SEBA Class 10 English Reader Chapter 3 The Midnight Visitor All questions and answers
1. Who is the author of the story “The Midnight Visitor”?
(a) Ruskin Bond
(b) James Herriot
(c) Robert Arthur
(d) Victor Canning
Ans. (c) Robert Arthur.
2. Where did Max jump through the window?
(a) on the bed
(b) balcony
(c) the roof of the other room
(d) office of the hotel
Ans. (b) Balcony.
3. Where was the balcony?
(a) outside the window of the room
(b) outside the back door of the room
(c) on the roof of the room
(d) none of these
Ans. (a) Outside the window of the room.
4. How would you describe Ausable?
(a) witty
(b) idle
(c) egocentric
(d) all of the above
Ans. (a) witty.
5. How did Max claim to have entered?
(a) a passkey
(b) window
(c) balcony
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a) A passkey.
6. Where did Ausable think Max was?
(a) hongkong
(b) Berlin
(c) London
(d) None of the above
Ans. (b) Berlin.
7. What is different about Ausable?
(a) doesn’t look like an agent
(b) gets only a phone call for appointments in his room
(c) doesn’t get messages slipped by dark-eyed beauties
(d) all of the above
Ans. (d) All of the above.
8. When did he move to Paris?
(a) 5 years ago
(b) 10 years ago
(c) 20 years ago
(d) 25 years ago
Ans. (c) 20 years ago.
9. What language did Ausable speak?
(a) German
(b) French
(c) none of these
(d) both (a) and (b)
Ans. (d) both (a) and (b).
10. Where was Ausable staying?
(a) Max’s home
(b) French hotel
(c) Fowler’s home
(d) French Inn
Ans. (b) French hotel.
Read and find out
1. How is Ausable different from other secret agents?
Ans: Ausable is different from other secret agents in respect of his figure and accent. He is very fat and he speaks in an American accent.
2. Who is fowler and what is his authentic thrill of the day?
Ans: Fowler is a writer. His first authentic thrill of the day is that he has found a man with a pistol in his hand inside Ausable’s room.
3. How has Max got in?
Ans: Max has got in with the help of a passkey.
4. How does Ausable say he got in?
Ans: Ausable says that max has got in through the balcony.
Think about it
1. “Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent fowler had ever read.” what do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion? Discuss in groups or In class some stories or movies featuring spies, detectives and secret agents, and compare their appearance with that of ausable in this story. (you may mention characters from fiction in languages other than English. In English fiction you may have come across sherlock Holmes, hercule poirot, or miss Marple. Have you watched any movies featuring James bond?
Ans: secret agents in books and films look somewhat peculiar. They wear long dress and a hat. They are not fat. They have sharp eyes. But in our story a ausable is very fat but he has excellent presence of mind. In fiction or film such characters are projected as men of extra – ordinary presence of mind.
Yes, I have watched some movies featuring James bond. They are :007 James bond, the golden eye and tomorrow never dies.
2. How does ausable manage to make max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?
Ans: Ausable very confidently says that max has entered his room through the balcony of the adjoining room that leads to his window. He also says that in one month this is the second incident. He also says that he will take the matter up to the management who assured him to close the passage but yet they haven’t done so. Max was convinced that there is a balcony attached to his room. The way ausable speaks has made it a convincing story.
3. Looking back at the story, when do you think ausable thought up his plan for getting rid of max? Do you think he had worked out his plan in detail right from the beginning? Or did he make up a plan taking advantage of events as they happened?
Ans: In fact, Ausable saw max in his room as soon as he switched on the light. He was astonished and at once decided to get rid of him. He used his presence of mind.
No, he did not work out his plan right from the beginning. Seeing the pistol in max’s hand he planned to get rid of him.
Talk about it
1.in this story, ausable shows great ‘presence of mind’ or the ability to think quickly, and act calmly and wisely, in a situation of danger and surprise. Give examples from your own experience, or narrate a story, which shows someone’s presence of mind.
Ans: Once I went to the river to take my bath with my friend. We both enjoyed bathing. I started swimming in the river. But my friend who didn’t know how to swim tried to follow me. He was drowned. I saw. I knew I should not try to catch him. At once I shouted and the men on the river bank saw him drowning. Immediately they jumped into the river and saved my friend from dying.
2. discuss what you would do in the situations described below. Remember that presence of mind comes out of a state of mental preparedness. If you have thought about possible problems or dangers, and about how to act in such situations, you have a better chance of dealing with such situations if they do arise.
1. A small fire starts i. Your kitchen.
2. A child starts to choke on a piece of food.
3. An electrical appliance starts to hiss and gives out sparks.
4. A bicycle knocks down a pedestrian.
5. It rains continuously for more than twenty-four hours.
6. A member of your family does not return home at the usual or expected time.
Ans: 1. If there is a fire in my kitchen I shall throw a blanket over it and put the gas cylinder off. Then I can use water to extinguish the fire.
2. If a child starts choking on a piece of food the child should be thumped slowly. The piece of food will slip out of the wind pipe soon. If it does not work the child should be taken to hospital.
3. If an electrical appliance gives out spark, the main switch should at once be put to off mode.
4. In case of bicycle accident the pedestrian should at once be attended. He should be given first aid and if needed ambulance should be called in.
5. In case of incessant rain disaster management system should be maintained.
6. At first he should be contacted. The places he might visit may be considered and at last the police should be informed.
