Available Answers

1. 1.

   Choose the best answers to these questions. Some questions may have more than one suitable answer.

   1. If we wanted to divide this story into two parts, which of the following would be the best division?
      1. 1. Thambi's news and its accuracy
         2. varied views of the elders
      2. 1. how the elders rejected the news
         2. how the elders regretted the news
      3. 1. Thambi's attitude to the elders
         2. the elders' attitude to Thambi
   2. What shows that Thambi was generally an accurate reporter?
      1. He got the news from the radio
      2. He knew the names of the successful climbers and what they discovered about the mountain's height.
      3. He says he had known long ago that the Everest would be climbed.
      4. He impressed the elders with his report.
   3. What is an example of Thambi's stories that would not bear a moment's scrutiny?
      1. His failure to explain why he went to the neighbour's house instead of listening to the radio in his own house.
      2. What the elders had heard the day before about the assault on the Everest being given up.
      3. The news that his friend's father had bagged five tigers at the same time.
      4. The different ways in which the elders reacted to the news about the Everest.
   4. What, according to the author, was Thambi's purpose in bringing such news and stories to the elders?
      1. to impress them with his knowledge
      2. to make them better-informed about the world
      3. to win their approval and praise
      4. to increase their interest in life
2. 2.

   Here is an incomplete list of the different reactions of the elders to the conquest of the Everest. Complete the sentences.

   1. Worried that human beings are conquering everything and may become...
   2. Disappointed that such important news has come to them through... instead of...
   3. Happy and proud about the clear-headed planning...
   4. Confident that success was due to an accurate reading of..
   5. Excited at the commercial prospects for... and for...
   6. Strongly patriotic in asserting India's claim to...and wishing to see..
3. 3.

   For each of these sentences, write down other sentences, as indicated, to refer to the same future event.

   1. Suresh and his friend arrive by the 9.30 pm flight tonight.
      Present progressive: Suresh and his friend are arriving by the 9:30 pm flight tonight.
      Going to: Suresh and his friend are going to arrive by the 9.30 pm flight tonight.
   2. I am going to write to Colonel Hunt tomorrow to ask for the horoscopes of the team members.
      Will: ___________________________________
      Present progressive: ______________________
   3. In a few years, it will be difficult to meet the person who has not climbed the Everest.
      Going to: _______________________________
      Simple present: __________________________
   4. Sonal is going to host a farewell party for Kumar next week.
      Simple present: __________________________
      Present progressive: ______________________
   5. When is the time table going to change?
      Simple present: __________________________
      Will: ___________________________________
   6. We are creating a new logo for our team.
      Going to: _______________________________
      Will: ___________________________________
   7. Does the monsoon season start in November?
      Will: ___________________________________
      Present progressive: ______________________
   8. The minister will speak to the people tomorrow.
      Simple present: __________________________
      Going to: _______________________________
4. 4.

   Complete the paragraph with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets.

   After the three young men finished their stories, it was the traveller's turn to tell an unbelievable story. He began."Some years ago, I ^1.had (have) a farm. There ^2. _____________ (be) one fruit tree on my farm which ^3. _____________ (grow) differently from the others. I ^4. _____________ (pick) three fruits from it. When I ^5. _____________ (cut) them open, three young men ^6. _____________ (jump) out from each of them. I ^7. _____________ (make) them work on my farm. But they ^8. _____________ (run) away from my farm in a few weeks. Since that time, I ^9. _____________ (look) for them. And I ^10. _____________ (be) very happy that now, here in this place, I ^11. _____________ (find) them at last. young men, you know very well that you ^12. _____________ (be) my men. Tomorrow, you ^13. _____________ (return) with me to my farm!"