Lesson 4 Bepin Choudhary’s Lapse of Memory

 

Comprehension check…   (Page 62)

1. Why did the man stare at Bepin Babu in disbelief?

Ans:  The man stared at Bepin Babu in disbelief because Bepin Babu did not recognize him even though he was sure that he knew him and had met him in Ranchi.

2. Where did Bepin Babu say he went in October’ 58?

Ans:  Bepin Babu said that he went to Kanpur in October’ 58 .

3. Mention any three (or more) things that Parimal Ghose knew about Bepin Babu.

Ans:  Parimal Ghose knew that Bepi Babu had no children. He had lost his wife ten years ago. His only brother had died insane.

Comprehension check…   (Page 65)

1. Why did Bepin Babu worry about what Parimal Ghose had said?

Ans Parimal Ghose had shown that he knew many intimate facts about Bepin Babu. He was sure that he had never been to Ranchi but still, he was worried about whether he really forgotten his memory.

2. How did he try to decide who was right—his memory or Parimal Ghose?

 Ans:  He tried to decide whether his memory was right or Parimal Ghose by looking at a cut on his right knee.  However, he could not decide it. Then, he phoned to Dinesh Mukherjee.

3. Why did Bepin Babu hesitate to visit Mr Mukerji? Why did he finally decide to phone him?

Ans:  Bepin Babu hesitated to visit Mr Dinesh Mukerji because he was afraid that Mr Mukerji would think that he had gone insane. So he finally decided to phone him because that way his embarrassment wouldn’t be visible to the latter.

4. What did Mr Mukerji say? Did it comfort Bepin Babu, or add to his worries?

Ans:  Mr Mukerji said that they had indeed gone to Ranchi in ’58. This added to Bepin Babu’s worries.

Comprehension check…   (Page 68)

1. Who was Chunilal? What did he want from Bepin Babu?

Ans:  Chunilal was an old schoolmate of Bepin Babu. He had been having a rough time lately and required a job.

2. Why was Dr Chanda puzzled? What was unusual about Bepin Babu’s loss of memory?

Ans: Dr Chanda was puzzled because he had never dealt with a case such as Bepin Babu’s. The unusual thing about Bepin Babu’s case was that he remembered everything except the trip to Ranchi.

Comprehension check…   (Page 70)

1. Had Bepin Babu really lost his memory and forgotten all about a trip to Ranchi?

Ans No, Bepin Babu had not really lost his memory and forgotten all about a trip to Ranchi. It was a trick played by Chunilal.

2. Why do you think Chunilal did what he did? Chunilal says he has no money; what is it that he does have?

Ans:  Chunilal did what he did because Bepin Babu did not help him at the time of need. He wanted to teach Bepin Babu a lesson. However, he had imagination.

Working with text...

1. The author describes Bepin Babu as a serious and hardworking man. What evidence can you find in the story to support this?

Ans: Bepin Babu worked daily in his office. It was a big firm and he was doing a responsible job. He had been with the firm for twenty-five years.

2. Why did Bepin Babu change his mind about meeting Chunilal? What was the result of this meeting?

Ans:  Bepin Babu changed his mind about meeting Chunilal because he thought that it might be possible that the latter remembered something about the Ranchi trip. When Chunilal confirmed that Bepin Babu had been to Ranchi, Bepin Babu decided to see a specialist doctor.

3. Bepin Babu lost consciousness at Hudroo Falls. What do you think was the reason for this?

Ans:  Bepin Babu lost consciousness at Hudroo Falls because he had a fall. He had broken his hip.

4. How do you think Bepin Babu reacted when he found out that Chunilal had tricked him?

Ans:  Bepin Babu was regretting being too insensitive to an old friend. He felt ashamed for not helping his friend in his tough time. But he felt relaxed that he wasn’t suffering from any memory loss ailment.

Working with Language…

1: Fill in the blanks below using ‘had to’/ ‘have to’/ ‘has to’.

(i) I ____________cut my hair every month.

(ii) We _____________ go for swimming lessons last year.

(iii) She ____________tell the principal the truth.

(iv) They ______________take the baby to the doctor.

(v) We _____________ complain to the police about the noise.

(vi) Romit ___________finish his homework before he could come out to play.

