Reading comprehension 1

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Theodoric had been brought up by his mother, screening him from the hard realities of life. When she died she left  Theodoric alone in a world that was as real as ever. He had been staying at a country vicarage, the inmates of which had been certainly not brutal. On a particular day he set out on a journey by train. The pony carriage that was to take him to the station had never been properly ordered; and when the moment  for his departure drew near, The handy man who should have helped him was no where to be found. In this emergency Theodoric found himself obliged to collaborate with the vicar daughter in the task of harnessing the pony which necessitated groping about in and ill-lighted stable which smelt of mice.

As the train gilded out of the station, Theodoric's clothes were giving out  an odour of mice. The only other occupant of the compartment, a lady of about the same age as himself seemed inclined for slumber rather than scrutiny. The carriage was old fashioned and the seats were arranged in such a way that no further traveling companions were likely to intrude on Theodoric's semi- privacy.

However, a warm creeping movement over his body betrayed the presence of a strayed mouse, that had evidently dashed into his clothes during the episode of the pony harnessing. Shakes and pinches failed to dislodge the intruder and the lawful occupant of the the clothes lay back against the question and endeavored rapidly to evolve some means for putting an end to the dual ownership. Nothing less than partial disrobing would ease  him of his tormentor; and to undress in the presence of a lady made his ear tips tingle in a blush of shame.

Theodoric was led into the most daring undertaking of his life and keeping an agonized watch on his slumbering fellow traveler, he swiftly hung the railway rug to the racks of the carriage so that a curtain hung across the compartment. In the narrow dressing room he freed himself from the intruder from his clothes. As the mouse gave a wild leap to the floor the rug came down on the floor and the awakened sleeper opened her eyes. Theodoric pounced on the rug and hauled it chin high over his body as he collapsed into the further corner of the carriage.

The blood raised in the veins of a neck and forehead while he waited dumbly for words to come out of his mouth. The lady was contented herself with the silence stare at her muffled companion .   How much had she seen ,Theodoric wondered! "I had one crawling creature inside my clothes just now", said Theodoric. "It was a most awkward situation .I was getting rid of it that brought me to this embarrassment." Then dashing madly towards a corner, he struggled frantically into his disheveled clothes.

As he sank back in his  clothed, the train slowed down to A final crawl and the woman spoke:

"Would you be so kind", she asked, "as to get me a porter to put me into a cab? It's a shame to trouble you, but being blind makes one so helpless at a railway station."

(a) Give the meanings of the following words as used in the passage . One word answers or short phrases will be accepted.(3)

(i) collaborate (line 7) ----------------------------------------------

(ii) groping (line 8) ------------------------------------------------

(iii) dashed (line 16) ----------------------------------------------

(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words

(i) What difficulties did Theodoric face before taking the Pony carriage ? How were the difficulties solved ?(2)

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(ii) How can you say that the lady in the train was inclined to slumber?(2)

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(iii)What was the dual ownership ? What efforts did Theodoric make to have his single ownership ?(2)

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(iv) How did Theodoric protect himself from the possible gaze of the lady ? (2)

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(v) Describe the embarrassment faced by Theodoric after he freed himself from the intruder.(2)

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(vi) Explain the humorous ending of the passage .

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(c) In not more than 60 words , state how the mouse troubled Theodoric and how he freed himself from the mouse 

 

(d) Give a title to the summary and give reason to justify your choice. (2)

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