CBSE Class 10 English The Midnight Visitor Assignment Set 03

Short Answer Type Questions
 

Question. In the beginning of the story Fowler was disappointed with Ausable. Do you think his feelings changed towards the end?
Answer: In the beginning Fowler was disappointed with Ausable as he did not fit any description of a secret agent. But the way Ausable outwitted armed Max surely made him changed his feelings towards Ausable.

Question. Who was in Ausable’s room? Why had he come there?
Answer: It was Max who was in Ausable’s room. He was another secret agent. He wanted to grab the important report on a new missile which was supposed to be delivered to Ausable that night.

Question. What did Ausable tell Max when he heard the knock? Why did he tell him so?
Answer: When there was a knock at the door, Ausable used presence of his mind. He announced it was police as he had asked for extra protection. It made Max puzzled and he asked Ausable to send them away. Ausable further added that the door was unlocked and the police would not hesitate to shoot him. Max feared to be caught and jumped through the window and as there was no balcony met his end.

Question. How did Ausable manage to make Max believe that there was a balcony attached to his room?
Answer: Ausable made up a story very beautifully. He showed disappointment that in spite of his complaint to block off the balcony attached to his room, no action had been taken. He said that it was the second chance in a month that an intruder had entered his room through balcony.

Question. What role did the non-existent balcony play in the story “The Midnight Visitor’?
Answer: The non-existent balcony plays a very important role in the story. It is on this balcony that Max jumps to save himself from being caught by the police but instead ends up being a dead man.

Question. Why did Fowler want to meet Ausable? Why was he disappointed? Or Why was Fowler disappointed when he saw Ausable for the first time?
Answer: Fowler was a writer who had often read about thrilling life of spies and secret agents and now he was keen to meet one. He was disappointed as Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent. Ausable’s personality was not that impressive and Fowler spent a very dull evening with him.

Question. Was there any balcony outside the window? What role does it play in the story, ‘The Midnight Visitor’?
Answer: When Ausable saw Max holding a pistol aimed at him, he made up a story that there was a balcony through which it was the second time in a month that an intruder had entered his room. When there was a knock at the door and Max feared that he would be caught by the police, he jumped down on the balcony and met his end.

Question. What was someone expected to bring to Ausable’s room?
Answer: Ausable was expecting a very important paper to be delivered to him that night. He told Fowler that many men and women have endangered their lives to obtain that paper. The paper might well affect the course of history someday soon.

Question. Did Ausable know who had knocked at the door? How did he know?
Answer: When there was a knock at the door Ausable used his presence of mind and announced that it was police. He knew that a waiter had come to serve him wine which he had ordered earlier.

Question. What story did Ausable tell about the unwelcome guests that entered his room?
Answer: Ausable made up a story that it was the second time in a month that somebody had got into his room through the balcony attached to his room. It made Max bewildered and made him believe that there was a balcony.

Question. Who was Fowler and what image did he have about the secret agents ?
Answer: Fowler was a young and romantic writer. Having read about the lives of secret agents, Fowler was fascinated by them. He thought that secret agents were mysterious people and their lives were filled with adventures. That is why, he wanted to meet Ausable.

Question. Whom did Ausable find when he entered his hotel room with Fowler ?
Answer: Ausable unlocked his hotel room and entered along with Fowler. Ausable had just closed the door behind him and switched on the light, when both of them were surprised to see a man halfway across the room with a small automatic pistol in his hand. This man was Max, another secret agent.

Question. With what purpose had Max entered Ausable’s room?
Answer: Max had entered Ausable’s room by using a passkey in his absence. Max had come there to forcibly get the report regarding some new missiles, which was being delivered to Ausable by somebody that very night.

Question. What did Ausable tell Max about the balcony of his hotel room ?
Answer: Ausable told Max that another person before him had also entered his room through the balcony sometime back. Ausable said that it was not the balcony of his room but the balcony of the next apartment, that extended under his window now. Because his apartment and the next apartment used to be one unit once.

Question. How was Max outwitted by Ausable in the end of the story ‘The Midnight Visitor’ ?
Answer: Ausable made Max believe that there was a balcony outside the window of his hotel room, when there was none. Ausable also made Max believe that the policemen were knocking at the door. Therefore, Max dropped out to the balcony to avoid the police but died due to the fall, six storeys below.

Question. “You are disillusional”, Ausable told him. “But take cheer my young friend. You will see a paper, a quite important paper.”
(a) Who is ‘my young friend’ ?
(b) Why is he disillusioned ?
(c) What is the important paper referred to here ?
Answer:
(a) ‘My young friend’ is Fowler, a young romantic writer.
(b) Fowler is disillusioned because he had thought that secret agents had a life like he had read in books or seen in movies, but it turned out that Ausable did not look like a secret agent as he was a sloppy fat man.
(c) The important paper referred here is a report regarding some new missiles.

