Karma ……………………………………………………. Khushwant Singh

    Karma      …………………………………………………….   Khushwant Singh

Textual Questions and Answer 

Exercise A

Tick the right choice.

1.  Sir Mahan Lal’s ways and manners were meant to produce the impression.

(a) That he was an Englishman.

(b) That he was as anglicized and refined as an English gentleman.

(c) That he belonged to Indian nobility.

(d) That he was not an Indian nobleman.

Answer: (a) that he was an Englishman.

2.  Sir Mohan believed that qualities attached to ‘Indian’ were

 (a) Lazy, corrupt, slow

 (b) Traditional, upper class, luxurious.

(c) Inefficient, dirty, indifferent

(d) Efficient, worthy of emulation.

Answer: (c) Inefficient, dirty, indifferent

3.  The word “get the nigger out” suggest

 (a) A sense of irony

 (b) ) A sense of humour

(c)A sense of farce

(d) ) A sense of tragedy

Answer: (a) A sense of irony

4.  When Sir Mohan saw two English soldiers walking towards his coupe, he decided to

 (a) Shoot them out.

 (b) Welcome them warmly.

(c) Vent his anger on them.

(d) Ignore them with an expressionless matter -of-factness.

Answer: (b) Welcome them warmly.

Exercise B

1. Choose the option that best answers the given question.

1. Where does Sir Mohan Lal look at himself in the mirror?

(a) Sir Mohan Lal looks at himself in the mirror in the ground floor of his bungalow.

 (b) Sir Mohan Lal looks at himself in the mirror in a first-class waiting room at the railway station.

(c)  Sir Mohan Lal looks at himself in the mirror in his room at Balliol College, Oxford.

(d)  Sir Mohan Lal looks at himself in the mirror in the upper storey of his bungalow.

Answer: (b) Sir Mohan Lal looks at himself in the mirror in a first-class waiting room at the railway station.

2. Why are Sir Mohan Lal and Lady Lal not travelling together even though they are booked in the same train?

 (a) Men and women were not allowed to travel together in olden days.

 (b) Sir Mohan Lal likes to travel first-class and Lady Lal prefers the inter-class

(c) Sir Mohan Lal likes to travel inter-class and Lady Lal prefers the first-class

 (d) There are no tickets available in the same compartment.

Answer: (b) Sir Mohan Lal likes to travel first-class and Lady Lal prefers the inter-class

3. How do Sir Mohan Lal and Lady Lal live at home?

 (a) Sir Mohan Lal stays in the upper storey of the house while Lady Lal is on the ground floor.

 (b)Lady Lal lives in the servants’ quarters next door.

(c) Sir Mohan Lal and Lady Lal live together in perfect accord on the same floor.

(d) Lady Lal stays in the upper storey of the house while Sir Mahan Lal lives on the ground floor.

Answer: (d) Lady Lal stays in the upper storey of the house while Sir Mahan Lal lives on the ground floor.

4. What were Sir Mohan Lal’s plans to strike up a conversation with fellow travelers during the train journey?

 (a)Sir Mohan Lal decided to talk about the weather loudly.

 (b) Sir Mohan Lal decided to display The Times in such a way that it was visible to others while he worked on the crossword puzzle.

(c) Sir Mohan Lal decided to lend his copy of The Times newspaper to anyone who wanted it and then begin a loud conversation.

(d) Sir Mohan Lal decided to quiz his fellow travelers about their native place in anglicized Hindustani.

Answer: (b) Sir Mohan Lal decided to display The Times in such a way that it was visible to others while he worked on the crossword puzzle.

5. Which act of the British soldiers finally angers Sir Mohan Lal?

 (a) Sir Mohan Lal was outraged by their refusal to read The Times.

 (b) Sir Mohan Lal was outraged by their speaking to him in broken Hindustani.

(c) Sir Mohan Lal was outraged by their throwing out of his suitcase and other belongings on to the platform.

(d) Sir Mohan Lal was outraged by their ignorance of his Balliol tie.

Answer: (c) Sir Mohan Lal was outraged by their throwing out of his suitcase and other belongings on to the platform.