CBSE Class 12 English Keeping Quiet Worksheet Set C

Question. What will counting upto twelve help us with?
(a) achieving harmony, brotherhood
(b) achieving goals and ambitions
(c) fulfilling wishes
(d) winning a race

Answer: A

Question. The poet advocates the balance of nature to be
(a) maintained
(b) destroyed
(c) temporarily disturbed
(d) ignored

Answer: A

Question. The poet wants the entire humanity to
(a) keep talking
(b) keep running
(c) keep laughing
(d) keep still

Answer: D

Question. The man looking at his hurt hands is a
(a) salt gatherer
(b) diamond cutter
(c) rag-picker
(d) surgeon

Answer: A

Question. The poet evokes a symbol in order to invoke that there can be life even with stillness. The symbol is
(a) Earth
(b) rain
(c) storm
(d) cloud

Answer: A

Question. Man needs to learn a lesson from the
(a) Moon
(b) stars
(c) Earth
(d) Sun

Answer: C

Question. When the poet says ‘we will’ count to twelve he means
(a) entire mankind
(b) his own family
(c) his friends
(d) his wife and himself

Answer: A

Question. In the end, he again appeals to the people that he would
(a) initiate the state of inactivity
(b) will not bother at all
(c) completely ignore everyone
(d) destroy the Earth

Answer: A

Question. What does man threaten himself with?
(a) death
(b) birth
(c) robbery
(d) suicide

Answer: A

Question. The poet of ‘Keeping Quiet’ is
(a) P.B Shelley
(b) Vikram Seth
(c) Pablo Neruda
(d) Kamala Das

Answer: C

Question. ‘Cold sea’ is a poetic device
(a) personification
(b) transferred epithet
(c) metaphor
(d) alliteration

Answer: B

Question. The last line of the poem is–
(a) and later proves to be alive
(b) life is what it is about
(c) I want no truck with death
(d) and you keep quiet and I will go

Answer: D

Question. The poet uses conversational style and personal pronouns as ‘you’, ‘we’ and ‘I’ because
(a) he wants to be intimate with mankind
(b) he tries to reach out to the readers
(c) he wants to establish contact easily
(d) third person is ineffective

Answer: B

Question. According to the poet wars that are fought have no
(a) soldiers
(b) weapons
(c) fighter planes
(d) survivors

Answer: D

Question. ‘Without rush, without engines’ refers to
(a) no noise
(b) no hurry to go to office
(c) no traveling
(d) no holidaying

Answer: A

Question. ‘Have no truck with death’ means
(a) will not die of truck accident
(b) remove poverty and illiteracy
(c) have no association with death
(d) will not drive a truck

Answer: C

Question. We can learn a lesson from
(a) the trees
(b) nature
(c) animals
(d) The Earth

Answer: D

Question. ‘Fishermen not harming whales’ means
(a) not causing extinction of whales
(b) not disturbing balance in nature
(c) not going for fishing
(d) not disturbing the sea

Answer: A

Question. Man should be with nature
(a) totally compatible
(b) at war
(c) confused
(d) irresponsible

Answer: A

Question. The poetic device used in the last line ‘when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive’ is
(a) imagery
(b) irony
(c) paradox
(d) transferred epithet

Answer: C

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. What is the poet’s appeal to the people?
Answer: The poet appeals to all the people to count upto twelve and then to be completely silent. During this period of silence, he urges them to remain calm and stop all the physical activity. He only wants peace during this time.

Question. Why does he advocate silence?
Answer: He advocates silence because according to him, it is only during the few seconds of silence and inactivity, that a man will be able to take stock of his harmful activities and then try to practise harmony and brotherhood in the world.

Question. What kind of a feeling would this exotic moment evoke? 
Answer: This feeling may be strange because it is not easy to imagine a situation of complete peace and silence. According to the poet, this moment might remove our sadness of never understanding ourselves and indulging in self-destructive activities.

Question. What can be the consequence of war on our lives?
Answer: The poet observes that wars cause death and destruction. It leaves behind no survivors and hence no victory for any one. It is an ironical situation which can be avoided if a man takes action and decides never to wage wars.

Question. What are we single-minded about?
Answer: The poet feels that individuals only think about keeping their lives moving and in the process they lose sight of their goals. People only yearn for progress and fulfilment of ambitions, and that remains the only focus while they are alive. Man is single minded in his pursuit of wealth, supremacy and territorial acquistion.

Question. How does Earth prove to be alive?
Answer: The Earth nurtures life and brings forth new form. There is a regeneration of every living thing on this Earth and all things that die, are reborn and the cycle of life continues.

Question. To attain this, what does he expect all of us to do?
Answer: The poet expects the mankind to shun all activity, remain silent and indulge in introspection in order to understand the meaning of life, their own destructive activities and make amends.

Question. What does the poet mean by ‘exotic moment’ and how can a man achieve it?
Answer: By ‘exotic moment’ the poet means the moment of silence and inactivity which will be extraordinary and memorable because man will reflect on his activities and hence be able to make amends. This exotic moment can only be achieved through total silence and inactivity even it is for a few seconds.

Question. What are the kinds of wars mentioned in the poem?
Answer: The poet mentions green wars, i.e., wars that a man is waging against nature hence causing environmental degradation, wars with gas and fire or using harmful biological and nuclear weapons to cause maximum destruction to life and property. War with fire refers to the conventional mode of combat.

Question. How is inactivity different from death? What does the poet mean by ‘to have no truck with death’?
Answer: According to the poet, total inactivity only means a temporary stillness, whereas death means the end of life. ‘No truck with death’ means that the poet does not want any association with death. He only urges mankind to halt the harmful activities for a few seconds.

