CBSE Class 10 English A Question of Trust Important Questions Set 01

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Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

Everyone thought that Horace Danby was a good, honest citizen. He was about fifty years old and unmarried, and he lived with a housekeeper who worried over his health. In fact, he was usually very well and happy except for attacks of hay fever in summer. He made locks and was successful enough at his business to have two helpers. Yes, Horace Danby was good and respectable — but not completely honest.

(a). State any one inference about Horace Danby from the given context.
Everyone thought that Horace Danby was a good, honest citizen.
Answer: It was hard to think of him as a thief who stole money to buy expensive books because he had an established business.

 

(b). State which of the options from 1 to 4 can be applied to the given question or context: True (T), False (F), Partially true (PT), Not applicable (NA).
Which of these proverbs fits the personality of Horace Danby?
1. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
2. If you can’t beat them, join them.
3. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
4. All that glitters is not gold.
(a) 2 - T, 1 - F, 3 - PT, 4 - NA
(b) 1 - T, 2 - F, 3 - PT, 4 - NA
(c) 3 - T, 1 - F, 4 - PT, 2 - NA
(d) 4 - T, 3 - F, 2 - PT, 1 - NA
Answer: (c) 3 - T, 1 - F, 4 - PT, 2 - NA

 

(c). ‘We can say that Horace Danby was quite well off.’ Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the extract.
Answer: Horace Danby was a successful businessman who manufactured locks. Two helpers kept his business in good shape. He also had a housekeeper to look after his house and him. He didn’t have a family to spend his money on.

 

(d). Which word would be the correct antonym of ‘respectable’ in the given sentence from the extract?
Yes, Horace Danby was good and respectable — but not completely honest.
Answer: disreputable

 

Extract 2

There was a great bowl of flowers on the table, and Horace felt his nose tickle. He gave a little sneeze and then put down his bag. He carefully arranged his tools. He had four hours before the servants returned.

The safe was not going to be hard to open. After all, he had lived with locks and safes all his life. The burglar alarm was poorly built.

(a). State any one inference about Danby from the given context.
He carefully arranged his tools.
Answer: Horace was a meticulous thief and took his job seriously.

 

(b). State which of the options from (i) to (iv) CANNOT be used to complete this statement.
The safe was not going to be hard to open.
(a) True because Horace knew the code.
(b) False because he had lived with locks and safes all his life.
(c) Partially true because he had all the tools.
(d) Not applicable because the servants were out for four hours.
Answer: (a) True because Horace knew the code.

 

(c). Horace Danby sneezed. What caused it? Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the given extract.
Answer: Horace Danby suffered from attacks of hay fever because he was allergic to pollen. A big bowl of flowers kept in the room caused him to sneeze.

 

(d). Which word would correctly substitute ‘tickle’ in the given sentence from the extract?
There was a great bowl of flowers on the table, and Horace felt his nose tickle.
Answer: tingle or itch

 

Extract 3

But Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work. He buried his face in his handkerchief. Then he heard a voice say from the doorway, “What is it? A cold or hay fever?”

Before he could think, Horace said, “Hay fever,” and found himself sneezing again.

The voice went on, “You can cure it with a special treatment, you know, if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work. I heard you from the top of the house just now.”

(a). State any one inference about Danby from the given context.
But Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work.
Answer: The flowers made Horace Danby’s nose itch because of hay fever.

 

(b). State which of the options from (i) to (iv) can be applied to the given question or context.
Who asked Horace, “What is it? A cold or hay fever?”
(a) Probably, it was the mistress of the Grange.
(b) Maybe, it was another thief.
(c) It could have been the housekeeper of the Grange.
(d) In all probability, it was a neighbour keeping an eye on the Grange.
Answer: (b) Maybe, it was another thief.

 

(c). What advice did the lady give Horace regarding his hay fever? Was she really interested in his health? Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the extract.
Answer: The lady advised Horace that he could find a cure for hay fever by finding out which plant he was allergic to. She was not interested in his allergy or its cure; she was rather making fun of him.

 

(d). Which word would correctly substitute ‘buried’ in the given sentence from the extract?
He buried his face in his handkerchief.
Answer: concealed or covered

 

Extract 4

“Down, Sherry,” she said. “Anyone would think I’d been away for a month!” She smiled at Horace, and went on, “However, I came back just in time, though I didn’t expect to meet a burglar.”

Horace had some hope because she seemed to be amused at meeting him. He might avoid trouble if he treated her the right way. He replied, “I didn’t expect to meet one of the family.”

