CBSE Class 10 English Amanda Important Questions Set 02

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

(a). What does the speaker tell Amanda about chocolate?
Answer: The speaker tells Amanda not to eat chocolate.

(b). Why should she not eat chocolate, according to the speaker?
Answer: She should not eat chocolate because it can cause acne.

(c). What does the speaker want Amanda to do when she is talking to her?
Answer: The speaker wants Amanda to look at her when she is addressing her.

(d). Was Amanda listening to the speaker?
Answer: No, Amanda was not listening to the speaker.

(e). Which word is perfectly synonymous to the word ‘eat’ in the above extract?
(a) Consume
(b) Chew
(c) Bite
(d) Feed
Answer: (a) Consume

(f). What does the worrying about Amanda's acne tell us about the speaker?
1. The speaker is overprotective.
2. The speaker is a health conscious person.
3. The speaker gives much importance to the physical beauty.
4. The speaker is insensitive to the child’s emotions.
(a) (1) and (3)
(b) (1), (3), (4)
(c) (2), (4)
(d) (1) and (4)
Answer: (a) (1) and (3)

(g). The speaker says, “will you please look at me when I’m talking to you". Why do you think Amanda is not looking at the speaker?
(a) She does not like the speaker.
(b) She is arrogant.
(c) She doesn't care.
(d) She is lost in her thoughts.
Answer: (d) She is lost in her thoughts.

(h). Which word in the above extract is an example of repetition?
(a) Don't
(b) Amanda
(c) Remember
(d) Look
Answer: (b) Amanda

(i). Right in the next stanza, after the above extract, Amanda imagines herself as _____.
(a) Rapunzel
(b) Mermaid
(c) A free child
(d) An orphan
Answer: (a) Rapunzel

Extract 2

(a). In the line, life in a tower is tranquil and rare, what does tranquil mean?
(a) Annoyed
(b) Lazy
(c) Peaceful
(d) Monotonous
Answer: (c) Peaceful

(b). Who is the speaker of the line, Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!
(a) Her mother
(b) Her grandfather
(c) Her friend
(d) Her teacher
Answer: (a) Her mother

(c). What is the meaning of the word sulking in the above extract?
(a) Frowning
(b) Daydreaming
(c) Being Moody
(d) Annoying
Answer: (c) Being Moody

(d). What does the extract tells about Amanda? Choose from the following:
1. Amanda is an imaginative girl.
2. Amanda yearns for freedom.
3. Amanda is a child and she is docile.
4. Amanda is lost in her thoughts.
(a) (1), (2), (4)
(b) (1), (2), (3)
(c) (2), (3), (4)
(d) Only (2)
Answer: (a) (1), (2), (4)

(e). Why do you think there is no parenthesis in the last stanza?
(a) Because the constant nagging has made Amanda disobedient.
(b) Because her thoughts are forcefully suppressed by the harsh real world.
(c) Because she has realised her mistake.
(d) Because she has given up on her thoughts and wishes due to the constant restrictions, rules and instructions.
Answer: (d) Because she has given up on her thoughts and wishes due to the constant restrictions, rules and instructions.

Extract 3

(a). Why are there lines given within brackets?
Answer: There are lines given within brackets because they reveal the inner thoughts of Amanda. Brackets are used for visual contrast between what Amanda is saying and what her mother is instructing.

(b). Amanda is getting instructions for what purpose?
Answer: Amanda is getting instructions as a part of her upbringing by her parents. Her conduct and manners are getting refined for future purposes.

Short Answer Questions

Question 1. How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?
Answer: Amanda is about eleven to thirteen years old because she is neither old enough to take care of herself nor very young to be excused from cleaning her room. The mention of acne also suggests she is entering her teens.

Question 2. Who do you think is speaking to her?
Answer: Her mother (a parent) is speaking to her.

Question 3. Why are the stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?
Answer: Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 are given in parentheses because those thoughts are taking place in Amanda’s imagination and not in reality.

Question 4. Who is the speaker in stanzas 2, 4 and 6? Do you think this speaker is listening to the speaker in stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7?
Answer: The speaker in stanzas 2, 4 and 6 is Amanda herself. Yes, she is listening to the speaker of the other stanzas, as her imaginings are a reaction to the statements made by her parent.

Question 5. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
Answer: If Amanda were a mermaid, she would drift blissfully in the beautiful emerald sea without any interference from others.

Question 6. Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?
Answer: No, Amanda is not an orphan. She says so because she is fed up with her parents’ nagging all the time. She wishes to be like an orphan who does not have anyone to shout at her all the time.

