CBSE Term II English Language & Literature 10th
(iii) If according to Chubukov and Natalya, Lomovs are
not ‘honourable people’, why do they still consider
Lomov’s proposal?
(a) Natalya can take care of her father if she marries close by.
(b) They were exaggerating in the argument and didn’t mean
it.
(c) They understand that honour is superficial and overrated.
(d) Lomov’s status in society supersedes everything.
Ans. (d) Chubukov and Natalya still consider Lomov’s proposal
because of his status in society superseded everything.
(iv) Imagine you found the playwright’s notes for each
scene in the play and noticed that some of the
words were missing. Choose the option that fills the
missing words most appropriately.
A conversation that starts pleasantly quickly turns
into a (i) ............. argument. With (ii) ............. of
Oxen Meadows at the heart of the matter, Lomov
and Natalya quarrel and are later joined by
Chubukov. Thus, begins a (iii) ............. of insults,
accusations and name-calling. All (iv) .............
disappears. Eventually, Lomov leaves clutching at
his heart, his foot numb.
(a) (i) petty ; (ii) history ; (iii) series; (iv) politeness
(b) (i) vicious ; (ii) ownership ; (iii) circus ; (iv) civility
(c) (i) curious ; (ii) land ; (iii) outpouring ; (iv) laughter
(d) (i) ugly ; (ii) neighbourhood ; (iii) barrage; (iv) goodness
Ans. (b) (i) vicious ; (ii) ownership ; (iii) circus ; (iv) civility
(v) Which of the following options comes closest to the
meaning of ‘tried’ as used in the extract?
(a) She mastered the game through a process of trial and
error.
(b) He followed the trial closely and was seen in court every
day.
(c) This had been a tried and tested formula for the
organisation.
(d) They tried with all their might to repeat their earlier
successes.
Ans. (b) Sentence (b) is closes to the word ‘tried’ used in the
above extract.
PART 2
Subjective Questions
! Short Answer Type Questions
1. What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov
has come for? Is he sincere when he later says “And
I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my
own son”? Find reasons for your answer from the
play. NCERT
Ans. At first, Chubukov suspected that Lomov had come to
borrow money.
Chubukov was not sincere when he told Lomov that he
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had always loved him and that he was like his own
son, because he had decided to not give any money to
Lomov.
If he truly meant what he said he would not have
thought of not giving him money. He said so only
because Lomov had asked for his daughter’s hand in
marriage.
2. How does Lomov come to Chubukov’s house? For
what does he come? How is he received? CBSE 2012
Ans. Lomov came to Chubukov’s house in the evening dress
with gloves on.
Lomov came to propose Chubukov’s daughter Natalya for
marriage.
Lomov is treated with respect by Chubukov, who also felt
happy.
3. How does Chubukov react when Lomov to
asked for the hand of his daughter in marriage?
CBSE 2019
Ans. When Lomov says that he has come to ask for the hand
of his daughter in marriage, Chubukov gets excited with
joy.
He hugs and kisses Lomov, sheds a tear of joy and calls
for God’s blessing for Lomov and Natalya.
4. Why did Natalya feel surprised when Lomov paid
her a visit to her house? CBSE 2019
Ans. Natalya felt surprised when Lomov paid a visit to her
house because Lomov was wearing an evening
dress-a-dress, jacket and white gloves. Usually one does
not visit ones’ neighbours in a formal dress.
5. Why did Lomov want to get married?
Ans. Lomov wanted to get married as he was already 35 years
old. He felt that now he should lead quiet and peaceful
life with a well educated, beautiful Natalya. Moreover, he
was suffering from a weak heart and sleep-sickness and
wanted company of someone to look after him.
6. When Natalya comes to meet Lomov, she quotes
her father’s words – “and papa said’’, “Go; there’s a
merchant come for his goods.” What do you think
Chubukov meant? CBSE Question Bank 2021
Ans. When Natalya comes to meet Lomov, she quotes her
father’s words – ‘and papa said’, “Go; there’s a merchant
come for his goods.” These words of Chubukov
represents that Lomov had come to propose marriage
with Natalya.
7. What happens to Lomov when he is in an excited
state?
Ans. When Lomov is in an excited state, his heartbeat
increases, his lips tremble and there is a twitch in his
right eyebrow. When he goes to sleep in such a state,
something pulls him from his left side and he jumps like a
lunatic.
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8. “The Lomovs and the Chubukovs have always had
the most friendly, and I might almost say the most
affectionate, regard for each other.” How would you
evaluate Lomov and Chubukov’s relationship as
neighbours? CBSE Question Bank 2021
Ans. The statement that “The Lomovs and the Chubukovs
have always had the most friendly, and I might almost say
the most affectionate, regard for each other” may seem
true at first. Both Lomov and Chubukov have been
neighbours for years and for this very reason, Lomov
comes to Chubukov’s house with a proposal of marrying
Natalya.
However, as one moves ahead, the relationship may not
be as affectionate as it seems. They constantly quarrel
with each other over trivial issues and do not trust each
other even a bit. They insult each other, call each other
names but still maintain a façade of happy relationship.
9. Describe Oxen Meadows. How were they a source
of quarrel between Lomov’s and Natalya’s family?
Ans. Oxen Meadows is a land wedged between Birchwoods
and the Burnt Marsh.
It becomes the source of quarrel between Lomov’s and
Natalya’s family as both of them lay claim over it.
Lomov tries to prove that the Oxen Meadows were given
to Natalya’s great grandfather’s peasants for free use.
