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Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
MRS FITZGERALD: I did. Twelve years I had of it, with my old man rising to be Lieutenant Quartermaster. He learnt a lot, and I learnt a lot more. But will you make up your mind now, Mrs Pearson dear? Put your foot down, once an’ for all, an’ be the mistress of your own house an’ the boss of your own family.
MRS PEARSON: [smiling apologetically] That’s easier said than done. Besides I’m so fond of them even if they are so thoughtless and selfish. They don’t mean to be…
MRS FITZGERALD: [cutting in] Maybe not. But it’ud be better for them if they learnt to treat you properly...
MRS PEARSON: Yes, I suppose it would, in a way.
(Mother’s Day)
Question (i)
List any two sensory details present in this extract.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
Two sensory details present in this extract are "smiling apologetically" and "cutting in".
Step-by-step explanation: 📝
- Sensory details are words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
- To find sensory details in a text, we can look for words that describe how something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels.
- In this extract, one sensory detail is "smiling apologetically", which describes how Mrs Pearson expressed her emotion and attitude with her facial expression. This appeals to the sense of sight and emotion.
- Another sensory detail is "cutting in", which describes how Mrs Fitzgerald interrupted Mrs Pearson's speech with her own words. This appeals to the sense of sound and action.
Question (ii)
Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase "Put your foot down" suggests that ____________.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
The phrase "Put your foot down" suggests that Mrs Fitzgerald wanted Mrs Pearson to be more firm and assertive with her family.
Step-by-step explanation: 📝
- To complete a sentence with an appropriate word or phrase, we need to understand the meaning and context of the sentence.
- In this case, the sentence is about Mrs Fitzgerald's advice to Mrs Pearson on how to deal with her thoughtless and selfish family members.
- The phrase "Put your foot down" means to insist on something or refuse to change one's mind or opinion.
- Therefore, we need to fill in the blank with something that explains what Mrs Fitzgerald wanted Mrs Pearson to do or how she wanted her to behave with her family.
- Based on the extract, we can infer that she wanted her to be more firm and assertive with her family, because she thought that they did not treat her properly or respect her as the mistress of the house and the boss of the family.
- So, we can complete the sentence with "Mrs Fitzgerald wanted Mrs Pearson to be more firm and assertive with her family".
Question (iii)
Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line "He learnt a lot, and I learnt a lot more".
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
One possible inference that can be drawn from this line is that Mrs Fitzgerald was proud and confident of her own knowledge and experience gained from her husband's military career.
Step-by-step explanation: 📝
- An inference is a logical conclusion based on evidence and reasoning from a text.
- To explain an inference, we need to provide both the evidence from the text and our reasoning behind it.
- In this case, the line "He learnt a lot, and I learnt a lot more" is a statement made by Mrs Fitzgerald about her husband's rise to be Lieutenant Quartermaster in the army and what they both learnt from it.
- The evidence from this line is that Mrs Fitzgerald says that she learnt a lot more than her husband did, which means that she acquired more knowledge or skills than he did.
- Our reasoning behind this inference is that this statement implies that she was proud and confident of her own knowledge and experience gained from her husband's military career, because she compared herself favorably to him and did not show any modesty or hesitation in doing so.
- Therefore, we can explain our inference by saying that this line shows that Mrs Fitzgerald was proud and confident of her own knowledge and experience gained from her husband's military career.
Question (iv)
Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that Mrs Pearson was fond of her family despite their flaws.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
The line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that Mrs Pearson was fond of her family despite their flaws is "Besides I’m so fond of them even if they are so thoughtless and selfish".
Step-by-step explanation: 📝
- To identify a line from the text that supports a fact, we need to look for words or phrases that show or imply the fact.
- In this case, the fact is that Mrs Pearson was fond of her family despite their flaws, which means that she loved or cared for them even though they did not treat her well or consider her feelings.
- The line that shows this fact is "Besides I’m so fond of them even if they are so thoughtless and selfish".
- This line implies that Mrs Pearson was fond of her family despite their flaws by using the word "besides" to contrast her previous statement about them being thoughtless and selfish, and by using the word "even" to emphasize her affection for them regardless of their faults.
- Therefore, we can identify this line as the evidence for the fact.
Question (v)
What does the term 'in a way' indicate about Mrs Pearson's agreement or disagreement with Mrs Fitzgerald?
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
The term 'in a way' indicates that Mrs Pearson's agreement or disagreement with Mrs Fitzgerald was partial or qualified.
Step-by-step explanation: 📝
- To explain what a term indicates about something, we need to define the term and relate it to the context of the text.
- In this case, the term is 'in a way', which means to some extent or from a certain point of view.
- The term is used to modify Mrs Pearson's response to Mrs Fitzgerald's statement that it would be better for her family if they learnt to treat her properly.
- This indicates that Mrs Pearson's agreement or disagreement with Mrs Fitzgerald was partial or qualified, because she did not fully or unconditionally agree or disagree with her, but rather expressed some reservation or doubt about her opinion.
- Therefore, we can explain what the term indicates by saying that it shows that Mrs Pearson's agreement or disagreement with Mrs Fitzgerald was partial or qualified.
Question (vi)
Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
- A Woman's Advice to Her Friend on How to Be a Better Mother
- A Woman's Conversation with Her Friend on How to Deal with Her Family
- A Woman's Complaint to Her Friend on How Her Family Treats Her
- A Woman's Confession to Her Friend on How She Feels About Her Family
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
The best headline that suggests the central idea of the extract is (b). A Woman's Conversation with Her Friend on How to Deal with Her Family.
Step-by-step explanation: 📝
- To choose the best headline for an extract, we need to consider which one captures the main theme or message of the text.
- In this case, the extract is about a conversation between two women, Mrs Fitzgerald and Mrs Pearson, who are friends and neighbours. Mrs Fitzgerald gives advice to Mrs Pearson on how to be more firm and assertive with her family, who are thoughtless and selfish towards her. Mrs Pearson listens politely but also expresses her fondness and tolerance for them.
- The central idea of this extract is how the two women discuss and share their views and experiences on how to deal with their family problems and challenges.
- The headline that best reflects this idea is B. A Woman's Conversation with Her Friend on How to Deal with Her Family, because it summarizes the main topic and participants in the extract.
- The other headlines are either too specific (A), too general (C), or too irrelevant (D) to convey the central idea of the extract.
