Notes of 1st year

                                   ENGLISH NOTES(by irfan rashid)

                           Chapter 1

                                     "Button Button"

Q1. Why did Norma consider the tone and attitude of Mr. Steward offensive?

Ans: Mr. steward was a commercial man who wanted to sell his gadget at any cost. Despite the fact
that Norma had told him that she was busy, he kept on persuading her in a flat voice. His tone and
attitude was offensive because he was not being entertained.
Q2. Why did Arthur disagree with his wife?
Ans: Arthur was a peaceful and gentle person. He considered the killing of a human being an
immoral and evil act. He valued the life of every person whether he was known or not known to him.
He had a humanistic approach and did not want to hurt anyone at any cost.
Q3. Why did Norma try to persuade her husband to accept the offer?
Ans: Norma wanted to materialize her dreams, she persuaded her husband to accept the offer. She
wanted to go on a trip to Europe, to buy a cottage on the Island, to have a nicer apartment, nicer
furniture, nicer clothes and a car.
Q4. What were the reasons Norma gave to her husband to accept the offer?
Ans: Norma argued that it might be some sort of psychological research or a game played by some
eccentric millionaire. She insisted that it would not be a murder if they did not know the person; it
could be some old Chinese ten thousand miles away or some diseased native in the Congo.
Q5. Why did Mr. Steward continue persuading Norma?
Ans: Mr. Steward was an expert salesman. He knew that women could be easily persuaded. Arthur
had plainly rejected the offer whereas she did not show severe reaction. Therefore, he continued
persuading Norma who eventually fell prey to his offer of $ 50,000.
Q6. What was the message Norma received on pushing the button?
Ans: Norma received a message from the Lenox Hill Hospital. A voice informed her about the
subway accident. The showing crowd had pushed Arthur from the platform in front of the Train.
Arthur was no more in this world.
Q7. What is the significance of Arthur's life-insurance policy?
Ans: Arthur had a life - insurance policy of $ 25,000 with double indemnity in case of his death in an
accident. As Norma was a greedy, selfish and self centered woman, she might have wished her
husband dead so that she could fulfill her desires. Her unconscious prays bore fruit at last.
Q8. Did Norma remain normal on hearing the news of the accident of her husband?
Ans: No, she did not remain Normal."She felt unreal" and "she was conscious of shaking her head
but couldn't stop". She was in a state of shock and numbness. Something cold pressed her head and
she couldn't seem to breathe. She was unable to walk and struggled to her feet.

Lesson # 2

"Clearing in the Sky"

Q1. What had the doctors told the old man?
Ans: The doctors had diagnosed a weak heart and therefore, advised the old man to relax and enjoy
the rest of his life. They forbade him to walk the length of a city block. He was advised to take
complete bed rest by twenty doctors. One of them did not give him even a week to live.
Q2. Where did the old man take his son?
Ans: The old man took his son to the top of the mountain where he had cleared in the sky in order
to sow potatoes, yams and tomatoes. He did it against the orders of his doctors. In spite of hard work ,
he survived because he had strong will and determination.
Q3. Had the son ever been there before?
Ans: With the exception of the last three years the son had been over there many times. He did not
see anything extra-ordinary on that piece of rugged land.
Q4. What were the names of the vegetables the old man given on his farm.
Ans: The old man had grown potatoes, tomatoes and yams on his Land. He was proud of his
vegetables. He was sure that they were the sweetest and the most nourishing vegetables.
Q5. Why did the old man take the steep path?
Ans: One of the doctors told him that he would die within a week. During this period he made a
longer and easier path. As he continued get better he kept on making steeper paths. It was one way
of knowing that he was getting better all the time.
Q6. Why did the Son at the age of Six Cry?
Ans: When the son was six year old, the father gave him a little wooden plough. The son liked it
very much but unfortunately, he lost it in a furrow and cried a lot. The father made another plough to
pacify him.
Q7. What were the feelings of the old man at the age of seventy?
Ans: The old man was fully contented with his life. He was proud of his achievement .He raised the
family of five and complete the life Spent, the good book allowed. He had deceived death many times
and lewd a healthy, active and busy life.
Q8. Why had the old man planted his secret garden?
Ans: The old man had planted his secret garden because of two reasons. Firstly, he wanted to taste
yams, tomatoes and potatoes grown in this land." Secondly he wanted to check his physical health and
vigour by making steeper paths.

