Evans tries an ‘O’ level- QB

1.‘And besides, there was just a possibility that Evans was genuinely interested in O-level
German. Just a slight possibility. Just a slight possibility. The repetition of ‘just a light possibility’
serves the purpose of

(a) emphasizing the fact

(b) comforting oneself with the fact
(c) typing to accept the fact
(d) showing distrust in the fact

(b) By repeating the statement, the Governor is trying to comfort himself of Evans's genuine-
ness in giving the exam.

2.“You haven’t a cat in hell’s chance of getting through, of course, but …………”
“I may surprise everybody,” said Evans.

Which of the following can be said for the given lines?

(a) Evans was not at all interested in learning German.

(b) Evans and the German teacher knew the reality behind the exam.
(c) Evans knew that he would pass the German exam.
(d) Evans wanted to prove his German teacher wrong.

Ans. (b) The given lines indicate that both the teacher and Evans knew the reality behind giving
the O-level German exam.

3. Pick out the literary device used in the given lines. Jackson was the senior prison officer of D
Wing, and he and Evans had already become warm enemies.

(a) Repetition
(b) Imagery
(c) Oxymoron
(d) Irony

Ans. (c) The phrase ‘Warm enemies’ comprises opposite words, hence, it is a use of oxymoron.

4. Classify (1) to (4) as Fact (F) or Opinion (O), based on your reading of ‘Evans tries O level

(i) Jackson did not even like talking to Evans and wanted him gone.
(ii) Jackson used to get irritated with the very sarcastic words of Evans.
(iii) Jackson did everything in his power to exasperate Evans to do something wrong.
(iv) Jackson bought Stephens with him as a witness to Evans's behaviour.
(a) Fact - (i) and (iv) ; Opinion - (ii) and (iii)
(b) Fact - (ii) and (iii) ; Opinion - (i) and (iv)
(c) Fact - (i) and (ii) ; Opinion - (iii) and (iv)
(d) Fact - (ii) and (iv) ; Opinion - (i) and (iii)

Ans. (a)

5. “Why did they have to bug me in this cell?” ‘Bugging’ is generally a trope of ………… genre of
literature.

(a) mystery
(b) Sci-fi
(c) Horror
(d) Humour

(a) Bugging means to hide a microphone. It is generally used in thrillers as a trope of mystery.

6. “If he was so anxious to make another break, why in heaven’s name hadn’t he tried it from
the Recreational Block? Much easier.”

The given lines highlight the irony present in the situation as

(a) The Governor’s precautionary measures were vain as nothing happened.

(b) Even with so many precautions Evans made his escape.
(c) An outsider entered the prison to help Evans.
(d) The prison officers made a basic mistake.

Ans. (b) The irony of the situation is that even though the governor has taken all the necessary
precautions to prevent any mishap, Evans did make his escape.

7. Pick the option that best describes the word ‘demeanour’ as used in the given lines.
“McLeery’s hitherto amiable demeanour was slightly ruffled by this tasteless little pleasantry,
and he answered Jackson somewhat sourly.”

1. Personality
2. Manner
3. Conduct
4. Attitude
5. Cast
6. Appearance

(a) 1, 2, 3
(b) 2, 3, 4
(c) 3, 4, 5
(d) 4, 5, 6
Ans. (b) The word ‘demeanour’ indicates an individual’s manner, conduct and attitude.

8. The Governor reached for the phone. “Jackson? Ah, good. Get Stephens out of that cell, will
you? I think we’re perhaps overdoing things.” In the context of the lesson, which of the following
idioms would suit the given lines?

(a) Come back to bite you

(b) Throw caution to the wind
(c) Barking up the wrong tree
(d) So far so good

Ans. (c) By asking Stephens to come out of the cell, the Governor has taken the wrong course
of action. Such a situation is aptly described by ‘barking up the wrong tree’ which means to be
misguided in a decision.

9. Select the correct option for the given statements based on your reading of ‘Evans tries an O-
level’.

I. Stephen was an under-confident police officer.

II. If Stephen had not gone to check on Evans after the exam, the discovery of Evans's escape
would have been late.

(a) I is true but II is false.