Question. What can the Earth teach us? How?
Answer: The Earth can teach us to be productive and useful even when there is silence. The Earth nurtures all living beings, plants and animals and quietly maintains the balance in nature. It helps in the rebirth of new life. We can all learn to be productive yet silent.

Question. What could be an ideal situation according to the poet?
Answer: The poet strongly mentions that the ideal situation would be when people walk happily hand in hand under shady trees i.e. amidst a cool and harmonious atmosphere. They will then practise oneness, unity and brotherhood.

Question. How would keeping quiet affect life in and around the sea?
Answer: In the state of stillness and silence, the fishermen will not harm the already endangered whales. In the same way, the salt gatherers whose hands get hurt during the salt gathering process, will stop for a while and rest their hands and introspect.

Question. What kind of activity does the poet feel is man involved in?
Answer: Man is involved in a large number of destructive activities. He is creating noise pollution, environmental pollution, destroying wildlife and marine life. He is waging wars and is also destroying his own fellow men.

Question. What harm do the fishermen do and why do the salt gatherers’ hands hurt?
Answer: The fishermen harm the marine life by killing the whales in the seas and hastening their extinction. The salt gatherers’ hands hurt because the harsh and coarse texture of the salt causes discomfort and pain to their hands.

Question. What, according to the poet, causes sadness?
Answer: Mindless destructive activities cause sadness in our lives. Behaviour that threatens mankind leads to sadness and unhappiness.

Long Answer Type Question

Question. What according to Pablo Neruda would be the ultimate end of man if the present scenario of wars continue? What does the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ teach us?
Answer: If the present scenario of conflict continues, there will be victory but no ‘survivors’. Pablo Neruda suggests that we must all keep still and retrospect so that there is peace and world unity. It is only during the few seconds of silence and inactivity, that man will be able to take stock of his harmful activities and then try to practise harmony and brotherhood in the world. Pablo Neruda advocates productive silence and introspection. He emphasises on keeping quiet for a count of twelve so that man can take time and examine his thoughts, feelings and actions. The fisherman will realise that he is harming marine life. Man will understand the futility of war. Introspection will help us understand ourselves leading to a change in our attitude towards life.

Extract Based Questions

1.
For once on the face of the Earth
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.

Question. The poet uses the word “let’s” to _______
i) initiate a conversation between the poet and the readers.
ii) invite readers as part of the poem’s larger call to humanity.
iii) welcome readers into the world of the poem and its subject.
iv) address readers as fellow members of the human race.
Answer: invite readers as part of the poem’s larger call to humanity.

Question. Margaret Atwood said, “Language divides us into fragments, I wanted to be whole.”
Choose the option that correctly comments on the relationship between Margaret Atwood’s words and the line from the above extract – “let’s not speak in any language”
i) Atwood endorses Neruda’s call to not speak in any language.
ii) Atwood justifies Neruda’s request to not engage in any speaking.
iii) Atwood undermines Neruda’s intent to stop and not speak in any language.
iv) Atwood surrenders to Neruda’s desire for silence and not speak in any language.
Answer: Atwood endorses Neruda’s call to not speak in any language.

Question. Why do you think the poet employs words like “exotic” and “strangeness”?
i) To highlight the importance of everyone being together suddenly for once.
ii) To emphasize the frenetic activity and chaos that usually envelops human life.
iii) To indicate the unfamiliarity of a sudden moment without rush or without engine.
iv) To direct us towards keeping quiet and how we would all be together in that silence.
Answer: To emphasize the frenetic activity and chaos that usually envelops human life.

Question. Choose the option that correctly matches the idioms given in Column A with their meanings in Column B
Column A                                                   Column B
1. On the face of the earth                     (i) In existence
2. What on earth                                    (ii) To do all possible to accomplish something
3. Move heaven and earth                    (iii) To express surprise or shock 
4. The salt of the earth                          (iv) To be good and worthy

i) 1 – (i); 2 – (iv); 3 – (iii); 4 – (ii)
ii) 1 – (i); 2 – (iii); 3 – (ii); 4 – (iv)
iii) 1 – (ii); 2 – (i); 3 – (iv); 4 – (iii)
iv) 1 – (iv); 2 – (ii); 3 – (iii); 4 – (i)
Answer: 1 – (i); 2 – (iii); 3 – (ii); 4 – (iv)

Question.  “It would be an exotic moment without rush, without engines”. What does ‘it’ refer to ?
Answer: It refers to keeping still/ keeping quiet/, not speaking in any language.

Question. The poetic device used in ‘arms’ is _______________________________
Answer: pun

2.
What I want should not be
Confused with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.

Question. Identify the incorrect statement from the following.
i) The poet’s attitude is positive
ii) Speaking different languages will cause misunderstanding
iii) The poet advocates total inactivity
iv) The poet wants us to keep still instead of doing one thing or the other
Answer: The poet advocates total inactivity

Question. What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem, ‘Keeping Quiet’ ?
Answer: The sadness of never understanding oneself , threatening oneself to death.

Question. How can we rectify the social problems, as in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’?
i) When we introspect and develop a feeling of understanding with each other
ii) When we behave selfish
iii) When we think about ourselves only
iv) None of the above
Answer: When we introspect and develop a feeling of understanding with each other

Question. Complete the following analogy correctly.
A Thing of Beauty: John Keats : : Keeping Quiet: …………………….
Answer: Pablo Neruda.

Question. Which poetic device is used in ‘Huge Silence’?
i) Alliteration
ii) Transferred epithet
iii) Pun
iv) Metaphor
Answer: Transferred epithet.

Question. Explain ‘Life is what it is about’ according to the poet.
Answer: Life is about development/ action/live to the fullest of happiness.