Question. “You can get onto it from the empty room two doors down - and somebody did, last month. The management promised to block it off. But they haven’t.”
(a) Who is speaking to whom ?
(b) What is ‘it’ in the above extract ?
(c) Why is ‘it’ being discussed ?
Answer:
(a) Ausable is speaking these words to Fowler.
(b) ‘It’ refers to the imaginary balcony.
(c) Ausable was shocked to see Max in his room with an automatic pistol. Ausable was caught unaware and in order to save himself and the writer, Ausable started talking about the imaginary balcony. He convinced Max that in case police came into his room, he could hide in the balcony that nobody knew of. This was his game to get rid of Max.

Question. Describe Fowler’s reaction after entering Ausable’s room in the hotel.
Answer: On entering the room, Fowler still appeared to be disillusioned. But as the lights came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room, with a small automatic pistol in his hand, a man called Max was standing.

Question. Why did Max’s face turn black with anger ? What did he want Ausable to do ?
Answer: On hearing the sudden knocking at the door, Ausable told Max that that would be the police he had called beforehand. The knocking was repeated and Max bit his lips nervously while his face became black with anger because of the incoming threat. Max wanted Ausable to send the police away and he threatened to shoot them all, but the knocking at the door kept on becoming louder and louder and at the same time, a voice calling out for Ausable was heard.

Question. Why did Fowler come to meet Ausable? Was he able to achieve his target?
Answer: Fowler was a young and romantic writer. He had come to see Ausable to know about the life of a secret agent. Fowler was fascinated by them and thought of them as mysterious and romantic. He was not able to achieve his target as Ausable was a boring man. His physical appearance didn’t match with that of a normal detective.

Question. Why did so many people risk their lives?
Answer: Ausable had received a paper which had certain important information about new missiles. The paper was so important that several men and women had risked their lives to get it.

Question. Why did Fowler feel let down when he met Ausable?
Answer: Fowler felt let down and disappointed to meet Ausable. He had a different picture of a secret agent in his mind. He thought they looked very mysterious and romantic but he found Ausable a very fat and boring man.
 

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Pride before a fall, befits Max, who said “I will get it back tonight.” Was he successful ? What lesson can be learnt from this ?
Answer: Max was a spy who was overconfident and too proud. His pride blinded him, and he thought that wielding a gun would give a further edge over the seemingly slow Ausable. However, despite this apparent pride and confidence, Max was utterly unsuccessful. Ausable outwitted him without lifting a finger. Max, in fact, jumped to his own death by taking Ausable’s words at face value. Thus, one learns that one should not be proud and must pay attention to the finer details before attempting to do anything.

Question. Suppose you are Fowler. Write a diary entry about your first impression of Ausable after meeting him in a French music hall.
Answer: Wednesday
May, 20xx 10:50 p.m.
Dear Diary,
Being a young and romantic writer, I have read many books depicting the heroic deeds of secret agents. I have always imagined them to be romantic, mysterious, smart and dashing people.
So, I was thrilled when I got a telephonic appointment with Ausable, a very famous secret agent. He told me to meet him at a French music hall in the evening. I was happy because I was going to meet a renowned mysterious figure. But later, I was disappointed to see an extremely fat man wearing casual clothes. This secret agent spoke French and German passably with a slight American accent. In fact, the more time I spent in his company, the more I got bored and disillusioned. He lived in an ordinary hotel and used an ordinary telephone for the purpose of communication, nothing like the life I had imagined for a secret agent.
I am disillusioned. Waiting for some action.
In disappointment.
Fowler

Question. Why was Fowler “disillusioned” and why did Ausable tell him to “take cheer” ?
Answer: Fowler was a young and romantic writer. He thought that the secret agents were mysterious figures who lived adventurous lives. Therefore, he was very eager and keen to meet Ausable. But he found Ausable to be an extremely fat man who lived in a mediocre French hotel and used an ordinary telephone to communicate with others. After passing a dull evening with Ausable in a French music hall, Fowler got bored and disillusioned.
But Ausable told Fowler ‘to take cheer’ or to be happy because in his hotel room he would show Fowler a very important paper. He further told Fowler that several men and women had risked their lives to get that paper and that some day in the near future, that paper might as well affect the course of history.

Question. Did Fowler find this episode thrilling or disappointing? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer: Fowler thought that a secret agent’s life was very mysterious, thrilling and romantic. When he contacted the secret agent Ausable, he was disappointed to see a very fat man living in a mediocre French hotel. But I think it must have been a thrilling experience for Fowler to see another secret agent with a small automatic pistol in his hand, when he had entered with Ausable in his hotel room. Moreover, Fowler must have been thrilled to watch the way Ausable outsmarted Max with his tactful handling and presence of mind. Ausable had convince Max that there was a balcony outside the window of his room, when there was none. Then, Ausable had made Max believe that the policemen were the ones who were knocking at the door, whereas he very well knew that it was the waiter. Fowler must have been thrilled to see how Ausable got rid of Max.

