UP Board Solutions Class 11 English Chapter 1 Pen Pal

UP Board Class 11th English Short Stories Chapter 1 Questions And Answers

कक्षा 11 अंग्रेजी पाठ 1 के प्रश्न उत्तर

These Solutions are part of UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English. Here we have given UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English Short Stories Chapter 1 Pen Pal.

Story At A Glance

The author of this story, G. Srinivas Rao was a 21 years old college student. One day in a popular magazine he saw some addresses of the people who wanted to have pen friends. The writer had seen many of his friends receiving heavy air mail from their pen friends. So he was also interested in having a friend. He chose the address of a lady named Alice H. from Los Angeles.

He wrote his first letter to Alice on a pink sheet of a costly writing pad. He chose this colour because he had heard that the girls liked this colour very much. But he was very nervous when he was writing his first letter. When he was posting the letter, he felt as if he had been facing enemy's bullet.

Alice sent the reply just after she had received his letter. She wrote, “I wonder how my dress got into the pen pal's column in your country. Any way it is nice to have an unseen friend. So here I am.” Receiving the letter the writer was overjoyed. He read the letter again and again. Their correspondence continued for many days. But Alice did not reveal much about her.

He wanted to know her age. But he hesitated in asking her age directly. He requested her to send her photograph. She replied that she had no picture just then. She would send him her picture some other day.

Soon he became a man of the world. He was married. He got a job. He had two children. He became irregular in his correspondence also. One day he received a packet from Los Angeles. It had feminine handwriting but unfamiliar to the writer. When he opened it, he found a short letter, few magazines and a photograph of Alice. It was from a close friend of Alice H.

She wrote to the author, “I am sad to inform you that Alice H. died in a car accident last Sunday. She was alone bird, always helping others. She wanted her photograph to be sent to you after her death. So it is here.” That day the writer came to know that Alice was a woman, 78 years old. But he found beauty and compassion on her face.

कहानी पर एक दृष्टि

इस कहानी का लेखक जी० श्रीनिवास राव 21 वर्ष की आयु का कॉलिज का विद्यार्थी था। एक दिन प्रसिद्ध पत्रिका में उसने कुछ ऐसे लोगों के पते देखे जो पत्र-मित्र बनाना चाहते थे। लेखक ने देखा कि उसके मित्रों के पास भी उनके पत्र-मित्रों के भारी-भारी पैकेट हवाई डाक से आते हैं। इसलिए वह भी पत्र-मित्र में रुचि लेने लगा। उसने लॉस एंजिल्स की ऐलिस एच० नामक स्त्री को चुना ।

उसने ऐलिस को अपना प्रथम पत्र एक गुलाबी कागज के महँगे पैड पर लिखा। उसने यह रंग इस कारण पसन्द किया क्योंकि उसने सुना था कि लड़कियों को यह रंग बहुत पसन्द होता है। किन्तु जब वह पहला पत्र लिख रहा था, तो वह बहुत परेशान था। जब वह पत्र डाल रहा था तब उसे ऐसा लगा मानो किसी दुश्मन की गोली का मुकाबला कर रहा हो ।

ऐलिस ने उसका पत्र पाते ही अपना उत्तर भेज दिया। उसने लिखा, "मुझे आश्चर्य है कि मेरा पता आपके देश के पत्र-मित्र कॉलम में कैसे आ गया। फिर भी यह अच्छा लगता है कि अनदेखा व्यक्ति मित्र बन जाए। इसलिए मैं तैयार हूँ।” पत्र पाकर लेखक अत्यधिक प्रसन्न हुआ। उसने पत्र को बार-बार पढ़ा। उनका पत्र-व्यवहार बहुत दिनों तक जारी रहा। किन्तु ऐलिस ने अपने विषय में अधिक प्रकट नहीं किया। वह उसकी आयु जानना चाहता था। किन्तु वह इस विषय में उससे सीधे पूछने में हिचकिचाता था। उसने उससे चित्र भेजने की प्रार्थना की। उसने उत्तर दिया कि इस समय मेरे पास चित्र नहीं है। वह उसे फिर कभी भेज देगी।

शीघ्र ही वह सांसारिक व्यक्ति बन गया। उसका विवाह हो गया। उसे नौकरी मिल गई। उसके दो बच्चे हो गए। वह पत्र-व्यवहार में भी अनियमित हो गया। एक दिन लॉस एंजिल्स से उसे एक पैकेट मिला। इस पर स्त्री का लेख था, किन्तु लेखक उसे नहीं पहचानता था। जब उसने इसे खोला तब उसे एक छोटा-सा पत्र, कुछ पत्रिकाएँ और ऐलिस का एक चित्र मिला। यह ऐलिस की एक घनिष्ठ मित्र ने भेजा था।

