English Core > Literature Class 12 > Flamingo Prose

Read the following extracts and answer the questions: (a) He thought of the thirty kronor. To go up to the manor house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion's den. He only wanted a chance to sleep here in the forge and then sneak away as inconspicuously as possible. The ironmaster assumed that he felt embarrassed because of his miserable clothing. "Please don't think that I have such a fine home that you cannot show yourself there", He said... "Elizabeth is dead, as you may already have heard. My boys are abroad, and there is no one at home except my oldest daughter and myself. We were just saying that it was too bad we didn't have any company for Christmas. Now come along with me and help us make the Christmas food disappear a little faster." (The Rattrap)

(i) What does the narrator mean by the expression 'throwing himself into the lion's den'? (1 mark) (ii) What does the expression 'sneak away' reveal about the intention of 'he' in the above extract? (1 mark) (iii) Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank. "there is no one home" indicates that the ironmaster was leading a ________ life. (peaceful/lonely) (1 mark) (iv) "We didn't have any company for Christmas." The essence of Christmas spirit with reference to the above statement is : (1 mark) (A) to make a special dish to mark the celebration. (B) to invite guests to join the celebration. (C) to show off his wealth. (D) to conduct communal prayers. (v) Complete the following statement suitably : The peddler was feeling uncomfortable at the ironmaster's invitation because the peddler only wanted to ________. (1 mark) (vi) Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank. "Please don't think that I have such a fine home". The ironmaster uttered the above statement to make the peddler feel ________ (awkward/comfortable). (1 mark)