CBSE Class 10 English Madam Rides the Bus MCQs Set 03

Question. Who is the author of the lesson “Madam rides the Bus”?
(a) Gavin Maxwell
(b) Vallikkannan
(c) Paulo Coehlo
(d) Arup Kumar Dutta
Answer: (b) Vallikkannan
In simple words: The story was written by an author who goes by the pen name Vallikkannan.
Exam Tip: Remember the spelling of the author's pen name to avoid losing marks in spelling-sensitive questions.

Question. What amused Valli the most?
(a) The sight of buffalo running in front of the bus.
(b) The sight of people running in front of the bus.
(c) The sight of dog running in front of the bus.
(d) The sight of cow running in front of the bus.
Answer: (d) The sight of cow running in front of the bus.
In simple words: She found it highly entertaining when a cow ran directly ahead of their bus.

Exam Tip: Do not confuse the cow with other animals like buffaloes or dogs, as this is a frequent trick choice in board exams.

Question. What did Valli do one fine spring day?
(a) Caught the bus to the town.
(b) Caught the bus to the village.
(c) Caught the car to the town.
(d) Caught the car to the village.
Answer: (a) Caught the bus to the town.
In simple words: On a lovely spring day, she boarded a bus headed for the nearby town.

Exam Tip: Pay close attention to her destination (town) and her mode of transport (bus) when selecting the option.

Question. What did Valli wish?
(a) Bus ride
(b) Truck ride
(c) Car ride
(d) Cycle ride
Answer: (a) Bus ride
In simple words: Valli's deepest desire was to experience riding on a bus.

Exam Tip: This desire is a central theme of the story, so keep this main motivation of the protagonist in mind.

Question. What was her favourite pastime?
(a) To stand at the front doorway and look into the street.
(b) To stand at the front doorway and look every passenger.
(c) To stand at the back doorway and look every passenger.
(d) None of the options
Answer: (a) To stand at the front doorway and look into the street.
In simple words: She loved spending her free time by standing at her house entrance and watching the activities outside.

Exam Tip: Be precise about where she stood (front doorway) and what she watched (the street) to score full marks.

Question. What was the most fascinating scene for Valli in the street?
(a) The bus with new set of curtains every time.
(b) The bus with new set of passengers every time.
(c) The bus with new driver every time.
(d) The bus with new conductor every time.
Answer: (b) The bus with new set of passengers every time.
In simple words: The most exciting sight for her was seeing different travelers boarding the bus on each of its trips.

Exam Tip: The novelty of seeing fresh travelers on every trip was what kept Valli fascinated.

Question. What can you tell about the conductor from the text?
(a) he was funny
(b) he was grumpy
(c) he was quiet
(d) all of the options
Answer: (a) he was funny
In simple words: The conductor was a cheerful person who liked to make jokes and tease Valli.

Exam Tip: The character of the conductor is portrayed as light-hearted and helpful, so "funny" or "jovial" are key terms to describe him.

Question. What was the timing of the afternoon nap taken by Valli’s mother?
(a) 1 to 3
(b) 1 to 4
(c) 2 to 4
(d) 2 to 3
Answer: (b) 1 to 4
In simple words: Valli's mother slept every afternoon from one o'clock until four o'clock.

Exam Tip: Memorize the specific times Valli used for her secret trip to ensure you select the correct afternoon hours.

Question. What saddened Valli?
(a) the dead cow
(b) car accident
(c) the handicapped passenger
(d) all of the options
Answer: (a) the dead cow
In simple words: Seeing the lifeless cow on her return journey made Valli feel very unhappy.

Exam Tip: This incident highlights the sudden contrast between life and death that Valli experiences during her journey.

Question. What does it tell you about Valli when she refused to accept the conductor’s treat?
(a) responsible
(b) stubborn
(c) rude
(d) disrespectful
Answer: (a) responsible
In simple words: By declining a free drink, Valli showed that she was self-respecting and mature.

Exam Tip: Focus on positive traits like independence and self-respect when analyzing Valli's behavior.

Question. What made her laugh on her journey?
(a) the sight of a running cow
(b) the old woman’s earrings
(c) the old man
(d) None of the options
Answer: (a) the sight of a running cow
In simple words: She burst into laughter when she saw a cow galloping in front of the bus.

Exam Tip: Remember that this humorous event occurs on the onward journey, in contrast to her sad return.

Question. What did she have to resist on Village Fair Day to save for the ride?
(a) balloons
(b) merry go round
(c) toys
(d) peppermint
Answer: (b) merry go round
In simple words: She had to control her desire to ride the carousel at the local festival to save her fare.

Exam Tip: Valli's ability to resist the merry-go-round shows her strong determination and self-control.

Question. Why did Vali find the woman repulsive?
(a) she had large piercings in her ears
(b) she wore ugly earrings
(c) she was chewing betel nut which could spill out any moment
(d) all of the options
Answer: (d) all of the options
In simple words: The older passenger had big ear holes, wore unattractive jewelry, and chewed betel leaf in a messy way.

