You are here
Read the extract and answer the following questions
Extract:
When I casually mentioned this to a friend, he as casually replied that I had better get one in the Tigris marshes, for there they were as common as mosquitoes, and were often tamed by the Arabs. We were going to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect and answer our mail from Europe. At the Consulate-General we found that my friend’s mail had arrived but that mine had not. I cabled to England, and when, three days later, nothing had happened, I tried to telephone. The call had to be booked twenty-four hours in advance. On the first day the line was out of order; on the second the exchange was closed for a religious holiday. On the third day there was another breakdown. My friend left, and I arranged to meet him in a week’s time. Five days later, my mail arrived.
(Mijbil the otter)
Question (i)
What was the narrator's intention in going to Basra?
Answer:
As written by the student:
The narrator's intention of going to Basra was to collect and answer his mail from Europe.
Step-by-step explanation of the answer: 🌟
- To answer this question, we need to find the part of the extract that mentions Basra and why the narrator went there.
- The first sentence of the second paragraph says: "We were going to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect and answer our mail from Europe."
- This tells us that the narrator's intention of going to Basra was to collect and answer his mail from Europe.
- Therefore, we can write the answer as: The narrator's intention of going to Basra was to collect and answer his mail from Europe.
Question (ii)
How did the narrator's friend casually reply when the narrator casually mentioned getting an otter? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer:
As written by the student:
The narrator's friend casually replied that he had better get an otter in the Tigris marshes, for there they were as common as mosquitoes, and were often tamed by the Arabs.
Step-by-step explanation of the answer: 🌟
- To answer this question, we need to find the part of the extract that mentions h ow the narrator's friend casually replied when the narrator casually mentioned getting an otter .
- The first sentence of the first paragraph says: "When I casually mentioned this to a friend, he as casually replied that I had better get one in the Tigris marshes, for there they were as common as mosquitoes, and were often tamed by the Arabs."
- This tells us how the narrator's friend casually replied when the narrator casually mentioned getting an otter.
- Therefore, we can write the answer as: The narrator's friend casually replied that he had better get an otter in the Tigris marshes, for there they were as common as mosquitoes, and were often tamed by the Arabs.
Question (iii)
Read the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract.
- (a) A biography is a written account of someone's life, usually based on facts and research.
- (b) A memoir is a personal account of someone's experiences or memories, usually written in a subjective and emotional way.
- (c) A fiction is a story that is invented or imagined by the writer, usually based on some elements of reality or fantasy.
Answer:
As written by the student:
(b) A memoir is a personal account of someone's experiences or memories, usually written in a subjective and emotional way.
Step-by-step explanation of the answer: 🌟
- To answer this question, we need to understand what each description means and compare it with the extract.
- A biography is a written account of someone's life, usually based on facts and research. This does not match with the extract because it does not seem to be based on facts and research, but rather on personal observations and feelings.
- A fiction is a story that is invented or imagined by the writer, usually based on some elements of reality or fantasy. This does not match with the extract because it does not seem to be invented or imagined by the writer, but rather based on real events and places.
- A memoir is a personal account of someone's experiences or memories, usually written in a subjective and emotional way. This matches with the extract because it seems to be based on personal experiences or memories, and written in a subjective and emotional way.
- Therefore, we can write the answer as: (b) A memoir is a personal account of someone's experiences or memories, usually written in a subjective and emotional way.
Question (iv)
Which word would correctly substitute 'breakdown', in the given sentence from the extract.
On the third day, there was another breakdown.
Answer:
As written by the student:
Malfunction
Step-by-step explanation of the answer: 🌟
- To answer this question, we need to find a word that has a similar meaning as 'breakdown' and fits in the context of the sentence.
- Breakdown means a failure or collapse of something that was working before. It can also mean a loss of control or order. In this sentence, it refers to a failure or collapse of something that was working before, such as a phone line or a machine.
- Malfunction means a failure or defect in something that prevents it from working properly . It can also mean an abnormal or faulty action. In this sentence, it can also refer to a failure or defect in something that prevents it from working properly, such as a phone line or a machine.
- Therefore, we can write the answer as: Malfunction
