Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in Current Affairs.

War is a harrowing experience to not only the soldiers who fight in the battleground but also other civilians who are adversely affected by war in different ways. In the case of the boys, we see that they suffer all kinds of loss. They lose their father, though he is not a soldier; they lose their home and are thrown into the streets; their sister becomes the victim of tuberculosis of the spine. But even these compounded problems do not break the heart of the brave boys.

They put up their resistance to war and fate in their own way. By working for the Resistance Movement, they oppose the atrocities committed by their enemies in the war. They perform the dangerous task of carrying messages to the force’s of liberation in their shoes, and they ferret out information on the German troops. Their knowledge of the hills, young age and small stature help them in their work. Thus we see that at the time of the war and after the war, the boys act with conviction.

Yes, the old woman’s gift to Vijay Singh was eccentric. When he was walking towards the haunted desert to meet ghosts, she put a small packet into his hands which contained nothing but a lump of salt and an egg.

Vijay Singh’s weakness was that he was fond of boasting. One day he boasted that he was not afraid of ghosts and wished to meet a stout ghost to teach him a lesson. 

This boastfulness put him into awkward situation. He was asked to walk through the Haunted Desert alone at night to meet ghosts as they roamed there freely. Strange shrieks and moans can be heard all over the place. Travellers have been looted and killed. He was scared.

Vijay Singh asked the ghost to accompany him to town the next day as his prisoner as he wanted to display him as the trophy of his victory to his people.

Vijay Singh concluded that the ghost would not be a worthy opponent to him because the ghost had started to doubt his ghostly powers. He then told the ghost that there was no point wrestling with a weakling, and the ghost accepted his defeat very easily as he had other plans to kill Vijay No, he was not fair in his judgement of the ghost because he had overpowered him through wrong means. Vijay had fooled him into believing that he was a weakling who could not squeeze fluid or salt out of a rock while he was a pahalwan with extraordinary strength.

When someone who was disguised as Natwar called him and tried to guide him in the desert, Vijay Singh trying to sound brave called out to the ghost and asked him where he was. He told him to come closer as he could not see where he was as it was dark. He wanted him to come there and show him the way. Like all good wrestlers he also wanted to assess the strength of his enemy.

By hiring bicycles.

Poleta was 30 kilometres away from Verona.

Jacopo was as lively as a squirrel.

Right from the beginning, we see that the narrator is impressed by the quiet dignity and earnestness of the boys. The narrator instinctively knows that these boys, though shabby in their appearance, have grace. The boys come out as admirable brothers who work selflessly and tirelessly for the treatment of their dear sister. They work day in and day out, but live on black bread and figs. They are shabby in their dress, but keep their sister in an expensive hospital so that she gets the best of care. Though Nicola is only twelve and Jacopo eleven, the hardship in life has made the boys very mature for their age.

When the boys work till midnight, trying to sell the last bundle of newspaper to the travellers of the last bus, we see Jacopo leaning against the shoulder of his brother and sleeping, whereas Nicola is very alert. Nicola has a stronger sense of self-reliance and pride. He is not happy to take unnecessary favours from the narrator and is unhappy that Jacopo has requested the narrator to take them to Poleta in his car. It is this dignity, honesty, selfreliance, selflessness and unremitting willingness to work at such a young age, in such difficult circumstances that appeal to the narrator.

The two boys Nicola and Jacopo were too dignified to disturb a stranger with their personal matters. They did not want anyone to intrude into their privacy. So, they kept their problems a secret. 

1. committing murder

2. making my bed

3. give a presentation

4. run out of money

5. burst into tears

6. placed gently

7. whispered softly

8. vaguely remember

(a) ‘He’ is Nicola in the above lines.

(b) He smiled uncomfortably because he did not want to share his plans with the narrator.

(c) The ‘plans’ being talked about are those of emigrating to America.

(d) Comfortably

The boys were very young but eager to do any odd jobs for a little money. They were resourceful and dogged in their determination to do useful work. This impressed the narrator and his companion. The boys’ intention was to do a good job and earn money, not to impress anyone.

Vijay Singh said that appearances can be deceptive which means what actually appears can't be true always. The ghost claimed to be Natwar, though actually he was a rascal of a ghost-a plain lying ghost. Vijay too was pretending to be a brave and fearless wrestler and told the ghost that if he doubted his strength, he would give him a demonstration of it.

The house of Jacopo and Nicola had been bombed and their father had been killed by the Germans. They were orphaned after the war and had no home. So, they hated the Germans.

It was in Poleta that their sister Lucia who was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine was being treated.

