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CBSE Important Questions Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1

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Important Questions Class 11 English Hornbill

Chapter 1 – The Portrait of a Lady
English is an important subject that students study in school. Hornbill is a
textbook of English published by NCERT for Class 11 CBSE students and has
reading and writing sections. The first chapter under the reading section
contains a story and a poem.

Quick Links
◦ Important Questions Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1 – The Portrait of a
Lady
◦ Important Questions Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1 – With Solutions

The story, ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ by Khushwant Singh, is a remembrance of the

writer’s grandmother. It vividly depicts their relationship and her personality. On
the other hand, the poem ‘A Photograph’ also revolves around an old
photograph of the poet’s mother and her cousins. Thus, both writings evoke the
memory of loved ones. Students have to write long answer-type questions from
both writings. So, they should practise questions from the chapter to score better
in exams.

Extramarks is a leading company that provides all the study materials students
need. Important Questions, Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1 has been created
by our experts to assist students in writing their answers.They collected the
questions from several sources, such as the textbook exercise, CBSE past years’
question papers, CBSE sample papers, and important reference books, and
provided the answers to the questions.Experienced professionals have further
checked the solutions to ensure the best quality of content for students.

Extramarks provides a wide range of study materials related to CBSE and NCERT.
You may register on our official website and download the study materials. We
provide CBSE syllabus, CBSE extra questions, CBSE past years’ question papers,
CBSE sample question papers, NCERT books, NCERT exemplars, NCERT solutions,
NCERT important questions, vital formulas, and many more. We try our best to
clear your concepts and help you achieve extra marks in exams.

Important Questions Class 11 English Hornbill

Chapter 1 – With Solutions
The experts on Extramarks believe that students must practise questions for
better preparation. For this purpose, they have created this question series, in
which they have collected several questions from different sources. They have
collated the questions from the textbook, CBSE sample papers, CBSE past year”
question papers, and reference books. Apart from this, they have written the
answers too. Experienced professionals have further checked the answers to
ensure the best quality of content for students. Thus, the Important Questions
Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1 not only provides the questions but also
[provides the answers. The questions are-

Question 1. Write the word’s meaning

Rosary

Answer 1: A chain of beads used in prayer.

Question 2. Write the word’s meaning

Bedlam

Answer 2: A scene of confusion

Question 3. What was the author’s breakfast before going to village school?

Answer 3: The author’s breakfast was leftover chapati with butter and sugar.

Question 4. What would the author’s grandmother feed the dogs?

Answer 4: The author’s grandmother would feed stale chapati to the dogs.

Question 5. How long did the author stay abroad?

Answer 5: The author stays for five years in a foreign country.

Question 6. What were the names of the girls?

Answer 6: The names of the girls were Betty and Dolly.

Question 7. What impression did the author give of his grandfather?

Answer 7: The author described his grandfather with the help of a portrait that
hung in the drawing room. His grandfather wore a turban and loose-fitting
clothes in the portrait. He had a beard that covered most of his chest, and
according to the author, he looked at least a hundred years old. The author also
stated that he looked like someone who could never have a wife or children. His
grandfather’s portrait also confused the author about whether his grandmother
had ever been young and pretty.

Question 8. Why did the author think his grandmother was never young and
pretty?

Answer 8: The author stated that he always had difficulty believing that his
grandmother had been young and pretty. It is mainly because he always saw his
grandmother as old. He also saw the portrait of his grandfather. He didn’t believe
his grandfather could be a person who had a wife and kids. So, he thought his
grandmother had always been old and never had a husband or children.

Question 9. Mention how the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the
author’s grandmother died.

Answer 9: The author’s grandmother built a close relationship with the sparrows
after she moved to the city. She used to feed the sparrows every day. After her
death, she was laid on the floor and covered with a red shroud. When the author
and family members came to carry her body, they witnessed thousands of
sparrows on the veranda and in her room. They sat quietly on the floor. The
author’s mother went inside to bring some bread for the birds. But they didn’t eat
the bread crumbs and started to fly away after her body was carried out of the
room.

Question 10. How did the author’s grandmother’s routine change in the city?

