Competency Based Questions- Lesson 6: Poets and Pancakes from the NCERT Flamingo textbook for CBSE Class 12. We will explore extract-based questions and multiple-choice questions (MCQs) to enhance your understanding and preparation for Board Exams.
Extracts & MCQs: PYQs, CBSE QB & SQPs
MCQs
Q.1. Which of these options best explains the meaning of the following lines from ‘Poets and Pancakes’? [CFPQ 2024-25] (1 mark)
Even in the matter of education, specially formal education, Subbu couldn’t have had an appreciable lead over our boy. But by virtue of being born a Brahmin — a virtue, indeed! — he must have had exposure to more affluent situations and people.
- A. Subbu was successful in the industry as he was rich, which gave him access to superior education and the right network.
- B. Subbu’s social identity gave him the advantage of connecting with powerful people, despite the lack of proper education.
- C. Subbu was artistically creative and charming in a natural way, which made him an easy fit in the cinematic industry.
- D. Subbu’s family’s influence in the industry made it easy for him to climb to the top, while others had to work hard.
Answer: B. Subbu’s social identity gave him the advantage of connecting with powerful people, despite the lack of proper education.
Extract Based Questions
1. Read the extract ad answer the given questions. (Delhi 2024)
Then the poet spoke. He couldn’t have addressed a more dazed and silent audience — no one knew what he was talking about, and his accent defeated any attempt to understand what he was saying. The whole thing lasted about an hour; then the poet left and we all dispersed in utter bafflement — What are we doing? What is an English poet doing in a film studio which makes Tamil films for the simplest sort of people? People whose lives least afforded them the possibility of cultivating a taste for English poetry. The poet looked pretty baffled too, for he must have felt the sheer incongruity of his talk about the thrills and travails of an English poet. His visit remained an’ unexplained mystery.
Questions:
(i) Choose the correct option: The reason for the bewilderment of the audience is:
- (A) unknown identity of the visitor.
- (B) that the speaker had not been introduced to them.
- (C) the visit of an English poet to a Tamil film studio.
- (D) that they did not understand English.
(ii) By ‘thrills and travails’ the author refers to:
- (A) joy and happiness
- (B) interest and aspiration
- (C) excitement and pain
- (D) shocks and surprises
(iii) Explain one inference that can be drawn from the line, “He could not have addressed a more dazed and silent audience”.
(iv) The failure of the speaker to connect with the audience with reference to the extract is his _______.
(v) What information in the extract reveals the fact that the people have no exposure other than to their own circle?
(vi) State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE:
The audience were enthralled by the poet’s impressive speech.
Answers:
(i) (C) the visit of an English poet to a Tamil film studio.
Explanation: The audience was bewildered because they found it strange and confusing that an English poet was visiting a Tamil film studio, where the people were not accustomed to English poetry.
(ii) (C) excitement and pain
Explanation: The phrase “thrills and travails” refers to the mixture of excitement (thrills) and struggles or hardships (travails) that the English poet was talking about.
(iii) Inference: The line “He could not have addressed a more dazed and silent audience” suggests that the audience was completely confused and unengaged. They were not able to relate to or understand what the poet was saying, which left them silent and bewildered.
(iv) Answer: The failure of the speaker to connect with the audience with reference to the extract is his accent and the subject matter.
(v) The fact that the people had no exposure other than to their own circle is revealed by the line, “What is an English poet doing in a film studio which makes Tamil films for the simplest sort of people? People whose lives least afforded them the possibility of cultivating a taste for English poetry.” This indicates that the audience was accustomed only to their own local culture and language, with little to no exposure to English poetry or broader literary traditions.
(vi) FALSE
Explanation: The audience was not enthralled by the poet’s speech; instead, they were dazed and baffled, unable to understand or connect with what the poet was saying.
