Unit – 08
A VILLAGE CRICKET MATCH
A.G. Macdonell
Comprehension
Answer the following questions briefly:
1) Name the two teams.
Ans: The English and the Scottish were the two teams
2) Name the fielders in the field mentioned
in paragraph 1.
Ans: Mr. Shakespeare Pollock, Mr. Southcott and Mr. Hodge were the
fielders in the field mentioned in paragraph 1.
3) What behaviour of Livingstone, Pollock and
Southcott show that they are tense?
Ans: Livingstone was adjusting himself on his toes. Pollock bounced
about nearly onto of the batsman and inhaled enthusiastically. Southcott was
biting consistently some bit of grass.
4) What is the humorous reference to the
Major in the first paragraph?
Ans: The Major had already downed a quart and a half of drinks was the
humorous in the first paragraph.
5) Why didn’t Sexton and the postman take a
run when it was possible?
Ans: Sexton and the postman didn’t take a run when it was possible because
sexton was old, consequently was of wary nature and the mailman was an
administration official who didn't face any challenges. Along these lines the
two of them didn't take a run when it was conceivable.
6) How does the writer take a dig at the
government officials?
Ans: The government officials don’t work and therefore don’t take risks.
7) The ball struck powerfully by the Sexton
went straight and hit Boone’s stomach.
a) What comparison does the writer make?
Ans: The writer compared as a
thunderbolt striking Boone’s stomach in the midriff like a red-hot cannonball
upon a Spanish galleon.
b) What is humorous about the comparison?
Ans: A red cricket ball to a red-hot cannonball.
8) Why was Boone angry after catching the
ball?
Ans: The ball had hit very hard to Boone’s midriff and it was paining so
he was angry after catching the ball.
9) a) What is the chief invention of Sir
Isaac Newton referred to here?
Ans: “Theory of Gravitation” is the chief invention of Sir Isaac Newton
referred to here.
b) What does “the ball in the sky” “battling
against the chief invention” mean here?
Ans: Battling against the chief invention implies that as per the
hypothesis of gravity, the ball needed to crash down promptly, yet it opposed
gravity and stayed suspended noticeable all around for a long while before
tumbling down.
10) Who ran like “a pair of high-stepping
hackneys”?
Ans: The blacksmith and the baker ran like a pair of high-stepping
hackneys.
11) a) Why were the three batsmen running for
a run?
Ans: The three batsmen running for a run because they need only one run
to win the match.
b) How were they running?
Ans: They were running lifting their heads turned towards the balling
ball, and didn't see the batsman running from the opposite end they
additionally didn't see where they were going. Thusly they collided with each
other and tumbled down.
12) What fatal mistake did Hodge make?
Ans: At first, Hodge requested Livingstone to get the falling ball. At
that point he recalled Livingstone's two missed catches thus turned around his
choice and thundered to Bobby to get it that was the lethal error submitted by
him since Livingstone had not heard the second request of Hodge and kept
running.
13) How did Mr. Pollock finally catch the
ball?
Ans: As the ball arrived on the top of the professor and it jumped high
up a foot or somewhere in the vicinity, hit Boone's head and streamed gradually
down the wicket keeper's back. At the point when it was just a foot from the
beginning. Pollock sprang with an uproarious thunder and got it off the seat of
the wicket keeper's pants.
14) The writer says that Mr. Hodge disagreed
with Napoleon’s dictum.
a) What was Napoleon’s dictum?
Ans: Napoleon laid an
announcement that it was difficult to have an excessive number of men upon a
front line however used to do everything possible to call up each accessible
man for a fight.
b) How did Mr. Hodge disagree with the
dictum?
Ans: At the point when Mr. Hodge saw his fielders preparing to get the
sliding ball, he couldn't help contradicting the announcement that it was
terrible to have such a large number of men in the field.
15) Who won the match?
Ans: The match ended in a tie.
II. Close Study:
Read the following extracts carefully.
Discuss in pairs and then answer the questions given below them.
1) The thunderbolt struck him in the midriff
like a red- hot cannon-ball upon a Spanish galleon and the sound of drumstick
upon an insufficiently stretched drum.
a) What does thunderbolt refer to?
Ans: The cricket ball is referred to thunderbolt.
b) Who did it strike?
Ans: It struck Boone.
c) In the simile, what are the two things
compared?
Ans: In the simile, the cricket ball is compared to a red hot cannon
ball.
d) How is the comparison humorous?