उसने लेखक को लिखा, “मुझे आपको यह सूचित करते हुए दुःख है कि ऐलिस एक कार दुर्घटना में गत रविवार को मर गई। वह एक अकेली स्त्री थी तथा सदा दूसरों की सहायता करती थी। वह चाहती थी कि उसका चित्र आपको उसकी मृत्यु के बाद भेजा जाए। इसलिए मैं उसे आपको भेज रही हूँ।” उस दिन लेखक को पता चला कि ऐलिस 78 वर्ष की आयु की एक स्त्री थी। किन्तु उसने उसके चेहरे पर सुन्दरता और दया को देखा।

Short Answer Type Questions

Answer one of the following questions in not more than 30 words:

(A) Comprehension Text Questions

Question 1. who was the author's pen pal ? Where did she live?
(लेखक की पत्र-मित्र कौन थी? वह कहाँ रहती थी?)
Answer: Alice H. was the author's pen pal. She was living in Los Angeles. (ऐलिस एच० लेखक की पत्र-मित्र थी। वह लॉस एंजिल्स में रहती थी ।)
In simple words: The author's pen pal was Alice H., and she resided in Los Angeles.

🎯 Exam Tip: When identifying characters, include their full name and a key detail like their location for a complete answer.

Question 2. How old was the author when he entered into a pen friendship?.
(पत्र-मित्र बनते समय लेखक की आयु कितनी थी ?)
Answer: The author was 21 years old when he entered into a pen friendship. (पत्र-मित्र बनने के समय लेखक की आयु 21 वर्ष थी ।)
In simple words: The author was twenty-one years old when he started corresponding with his pen pal.

🎯 Exam Tip: Specific numerical details like age are important for factual recall questions. Ensure accuracy.

Question 3. What did he feel when he wrote and posted his first letter to Alice?
(जब उसने ऐलिस को अपना पहला पत्र लिखा, तो क्या अनुभव किया ?)
Answer: He felt nervous like a school boy taking his very first examination when he wrote the first letter to Alice. When he dropped it into a letter box, he felt as if he were facing the enemy's bullet. (जब उसने ऐलिस को अपना प्रथम पत्र लिखा तब वह उस लड़के के समान घबराया हुआ था जो पहली परीक्षा दे रहा हो। जब उसने लैटर बॉक्स में पत्र डाला, तब वह ऐसा अनुभव कर रहा था मानों दुश्मन की गोली का मुकाबला कर रहा हो ।)
In simple words: The author felt extremely nervous, comparing it to the anxiety of a first exam or facing an enemy's bullet, when writing and posting his initial letter to Alice.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use vivid adjectives and similes from the text to describe emotions effectively. Connect the feeling to specific actions.

Question 4. What was the effect of Alice's first letter on the author?
(ऐलिस के पहले पत्र का लेखक पर क्या प्रभाव पड़ा ?)
Answer: Getting the first letter of Alice the author felt as if he were in the seventh heaven. Its effect was very romantic and he read it again and again. (ऐलिस का पत्र पाकर लेखक को ऐसा लगा मानो वह सातवें स्वर्ग में रह रहा हो। इसका प्रभाव बड़ा रोमांटिक था और लेखक ने उसे बार-बार पढ़ा।)
In simple words: Alice's first letter made the author feel ecstatic and romantic, causing him to read it repeatedly with great joy.

🎯 Exam Tip: Describe the emotional impact and the subsequent actions of the author to show the letter's significance.

Question 5. What led the author to ask for a picture of Alice?
(किस बात ने लेखक को ऐलिस का चित्र माँगने के लिए अग्रसर किया ?)
Or Why did the author ask Alice to send him her photograph?
(लेखक ने ऐलिस से अपनी फोटो भेजने के लिए क्यों कहा ?)
Or Why was the author very keen to have a photograph of his pen pal?
(अपने पैन मित्र को चित्र प्राप्त करने के लिए लेखक इतना उत्सुक क्यों था ?)
Answer: The author wanted to know the age of Alice. But he thought it was impolite to ask a girl her age. So this desire led the author to ask for a picture of Alice. (लेखक ऐलिस की आयु जानना चाहता था। किन्तु उसने सोचा कि किसी लड़की से उसकी आयु पूछना असभ्यता है। इसलिए लेखक की इस इच्छा ने ऐलिस का चित्र माँगने के लिए उसे अग्रसर किया।)
In simple words: The author wanted to know Alice's age but considered it rude to ask directly, so he requested a photograph instead.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain the underlying reason (desire to know age) and the social etiquette that influenced the author's decision.

