NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 3 The Man Who Knew Too Much

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Communicative Chapter 3 The Man Who Knew Too Much

3. The 'Professor' knew too much. How did he prove himself? Fill up the space with suitable examples from the story, using the given clues:

(i) his appearance
(ii) his knowledge
(iii) his habit of reading
(iv) his habit of sermonising

Answer

(iv) his habit of sermonising

(b) One could hammer nails into Corporal Turnbull without his noticing it because ________.
(i) he was a strong and sturdy man
(ii) he was oblivious to his surroundings
(iii) he was a brave corporal
(iv) he was used to it 

(c) The author and his friend Trower fled from the scene as ____________.
(i) they had to catch a train 
(ii) they could not stand Private Quelch exhibiting his knowledge
(iii) they felt they would have to lend a helping hand
(iv) they did not want to meet the cooks

Answer 

(ii) they could not stand Private Quelch exhibiting his knowledge

5.  Answer the following questions briefly.

(a) What is a 'nickname'? Can you suggest another one for Private Quelch?

Answer 

A nickname is a name that may be given to somebody in addition to the person's actual name. This nickname may represent the person's unique traits or his intellect.
'Mr. Knowledgeable'  could be another one for Private Quelch as he had knowledge of all the things by heart.

(b) Private Quelch looked like a 'Professor' when the author first met him at the training depot. Why?

Answer 

Private Quelch was a lanky, stooping man who frowned through horn rimmed spectacles and so was nick named 'Professor'. 

(c) What does the dark, sun-dried appearance of the Sergeant suggest about him?

Answer 

The Sergeant was as dark and sun-dried as raisins. He wore North-West Frontier Ribbons. He was to deliver a lecture on the mechanism of a service rifle. His appearance spoke much about him. He appeared to be a man who had dedicated his whole youth serving army. His ribbons reflected valour and gallantry.
He was not a man to be fooled around or impressed easily, a man not to be incited with anger.

(d) How was Private Quelch's knowledge exposed even further as the Sergeant's classes went on?

Answer 

Quelch not only corrected sergeant’s knowledge of the rifle but he could answer all the questions directed
towards him. He was particularly very good with technical definitions.

(e) What did the Professor mean by "intelligent reading"?

Answer 

In the first lecture that the platoon had in musketry, The Professor pointed out the exact figure of the muzzle velocity at which a bullet leaves a rifle, two thousand, four hundred and forty feet per second.
Even during the training marches of the battalion, Private Quelch never ran out of enthusiasm and was tireless. He used to work hard; he had brains and was sure to get a commission before long. He would stay up late at nights reading borrowed training manuals. He was a hero in the eyes of every soldier. All admired him for his knowledge and the spirit he had. However, this all lived not long and soon all lived in terror of The Professor. He would publicly correct anyone who made a mistake. Quelch was so condescending that he was disliked by all.

7. Private Quelch knew 'too much'. Give reasons to prove that he was unable to win the admiration of his superior officers or his colleagues in about 100 words.

Answer

Although Private Quelch was far knowledgeable than his fellow soldiers, he was little admired and more disliked. He always exhibited his learning without being asked for and had uncanny habit of correcting any and everybody. He did not spare his seniors as well, who came to deliver lectures to the platoon. He did it first with the Sergeant who came to deliver a lecture on the mechanism of a service rifle and later in the class of Corporal Turnbull who was taking lesson on hand grenade. Although he always had been correct with the facts he gave, he was not appreciated for his condescending nature. He tried best to impress his seniors with his knowledge and know how, he forgot that they were his seniors after all and had much experience of life and far better knowledge of technicalities of any subject. The Sergeant though did not say much to The Profesor; Corporal Turnbull did not miss his chance and assigned Private Quelch permanent cook house duties to teach him lesson. Thus, the great knowledge that The Professor possessed doomed him and became the reason for him being disliked by all.  

8.  

(a) Write down the positive and negative traits of Private Quelch's character instances from the story.

(c) Attempt a character sketch of Private Quelch using your notes in about 100 words.

Answer 

Private Quelch, just another soldier in the platoon, who thought not so of himself; too much learned to be a student, he was called ‘The Professor’ by his mates.He had thorough knowledge about almost everything.He had an ambition to get commission in the army. He borrowed training and studied them till late in the night. He corrected the Sergeant and answered all his questions promptly and correctly. He gave an excellent lecture when asked by Corporal Turnbull. His salute at the pay table was a model to behold. The orderly officer praised him generously because Quelch kept his hut meticulously clean. He was tireless after long route marches and liked to sing. He surprised his colleagues by recognizing an aircraft by its harsh noise that others could not recognize.

Writing Task

9. You are the 'Professor'. Write a diary entry after your first day at the cookhouse, describing the events that led to this assignment, also express your thoughts and feelings about the events of the day in about 175 words.

Answer

Dear Diary 
Sunday 
23rd November 2014

Today was my first day in cookhouse. It was not so bad as It thought earlier. I felt greatly depressed and dejected when I was assigned permanent cook house duties for no fault of mine.Never in my mind I had imagined that I’ll be punished for my knowledge. I didn’t want to annoy the corporal by exhibiting my knowledge of the subject. My sole aim was to excel in my field because being an orphan I had struggled a lot and wanted to do something big in my life.However, I will do my every task perfectly. I saw that they were peeling off potatoes which was unhygenic and also noticed a thing that they did not use different khadais for different dishes and the quality of rice was also not so good. I will try to improve these things in after days. I will also try to get out of here and proceed to my ambition to get a stripe.