1.

Answer:
A B
(1) Principle (h) a rule to govern one’s behavior
(2) Quotation (f) words cited from a speech/text of a famous
person
(3) Moral (g) a lesson derived from a story or experience
(4) Idioms (e) established expressions which do not
convey exactly the same as individual
words
(5) Slogans (b) short striking messages for the public
(6) One-liners (c) a short witty remark stating the truth
(7) Maxims (d) a popular, well-known truth
(8) Proverb (a) a generally accepted, evident, truth

Question 1.
Read the story and answer whether the following statements are
true or false.
(a) The people convinced the King to make a [Link]
(b) The hermit spoke usually to everyone. False
(c) The King received all answers from the hermit. False
(d) The person the King saved and helped was his enemy. True
(e) To do good to people is the purpose of our life. True
Answer:
(a) True
(b) False
(c) False
(d) True
(e) True
2. Answer:
(1) Once a certain king … i The king’s announcement.
important to do.

(2) Many learned people … h The king received various

time for everything. answers.

(3) Equally varied … gave the g The questions remained

reward to none. unanswered.

(4) When the king arrived, … j The king meets the hermit
rriy first attention.

(5) The hermit listened … c The king helps the hermit.

continued to dig.

(6) The king turned round … b The wounded stranger.

gave it to him.

(7) Meanwhile the sun … said d The stranger begs for

the king. pardon.

(8) ‘You do not know … all my f The stranger’s vicious

life.’ intentions.

(9) The king was very glad … a The king gains a friend.
the day before.

(10) ‘Do you not see?’ … sent e The hermit points out
into his life. answers.
3. Answer:
KiNG
impatient, eager to succeed, helpful
HERMIT
feeble, enlightened, patient, convincing, wise

4. Answer:
5. Answer:
We come to know that the king was humble by the fact that he
did not mind doing ordinary work such as digging. He did not
use his authority as king to force the hermit to answer his
questions. Instead he requested the hermit politely and was
ready to go away if the hermit refused to answer his questions.
6. Answer:
(a) different
(b)
(iii) different answers
(c) (i) persuaded
(d)(i) right

e. ii) request
f (i) heavily
7. Answer
a. To know the right time for every action: Draw up in advance a
table of days, months and years and live strictly according to it.
The people the king most needed: Councillors The most
important occupation
b. Answer:
I agree that though the hermit did not say anything to the king
for some time, he did not ignore the king or treat him rudely in
any way. His politeness is evident by the fact that he greeted the
king. By spitting on his hand before he resumed digging, the
hermit indicated that the work he was doing was more important
and that the king would have to wait.
c. Answer:
The king put on* simple clothes because he did not want the
hermit to refuse to answer his questions. The king was aware
that the hermit was wise and would know that he was the king
and not mistake him for a common person. Out of humility and
respect, the king dressed up like a commoner. We know that-the
hermit knew that he was the king by the way he returned the
king’s greeting.
d. Answer:
Like any other ordinary person, the king tended to the wounded
man. He even washed the wound and bandaged it many times.
When required, he brought and gave the man water to drink. The
king went out of his way to be good and kind to the man. All
this happened after the wounded man came running, wounded,
to the hermit’s hut.
[Link]:
I think the hermit somehow knew everything before the king
arrived. He must have known about the plan of the king’s enemy
and so was able to deal with it purposefully when the king
arrived. News about the ambush must definitely have come to
his ears. Otherwise he would not have been able to answer the
king’s questions in such a real and practical way. He was a
hermit, a wise man, and nothing of importance would have
escaped his consideration.
8. Answer:
(b) The king executed the bearded man’s brother.
(a) The bearded man resolved to kill the king.
(c) The bearded man laid an ambush to kill the king.
(e) The bearded man came out of the ambush.
(d) The king’s bodyguards recognised and wounded the bearded
man.
(f) The king spent the night at the hermit’s hut.
(g) The king went alone to see the hermit.

9. Answer
three questions.
(1) What was the right time to begin everything?
(2) Who are the right people to listen to?
(3) What was the most important thing to do?
Answer:
The King wanted the answers to three questions. In order to find
a solution, he had a proclamation made in his kingdom. He also
announced a great reward to anyone who would give him the
answers to his questions.
10.
(1) a r e e t u k d n = undertake
(2) y o n n a e = anyone
(3) s t a p s i e m = pastimes
(4) h e e d a r f o n b = beforehand
(5) n e v h i g r e t y = everything
(6) h e i l n e w a m = meanwhile
(7) d a d e b e r = bearded

Answer:
(1) most important
(2) gazing intently
(3) frail and weak
(4) widely renowned
(5) right time
(6) warm blood
(7) simple clothes
(8) closed eyes
(9) fell asleep.
(10) made peace
(11) took leave
11. Answer:
(1) decides – finite; to go – non-finite.
(2) have come – finite; to ask, to answer-non- finite.
(3) gave – finite; This sentence has no non-finite verb.
(4) was – finite; digging – non-finite.
(5) pray – finite: to answer – non-finite
(6) forgive – finIte
(7) began – finite; to sink – non-finite.