Question. How did Max meet his end? Do you sympathise with him? Why? Why not? Justify your answer.
Answer: Max jumped through the window to escape from the police, he thought there was a balcony. But he fell down and met his end. We do sympathise with him because he was too easily fooled by Ausable. Even he was armed but he could not outwit Ausable. Max was gullible and Ausable easily made him believe that there was a balcony attached to his room. When there was a knock at the door, Ausable took no time to announce that it was the police to provide extra protection to him.
He was but a “little spy” before Ausable’s quick-witted intelligence. It seems he was a bit naive. He did not try to verify any of the information provided by Ausable. We feel pity as his own foolishness brings his end.

Question. What makes you think Max was a careless, foolish fellow?
Answer: On the surface Max seems to be very intelligent and smart. He managed to arrange a passkey to enter Ausable’s room. He kept his pistol aimed at Ausable so that he could not play smart. But he forgot that a spy is known more for using his/her wit than physical strength. Ausable made him believe that there was a balcony attached to his room. When there was a knock at the door Ausable again used his presence of mind and announced that it was police to ensure his safety. Max could not handle the situation. He did not try to check the authenticity of any of the information provided by Ausable. He feared to be caught and in his nervousness he jumped through the window. He believed to escape from the balcony. But there was no balcony and thus he met his end. It shows that he was a careless and foolish fellow who was outwitted by Ausable comprehensively.

Question. Fowler feels bored and disappointed but get’s “his first authentic thrill of the day”. How? Explain.
Answer: Though Fowler feels bored and disappointed at first, his mysterious imagination did get its first authentic thrill. When Fowler saw Ausable, he was pretty disillusioned as Ausable did not fit the description of any secret agent Fowler had ever read about. Fowler, being a young and romantic writer, was forced to spend a dull evening with a sloppy, fat man. But he finally got his taste of the first authentic thrill by the sequence of events that followed later and he got to see Ausable’s quick-witted intelligence. He was absolutely amazed and dumbfounded by the ease with which Ausable handled a dangerously tricky situation.

Question. Max is no match to Ausable as a secret agent. Explain giving examples from the text. Or Though Max was very cunning, still he was but ‘a little spy’ before Ausable. Explain.
Answer: It is generally observed that in a difficult situation mere physical strength is not enough. A person’s intelligence and presence of mind play a more important role while handling a difficult situation. A physically weak man, gifted with intelligence and presence of mind, can definitely outsmart a person who is only endowed with physical strength. In the story ‘The Midnight Visitor’, we found that Max was physically stronger and more active. On the other hand, Ausable was a very fat secret agent, who outwitted Max by his cleverness, intelligence and presence of mind. Ausable had found Max unexpectedly in his room, when he had entered it with Fowler. Max had been carrying a small automatic pistol with him, but even then Ausable was able to outsmart Max due to his intelligence and presence of mind. Ausable had done so by misleading Max about the balcony and about the policemen knocking at the door. Neither there was a balcony nor were there any policemen at the door, but even then Ausable had made Max drop on what he thought was a balcony to save himself from the police. That is why presence of mind and intelligence are more important than physical strength to save ourselves from difficult situations.

Question. Presence of mind and intelligence are more powerful than a gun. How far is it true in the case of Ausable, the secret agent?
Answer: Max lay in wait for Ausable to steal the important paper from him. As Fowler observed, apart from the pointed gun he didn’t look very menacing. Even this proved useless for him as Ausable outwitted him with his presence of mind and intelligence. Ausable cleverly found out how Max had entered the room and created an extremely believable story about a non-existent balcony. He kept calm, and, hearing the waiter knock, declared it to be the police. Max, in an attempt to hide, fell to his death. Thus, Ausable got rid of Max without moving a muscle. So, Ausable proved that presence of mind and intelligence are more powerful than a gun.

Question. Ausable was a successful secret agent. What qualities can be attributed to him? Give some examples.
Answer: Ausable didn’t look like a usual secret agent. Ausable was very fat. He appeared to be a slow and sluggish person. But inside that fat body, he had a very sharp brain. It was through his presence of mind, intelligence and cleverness that he got rid of Max easily. When Max heard a knock at the poor Ausable told him that it was the police whom he had called for the extra protection of the papers. Max wanted him to send them off quickly till he waited on the balcony. Ausable had ordered for drinks and it was the waiter who had knocked the door. Max was frightened thinking Ausable’s cooked up story to be true. He jumped from the window thinking he would land up on the balcony but he fell on the ground from the sixth floor. Ausable’s presence of mind was his greatest asset and he used this asset to get rid of Max.
 

