Sophie watched her back stooped over the sink and wondered at the incongruity of the delicate bow which fastened her apron strings. The delicate-seeming bow and the crooked back. The evening had already blacked in the windows and the small room was steamy from the stove and cluttered with the heavy-breathing man in his vest at the table and the dirty washing piled up in the corner. Sophie felt a tightening in her throat. She went to look for her brother Geoff.
He was kneeling on the floor in the next room tinkering with a part of his motorcycle over some newspaper spread on the carpet. He was three years out of school, an apprentice mechanic, travelling to his work each day to the far side of the city. He was almost grown up now, and she suspected areas of his life about which she knew nothing, about which he never spoke.
(Going Places)
Complete the following suitably :
The phrase ‘the incongruity of the delicate bow … and the crooked back’ of Sophie’s mother conveys ___________.
Complete the following suitably :
The phrase ‘the incongruity of the delicate bow … and the crooked back’ of Sophie’s mother conveys ___________.
Show Hint
Solution and Explanation
Incongruity means a lack of match between two things. The bow is delicate and pretty, while the back is bent from hard work.
Step 2: State what the pairing conveys:
The contrast shows the gap between the mother's refined, delicate side and the harsh burden of her daily life.
Final Answer:
the contrast between the delicate bow and the crooked back, that is, between elegance and a life of hard labour
Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
The description of Sophie’s ‘mother’s back’ in the extract expresses Sophie’s ____________ (conflicted/confident) state of mind.
Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
The description of Sophie’s ‘mother’s back’ in the extract expresses Sophie’s ____________ (conflicted/confident) state of mind.
Show Hint
Solution and Explanation
Sophie 'wondered at the incongruity' of the bow and the crooked back. She is puzzled and uneasy, and soon feels a tightening in her throat.
Step 2: Pick the word:
Such mixed and troubled feelings show a conflicted mind. Nothing in the passage shows her to be sure or confident.
Final Answer:
conflicted
What role does the man in the vest play in enhancing the tone of the passage ?
What role does the man in the vest play in enhancing the tone of the passage ?
Show Hint
- he brings a sense of peace to the setting.
- he deepens the oppressive atmosphere.
- he reinforces the narrator’s emotional connection.
- he introduces a moment of comic relief.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
He is the 'heavy-breathing man in his vest at the table', placed among the steam, the clutter and the dirty washing.
Step 2: Decide his role in the mood:
He adds to the cramped, heavy and joyless picture of the room. He does not bring peace or humour, and he does not link with the narrator's feelings.
Final Answer:
(B) he deepens the oppressive atmosphere.
What is the most plausible interpretation of Sophie’s physical reaction of ‘a tightening in her throat’ ?
What is the most plausible interpretation of Sophie’s physical reaction of ‘a tightening in her throat’ ?
Show Hint
- a desire to express something, restrained by uncertainty
- apprehension about her upcoming encounter with Geoff
- a surge of inner turmoil triggered by her surroundings
- a symptom indicating that she may be unwell
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Sophie has seen her mother's bent back, the steamy cluttered room, the breathing man and the dirty washing. The tightness in her throat follows these sights.
Step 2: Test the options:
The cause is her surroundings, so (C) fits. She goes to Geoff only after the feeling, so (B) is wrong. Nothing suggests illness (D) or something she wanted to say (A).
Final Answer:
(C) a surge of inner turmoil triggered by her surroundings
Why does Sophie decide to go look for Geoff ?
Why does Sophie decide to go look for Geoff ?
Show Hint
Solution and Explanation
Sophie feels a tightening in her throat in the stuffy, burdened room and then 'went to look for her brother Geoff'.
Step 2: Give the reason:
She wants to get away from the oppressive atmosphere and find some relief in the company of her brother, with whom she feels at ease.
Final Answer:
She goes to Geoff to escape the oppressive atmosphere at home and to find relief in his company.
What is Sophie’s perception of Geoff’s nature ?
What is Sophie’s perception of Geoff’s nature ?
Show Hint
Solution and Explanation
The extract says that 'she suspected areas of his life about which she knew nothing, about which he never spoke'.
Step 2: Draw the trait:
This means Sophie sees her brother as quiet and reserved, a person who keeps much to himself and has a private side.
Final Answer:
She sees Geoff as reserved and secretive, a quiet person who speaks little about his life.
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