Seventeen Oranges
Bill Naughton
A. From your reading of the text, choose the correct answers from the options given below.
1. The narrator was very fond of eating oranges.
a. reading detective stories.
b. driving a pony-and-cart.
c. eating oranges.
d. munching away at something.
2. The narrator was searched by the policeman, because his pockets were bulging.
a. the oranges could be smelt.
b. he was singing songs.
c. he was carrying a box.
d. his pockets were bulging.
a. anything said would be held as evidence against him.
3. The narrator kept his mouth shut when questioned by Pongo, because anything said would be held as evidence against him.
b. the oranges would fall out.
c. he did not steal the oranges.
d. he was scared of Pongo.
4. The voice in the narrator’s head advised him to eat all the oranges.
a. confess the truth to Pongo.
b. eat all the oranges.
c. deny his guilt.
d. hide all the oranges.
5. Pongo found no trace of the oranges on the table, because the narrator had eaten them all.
a. Pongo’s mate had stolen them.
b. all the oranges were sold.
c. the narrator had eaten them all.
d. they disappeared mysteriously.
B. Answer the following questions briefly in one or two sentences:
1. Why did the narrator call Clem Jones a careful planner?
Clem Jones knew the strategy to cheat others. That’s why the narrator called him a careful planner.
2. What was Clem Jones carrying in the box during his second attempt?
During his second attempt Clem Jones was carrying a large Dutch cheese in the box.
3. Why did the policeman suspect the narrator?
The policeman suspected the narrator since he had noticed his bulging trouser pockets.
4. What did Pongo consider as evidence against the narrator?
Pongo considered the seventeen oranges as evidence against the narrator.
5. How did the narrator feel when he was alone in Pongo’s cabin?
The narrator felt worried and frightened of losing his job when he was alone in Pongo’s cabin.
6. What did the narrator do to get rid of the evidence?
The narrator swallowed the seventeen oranges to get rid of the evidence.
7. What did Pongo do when he found no oranges on the table?
Pongo became angry and shouted at the narrator when he found no oranges on the table.
8. Why were the policemen not able to bring any charges against the narrator?
The narrator swallowed all the seventeen oranges along with the pip and peel. So the policemen were not able to bring any charges against him since there was no evidence.
9. How did the narrator feel after eating seventeen oranges?
The narrator became sick for a week after eating seventeen oranges.
10. What happened to the narrator’s love for oranges after the incident?
The narrator gave up the fondness of oranges and he had never eaten oranges after the incident.
Answer the following in about 80-100 words.
1. Narrate the clever strategy followed by Clem Jones to deceive Pongo.
Clem Jones was a good planner of theft. One day Clem was coming out from the port with a box. Pongo the policeman stopped him. Pongo asked him to open the box. Clem told that it had a cat. When Clem opened the box, the cat ran out from the box. Clem shouted angrily. After two minutes, Clem came back with the same box. Pongo laughed at him. But Clem looked angry all the way home and then he smiled. He was able to steal. He opened the box in the kitchen and took out a large Dutch cheese.
2. Describe the confrontation between the narrator and Pongo.
The narrator loved oranges very much. He ate oranges every day. He worked in a shipyard carrying fruits and goods to the dock in his pony cart. One day he stole the oranges from the ship yard. The policeman caught him. He had oranges in his pocket. He locked the narrator in a cabin. The narrator decided to destroy the evidence. The narrator started to eat oranges. The evidence was destroyed. Pongo looked everywhere for the oranges, but he couldn’t find it. So the policeman released the narrator. It was a bitter experience for him. He ate seventeen oranges at a time. He felt sick for a week. The narrator was never crazy for oranges thereafter.
