Correct option is A) so is

1. (b) lands/disembarks

2. (d) neglected

3. (b) faltered

4. (b) tenderness

5. (c) embraced

6. (d) empty

7. (c) indifference

8. (d) unbliged

9. (d) empty

10. (d) hopeless

11. (b) inadequately / insufficiently

12. (b) congested

13. (b) backwardness

14. (d) modem

15. (d) foolishness

Correct option is: (D) All the above

Correct option is D) an

1. (a) climax

2. (a) sensation/thrill

3. (c) inquisitively

4. (b) thickened

5. (d) suppressed

6. (b) mess

7. (c) buyer

8. (b) meanness

9. (c) isolated

10. (d) insincerely

11. (b) hypothesize

12. (c) coolly / unconcernedly

13. (c) rich

14. (c) real

15. (d) honesty

16. (d) morality

17. (d) morality

18. (c) serious

19. (b) inerasable

1. (c) seller

2. (d) thinned

3. (b) mobility

4. (d) nearby

5. (d) cool hedede

6. (b) eagerly/mindfull

7. (a) ignoring

8. (d) rudely

9. (c) depravity

10. (d) vice

11. (c) denied

12.  (d) poor

13.  (d) false

14.  (d) rejection

15. (d) honesty

16.  (c) severe

17.  (c) erasable

1. (c) unimportant / trivial

2. (d) mental

3. (c) dissuaded

4. (a) poor / meagre

5. (c) surplus

6. (b) empty

7. (c) lend

8. (d) lost

9. (d) dangerously

10. (d) ordinary

11. (b) bottom

12. (b) calmness

13. (d) delight

14. (b) withdrew

15. (c) expressed

(a) Super Markets / Super Bazaar: 

Supermarket is a large scale retail organisation selling a wide variety of consumer goods. The important feature of the supermarket is the absence of a salesman to help consumers in selecting goods. Hence the supermarket is also called ‘ Self Service Store’.

(b) Features of Super Market

1. They are located in the center of the town. 

2. They sell goods on a cash basis only. 

3. They deal with a wide variety of goods. 

4. There is no salesman to help consumers.

Advantages

1. Consumers can purchase everything from supermarket 

2. There is no bad debt as sales are on a cash basis only. 

3. They are located in the centre of the town. 

4. It attracts a large number of consumers. 

5. Consumers can select goods according to their tastes and preferences. 

6. A variety of goods is available in a supermarket.

Disadvantages 

1. Large premises at a central location are not available easily. 

2. It lacks personal advice of salesman 

3. They do not provide credit facilities to customers. 

4. The employees in a supermarket do not take initiative to increase sales.

5. It requires a huge capital investment. 

6. It is not suitable for products which require personal selling. 

7. There is no personal contact with consumers.

1. (c) serious

2. (b) attacked

3. (b) bombed

4. (c) induced

5. (a) offering

6. (c) adequate

7. (b) bloatocrat

8. (b) shocked

9. (c) moderately

10. (c) exciting

1. An

2. the

3. an 

4. The

5. The

6. the.

Keerthi : Sir. 1 want to open a Savings account in your bank. 

Manager : What for? 

Keerthi : It is for my loan purpose, Sir. 

Manager : Is it an educational Loan? 

Keerthi : Yes, Sir. 

Manager : GoodS Do you have a Ration Card? 

Keerthi : Yes, Sir. 

Manager : You should have some money for initial deposit say Rs 500 or Rs 1000/-. 

Keerthi : Sure, Sir. 

Manager : 0K. Take this application. Fill it in and bring 2 photographs. 

Keerthi : Certainly. Thank you very much, Sir.

1. (a) music

2. (b) French

3. (a) Bangalore

4. (b) the Alps

5. (a) the east

Bookseller : Which book do you want? 

Ravi : I want you to replace this dictionary. 

Bookseller : Why? 

Ravi : Few pages are tom, Sir. 

Bookseller : Why didn’t you check it before leaving? 

Ravi : I did check. 