(a). State any one inference about the lady from the given context.
“Down, Sherry,” she said. “Anyone would think I’d been away for a month!”
Answer: The clever woman was pretending to be the owner of the house.

 

(b). State which of the options from (i) to (iv) can be applied to the given statement or context.
“I didn’t expect to meet one of the family.” Interpret the intention of Horace in this statement.
(a) He tried to trap the lady in his charm and escape.
(b) He was simply being manipulative.
(c) He was trying to charm her but she wasn’t impressed.
(d) He was being truthful to her.
Answer: (a) He tried to trap the lady in his charm and escape.

 

(c). Why did Horace believe that the lady was amused at meeting a burglar at her home? Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the given extract.
Answer: It was naive of Horace to think on these lines because he didn’t have an inkling that the woman, who he thought was the mistress of the house, was actually a thief just like him, only cleverer.

 

(d). Which word would correctly substitute ‘amused’ in the given sentence from the extract?
Horace had some hope because she seemed to be amused at meeting him.
Answer: pleased

 

Extract 5

How foolish people are when they own valuable things, Horace thought. A magazine article had described this house, giving a plan of all the rooms and a picture of this room. The writer had even mentioned that the painting hid a safe! But Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work. He buried his face in his handkerchief. Then he heard a voice say from the doorway, “What is it? A cold or hay fever?” Before he could think, Horace said, “Hay fever,” and found himself sneezing again. The voice went on, “You can cure it with a special treatment, you know, if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work. I heard you from the top of the house just now.”

(a). What does the statement, "I heard you from the top of the house just now," reveal about the speaker's awareness of Horace's presence and actions?
Answer: The statement shows that the young lady was aware of Horace's presence and actions before he realised it. It indicates that she was attentive and knew about his activities in the house.

 

(b). State an inference about why the writer has put an exclamation mark in the given context: The writer had even mentioned that the painting hid a safe!
Answer: The exclamation mark in the given context suggests that the writer is highlighting the surprising or unexpected nature of the information.

 

(c). What does the word "hindering" mean in the sentence "But Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work"?
(a) Helping
(b) Aiding
(c) Delaying
(d) Encouraging
Answer: (c) Delaying

 

(d). Read the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify if any of them relate to Horace's feelings in the following sentence:
“How foolish people are when they own valuable things,” Horace thought.
(a) Contempt - a feeling that a person or thing is below one's consideration or respect
(b) Anger - a strong feeling of displeasure, annoyance, or hostility
(c) Sporting - to be fair and generous in one's treatment of others
Answer: (a) Contempt - a feeling that a person or thing is below one's consideration or respect

 

Extract 6

He loved rare, expensive books. So he robbed a safe every year. Each year he planned carefully just what he would do, stole enough to last for twelve months, and secretly bought the books he loved through an agent. Now, walking in the bright July sunshine, he felt sure that this year’s robbery was going to be as successful as all the others. For two weeks, he had been studying the house at Shotover Grange, looking at its rooms, its electric wiring, its paths and its garden. This afternoon, the two servants, who remained in the Grange while the family was in London, had gone to the movies. Horace saw them go, and he felt happy in spite of a little tickle of hay fever in his nose.

(a). Which phrase would correctly substitute 'tickle', in the given sentence from the extract? Horace saw them go, and he felt happy in spite of a little tickle of hay fever in his nose.
Answer: slight irritation (an itch)

 

(b). “Now, walking in the bright July sunshine, he felt sure that this year’s robbery was going to be as successful as all the others.” What does feeling ‘sure’ imply?
Answer: Feeling ‘sure’ implies that Horace was confident, even overconfident, because he had planned the robbery carefully and all his earlier robberies had succeeded.

 

(c). State TRUE or FALSE: None of the terms (1)-(4) below, can be applied to the statement - Horace saw them go, and he felt happy in spite of a little tickle of hay fever in his nose. (1) Imagery - using vivid sensory details to create mental images. (2) Mood - the emotional atmosphere or tone evoked in a literary work. (3) Irony - a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens. (4) Foreshadowing - hints or clues about future events in a story.
Answer: False. Term (1) can be applied, as ‘a little tickle of hay fever in his nose’ is a sensory image; term (4) also applies, as the hay fever hints at the trouble it causes him later.

 

(d). Horace's love for rare books led him to become a thief. Justify.
Answer: Horace loved rare and expensive books but could not afford them. So, every year he robbed a safe and used the money to buy books through an agent. His passion for books led him to a life of crime.

