CBSE Class 12 English Vistas On The Face of It Worksheet Set B

Question. What information was given by the detective Superintendent to the Governor?
(A) McLeery had spotted Evans.
(B) Evans was seen near Elsfield way.
(C) They chased Evans but lost him.
(D) All of these.

Answer : D

Question. How will you categorize ‘Evans Tries an O-Level’?
(A) The narration of Evans’ talent.
(B) A satire.
(C) Battle of wits between the criminal and the jail authorities.
(D) Tragic conflict between the criminal and the jail authorities.

Answer : C

Question. A trope is a common device or theme used to describe situations or characters in a story.
Given below are some typical tropes found in a prison escape narrative.
Choose the option that is NOT a trope used in the story ‘Evans Tries an O-Level’.
(i) Prison Changes People - Spending time in prison can change one’s personality, for better or for worse.
(ii) Master of Disguise - When a character masquerades as someone else.
(iii) Wardens Are Evil - The prison is run by a ruthlessly corrupt administrator.
(iv) The Guards Must Be Crazy - Prison staff make it almost too easy for prisoners to escape.
(v) Breaking Out the Boss - Members of a gang bust their boss out of jail.
(vi) Passive Rescue - A character who rescues someone from prison without using aggression or violence to break them out.
(vii) Prison Escape Artist - A character who is known for escaping prison multiple times.
(A) Options (ii), (iii) and (vi)
(B) Options (i), (iii) and (v)
(C) Options (ii), (iv) and (v)
(D) Options (i), (iv) and (vi)

Answer : B

Question. How did the Governor, Oxford Prison, describe Evans to the Secretary Examinations Board?
(A) He was very aggressive.
(B) He was violent.
(C) He was a congenital kleptomania.
(D) He was shrewd but was also a lazy fellow.

Answer : C

Question. Look at the statements given below. Choose the option that correctly identifies which statements are fact and which are opinion: 
Q.8 p.181
(A) Fact – (i) and (iv) ; Opinion – (ii) and (iii)
(B) Fact – (ii) and (iii) ; Opinion – (i) and (iv)
(C) Fact – (i) and (ii) ; Opinion – (iii) and (iv)
(D) Fact – (ii) and (iv) ; Opinion – (i) and (iii)

Answer : B

Question. What would the prison officers call Evans?
(A) Evans the Magician
(B) Evans the Shrewd
(C) Evans the Break
(D) Evans the Fool

Answer : C

Question. “God Almighty! There’s far more going on than I —”
“Always will be, sir.”
What can be collected from the aforesaid conversation between the Governor and Evans?
(A) The Governor realized that he was likely to lose his job very soon.
(B) Evans proved that criminals are always one step ahead of the police.
(C) There were always schemes afoot unknown to prison authorities.
(D) The Governor’s confidence in his control over the prison stood shattered.

Answer : C

Question. What would McLeery need if he had to sit for some length of time?
(A) A small inflated rubber ring.
(B) A paper knife.
(C) A copy of the Bible.
(D) The newspaper, ‘The Church Times’.

Answer : A

Question. Evans wanted to take an O-Level examination in ____________.
(A) French
(B) German
(C) Italian
(D) Spanish

Answer : B

Question. Why did Evans drape a blanket around his shoulder?
(A) To conceal his efforts of changing dress to look like McLeery.
(B) Because he was feeling cold.
(C) To hide himself from the police.
(D) All of these.

Answer : A

Extract Based MCQs :

Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow: 

“They’re not — they don’t honestly think I’m goin’ to try to — ”
“They’re taking no chances, Evans. Nobody in his senses would take any chance with you.”
“Who’s goin’ to listen in?”
“I’ll tell you who’s going to listen in, laddy. It’s the Governor himself, see? He don’t trust you a bloody inch — and nor do I. I’ll be watching you like a hawk, Evans, so keep your nose clean. Clear?”
He walked towards the door. Evans nodded. He’d already thought of that and number two handkerchief was lying ready on the bunk — a neatly folded square of off-white linen.
“Just one more thing, Einstein.”
“Ya? Wha’s ‘at?”
“Good luck, old son.”