Question 6. Why did Alice not send a picture immediately?
(ऐलिस ने अपना चित्र तुरन्त क्यों नहीं भेजा ?)
Or Why did the lady hide her identity in the story 'Pen Pal' ?
(पत्र-मित्र नामक कहानी में स्त्री ने अपनी पहचान क्यों छिपाई ?)
Answer: In the story ‘Pen Pal' the lady hid her identity because she was an old lady while the author was a young man. (पत्र-मित्र नामक कहानी में उस स्त्री ने अपनी पहचान इसलिए छिपाई क्योंकि वह एक बूढी स्त्री थी जबकि लेखक एक युवक था।)
In simple words: Alice did not send a picture immediately because she was an elderly woman, and she concealed this from the young author.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the age difference between Alice and the author as the primary reason for hiding her identity and delaying the photograph.

Question 7. What changes took place in the life of the author as years rolled by ?
(ज्यों-ज्यों समय व्यतीत हुआ लेखक के जीवन में क्या-क्या परिवर्तन आए ?)
Answer: As the years rolled by the author became very irregular in his correspondence to Alice because he became a man of the world, got a job, a wife and children. (ज्यों-ज्यों समय व्यतीत हुआ लेखक ऐलिस से पत्र-व्यवहार में अनियमित होता गया, क्योंकि वह सांसारिक व्यक्ति हो गया, उसे नौकरी मिल गयी तथा उसके पत्नी एवं बच्चे हो गए ।)
In simple words: Over time, the author's life changed dramatically; he got married, had children, and secured a job, leading to irregular correspondence with Alice.

🎯 Exam Tip: List the key life events (marriage, job, children) that contributed to the author's changed priorities and inconsistent communication.

Question 8. who sent a large packet to the author from America? What did it contain ?
(अमेरिका से लेखक को एक बड़ा पैकेट किसने भेजा ? उसमें क्या था ?)
Answer: A close friend of Alice H. sent a large packet to the author from America. It contained a note about the death of Alice, some magazines and a photograph of. Alice. (ऐलिस की एक घनिष्ठ मित्र ने अमेरिका से लेखक को एक बड़ा पैकेट भेजा। इसमें ऐलिस की मृत्यु की सूचना का पर्चा, कुछ पत्रिकाएँ तथा ऐलिस को एक चित्र था ।)
In simple words: A close friend of Alice H. sent the author a large packet from America, containing a death notice for Alice, magazines, and Alice's photograph.

🎯 Exam Tip: Ensure you mention both the sender (Alice's friend) and all the contents of the packet for a complete answer.

Question 9. What did the author come to know about Alice from the contents of the packet?
(पैकेट के सामान से लेखक को ऐलिस के विषय में क्या पता लगा ?)
Answer: From the contents of the packet the author came to know that Alice was an old woman. She had died. She was of a helping nature (पैकेट के सामान से लेखक को पता लगा कि ऐलिस एक बूढी स्त्री थी। उसकी मृत्यु हो गई थी। उसका स्वभाव दूसरों की सहायता करना था।)
In simple words: The packet revealed that Alice was an elderly woman who had passed away, and she had a kind, helpful nature.

🎯 Exam Tip: Summarize the key revelations from the packet: Alice's true age, her death, and her charitable character.

Question 10. What was the truth revealed to the author after twenty years in the story 'Pen Pal'?
(पत्र-मित्र नामक कहानी में बीस वर्ष के बाद किस सत्य का पता लगा?)
Answer: In the story ‘Pen Pal' the author came to know after twenty years that his pen pal Alice was a 78 years old woman. But she was beautiful and compassionate. (पत्र-मित्र नामक कहानी में लेखक को बीस वर्ष बाद पता लगा कि उसकी पत्र मित्र ऐलिस 78 वर्ष की एक बूढी स्त्री थी। किन्तु वह सुन्दर तथा दयावान थी ।)
In simple words: After twenty years, the author discovered Alice was a 78-year-old woman, but he perceived her as beautiful and compassionate.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight the passage of time (twenty years) and the specific revelation (Alice's age) along with the author's final perception of her.