Question 7. Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?
Answer: Rapunzel is a beautiful girl living in a tranquil tower. She has beautiful long hair. She lets her bright hair down and a prince climbs up the tower with its help. Amanda wants to be Rapunzel because she wants to be left all alone like Rapunzel.

Question 8. What does the girl yearn for? What does the poem tell you about Amanda?
Answer: The girl yearns for her privacy. She wants to be left alone so that she could do whatever she wants to do without any interference from her parents. Amanda is a moody girl. She wants to lead a life free from bondages and she is very imaginative.

Question 9. Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and moody?
Answer: Amanda seems moody to her parent because she does not react to the demands made of her; she escapes into her imagination instead.

Question 10. What message does the poet want to give through the poem ‘Amanda’?
Answer: The poet wants to convey that parents, in their endeavour to make their children well-behaved and well-mannered with good habits, give them too many instructions or nag (always find fault with) them. They should adopt positive measures acceptable to children. Otherwise, children will stop listening to them and indulge in daydreaming as Amanda did.

Question 11. How was Amanda behaving when the poem starts? What did the speaker ask her not to do?
Answer: When the poem begins, we find that Amanda was biting her nails. She was hunching her shoulders. She was sitting in a slouching posture. That is why the speaker asked her to behave properly. She was asked not to bite her nails and hunch her shoulders, and to sit up straight.

Question 12. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?
Answer: Amanda values freedom as the greatest virtue in this world. She hates to receive instructions from her mother. She wants to lead her own kind of life. She hates to be asked what to do and what not.

Question 13. Why does Amanda want to be an orphan?
Answer: Amanda values freedom more than anything in her life. She feels suffocated at home as she is constantly nagged by her mother there. She wants to be an orphan. Like an orphan she likes to wander about the streets freely with bare feet.

Question 14. Why does Amanda want to be Rapunzel?
Answer: Amanda is an escapist. She imagines herself as a fairy like Rapunzel. She wants to live happily in her lonely tower far from the maddening crowd of the world. Like Rapunzel, she wants to take care of her beautiful golden hair.

Question 15. What does Amanda yearn for?
Answer: Amanda is a little girl. She is asked to do or not to do this and that. She is nagged at by her parents. So Amanda yearns for freedom. She wants to lead a life without any restrictions.

Question 16. Do you think that Amanda doesn’t like to be controlled and instructed not to do one thing or the other? Give a reasoned answer.
Answer: Amanda loves her freedom. She doesn’t want it to be curtailed. She wants to lead her own kind of life. If she is asked what to do and what not, she feels that her freedom is curtailed. She doesn’t bother to answer her mother when she goes on instructing her what to do and what not.

Question 17. List the things which Amanda’s mother doesn’t want her to do.
Answer: Her mother doesn’t want Amanda to hunch her shoulders and bend her body down. She stops her from eating chocolates as it would not be good for her pimpled face. She wants her to stop sulking as others would think that she is being nagged by her mother.

Question 18. What is the fear of the speaker that is explained in the last stanza?
Answer: In the last stanza, the speaker advises Amanda not to remain moody and sulky. The reason behind this is that she does not want to expose it before others. Otherwise, the people will think that she was teased by the speaker. It was her fear.

Question 19. Why are Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?
Answer: Given in parenthesis as a contrast — represent the imaginary and the dreamy world of Amanda — imagines herself as a mermaid in stanza 2 — an orphan in stanza 4 — Rapunzel in the 6th stanza.

Question 20. Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?
Answer: Yes — Amanda — seems to be sulking and moody — she is not happy with the way her mother nags her constantly — is moody — always lost in her own world of dreams and fancies.

Question 21. Why does Amanda want to be a mermaid?
Answer: An escapist — imagines herself to be a mermaid — wants to live on an island — the only inhabitant — loves freedom — loves drifting blissfully like a mermaid on that lonely island.

Question 22. Why does Amanda’s mother ask her to stop sulking?
Answer: Amanda’s mother thinks — moody as — mood is always shifting — puts on an unhappy appearance — others will blame her mother — will think — being constantly nagged by her mother.

Question 23. “Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda! Remember your acne, Amanda!” Why is Amanda asked not to eat chocolate?
Answer: Already suffers from acne, a skin disease — If she eats — will aggravate her problem further — asked not to eat chocolate.

Question 24. How does the poem challenge traditional gender roles or societal expectations through the character of Amanda?
Answer: The poem questions traditional gender stereotypes by portraying Amanda as a character with daydreams and emotions. She imagines herself as a mermaid and an orphan displaying independence and freedom. This challenges the idea that girls should fit into specific roles and encourages the readers to break free from restrictive norms.

