passage practice 10th English The Thief’s Story By Ruskin Bond

Passage practice 10th English The Thief’s Story By Ruskin Bond

Before Practice the Passages Read a while : The Thief’s Story By Ruskin Bond

Passage 1

I was still a thief when I met Anil. And though only 15, I was an experienced and fairly successful hand. Anil was watching a wrestling match when I approached him. He was about 25 — a tall, lean fellow — and he looked easy-going, kind and simple enough for my purpose. I hadn’t had much luck of late and thought I might be able to get into the young man’s confidence. “You look a bit of a wrestler yourself,” I said. A little flattery helps in making friends. “So do you,” he replied, which put me off for a moment because at that time I was rather thin. “Well,” I said modestly, “I do wrestle a bit.” “What’s your name?” “Hari Singh,” I lied. I took a new name every month. That kept me ahead of the police and my former employers. After this introduction, Anil talked about the well-oiled wrestlers who were grunting, lifting and throwing each other about. I didn’t have much to say. Anil walked away. I followed casually. “Hello again,” he said. I gave him my most appealing smile. “I want to work for you,” I said. “But I can’t pay you.”

Multiple Choice Questions (Passage 1)

1. What was the narrator’s primary purpose for approaching Anil?
A) To ask for a job
B) To make a new friend
C) To find someone simple enough to rob
D) To learn about wrestling
Answer: C) To find someone simple enough to rob

2. Why did the narrator lie about his name being “Hari Singh”?
A) He did not like his real name.
B) He wanted to stay ahead of the police and former employers.
C) Anil asked him to use a different name.
D) He thought “Hari Singh” sounded like a wrestler’s name.
Answer: B) He wanted to stay ahead of the police and former employers.

3. How did the narrator try to get into Anil’s confidence initially?
A) By offering to cook for him
B) By giving him an appealing smile
C) By using flattery
D) By following him casually
Answer: C) By using flattery

4. What was Anil’s response when the narrator asked to work for him?
A) He asked if the narrator could cook.
B) He immediately said he couldn’t pay him.
C) He offered him a place to sleep.
D) He laughed and walked away.
Answer: B) He immediately said he couldn’t pay him.

5. The narrator describes himself as “an experienced and fairly successful hand” at the age of 15. What does “hand” refer to in this context?
A) A wrestler
B) A cook
C) A writer
D) A thief
Answer: D) A thief

Passage 2

When the train had gone, I found myself standing alone on the deserted platform. I had no idea where to spend the night. I had no friends, believing that friends were more trouble than help. And I did not want to make anyone curious by staying at one of the small hotels near the station. The only person I knew really well was the man I had robbed. Leaving the station, I walked slowly through the bazaar. In my short career as a thief, I had made a study of men’s faces when they had lost their goods. The greedy man showed fear; the rich man showed anger; the poor man showed acceptance. But I knew that Anil’s face, when he discovered the theft, would show only a touch of sadness. Not for the loss of money, but for the loss of trust. I found myself in the maidan and sat down on a bench. The night was chilly — it was early November — and a light drizzle added to my discomfort. Soon it was raining quite heavily. My shirt and pyjamas stuck to my skin, and a cold wind blew the rain across my face.

Multiple Choice Questions (Passage 2)

6. Why did the narrator choose not to stay in a small hotel?
A) He had no money left for a room.
B) He did not want to draw attention to himself.
C) All the hotels were closed for the night.
D) He was afraid of being robbed by others.
Answer: B) He did not want to draw attention to himself.

7. According to the narrator’s study of men’s faces, how does a rich man react to being robbed?
A) He shows fear.
B) He shows acceptance.
C) He shows sadness.
D) He shows anger.
Answer: D) He shows anger.

8. What did the narrator believe would cause sadness on Anil’s face?
A) The loss of the money
B) The loss of trust
C) The thought of the narrator being alone
D) The inconvenience of having no money for the morning
Answer: B) The loss of trust

9. Where did the narrator find himself after leaving the station and walking through the bazaar?
A) In the shelter of a clock tower
B) Back at Anil’s room
C) In the maidan, sitting on a bench
D) At the ticket office
Answer: C) In the maidan, sitting on a bench

10. The narrator’s feeling of being “alone on the deserted platform” is emphasized by his belief that…
A) friends were more trouble than help.
B) he could easily find a new place to live.
C) he had made the right decision to leave.
D) the police would soon be looking for him.
Answer: A) friends were more trouble than help.