Ans: The cricket ball is compared to destruction; ball is the comparison
humorous.
e) What are the sounds referred to?
Ans: Thunderbolt and the sound of a drumstick hitting a drum are sounds
referred to.
f) Bring out the humour in this comparison
Ans: The sound made by the ball hitting Boone’s stomach is humorous as
it contrasting with the sound made when a stick hits the drum is extremely
noisy.
III. Paragraph Writing:
Discuss in pairs/groups of four each the
answers to the following questions. Individually, note down the important
points for each question and then develop the points into one-paragraph
answers.
1) The approach of the Sexton, the postman,
the blacksmith and the baker to the game is typical of their profession.
Elaborate.
Ans: The sexton is an official of a church who rings the bell, cleaning
and digging the graces. He was old and cautious to display his quality in
batting through his powerful strokes. The postman was government employ who didn’t
take any risk while playing cricket. The blacksmith was injured and baker was
running for him, and he hit ball straight high
in the sky without any plans. The baker came into the field only as a substitute runner to the
injured blacksmith. He did not do any job of hitting the ball but only did the
running for blacksmith.
2) How does the ‘uncertainty and
disorganization among the ranks of the invaders’ add to the humour?
Ans: There was a great deal of vulnerability and disorder. At the point
when the ball hit by the smithy, which had taken off high uncertain, started it’s
respectable, all the fielders started rushing to get under it to get it. There
was no understanding among the fielders. They continued taking a gander at the
ball and not at different fielders running, not one of them seemed, by all
accounts, to be mindful that any other person existed. All ran together, ran
into one another and tumbled down. The way that the entirety of the players was
running from their situations to get one ball add to the humor. This disarray
was aggravated by the conflicting directions given by Hodge.
3) Write a short note on the status quo
episode.
Ans: Mr. Hodge attempted to deal with the cricket team. He, overall, was
discontent with how the players were set and how the game was being played with
orders given by various individuals. There were vulnerability and complication
among the defenders. There were such a large number of men on the field and
none of them knew about what the other was doing. Indeed, even Skipper Hodge
almost created turmoil, rather than advising Southcott to get the ball he
educated Livingstone to do as such. Be that as it may, in the latest possible
time, he recollected Livingstone's prior drops and hurriedly yelled at
Southcott to get the ball.
4) This extract contains many humorous
situations.
a) Pick out any three situations and write
them down.
b) Narrate any one of them in detail to your
partner.
c) Write it in a paragraph.
Ans: Practically all the players didn't have the foggiest idea what the
other was doing. They were either excessively mindful or were incredibly
confounded with respect to what was happening in the field. Boone was standing
behind got hit by the ball on his midriff. He caught it by reflex and threw it
angrily. The umpire was intoxicated and settled on decisions that additional to
the disarray. The field was not level, and the players were continually amazed
by the heading the ball took.
5) The characters are humorously pictured.
What is humorous about the following characters in the extract? Discuss it in
groups of 4 or 5 each
a) Boone
b) The Blacksmith.
c) Mr. Harcourt
Ans: a) Boone: He was one of
the fielders is standing right behind the young in the jumper when the sexton
hits the ball. The young springs out of the ball's way, and the ball strikes
Boone in the waist like a super hot can't ball upon a Spanish vessel, and with
the sound of a drumstick upon a deficiently extended drum. Boone applauded to
his shocked stomach and found that the ball is standing out. He took a gander
at it for a second in bewilderment and afterward tossed it down indignantly and
began to rub the harmed spot while the field rang with praise at him. The
harmless cricket ball is compared to red hot cannon ball.
b) The Blacksmith: He was quite
strong because of his job and he went onto the ground inclining intensely upon
the shoulder of the baker, who was going to a good time for him, and limping as
though in incredible torment. He took watch, and glanced around, viciously. He
was obviously still in an extraordinary fierceness. The principal ball he got
he lashed at uncontrollably and hit straight out of sight to a tremendous
stature. Taking a gander at it, he overlooked his hyper-extended lower leg and
began racing to the opposite end. All three were gazing at the ball in mid-air
and crashed into each other half way down the pitch.
c) Mr. Harcourt: He was the
fielder who was on guard at third man At the point when the smithy hit the ball
high, he attempted to get it. However, he had clearly dismissed the ball inside
and out assuming undoubtedly. Boone was giggling foolishly. Mr. Harcourt was
running round him, instead of catching the ball.