(vii) I _______________repair my cycle yesterday.

Ans:

(i) I have to cut my hair every month.

(ii) We had to go for swimming lessons last year.

(iii) She has to tell the principal the truth.

(iv) They had to take the baby to the doctor.

(v) We have to complain to the police about the noise.

(vi) Romit had to finish his homework before he could come out to play.

(vii) I had to repair my cycle yesterday.

 2. Do yourself.

3. Study the sentences in the columns below.

A

B

I saw this movie yesterday.

I have seen this movie already.

Bepin Babu worked here for a week last year.

Bepin Babu has worked here since 2003.

Chunilal wrote to a publisher last week.

Chunilal has written to a publisher.

I visited Ranchi once, long ago.

I have visited Ranchi once before.

Compare the sentences in the two columns, especially the verb forms. Answer the following questions about each pair of sentences.

(i) Which column tells us the Bepin Babu is still working at the same the place?

(ii) Which column suggests that Chunilal is now waiting for a reply from the publisher?

(iii) Which column suggests that the person still remembers the movie he saw?

(iv) Which column suggests that the experience of visiting Ranchi is still fresh in the speaker’s mind?

Ans:

(i) Column B

(ii) Column A

(iii) Column B

(iv) Column B

4. Given below are jumbled sentences. Working in groups, rearrange the words in each sentence to form correct sentences.

You will find that each sentence contains an idiomatic expression that you have come across in the lesson. Underline the idiom and write down its meaning. Then use you dictionary to check the meaning.

One sentence has been worked out for you as an example.

Jumbled sentence: vanished/The car/seemed to/into thin/have/air.

Ans: The car seemed to have vanished into thin air.

(i) Stop/and tell me/beating about/what you want/the bush

Ans: --------------------------------------------------

Idiom: -----------------------------------------------

(ii) don’t pay/if you/attention/you might/the wrong train/to the announcement/board

Ans: -------------------------------------------------------

Idiom: -------------------------------------------------------

(iii) The village/tried/the crime/on the young woman/to pin

Ans: -------------------------------------------------------------

Idiom: -----------------------------------------------------------------

(iv) Bepin Babu/orders to/telling people/under/loved/doctor’s/eat early/that he was

Ans: -------------------------------------------------------------------

Idiom: --------------------------------------------------------------------

(v) the student/The teacher/his eyebrows/when/said that/all their lessons/raised/they had revised

Ans: ------------------------------------------------------------------

Idiom: ---------------------------------------------

Ans:

(i) Ans. Stop beating about the bush and tell me what you want.

Idiom: beating about the bush − avoiding the main topic, not coming straight to the point

(ii) Ans. If you don’t pay attention to the announcement, you might board the wrong train.

Idiom: pay attention − listen carefully

(iii) Ans. The villagers tried to pin the crime on the young woman.

Idiom: pin the crime − place the responsibility of the crime

(iv) Ans. Bepin Babu loved telling people that he was under doctor’s orders to eat early.

Idiom: under doctor’s orders − in complete necessity

(v) Ans. The teacher raised his eyebrows when the students said that they had revised all their lessons.

Idiom: raised his eyebrows − expressed doubt/surprise


Poem   4        The last Bargain

Working with the poem… (Page 75)

1. Who is the speaker in the poem?

Ans: The speaker in this poem is a poor man who is looking for work.  

2. “The king, sword in hand” suggests

(i) wealth

(ii) power

(iii) more power than wealth

Mark the appropriate item in the context of stanza 1.

Ans: (ii) power

3. The old man offered the speaker a lot of money. Why did he turndown the offer?

Ans: The speaker turndown the offer because he could not find happiness and freedom in money.

4. Find in the poem, lines that match the following. Read both one after another.

(i) I have nothing to give you

    Except goodwill and cheer.

(ii) Her happiness was no more

    than sorrow in disguise.

(iii) The king’s might was not worth much.

Ans: (i) I hire you with nothing.

 (ii) her smile paled and melted into tears.

 (iii) But his power was counted for naught.

5. How did the speaker feel after talking to the child on the beach?

Ans: The speaker felt happy and satisfied after talking to the child on the beach.

 

 

 

 


 

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