Question. Which of the following qualities of Jackson do NOT come through in the given extract?
(A) Soft-hearted
(B) Gullible
(C) Sceptical
(D) Authoritative

Answer : B

Question. The above extract employs several idiomatic expressions. Which of the following is not an idiom?
(A) To not trust an inch
(B) To watch like a hawk
(C) To keep nose clean
(D) To be ready on the bunk

Answer : D

Question. “Nobody in his senses would take any chance with you”. Why not?
(A) Jackson did not like Evans and was keen to get rid of him.
(B) Evans had quite a reputation for escaping from prisons.
(C) Evans had been transferred to Oxford prison and needed care.
(D) The Governor was uneasy about Evans’ German O-Level exams.

Answer : B

Question. In the given extract, “Einstein” is meant as a ___________.
(A) compliment
(B) misconception
(C) taunt
(D) provocation

Answer : C

“Perhaps you won’t be with us next September, Evans.”
James Roderick Evans appeared to ponder the Governor’s words deeply. “No. P’r’aps I won’t,” he said.
As the prison van turned right from Chipping Norton on to the Oxford road, the hitherto silent prison officer
unlocked the handcuffs and leaned forward towards the driver, “For Christ’s sake get a move on! It won’t
take ‘em long to find out —’
“Where do ye suggest we make for?” asked the driver, in a broad Scots accent.
“What about Newbury?” suggested Evans. 

Question. Evans suggested Newbury because :
(A) the police had already been to Newbury and would not expect to find him there.
(B) he was being playful and wanted to crack another joke at the police’s expense.
(C) he wanted the thrill of another chase and the opportunity to outsmart authorities.
(D) he did not want to risk going to a new place, and opted for something more familiar.

Answer : A

Question. Silent : Loud :: Ponder : __________
(A) Meditate
(B) Repeat
(c) Exaggerate
(D) Overlook

Answer : D

Question. How would you describe Evans in the above extract?
(A) Solemn
(B) Cheeky
(C) Anxious
(D) Cheerful

Answer : B

Question. A ‘broad accent’ is that which is :
(A) applied widely, all over the world.
(B) recognised by broadcasters.
(C) associated with the traditional speech of the local people.
(D) developed over several years for the purposes of special communication.

Answer : C

“It’s a slightly unusual request, Governor, but I don’t see why we shouldn’t try to help. Just the one fellow, you say?”

Question. Who made a slightly unusual request?
(A) Evans
(B) Governor
(C) Station Head Officer
(D) Commissioner of Police

Answer : B

Question. Why, according to the Governor, had Evans started taking classes in O-level German?
(A) To upgrade his academic qualification
(B) To pass time in the prison
(C) To become a translator
(D) To reform himself

Answer : A

Question. Who is ‘I’ here?
(A) Evans
(B) Oxford Prison Superintendent
(C) Governor
(D) Secretary of the Examinations Board

Answer : D

Question. Why did Evans select German only for his O-level examination?
(A) He knew the German teacher.
(B) He loved the language.
(C) He was planning to shift to Germany.
(D) None of these.

Answer : A

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll be sending you all the forms and stuff. What’s his name, you say?

Question. Who is the speaker here?
(A) Secretary of the Examination Board
(B) Governor of Oxford Prison
(C) James Roderic Evans
(D) None of these

Answer : A

Question. Which exam will he appear for in German?
(A) A-level
(B) E-level
(C) G-level
(D) O-level

Answer : D

Question. Whom is he talking to?
(A) Secretary of the Examination Board
(B) Governor of Oxford Prison
(C) James Roderic Evans
(D) None of these

Answer : B

Question. Which forms and stuff is the speaker talking about?
(A) To release the prisoner
(B) To confer a degree
(C) To appear for an exam
(D) To extend the course duration

Answer : C

“I said, “Good luck”. Good luck for tomorrow.” “Oh. Thanks, er, I mean, er, Danke Schon.” “You haven’t a cat in hell’s chance of getting through, of course, but — ” “I may surprise everybody.“

Question. Who is being wished good luck?
(A) Evans
(B) Douglas
(C) Dr. Sadao
(D) McLeery

Answer : A

Question. What does ‘cat in a hell chance’ mean?
(A) Good
(B) Excellent
(C) Almost no
(D) Moderate

Answer : C

Question. Who is wishing ‘Good Luck’?
(A) German student
(B) German teacher
(C) Prison Governor
(D) Examination Controller

Answer : B

Question. What does the phrase “I may surprise everybody“ actually turn into?
(A) The prisoner escaped the prison.
(B) Student cleared the exam with flying colours.
(C) The student did not appear for the exam.
(D) The prisoner was shot while trying to escape.

