Class 10 - Unit 02 - Section A - THE NEVER-NEVER NEST

 

UNIT 2 – HUMOUR SECTION A – THE NEVER-NEVER NEST

 Comprehension –

I. Read the questions or the statements given in column I and say who asked these questions or made these statements to whom and in which context?

 

	I	II	III	IV
	Questions or statements	Who said	To whom	In which context
i	What do you think of our little nest, Aunt Jane?	Jill	Aunt Jane	Jane was asking for Aunt Jane’s opinion about their house.
ii	No, No, Aunt Jane. You misunderstand me.	Jack	Aunt Jane	Jack was explaining that they are not paying rent and the house is theirs.
iii	I’m expecting ten this Christmas	Jack	Jill	Jack was telling about his expected rise in payment.
iv	They’re only too glad to loan you any amount you like, on note of hand alone.	Jill	Aunt Jane	Jill was explaining about the Loan firm.
v	Aunt Jane! Is anything the matter? Would you like to lie down?	Jack	Aunt Jane	When Aunt Jane leapt off the chair knowing that all things were on loan instalments.
vi	Er-thank you. Aunt Jane. It’s very nice of you.	Jill	Aunt Jane	When Aunt Jane gave her a cheque.
vii	Good-bye, Aunt Jane— and thanks so much for the present.	Jill	Aunt Jane	When Aunt Jane was leaving from the house.

 

II. Answer the following questions.

1. Choose the correct answer from the options given below each of the following questions.

i. Why didn’t Jack and Jill pay rent for their house? They didn’t pay the rent

because

(a) they were too poor to pay the rent.

(b) they were staying in the house illegally.

(c) they had bought the house on instalments.

Answer - (c) they had bought the house on instalments

 

ii. How much did Aunt Jane give Jack and Jill as their wedding present?

(a) one hundred pounds

(b) two hundred pounds

(c) one thousand pounds

Answer – (b) two hundred pounds

 

iii. How much did Jack and Jill pay to get a car?

(a) five pounds

(b) ten pounds

(c) five hundred pounds

Answer - (a) five pounds

 

iv. Why did Aunt Jane refuse to lie down on the bed? She didn’t lie down on the

bed because

(a) she was angry with Jack and Jill.

(b) the bed did not belong to Jack and Jill.

(c) she was in a hurry to leave the house of Jack and Jill.

Answer - (b) the bed did not belong to Jack and Jill.

 

v. Why did Aunt Jane gift a cheque of ten pounds to Jack and Jill?... because

(a) Jack and Jill asked Aunt Jane to help them with a cheque.

(b) Jack and Jill wanted to repay their loans.

(c) Aunt Jane thought that Jack and Jill could make full payments for at least one of their bills.

Answer - (c) Aunt Jane thought that Jack and Jill could make full payments for at least one of their bills.

 

vi. What did Jack intend to do with the ten pounds cheque?

(a) He wanted to pay off the instalments to the doctor.

(b) He wanted to pay off the instalments for the houses.

(c) He wanted to pay off the instalments for the car.

Answer - (c) He wanted to pay off the instalments for the car.

 

vii. How many persons were present in the house when Aunt Jane visited Jack and

Jill?

(a) four

(b) five

(c) six

Answer - (a) four

 

2. Describe Jack and Jill’s house and the things that impressed Aunt Jane.

Answer – It was a wonderful house with a charming and cozy lounge. Everything in the house including the furniture, the car, the piano, the refrigerator and the radio impressed Aunt Jane.

 

3. Why was Aunt Jane worried about her gift cheque?

Answer – Aunt Jane had given a gift cheque of two hundred pounds as a wedding present to Jack and Jill. She was worried that she might have put two thousand by mistake on it.

 

4. Why did Jack say that it was better ‘to be Mr. Owner than to be Mr. Tenant’?

Answer – Jack said that it was better ‘to be Mr. Owner than to be Mr. Tenant’ because he felt it was very uneconomical to go on paying rent year after year when one could buy and enjoy own home on instalments.

 

5. Why did Aunt Jane say that she would take a bus rather than go by Jack’s car?

Answer – Aunt Jane said that she would take a bus rather than go by Jack’s car because that car was on instalment and was not completely owned by Jack.

 

6. What did Jill do with the ten pound cheque presented by Aunt Jane?

Answer – Jill sent the ten pound cheque to Dr. Martin to pay his bill because even their baby was on instalment as they had not settled the medical bills.

 

7. Many people are in the habit of buying things on instalment? Do you support this trend? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer – I support the trend of buying things on instalment as long as it is done with practical thinking. It is easy to buy and own things on instalment which is otherwise not possible for most of the people. Though, it should never be done in the foolish way Jack and Jill did in the story.

 

8. Describe a situation which you find most humourous in the play.

Answer – The most humourous situation in the play was when Jill said to Jack, “Just one more instalment and Baby’s really ours!”. It was funny to know that like everything they had even their child is on instalment.

 

9. What do you understand by the title ‘The Never, Never Nest’? Can you suggest a new title?

Answer – The title of the play means that the nest or house of Jack and Jill would never be built. The possibility of building their own nest felt impossible seeing their immature behaviour of taking too much loan to live a shallow luxurious life. Another title for the story can be – ‘Never their Nest’.

 

I. Tick (✔) the words which are similar to the words given in bold.

1. Charming! Such a cosy little room.

(a) costly

(b) cute

(c) comfortable (✔)

 

2. Aunt Jane (suddenly): Jack! I’ve just thought of something. That car—is it yours?

Jill: Of course it’s ours.

Aunt Jane: All yours?

Jack: Well, no. Not exactly all.

(a) immediately

(b) completely (✔)

(c) correctly

 

3. Now, tell me, how much do all these instalments come to?

(a) loans

(b) full payment

(c) part payment (✔)

 

4. Yes, Jack, that’s what’s worrying me.

(a) surprising

(b) irritating

(c) troubling (✔)

 

5. Suppose you take it and pay off just one of your bills

(a) give away

(b) make full payment (✔)

(c) pay in instalments

 

 Grammar -

 Use of ‘do’, ‘does’ ‘did’

Fill in the blanks in the following conversation with the appropriate form of

verbs do and did.

Jill: Hi Mum. Can you guess who visited us this morning?

Mother: Sorry, I can’t.

Jill: Aunt Jane, Mum.

Mother: Jane visited you this morning?

Jill: Yes, she visited us this morning.

Mother: Did she like your house?

Jill: Yes, Mum. She liked our house. But she didn’t like the idea of buying it on

instalment.

Mother: How silly! She has very old fashioned ideas, I’m afraid.

Jill: Yes, Mum. She has very old fashioned ideas.

Jack: She was rather too worried.

Jill: She even refused to sit on the furniture.

Mother: Why did she refuse to sit on the furniture? That’s amazing!

Jack: But Aunt Jane was very kind and considerate. Do you know what she gave us at the time of her departure?

Mother: What did she give you?

Jill: A ten pound cheque.

Mother: She gave you a ten pound cheque!

Jill: Yes, yes. A ten pound cheque.

Mother: What do you propose to do with that extra money?

Jill: We have spent it already.

Mother: Good heavens, you spent it already! What did you do with that money?

Jill: I sent it to Dr. Martins. Didn’t I do a good thing, Mum?

Mother: To Dr. Martins? Why did you send it to Dr. Martin?

Jill: For the last instalment

Mother: Oh, I see. How nice of you! You did the right thing, my dear.

Jill: Thanks, mum.

© Anupam Agrawal