CBSE Class 10 English The Midnight Visitor Important Questions Set 01

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

(a). State any one inference about Fowler from the given context.
“You have been bored!”
Answer: Fowler’s expectations about Ausable were belied because the latter was too fat to be a secret agent.

(b). State which of the options from (i) to (iv) can be applied to the given extract.
(a) Aside – a direct address to the audience that other characters aren’t privy to
(b) Monologue – a long speech delivered by a character during a conversation
(c) Point of View – narration of a story can be from a first, second, or third person’s point of view
(d) Soliloquy – a long speech with no audience in the story
Answer: (c) Point of View – narration of a story can be from a first, second, or third person’s point of view

(c). The speaker talks about many disappointments for the listener. Which was the primary cause of disappointment? Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the given extract.
Answer: The evening was rather unexciting, with no beautiful girls hovering around. Fowler had spent a dull day waiting for some excitement, but his biggest disappointment was Ausable, a sloppy, fat detective, not a dashingly dressed secret agent.

(d). Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘chuckled’ in the given sentence from the extract?
The fat man chuckled to himself as he unlocked the door of his room and stood aside to let his frustrated guest enter.
Answer: laughed quietly

Extract 2

(a). 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 the room by using a key, to take the report.

(b). State which of the options from (i) to (iv) 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.

(c). “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: Ausable was very fat for a secret agent, and he had just climbed up to his room on the sixth or top floor of the hotel. So he was out of breath and wheezing when he spoke to Max.

(d). Which word 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

(e). Who was Ausable speaking to, when he closed the door?
(a) To himself.
(b) Fowler
(c) Max
(d) None of the above
Answer: (b) Fowler

(f). Who was the man with the gun?
(a) Max
(b) Ausable
(c) Waiter
(d) Fowler
Answer: (a) Max

(g). Where is the setting as described in the extract?
(a) In a house.
(b) In a office.
(c) In a hotel room.
(d) In the back room of a restaurant.
Answer: (c) In a hotel room.

(h). Which one of the following words is an antonym of ‘authentic’?
(a) Genuine
(b) Real
(c) Bona fide
(d) Spurious
Answer: (d) Spurious

(i). As per the story how does Ausable get rid of the man with gun?
(a) Calls the police.
(b) Gets help from the waiter.
(c) Just by his wits.
(d) Fowler gets rid of the man with the gun.
Answer: (c) Just by his wits.

Extract 3

(a). 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 immense presence of mind and cleverness.

(b). 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. was being economical with the truth.
2. was talking through his hat.
3. was swallowing a lie.
4. 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 - F, 2 - PT, 1 - NA
Answer: (b) 1 - T, 2 - F, 3 - PT, 4 - NA

(c). 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 believed 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 of the window to escape through the balcony that didn’t exist.

(d). 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

Extract 4

(a). 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 of the window onto the balcony below.

(b). Which of the terms (i) to (iv) 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.

(c). 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 the police had come to provide him protection. Actually, it was a waiter bringing drinks for Fowler and Ausable. Since Max wanted to avoid the police, he jumped out of the window; the police never came.

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

(e). Why did the man keep his body twisted?
Answer: The man, Max, kept his body twisted as he held his gun, covering Ausable and Fowler, threatening to attack them, in case any of them try to make a move against him.

(f). Where did Max jump from? Why?
Answer: Max jumped off the window sill to keep himself hidden from the cops that came to check on Ausable, little did he know that there was no balcony below and there were no cops too. It was all a hypothetical story made up by Ausable.

Extract 5

(a). A ruse is an action or plan that is carried out with the intention of deceiving someone. Identify the ruse that is created by one of the characters in the extract.
Answer: The ruse that features in the extract is when Ausable pretends to be annoyed at the hotel management for not doing anything about the balcony from which intruders can enter his house. In reality, the balcony did not exist.

(b). State whether the following analogy is TRUE or FALSE:
report : missile :: management : devil
Answer: False.

(c). How does the depiction of Max's appearance contribute to the overall portrayal of his character as a potential threat?
Answer: Max's appearance is described as slender, a little less than tall, with features that suggest the crafty, pointed countenance of a fox. This depiction makes him appear cunning and deceitful, which strengthens the idea that he could pose a threat.