Answer 10: The author’s grandmother’s routine changed after she came to live in
the city with the author’s family. She had the same room as the author, but he
was admitted to a city school. So, she could not take him to school. She couldn’t
help the author in his studies because he studied science and other modern
subjects in school. She got confined at home and engaged herself with spinning
wheels and praying. She started to feed the sparrows like she used to feed the
dogs in her village. Only half an hour, when she was with the sparrows, was her
best time of the day.

Question 11. Mention Three reasons why the author’s grandmother was
disturbed when he started attending the city school.

Answer 11: Their friendship faded when the author and his grandmother moved
to the city. He used to go to school by motor bus, and his grandmother could not
take him there. The author used to study English and western science in school. It
made her unhappy because she didn’t believe in this study and could not help
the author in lessons. The third factor that bothered her the most was the music
lessons that the author received in his schools.The lessons were different and not
meant for folk songs. It upset her, and she rarely spoke to the author after this.

Question 12. Mention how the author’s grandmother used to feed the birds
every day.

Answer 12: The author’s grandmother had the habit of feeding the dogs while
living in the village. When she moved to the city, she could not feed the dogs and
started to feed the sparrows. In the afternoon, she used to break the bread into
little crumbs and spread it for the birds on the veranda. There used to be
hundreds of birds, some sitting on her feet, shoulders and even on her head. That
half an hour used to be her best time of the day.

Question 13. Mention the odd way the author’s grandmother behaved just
before she died.

Answer 13: The author’s grandmother behaved differently one evening. She did
not pray and gathered some women from the neighbourhood. She collected a
drum and sang homecoming warriors’ songs for several hours. Lastly, the
author and his family had to request that she stop. The next morning, she got a
fever. Though the doctor said this was a mild fever, she said that her time was
near. She kept counting the beads and chanting prayers until she breathed her
last.

Question 14. Describe how the author’s grandmother reacted when he went to
study abroad.

Answer 14: The author stated that he left for a foreign country for five years to
study there. He was aware that it irritated his grandmother.But she came to
leave him at the railway station. She showed no emotion or sadness and
engaged in prayer. Her mind was lost in prayer, and she kept counting the beads
and silently kissing his forehead. In this way, she bid the author goodbye when he
left the country.

Question 15. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest
something to you?

Answer 15: According to the poem, the sea has not changed over the years. It
suggests the flow of time and how people’s lives change. The sea in the
photograph remains unchanged to this day.But the people in it are not the same.
They have grown with time and even died because man is not immortal. Thus, it
describes how humans are put on earth for a very short period of time, while the
seas, forests, rivers, and other features remain almost the same.

Question 16. Describe the photograph.

Answer 16: The photograph is of the poet’s mother, along with her two cousins.
Her mother was twelve or thirteen years old in that photograph. It shows that the
three of them went on a beach vacation. They were standing on the beach,
where sea water was washing their feet. The wind played with their hair as they
smiled sweetly towards their uncle, who was clicking the photo.

Question 17. How did the author describe his grandmother?

Answer 17: The author, Khushwant Singh, had a deep relationship with his
grandmother. He spent his childhood with her. He described her grandmother
as an older woman like everyone else’s his grandmother. He spent his
childhood with her. He described her grandmother as an older woman like
everyone else’s. He stated that he had known her for as long as he could
remember and couldn’t believe she was once so beautiful and young.But he
described her as a beautiful woman. He mentioned she was fat, short, and
slightly bent. She used to wear white clothes and roam in the house. She used
to support her stoop with one hand and count the beads of the rosary with the
other. Besides counting, she used to chant a prayer. The author described
numerous wrinkles crossing her face and her hair being grey. The silver locks
were scattered on her pale face. He compared her to the peaceful, white
landscape of a winter mountain.Thus, he described his grandmother and her
peaceful beauty.

Question 18. Describe the days when the author lived with his grandmother in
the village.

Answer 18: The author described his childhood friendship with his grandmother.
He stated that in his childhood, his parents lived in the city, leaving him with his
grandmother. So, he spent his early childhood days with his grandmother and
attended the village school run by the priest of the village temple. He
remembered his grandmother would wake him up, give him breakfast and get
him dressed while singing religious songs. Then he would have his breakfast,
which was leftover chapati with sugar and butter. After having breakfast, he
would go to school with his grandmother. He would chant the alphabet with
other students in chorus, and his grandmother would stay inside the temple
reading the scriptures. They would leave home after school when the village
dogs met them at the temple door.His grandmother used to carry several
chapatis with her, and she would tear the bread to feed the dogs. Thus, the
author remembered his colourful childhood days with her grandmother in their
village.

