Question 4 - Chapter 7 - The Interview - Flamingo - Chapters (Literature) - English Class 12

Read the extract and answer the following questions.

Extract:

Umberto Eco: When I presented my first Doctoral dissertation in Italy, one of the Professors said, “Scholars learn a lot of a certain subject, then they make a lot of false hypotheses, then they correct them and at the end, they put the conclusions. You, on the contrary, told the story of your research. Even including your trials and errors.” At the same time, he recognised I was right and went on to publish my dissertation as a book, which meant he appreciated it.

(The Interview)

Question (i)

What is the name of the country where Eco presented his first Doctoral dissertation?

1. France
2. Italy
3. Spain
4. Germany

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

(b) Italy

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to use our background knowledge or do some research to find out where Eco was born and educated.
• According to some sources Eco was born and raised in Italy, and he studied at the University of Turin, where he received his doctorate in philosophy in 1954.
• Therefore, based on these sources, we can infer that the name of the country where Eco presented his first Doctoral dissertation is Italy.😊

Question (ii)

 What does the word 'trials' mean in this context?

1. Legal proceedings or cases
2. Tests or experiments
3. Difficulties or hardships
4. Attempts or efforts

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

(d) Attempts or efforts

Step-by-step explanation:

• To find the meaning of a word in context, we can use strategies such as looking for synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples, or clues in the surrounding text.
• In this extract, the word 'trials' is used to describe part of Eco's research process that he included in his dissertation.
• We can look for clues in the text that might indicate what kind of process this was and how it relates to the word 'trials'.
• One clue is the word 'errors' in the same phrase, which suggests that these trials were not always successful or accurate.
• Another clue is the word 'including' in the previous phrase, which implies that these trials were additional or optional elements that Eco chose to add to his dissertation.
• These clues imply that these trials were attempts or efforts that Eco made to explore his research topic and find answers to his questions, even if they involved some mistakes or corrections.
• Therefore, based on these clues, we can infer that the word 'trials' means attempts or efforts in this context.😊

Question (iii)

 Complete the sentence with ONE word.

The Professor's remark suggests that Eco's approach to research was __________ from the usual one.

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

 The Professor's remark suggests that Eco's approach to research was different from the usual one.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To complete a sentence with one word, we can use strategies such as looking for grammatical clues, logical clues, or contextual clues in the text.
• In this extract, we need to find a word that fits in the blank space after 'was' and before 'from'.
• A grammatical clue is that we need an adjective that describes the noun 'approach' and agrees with it in number and degree.
• A logical clue is that we need a word that expresses how Eco's approach to research compares or contrasts with the usual one.
• A contextual clue is that we can look for words or phrases in the text that might be related to or similar to the missing word.
• One contextual clue is the word 'contrary' in the second line, which indicates that Eco's approach was opposite or opposed to the usual one.
• Another contextual clue is the word 'even' in the third line, which emphasizes that Eco's approach was unusual or unexpected by including something extra or additional.
• These clues suggest that we need a word that means not the same as or unlike something else.
• Therefore, based on these clues, we can infer that the word that completes the sentence is different.😊

Question (iv)

 Identify the line from the text that shows a positive evaluation of Eco's dissertation.

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

The line from the text that shows a positive evaluation of Eco's dissertation is "At the same time, he recognised I was right and went on to publish my dissertation as a book, which meant he appreciated it."

Step-by-step explanation:

• To identify a line from the text that shows a positive evaluation of Eco's dissertation, we can use strategies such as looking for words or phrases that indicate praise, approval, recognition, appreciation, etc.
• In this extract, there are two main evaluations of Eco's dissertation: one by the Professor who criticized his approach but acknowledged his correctness and published his work as a book; and another by Eco himself who defended his approach and expressed his satisfaction with his work.
• We can look for words or phrases in the text that indicate a positive evaluation of Eco's dissertation by either of these evaluators.
• One line from the text that contains such words is "At the same time, he recognised I was right and went on to publish my dissertation as a book, which meant he appreciated it."
• This line shows a positive evaluation of Eco's dissertation by the Professor, who admitted that Eco was right in his research and arguments, and who decided to publish his dissertation as a book, which implied that he valued and respected his work.
• Therefore, based on these clues, we can identify this line as the one that shows a positive evaluation of Eco's dissertation.😊

Question (v)

Explain any one possible reason why Eco chose to tell the story of his research instead of just presenting his conclusions.

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

One possible reason why Eco chose to tell the story of his research instead of just presenting his conclusions is that he wanted to show the process and the progress of his inquiry and learning, and not just the results or the outcomes.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To explain a possible reason why Eco chose to tell the story of his research instead of just presenting his conclusions, we can use strategies such as making logical inferences, using background knowledge, or providing examples or evidence to support our answer.
• In this extract, we can infer that Eco had a different approach to research than the usual one, as he included his trials and errors, and told the story of his research in his dissertation.
• We can make logical inferences about why he did so based on his statement and his attitude towards his work. For example, we can deduce that he was interested in exploring his philosophical interests and pursuing them through different forms of expression and communication, such as academic work and novels.
• We can use our background knowledge to think of some possible examples or evidence that support our inference. For example, we might know that Eco was a professor of semiotics (the study of signs and symbols) at the University of Bologna, and that he wrote several academic books and articles on topics such as linguistics, aesthetics, medieval studies, etc. We might also know that he was a novelist who wrote bestselling books such as The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum, which incorporated historical fiction, mystery, satire, etc.
• We can also provide examples or evidence from the text to support our answer. For example, we might mention that Eco said that he was convinced he was always doing the same thing, which meant that he had a consistent and coherent vision and purpose for his work.
• Therefore, based on these strategies, we can explain one possible reason why Eco chose to tell the story of his research instead of just presenting his conclusions.😊

Question (vi)

What is the name of the literary device that is used in the phrase "Scholars learn a lot of a certain subject, then they make a lot of false hypotheses, then they correct them and at the end, they put the conclusions"?

1. Anaphora
2. Antithesis
3. Asyndeton
4. Epistrophe

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

(a) Anaphora

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to use our background knowledge or do some research to find out what different literary devices are and how they are used in language and literature.
• According to some sources , a literary device is a technique that writers use to create special effects or meanings in their texts. Some common literary devices are anaphora, antithesis, asyndeton, epistrophe, etc.
• Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. For example, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up...I have a dream that one day...I have a dream today."
• Antithesis is the use of two contrasting or opposite ideas or words in a balanced or parallel way . For example, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
• Asyndeton is the omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses. For example, "I came, I saw, I conquered."
• Epistrophe is the repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences. For example,
• "Government of the people, by the people, For the people."
• In this extract, the phrase "Scholars learn a lot of a certain subject, Then they make a lot of false hypotheses, Then they correct them and at the end,they put the conclusions" is used by the Professor to describe the usual approach to research.
• This phrase uses anaphora as a literary device, because it repeats the words 'then' and 'they' at the beginning of successive clauses to create a rhythm and emphasize the sequence and structure of the research process.
• Therefore, based on these clues, we can infer that the phrase uses anaphora as a literary device.😊