CBSE Class 12 English, Vistas, Chapter 1, The third Level

Class 12, English Vistas

Chapter 1 "The Third Level"

(mkchandran.blogspot.com)                         

Extract Based MCQ

1. "The presidents of the New York Central and the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroads will swear on a stack of timetables that there are only two. But I say there are three, because I've been on the third level of the Grand Central Station".

1. What do you mean by 'New York Central' here?

(a) White House
(b) Senate
(c) Railway station

(d) Central Park of New York

2. "The presidents will say that there are only two".  What do you mean by "two"?

(a) White House and Senate
(b) Federal System and Democracy
(c) Day and night services.

(d) Two types railway stations.

3. What are the two types of railway stations mentioned here?

(a) The first type: from where one can take long distance trains. The second type: from where one can take suburban trains.
(b) The first type: diesel train service. The second type: electric train service
(c)The first type: old type train service. The second type: modern type train service.

(d) None of the above. They are the presidents of New York and Hartford railroads

4.  Why did Charley say that he had been on the third level?

(a) It was true that he reached the third level the other day
(b) He longed to escape from the insecure world, so he felt the presence of a third level.
(c) Charley was mad, so he said so

(d) When he was walking along the subway he lost his way and reached the third level.

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

2. " I told him about the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking dream wish fulfillment. He said that I was unhappy. That made my wife a kind of mad, but he explained that he meant that the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war and worry"

1. 'I told him about the third level' Whom does the word 'him' represent ?  

(a) The president of New York Central
(b) Psychiatrist, Sam Weiner
(c) Stationmaster of New Haven

(d) A man who wore derby hat and a black four- button suit.

2. What was Charley's disease ?

(a) loose talk and travelling mania to unknown places
(b) a kind of mad for collecting stamps
(c) waking dream wish fulfillment

(d) day dreaming and traveling to unknown places

3. What made his wife a kind of mad?

(a) When the psychiatrist told that Charley was unhappy.
(b) When the psychiatrist suggested that Charley was mad
(c) When she heard that Charley was suffering from wanderlust.

(d) When she thought that if something happened to Charley, she would be alone

4. According to the psychiatrist what did Charley long for?

(a) He wanted to go to the third level
(b) He didn't want to go to his office by bus
(c) He wanted to collect all first - day covers

(d) He wanted to escape from the insecurity, fear, war and worry of the modern world

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

3. "One night last summer I worked late at the office. I was in a hurry to get uptown to my apartment, so I decided to take the subway from Grand Central because it's faster than bus"

1. What is meant by "worked late at the office" ?

(a) he was late to work at the office
(b) formerly he was working at the office
(c) he disliked to work late at the office

(d) he worked even after office hour

2. Why was he in a hurry to reach home?

(a) He feared the war-mongered people at night
(b) He was already late so he wanted to reach his apartment early.
(c) It was his character to be hurry always

(d) He wanted to meet his psychiatrist friend

3. Why did he decide to take the subway ?

(a) In USA subways were attached with escalators
(b)  He knew that there wouldn't have accidents in subway
(c) Subway was a shortcut and faster than bus

(d) There would be no rain or mist in the subway

4. Who is the author of the story, "The Third Level" ?

(a) Jack Finney
(b) Pearl S. Buck
(c) John Updike

(d) Colin Dexter

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

4. "I turned into Grand Central from Vanderbilt Avenue and went down the steps to the first level, where you take trains like the Twentieth Century. Then I walked down another flights to the second level, where the suburban trains leave from, ducked into an arched doorway heading for the subway - and got lost".

1. "I turned into Grand Central from Vanderbilt Avenue". Why did he turn to Grand Central ?

(a) because he wanted to use a subway to reach home early
(b) because there were no bus service at night.
(c) because he disliked to walk alone

(d) because he wished to catch a train from Grand Central Station

2. What do you mean by "Trains like Twentieth Century"?

(a) Trains that go to different states of the country
(b) Metro Railways
(c) Trains that go within the city

(d) Meter Gauge and Broad Gauge rails

3. Suburban trains...................................................

(a) will go to the neighbouring countries.
(b) are moving within the city
(c) are moving almost all the railway stations

(d) are diesel locomotives 

4. "ducked into" means .........................................

