NCERT Solutions Class 11, English, Hornbill, Prose, Chapter "The Browning Version"
Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.
- Remove
- slackers
- muck
- kept in
- got carried away
- cut
- sadist
- shrivelled up
Solution:
emove: a division in a school
slackers: unmotivated and lazy students
muck: useless, of no practical good
kept in: grounded, detained, work after the official school hours
got carried away: to get very excited or lose control of your feelings due to strong emotions.
cut: escape, go away without permission.
sadist: a person who gets pleasure out of inflicting pain to others
shrivelled up: having no feelings
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
1. Comment on the attitude shown by Taplow towards Crocker-Harris.
Solution:
Crocker Harris is Taplow’s teacher. According to Taplow and me also; Mr. Crocker Harris is a strict disciplinarian. He was a hard working teacher and fully devoted to his duty as he called Taplow even on the last day of school to make up for his missed class. No student in his entire career has a courage to ‘cut’ Mr. Crocker Harris. He is neither partial nor biased; he will give Taplow whatever he deserves. He tries to maintain an appropriate distance from his students. He never responds the feelings shown by his students and remains shrivel. He is a man of principals and keeps the rules of the school. His students like him even after his strict behavior. His colleagues, even Frank, envy him for the effect he has on the students. He is strict but not a sadist that he seems to be.
2. Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow's comments on Crocker-Harris?
Solution:
Frank encourages Taplow to comment on Mr. Crocker Harris by cleverly askingTaplow several questions. He appreciated Taplow’s imitation of Mr. Crocker Harrisand also asks him to repeat it.
3. What do you gather about Crocker-Harris from the play?
Solution:
Mr Harris is a teacher who would not compromise on the rules and regulations to suffice the sentiments of students. He believes in fair assesment of his students and is not swayed by emotions, as the man is hardly human. He is not a sadist, but strict in performance of his sduties. Even on his last day at school, when he is over busy in own affairs he does not neglect his duty towards students.
Talking about the Text
Discuss with your partners
1. Talking about teachers among friends.
Solution:
To answer this question, you may talk about the following points.
- The relation that a student shares with a teacher.
- The manner in which the students talk about teachers.
- Expectations of a student from a teacher and vice versa.
- The issues that students discuss the teachers.
- The qualities that make a teacher popular and likable among students?
- Is all that students talk about teachers, morally correct, such as the use of personal remarks?
2. The manner you adopt when you talk about a teacher to other teachers.
Solution:
To answer this question, you may talk about the following points.
- Is it so that a student might be friendlier with one teacher than another one?
- What are the qualities that make teachers a friend of a student?
- Are students afraid of talking about a teacher to another teacher, knowing that they are colleagues?
- Do students take the problems they face with one teacher to another teacher in the hope of a solution?
- Does a student try to be respectful of his/her teacher while talking about him to another teacher?
3. Reading plays is more interesting than studying science.
Solution:
There is no doubt that reading plays is more interesting than studying science because reading plays makes us imaginative and provides us ideas about human life and behavior. It has good language that is helpful in building our linguistic skills. It is a source of entertainment and enjoyment. Reading science has its own merits. It provides us knowledge and fill us with modern approach. Practical that we do in laboratories are also useful in daily life. Science makes us our future growth possible.
Working with Words
1. A sadist is a person who gets pleasure out of giving pain to others.
Given below are some dictionary definitions of certain kinds of persons.
Find out the words that fit these descriptions.
1. A person who considers it very important that things should be correct or genuine e.g. in the use of language or in the arts: P...
2. A person who believes that war and violence are wrong and will not fight in a war: P...
3.A person who believes that nothing really exists: N...
4. A person who is always hopeful and expects the best in all things: O...
5. A person who follows generally accepted norms of behaviour: C...
6. A person who believes that material possessions are all that matter in life: M...
Solution:
1. Perfectionist
2. Pacifist
3. Nihilist
4. Optimist
5. Conventionalist
6. Materialist
