HORNBILL

Textbook in English for Class XI (Core Course)

Chapter 1: The Portrait of a Lady. By: Kushwant Singh

Understanding the Text.

1. Mention the three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left the
country to study abroad.
Ans: The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left the
country to study abroad are:
(a) Childhood: When he went to the village school and the grandmother helped him to get
ready and went to school with him.
(b) Boyhood: when he went to the city school in a bus. He shared a room with grandmother
but she could no longer help him in studies.
(c) Early youth: when he went to the university and was given a room of his own. The
common link of friendship was snapped.

2. Mention three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the
city school.
Ans: i. She hated western science and learning
ii. She was pained to know that there was no teaching of God and the Scripture there.
iii. She was allergic to music. She thought it was not meant for decent people and gentlefolk. It
was the monopoly1 of prostitutes and beggars.

3. Mention three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up.
Ans: The three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up are:
i. She accepted her loneliness and lived alone in her room.
ii. She sat at her spinning wheel and recited her prayers daily
iii. She fed the sparrows for half an hour, in the afternoon.

4. Mention the odd2 way in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.
Ans: The odd way in which the author’s grandmother behaved before she died was that the
evening the narrator returned for abroad, she didn’t pray. Instead she collected women of the
neighborhood and sang of the homecoming of warriors while thumping a sagging, dilapidated 3
drum for hours.

5. Mention the way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother
died.
Ans: The sparrows were utterly despaired when the author’s grandmother died. They expressed
their sorrow by sitting scattered on the floor, with no chirping. They did not even take the bread
crumbs, which the author’s mother scattered for them.

1
The exclusive possessions or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service.
2
Different to what is usual or expected, strange.
3
Decaying, old.
Working with Words
I. Notice the following uses of word ‘tell’ in the text.
1. Her fingers were busy telling the beads of her rosary.
2. I would tell her English words and little things of Western Science and learning.
3. At the age one could never tell.
4. She told us that her end was near.
Given below are four different senses of the word ‘tell’. Match the meaning to the uses listed
above.
a. make something known to someone in spoken or written words
b. count while reciting
c. Be sure
d. Give information to somebody
Answer:
SL. NO. Phrases No. Meaning
01. Telling the bead b. Count while reciting
02. Tell her d. Give information to somebody
03. One could never tell c. Be sure
04. Told us a. Make something known to someone in
spoken or written words

Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.

 The thought was almost revolting: it was disgusting to think so.

 An expanse of pure white serenity: widespread clear and calm whiteness
 A turning point: the time when an important change takes place.
 Accepted her seclusion with resignation: calmly submitted to her loneliness
 A veritable bedlam of chirruping: real confusing noise caused by chirping.
 Frivolous rebukes: light rebukes
 The sagging skins of the dilapidated drum: the loose skin of an old drum.