(a)  moved tiredly and slowly
(b) passed away
(c) moved holding head erect

(d) entered an arched doorway 

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

5. "There's probably a long tunnel that nobody knows about feeling its way under the city right now, on its way to Times Square and maybe another to Central Park. And maybe - because for so many people through the years Grand Central has been an exit, a way of escape - maybe that's how the tunnel I got into....."

1. Why does Charley say that nobody knows about the long tunnel?

(a) because there is no such tunnel
(b) because the tunnel is purely imaginary.
(c) because it is a way to escape from the world of insecurity and war.

(d) all the above

2. Where was Charley when he thought it so?

(a) in the subway of Grand Central 
(b) in the clinic of the psychiatrist
(c) in his office

(d) on the way to Grand Central

3. Where was Charley going ?

(a) to a peaceful world
(b) to Galesburg
(c) to his apartment

(d) to meet his friend Sam 

4. "There's probably a long tunnel that nobody knows about the feeling its way under the city". Where was the mentioned tunnel?

(a) in Grand Central railway station
(b) in the mind of Charley
(c) in the imaginary world of the psychiatrist

(d) in the heaven

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

6. "There was brass spittoons on the floor, and across the station a glint of light caught my eyes; a man was pulling a gold watch from his vest pocket. He snapped open the cover, glanced at his watch and frowned"

1.  where was the spittoons kept?

(a) in the subway of Grand Central
(b) in the footpath of the main road
(c) in the platform of the third level

(d) in the clinic of the psychiatrist

2. What do you mean by 'spittoon' ?

(a) spit free area
(b) a receptacle for spitting
(c) a religious ceremony

(d) a kind of mental disease

3. snapped open means .......................................

(a) that can't be opened easily
(b) quickly opened
(c) opened inserting force

(d) slowly opened

4. Where was the watch ?

(a) in his vest pocket
(b) on his wrist
(c) in his coat's pocket

(d) on the wall of the platform

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

7. "To make sure, I walked over to a newsboy and glanced at the stack of papers at his feet. It was "The World" : and "The World" hasn't been published for years. The lead story said something about President Cleveland, I've found that front page since, in the Public Library files, and it was printed June 11, 1894" 

1. What did Charley want to make sure ?

(a) He wanted to make sure whether he was in the third level or not
(b) He wanted to know who was the President during those days
(c) He wanted to know the reason why "The World" was stopped

(d) He wanted to make sure that he was normal

2. What do you mean by "The World" mentioned here?

(a) The Universe
(b) The Third Level
(c) A newspaper

(d) Imagination

3. What was the lead story in "The World ?

(a) about the Third Level
(b) about the president of  Grand Central
(c) about the reason of dropping "The World"

(d) about President Cleveland

4. How did he prove that the lead story what he had seen was true?

(a) by recollecting the scenes what he had experienced in the third level.
(b) by finding the same lead story (printed in 1894) from the Public Library files 
(c) by consulting with the newspaper reporters

(d) by researching different types of stamps.

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

8. "You can buy old money at almost any coin dealer's, but you have to pay a premium. My three hundred dollars bought less than two hundred in old style bills, but I didn't care; eggs were thirteen cents a dozen in 1894."

1. Why did he want old style bills ?

(a) to buy eggs
(b) to take tickets 
(c) to give to psychiatrist

(d) to do charity works

2. What do you mean by "bills" ?

(a) receipt
(b) beak
(c) a name 

(d) currency 

3. Why didn't he care when he lost  hundred dollars in the money exchange ?

(a) because his only intention was to reach Galesburg with his wife
(b) he didn't care about money as it would come and go
(c) because everything would be available in cheaper rate in 1894

(d) because the lost amount was his hard earned money

4. Explain: "eggs were thirteen cents a dozen"

(a) One dozen egg costs only thirteen cents
(b) Eggs were very costly in 1894
(c) It indicates essential commodities are costly

(d) Even one egg costs thirteen cents 

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

9. "My friend Sam Weiner disappeared! Nobody knew  where, but a sort of suspected because Sam's a city boy, and I used to tell him about Galesburg - I went to school there - and he always said he liked the sound of the place".