Answer : A

“Can you come outside a minute, sir? You too, Stephens.”

Question. Who is the examinee?
(A) James Roderick Evans
(B) McLeery
(C) Jackson
(D) Stephens

Answer : A

Question. Other than Stephens, who is the other person who is asked to come out?
(A) Jackson
(B) Governor
(C) McLeery
(D) Evans

Answer : C

Question. Who speaks these words?
(A) Jackson
(B) McLeery
(C) Governor
(D) None of these

Answer : A

Question. Why has McLeery come to the prison?
(A) To carry out his duty as Examiner.
(B) To carry out his duty as Invigilator.
(C) To carry out his duty as Prison incharge.
(D) To carry out his duty as Governor.

Answer : B

“Would you mind if I put a blanket round shoulders, sir? It’s a bit parky in ’ere, isn’t it?” Silence.

Question. Who wrote these lines?
(A) Susan Hill
(B) Colin Dexter
(C) Kamala Das
(D) Jack Finney

Answer : B

Question. What was the real motive of ‘I’ draping his shoulder with a blanket?
(A) To cut his hair
(B) To change his makeup
(C) To change into parson’s dress
(D) To change into student uniform

Answer : C

Question. Who was Stephens supposed to call in case of any change in the cell?
(A) Jackson
(B) Evans
(C) Governor
(D) McLeery

Answer : A

Question. Who are ‘I’ and ‘you‘ in the above lines?
(A) Evans and Jackson
(B) Evans and McLeery
(C) Jackson and Stephens
(D) Jackson and Evans

Answer : B

“And which one of you two morons was it who took Evans for a nice little walk to the main gates and waved him bye-bye?”

Question. Who was the one who had escorted Evans to the main gates?
(A) McLeery
(B) Jackson
(C) Stephens
(D) James Roderick

Answer : C

Question. Who speaks these words?
(A) Governor
(B) Stephens
(C) Jackson
(D) McLeery

Answer : A

Question. To whom are these words spoken to?
(A) McLeery and James Roderick
(B) Stephens and Jackson
(C) Stephens and James Roderick
(D) McLeery and Jackson

Answer : B

Question. Why is the speaker angry?
(A) Evans had cut his hair.
(B) Evans had cleared the exam.
(C) Evans had escaped from the prison.
(D) Evans had learnt German.

Answer : C

“I don’t think there’s anyone — ” “Yes, there is. You’ll find one of your ambulances picked him up from Elsfield Way about — “

Question. Who is the speaker of the second line?
(A) Stephens
(B) Governor
(C) Superintendent
(D) McLeery

Answer : B

Question. Why was the ambulance called?
(A) To take Evans to the hospital
(B) To take Governor to the hospital
(C) To take Jackson to the hospital
(D) To take McLeery to the hospital

Answer : D

Question. Where did the person to be hospitalized go?
(A) Injured
(B) Escaped
(C) Died
(D) None of these

Answer : B

Question. Who is the speaker asking for?
(A) Stephens
(B) Jackson
(C) McLeery
(D) Evans

Answer : C

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. What was his German teacher’s opinion of Evans proficiency in German?
Answer : The German teacher did not have a good opinion about Evans’s proficiency in German. He was doubtful about whether he would pass the exam as Evans could not understand even the basic pleasantries in German. So, the teacher was doubtful of Evans’s language ability.

Question. How does Evans escape from jail? 
Answer : Evans decided to appear for the O–level German Examination. When the examination was conducted, one of his accomplices came as the invigilator, McLeery. After the exam, Evans walked out a free man disguised as the examiner McLeery.

Question. Why was Evans not ready to remove his hat? 
OR
Why did Evans not take off his hat when Jackson ordered him to do so?
Answer : Evans did not take off his hat when Jackson ordered him to do so because he had a plan in his mind. Evans had long wavy hair. He had decided to crop them short so as to impersonate McLeery. But this would have been evident if he had taken off his bobble hat. So, he took permission from Jackson to keep his hat on while appearing for the exam on the pretext that it was his lucky charm.

Question. How did the Governor find out where Evans was? 
Answer : The Governor came to know where Evans was when he read the note in German on the question paper, about index and centre number.

Question. What were the contents of the small brown suitcase that McLeery carried? 
Answer : McLeery’s small brown suitcase contained a sealed question-paper envelope, a yellow invigilation form, a special ‘authentication’ card from the examination board, a paper knife, a Bible and a semi–inflated rubber tube.