The loss of their parents in the war had forced them to work hard not only for themselves, but they also had to take on the responsibility of getting their sister treated, for which they worked hard and did all kinds of odd jobs. This lent them a seriousness beyond their ages.

The boys joined the resistance movement against the Germans because their house had been bombed and their parents had been killed in the war. They had been orphaned and their sister was in the hospital. They were full of feelings of vengeance against the Germans.

To   Poleta.

(a) Jacopo and Nicola.

(b) They greeted him with a smile.

(c) The narrator thought that they picked fruit for a living.

(d) ‘I’ refers to A.J. Cronin

1. well dressed

2. richly decorated

3. fully aware

4. regular exercise

5. maiden voyage

6. soft-spoken

7. a round of applause

8. came into effect

9. two bars of soap

10. committing murder

Right from the beginning, we see that the narrator is impressed by the quiet dignity and earnestness of the boys. The narrator instinctively knows that these boys, though shabby in their appearance, have grace. The boys come out as admirable brothers who work selflessly and tirelessly for the treatment of their dear sister. They work day in and day out, but live on black bread and figs. They are shabby in their dress, but keep their sister in an expensive hospital so that she gets the best of care.

Though Nicola is only twelve and Jacopo eleven, the hardship in life has made the boys very mature for their age. When the boys work till midnight, trying to sell the last bundle of newspaper to the travellers of the last bus, we see Jacopo leaning against the 

shoulder of his brother and sleeping, whereas Nicola is very alert. Nicola has a stronger sense of self-reliance and pride. He is not happy to take unnecessary favours from the narrator and is unhappy that Jacopo has requested the narrator to take them to Poleta in his car. At Poleta, the narrator comes to know from the nurse about their family, how they had become homeless, and how they had taken care of their sister who was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine.

The narrator is deeply touched by the nobility of the boys and marvels at their invincible spirit. It is this dignity, honesty, selfreliance, selflessness and unremitting willingness to work at such a young age, in such difficult circumstances that make the narrator observe that ‘this silent epic of youthful devotion’ touched him deeply.

The boys are a mystery to the narrator. He finds them working very hard at a tender age without spending money on themselves. His attempts to get an answer from the boys fail. However, when he accompanies the boys to Poleta, he comes to know the truth from a trained nurse whom he meets in the villa which the boys enter. From the nurse, he comes to know that the boys had lost their father, a widower and a well-known singer, in the early part of the war, and soon after that a bomb had destroyed their home. They had lived in a shelter that they had built with their own hands from the rubble and were exposed to many difficulties including cold weather.

They had hated the German Elite Guard that ruled over Verona for three years and had worked as secret agents against the Germans, in support of the resistance movement. Their small size, young age and knowledge of the surroundings helped them in their dangerous work of carrying letters in their shoes, about the movements of the German troops. When the war was over, they returned to their sister, an. an aspiring singer, only to find out that she was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine. But they didn’t give up. They kept her in an expensive hospital and for twelve months went back to the hospital every week to make the payment. She had shown good progress and the nurse adds that she might, one day, be fully cured, and start singing again. The narrator is deeply touched by the nobility of the boys and marvels at their invincible spirit. Thus we see that the two little boys are the two gentlemen of Verona.

Appearances are deceptive. Nicola and Jacopo both were two little boys aged 13 and 12. They were shabbily dressed. The very first time when the author met them, they were selling wild strawberries but after that they were seen shining shoes, arranging seats for the Opera, showing visitors through the town and so on. Nobody could expect such hard work from two little boys of their age. They always wore shabby clothes and ate black bread and figs. Looking at the amount they earned, they could have had much better meals and clothes. No doubt, they earned quite a lot but had to make payments for the hospital bills of their sister so they never spent anything on themselves.

Virtues of Hard Work

Hard work is the key to success. There’s no person in this world who has not tasted the fruit of hard work. Nothing is impossible in this world. The only quality one needs to achieve success in life is hard work followed by patience. No doubt, many difficulties appear on the path of hard work but dedication and determination help to make those difficulties disappear. The path of success is not a bed of roses. One is bound to face failure also but by moving ahead slowly and steadily we can overcome all the difficulties and failures. So, one must work hard to attain success in life and achieve one’s goal. Hard work can make even a Herculean task easier.

The shabby appearance of the boys along with the hard work they put in, hides the fact that they were used to better times in their past. Their maturity makes one forget the fact that they are little boys of twelve and eleven. When boys of their age would be playing and having fun, these two shine shoes, sell the newspaper and do all kinds of odd jobs. If we think that all this is to earn their living, we are again wrong, because it is for the sake of their sister. The young age and the frail body are a facade to their inner strength.

