Question

What does the phrase ‘the flower of cities’ symbolically represent in the context of the poem ?

• A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
• B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
• C. (A) is true, but (R) is false.
• D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
• A. The villagers are seeking alms from the affluent to survive.
• B. There is a disconnect between urban wealth and rural struggle.
• C. The signage used by villagers lacks professional polish.
• D. Passing motorists are disinterested in the stand’s appeal.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Locate the phrase:
The phrase occurs in the line 'The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint'. The poet says that the money which flows from the passing motorists supports this 'flower'.

Step 2: Read the symbol:
A flower stands for bloom, beauty and freshness. In the poem the cities are shown as blooming and glamorous places that stay prosperous only because money keeps flowing into them.

Final Answer:
'The flower of cities' symbolises the prosperity, glamour and abundance of city life.

Answer 2

Step 1: Test the Assertion:
The stand 'pathetically pled' for customers, so it is an anxious appeal. It asks for a share in the money that the city traffic carries, so (A) is true.

Step 2: Test the Reason:
The poet says the plea is 'not for a dole of bread' but for 'some of the money, the cash'. The villagers want to join the financial flow, not beg, so (R) is true.

Step 3: Link the two:
Because the villagers want to be part of the mainstream flow of money, their stand is a plea for inclusion. (R) explains (A), which makes option 1 correct and the other three wrong.

Final Answer:
Option 1: Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Answer 3

Step 1: Find the purpose of the stand:
The little new shed stands 'in front at the edge of the road where traffic sped'. It is a shop meant to sell things to passing travellers.

Step 2: Choose the word:
A seller places a stand at the roadside to draw customers. 'Discourage' would defeat the purpose, so it cannot fit.

Final Answer:
attract

Answer 4

Step 1: Read the phrase in its line:
'The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead' describes cars that rush past without a glance at the stand.

Step 2: Decode 'polished':
Polished means shiny, refined and well off. The cars stand for the people inside them, who are rich, sophisticated and self-absorbed.

Final Answer:
'Polished traffic' symbolizes sophisticated, rich and snobbish city dwellers.

Answer 5

Step 1: Check the 'alms' idea:
The poet says the plea is 'not fair to say for a dole of bread'. A dole is charity, so the extract clearly rejects the idea that the villagers beg for alms. Option 1 is not supported.

Step 2: Check the other options:
Option 2 is supported: city wealth and rural need are far apart. Option 3 is supported by the 'artless paint' of the signs. Option 4 is supported because the traffic passes 'with a mind ahead'.

Final Answer:
Option 1: The villagers are seeking alms from the affluent to survive.

Answer 6

Step 1: Gather the clues in the extract:
The villagers ask for a fair share of the money, not for charity. The rich motorists drive past, annoyed by the poor signs and untouched by the need behind them.

Step 2: State the message:
The poet wants city people to be more sensitive to the rural poor and to treat them with dignity, so that the gap between town and village is reduced.

Final Answer:
The poet urges the need to bridge the rural-urban divide and to build an inclusive society in which the rural poor are treated with dignity.