Question 19. Describe the changing relationship between the author and his
grandmother. Did their feelings for each other change?

Answer 19: The author had a good friendship with his grandmother. He used to
live with her during his childhood. She used to bathe him, dress him, and take
him to school. While he was studying, she used to stay inside a temple, reading
transcripts. After school, they used to return home while feeding the village
dogs. Thus, they had a close relationship. But with time, it changed. They
moved to the city to live with the author’s parents. The author was admitted to
a city school, where he used to travel by bus. As a result, his grandmother was
unable to accompany him and remained at home.She was frustrated because
she couldn’t assist him in his lessons and because the author was receiving
western education.They shared the same room, but their conversation got
quiet. When the author entered university, she got another room and accepted
her seclusion. Following that, he went abroad for studies, causing a schism in
their relationship.Though they got farther apart over time, their feelings for
each other did not change. He still loved her the same way he did before.His
grandmother believed she appeared herself in prayer and reduced
conversation with him, and that she had the same love and blessings for him.

Question 20. The author’s grandmother was a religious person. What are the
different ways in which we come to know this?

Answer 21: The author, Khushwant Singh, described his grandmother and their
relationship in his writing ‘The Portrait of a Lady. In the writing, we can see that his
grandmother was a religious person. In the beginning, he described how his
grandmother used to count the rosary beads in one hand and always chant the
mantra. In his childhood, she used to sing religious songs while dressing him up
for school so that he could understand the meaning of the songs. While the
author was studying at the village school, she used to stay inside a temple and
read religious scripts. She engaged in religious activities when she moved to the
city with the author’s family. She used to chant prayers. While she used to feed
the dogs in the village, she used to feed the sparrows in the city. When the author
started to go to a city school, she did not accept the education he was getting
there gladly. She was offended that the school taught science and other
modern-day knowledge instead of God and the scriptures.She was acting
strangely even before her last day.She gathered her neighbours and sang the
songs of homecoming warriors. On her last day, she said that her time was near,
and she kept chanting prayers before her last breath. Thus, the author described
his grandmother as a religious person.

Question 22. Explain how the title ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ suits the writing.

Answer 22: ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ by Khushwant Singh is a remembrance of his

grandmother. Here a portrait is mentioned, but it was the portrait of the author’s
grandfather. In writing, we find no mention of a picture or photograph of the
author’s grandmother. But the writing itself has become a portrait of her. The
author didn’t describe her grandmother as a specific person; rather, he stated
that she was like everyone else’s grandmother. His relationship with her was also
a common one between grandparents and grandchildren. But, the simplicity of it
touches the reader’s heart. The details of his memories with his grandmother
and her personality vividly depict a caring grandparent. We can know about her
personality from the writing. Thus, her picture gets embodied before our eyes
due to the author’s description. He didn’t mention her name but represented a
woman who strongly adhered to her faith and views. Thus, the lady we study in
the story becomes more than a relative of the author. Instead, we learn about a
strong older woman who was kind, religious and loved her family. So, the title ‘The
Portrait of a Lady’ perfectly suits the writing.

Question 23. Would you agree that the author’s grandmother was a person
strong in character? If yes, give instances that show this.

Answer 23: Author Khushwant Singh wrote ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ to remember
his grandmother. The writing showed that the author’s grandmother was
religious and had a very strong character. She was kind and devoted to the idea
of God. Throughout the passage, some instances prove that his grandmother
had a very strong personality. Her religious beliefs strongly suggest that she had
great faith in God, as do her views towards life. She used to count the beads of
her rosary and chant prayers all day. She took care of the author when his
parents settled in a city. She used to bathe him, dress him, feed him, and
accompany him to the village school. When he was studying in school, she used
to stay in a temple and read transcripts. While returning, she used to feed the
dogs. Later, she moved to the city with the author’s parents and didn’t change
her thoughts and beliefs. She clearly showed that she didn’t like modern
education, which created a distance between her and the author. Even when the
author went to university, she got a separate room and accepted her seclusion.
On the last day of her life, she kept chanting prayers before she breathed her
last. Her courage and patience to accept death truly show how strong a person
she was.

Question 24. Explain the poem ‘A Photograph’.