Bookseller : Then? 

Ravi : At that time, I could not locate the problem. 

Bookseller : Flave you brought the bill? 

Ravi : Yes, Sir. Flere is it. 

Bookseller : OK, take this new dictionary’.

1. the

2. a

3. the

4. an

5. a

6. an

7. the

8. the

9. a

10. the.

(i) Bookseller : What do you want sir?

Boy : I want a dictionary.

Bookseller : Hindi – English, Tamil – English, English - English which brand?

Boy : I want a good dictionary to last till I do my Graduation.

Bookseller : Then please take Oxford Advanced learners dictionary by A.S. Hornby and Daniel Jones. 

Boy : How much is it?

Bookseller : After discount it is Rs. 640/ 

Boy : Take the money sir, thank you.

(ii) A : Why are you late today?

B : Yesterday I had been to movies. I overslept.

A : You must practise early rising.

B : Why?

A : Early to bed and early to rise makes you a healthy person.

B : Tell me why I should get up early?

A : If you get up early, you will be brisk. The morning walk will provide you extra energy, you will bathe in time and be celebrated for being punctual. An early bird catches its prey. Similarly early risers achieve a lot in life.

B : Thank you. I will rise early from tomorrow.

(iii) A : Did you watch T20 cricket between India and Bangladesh last night?

B : No, I slept when the Bangladesh was making inroads into our bowling attack.

A : Bangladesh was chasing 177 runs. 

B : Who bowled well?

A : Washington Sundar did a wonderful job. He bowled and took wickets giving minimum runs.

B : Shikar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma did excellently well.

A : Who scored high?

B : Skipper Rohit Sharma scored 89 runs leading the team from the front.

A : Who else did well?

B : Suresh Raina scored 47 and Shikar Dhawans 35. They both contributed handsomely to India’s victory over Bangladesh.

A : We shall see another sensational game soon. 

B : Yes.

(iv) Varun : Karun, you are alwasy ahead of us. How?

Kanin : Varun, my dad insists that I must be always punctual.

Varun : Are they going to reward you?

Karun : No, virtue can’t ask for a reward because it is a reward by itself.

Varun : How does punctuality help us?

Karun : Punctuality makes others believe that you value their time.

Varun : What can I do to be punctual?

Karun : It is simple. Have a calendar for your daily activities. Fix time for everything. You will reap the fruits soon.

Vanin : Thank you

(v) A : Wasn’t our picnic-to Mahabalipuram wonderful?

B : Yes, I enjoyed the stroll on the beach.

A : I liked the monolithic structures. How beautifully they have frozen beauty on stones!

B : The five Rathas reminded me of Pandavas.

A : I like the games we played as a team sitting in a circle.

B : The Anthakshari we played was very interesting. 

A : The riddles were also challenging.

B : I liked the Kabaddi game played by our friends on the beach.

A : Infact, I can’t forget the picnic we ha

Salesman : Welcome. What do you want? 

Sheethal : I want a bracelet, Sir. 

Salesman : Okay. Do you want bracelet with stones? 

Sheethal : Yes, with latest design. 

Salesman : No problem. Please tell me if you want to use it for everyday use or for social functions. 

Sheethal : I want one for social occasions. 

Salesman : Then, please try these. They are the best in Tamil Nadu. 

Sheethal : I like this one. How much does it cost? 

Salesman : It costs Rs. 39,999 /- 

Sheethal : Please pack it up for me, Sir.

