Q1. [5]
Later, he patted me on the head and said never mind, he'd teach me to cook. He also taught me to write my name and said he would soon teach me to write whole sentences and to add numbers. I was grateful. I knew that once I could write like an educated man there would be no limit to what I could achieve.
It was quite pleasant working for Anil. I made the tea in the morning and then would take my time buying the day's supplies, usually making a profit of about a rupee a day. I think he knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind.
Read the following extract and answer the questions.
- (i) What does the following line tell us about the character of Anil ?
"I think he knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind." [1]
- (ii) Which of the following best describes the realization Hari Singh had while working for Anil ? [1]
- A that he would become a rich person one day
- B that Anil was a very intelligent master but a miser
- C that he would be able to accomplish a lot if he gets educated
- D that Anil made a lot of money from his job
- (iii) What did Anil promise to teach Hari Singh, and how did Hari Singh feel about the opportunity to learn ? Answer in about 40 words. [2]
- (iv) Fill in the blank with the correct word from the brackets.
The narrator earned extra money by making a/an _________ (profit/investment) of about a rupee a day. [1]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2025 2/1/1 Q6(b)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:15 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
(i) This line shows that Anil was generous and trusting by nature. He was aware of Hari Singh's small dishonesty but chose to overlook it, showing he was kind-hearted and not petty or suspicious.
(ii) C — that he would be able to accomplish a lot if he gets educated.
(iii) Anil promised to teach Hari Singh to cook, write whole sentences, and add numbers. Hari Singh felt deeply grateful for this opportunity. He believed that once he could write like an educated man, there would be no limit to what he could achieve in life.
(iv) profit
Source: The Thief's Story, Ruskin Bond
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Explanation
- (i) Focus on Anil's character trait — generosity/trust — directly linked to the quoted line. One mark, so one clear point suffices.
- (ii) The passage explicitly states "once I could write like an educated man there would be no limit to what I could achieve" — this matches option C exactly.
- (iii) Two marks = ~40 words. Cover two things: what Anil promised AND how Hari Singh felt. Both parts must be present for full marks.
- (iv) The word "profit" appears verbatim in the extract — always prefer the passage's own word in fill-in-the-blank items.
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