2. Read the extract given below and briefly answer the questions that follows (SQP 2022-23)
A girl from the countryside, she hadn’t gone through all the stages of worldly experience that generally precede a position of importance and sophistication that she had found herself catapulted into. She never quite recovered from the terror she felt that day. That was the end of a brief and brilliant acting career — the legal adviser, who was also a member of the Story Department, had unwittingly brought about that sad end. While every other member of the Department wore a kind of uniform — khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt — the legal adviser wore pants and a tie and sometimes a coat that looked like a coat of mail. Often, he looked alone and helpless …
Questions:
i. Select the option that completes the given sentence appropriately.
‘Stages of worldly experience’ in the given context would refer to:
- (a) good education to gain knowledge.
- (b) situations that require one to be street smart.
- (c) smaller, not so important roles in acting.
- (d) training in soft skills.
ii. Select the suitable word from the extract to complete the following analogy:
sealed : closed :: propelled : __________
iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank:
The harm done to the actress was a/an:
- (a) well-planned act.
- (b) unintentional act.
- (c) act of jealousy.
- (d) act of male dominance.
iv. Based on the above extract, choose the statement that is TRUE for the legal adviser:
- (a) He disliked the actress from the countryside.
- (b) He acted after thinking through things carefully.
- (c) He did not gel well with others in the Department.
- (d) He was always dressed smartly.
v. Identify the textual clue that allows the reader to infer that the writer is sympathetic towards the professional fate of the actor. (Clue: a phrase)
vi. Complete the sentence with an appropriate explanation, as per the extract:
The writer uses the word ‘uniform’ to refer to the outfits of the Department members because just like a uniform __________.
Answers:
(i) (b) situations that require one to be street smart.
(ii) catapulted
(iii) (b) unintentional act
(iv) (c) He did not gel well with others in the Department.
(v) The phrase ‘sad end’
(vi) is a common dress for all, similarly, their apparel/ dress was nearly the same-loose khadi shirt and khadi dhoti.
3. Read the extract given below and briefly answer the questions that follows (2020 C)
Film-making must have been and was so easy with a man like Subbu around and if ever there was a man who gave direction and definition to Gemini Studios during its golden years, it was Subbu. Subbu had a separate identity as a poet and though he was certainly capable of more complex and higher forms, he deliberately chose to address his poetry to the masses.
Questions:
- What was Subbu’s contribution to Gemini Studios?
- What separate identity did Subbu have?
- How did Subbu use his capability?
- He deliberately chose to address his poetry to the masses, despite being capable of more complex and higher forms.
- What does the writer mean by ‘during its golden years’?
Answers:
- Subbu gave direction and definition to Gemini Studios during its golden years.
- Subbu had a separate identity as a poet.
- He deliberately chose to address his poetry to the masses, despite being capable of more complex and higher forms.
- The phrase refers to the period when Gemini Studios was at its peak in terms of success, creativity, and influence.
Extra Practice: Extract-Based Questions
Extract 1:
“Subbu had a separate identity as a poet and though he was certainly capable of more complex and higher forms, he deliberately chose to address his poetry to the masses. His success in films overshadowed and dwarfed his literary achievements — or so his critics felt.”
Questions:
(i) Choose the correct option: The critics felt that Subbu’s literary achievements were overshadowed because:
- (A) He focused only on films.
- (B) He deliberately simplified his poetry for the masses.
- (C) He was not a good poet.
- (D) He didn’t write enough poetry.
(ii) What does the phrase “address his poetry to the masses” suggest about Subbu’s approach to poetry?
(iii) The critics’ view of Subbu’s literary work implies that they valued _______.
(iv) Identify whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE: Subbu’s success in films was completely unrelated to his poetic talent.
Answers:
(i) (B) He deliberately simplified his poetry for the masses.
(ii) The phrase “address his poetry to the masses” suggests that Subbu wrote poetry that was simple and easy to understand, aimed at the general public rather than an elite or academic audience.
(iii) The critics’ view of Subbu’s literary work implies that they valued complexity and higher forms of poetry.
(iv) FALSE
Explanation: Subbu’s success in films did relate to his poetic talent, as both his film work and his poetry were creative endeavours that contributed to his overall reputation.