Answer 24: The poem ‘A Photograph’ by Shirley Toulson is about a photograph of

her mother. It shows her mother and two cousins smiling at the camera. Her
mother was barely twelve or thirteen years old in the photo when she went to the
beach with her cousins Betty and Dolly. They were standing on the beach while
the sea water washed their feet. The air was playing with their hair, and their
uncle clicked the photo while they were holding hands.Though the sea has
remained the same, their lives have changed with time. After two or three
decades, the poet’s mother remembered the day. She smiled, seeing the photo,
and exclaimed over how they were dressed. But in the next stanza, we know that
it was a memory of the poet because her mother is no more. She watches the
photo and remembers how her mother used to remember her seeing it in the
past. Thus, the image evokes her mother’s memory, just like it evoked her
mother’s memory of her past.

Question 25. The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they?

Answer 25: The poem ‘A Photograph’ by Shirley Toulson is about remembering

loved ones. The three stanzas depict three time periods. The first stanza starts
with a photograph of the poet’s mother with her two cousins. They went on a
beach vacation and took photos there. They were standing on the beach when
the ocean water washed their feet, and they were posing with sweet smiles
when their uncle was clicking the photo. It represents a happy time when her
mother enjoyed the day with her family. She was barely a teenager back then.

The next stanza shows how her mother remembered her past. She smiled while
seeing the photo and remembering how they had been dressed for the beach.
Her past also made her sad because those days were gone. This presents a
period several decades after that photograph was taken.

The third stanza represents the present time, when the poet’s mother is dead.
She remembers seeing the photo. All she can hear is silence because the
person who used to smile when seeing the photo is gone. So, the poem ends
with the present scenario, with the poet remembering her mother seeing an
old photograph of her childhood days.

Benefits of Solving Important Questions Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1

Practice is very important for better preparation. Students must write answers
regularly to improve their writing skills. It helps with their creative writing skills and
increases confidence. Sometimes the textbook exercise is not enough. Then,
students must take help from other sources. Extramarks provide all the study
materials to help students score better in exams. The experts have made the
Important Questions Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1 to help students. They
collected the questions from different sources and wrote the answers. There will
be multiple benefits to studying these question-answers. The benefits are-

The exercises in the textbook often have limited questions. These questions
are not enough for practice, and students must collect questions from
different sources. Now, the task of collecting questions from other books
may be a tiresome job for students. They may find the questions in multiple
books and sometimes miss a few important ones.The experts at Extramarks
have done this work for students. They have collected different questions
that usually come up in exams and are included in Class 11 English Hornbill
Chapter 1 Important Questions. So, students will find all the vital questions in
this chapter if they follow the questions provided in this article.
The experts have taken help from various sources. They have accumulated
the questions from the textbook exercise, CBSE sample papers and
important reference books. Apart from this, they have also included a few
questions from CBSE past years’ question papers. This will help students
understand what questions generally come up in exams. They have tried to
incorporate all the important concepts in the pdf so that students may
practise multiple possible questions from the chapter. Thus, the Important
Questions Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1 will help students take their
preparation to another level.
The experts have provided the answers to the questions. They have written
the answers following the CBSE curriculum. Experienced professionals have
further checked the answers to ensure the best quality of content for
students. Thus, the English Hornbill Class 11 Chapter 1 Important Questions
will help students write answers. They can follow the answers and improve
their writing skills, vocabulary, and grammar. Sometimes the answers can
help them write complete answers, which boosts their confidence for the
exams.So, the question-answers will help them score better in exams. It will
also help them to improve their grammar and vocabulary.Extramarks is a
leading educational company that helps students by providing different
study materials. We understand the needs of students and try to provide
materials accordingly. You will find the CBSE syllabus, NCERT books, CBSE
past years’ question papers, CBSE sample papers, CBSE extra questions,
CBSE revision notes, NCERT solutions, NCERT important questions, NCERT
exemplar, vital formulas, and many more. Like the Important Questions
Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1, our experts have made important
question-answers for other chapters that you can download after
registering on the official website of Extramarks. Links to important study
materials are given below-

NCERT books
Important questions
CBSE Revision Notes
CBSE syllabus
CBSE sample papers
CBSE past years’ question papers
Important formulas
CBSE extra questions

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. What is the story ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ about? 〉

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Chapter 1 help students?

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