• Shopkeeper: What can I do for you, ma’am?
• You: I heard that you deal in i-phones. 
• Shopkeeper: Yes, we do. Shall I show you the set? 
• You: Yes, please.
• Shopkeeper: Mam, this is iPhone 8. It features a more advanced 12-megapixel wide-angle f/1.8 camera with a larger, faster sensor that lets in 83 percent more light.
• You: I see. That sounds interesting. But may I have a few more details, please?
• Shopkeeper: Other features include a new colour filter and deeper pixels for better colour saturation, a wider dynamic range of colours, and lower noise in photos and videos.
• You: May I know the price, please?
• Shopkeeper: It’s around Rs. 60,000. If you give me a minute, I can give you the exact amount.
• You: Oh, it’s more than my budget.
• Shopkeeper: But we have festival offers, Its actual cost is Rs. 59,990, But you will have a discount of 20%. So you will have ¡t for less than Rs. 50,000. 
• You: That seems to be an attractive offer. I will take it. 
• Shopkeeper: Thank you, ma’am. Please note that there is a warranty of six months.
• You: Thank you.

Droov : ExcusemeSir. 

Bookseller : Good morning, welcome, Sir. 

Droov : i want to buy some engineering books. 

Bookseller : Which subject’? 

Droov : Medical Microbiology books? 

Bookseller : Title of the book? 

Droov : Jawetz Melnick&Adelbergs Medical Microbiology. 

Bookseller : We have the book with 4 different editions. Tell me the edition. 

Droov : 4th edition. 

Bookseller : Here it is. Pay Rs. 1096/-. Do you need any other books? We do seel second hand books which arc little cheaper.

Droov : Oh yes 1 need I need Statistics books too. Bookseller : Here they are. It is only Rs. 500/-.

Anil: Hi, Srinivas. I got the news Just today that you have been in the hospital for dengue treatment for the past three days!

Srinivas: Yes, Anil. I was admitted on Monday

Anil: How do you feel now?

Srinivas: Much better now.

Anil: I have heard that it’s very painful.

Srinivas: Yes, it is. The sad part is that even alter dengue subsides, pain doesn’t subside.

Anil: Anyway, I know that you are strong and will brave the storm. Please let me know if you need anything. I will be glad to be of help. 

Srinivas: Surety, Anil. Right now, my brother who has come down from Mumbai is here. After he leaves, if I need anything, I will surely call you. 

 Anil: All right. Please don’t hesitate… Bye for now. 

Srinivas: Bye.

According to the man, his hut had room only for him: False.

Correct option is C) us

Mother : Good evening, Doctor. 

Doctor : Good evening. Anything wrong with your health? 

Mother : No, Doctor; I am as fit as a fiddle. 

Doctor : Then what brings you here? 

Mother : In my neighbourhood. Dengue fever is spreading very fast. 

Doctor : So, you want me to suggest some preventive medicines. 

Mother : Yes doctor. 

Doctor : If you take your kids to the Government Hospital, it will be free. 

Mother : After the death of 60 babies in the Government Hospital in UP 

Doctor : Come on. In Tamil Nadu, Government Hospitals are doing a great job. However, if you want to have vaccination in my clinic, bring 1500 rupees tomorrow evening. We will get your kids the vaccination. 

Mother : Thank you, Doctor. 

Doctor : You are most welcome.

A report on the scholarships received by students in the years 2013-14 and 2014-15 In the years 2013-14 and 2014-15 students received scholarships for four different courses. The scholarships received for Engineering and Medical courses in the two years remained the same. For Engineering it was 15% and for Medical, it was 10%. A noticeable change was seen in the Arts and Commerce courses. If the Arts scholarship was 35% in 2013-14, it dropped to 20% in 2014-15. On the other hand, Commerce Course which was 40% in 2013-14, increased to 55% in 2014-15. It is an indicator to the popularity of Commerce over Arts in the recent years.

Correct option is C) their

Correct option is C) the

1. Should you wish to meet me, you can use this address.

2. Were you aware of the truth you would not believe her.

3. Should you need my help again, just call me

4. Should you need any money, apply for a loan.

5. Should you be late once again, you would lose your increment.

Correct option is C) the

Let n(A) = m, n(B) = n.

∴ m + n = 12  (given)

\(2^m : 2^n = 64 : 1\)

⇒ \(\frac{2^m}{2^n} = 2^6\)

⇒ \(2^m = 2^{n + 6}\)

⇒ m = n + 6

⇒ m = (12 -m) + 6

⇒ 2m = 18

⇒ m= 9

∴ n = 3

∴ n(A) = m = 9.

