Additional English Answers (Class-10)

A HIGH DIVE

Q. Why had the attendance of the circus been falling off?

Ans: The regular decline in attendance became a matter of concern for the circus manager. There were several significant reasons for this. The jokes of the clowns fell flat as those did not produce much laughter and were out of fashion. The jokes raised laughter before 1939. Moreover, the audience seemed to be more sophisticated and had seen or heard those before. So, the audience would come and kept munching sweets or sucking ices, sometimes talking to each other without paying any attention to the show.

Q. What arrangements were made before the man could perform the act?

Ans: The circus manager arranged the ‘Mermaid’s tank’ to see the man perform the dangerous act. The men placed the tank into position, a few feet from the pole. Then a hosepipe was fastened to a tap and soon the sound of water was swishing and gargling in the tank. The man was also fixed with a bathing suit and was shown the dressing room to change.

Q. Why did the manager say, “Well, it’s his funeral”, before the man could perform his act?

Ans: The circus manager told these words to his wife because according to the manager, the man who was going to perform the dangerous act had quite fewer chances of making it out alive. So, while performing this dangerous act the man was choosing his funeral. The circus manager would not be held responsible for any mishap.

Q. Why did the manager feel that they could not do any business?

Ans: The circus manager thought he couldn't do business with the man because he had offered him thirty pounds a week and the man had turned him down. The sum was a one-time offer from the circus manager, and it was the highest salary he had ever paid to anyone in the circus. The circus manager was unable to raise the amount anymore.

WAR

Q. What did the passenger with two sons tell the fat woman’s husband?

Ans: The passenger with the two sons advised the fat woman's husband that they should not spoil their son with excessive affection and that they should be grateful that they only had one son deployed to the front rather than two, because the pain of losing two sons is double that of losing one. He claims that if the sole son is killed, the father would die of grief. However, even if one of the two sons is killed, the father can still live for the sake of the other.

Q. What did one of the passengers say about ‘parental love’?

Ans: Parental love, according to one of the passengers, is not like bread that can be cut into pieces and divided equally among the children. Parents, too, do not disperse their affection for their children in bits and pieces. A father loves each of his sons unconditionally.

Q. What opinion did the other passengers form of the fat red faced man?

Ans:   While the fat man was bravely speaking of his hopeful approach of young men going to war, he also mentioned that his own son died satisfied that his own son died satisfied at having ended his life in the best way he could have wished. The other passengers applauded the brave father for being able to speak so calmly about his child's loss. Even the bulky lady was taken aback and realised that instead of being sad, one should be courageous and proud.

Q. Describe the reaction of the red-faced man after the fat lady asked him the question.

Ans:   When the bulky woman asked the fat man the incongruous question, the latter man turned to face her, his great, bulging dreadfully watery pale grey eyes fixed deep in her face. He tried for a while to respond, but his words failed him. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and burst into agonising, deep-grief and uncontrollable sobs as his face contracted and became cruelly distorted.

OUT OF BUSINESS

Q:  In what way did Rama Rao decide to end his life?

Ans: Rama Rao believed that the best answer for his misery was ultimate extinction. He came to the conclusion that life was not worth living. So he lay down on the tracks, hoping to get run over by a train from Trichinopoly, which would arrive in less than ten minutes.

Q: What did Rama Rao do then?

Ans: The iron was still warm as Rama Rao lay on the tracks, as the day had been scorching. He was overjoyed as he realised that the train from Trichinopoly would arrive in less than 10 minutes, putting an end to his troubles. He even strained his ears in an attempt to hear the train, but all he heard was a distant rattling and buzzing. He grew tired of lying on the tracks and stood up and walked back to the station. There, he discovered that a cargo train had derailed three stations away, blocking the route and causing all trains to be at least three hours late. He felt that God had showed him mercy and he cried and ran home.