Comprehension
Read the following extract and answer the questions
I saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face
ashen like that of a corpse and realized with
pain
that she was as old as she
looked but soon
put that thought away, and
looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes.
I saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face
ashen like that of a corpse and realized with
pain
that she was as old as she
looked but soon
put that thought away, and
looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes.
Question: 1
The phrase ‘ashen like that of a corpse’ gives the impression that the mother is:
The phrase ‘ashen like that of a corpse’ gives the impression that the mother is:
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Focus on the imagery created by the phrase. It conveys frailty, weakness, or the closeness to death. Look for emotional undertones in the description.
Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
- frustrated
- depressed
- dead
- weak
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The Correct Option is D
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Question: 2
State whether the following statement is True or False, with reference to the extract.
“The mother was suffering from some fatal disease.”
State whether the following statement is True or False, with reference to the extract.
“The mother was suffering from some fatal disease.”
“The mother was suffering from some fatal disease.”
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Verify the statement by directly referencing the extract. Avoid assumptions and rely only on information explicitly provided.
Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
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Answer: False.The poem does not indicate that the mother was suffering from a fatal disease; it simply highlights her old age and frailty.
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Question: 3
Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract?
Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract?
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Identify the core idea conveyed in the poem. Focus on contrasts like youth and ageing or life and mortality to determine the theme.
Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
- Life is short and one must enjoy it
- Ageing and Mortality
- Sleeping and Playing
- Art of Parenting
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The Correct Option is B
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Question: 4
Pick the option in which the word ‘spilling’ is used in the same sense as in the extract.
Pick the option in which the word ‘spilling’ is used in the same sense as in the extract.
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Consider the context in which ‘spilling’ is used in the poem. It suggests overflowing or rushing out, often metaphorical rather than literal.
Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
- Rahul was responsible for spilling the beans by telling everyone the secret.
- He opened the bag, spilling all its contents on the table.
- Try to keep that crowd from spilling onto the main street.
- The cat spilled all the milk.
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The Correct Option is C
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Question: 5
The phrases ‘Young Trees sprinting’ and ‘merry children spilling’ represent:
The phrases ‘Young Trees sprinting’ and ‘merry children spilling’ represent:
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Look for the symbolic meaning of the phrases. They contrast vitality and movement with the stillness of the mother’s condition.
Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
- Youth
- Old Age
- Disease
- Travel
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The Correct Option is A
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Question: 6
Complete the sentence appropriately.
‘She was as old as she looked.’
The repetition of the word ‘as’ suggests that \(\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\).
Complete the sentence appropriately.
‘She was as old as she looked.’
The repetition of the word ‘as’ suggests that \(\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\).
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Analyze the repetition of the word ‘as.’ It emphasizes the inevitability and reality of ageing, showing the poet’s acceptance of her mother’s condition.
Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
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Solution and Explanation
The repetition of the word ‘as’ suggests that the poet is emphasizing the undeniable reality of her mother’s ageing process.
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Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
“I put the brown paper in my pocket along with the chalks, and possibly other things. I suppose every one must have reflected how primeval and how poetical are the things that one carries in one’s pocket: the pocket-knife, for instance, the type of all human tools, the infant of the sword. Once I planned to write a book of poems entirely about the things in my pocket. But I found it would be too long: and the age of the great epics is past.”
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The Indian National Army plans went away with the defeat of Japan. Subhash Bose was killed in a plane accident while on his way to Tokyo. It is true that many leaders did not like the idea of India winning freedom with the assistance of a country like Japan and her fascist allies. But during the closing years of the war, Subhash Bose and the Indian National Army served to hold up the dropping spirits of the nationalist Indians at home, who were feeling helpless and frustrated. They set before all sections of the Indian people, including those serving in the army, an example of courage and patriotism which was both inspiring and ennobling. Therefore, when the Government announced their decision to prosecute some of the Indian National Army officers for treason because they had broken their oath of loyalty to the British crown, there was a wave of nationalist protest. There were massive demonstrations all over the country. There were persistent demands that the officers should be released.
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