1. Had you studied well, you would have got the merit scholarship.

2. Were it not for the expenses involved, she would go by air.

3. Had it not rained, they would have gone to the theme park.

4. Had I known you were ill, I would have summoned the doctor.

5. Were I a bird, I would fly to different countries.

It was nearly 1 o’clock and I was feeling very hungry.

I went to a nearby vegetarian restaurant, in St. Martin’s Lane. Lunch hours in London were not so crowded those days. I found 3 or 4 people sitting in the room. I sat at a table, and opened the newspaper.

A waitress came and waited for my order. I looked up from the paper, glanced at the menu and told her what I wanted. She said, Thank you’ and went quickly away without making any noise.

At that time my attention turned to a table not far from mine. A young English girl was sitting there. She had been watching me with interested surprise. But when I looked at her, she turned her eyes away. The girl was 13 or 14. From her clothes, I could see that she was poor. Her hair hung in a heavy stream down her neck. She had large eyes. They had a sad expression. I watched her when she was not looking and so she did not notice my watching her. My lunch was brought as she was finishing hers. The waitress brought the bill. Bills are paid at the desk as one goes out. The desk is near the door.

The girl stood up. I again watched her. As she paid the bill, she asked the cashier in a low voice whether I was an Indian. The cashier said she thought so. Then the girl wanted to know if I went there all the time. The cashier said she did not remember me going there before. The girl thanked the cashier, looked at me once more with some kind of surprise and went out.

I was also surprised. Here interest in me aroused my interest in her. When I finished my lunch I asked the waitress if she knew the girl who just finished her lunch and went away. The waitress said she did not know her. But she came to take her lunch there on Saturdays. I wanted to know if she did not come on other days. The waitress said she had never seen her on other days. I wanted to know who she was. The waitress said that she might be a worker in a nearby shop. I wanted to know how she knew that. The waitress then said that Saturday is payday. It is then the girl comes. On other days she couldn’t afford lunch. She does not earn much.

I felt sorry for the poor girl.

My curiosity about the girl persisted. Who was she? Why had she asked about me? Was some mystery the cause of her interest? I continued thinking of her. On Sundays, all London shops are closed. So I would go out to look for her after breakfast on Monday morning.

So I looked into the shops on the streets near St. Martin’s Lane and the shops on the Strand. But I did not see her.

The week passed. Saturday came again. I went to the vegetarian restaurant once more. As I entered I saw her sitting at the same table as before. She was eating.

I took a chair opposite hers and said ‘Good afternoon!’ She greeted me back. Slowly I started a conversation. Finally, she asked me if I was an Indian. I said ‘Yes’. Then she wanted to know if I was a vegetarian. I asked her why she wanted to know that. She said she had heard that most Indians are vegetarians. I wanted to know how she knew things about India. She said her elder brother, a soldier, was in India. I told her that I was not a vegetarian but I enjoyed a vegetarian meal now and then. The girl seemed disappointed by my reply.

I came to know that her only guardian was her elder brother. She lived with her old widowed mother. I asked her if she often heard from her brother. She said they did not have a letter from her brother for a long time. Her mother was worried. People have told her that India was full of tigers, snakes, and fevers. She thinks something has happened to him. The girl wanted to know from me if India was full of tigers, snakes, and fevers.

I told her ‘No’. How^ould people live there if it were full of these things? the girl was happy. She said her mother wanted to ask an Indian to know the truth. From her look, I knew she wanted me to talk with her mother. But she did not have the courage to ask me to go with her to her home. I wanted to see this mother. I had no opportunity to visit a poor English home. I wanted to know how the poor lived there and what they thought.

I told her of my plan to visit her home someday. She was thankful to me. She asked me if I could go with her right there and then. I readily agreed. She wanted to know if such a visit would interfere with my work. I told her I was free, The girl was happy. We finished our lunch and got up together.