(b) I is false but II is true.
(c) Both I and II cannot be inferred.
(d) Both I and II can be inferred.

(d) Stephen was a new police officer and so was under-confident. It is also true that if he had
not gone to check on Evans after the exam, the discovery of Evans's escape would not have
been made.

10. How did McLerry react when Stephen asked him about the rubber ring?

(a) Flustered
(b) Irritated
(c) Angry
(d) Doubtful

Ans. (b) When Stephens asked McLeery about his rubber ring, the latter gets irritated at him.
11. On the basis of this passage, pick the option that enumerates the characteristics of the
Governor.

1. short-tempered
2. practical
3. rational
4. over-cautious
5. gullible
6. over-confident

(a) Only 1
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 5
(d) Only 6

Ans. (c) The Governor was a gullible and short-tempered man.

12. “God Almighty! There's far more going on than I ___”

“Always will be, sir." What can be collected from the aforesaid conversation between the
Governor and Evans?

(a) The Governor realised that he was likely to lose his job very soon.
(b) Evans proved that criminals are always one step ahead of the police,·
(c) There were always schemes afoot unknown to prison authorities.
(d) The Governor’s confidence in his control over the prison stood shattered.

Ans. (c)

l Extract Based MCQs

1. Read the extract to attempt the question that follows.

“They’re not — they don’t honestly think I’m goin’ to try to — ”

“They’re taking no chances, Evans. Nobody in his senses would take any chance with you.”
“Who’s goin’ to listen in?”
“I’ll tell you who’s going to listen in, laddy. It’s the Governor himself, see?

He don’t trust you a bloody inch—and nor do I. I’ll be watching you like a hawk, Evans, so keep
your nose clean.
Clear?” He walked towards the door.
Evans nodded.
He’d already thought of that, and Number Two Handkerchief was lying ready on the bunk—a
neatly folded square of off-white linen.
“Just one more thing, Einstein.”
“Ya? Wha’s ‘at?”
“Good luck, old son.”

(i) Which of the following qualities of Jackson does NOT come through in the given extract?
(a) Soft-hearted
(b) Gullible
(c) Skeptical
(d) Authoritative

Ans. (b) From the given extract, it can be said that Jackson was a soft-hearted and authoritative
police officer who was sceptical of Evans.

(ii) “Nobody in his senses would take any chance with you.” Why not?

(a) Jackson did not like Evans and was keen to get rid of him.
(b) Evans had quite a reputation for escaping from prisons.
(c) Evans had been transferred to Oxford prison and needed care.
(d) The Governor was uneasy about Evans’ German O-Level exams.

Ans. (b) The given lines highlight that the Governor and the prison officers do not trust Evans
as he had tried to run away from the prison three times.

(iii) In the given extract, ‘Einstein’ is meant as a

(a) compliment
(b) misconception
(c) taunt
(d) provocation
Ans. (c) (iv) The above extract employs several idiomatic expressions.

Which of the following is not an idiom?

(a) To not trust an inch
(b) To watch like a hawk
(c) To keep nose clean
(d) To be ready on the bunk

Ans. (d)

(v) ‘Watching you like a hawk’ means

(a) watching in regular intervals

(b) watching with suspicion
(c) watching angrily
(d) watching continuously

Ans. (d) Watching you like a hawk means watching continuously and attentively.

2. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow.

The Governor reached for the phone. It was 9.12 a.m. The examinee and the invigilator had
already been introduced by Stephens when Jackson came back and shouted to McLeery
through the cell door. “Can you come outside a minute, sir? You too, Stephens.” Jackson
quickly explained the Governor’s worries, and McLeery patiently held out his arms at shoulder
level whilst Jackson lightly frisked his clothes.

Why did the Governor reach for the phone?

(a) To call the Examination board

(b) To call the prison
(c) To check on McLeery
(d) To call Jackson

Ans. (d) From the given extract it seems that the governor reached for the phone to call
Jackson.