Extract Based Questions

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
As he spoke, Ausable closed the door behind him. Then he switched on the light. And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room, a small automatic pistol in his hand, stood a man.
Ausable blinked a few times.
“Max,” he wheezed, “you gave me quite a start. I thought you were in Berlin. What are you doing here in my room?”

Question. State any one inference about Max’s entry into Ausable’s room from the given context.
“Max,” he wheezed, ‘you gave me quite a start. I thought you were in Berlin. What are you doing here in my room?”
Answer: He had entered his room by using a key to take the report.

Question. State which of the options from (a) to (d) can be applied to the given statement to complete it?
For halfway across the room, a small automatic pistol in his hand, stood a man, Max _____.
(a) who had come to steal the secret report which was to be shortly delivered to Ausable.
(b) who was an ordinary thief out to make some money.
(c) another secret agent double-crossing Fowler.
(d) a police officer in disguise.
Answer: (a) who had come to steal the secret report which was to be shortly delivered to Ausable.

Question. “Max,” he wheezed, “you gave me quite a start. I thought you were in Berlin. What are you doing here in my room?” Why was Ausable wheezing? Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the extract.
Answer: For a secret agent, Ausable was sloppy and very fat. On top of it, he had hired a small room in a hotel on the sixth or the top floor to execute his secret business of meeting another agent who was to deliver papers on a new missile.

Question. Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘authentic’ in the given sentence from the extract?
And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day.
Answer: real

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
Fowler jumped at the sudden knocking at the door. Ausable just smiled. “That will be the police,” he said. “I thought that such an important paper as the one we are waiting for should have a little extra protection. I told them to check on me to make sure everything was all right.” Mar bit his lip nervously. The knocking was repeated. “What will you do now, Max?”
Ausable asked. “If I do not answer the door; they will enter anyway. The door is unlocked. And they will not hesitate to shoot “

Question. State any one inference about Ausable from the given context.
Ausable asked. “If I do not answer the door; they will enter anyway. The door is unlocked. And they will not hesitate to shoot “
Answer: He showed an immense presence of mind and cleverness.

Question. State which of the options from 1 to 4 can be applied to the given statement or context: True (T), False (F), Partially true (PT), Not applicable (NA).
When Ausable claimed that he had asked the police to check on him, he _____.
1. he was being economical with the truth.
2. he was talking through his hat.
3. he was swallowing a lie.
4. he was spilling the beans.
(a) 2 - T, 1 - F, 3 - PT, 4 - NA
(b) 1 - T, 2 - F, 3 - PT, 4 - NA
(c) 3 - T, 1 - F, 2 - PT, 4 - NA
(d) 4 - T, 3 - I; 2 - PT, 1 - NA
Answer: (b) 1 - T, 2 - F, 3 - PT, 4 - NA

Question. Max bit his lip nervously. The knocking was repeated. “What will you do now, Max?”
Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the extract, what did Max do in the next few moments?
Answer: Max instinctively knew that the police were at the door. He stood there feeling nervous and biting his lip because he did not want to be shot dead by them. So, he jumped out the window to escape through the balcony that didn’t exist.

Question. Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘jumped at’ in the given sentence from the extract?
Fowler jumped at the sudden knocking at the door.
Answer: got a scare

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
Keeping his body twisted so that his gun still covered the fat man and his guest, the man at the window grasped the frame with his free hand to support himself Then he swung his other leg up and over the window-sill.
The doorknob turned. Swiftly Max pushed with his left hand to free himself from the sill and drop to the balcony. And then, as he dropped, he screamed once, shrilly.

Question. State any one inference about the armed man from the given context.
The man at the window was holding a gun at the fat man and his guest.
Answer: He was planning his escape by jumping out the window into the balcony below.

Question. State TRUE or FALSE that none of the terms (a) to (d) given below, can be applied to the question.
The writer says ‘And then, as he dropped, he screamed once, shrilly.’ Why did the man scream?
(a) A hypothesis: the balcony was two floors down.
(b) An assumption: he thought that there was a balcony.
(c) A premise: the existence of the balcony was a calculated lie.
(d) A theory: had the man known about the absence of the balcony, he wouldn’t have jumped.
Answer: (c) A premise: the existence of the balcony was a calculated lie (True)

Question. Who was at the door? Were the police able to apprehend the armed man? Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the given extract.
Answer: Ausable fooled Max by saying that it was the police who wanted to come inside to provide him protection. Actually, it was a waiter bearing drinks for Fowler and Ausable. Since Max wanted to avoid the police, he jumped out the window.

Question. Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘shrilly’ in the given sentence from the extract?
And then, as he dropped, he screamed once, shrilly.
Answer: piercingly