Question 11. Which of the following will best describe the reaction of the author on seeing the photograph of Alice and reading her friend's note ?
The author was disappointed/startled/delighted/moved with love and pity.
(ऐलिस का चित्र देखकर तथा उसकी मृत्यु के विषय में पढ़कर लेखक पर जो प्रतिक्रिया हुई, उसे निम्न बातों में से कौन-सी बात अच्छी प्रकार प्रदर्शित करती है ?
लेखक हताश/स्तब्ध/प्रसन्न/प्रेम और दया से द्रवित हो गया ।)
Answer: The author was moved with love and pity when he saw the photograph of Alice and read her friend's note. (जब लेखक ने ऐलिस का चित्र देखा और उसकी मित्र का नोट पढ़ा, तब वह प्रेम और दया से द्रवित हो गया ।)
In simple words: Upon seeing Alice's photograph and reading the friend's note, the author's reaction was one of profound love and pity.

🎯 Exam Tip: For descriptive questions about reactions, choose adjectives that accurately reflect the complex emotions evoked by the revelation.

Question 12. where did Alicelive? How did she become a penpal? How did she die?
(ऐलिस कहाँ रहती थी ? वह पत्र-मित्र कैसे बन गई ? उसकी मृत्यु कैसे हुई ?)
Answer: Alice lived in Los Angeles. She became a pen pal when the writer requested her for it in his letter. She died in a car accident. (ऐलिस लॉस एंजिल्स में रहती थी। जब लेखक ने उससे अपने पत्र में इस बात के लिए प्रार्थना की तब वह उसकी पत्र-मित्र बन गई। एक कार दुर्घटना में उसकी मृत्यु हो गई ।)
In simple words: Alice resided in Los Angeles, became a pen pal after the author's request, and tragically died in a car accident.

🎯 Exam Tip: Break down multi-part questions into individual facts and ensure each part is addressed comprehensively.

(B) Appreciating The Story

Question 1. Alice had not asked for a pen pal and yet she agreed to become a pen pal of the author, why?
(ऐलिस ने पत्र-मित्र बनने की इच्छा व्यक्त नहीं की थी फिर भी वह लेखक की पत्र-मित्र बनने को सहमत हो गई, क्यों ?)
Answer: Alice had not asked for a pen pal. Yet she agreed to become a pen pal of author because she did not wish to disappoint a young man from a foreign country. (ऐलिस ने पत्र-मित्र बनने की इच्छा व्यक्त नहीं की थी। फिर भी वह लेखक की पत्र-मित्र बनने को सहमत हो गई, क्योंकि वह एक विदेशी नवयुवक को निराश करना नहीं चाहती थी।)
In simple words: Alice agreed to be a pen pal despite not seeking one herself because she wanted to avoid disappointing the young foreign author.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on Alice's empathetic and considerate nature as the key motivation for her acceptance.

Question 2. why was the author careful in his correspondence with Alice?
(ऐलिस के साथ पत्र-व्यवहार करने में लेखक इतना सावधान क्यों था ?)
Answer: The author was careful in his correspondence because he did not want to express his romantic feelings before a foreign girl and English was a foreign language for him. (अपने पत्र-व्यवहार करने में लेखक सावधान था क्योंकि वह अपनी प्रेम की भावनाओं को एक विदेशी लड़की के समक्ष प्रकट नहीं करना चाहता था तथा अंग्रेजी उसके लिए विदेशी भाषा थी ।)
In simple words: The author was cautious in his letters to Alice to avoid revealing romantic feelings to a foreign girl and due to his unfamiliarity with English as a foreign language.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention both the social/emotional reason (not expressing romantic feelings) and the practical reason (language barrier) for his carefulness.

Question 3. Why does the author call the correspondence with Alice a game of hide-and-seek?
(लेखक ऐलिस के साथ अपने पत्र-व्यवहार को आँख-मिचौली का खेल क्यों कहता है ?)
Answer: Whenever author wanted to know something of Alice, she concealed it very cunningly. Therefore, the author calls the correspondence with Alice a game of hide-and-seek. (जब कभी लेखक ऐलिस के विषय में कुछ जानना चाहता था तभी वह बड़ी चालाकी से उसे छिपा लेती थी। इसी कारण लेखक ऐलिस के साथ अपने पत्र-व्यवहार को आँख-मिचौली का खेल कहता है ।)
In simple words: The author describes their correspondence as hide-and-seek because Alice consistently and cleverly withheld personal information about herself whenever he tried to learn more.