(ii) Choose the option that correctly lists who the examinee and the invigilator are

(a) Jackson and McLeery

(b) Evans and McLeery
(c) Evans and the Secretary of the Examination board
(d) Evans and his teacher
Ans. (b)
(iii) The Governor’s worry was that
(a) Evans was hiding something in his hat
(b) that the cell must be checked again
(c) that McLeery could have carried a potential weapon
(d) that Evans must be aware of his cell being bugged

Ans. (c) The Governor was worried that without any intention, McLeery could have carried a
potential weapon that Evans could use.

(iv) Which of the following is true for the given extract?

(a) The Governor had ordered Stephens to stay inside the cell.
(b) McLeery was a Parson associated with the church
(c) Jackson was Stephens's boss.
(d) All of the above
Ans. (d)
(v) ‘Frisked lightly’ indicates
(a) searched without any discomfort
(b) searched for the sake of it
(c) searched carefully
(d) searched with respect.

Ans. (a) Frisked lightly means to search without causing any discomfort.

Would you say that kindness is a weakness in a law enforcement officer? Support your opinion
based on your reading of the story ‘Evans Tries an O-level.

Ans. It is true that kindness is a weakness in a law enforcement officer. It is kindness that leads
Evans to plan an escape right under the nose of the prison officials in spite of strict precautions
being maintained. The prison officials as well as the Governor looked at Evans as a human
being and not as a mere criminal. They started noticing and appreciating his mental capabilities
and allowed him to study German without making any enquiries themselves. Eventually, Evans
took advantage of their kindness and escaped from prison for the fourth time.

Q. The story is a statement against the rehabilitation of criminals. Do you agree? Justify your
stance.

Ans. The concept of rehabilitation of criminals focuses on giving a chance or two to improve
their ways of life. Sometimes, within the concept of rehabilitation, we forget the basic criminal
nature of the prisoners and start empathising with them. The result of such empathy and the
resultant kindness is that the criminals find a chance to escape or take things for granted just
like Evans had done. The process of rehabilitation by taking German classes and giving its
exam becomes the perfect ploy for Evans to plan his escape. This, however, does not mean
that rehabilitation is wrong. Rehabilitation must be essential but certain precautions must be
maintained in its process.

Q. Would you call Evans the hero of the story? Justify your stance.

Ans. Yes, we can call Evans the hero of the story as from the very beginning of the story he is
not depicted as an evil or a scheming criminal even though we are told that he has tried to run
away thrice. Throughout the story, Evans appears to be likeable and good-humoured. He
appears to be an underdog and the readers sympathise with him. Further, it is he who brings
the major turn of interesting events in the story with his master escape plan. His excellent plan
deserved to win as too many mistakes were made by the authorities. The admiration goes out
for one man making the authorities look foolish and when caught, he took his defeat sportingly.

Q Comment on the general absence of women characters in the story.

Ans. The story revolves around Evans, a congenital kleptomaniac, but a non-violent person. His
presence in the jail along with police authorities or his friends surrounding him doesn’t make
room for any female character. And even their absence is not felt like the turn of
the events in the story keep the reader interested.

Q It was important that the recaptured Evans keep up the façade till the very last moment of his
interaction with the Governor. Support this statement with a rationale.

Ans. Evans had spent a long time planning his escape from the Oxford Prison. His plan was
planned deeply to an extent that no one could suspect it prior to his escape. He had expected
that the Governor would get to know about his location soon. So, even the police officer and the
police van driver were his accomplices. To avoid any suspicion and risk discovery, he had to
keep up the facade that the authorities had the upper hand.

Q Give a character sketch of the Governor of Oxford Prison based on your understanding of the
story, ‘Evans Tries an O-level’.

Ans. The Governor of the HM Prison, Oxford appears to be a considerate and kind-hearted
fellow at the start as he arranges for an O-level language exam for a prisoner notorious for his
ability to escape from the prison. However, he is quite sceptical of Evans and makes every
arrangement to make sure that Evans doesn’t escape.

He is also rather proud and self-conscious. He didn’t want Evans to disgrace him by escaping
from his prison.