Question 12.
Narrate an experience of your own that has helped you to realise
that ‘Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.’ Write it in your
notebook, in about 20 lines.
Answer:
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet!
It was Rousseau who said, ‘Patience is bitter, but its fruit is
sweet.’
I realized the truth of this statement when I was in Std. X. It was
an important year for me. My school was far from my home. So
were my classes. I had to spend a lot of time walking in order to
reach either school or classes. This meant a lot of waste of
precious time that I could use very well for study.
I was an only child and my father had passed away four years
ago. My mother would tell me, ‘Have patience. Things will
work out.’ But I really could not understand her.
The rainy months passed by with me trudging anxiously to
school or to the classes. If I was lucky, someone would give me
a lift, dy studies were suffering.
I was lagging behind in keeping up with homework and
revision.
Then one day the postman delivered a letter. Mother read it in
excitement.
‘You know what? There’s a good news. Your uncle from the US
is coming to visit us. He is your dad’s brother. The last time he
saw you was when you were j a baby.’
‘Oh,’ I said, wondering how that could be good for us. On the
contrary, I would have to take my uncle visiting and that would
take up more of the time I required for earnest study.
The day arrived. My uncle came over. A jolly fellow, full of
stories and fun and small delightful gifts. In the afternoon I took
his leave saying I had to go to school and then classes.
‘How are you going?’ he asked.
I put my head down and said, ‘Walking’.
‘Come, I’ll take you by autorickshaw,’ he said. And so we went.
‘It’s quite a distance,’ my uncle commented. I nodded silently.
In the evening when I came home, I could not believe my eyes.
There, resting against the wall was the most beautiful bicycle I
had ever seen.
Mother and my uncle came out to greet me.
‘This is yours, boy. No more walking long distances for you!’
Tears welled up in my eyes and I ran and hugged my uncle.
‘Thank you so much,’ I said.
Indeed, my patience had been rewarded with sweet fruit!
Question 13.
After reading this story, develop a dialogue with 2 of your
classmates about the characters in the story. Besides the tactful
introduction to the conversation and write 8 to 10 sets of
dialogues.
Answer:
My self: Hey, did you like the story, ‘Three Questions’?
Student 1: Yes, I was particularly impressed with the king. He
was very humble. He was eager to know more about life.
My self: Yes, he did not claim that he knew everything just
because he was king.
Student 2: I liked the hermit. He was quite a cool character.
My self: He was very wise. He knew beforehand that the king
would come to him. He also knew the solution to the king’s
problem, even before the incidents occurred.
Student 1: Yes. And the surprising thing is that the king
indirectly got the answers to his questions from a long-forgotten
enemy.
My self: The story is very cleverly written, woven around these
three characters. One seeks answers to questions. One knows the
answers to the questions. One is the medium through which the
answers are given.
Student 2: If the king’s bodyguards had not attacked the man, he
would not have come to the hermit’s hut and met the king.
My self: If the man had not been wounded and the king had not
bandaged his wounds and saved his life, the man would not have
forgiven him for a cruel wrongdoing in the past.
Student 1: Yes, Leo Tolstoy wanted to give us the message of
forgiveness and doing good even to our enemies. Through the
three characters in the story and their interactions, the writer
brought out his message very well.
My sfelf : Indeed, a well-written story, and one from which we
learn such a lot!
Question 14.
From the library or Internet, read the story ‘How much land does
a man need?’ by Leo Tolstoy and write a review of the same,
covering the following points.
Background of the story
Characters
Plot/Theme
Climax
Message/Moral
Answer:
The climax of the story is that the person whom the king had
wronged by executing his brother years ago, finally forgave him.
This is because the king had saved his life.
(a) rose got up from a sitting or kneeling position a flower
(b) sink drop downwards go down below the surface of a liquid
(c) bed a garden plot a piece of furniture for resting
(d) rest to cease work in order to relax or sleep the remaining
part
By saving the life of the wounded man, who was in fact the
king’s enemy, the king passes on to us the message that the most
important thing in life is to do good to others, because it is for
that purpose alone we were sent into this life.