(d). Body language refers to body positions and movements that reflect a person's state of mind and intentions. What does the body language of Ausable and Max tell us about them in this extract? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: The body language of Max in the extract suggests that he is in control of the situation. He had Ausable at gunpoint and was ready to take the secret documents from him. Ausable, on the other hand, looked offended at being unexpectedly ambushed. He threw himself down on the armchair in a sulking way and seemed defeated. But he was figuring out a plan to get rid of Max.

Extract 6

(a). “You are disappointed,” Ausable said wheezily over his shoulder. Why was Fowler disappointed?
Answer: Fowler was disappointed because he had been told that Ausable was a secret agent, a spy dealing in espionage and danger. However, upon meeting Ausable, he found a fat man who didn't fit his romanticised image of a mysterious and thrilling spy.

(b). Ausable dealt in espionage and danger. What is ‘espionage’?
(a) An act of spying
(b) A murder
(c) Terrorism
(d) Criminal activity
Answer: (a) An act of spying

(c). Discuss the significance of the phrase, "messages slipped into his hand by dark-eyed beauties." How does this phrase contribute to the humour in the story?
Answer: The description conjures up an image of a mysterious and alluring spy, which contrasts with Ausable's unassuming appearance as a "sloppy fat man." This adds to the humour of the situation. By mentioning this romanticised image, Ausable playfully mocks Fowler's expectations, which adds to the humour.

(d). Which word does NOT relate to the term ‘chuckled’?
(a) Laughed
(b) Screamed
(c) Tittered
(d) Giggled
Answer: (b) Screamed

(e). What did the writer think of Ausable?
Answer: The writer was supposed to meet a secret agent and learn about his adventures. Instead, he got disappointed seeing Ausable as he was overweight, sloppy, and had a weird accent. He felt bored and figured he won’t witness any thrill for the night.

(f). What do the young writers envision generally?
Answer: The young and romantic writers looked forward to witness or experience mysteries of the night, plots that lead to murders and suspense with effects such as drugs in wine, cracking of pistols, etc.

Extract 7

(a). Which of these describes how Fowler felt at the beginning of the extract?
(a) His heart sank.
(b) He was shaken up.
(c) His stomach was in knots.
(d) He was at the end of his rope.
Answer: (a) His heart sank.

(b). State one observation about Ausable based on the way he handled Fowler's disappointment with him.
Answer: We can infer that Ausable was smart and quick-witted in the way he responded to Fowler's disappointment.

(c). How did the atmosphere of the French hotel influence Fowler's mood? Answer in 40 words.
Answer: The French hotel is described as 'gloomy', 'musty' and 'small'. This sombre atmosphere of the hotel added to Fowler's feeling of disappointment. He expected a grand atmosphere of mystery and danger, and was disappointed by the reality of the situation.

(d). Which of these means the same as 'romantic' in the line below? It was a small room, on the sixth and top floor, and scarcely a setting for a romantic adventure. (CBSE Practice Set -1, 2023)
(a) great
(b) exciting
(c) idealistic
(d) passionate
Answer: (b) exciting

Extract 8

(a). State any one inference about Max from the given context: Max’s face was black with anger as he backed swiftly towards the window. He swung a leg over the sill. “Send them away!” he warned.
Answer: Max is angry and desperate, but he is also cunning; he quickly tries to find an escape route to avoid being caught.

(b). Which word would correctly substitute 'swiftly', in the given sentence from the extract? Max’s face was black with anger as he backed swiftly towards the window.
Answer: quickly (rapidly)

(c). Comment on the escalating tension portrayed by the repetition of the knocking and the raising of a voice at the door.
Answer: The repeated knocking and the raised voice increase the pressure on Max, who fears that the police have arrived. This builds suspense and makes the scene more and more tense.

(d). State TRUE or FALSE: None of the terms (1)-(4) below, can be applied to the question - What is the predominant mood conveyed in the given extract? (1) Tension and urgency (2) Calm and peacefulness (3) Excitement and thrill (4) Sadness and melancholy
Answer: False. Term (1) can be applied, as the extract clearly conveys tension and urgency.

Extract 9

(a). Who is Ausable?
(a) A secret agent
(b) A tourist in a hotel
(c) A reporter
(d) A businessman
Answer: (a) A secret agent

(b). Why was Ausable angry with the management?
(a) His room was unsafe.
(b) The food was not good.
(c) The balcony was a nuisance.
(d) The armchair was not soft.
Answer: (c) The balcony was a nuisance.