D. Find the synonyms for the underlined words
1. The voice in his head asked the narrator to eat the evidence.
a) proof
b) contradict
c) disprove
d) refute
2. Clem looked at Pongo furiously.
a) politely
b) gently
c) angrily
d) calmly
3. When Pongo caught the narrator with the oranges, he was very frightened.
a) undaunted
b) afraid
c) valiant
d) brave
4. The narrator was quiet, when Pongo questioned him.
a) furious
b) noisy
c) silent
d) agitated
5. The narrator was in trouble because he took the oranges.
a) peace
b) difficulty
c) harmony
d) comfort
E. Find the antonyms for the underlined words in the following sentences.
1. Seventeen oranges were hidden in the narrator’s pockets.
a) exposed
b) masked
c) concealed
d) buried
2. Clem Jones was ordered to open the box.
a) prepared
b) arranged
c) forced
d) requested
3. Pongo locked the narrator inside the cabin.
a) closed
b) sealed
c) released
d) chocked
4. Pongo carefully searched the narrator’s pockets.
a) attentively
b) carelessly
c) cautiously
d) strictly
5. The narrator of the story felt very sick for a week.
a) healthy
b) disordered
c) feeble
d) unhealthy
Grammar
A. Given below in Column A are some phrasal verbs taken from the text. Find the meanings by using a dictionary and complete Column A Column B
Phrasal Verb : Meaning
1. fond of: liking something pleasant
2. hidden away: concealed
3. lock up: imprison
4. laughed at: ridiculed
5. look at: examine closely /see
6. bring up: rear / to take care of
7. gave up: quit / relinquished
8. went through: examined carefully / undergo
9. finish off: destroy something / complete
10. figure out: solve / work out
Can you?
Example: Can you play the guitar? Now you try:
Can you Play drums ?
Can you draw a picture?
Can you buy a car?
Can you ride a bicycle?
C. Do’s and Don’ts (Necessity, Obligation and Permission)
Choose the correct option.
1. We use must (should/must/ought to) when something is compulsory, obligatory and important.
2. We use should (should/must/ought to) when something is the right thing to do.
3. We use ought to (should/must/ought to) when something is suggested or recommended.
D. Complete the sentences with one of the modal verbs given below.
can, can’t, could, couldn’t, may, shouldn’t
1. Students may be quiet when they write the examination.
2. You shouldn’t wear a coat, it’s quite warm.
3. could you open the window? It is very hot in the room.
4. I couldn’t go to the school yesterday because I was ill.
5. When she was eighteen, she could run fast.
6. You shouldn’t drive fast. It’s not safe.
7. Sachin is a famous cricketer. He Can bat well.
E. You are Aadhav. While you were away on a holiday, your house was burgled. Use appropriate modals and complete the letter to your friend telling him/ her about it.
No. 36, Gandhi Road
Chennai – 45
25th January 2022.
Dear Ramesh,
How are you? I feel sad to inform you that my house was burgled last week when I was on a holiday. Burglars might / would have known from the accumulated newspaper pile that I had gone away. When I came back last Sunday, I found the back-door lock broken. I could / might have forgotten to bolt the back-door from inside and they should have entered through it. My room was ransacked. They took my laptop and other valuables. I must / should have deposited the jewellery in a bank locker to avoid this loss. I should have informed my neighbours about my week-long trip. Well, I have registered an FIR with the police. They are investigating the case. They have assured that I would / shall get my jewels back. The burglars will be caught very soon. Convey my regards to all at home.
Yours lovingly,
Aadhav
1. I/She should take some pills
2. She/They shouldn’t wear warm clothes.
3. She/They shouldn’t go home.
4. Sam and Jai should see a doctor.
1. Obligation
(a) I/She/They must take some pills
(b) She must wear warm clothes.
(c) I/She/They/Sam and Jai must see a doctor.
(d) I must go home.
2. Prohibition
(a) She mustn’t take some pills.
(b) I mustn’t wear warm clothes.
(c) .Sam and Jai mustn’t go home.
(d) They mustn’t see a doctor.
G. Fill in the blanks with appropriate modals.
(will, shall, would, should, can, could, may, might, ought to)
Milk is a nutritious food enriched with vitamins and proteins. We should take milk regularly so that we shall/will not develop deficiencies in our body. Aged persons, children and patients should take milk in sufficient quantities as it provides strength to their body. We could/should supplement it with fruits, vegetables and pulses for proper growth of the body. But we should consume milk of good quality. Otherwise it may cause harm to the body. We should/ought to be very careful while selecting our food items because there are chances that these might/may be adulterated. We should/must protect our health.
WINDOWS WISDOM 