SECTION III – MODEL ANSWERS
Questions 13–19 — 4 Scores Each
.13. Elaborate the idea of the following lines:
“I am the twist that holds together
The children in its sacred ring,
Their knot of love, from whose close tether
No lost child goes a-wandering.”
Answer:
These lines from Katherine Tynan's Any Woman highlight the mother's role in keeping the family united. The mother compares herself to the twist or knot that binds her children together in a sacred circle of love. Her affection creates a strong emotional bond among the members of the family. The word “tether” suggests the close bond of love that keeps the children connected to their home and one another. Under the mother's loving care and protection, no child is allowed to go astray. Thus, the lines celebrate the mother as the unifying force and emotional centre of the family.
.14. What is the main conflict in the story Amigo Brothers?
Answer:
The main conflict in Amigo Brothers is the conflict between friendship and competition. Antonio Cruz and Felix Vargas are best friends who share the same dream of becoming boxing champions. Their friendship is challenged when they are asked to fight each other to decide who will represent the Boys' Club in the Golden Gloves Championship Tournament. Both want to win and decide to fight as though they were strangers in the ring. However, during the match, they realise that their friendship is more valuable than victory. In the end, they leave the ring together even before the winner is announced, proving that true friendship can rise above rivalry and competition.
.15. How did Ashapurna Debi compare women to matchboxes?
Answer:
Ashapurna Debi compares women to matchboxes because both appear harmless on the outside but contain the power to create fire. Matchboxes lie quietly in people's homes, though they contain enough explosive power to set everything ablaze. Similarly, women often remain silent and tolerate injustice, humiliation and oppression. Society may mistake their patience for weakness. But within them lies hidden strength, anger and the capacity to resist oppression. Through Nomita, the author shows that when a woman's dignity is repeatedly violated, her suppressed anger can suddenly burst into flame. The comparison therefore symbolises the hidden power and potential for resistance in women.
.16. “Good fences make good neighbours.” Elaborate.
Answer:
The statement occurs in Robert Frost's poem Mending Wall. The speaker's neighbour repeatedly says, “Good fences make good neighbours,” because he believes that clear boundaries help people maintain peaceful relationships. The speaker, however, questions this traditional belief. There are no cattle to cross the boundary, and their apple and pine trees cannot harm each other. So he feels that the wall is unnecessary. The neighbour continues to rebuild it simply because he follows the wisdom inherited from his father. Through this contrast, Frost makes us think about whether barriers really protect relationships or unnecessarily separate people. The wall thus becomes a symbol of the emotional and social barriers human beings create between themselves.
.17. Interview with Sri Mohanlal
Answer:
As a reporter, I would ask Sri Mohanlal the following questions:
How do you feel on receiving the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award?
Which experiences in your long acting career have influenced you the most as an artist?
Which role in your career has been the most challenging and memorable for you, and why?
What advice would you give to young people who dream of building a career in cinema?
.18. Prepare an announcement about staging The Hour of Truth.
Answer:
ANNOUNCEMENT
World Book Day Celebration
Dear students and teachers,
The English Club of our school is delighted to announce the staging of the one-act play ** The Hour of Truth by Percival Wilde** as part of our World Book Day Celebration.
The play presents the inspiring story of Robert Baldwin and his uncompromising honesty and integrity. All students and teachers are cordially invited to watch the performance and make the programme a memorable one.
Date: 23 April 2026
Time: 2.00 p.m.
Venue: School Auditorium
All are welcome!
Convenor
English Club
.19. Edit the following:
Later on, at life, I get to see something that remind me about that stone bench once again.
There are four errors.
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| at life | in life |
| get | got |
| remind | reminded |
| about | of |
Corrected sentence:
Later on, in life, I got to see something that reminded me of that stone bench once again.
Quick Answer Points
.13. Mother → twist/knot → binds children → love and protection → unity of family.
.14. Friendship vs competition → Antonio and Felix → boxing rivals → friendship ultimately triumphs.
.15. Women like matchboxes → outwardly quiet → hidden fire/power → resistance against oppression.
.16. Neighbour believes in boundaries → speaker questions them → wall symbolises barriers between people.
.17. Four relevant interview questions.
.18. Announcement → occasion, programme, play, date, time, venue, invitation.
.19. at → in; get → got; remind → reminded; about → of.