Lesson # 3

"Dark they were and Golden-Eyed"

Q1. Why did Harry want to go back to the Earth?
Ans: Harry did not like the atmosphere on the Mars as it was hostile to him. He felt that he would
dissolve in it and would lose all his thinking power and memory .It seemed that the wind blowing on
Mars would flake away his identity.
Q2. Why did he want to stay?
Ans: At first he tried to find out a way to go back. He strived to build a rocket but was not succeeded.
Eventually, he decided to stay on Mars with his family until the war ended on the Earth and the
rockets came again on Mars.
Q3. What climate did they face?
Ans: The climate on Mars was dry, troublesome and hostile. It had dried the canals. The Martian
air was oppressive and injurious to them. It seemed that the air might draw their souls from them.
Harry felt submerged in a chemical that could dissolve his intellect and burn away his past".
Q4. What was the condition of the Bittering family on hearing the news of the war on the
Earth?
Ans: The Bittering family was in great shock. They were terrified, nervous, agitated and disturbed.
Laura, who broke the news, began to weep. Mrs. Bittering held onto her husband and daughter. They
felt they were stranded on Mars forever and ever.
Q5. What did they want to grow?
Ans: They wanted to grow vegetables and fruit that they had on earth. They wanted to grow them
because they were used to eat them. Harry remembered peach blossoms, the onions and the grass of
the Earth.
Q6. What was the condition of their house?
Ans: Their house had been flaked and peeled by the hot Martian air. The fog at night had
destroyed their boards. Metals became rusty. Rubber tires had shrunk like suspended pendulums of
stopped clocks.
Q7. What was the advice Harry gave to the people?
Ans: Harry advised the people to work with him so that he might build a rocket to go back to the
Earth. He told them that the Martian virus would change them altogether. He urged them to find ways
of going back as soon as possible.
Q8. How dangerous can a Martian virus be?
Ans: A Martian virus can change one's complexion and stature. I can make someone black and
golden eyed. It can flake away their identities and eventually kill them.

Lesson # 4

Thank you, M'am"

Q1. What was the time when the boy tried to snatch the purse of the women?
Ans: The boy named Roger tried to snatch the lady's purse at about 11p.m. It was dark night and
the lady was walking alone. Roger thought that she could not resist his attempt.
Q2. What happened to the boy when he tried to snatch the purse?
Ans: The strap of the purse broke when the boy tried to snatch the purse. He could not keep his
balance. Instead of taking off full blast, the boy fell on his back on the side-walk and his legs flew up.
Q3. What was the reaction of the woman?
Ans: As the boy fell on his back, the woman turned round and kicked the boy directly and firmly
"in his blue jeaned sitter." Then she picked him up by his shirt front and shook him till his teeth
became rattling.
Q4. What was the conduct of the people when they saw the incident?
Ans: Two or three passerby stopped, looked at the incident and stood watching. They did not come
closer to them and remained indifferent. They did not bother to know the real cause of the incident.
Q5. How did the boy look physically?
Ans: The boy looked very thin and frail. He was fourteen or fifteen years old. He was wearing tennis
shoes and blue jeans. His face was dirty and it seemed that there was nobody home to tell him to wash
his face.
Q6. What was the condition of the boy when the woman gave him a few jerks?
Ans: The boy got frightened thoroughly when the woman gave him a few jerks. Sweat popped out a
on his face. He feared that she would hand him over to the police. He was looking tired, hungry and
worried.
Q7. Why did the woman ask the boy to wash his face?
Ans: The woman felt pity on the boy. She realized that he was a neglected child. She wanted to help
the boy and teach him the lesson of his life. She knew that love conquers all and asked the boy to
wash his face in an affectionate manner.
Q8. Why didn't the woman watch the boy while preparing a dish?
Ans: The woman had realized that the boy was a neglected child. He was not so bad. She believed
in his inner goodness. She knew that he would not betray her trust. Therefore, she did not watch him
while preparing the dish.
Q.9 What was the nature of the Woman's job?
Ans: The lady worked in a hotel beauty shop that stayed open late. She told the boy that she made
the hair of all kinds of women, blondes, redheads and Spanish. She was returning from the beauty
shop when the boy tried to rob her.

Lesson # 5

"The Piece of String"

Q1. Why did Manana accuse Hubert of picking the lost pocketbook?
Ans: As Manana had seen Hubert picking up something from the ground, he accused Hubert of
picking up the lost pocket book. He did so under a misunderstanding. Infact, Hubert stooped to pick
up a piece of string, but no one believed him.
Q2. Why did the people think of Hubert when they heard the return of the pocketbook by
some other person?
Ans: The people did not believe that George had found James's pocketbook. They thought that he
was making lame excuses. Whatever reasons he gave, people were not willing to believe him.
Q.3 Why did George give the pocketbook to his employer?
Ans: George found the pocketbook on the road to the village market. He did not know how to read
the papers inside the purse. Therefore, he gave it to his employed named Mr. James.
Q.4 What made Hubert shameful?
Ans: Hubert was a man of honour and dignity. He could not bear Manana's blame and took it to
heart. He said, "There is nothing so shameful as to be called a liar. He was also grieved by the lies of
the people.
Q.5 Why did the people make fun of his innocence?
Ans: It seemed that the village people were illiterate and ill-mannered. They had a narrow
mentality. They wanted to amuse themselves by making fun of an innocent person. They took
pleasure in ridiculing Hubert and made him a laughing stock.
Q.6 Why did he keep claiming his innocence before his death?
Ans: Hubert was an innocent and sensitive man. He had self respect and could not bear
Mr. Manana's blame. He wanted to restore his lost repute by telling the people that he was innocent
and had nothing to do with Mr. James' pocketbook.