Question 25. What message is conveyed by the poem ‘Amanda’?
Answer: The message conveyed by the poet is that parents who nag children in their endeavour to make them well-mannered and disciplined should change their ways and adopt positive ways acceptable to children, or else they will start living in a world of dreams and fantasies and stop listening to their parents.

Question 26. The reader sympathises with the speaker in the poem. Rationalise this opinion with a reason.
Answer: The readers of the poem might sympathies with the speaker, as she is the mother of a school-going girl named Amanda, and a mother can never scold her daughter for the wrong reasons. Amanda has bad habits, so her mother wants to correct her as an elder.

Question 27. The poem revolves around the theme of escapism. Comment.
Answer: The poem centers on escapism, as Amanda daydreams to escape her mundane life, where she is constantly controlled by her mother to not do one thing or another. In order to escape from her present situation, she imagines being a mermaid and an orphan. These vivid daydreams show her yearning for peace and freedom away from her mother. She escapes into the world of imagination, where she can do whatever she wants without being restricted by anyone.

Question 28. Justify the title of the poem ‘Amanda!’.
Answer: The title of the poem ‘Amanda’ is apt as the poem solely revolves around the life of a school-going girl named Amanda. It centers around her experiences, daydreams, and inner thoughts. Amanda’s mother constantly nags at her and instructs her to correct her habits. The title is given to ensure that the readers connect with Amanda's experience and the struggles she faces at home.

Question 29. What does the line “never let down my bright hair” tell us about Amanda? Comment.
Answer: The line “never let down my bright hair” tells us that Amanda longed for freedom and privacy so much that she imagined herself as Rapunzel, who wouldn't let her hair down because she didn’t want anybody to come and invade her privacy and freedom.

Question 30. How would you characterise the speaker in the poem ‘Amanda!’? List any two qualities, supporting the reason for your choice, with evidence from the poem.
Answer: The speaker in the poem is Amanda’s mother. She is a nag and lacks understanding on her part as a mother. It is clear from the poem that she constantly scolds her daughter for biting her nails, sitting in a slouching posture, eating chocolates, etc. She doesn’t understand the psychology of her daughter’s mind. In fact, she asks Amanda to stop sulking because she is conscious of what people might think of her as a mother.

Question 31. Discuss the significance of the final line in the poem, "Anyone would think that I nagged at you, Amanda," and its potential interpretation.
Answer: The last line suggests that Amanda's mother is aware of her repetitive instructions to Amanda. It implies that the speaker may come across as nagging, but it's because they care and want Amanda to improve. The line acknowledges the speaker's intention and reveals their concern for Amanda's well-being. It shows that sometimes people might nag out of love and concern.

Question 32. How does the poet use descriptive language to portray the character of Amanda and her actions?
Answer: The poet uses descriptive language to capture Amanda's actions and emotions. Words like "sulking," "moody," and "nagging" describe her behavior, while "tranquil,"
"languid," and "emerald sea" conjure images of her daydreams. Readers are drawn into Amanda's world by the vivid descriptions that capture her personality and her imagined getaways.

Question 33. Comment on the poet’s use of language in the lines of the poem.
Answer: The poet uses strong words in the poem, like "Don't," "Stop," and "Remember," to give clear instructions to Amanda. These words show authority and make the instructions stand out. The poet also paints vivid pictures with words, like being a mermaid, an orphan, or Rapunzel. This helps us imagine different worlds and adds excitement to the poem. Overall, the poet's language is powerful and imaginative.

Question 34. ‘Amanda is alone, but she is not lonely in the world she envisions.’ Justify the statement with reference to any one image she pictures in her mind.
Answer: Amanda often imagines herself to be one of the fictional characters in order to escape from the reality of her mother’s forced instructions. One such reference was her being an orphan. She imagined being an orphan who lives alone because she has no parents She is alone, but not lonely because as an orphan, she is free to move wherever and with whomever she wants to.

Question 35. Why does Amanda wish to be an orphan?
Answer: She wishes to be an orphan because she is sad and depressed because of the continuous scolding and nagging from her mother. Therefore, she feels that it would have been much better and more peaceful if she had been an orphan.

Question 36. Amanda appears moody most of the time. Justify. (CBSE 2016)
Answer: Amanda’s mother constantly keeps a check on her activities and habits and scolds her all the time for correcting her ways of life. Amanda gets fed up and escapes into the world of imagination. Hence, she appears moody most of the time.