(c). Was there a balcony with the room? Yes/No.
Answer: No

(d). Ausable was playing a ______ on his visitor.
Answer: trick

(e). Why was Ausable disturbed?
Answer: Ausable pretended to be disturbed about the balcony outside his room’s window.

(f). What did he complain of?
Answer: He complained of strangers entering his room through the balcony.

(g). What story did Ausable cook up to confuse Max?
Answer: Ausable confused Max by framing a story about a balcony under his window. He told Max that it was being used by people for entering his room secretly.

(h). When do you think Ausable thought up his plan for getting rid of Max?
Answer: Ausable thought of the plan when he encountered Max in his room. He showed a little surprise but he was not scared.

(i). Where was the balcony as described by Ausable?
(a) No balcony existed on the window.
(b) There was a beautiful balcony across the window.
(c) A small fire escape existed below the window.
(d) None of the above
Answer: (a) No balcony existed on the window.

(j). What was strange about Ausable’s explanation of his balcony?
(a) Nothing strange about it.
(b) Balcony was not easily visible.
(c) The balcony entrance was blocked recently.
(d) The balcony never had a door for its entrance or exit.
Answer: (d) The balcony never had a door for its entrance or exit.

(k). Why does Ausable appear annoyed about the balcony?
(a) Fowler had made a ghost entry through there.
(b) The waiter never told him about the balcony.
(c) Max had entered through the balcony.
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c) Max had entered through the balcony.

(l). Which of the following words is an antonym of nuisance?
(a) Annoyance
(b) Blessing
(c) Plague
(d) Pest
Answer: (b) Blessing

(m). How did Max react about the balcony?
(a) He was surprised about Ausable’s reaction.
(b) He left the room with Fowler.
(c) He walked out of the door to check the balcony.
(d) He jumped out of the window to land on the balcony.
Answer: (d) He jumped out of the window to land on the balcony.

Extract 10

(a). Who is Max?
(a) a spy
(b) a tourist
(c) a businessman
(d) a waiter
Answer: (a) a spy

(b). Max became nervous because
(a) he got scared of Ausable.
(b) he thought the police had come.
(c) the door was unlocked.
(d) Ausable did not get up to open the door.
Answer: (b) he thought the police had come.

(c). Actually the door was knocked at by the ______.
Answer: waiter

(d). Which word in the extract is opposite in meaning to the word ‘confidently’?
Answer: nervously

Extract 11

(a). Who is ‘you’ here?
(a) Fowler
(b) Ausable
(c) Waiter
(d) Max
Answer: (a) Fowler

(b). Ausable was a native of ______.
(a) France
(b) Germany
(c) the U.S.
(d) Sweden
Answer: (c) the U.S.

(c). ‘You’ believed that Ausable was a ______.
Answer: mysterious-looking secret agent

(d). He spoke French like an ______.
Answer: American

Extract 12

(a). Who is ‘my young friend’ in the above extract?
Answer: ‘My young friend’ in the above extract is Fowler, a young romantic writer.

(b). What is the ‘important paper’ referred to here?
Answer: The ‘important paper’ referred to here is a report regarding some new missiles.

(c). Find a word from the passage that means the same as ‘disappointed’.
Answer: Disillusioned

(d). What is the opposite of ‘important’?
Answer: Unimportant

Extract 13

(a). Who is speaking these words to whom?
Answer: Ausable is speaking these words to Fowler, but he also wants Max to hear them.

(b). What is ‘it’ in the above extract?
Answer: ‘It’ refers to the (non-existent) balcony.

(c). Find a phrase in the passage that means the same as ‘close it up’.
Answer: Block it off

(d). The opposite of ‘empty’ is ______.
Answer: Full

Extract 14

(a). What did Fowler and Ausable find?
Answer: Fowler and Ausable found a man with a pistol as soon as Ausable turned on the light.

(b). What was the first authentic thrill of the day for Fowler?
Answer: The first authentic thrill was finding a man with a pistol in the room.

(c). What did the man have in his hand?
Answer: The man had a small automatic pistol in his hand.

(d). What is the meaning of ‘authentic’?
Answer: Genuine/real

Extract 15

(a). Who is ‘he’ in the above extract?
Answer: ‘He’ in the above extract is Ausable, a secret agent.

(b). Where is he at present?
Answer: At present he is about to enter his room on the sixth floor of a French hotel.

(c). What was strange about the person’s accent?
Answer: The person can speak French and German but with an American accent.

(d). Find the word from the extract that means the opposite of ‘fluently’.
Answer: Passably