 

Extract 7

How foolish people are when they own valuable things, Horace thought. A magazine article had described this house, giving a plan of all the rooms and a picture of this room. The writer had even mentioned that the painting hid a safe!

(a). What was foolish about rich people?
Answer: It was foolish of rich people to give all the details of their house and everything in it to magazines.

 

(b). How did Horace know about the details of the house?
Answer: It was given in the magazine article.

 

(c). Where was the safe?
Answer: The safe was hidden behind the painting, as the writer of the magazine article had mentioned.

 

(d). Give a synonym of ‘valuable’.
Answer: Expensive

 

Extract 8

It was a quiet, kindly voice, but one with firmness in it. A woman was standing in the doorway, and Sherry was rubbing against her. She was young, quite pretty, and was dressed in red. She walked to the fireplace and straightened the ornaments there.

(a). What does the first line reflect about the woman?
Answer: She was confident and firm.

 

(b). What was her approach to the present situation?
Answer: She tried to manipulate the situation according to her needs. She posed as the owner of the house.

 

(c). When was Horace confronted with the lady in red?
Answer: As Horace was about to open the safe, he heard a voice from the doorway. The voice was of the lady in red.

 

(d). What did she do at the fireplace?
Answer: She straightened the ornaments there.

 

Extract 9

The safe was in the drawing room, behind a rather poor painting. Horace wondered for a moment whether he should collect pictures instead of books. But they took up too much room. In a small house, books were better.

(a). Where was the safe placed?
Answer: It was behind a poor painting.

 

(b). Why was Horace in a dilemma?
Answer: He wondered whether he should collect paintings rather than books.

 

(c). Why did Horace prefer to collect books?
Answer: Since pictures might take up too much room, he preferred to collect books in his small house.

 

(d). Do you think intentions justify actions?
Answer: I do not approve of this view. Means and ends both should be good, fair and just.

 

Extract 10

His fingerprints, for he had opened the safe without gloves, were all over the room, and no one believed him when he said the wife of the owner of the house had asked him to open the safe for her. The wife herself, a grey-haired, sharp-tongued woman of sixty, said that the story was nonsense.

(a). How was Horace Danby caught?
Answer: Horace Danby was caught because he opened the safe without gloves and his fingerprints were everywhere.

 

(b). How was he befooled?
Answer: A young and pretty lady in a red dress who pretended to be the owner’s wife befooled him.

 

(c). What did Horace tell the police?
Answer: Horace told the police that the wife of the owner had asked him to open the safe for her.

 

(d). Give a synonym of ‘nonsense’.
Answer: Rubbish

 

Extract 11

The voice went on, “You can cure it with a special treatment, you know, if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work.”

(a). Who is speaking the above lines?
Answer: The lady in the red dress is the speaker.

 

(b). What suggestion does the speaker make?
Answer: The speaker suggests that Horace should see a doctor.

 

(c). What disease is the speaker referring to?
Answer: The speaker is referring to hay fever (an allergy).

 

(d). Give a synonym of ‘serious’.
Answer: Sincere

 

Extract 12

Horace is now the assistant librarian in the prison. He often thinks of the charming, clever young lady who was in the same profession as he was, and who tricked him. He gets very angry when anyone talks about ‘honour among thieves’.

(a). Who is Horace and what is his profession?
(a) A good and respectable citizen. He was a thief.
(b) An educated elderly man. He was a librarian.
(c) A 50 year old honest citizen. He was a blacksmith.
(d) A 50 year old lover of books. He was a middleman.
Answer: (a) A good and respectable citizen. He was a thief.

 

(b). Who is the charming young lady?
(a) She is the daughter of Mrs Grange.
(b) A thief who befooled Horace.
(c) A librarian whom Horace met for a brief period.
(d) Mrs Grange who couldn’t open her own safe.
Answer: (b) A thief who befooled Horace.

 

(c). How did Horace meet the lady?
(a) By chance, while planning robbery at Shotover Grange.
(b) While working in the prison library.
(c) She was present in Shotover Grange where Horace went for robbery.
(d) A fellow at Grange’s profession.
Answer: (c) She was present in Shotover Grange where Horace went for robbery.