🎯 Exam Tip: Emphasize Alice's deliberate concealment of personal details as the reason for the "hide-and-seek" metaphor.

Question 4. Why did Alice advise her friend to send her photograph to the author only after she (Alice) was dead?
(ऐलिस ने अपनी मित्र को यह सलाह क्यों दी कि वह उसकी मृत्यु के बाद उसका चित्र लेखक को भेज दे ?)
Answer: Alice was an old lady. She did not want to disappoint the author or hurt his feelings. Moreover she wanted to keep her promise also. So she desired her friend to send her photograph to the author only after she was dead. (ऐलिस एक बूढी स्त्री थी। वह लेखक को निराश करना नहीं चाहती थी या उसकी भावनाओं को ठेस पहुँचाना नहीं चाहती थी। इसके अतिरिक्त वह अपना वायदा भी निभाना चाहती थी। इसलिए उसने अपनी ' मित्र से इच्छा प्रकट की कि उसकी मृत्यु के बाद वह उसका चित्र लेखक को भेज दे ।)
In simple words: Alice, being an old lady, asked her friend to send her photograph only after her death to avoid disappointing or hurting the young author's feelings, and also to fulfill her promise.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight Alice's compassion and desire to uphold her promise without revealing her true age, which she feared would upset the author.

Question 5. why does the author write (after seeing Alice's photograph) that he would have cherished that face even as a shy college boy?
(ऐलिस का चित्र देखकर लेखक यह क्यों कहता है कि वह इस चेहरे को उस समय भी प्यार करता जब वह कॉलिज का एक शर्मीला विद्यार्थी था ?)
Answer: Seeing the photograph, the writer found in her beauty and compassion. Moreover the author was very sentimental. So he writes that he would have cherished that face even as a shy college boy. (चित्र को देखकर लेखक ने उसमें सुन्दरता एवं दया को पाया। इसके अतिरिक्त लेखक बहुत भावुक था। इसलिए वह लिखता है कि वह जब कॉलिज का शर्मीला विद्यार्थी था, तब भी वह उससे प्यार करता था ।)
In simple words: The author felt Alice's true beauty lay in her compassion, not youth. His sentimental nature led him to believe he would have appreciated her face even as a young man, despite her age.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the author's realization that inner beauty (compassion) transcends physical age, indicating his emotional maturity.

Question 6. Can you locate the sentence in the text of the story which indicates why the author expected his pen pal to be a young girl ?
(क्या आप अपनी पाठ्य-पुस्तक में उस वाक्य को बता सकते हैं जिसमें लेखक ने यह आशा व्यक्त की थी कि उसका पत्र-मित्र एक मवयुवती हो ?)
Answer: The sentence in the second para ‘Why shouldn't I also try ? indicates that the author expected his pen pal to be a young girl. (दूसरे पैराग्राफ का यह वाक्य कि, “मैं भी चेष्टा क्यों न करू” यह बताता है कि लेखक चाहता था कि उसका पत्र-मित्र कोई नवयुवती हो ।)
In simple words: The sentence "Why shouldn't I also try?" from the second paragraph suggests the author's expectation of having a young female pen pal.

🎯 Exam Tip: Direct quotes from the text are crucial for questions asking to locate specific evidence. Clearly state the sentence and its implication.

Question 7. Which of the following adjectives do you think describe Alice best? dishonest, loving, lonely, tricky, kind, generous, one who enjoys befooling others, understanding, sympathetic, secretive.
(नीचे लिखे विशेषणों में से कौन-सा विशेषण सबसे अच्छी प्रकार ऐलिस का वर्णन करता है? बेईमान, प्यारी, एकाकी, चालाक, दयालु, विनम्र, दूसरों को बेवकूफ बनाकर आनन्द लेने वाली, दूसरों की भावनाओं को समझने वाली, सहानुभूतिपूर्ण, घुन्नी ।)
Answer: The following adjectives describe Alice best : loving, kind, generous and sympathetic. (निम्नलिखित विशेषण ऐलिस का सर्वोत्तम वर्णन करते हैं : प्यारी, दयालु, विनम्र तथा सहानुभूतिपूर्ण ।)
In simple words: Alice is best described as loving, kind, generous, and sympathetic, reflecting her benevolent character and actions.

🎯 Exam Tip: When choosing descriptive adjectives, base your selection on Alice's actions and motivations revealed throughout the story.