Question 1:
Why did the king want to know answers to three questions?
Answer:
The king wanted to know answers to three questions to avoid failure in life.
Question 2:
Messengers were sent throughout the kingdom
- to fetch wise men
- to find answers to the questions.
- to look for the wise hermit.
- to announce a reward for those who could answer the questions.
Answer:
to find answers to the questions.
Question 3:
Complete the following sentences by adding the appropriate parts
Many wise men answered
the king’s questions, ______________
Answer:
but their answers were so varied that the king was not satisfied.
Question 4:
Complete the following sentences by adding the appropriate parts
Someone suggested that
there should be a council of wise men ______________
Answer:
to help the king to act at the right time.
Question 5:
Complete the following sentences by adding the appropriate parts
Someone else suggested
that the king should have a timetable ______________
Answer:
and follow it strictly.
Question 6:
Complete the following sentences by adding the appropriate parts
The king requested the
hermit ______________
Answer:
to answer three questions.
Question 7:
Complete the following sentences by adding the appropriate parts
The king washed and
dressed the bearded man’s wound ______________
Answer:
but the bleeding would not stop.
Question 8:
Why was the king advised to go to the magicians?
Answer:
Some wise men believed that only magicians could tell the proper time for doing things. So
the king was advised to go to the magicians.
Essay Type Answer Some wise men opposed the idea of having a council to help the king to act
at the proper time. They were of the view that there were some things which could be urgent.
These things could not wait for the decision of the council. In order to fix the right time
for doing things, it is necessary to look into the future. And only the magicians could tell
the proper time for doing things.
Question 9:
In answer to the second question, whose advice did the people say would be important to the king?
Answer:
In answer to the second question of the king, some wise men said that the people most necessary to the king were his councillors. Some others said the priests were most important. In the opinion of a few others, the doctors were most necessary. And some others said that his soldiers were most necessary to the king.
Question 10:
What suggestions were made in answer to the third question?
Answer:
Three suggestions were made in answer to the third question. These were science, fighting and religious worship.
Question 11:
Did the wise men win the reward? If not, why not?
Answer:
No, the wise men did not win the reward because their answers were so different. They could not satisfy the king.
Question 12:
How did the king and the hermit help the wounded man?
Answer:
The king and the hermit removed the wounded man’s clothes. The king washed his wound and dressed it twice.
Question 13:
Who was the bearded man?
Answer:
The bearded man was the king’s enemy.
Question 14:
Why did he ask for the king's forgiveness?
Answer:
The bearded man was the enemy of the king and wanted to kill him. But the king showed kindness to him by saving his life. So he asked for the king’s forgiveness.
Question 15:
The king forgave the bearded man. What did he do to show his forgiveness?
Answer:
The king promised to return his property to him. He also promised to send his servants and his own doctor to look after the man.
Question 16:
What were the hermit's answers to the three questions? Write each answer separately. Which answer do you like most, and why?
Answer:
Question 17:
Match items in List A with their meanings in List B.
- wounded
- awake
- forgive
- faithful
Answer:
(i). (a), (ii). (b), (iii). (d), (iv). (c)
Question 18:
Each of the following sentences has two blanks. Fill in the blanks with appropriate form of
the word given in brackets.
The ________ said that only fresh evidence would make him
change his __________ (judge)
Answer:
judge, judgement
Question 19:
Each of the following sentences has two blanks. Fill in the blanks with appropriate form of
the word given in brackets.
I didn’t notice any serious ________ of opinion among the
debaters, although they ________ from one another over small points. (differ)
Answer:
difference, differ
Question 20:
Each of the following sentences has two blanks. Fill in the blanks with appropriate form of
the word given in brackets.
It’s a fairly simple question to ________ but will you
accept my ________ as final? (answer)
Answer:
answer, answer
Question 21:
Each of the following sentences has two blanks. Fill in the blanks with appropriate form of
the word given in brackets.
It isn’t ________ that ________ should always be the mother
of invention. (necessary)
Answer:
necessary, necessity
Question 22:
Each of the following sentences has two blanks. Fill in the blanks with appropriate form of
the word given in brackets.
Hermits are ________ men. How they acquire their ________ no
one can tell. (wise)
Answer:
wise, wisdom
Question 23:
Each of the following sentences has two blanks. Fill in the blanks with appropriate form of
the word given in brackets.
The committee has ________ to make Jagdish captain of the
team. The ________ is likely to please everyone. (decide)
Answer:
decided, decision
Question 24:
Each of the following sentences has two blanks. Fill in the blanks with appropriate form of
the word given in brackets.
Asking for ________ is as noble as willingness to ________
(forgive)
Answer:
forgiveness, forgive
Question 25:
Imagine you are the king. Narrate briefly the incident of your meeting the hermit. Begin like
this:
The wise men answered my questions, but I was not satisfied with their answers.
One day I decided to go and meet the hermit …
Answer:
The wise men answered my questions, but I was not satisfied with their answers. One day, I
decided to go and meet the hermit in the forest. I approached him. He was digging flower
beds outside his hut. I left my horse with my bodyguard and went there alone. I politely
asked him to answer my three questions: What is the right time to do a work? Who are the
most important person to listen to? What is the most important business to do at a time? The
hermit kept his cool. He didn’t answer my questions. He kept himself busy in his work. He
seemed dead tired. So, I began to do his work for him. I kept doing his work till
sunset.
At sunset, a bearded man came running towards us. His hands were pressed against
his stomach from which blood was flowing. He fainted and hit the ground. We removed his
clothing. I washed and dressed the wound. After that we took him inside the hut and laid him
on the bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quiet. Being tired of day’s work, I fell fast
asleep.
When I awoke, the wounded man asked for my forgiveness. He told me that he was
my enemy. He had come to kill me to take the revenge for his brother’s murder and for taking
away his property. He also thanked me for saving his life. I forgave him and promised to
sent my doctor to treat him at his place and return him his seized property. I made peace
with him for ever. l again asked the hermit to answer my questions. The hermit told me that
the most important time is ‘Now’. The most important person is he with whom you are at a
particular time. The most important business is to do that person good. I felt satisfied
with the hermit’s answers and came back.
Question 26:
Imagine you are the hermit. Write briefly the incident of your meeting the king. Begin like
this:
One day I was digging in my garden. A man in ordinary clothes came to see me. I
knew it was the king ...
Answer:
One day I was digging in my garden. A man in ordinary clothes came to see me. I knew he was
the king. I greeted him but didn’t leave my work. The king asked me to answer three
questions which were: What is the most important time to do something? Who is the most
important person to listen to at any time? Which is the most important business to do at any
time?
I listened to the questions but didn’t give any answer. The king took the spade
from my hand and began to work for me. At sunset a bearded man came running to the hut.
Blood was flowing through his stomach. The wounded man fell down on the ground. We took him
inside the hut. We dressed his wound and looked after him well. He closed his eyes on
account of pain. Being tired of day’s work, the king went to sleep. When he woke up in the
morning, the wounded man told him that he was his enemy and had come to kill him. He thanked
him for saving his life. The king forgave him, promised to return him his seized property
and made peace with him. At that moment, I told the king that he had got the answers to his
three questions. I told him that the most important time is ‘Now’. The most necessary person
is one you are with at a particular time. The most important business is to do that person
good.