On our way to her home I asked her name. She gave her full name: Alice Margaret Clifford. She asked me if it would be difficult for me to walk. I said ‘No’. She said she walked home every day. I wanted to know if she came that way often. She said she did as she works as typist in the Civil Service stores. Every afternoon she goes home that way. Today being Saturday she is going home early.

I asked her if I should call her Miss Clifford or Alice. She said she was not grown up and so I could call her whatever I liked. She laughingly said she was usually called Maggie. I asked her if she was eager to grow up. She said ‘Yes’. I wanted to know why she wanted to grow up fast. She said if she was grown up she would be paid more and her mother was getting old. I wanted to know if she liked her work. She said ‘No’. It is mechanical work. She wanted to have some work that needed her brain. She wanted to be a secretary.

We arrived at Lambeth, an area where poor people lived. She told me that if she became a secretary she would take her mother away from that place. I asked her if her father called her Maggie or Mugsy. She said that when he was very affectionate he called her Magsy. She wanted to know how I knew that. I jokingly told her that Indians know about the future and all kinds of magic. She said she had heard such things said about Indians.

I wanted to know what she had heard. She said she has heard that many Indians have occult (magic) powers and they are called yogis. She thought I was not a yogi.

I asked her the reason for thinking like that. She said yogis don’t eat meat. Then I asked her whether that was the reason for her asking me if I was a vegetarian or not. She did not answer but just smiled.

We reached a narrow doorway. Maggie opened the door with a small key. She invited me in. When I entered, she closed the door. Then she called her mother asking her where she was. The mother said she was in the kitchen below. She asked her to go down into the kitchen. London streets are above ground. Kitchens are often below street level. Maggie asked me if I could go with her. I agreed, and together we went down to the kitchen. She told her mother that an Indian gentleman was there to see her. Maggie introduced me to her mother telling her, “This is Mr. Gupta, mother” and her mother to me.

I said ‘How do you do?’ and held out my hand. The mother said, “Excuse me” and held out her hands for me to see. They were covered with flour. She said that it being Saturday she was making cakes. People would come in the evening to buy them and sell them on the streets. That was the way they made their living. It was a hard life.

Saturday night is the celebration time in the areas where poor people lived. All kinds of things are sold from pushcarts. The streets are more crowded then than on any other day. It is on Saturday the workers receive their pay and so they can spend a little.

All the ingredients for making the cake – flour, sugar, fat, raisins, eggs – were ready on the kitchen table. There were several freshly baked cakes in tins. Mrs. Clifford told me that sitting in such a poor kitchen won’t be pleasant for me. She has almost finished her work. She asked Maggie to take me to the sitting room. She would come soon. I said it was okay with me sitting there. I congratulated her for making such excellent cakes. Mrs. Clifford thanked me.

She asked me what kind of a country India was. I told her it was a beautiful country. She wanted to know if was safe to live there. I said it was. India was not cold like England, but hot. She asked me if India had too many snakes and tigers that killed people. I told her not to believe such things. Snakes and tigers are in the jungles. They get killed if they come to places where people live. Then she wanted to know about fevers. I told her that in some places in India there were more fevers than in other places. It is not the same everywhere and in every season.

She said her son was in Punjab. He is a soldier. She wanted to know what kind of place Punjab was. I told her Punjab was a fine place. There is no fever there. It is a healthy place. Mrs. Clifford was happy. When she finished her baking, she asked Maggie to take me upstairs. She would join me after washing her hands. She also would bring some tea.

Maggie showed me to their sitting room. The furniture was cheap and it was not much. The carpet was torn in places. But everything was clean. Maggie drew the curtains back and opened the windows. There was a glass bookcase and I stood in front of it.

