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Class XI, The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse - CBSE Sample Questions

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The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse by William Saroyan

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SNAPSHOTS - Class XI, NCERT English Supplementary Reader
Solutions of CBSE Sample Questions - A CBSE Guide

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Short Answer Questions
Question.1: What was the author’s (narrator’s) immediate reaction when he saw his cousin
Mourad sitting on a beautiful white horse?
Answer.1: When the author saw his cousin Mourad sitting on a beautiful white horse, he could not believe

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it. The author rubbed his eyes to make sure that he was not dreaming. He could not understand how a poor

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boy like Mourad could afford to own such a horse.
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Question.2: Why did the narrator believe that “stealing a horse for a ride” was not the same
thing as “stealing money”? Or, What were the narrator’s views about “stealing”?
Answer.2: The narrator tried to justify the action the action of his cousin Mourad.
According to narrator, stealing a horse just for a ride as Mourad did was not the same thing as stealing for
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money. It would amount to stealing in real sense only if one intended to sell the horse or the stolen material
for money.
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Question.3: Why did the narrator insist on keeping the stolen horse for a year? Why did
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narrator’s cousin oppose the idea?

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Answer.3: The narrator did not want to take back the horse to its owner until he learnt horse-riding like his
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cousin Mourad. When Mourad said that it would take him a year to learn to ride, the narrator insisted on
keeping the horse for a year. But Mourad opposed the idea and declared that the horse must go back to its
original owner. Because it was the question of Garoghlanian family’s honour and integrity and Mourad did
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not want any member of his family to be accused of stealing or defaming the family.

Question.4: Who was Khosrove? Who was the descendant in the family?
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Answer.4: Khosrove was uncle of the narrator of this story. He was a huge powerful man with a big, strong
head of black hair and a large moustache. He was the natural descendant of the crazy streak in the tribe.
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He was very impatient, short tempered man. He became furious in temper and stopped others from talking
before him by roaring, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.”
Mourad was considered his descendant in the family as he too had a crazy streak.

Question.5: Describe the Garoghlanian family. Mention two qualities of the members of its
family.

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Answer.5: The Garoghlanian family lived in abject poverty. They were too poor to buy even food for
themselves. Yet they never thought of doing a wrong thing or take advantage of others in the world.

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Stealing was unimaginable to them.

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The members of Garoghlanian family were especially known for their two qualities - integrity and honesty.
Question.6: Who was John Byro? How did he react when he saw the beautiful white horse

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with Mourad and Aram?
Answer.6: John Byro was an Assyrian farmer and the owner of the beautiful white horse which was stolen.
One day while John Byro was on his way to the town, he saw Mourad and Aram with his stolen horse. After

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checking the horse very closely and looking into its mouth, John found it was his same stolen horse. As he
asked them the name of the horse Mourad replied that it was ‘My Heart’. He, then, convinced himself that

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perhaps it was the twin of his own white horse. John Byro could never imagine that these Garoghlanian
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boys would steal his horse.

Long Answer Questions

Question.7: Who stole the beautiful white horse and why? How did they use the horse and
what made them return the horse to its true owner?
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Answer.7: ‘The Summer of The Beautiful Horse’ is a simple but interesting story about stealing of a horse
by two Armenian boys Mourad and Aram, and later how they returned it to its rightful owner. Mourad had a
passion and love for horse riding. Due to his passion for riding and fun once, he stole a beautiful white
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horse. Actually, the poverty of the tribe forced them to fulfill his desire for riding by stealing the horse. His
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cousin Aram too loved riding and in their childish innocence, they justified that stealing a horse for a fun and
riding was not the same as stealing and selling it for money. The two boys enjoyed riding the horse early
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every morning and hid it in the barn of the deserted vineyard.

The boys belonged to the Garoghlanian family which was known for its integrity and honesty. One day
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when the boys met John Byro, true owner of the horse and heard his confidence in the honesty of their
family, the boys became conscience - stricken. Soon the pride and honesty which they inherited from their
tribe overpowered their childish pranks and they realized that what they did was wrong as this could bring
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disgrace to their family. Thus conscience-stricken, they eventually returned the horse to its rightful owner.
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Question.8: Compare and contrast the characters of the two cousins Aram and Mourad.
Answer.8: Aram and Mourad are two poor Armenian boys, who are cousins. Aram is nine while Mourad is
thirteen. They belong to the Garoghlanian tribe, known for its honesty and integrity. Aram is the calm and
quiet one and the world is like a delightful, mysterious dream to him. Mourad, on the other hand, is a daring
boy who is considered to be crazy by everybody except Aram. Mourad is the natural descendant of the
crazy streak in the family, after uncle Khosrove.

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Both the boys shared a common heritage and lived in abject poverty. By nature they have one thing in
common, their passion for riding horses. Due to his passion for riding and fun once, Mourad stole a

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beautiful white horse for riding. In his childish innocence Aram justified this by saying that stealing a horse

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just for the sake of riding was not same as stealing it for money. They rode together, though Mourad was a
better rider, being daring. He even said that he had an understanding for horses. Aram was a bad rider and

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the horse threw him down always. But eventually they realized that what they did was wrong as this could
bring disgrace to their family. Thus conscience-stricken, they returned the horse to its rightful owner and
saved their family’s fame for honesty and dignity.

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Question.9: What is your view (give a brief description) about the role of Aram, the narrator,
in the story “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse”?

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Answer.9: Aram is not only one of the main characters in the story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful Horse’ but
being the narrator of the story he plays the role of a commentator also. He not only narrates the various
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adventures, incidents and actions but also provides useful information regarding the main characters and
their behaviour. He along with his cousin Mourad is the center stage around which the whole story revolves.
He gives a graphic description of the Garoghlanian tribe, its members, their traits and economic features.
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Mourad and uncle Khosrove represent the crazy streak in the tribe. Abject poverty in the family could not
diminish his pride for his family which is famous for honesty. He says, “No member of the Garoghlanian
family could be thief.” He makes a fine distinction between stealing a horse just for the sake of ride and
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stealing a horse to sell it for money.

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He gives a fine description of the horse ride and countryside with its vineyards, orchards, irrigation ditches
and country roads. Both the description and language are lucid and simple. The story moves in a very
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relaxed manner but seemingly natural. The narrator, Aram, never seems to be in a hurry to bring the story
to its conclusion. In my view full credit goes to the narrator who, in spite of lacking any ups and downs in
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the story, kept the readers engaged till the end and made them enjoy a delightful reading.

Class XI, NCERT Solutions for Snapshots (English Supplementary Reader) - Also Study
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Class 11, The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse by William Saroyan | NCERT Answers of
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Chapter 1, Snapshots - CBSE English Textbook Exercise Questions

CBSE Guide | NCERT Solutions

http://cbse-ncert-solution.blogspot.in/2013/08/class-11-the-summer-of-the-beautiful-horse-
ncert-answers-of-snapshots-cbse-english-textbook-exercise-questions.html

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