Exam Tip: Remember all three descriptive physical details about the old lady to answer questions on why Valli disliked her.

Question. What did the old man say to Valli that annoyed her?
(a) He shouted at her
(b) he asked why she’s alone
(c) he merely asked her to sit
(d) None of the options
Answer: (c) he merely asked her to sit
In simple words: She felt irritated when an elderly gentleman simply advised her to take a seat for her own safety.

Exam Tip: Valli did not like being treated like a helpless child, which is why even simple, caring advice annoyed her.

Question. “Valli would stare wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus.” What is the meaning of ‘wistfully’?
(a) fearfully
(b) carefully
(c) willingly
(d) longingly
Answer: (d) longingly
In simple words: The word means looking at something with a strong, deep desire or yearning.

Exam Tip: Vocabulary-based questions are common; associate "wistfully" with strong desire or deep longing.

Question. How many times did the bus cross her street per hour?
(a) 1
(b) 2
(c) 4
(d) 6
Answer: (b) 2
In simple words: The bus went past her street twice every hour - once going to town and once returning.

Exam Tip: Do not get confused by "once going and once coming back" - together, they make two transits per hour.

Question. What was Valli’s age?
(a) 7
(b) 8
(c) 9
(d) None of the options
Answer: (b) 8
In simple words: Valli was an eight-year-old girl.

Exam Tip: Valli's age is a crucial detail that emphasizes her courage and self-reliance at such a young stage.

Question. What was Valli’s full name?
(a) Vallikkannan
(b) Valliammai
(c) Valliannai
(d) Vallikannam
Answer: (b) Valliammai
In simple words: Her complete, formal name in the story is Valliammai.

Exam Tip: Do not confuse her actual name (Valliammai) with the author's pen name (Vallikkannan).

Question. What was her overwhelming desire?
(a) to have friends
(b) to travel by bus
(c) to top the class
(d) None of the options
Answer: (b) to travel by bus
In simple words: Her single greatest wish was to take a trip on the local bus.

Exam Tip: "Overwhelming desire" refers to her strongest urge, which was her dream of a bus ride.

Question. What would make Valli jealous?
(a) strangers ravelling by bus
(b) hearing stories of her friend’s bus journey
(c) her mother travelling the bus
(d) all of the options
Answer: (b) hearing stories of her friend’s bus journey
In simple words: She felt envious whenever her friends described their experiences of riding the bus.

Exam Tip: Valli's envy was triggered by hearing personal accounts of bus travel from her peers.

Question. Why did Valli stand up?
(a) She wanted to enjoy the ride
(b) she wasn’t able to look outside properly
(c) she liked standing
(d) she was tired of sitting
Answer: (b) she wasn’t able to look outside properly
In simple words: She stood up on her seat because a window screen was blocking her view of the outside world.

Exam Tip: The window blind blocked the lower half of her window, forcing her to stand to see clearly.

Question. “Valli found the woman absolutely repulsive”. What do you mean by “repulsive”?
(a) causing strong dislike
(b) showing displeasure
(c) extremely attractive
(d) admirable
Answer: (a) causing strong dislike
In simple words: The word describes something that is extremely unpleasant or disgusting.

Exam Tip: Learn synonyms for key textbook terms as vocabulary questions frequently test these definitions.

Question. Why did the old lady ask Valli so many questions?
(a) she was bothered about Valli
(b) she liked Valli
(c) she was poking her nose
(d) she was bored
Answer: (a) she was bothered about Valli
In simple words: The elderly woman was genuinely concerned about Valli's safety as she was travelling alone.

Exam Tip: Although Valli found her annoying, the old woman's questions came from a place of adult worry.

Question. What was the next challenge once she’d saved enough money?
(a) tell her mom about it
(b) know about the timings
(c) buy a ticket
(d) to sneak out of the house
Answer: (d) to sneak out of the house
In simple words: Her next big obstacle was slipping away from home without her mother finding out.

Exam Tip: Saving money was only the first part; planning how to leave without being caught was her next hurdle.

Question. Why did Valli not get off the bus for sight-seeing?
(a) she was afraid
(b) she didn’t want to
(c) she didn’t have the time
(d) she didn’t like the city
Answer: (a) she was afraid
In simple words: She chose to stay inside the bus at the town terminal because she felt scared of going out alone.

Exam Tip: Despite her confidence on the bus, she was still a young child who felt nervous in a crowded, unfamiliar town.

Question. Who was a “real chatterbox”?
(a) Valli
(b) conductor
(c) her aunt
(d) all of the options
Answer: (c) her aunt
In simple words: Valli's aunt was known for talking constantly and never keeping quiet.

Exam Tip: This character trait of her aunt is mentioned near the end of the story when Valli returns.