Question. It was important that the recaptured Evans keep up the facade till the very last moment of his interaction with the Governor. Support this statement with a rationale.
Answer : Evans already had a well thought out plan B in case his initial plan failed. When the Governor recaptured Evans, it was important for Evans to show that his initial plan has failed and he was feeling trapped. This ensured the Governor that he was in his clutches and the Governor became a bit casual. This casualness made the Governor hand him over to the silent prison officer. The Governor was unaware that the officer as well as the driver of prison van were actually Evans’s accomplices. As Evans finally escaped, he had the last laugh at the Governor.

Question. What could the Governor have done to securely bring Evans back to the prison from the ‘Golden Lion’? 
Answer : The Governor, instead of sending Evans with other officers in some other car, could have got Evans back with himself in his own car or should have sat in the van in which Evans was supposed to go. This way, he could have known that the people in the van were not his men but Evans’s accomplices.

Question. Why did the prison officers call Evans, ‘Evans the Break’? 
Answer : Evans was also known as ‘Evans the Break’, as he had run away thrice from the jail. He was considered a pleasant sort of a chap by the prison authorities. He was good at imitations but was a congenital kleptomaniac. He wanted to sit for examination so as to use the opportunity to escape from the prison.

Question. Which article in McLeery’s suitcase played perhaps the most significant role in Evans’s escape and how?
Answer : Evan was a habitual jail-breaker, who outwitted everyone and escaped from the prison in the spite of all the precautions. From the very beginning, when the German teacher entered the prison to the last encounter with the Governor in the hotel, the latter outsmarted everybody. The question paper for the examination served to send a message to Evans. McLeery drew the Governor’s attention to the photocopied sheet super imposed over the last sheet of the question paper. It contained a message for Evans. He had been asked to follow the escape plan. The most important point in time, according to the message was three minutes before the end of the examination. The Governor was unable to decipher the next line of the German text. Then, he was asked to hit McLeery and not to overdo the Scott’s accent. The correction slips also played a crucial role. At first, they hadn’t been able to fix a hotel. The slips gave Evans the name of the hotel where he was to stay.

Question. How did the Governor, Oxford Prison describe Evans to the Secretary Examination Board?
OR
What impression of Evans did the Governor give to the Secretary of the Examination Board ?
OR
What opinion of Evans did the prison authorities convey to the Secretary, Education Board?
Answer : The Governor gave quite a satisfactory report about Evans to the Secretary of the Board. It was stated that Evans had no record of violence and he was quite a ‘pleasant sort of chap’. Evans was one of the stars at the Christmas concert but he suffered from a weakness. He was a congenital kleptomaniac. On the other hand, he was good at imitations.

Question. Which important call did the Governor receive when the examination was going on? 
Answer : The important call that the Governor received was from the Exam Department. The person said that there were some corrections in the question paper and told the Governor about the said corrections. Besides, the caller also asked for the time when the exam started.

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. How did the mistakes committed by the prison authorities help Evans in escaping from the prison?
Answer : In spite of all the precautions taken by the Governor and his staff, they failed to foil Evans’s bid to escape because of certain lapses on their part. First of all, they called a teacher from the technical college to act as Evans’s German tutor, but never cared to check on him. Then, they engaged Reverend S. McLeery to invigilate, but never cared to check on him when he came to discharge his duties. When Stephens raised an alarm, they blindly went by his assumption that Evans impersonating as McLeery had walked out of the prison after injuring McLeery. They did not even bother to check the identity of the injured McLeery. Then, McLeery gave them the slip and disappeared. Belatedly, they discovered that it was Evans impersonating McLeery who had stayed in. Finally, following the clues, the Governor nabs Evans at the Golden Lion Hotel. Here again, he acted foolishly. He rang up the local police station and asked them to send a police van which successfully took Evans away right from under his nose as no security check of the van was done. 