This deceptive appearance must have helped them in their role as secret messengers against the German troops. Thus we see that the boys prove again and again that appearances are deceptive. However, amidst this facade, the earnestness of the boys shines through their eyes and there is no deception in that.

The narrator came to know from the nurse that they were orphans except for having their sister – Lucia. He also learnt the truth that the boys had lived a cultured life before being orphaned as their father, a widower, was a well-known singer at La Scala.

It was the war that made the boys and their sister homeless. They lost their father in the initial stages of the war and later they lost their home when there was a bomb blast.

Wednesday

13 June 20××

10:30 p.m.

Dear Diary,

I am very happy and excited today as the nurse who was looking after me in the hospital, informed me that I have completely recovered from my illness and now I can go home. I have been in the hospital for many months and was waiting for this day to arrive. But all the credit goes to my younger brothers, Jacopo and Nicola, who faced many hardships to pay my medical bills. I really admire their sense of duty and love for me even though they are much younger in age. I have realized the value of having caring siblings. The way they looked after me was amazing. I had never expected to be taken care of so tenderly after my parents’ death. I really thank God that my brothers love me so much. I’ve decided that once I’m out in the world, I’ll work as a singer and with the earnings will give my brothers a good life. They have suffered a lot. But now I can see a ray of hope. May God bless my brothers.

Lucia

Child Care

A very good morning to all present here. Today, we are very happy to be here among you and a part of the inauguration ceremony of ‘HOME’. We both are of the opinion that childhood is the most precious time of a person’s life, but it sometimes gets blotted by the curse of child-labour. The reasons for child labour like poverty, lack of education, lack of parental care, wasteful war, etc., mar the innocence of the children. Even we had a bad childhood. We had suffered during the German war. Our father was killed in the war and we became orphans at the tender age of 13 years and 12 years. We can’t forget the day when we came to know that our sister Lucia was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine. We had no money for her medical expenses. We decided to work day and night for it but there was a scarcity of jobs in Verona. Yet we did not lose courage. We did all sorts of odd jobs to make both ends meet and finally the day arrived when our sister got well. We were very happy. I personally feel that the government should come forward to help the needy children and provide them with education so that they can lead a happy and prosperous life. Educated children will definitely blossom into responsible adults. I hope ‘HOME’ will also work to help the abandoned children so that they don’t lose their childhood.

Thank you.

(a) he did not want to intrude into their privacy.

When the narrator looked through the glass partition, he saw the two boys seated at the bedside of a girl. She resembled the boys and was listening to their chatter.

Jacopo and Nicola, though too young to face adverse situations, did not lose hope and courage. They were not ready to accept defeat at the hands of circumstances. Their family and home had been destroyed by a bomb-blast and their sister suffered from the tuberculosis of the spine. They had no money for her treatment. But they did not lose hope. They got her admitted in a hospital at Poleta and worked day and night to pay the bills of the hospital. They sold fruits, hawked newspapers, conducted tourists round the town, polished shoes and what not. They worked really hard to earn money and saved it for the treatment of their sister. They never spent any money on themselves. The adverse situation did not break their spirits and they remained dedicated and selfless. Thus, the story teaches us not to lose hope and courage. Rather we should face life as it comes. Running away from the problem is not the solution but finding ways to come out of the problem shows real manly spirit.

The narrator was deeply touched by the devotion of Jacopo and Nicola towards their work. They did not resort to any shortcut methods. They had self-respect and were highly secretive in not revealing their personal problems to strangers. Their love and care for their sister also touched the narrator. He realized that these two boys were the embodiment of selflessness, nobility, and gentle manliness. They gave promise of a greater hope for the human society. In the days full of a variety of disasters and distractions faced by the humans, the two boys stood apart to show him hope, faith, positive thinking. He knew that their hard work would take them a long way.

(a) Nicola and Jacopo.

(b) The narrator did not want to intrude into their privacy.

(c) to respect their privacy.

(d) like to

About twenty.

Tuberculosis of the spine.

The German Elite Guard ruled the city with ruthless severity and the boys grew to hate those unwanted masters who had ruined their family. Hence, they joined the resistance movement.

Lucia was suffering from tuberculosis of the spine.

The war made them orphans.

(a) Jacopo and Nicola – the two boys 

(b) They furnished the narrator with all the information he needed /They got him seats for the opera / They showed him places of tourist interest 

(c) ‘us’ refers to the narrator and his driver Luigi.