Mrs. Clifford came bringing the tea tray. All traces of the kitchen had gone from her person. As we drank tea, we spoke about India. Mrs. Clifford showed me a photograph of her son. It was taken before he left. His name was Francis or Frank. Maggie brought out a book of pictures that he had sent her on her birthday. There were many pictures of Simla and the mountainous places around it. Mrs. Clifford asked Maggie to show me the ring. I wanted her to shgIN me the ring to find out what kind of a ring it was. itfaggie said it was a magic ring which a yogi had given to Frank. She wanted to know if I could see the past and the future in it. I had heard about crystal gazing. A crystal was set on the ring. I examined it.

Mrs. Clifford said that when he sent the ring Frank wrote that if you concentrated on a distant person when you look into the crystal, you could see him and what he was doing. This is what the yogi had told Frank. Maggie and she had been looking at it, again and again, but they have not been able to see anything. She wanted me to try. Since I was a Hindu I could see something, she thought!

I realized that superstition was not limited to India. I did not want to tell them that the ring was nothing much, a piece of brass with an ordinary piece of glass stuck into it. They believed that Frank had sent them a magical thing from dream India. I did not want to shatter their faith. Urged by them I took the ring and looked into it for a long time. I told them I could not see anything. They were disappointed. There was a violin there. To change the subject I asked her if it was Maggie’s. Mrs. Clifford said it was Maggie’s and Maggie played it well. She asked her daughter to play something for me. Maggie was shy and she protested. Then I pleaded with Maggie saying that I liked the violin very much. I told her that my sister who has of her age used to play for me at home. Maggie said she was not a good player.

Finally, she agreed to play and asked me what I wanted to hear. I told her she could play what she chose. She brought out an old music book bound in black leather. I opened it. It contained many simple songs. Some were good but old-fashioned. There were several Scotch songs. I selected The Blue Bells of Scotland’ and returned the book to her. Maggie played it and I hummed the tune. When she finished playing I thanked her very much. Mrs. Clifford said that Maggie did not have the opportunity to learn the violin. She learned to play the violin herself. She added that if their circumstances improved she would arrange for some music lessons for Maggie. As I was returning home, the incident touched my heart deeply.

Three months passed. I visited Maggie and her mother many times and once I took Maggie to see the Zoo. She rode the elephant and she was very happy.

No news came from her brother. Urged by Mrs. Clifford I went to India House and made enquiries. I was told the regiment to which Frank belonged was fighting in the Northwest Frontier. Mrs. Clifford was very worried. One day I got a postcard from Maggie saying that her mother was very ill. She has not been able to go to work for a week. She wanted me to go and see them. I had spoken to the family with whom I lived about Maggie and her mother. At breakfast, I spoke of the letter. My hostess told me that when I went to see Maggie I should take some money with me. Since the girl has not gone to work, they will be in problems. I took some money and went to their house. Maggie opened the door.

She was looking weak. Her eyes were hollow and ringed. She thanked me. I asked about her mother. Maggie said that her condition was serious. She was sleeping. The doctor said that her condition was aggravated because of her worry about Frank. There was no news from him. She may not live. I tried to console Maggie. Maggie controlled herself with an effort and told me she had a request to make. I asked her to tell me what she wanted. She asked me to go into the sitting room where she would tell me about her request.

We went into the sitting room quietly. I asked Maggie what she wanted. She looked into my eyes. Then as I was waiting for her answer, she covered her face and started crying. I was in a fix. What could I say to comfort her? Her brother was on the war front. Nobody knew if he was dead or alive. Her mother was her only support on earth. If she lost her, where would this young girl of 13 or 14, go?

I pulled her hands away from her face. I asked her what she wanted me to do for her. She was hesitant to come out with her request and asked me to forgive her if the request was wrong. I asked her to tell me what she wanted. She then said that the whole day yesterday her mother was telling her that if I went to her house and looked into the crystal, I might be able to know something about her son, as I am a Hindu. But she thought I may not go to their house. That is why she wrote to me. I told her if she wanted me to try once more she should fetch me the ring. She then was worried what would happen if I did not see anything. I could not give her any proper answer.

She further told me that she had read in books that Hindus are extremely truth loving. After looking into the crystal, she wanted me to tell her mother that Frank was alright and he was alive. Would that be too much of a lie? Would that be wrong? As she spoke she was crying.