 

(d). Which of the following sentences correctly describes the young lady as ‘clever’?
(a) Horace being a fellow worker was often amazed at her quick wit.
(b) She was very fast at arranging books in the library.
(c) She somehow was fast at grasping knowledge about plants.
(d) She smartly pretended to be the lady of the house when she was another thief.
Answer: (d) She smartly pretended to be the lady of the house when she was another thief.

 

(e). Why would Horace get angry to hear of ‘honour among thieves’?
(a) Horace, being a respectable citizen, couldn’t tolerate the profession of thieves.
(b) If the ‘honour‘, as mentioned in the extract actually existed, he wouldn’t have become the assistant librarian in the prison.
(c) Honour was hardly there as per the extract mentioned, as individuals were bent upon putting the other into trouble.
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c)

 

Extract 13

“Before we left for London, I promised my husband to take my jewels to our bank; but I left them here in the safe. I want to wear them to a party tonight, so I came down to get them, but…

(a). Who is the speaker of the above lines?
(a) Miss Grange
(b) Horace’s friend
(c) A young lady
(d) Sherry
Answer: (c) A young lady

 

(b). Why did the lady want the jewels from the safe?
(a) To wear them for a party.
(b) She planned to burgle it.
(c) She wanted to rob them along with Horace.
(d) She trusted Horace to take them out for her.
Answer: (b) She planned to burgle it.

 

(c). What do you think she wanted to say after ’but…’?
(a) ‘but I could not find the keys’.
(b) ‘but I have forgotten the number’.
(c) ‘but I found a burglar in my house’.
(d) ‘but I am already late’.
Answer: (c) ‘but I found a burglar in my house’.

 

(d). How did Horace know the number to the safe?
(a) He was the housekeeper.
(b) He didn’t know the number but had tools to open such safes.
(c) He was adept at making locks, so could open safes easily.
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c)

 

(e). Why did the lady confide about her jewellery in Horace?
(a) She was the wife of Horace.
(b) She was actually an imposter pretending to be the mistress of the house.
(c) She was a disciple of Horace taking training about opening lockers.
(d) She wanted Horace to open the safe for her so that he leaves his fingerprints on it and get caught.
Answer: (d) She wanted Horace to open the safe for her so that he leaves his fingerprints on it and get caught.

 

Extract 14

“All right, Sherry,” Horace said as he passed. All you had to do to keep dogs quiet was to call them by their right names, and show them love. The safe was in the drawing room, behind a rather poor painting. Horace wondered for a moment whether he should collect pictures instead of books. But they took up too much room. In a small house, books were better.

(a). What is the full name of Horace?
(a) Horace Dancy
(b) Horace Cranby
(c) Horace Danby
(d) Horace Dranby
Answer: (c) Horace Danby

 

(b). What was Horace’s business?
(a) He made paintings and sold them.
(b) He published books.
(c) He robbed things and sold them.
(d) He made locks.
Answer: (d) He made locks.

 

(c). How did Horace know that the safe was in the drawing room?
(a) A magazine had given all details of the Grange Household.
(b) Horace had been working in the house for sometime.
(c) Horace kept a close watch on the house.
(d) One of the servants in the house had been his friend.
Answer: (a) A magazine had given all details of the Grange Household.

 

(d). Why did Horace think of dogs’ behavioural pattern?
(a) He was a dog lover.
(b) He was fond of Sherry and knew about its behaviour.
(c) He was actually a burglar and had to face dogs.
(d) Sherry was left in his custody for sometime.
Answer: (c) He was actually a burglar and had to face dogs.

 

(e). What made Horace think of books and pictures?
(a) He loved to collect both.
(b) His plan was to burgle the safe and buy expensive and rare books with the money.
(c) He wanted to buy a bigger house with the burgled money.
(d) All of the above
Answer: (b) His plan was to burgle the safe and buy expensive and rare books with the money.

 

Extract 15

For two weeks he had been studying the house at Shotover Grange, looking at its rooms, its electric wiring, its paths and its garden. This afternoon the two servants, who remained in the Grange while the family was in London, had gone to the movies. Horace saw them go, and he felt happy in spite of a little tickle of hay fever in his nose. He came out from behind the garden wall, his tools were carefully packed in a bag on his back.

(a). What had Horace been doing?
Answer: Horace had been studying the house at Shotover Grange in order to be able to implement the plan of his yearly robbery and to make sure it goes perfectly.

 

(b). Where were the residents of the house? Where were the servants?
Answer: The family that owned the house was in London, whereas the two servants who remained there, had gone out to watch a movie, making it a perfect opportunity for Horace to break in.

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