(d) rarely.

(a) Nicola.

(b) He is speaking to the narrator.

(c) Because he wanted to keep his secret about the treatment of his tuberculosis-afflicted sister.

(d) Soft spoken, polite, wishing to fight his battle independently, self-respect, responsible, doesn’t share his problems (reserved).

(a) was sleeping 

(b) had quit 

(c) did you spend 

(d) left 

(e) had made 

(f) had not slept 

(g) will be 

(h) had happened 

(i) will land 

(j) is listening 

(k) will take 

(l) were talking 

(m) are living 

(n) is 

(o) goes 

(p) has been

(q) did not win 

(r) saw 

(s) may have already begun

(a) Tell, happened 

(b) has been teaching 

(c) never thought, am seriously considering it 

(d) forgot, have done 

(e) said, was not listening, was talking 

(f) went, had 

(g) am thinking, have not made 

(h) get, slept, did not get

Nicola was 13 and Jacopo only 12. They were brothers. They were tanned, had tangled hair and dark earnest eyes. Though they were just kids, they were serious about their work. They did hundreds of errands for the tourists. They were found doing brisk business shining shoes or selling wild berries. They had the skill to find seats in theater for the tourists and also guide the tourists through many important sites of the city of Verona such as Juliet’s tomb. Jacopo was lively as a squirrel. Nicola’s smile was steady and engaging yet in their innocent faces one could find seriousness far beyond their years. What struck one was the extreme willingness of both the boys to work. Under the scorching Sun, they hawked newspapers. When the narrator enquired what they did with the money they earned as they were not spending it on clothes or food or saving it for emigrating to America, Nicola coloured but he did not reveal the secret family adversity. Both are gentlemen because they did not want any one’s sympathy.

Before the war, Nicola and Jacopo’s widowed father was a well-known singer. He was killed in the early part of the war leaving Lucia, his daughter behind to take care of the little boys. Shortly after a bomb destroyed their home. The three children were thrown into the streets. They had always known a comfortable and cultured life. Lucia was training to become a singer. Suddenly they were uprooted from their cozy life. They had suffered from near starvation and exposure to cold winter. The home they rebuilt from the rubbles was not weatherproof. The boys joined the secret services of resistance moment as they hated Germans. When they returned home after the war, they found their sister affected by tuberculosis of the spine. They persuaded a private hospital to take Lucia in. Every week they worked hard to pay for their sister’s medical expenses. To achieve it they had to sacrifice a lot.

From 

K. Manimuthu 

18, East Street 

Kulamangalam 

To, 

The Manager

A2 Company 

18, Dindigul Road

Madurai

Sir,

Sub: Request to replace defective juicer-Reg. I bought Preethi juicer mixie on 18.02.19 vide bill no. 1781. On reaching home I tried to make apple juice. The juicer rotates but the cut apples were not crushed. I believe this is a mechanical fault. Could you please replace the faulty Preethi juicer with a new one? Photocopies of warranty card and the bill are enclosed. Yours sincerely K. Manimuthu

To, 

The Manager 

A2 Company 

Company 

18, Dindigul Road 

Madurai

From 

L. Kathiravan 

17, Awaiyar St. 

K.K. Nagar 

Madurai – 20 To 

The Principal 

PTC Aviation Academy 

Chromepet 

Chennai – 600044

Sir, 

Warm Greetings.

Sub: Enquiry about Pilot training course-Reg. I saw your advertisement in the Indian Express newspaper about pilot training course yesterday. I would like to become a commercial pilot. Kindly clarify my doubts by answering the following questions. 

1. How long do you conduct the course for the candidates who want to become pilots? 

2. What is the fee structure of the course?

3. I have 90+ marks in I Group in my +2 Board examinations. Is there any scholarship or concession in fee structure for meritorious candidates?

4. What is the success rate of placements in your institute for trained pilots?

I shall contact you in person after receiving your information-packed reply.

Yours sincerely

L. Kathiravan

To,

The Principal

PTC Aviation Academy

Chromepet

Chennai – 600044

Dear Grandma,

I am fine. I hope your health is fine. My stay in your house was really wonderful. You spent a lot of time with me sharing recipes for many delicious dishes. Everyday you prepared curry with vegetables from your own garden. The food you gave was so tasty that I envied my mom who had spent the best part of her life with you. I just love the stories you shared every evening. Grandma, you had herbal remedies for every kind of ailment. I wish I could come again during next summer and stay with you.

Yours lovingly,

Anu

To

K. Savithri

18, Mettu St.

Chengalpattu – 603001