CBSE Class 9 English - Chapter: Packing (Q & A)
Q1: Name the novel from where the extract is taken from?
Answer: Three Men in a Boat
Q2: Who is the author of the Novel?
Answer: Jerome
Q3: Justify the title of the chapter 'Packing'.
Answer: “Packing” is an appropriate title for this extract from the novel ‘Three Men in a Boat’. It forms one of the chapters of the novel. The three men are – Jerome, George and Harris. They have to go on a pleasure boat journey and have to pack for it. All three of them think they are ‘past masters’ in the art of packing, but all they end up creating is an utter mess. They blame each other for being poor at packing and each boasts of his packing acumen. Thus, the extract is all about packing and, therefore, the title is appropriate.
Q4: What was Jerome doubtful about? What did he do?
Answer: Jerome was doubtful about having put his toothbrush into the bag. He rummaged through the bag, disturbing the entire packing. He found George’s and Harris’s eighteen times over, but could not find only his tooth-brush. He scrutinized everything taking them out one at a time, and finally spotted it in his boot. He repacked the bag once again.
Q5: What was it that haunted Jerome always?
Answer: The tooth-brush was the thing that haunted Jerome always, making his life miserable. He would dream that he’d not packed his brush, wake up suddenly in a cold sweat, and begin hunting for it. In the morning he would pack it before using it, and had to unpack again to get it. It was always the last thing he turned out of the bag ; and then repacked and forgot it.He had to rush upstairs for it at the last moment and carry it to the railway station, wrapped up in his pocket - handkerchief.
Q6: Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30 − 40 words).
1. How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don‟t forget the dog!).
2. Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing?
3. How did George and Harris react to this? Did Jerome like their reaction?
4. What was Jerome‟s real intention when he offered to pack?
5. What did Harris say after the bag was shut and strapped? Why do you think he waited till then to ask?
6. What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later?
7. Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?
8. Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag?
9. What did George and Harris offer to pack and why?
10. While packing the hamper, George and Harris do a number of foolish and funny things. Tick the statements that are true.
(i) They started with breaking a cup.
(ii) They also broke a plate.
(iii) They squashed a tomato.
(iv) They trod on the butter.
(v) They stepped on a banana.
(vi) They put things behind them, and couldn‟t find them.
(vii) They stepped on things.
(viii) They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top.
(ix) They upset almost everything.
(x) They were very good at packing.
Answer:
1. There are four characters in the narrative. They are Jerome (the narrator), George, Harris, and Montmorency (the dog).
2. The narrator volunteered to do the packing as he took pride in himself for his packing skills. It was one of those things that he felt he knew more about than any other person living.
3. George and Harris readily accepted Jerome‟s suggestion. George put on a pipe
and spread himself over the easy-chair. Harris put his legs on the table and lit a cigar. No, Jerome did not like their reaction.
4. When Jerome had offered to pack, his real intention was that he would boss the job, and Harris and George would work under his directions. Then, he would push them aside every now and then, and teach them how to do it properly. That is why their reaction irritated him.
5. After the bag was shut and strapped, Harris asked Jerome if he wasn‟t going to put the boots in. Jerome knew that Harris was like that. He would not have said a word until he had shut and strapped the bag.
6. The “horrible idea” that occurred to Jerome a little later was if he had packed his
toothbrush or not. He always forgot if he had packed his toothbrush or not.
7. After going through everything he had packed, Jerome finally found the toothbrush inside a boot.
8. Jerome had to reopen the bag because he found that he had packed his tobaccopouch in it.
9. George and Harris offered to pack the hampers for carrying food. Harris said that they would want to start in less than twelve hours‟ time and therefore it was better that he and George should do the rest of the packing.
10. Statements i, iii, iv, vi, vii and ix are true.
Q7: What does Jerome say was Montmorency‟s ambition in life? What do you think of Montmorency and why?
Answer: Montmorency‟s ambition in life was to get in the way and get scolded. It felt that its day was not a waste if it could go anywhere where he was not wanted and be a perfect nuisance, make people mad, and have things thrown at its head. Its highest aim was to get somebody to stumble over it and curse it steadily for an hour. When it succeeded in accomplishing this, its pride in itself became unbearable.
Q8: How would you describe Harris’ attempt at packing?
Answer: Harris went about the packing in a very light-hearted manner. Jerome was excited to see the worst packer go about doing the job. A lot of food, kettles, bottles, jars, plates, were piled up to be packed. Harris put in the tomatoes first and placed the bottle of jam on top of it. The mashed tomatoes had to be removed with a spoon. He proved his worth as a packer very soon.
Q9: Was George able to do a decent job of packing?
Answer: George stepped on the butter, and after he got it off his slipper, he and Harris tried to put it in the kettle. It didn’t go in and what was in didn’t come out. They did scrape it out at last, and put it down on a chair, and Harris sat upon it unknowingly. Harris and George began searching for the missing butter. After a while George got it off from Harris’ back and packed it in a teapot. He was no better at packing.
Q10: How did the dog spoil three lemons?
Answer: Montmorency was very engrossed in sniffing around the entire packing area. He had to know everything. He worried the teaspoons and pretended to toss around the lemons as though they were rats. He got into the hamper and ‘killed’ three of them before Harris could land him with the frying-pan.
Q11: Of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the best or worst packer? Support your answer with details from the text.
Answer: All three friends, Jerome, George and Harris prove to be bad at packing things. Jerome volunteered to do the packing as he took pride in himself for his packing skills. However, his packing skills were not up to the mark. He forgot to pack the boots; could not remember if he had packed his toothbrush or not; and accidentally packed his tobacco-pouch. On each of these occasions, he had to unpack everything he had already packed.
When George and Harris began packing the hampers, they proved to be a lot worse than Jerome. They broke a cup; packed heavy things on top of light items; put things behind them and then couldn't find them when they wanted them; stepped on things; and upset almost everything.
Chapter 4 - Truly Beautiful Mind (NCERT Answers)
Chapter 5: The Snake and The Mirror (Summary and Q & A)
Chapter 7: Packing (Q & Apart-1)
No comments:
Post a Comment
We love to hear your thoughts about this post!
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.