I thought it over. I am not a saint. I decided to do it. It would not be a big offence. I told Maggie to get the ring.

I told her I would look very carefully this time. Even if I didn’t see anything I would tell the mother as she had told me. God would forgive if it was wrong. Maggie brought the ring. I asked her to check if her mother was awake. She came back after 15 minutes and told me she was awake. She had told her mother that I was there.

Maggie took me to her mother’s bedside. The ring was in my hand. I told Mrs. Clifford that her son was alive and well. She wanted to know if I saw him in the crystal. Without hesitation, I told her I did see him there. Tears of happiness filled her eyes. She wished me God’s blessings.

Mrs. Clifford recovered. It was time for me to return to India. I wanted to go to Lambeth to say goodb^ to Maggie and her mother. But the family was in mourning. Frank had been killed in the fighting. A month ago, Maggie had sent me a card with a black border. I calculated from the date and found that Frank had been dead some days when I told him he was alive and well. I felt ashamed to face Maggie’s mother. So I wrote them a letter, informing them of my going away and bidding them good-bye.

It was the morning of my last day in London. I was to leave before night. I was breakfasting with the host family. There was a knock at the door. The maid came and said that Miss Clifford has come to see me. I had not finished my breakfast. Maggie had come to say good-bye. I got up from the table. Maggie was standing in the hall. She was wearing black. I took her to the library and made her sit down.

She asked me if I was leaving that day. I said ‘Yes.’ She wanted to know how long I would take to reach my country. I said a little more than 2 weeks. She asked me where I lived. I then told her that I had entered the Punjab Civil Service. I would not know when exactly I would reach there after my posting. She wanted to know if the Frontier was far from there. I told her it was not far. She told me that Frank was buried at Fort Monroe, near Dera-Ghazi- Khan. Her eyes were filled with tears. I told her that I would visit her brother’s grave and write to her. When I assured her that I would visit the place, her face filled with gratitude. She took a shilling out of her pocket and put it down on the table in front of me. With that money I was to buy flowers and place them on her brother’s grave.

In my emotion, I lowered my eyes. She had earned that shilling with so much hard work. I wanted to return the money to her saying that in India a lot of wildflowers grew and one does not have to pay money to get some. But I thought again. I would deprive her of the joy of sacrifice if I did not take the money. The grief of her heart would lessen by the sacrifice she was making. I took the shilling. I assured her that I would buy flowers with it and put them on her brother’s grave.

She said she did not know how to thank me. She would be late for work and so she wanted to go. She reminded me to write to her. I took her hand and pressed it to my lips. Maggie left. I wiped a tear or two from my eyes. I went upstairs to pack my bags.

Priya : Why are you crying? 

Neetha : I lost my chance to join medicine just by two marks. 

Priya : Don’t be upset.

Neetha : Do you know how hard I worked? 

Priya : I know’ , Priya. 

Neetha : I dreamt of joining AIIMS in New Delhi. 

Priya : For a brilliant student like you, is medicine the only option? 

Neetha : Of course not. 

Priya : Then why do you worry? 

Neetha : I delayed preparation believing that we will get waiver from NEET. 

Priya : Don’t worry, we will talk to J.P. Gandhi Sir and explore other options suitable to your talents and attitude. 

Neetha : OK.

Correct option is B) an

Correct option is A) any

1. Had I known you were here, I would have brought all your friends.

2. Had she worked hard, she would have passed the NEET exam

3. Had Radha known the impending danger, she would have stayed at home.

4. Were my mom to tell me such a thing of her, I would not believe it.

5. Should she tell me the truth, she would not be sacked from her job.

Correct option is B) an

Select a location free of debris and an area that is as level as possible for your campsite. 

Lay down your footprint or ground cloth. 

Position the tent over the footprint with the doors facing away from the wind for the best ventilation. Layout the poles and assemble them. 

Insert the tent poles and secure it to take up the tension in the poles. Pull the tent upright.