The Governor has the presence of mind which is clear from the fact that he cross-examines
every call that was made to the prison that day. He is intelligent enough to realise that he has
been duped but could not judge the extent of the deception.

He gets a little over-confident when he tells himself that Evans had no chance of escaping. He
is short-tempered and gets infuriated with his officers when Evans runs away. At last, he proves
to be just another good-for-a-giggle gullible Governor when Evans tricks him again and makes a
final escape. His overconfidence and self-praise let him down.

Q “The bungling of the prison staff is more responsible for Evans’ escape than his own
smartness”. Explain.

Ans. The bungling and silly mistakes made by the prison staff, rather than Evans’ smartness,
were actually responsible for Evans’ escape from the prison.
Evans was very well aware of the weaknesses of the staff in the prison. He knew that Jackson,
an experienced prison officer, had a soft corner for him, for all his show of boldness. So, he was
able to bully him. This allowed Evans to wear his ‘lucky’ hat during the exam and hide his
cropped hair.
Also, no one in prison takes precautions in verifying the invigilator’s identity.
 Further, a new prison officer Stephens was on duty. He was not aware of Evans’ smartness of
escaping from jail and thus makes mistake in not verifying the Governor’s phone call. He is not
very observant and does not pay attention to slim looking McCleery while he was going out of
jail. Even the Governor makes certain mistakes like the appointment of a new inexperienced
prison officer to guard Evans even with the knowledge of the prisoner's smartness. He also let
Evans know that the cell room was bugged. All these mistakes committed by prison staff and
the Governor help Evans to escape from the prison successfully.

Q. “The story glosses over the dark and violent side of prison life and the escape.” Comment on
the given statement with reference to your reading of the story.

Ans. It is true that the story glosses over the dark and violent side of prison life and the escape.
Even though the entire story takes place in the prison, we do not get to the manipulative, violent
and simply condescending side of the prison.
Generally, when we see or hear about prison scenes or an escape, we think of gunshots and a
whole lot of violence but herein nothing of the sort happens. In the story, the central character
itself is not evil. Evans is described as a pleasant sort of a fellow who did not harm anyone but
is only a Kleptomaniac. Even when Evan plans the escape, we do not get to see him talking to
violent or evil people.
The police and the prison officials themselves are jolly natured people who are more concerned
about Governor’s orders rather than the prisoner.

Finally, when the escape is made, we don’t see the rush or hear the chaotic situation that
should have taken place in the prison. Everything remains calm and graceful throughout the
story. Jackson goes back to his office and sits down to calculate his own role in Evans’ escape.
He berates himself, “Stephens is new to this, but I should have known better…” And at the
same time, he tries to be kind to himself, “But what more could I have done?” Jackson feels
caught between the two voices in his head - the tough prison officer on one hand, and a
compassionate person on the other.

QRead the given extract to attempt questions that follow.

“It was me, sir,” stammered Stephens. “Just like you told me, sir. I could have sworn —
” “What? Just like I told you, you say? What the hell — ?”
“When you rang, sir, and told me to — ”
“When was that?” The Governor’s voice was a whiplash now.
“You know, sir. About twenty past eleven just before –”
“You blithering idiot, man! It wasn’t me who rang you. Don’t you realise — ”

(i) Why did Stephens Stammer?

(ii) What can be made out of the Governor’s reaction to Stephen’s claim?
(iii) Who had actually rung Stephens?
(iv) What was the reason for the anger shown by Governor?
(v) Do you think the Governor was right in scolding Stephens?

Ans. (i) Stephen’s stammered because he knew the Governor would shout at him and punish
him for escorting Evans out of the prison building.
(ii) The Governor was surprised to know that he had called the prison to tell Stephens to escort
McLeery out while he in reality had not done so.
(iii) Instead of the Governor it was actually Evans's friends who had called the prison to help
Evans escape from it.
(iv) The Governor was angry because, in spite of taking so many precautions, Evans had
escaped once again from the prison.
(v) No, I don’t think the Governor was right in scolding Stephens because everyone involved in
Evan’s case was responsible for Evans’ success.