1. What did Charley think about the disappearance of Sam Weiner?

(a) He might have gone to his house in the city
(b) He might be hiding behind the hay feed
(c) He might have gone to Galesburg

(d) He might have died

2. Where was Charley's schooling ?

(a) at Galesburg
(b) at Willard street
(c) in a city

(d) none the above

3. Where was Sam born and brought up ?

(a) in a city
(b) in a village
(c) in an undeveloped rural area 

(d) in the lap of a hillock

4. What do you mean by "The sound of the place"

(a) Sam liked the sound of the place
(b) Sam liked the place like Galesburg
(c) Sam liked the sound of busy streets

(d) Sam liked the music of the city

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

10. "I found out that Sam bought eight hundred dollars worth of old style currency. That ought to set up in a nice little hay feed and grain business; he always said that's what he really wished he could do, and he certainly can't go back to his old business"

1. According to Charley what was Sam wanted to be?

(a) to be a psychiatrist
(b) to open a hay feed and grain business of his own
(c) to become a famous doctor

(d) to run a small business concern

2. Why did Sam exchange eight hundred dollar worth old style bills?

(a) to start hey feed and grain business
(b) to modify his clinic
(c) to buy medical gadgets for his clinic

(d) to go to Galesburg.

3. Why couldn't Sam go back to his business ?

(a) because he disliked that business
(b) because he hadn't proper planning to do the business
(c) because he spent his complete savings to get old bills

(d) because he was a psychiatrist

4. What do you mean by 'hay, feed and grain business' ?

(a) a business for farmers
(b) a business for beauty parlor shop
(c) a small scale industry

(d) a medical shop's pharmacy 

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

 QESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. What is the first day cover?

Ans: When a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy them and use them to mail envelops to themselves on the very first day of sale; and the postmark proves the date on which they issued. The envelop is called a first day cover.

2. What had Sam written in the first day cover?

Ans: Sam admitted that it  was true what Charley had said. He said that he had reached the third level two weeks back. He also invited Charley to reach the third level. He narrated his experience at Galesburg. He could see the people who were playing piano down the street. They were singing "Seeing Nelly Home".

3. Explain the irony at the end of the story.

Ans: Actually Charley longed to reach Galesburg of 1894, but he couldn't attain it. But Sam who discarded the idea of the third level reached Galesburg of 1894. That was the irony at the end of the story.

4. Why did Charley run back from the ticket window?

Ans: When Charley produced money to the booking clerk, he was threatened that he would be handed over to police accusing that he produced fake currency. so he ran away from the ticket window.

5. Describe Galesburg of 1894.

Ans: It was a wonderful town with old frame houses, big lawns and fig trees. Summer evenings were longer and interesting. Men would sit in their lawns and smoked cigars and spoke quietly. Their wives would fan them with palm leaves. It meant that they lived in peace and harmony. They had a lot of fun and leisure time.

6. What was the reaction of Louisa when Charley narrated about the third level ?

Ans: Louisa was very much alarmed when Charley narrated his experience about the third level. She thought that "The Third Level" would be a product of Charley's imagination. She requested him not to think about "The Third Level" any more. But in the end of the story both of them started looking for "The Third Level"

7. What is the opinion of Charley about the subway of Grand Central ?

Ans: Charley compares the subway with the roots of a big tree. It leads to new corridors and staircases like roots of a tree. It has always been an exit, a way to escape from the world of hatred, insecurity, war and restlessness.

8. Charley lost 100 dollars when he exchanged bills. But he was happy. Why?

Ans: Eggs were thirteen cents for a dozen in 1894 Galesburg. Things were very cheap. He could buy a lot of things for 200 dollars. Thinking so , he was happy.

LONG ANSWER QUESTION

1. "My friend Sam Weiner disappeared !"  Where did he go? Explain

Ans: Sam Weiner was a psychiatrist, who was also one of the friends of Charley. He didn't go anywhere. Everything was the imagination of Charley who was fed up with the modern world. He couldn't find security and a peaceful life anywhere. He wanted to be free from worries and tensions.

He imagined a life free from insecurity and hatred. He earnestly longed for a harmonious life. Because of these thought he developed an imaginary world of Galesburg  where there was peace and security. He believed that he was student in a school at Galesburg. During his childhood days he was not aware of the problems of the society, that might be the reason he fabricated an imaginary Galesburg.

The story is a science fantasy. Here, Jack Finney pictures time travel which is a way to escape from worries. Creating imaginary things in the mind and believing that are true is a way to escape from the problems. Charley is a victim of waking dream wish fulfillment. 

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