Extract 2:
“While every other member of the Department wore a kind of uniform — khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt — the legal adviser wore pants and a tie and sometimes a coat that looked like a coat of mail. Often he looked alone and helpless — a man of cold logic in a crowd of dreamers — a neutral man in an assembly of Gandhiites and khadiites.”
Questions:
(i) Choose the correct option: The legal adviser is described as looking “alone and helpless” because: (A) He didn’t fit in with the other employees. (B) He was the only one wearing Western-style clothes. (C) He was not involved in creative work like the others. (D) He was disliked by the others.
(ii) What does the contrast in clothing between the legal adviser and the other members of the department signify?
(iii) The legal adviser’s ‘cold logic’ in the extract represents a contrast to the _______ of the other members.
(iv) State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE: The legal adviser’s attire made him feel more connected with the other employees.
Answers:
(i) (A) He didn’t fit in with the other employees.
(ii) The contrast in clothing signifies that the legal adviser was different from the other members, who wore traditional Indian attire (khadi). His Western-style clothes set him apart, symbolizing his detachment from the cultural and ideological alignment of the others.
(iii) The legal adviser’s ‘cold logic’ in the extract represents a contrast to the creative or emotional mindset of the other members.
(iv) FALSE
Explanation: The legal adviser’s attire actually made him stand out and feel isolated from the other employees, rather than more connected.
Certainly! Here are two more extract-based questions followed by their short answers:
Extract 3:
“At last, around four in the afternoon, the poet (or the editor) arrived. He was a tall man, very English, very serious and of course very unknown to all of us. Battling with half a dozen pedestal fans on the shooting stage, The Boss read out a long speech. It was obvious that he too knew precious little about the poet (or the editor).”
Questions:
(i) What does the phrase “very unknown to all of us” suggest about the poet’s identity?
(ii) Why does the author mention “battling with half a dozen pedestal fans”?
(iii) What can be inferred about The Boss’s knowledge of the poet?
(iv) What mood does the author convey in describing the poet as “very English, very serious”?
(v) State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE:
The staff was excited to meet the poet.
Answers:
- (i) The phrase suggests that the poet was unfamiliar to the staff at Gemini Studios, indicating that they had never heard of him before his visit.
- (ii) The author mentions “battling with half a dozen pedestal fans” to emphasize the uncomfortable and chaotic setting of the event, highlighting the difficulty of the situation.
- (iii) It can be inferred that The Boss knew very little about the poet, as indicated by his vague and general speech.
- (iv) The author conveys a mood of formality and distance, emphasizing how out of place the poet seemed in the informal, familiar environment of the studio.
- (v) FALSE
Explanation: The staff was not excited but rather unfamiliar and indifferent, as the poet was unknown to them.
Extract 4:
“But when she heard her voice again through the sound equipment, she was struck dumb. A girl from the countryside, she hadn’t gone through all the stages of worldly experience that generally precede a position of importance and sophistication that she had found herself catapulted into. She never quite recovered from the terror she felt that day. That was the end of a brief and brilliant acting career.”
Questions:
(i) What effect did hearing her own voice have on the actress?
(ii) How does the author describe the actress’s background?
(iii) What led to the end of the actress’s career?
(iv) The phrase “catapulted into” suggests that the actress:
(v) State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE:
The actress was confident and unaffected by the playback of her voice.
- (i) Hearing her own voice had a shocking and overwhelming effect on the actress, causing her to be struck dumb and leading to the end of her acting career.
- (ii) The author describes the actress as a girl from the countryside who lacked the worldly experience needed for her sudden rise to a position of importance and sophistication.
- (iii) The end of the actress’s career was caused by the shock and terror she felt after hearing her own voice played back through the sound equipment.
- (iv) The phrase suggests that the actress was suddenly thrust into a position of prominence without the gradual experience typically needed for such a role.
- (v) FALSE
Explanation: The actress was deeply affected and terrified by the playback of her voice, leading to the end of her career.
