Hi Everyone!! This article will share The Silver Lining Questions & Answers.
In my previous posts, I have shared the questions and answers of The Newcomer, When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer, A Shot in the Dark and The Solitary Reaper so, you can check these posts as well.
The Silver Lining Questions & Answers
Question 1: Why does the author believe that it is difficult to assess the range and quality of human emotions?
Answer: The author believes it is difficult to assess the range and quality of human emotions because it is usually not possible to tell what griefs people have by merely looking at their appearance.
Question 2: In what ways was the Ahad Guest House a suitable place to stay?
Answer: The Ahads’ Guest House was a suitable place to stay because it was near the bus stand, market, and post office, yet far enough away to be peaceful. The views were pleasant, the cooking was good, and the hostess was charming.
Question 3: What makes the author say he felt as if he had known the family for years?
Answer: The Ahads were very kind to their guests and looked after them well. Mrs Ahad took the narrator in hand the moment he arrived. She saw to his luggage, gave instructions about his room, and gave him a cup of coffee. She put him at his ease. Mr Ahad too treats his guests with courtesy. Maheen was shy and reserved, due to her deafness, but endeared herself to all the visitors. The narrator was won over by the entire family.
Question 4: In what manner did the author try to make friends with Maheen? What was the reaction from i. Maheen ii. her parents?
Answer: The author asked Maheen what her name was, smiled at her and beckoned to her.
(i) Maheen reacted by blushing and running out of the room with tears in her eyes.
(ii) Her parents frowned with pained looks on their faces. Mrs Ahad then apologetically explained to the author why the girl had behaved like this.
Question 5: Which phrase or statement tells us that the Ahads did not much care for the questions put by visitors about their daughter?
Answer: The phrase or statement that tells us that the Ahads did not much care for the questions put by visitors about their daughter is – ‘with pained looks on their faces’ and/or ‘The queries were answered by the parents haltingly and with obvious anguish.’
The Silver Lining Questions & Answers
Question 6: Mr Ahad said, apologetically, ‘I’m sorry, Mr Nadeem.’ Why was he sorry?
Answer: Mr Ahad was sorry because Maheen had not gone to Mr Nadeem and about the awkwardness created by the lack of communication.
Question 7: Why do you think the Ahads agreed, ‘after some trepidation,’ to try out the author’s suggestion of a way to deal with the questions of visitors?
Answer: They must have been worried about whether the plan would work and concerned that, if it did not work, it might cause Maheen further anguish.
Question 8: Comment on the italicised words in the following:
a. Mrs Ahad, the landlady, took me in hand the moment I arrived.
Answer: Mrs Ahad, the landlady, looked after me the moment I arrived.
b. I couldn’t help smiling.
Answer: I couldn’t stop myself from smiling/ contain my joy.
c. And, at the very first meeting, or soon afterwards, they would run into the child….
Answer: And, at the very first meeting, or soon afterwards, they would come across (meet) the child…
d. ‘He shouldn’t have ignored our request like this,’ the landlord put in, more mildly.
Answer: ‘He shouldn’t have ignored our request like this,’ the landlord interrupted (added to the conversation), more mildly.
e. It took us time to digest the news.
Answer: It took us time to understand (take in) the news / let the news sink in.
f. And then both parents broke into incoherent statements of profuse apologies….
Answer: And then both parents started abruptly (speaking/making) incoherent statements of profuse apologies…
g. She almost broke down with gratitude…
Answer: She almost became very emotional with gratitude…
Question 9: Read and answer the questions:
a. I vaguely felt I had wronged her and her parents.
i. Why did the speaker feel like this?
Answer: The speaker, Mr Nadeem, felt only slightly that he had wronged the family because he had not really known what he was doing. He had not done anything on purpose. He felt he had wronged the girl and her parents because he had tried to make friends with her by speaking to her but had not realised she was deaf and dumb.
ii. What did he do to make the situation better?
Answer: To make the situation better, and to save the child from repeated humiliation, he suggested that the Ahads provide new guests with a note containing information about Maheen.
b. At this time he discovered the sealed envelope containing the typed chit lying on the table, addressed to him by name.
i. Who discovered the envelope?
Answer: Mr David discovered the envelope.
ii. What had happened immediately prior to this?
Answer: Mr David was greeted by Mr Ahad, and made entries about himself in the guesthouse register.
iii. What was in the envelope and what did it say?
Answer: In the envelope was the information the Ahads had provided about Maheen and the fact that she was deaf and dumb.
iv. What did the person do immediately after this?
Answer: Immediately after this, Mr David looked around astonished, saw Maheen sitting outside in the garden, looked at the Ahads and Mr Nadeem with a smile, and darted out towards Maheen.
c. She looked the happiest woman in the world.
i. Who is this statement about?
Answer: This statement is about Mrs Ahad.
ii. Why was the person happy?
Answer: Mrs Ahad was happy because Mr David had outlined to her and her husband some plans for the education and betterment of Maheen. He had told her there were schools for such people and that he himself intended starting one and that Maheen could be his first pupil.
iii. What did she do to show her happiness?
Answer: Mrs Ahad laughed like a carefree girl. She gave the guests an extra helping of jam and butter and honey.
So, these were The Silver Lining Questions & Answers.