The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse. Class 11, English, Lesson 1

THE SUMMER OF BEAUTIFUL WHITE HORSE

CLASS 11,  ENGLISH,

Extract Based MCQ, Short Answers, Long Answer

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1. " I stuck my head out of the window and rubbed my eyes.

        Yes, he said in Armenian. It's a horse. You are not dreaming. Make it quick

         if you want to ride"

1. Who is "I" referred to?

(a) Mourad

(b) Aram

(c) Uncle Khosrove

(d) John Byro

2. Why did he rub his eyes?

(a) He was bewildered

(b) He didn't believe that sight

(c) He didn't expect Mourad on a horse back

(d) Both (b) and (c)

3. What did Mourad ask Aram to do?

(a) He asked Aram to go for a horse ride

(b) He asked him not to disclose about the horse

(c) He asked him to sleep till 6 'o clock

(d) He asked him to put on Sunday clothes.

4. Why did he use Armenian language?

(a) Nobody knew Armenian in that locality

(b) Armenian was considered as a posh language during those days

(c) They belonged to Assyria.

(d) It was his mother tongue.

Answers:   1(b),     2(d),      3(a),     4(d)

2. "We had been famous for our honesty for something like eleven centuries, even when we had been the wealthiest family in what we liked to think was the world, we were proud first, honest next, and after that we believed in right and wrong, None of us take advantage of anybody in the world, let alone steal"

1. What was their hallmark ?

(a) They were smugglers and would steal horses.

(b) They were cunning and would take advantage of all.

(c) They were proud first and honest next.

(d) They didn't count what is right and wrong

2. "None of us take advantage of anybody" What does it mean?

(a)They would not allow anyone to enjoy advantage without their knowledge

(b) No one will take any advantage without their permission

(c) They will not cheat anyone and take advantage

(d) Though they were 11th Century people, they were good.

3. " Famous for honesty for something like 11 centuries" What does it mean?

(a) For 11 Centuries they were honest

(b) They practiced their honesty for 11 Centuries

(c)  They were honest for many centuries

(d) Honesty is not important for them

4. Which family is mentioned in these lines?

(a) Garoghian family

(b) Garoghlanian family

(c) John Byro's family

(d) An Assyrian family

Answers:  1(c),    2(c),      3(c),      4(b)

3. In less than three minutes we were on Olive Avenue. and then the horse began trot. the air was new and lovely to breathe. The feel of horse running was wonderful. My cousin Mourad who was considered one of the craziest members of our family began to sing. I mean, he began to roar"

1. Where was Aram's house situated ?

(a) Olive Avenue

(b) Walnut Avenue

(c) Armenian street

(d) Assyrian Street

2. "The air was new and lovely to breath" Why ?

(a) It was a pleasant dusk.

(b) It was a pleasant morning

(c) It was a pleasant noon

(d) It was a pleasant evening

3. " The feel of the horse running was wonderful" Where were they at that time?

(a) At their house

(b) Deserted wine yard

(c) John Byro's farm field

(d) On the horse back

4. "Mourad began to sing". How was it ?

(a) It was very melodious

(b) It was sweet and beautiful

(c) It was a roaring.

(d) It was not bad.

Answers:   1(b),     2(b),      3(d),     4(c)

4. "Before him was our uncle Khosrove , an enormous man with a powerful head of black hair and the largest mustache in the San Joaquin Valley, a man of furious in temper , so irritable, so impatient that he stopped anyone from talking by roaring, it is no harm; pay no attention to it"

1. "Before him was uncle Khosrove" Whom does 'him'  refer to?

(a) Uncle Khosrove

(b) Aram

(c) Mourad

(d) John Byro

2. Where was uncle Khosrove's house ?

(a) Walnut Avenue

(b) Olive Avenue

(c) Armenian Street

(d)  San Joaquin Valley

3. In what matter Uncle Khosrove was first in his valley?

(a) Largest moustache

(b) Enormous man with powerful head of black hair

(c) So impatient that he stopped all

(d) A man of furious temper

4. "It is no harm. Pay no attention to it" What does it mean?

(a) Don't think seriously on split milk

(b) All for the best

(c) Don't tell anything unnecessarily to others

(d) Silence is gold

Answers :  1(c),         2(d),      3(a),      4(b)

5. "A man could be the father of his son's flesh, but that did not mean that he was also the father of his spirit. the distribution of  the various kinds of spirit of our tribe had been from the beginning capricious and vagrant"

1. "A man could be the father of his son's flesh, but that didn't mean that he was also the father of his spirit" what does it mean?

(a) A man could be the father of his son, but he could not have the power to control his son's feeling and soul

(b) A man can be the father of a son, hence he has the right to control the feelings of his mind

(c) A man could be the father of his son. He could have the complete power upon him.

(d) (b) and (c) are correct.

2. What do you mean by "the spirit" in the dialogue?

(a) God

(b) Ghost

(c) Omen

(d) Soul

3. Synonym of "Capricious".........

(a) Vagrant

(b)  Omnipresent

(c) Whimsical

(d) Barbarians

4.  What do you mean by "Vagrant" here?

(a) One who settled permanently

(b) One who tells lie always

(c) One who believes in God strongly

(d) One who wanders most of the time

Answers :  1(a),      2(d),      3(c),       4(d)

6. " I am not worried about you, he shouted. We have to get that horse. You go this way and I will go this way. If you come upon him , be kindly. I will be near"

1. Who said it?

(a) Uncle Khosrove

(b) Aram's mother

(c) John Byro

(d) Mourad

2. "I am not worried about you" What happened to Aram?