Question. How was the ‘injured’ McLeery able to befool the prison officers? 
Answer : All precautions had been taken for the smooth conduct of the O-level German examination. No one wanted to take chances with ‘Evans the Breaker’. He had already escaped from prison three times. The Governor had to make an unusual request to the Board to conduct the examination in the cell itself. One of the persons from St. Mary Mag was to invigilate. The senior prison officer Jackson and prison officer Stephens left no stone un turned to make all the necessary arrangements. Evans’s razor and nail scissors were taken away as they could be used for cutting his throat or injuring McLeery. Jackson took two hours to search his cell and reported that nothing was hidden there. But Evans disturbed all his plans. He managed to procure a false beard, a pair of spectacles, a dog collar and some sort of weapon in his cell through the false McLeery. Actually, he had managed to keep the real McLeery securely bound and gagged in his study at Board Street. He had been there since 8:15 a.m. This meant that McLeery never went to prison. Secondly, it was Evans who impersonated McLeery and stayed in the cell. Stephens made a hasty conclusion that the injured man in the chair was McLeery. The last act of folly on the part of the Governor was enough to let Evans slip out of his net. Thus, this was how the ‘injured’ McLeery was able to befool the prison officers and Evans was able to escape.

Question. Write a character sketch of the Governor of Oxford Prison based on the story, ‘Evans Tries an O-Level’. 
Answer : The Governor of the HM Prison, Oxford, appears to be a kind-hearted fellow at the start as he arranges for an O-level exam for a prisoner renowned for his ability to escape. He was, though, quite sceptical of Evans and made every arrangement to make sure that Evans had no means to escape. He was also very proud and self-conscious. He did not want Evans to disgrace him by escaping from his prison. He had a sharp presence of mind, which was clear from the fact that he cross- checked every call that was made to the prison that day. He planned the exam meticulously. He was smart enough to decode the message in the correction slip. However, he got over-confident of his arrangements and gave Evans the opportunity to escape. Also, he was a person who did not mind showering praise plan to him, he admired him. At last, he proved to be just another good for giggle, gullible Governor when Evans tricked him again and successfully escaped. His overconfidence and selfpraise let him down.

Question. What purpose did the question paper and the correction slip serve? How did they help both the criminals and the Governor? 
Answer : The question paper serves to send a message to Evans. McLeery draws the Governor’s attention to the photocopied sheet superimposed over the last sheet of the question paper. It contains a message for Evans. He has been asked to follow the plan. The most important point in time, according to the message is three minutes before the end of the examination. The Governor is unable to decipher the next line of the German text. Then, Evans has been asked not to hit McLeery too hard and not to overdo the Scots accent.
The correction slip plays a crucial role in the plan of Evans’s escape. It kills two birds with one stone. At first, they had not been able to fix up a hotel. The correction slip gives Evans the name of the hotel where he is to stay. Secondly, it gives them the opportunity to know the time when the examination started.

Question. Describe three tricks used by Evans to escape from the prison. 
Answer : Evans, the habitual jail-breaker outwits everyone and in spite of all the precautions taken by the Governor, he is able to escape from the prison. From the very beginning, when the German teacher enters the prison to the last encounter between the Governor and Evans in the hotel, the latter outsmarts them at each stage and proves that they are no match for his crafty scheming. Evans carries out all his plans ‘right under their noses’, turning the tables on them, making the prison authorities appear as ‘good for nothing’ officers.
For example, he knew that Mr. Jackson who used a rough tone had some compassion in him. He granted Evans’s request to keep the filthy looking red and white bobble hat on his head during the examination. The hat was actually to hide his recently cropped hair. Also, he knew that prison officers will blindly go by assumption. He pretended to pose as ‘injured’ McLeery in the cell. No one checked the identity of ‘injured’ McLeery as it was assumed that Evans had hit McLeery and escaped.
In fact, Evans is actually, officially escorted out of jail by the prison official themselves. Finally at the hotel, when the Governor feels that he has been able to nab Evans, he dodges him and slips away.

Question. Give a detailed account of the preparations made by the Governor for Evans James to write his examination. 
OR
What precautions were taken by the prison authorities for the smooth conduct of examination?
Answer : Evans, the prisoner was famous as ‘‘Evans the Breaker’’. So, the prison officers were quite alert while conducting the O’ level exam and took all the precautions to prevent him from escaping. First of all, it was requested that the board should conduct the exam in the cell itself and the request was accepted. Two prison officers, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Stephens, were appointed to make all necessary arrangements. They took away his razor as well as nail-scissors so that he could not use them for any type of injuries to McLeery, the invigilator. The cell was searched for two hours and every objectionable thing was removed. Heavy security arrangements were made in the cell. Stephens was given the charge of staying there all the time to keep an eye on Evans and also to leave McLeery at the gate when the exam was over. The Governor was all the time in touch with the officers so as to thwart any untoward incident. Hence, it was a foolproof plan on the part of the prison officials. Even then, Evans had the last laugh and escaped from the prison.