English Comprehension with answers

Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions given below.

One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see an awful looking man. I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. His face, lopsided from swelling, was red and raw.

Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, “Good evening. I’ve come to see if you’ve a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there’s no bus till morning.” He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with no success. “I guess it’s my face …… I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments…” For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me. “I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.”

When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn’t take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into the tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.

He wasn’t complaining; in fact, every other sentence was prefaced with thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease which was, apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving his the strength to keep going.

1.       What disease was the old man suffering from?

The old man was suffering from a form of skin cancer.

2.       Why was it difficult for the old man to find a room?

It was difficult for the old man to find a room because people did not like the look of his face. It was lopsided from swelling. It was also red and raw.

3.       How did the old man earn his livelihood?

The old man fished for his livelihood.

4.       a. My bus leaves early in the morning. (Add a question tag)

My bus leaves early in the morning, doesn’t it?

                                b. His voice was pleasant. (Rewrite as an Exclamatory Sentence)

                                How pleasant his voice was!

5.       a. This old man had an oversized heart. (Rewrite the sentence by explaining the underlined phrase)

This old man was very generous, kind and loving.

b. Give the antonyms of: (i) cursing  (ii) weakness.

Cursing – blessing.          (ii) weakness – strength.

6.       Why do you think the old man was grateful to God?

The old man was grateful that no pain accompanied the disease from which he was suffering. He was actually suffering from skin cancer that had made his face raw, red and lopsided due to swelling. The man thanked God for giving him the strength to go on with life.