(a) Aram was hungry as he couldn't take breakfast and he felt dizzy.

(b) Aram fell down when he was riding the horse and got injured

(c) Aram disliked the idea of stealing the horse and he became nervous

(d) Nothing happened to Aram but he felt insecurity.

3. Where was the horse?

(a) In the deserted vineyard

(b) John Byro's house

(c) It ran away

(d) It was with Mourad

4. What advise did Mourad give to Aram?

(a) If Aram comes across the horse he has to catch it at any cost.

(b)  Aram should find and catch the horse at any level

(c) If Aram comes across the horse, be kindly

(d) If Aram comes across the horse, tie it in a safe place.

Answers:  1(d),       2(b),          3(c),          4(c)

7. " He was sitting under a peach tree, trying to repair the hurt wing of a young robin, which could not fly.

What is it?, he said.

The farmer, John Byro, I said. He visited our house. He wants his horse. I want you to promise not to take it back until  I learn to ride"

1. What was Mourad doing?

(a) He was removing the feathers of a robin for cooking.

(b) He was cutting the wings of a robin

(c) He was sitting under a tree and talking to a robin

(d) He was repairing the hurt wing of a robin.

2. "What is it? he said". What does it mean?

(a) What do you do?

(b) What is the matter?

(c) How are you?

(d) How do you do?

3.What did Aram say to Mourad?

(a) He said that Mourad should take back the horse back to John Byro.

(b) He said that Garoghlanian family members should not be thieves.

(c) He said that Mourad should not take back the horse until he learnt to ride

(d) He said that John Byro was very sad and he badly wanted his horse.

4. Who was John Byro?

(a) John Byro was a farmer from Assyria.

(b) John Byro was a farmer from Armenia.

(c) John Byro was a lonely wanderer

(d) John Byro was a member in Garoghlanian family.

Answers:  1(d),        2(b),     3(c),     4(a)

 

SHORT ANSWERS

1. What are the highlighting factors of Garoghlanian family?
Ans: The Garoghlanian family is famous for their honesty, though they are poor. They are proud first and honest next. They believe in right and wrong. None of them will take advantage of anybody. No member of the Garoghlanian family can be a thief.

2. How did Aram react when he saw the horse and Mourad at the daybreak?
Ans:  Aram didn't believe that sight. He thought that he was dreaming. The horse was magnificent to look at. He stuck his head out of the window and rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t believe that the horse had anything to do with Mourad.

3. How did the Aram convince himself to enjoy a horse ride with cousin Mourad though he knew that it was a stolen horse?
Ans:  Aram believed that stealing a horse for a ride was not the same thing as stealing it for money. He convinced himself with the thought that it would be stealing if he would sell it for money.

4. Give a short character sketch of Mourad.

Ans: Mourad was a crazy boy. He was quite crazy about horses. He stole a horse and kept it for one month in his custody. He rode it, loved it and fed it well. He had a way with all. He could manage dogs, robins, horses and even farmers.

5. Sktch the characteristic features of Uncle Khosrove.

Ans: Uncle Khosrove had a crazy streak. He was a big man with a powerful head of black hair.  His moustache was considered to be the largest one the San Joaquin Valley. He was quite furious in temper, very irritable and impatient. He would stop anyone from talking by roaring. "It is no harm: pay no attention to it".

6. How did Aram ride the horse?
Ans: Aram leaped to the back of the horse, but it did not move. He was asked to kick into the muscles of the horse. When he did so, the horse reared and snorted. Then it began to run. It ran down the road to the vineyard. It began to leap over vines. Soon, Aram fell down and the horse continued running.

7.  Why did John Byro move out of the house, slamming the door?

Ans:   John Byro visited Aram's house. Uncle Khosrove was there at that time. Byro said that his horse had been stolen for over a month. But Uncle Khosrove did not show any sympathy on it. He also said “It’s no harm. Pay no attention to it”. When John Byro talked about the cost of his horse, uncle Khosrove said that he spit on money. It was unbearable to John Byro.  He lost his control and slammed the door forcibly .

8.  “A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart.” who said it? Why?
Ans:  John Byro said it. He looked into the mouth of the horse. It matched his horse's tooth for tooth. But he didn't claim that it was his horse because he knew the fame of their family for honesty. So he believed that it was the twin of his horse and said the given dialogue.

LONG ANSWER
1. Compare and contrast uncle Khosrove and cousin Mourad.

Ans:  Uncle Khosrove and cousin Mourad were crazy. Mourad was considered the natural descendant of uncle Khosrove in this respect. Both of them had a dominating character. Uncle Khosrove would say, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it,”.  Mourad would boast “I have a way with horses, dogs, birds, farmers etc.”

Uncle Khosrove was an enormous man with powerful head of black hair and he had the largest moustache in San Joaquin Valley. He was a man of so furious in temper, so irritable, so impatient that he stopped any one by roaring his masterpiece dialogue. But Mourad was a young boy of fourteen. He was not so furious in temper and not impatient. Mourad was very reasonable to all.