Because of using it for 40 years, they had started thinking
that the Meadows belonged to them while Chubukov’s
contest (contradict) Lomov’s claims.
10. How does Natalya react when she comes to know
that Lomov had come to propose her? CBSE 2014
Ans. When Natalya comes to know that Lomov had come there
to propose her, she was shocked. She cries, changes her
stance and asks her father to bring Lomov back. When he
proposed her, she became very happy as she also wanted to
marry him.
11. Why do you think Natalya Stepanova asked her
father to call Lomov back when she heard that he
had come with a proposal? CBSE Question Bank 2021
Ans. Natalya Stepanova asked her father to call Lomov back
when she heard that he had come with a proposal because
she had secretly loved Lomov. She may have always hoped
that Lomov would love her and propose her.
12. To what end does the playwright employ Lomov’s
palpitations in the play? CBSE Question Bank 2021
Ans. The play ‘The proposal’ as the name suggests is about
Lomov proposing to Natalya for marriage. However, all
the characters in the play engage in trivial arguments
which delays the purpose of Lomov. Lomov’s palpitations,
then has been employed by the playwright to meet the
purpose of proposal. It is only after Lomov gets
unconscious due to his palpitations, that the proposal is
made and accepted.
CBSE Term II English Language & Literature 10th
! Long Answer Type Questions
1. Among neighbours we should have cordial relations
and not lose our temper. How do Natalya and Lomov
lose their temper on trivial issues ? CBSE 2018
Ans. Neighbours must have a cordial relationship which
Lomov and Natalya lacked. When Lomov came to
Chubukov‘s house to ask for Natalya‘s hand in marriage,
Chubukov became extremely happy.
When Natalya entered the house, she also talked politely
with Lomov. At the moment, when they started talking
about a stretch of land called ‘Oxen Meadows’, they
started arguing over its ownership claiming the land to be
theirs. Chubukov also started arguing in favour of Natalya
and cursed Lomov.
As soon as this argument got over, Lomov and
Natalya again started arguing over whose dog was
better. These arguments show that they both lost their
tempers on trivial issues and forgot about the marriage
proposal.
They should have followed the principle of forgive and
forget. They should have been courteous to each other.
They should not complaint and blame each other for
trivial things. They should develop mutual understanding
and help each other.
2. The proposal of the marriage was forgotten amidst the
arguments over petty things. Which right approach
should have been followed by Lomov and Natalya ?
CBSE 2020
Ans. Lomov came to Chubukovs to ask Natalya’s (his
daughter’s) hand for marriage. They were neighbours
since long and at the right age to marry. When Lomov
was about to propose Natalya; they started arguing over a
piece of land called Oxen Meadows claiming it to be
theirs. Her father also got into the argument and cursed
Lomov.
All this while they forgot about the proposal. But when
Lomov left, Chubukovs remembered about the proposal
and told Natalya about it.
She immediately called Lomov back and then they again
started to argue over their dogs. All three of them claimed
their dog to be better than others. Again they forgot about
the proposal amidst fighting over trivial things.
This would not have happened if they had followed a
right approach to talk calmly to each other. Natalya and
Lomov should have understood that Oxen Meadows
would have belonged to both if they got married to each
other.
They should have been polite and patient to each other
instead of being rude and stubborn. Oxen Meadows and
dogs are pity things to argue over in front of a marriage
proposal.
CBSE Term II English Language & Literature 10th
3. Neighbours must have a cordial relationship which
Lomov and Natalya do not have. Describe the first
fight between them. CBSE 2015
Ans. Neighbours must have a cordial relationship which
Lomov and Natalya lack. Lomov comes to his neighbour
Chubukov house to ask for his daughter, Natalya’s hand in
marriage.
When he meets Natalya, it seems that they do share
a cordial relationship as both of them talk about
Natalya’s fields. However, they both soon start quarrelling
over the ownership of a piece of land called Oxen
Meadows.
The quarrel starts when Lomov calls the Oxen Meadows
his own. On hearing this, Natalya objected and claimed
that the Oxen Meadows belongs to her family. Lomov
even claimed to have the documents that proved that the
land was his property.
He also tells Natalya that his aunt’s grandmother gave
those meadows to her father’s grandfather for free use.
Now, because the peasants had used the land for forty
years, they started thinking it and their own. But Natalya
refuses to believe it and insists that they belonged to her
family.
This quarrel is even joined by Chubukov, Natalya’s father.
However, instead of resolving the issue he gets into an
argument with Lomov. They even started abusing each
other and after some time, Lomov leaves their house. All
of these show that they do not share a cordial relations
with each other and fight over small issues.
! Extract Based Questions
1. Read the extract to attempt questions that follow.
LOMOV Hear me out, I implore you! The peasants
of your father’s grandfather, as I have already
had the honour of explaining to you, used to bake
bricks for my aunt’s grandmother. Now my
aunt’s grandmother, wishing to make them a
present.
NATALYA I can’t make head or tail of all this about
aunts and grandfathers and grandmothers. The
Meadows are ours, that’s all.
LOMOV Mine.
NATALYA Ours! You can go on proving it for two
days on end, you can go and put on fifteen dress
jackets, but I tell you they’re ours, ours, ours! I
don’t want anything of yours and I don’t want to
give anything of mine. So there!
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(i) Why were Natalya and Lomov arguing?
(ii) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘to
beg someone desperately to do something’.
(iii) What did the peasants of Natalya’s father’s
grandfather do?
(iv) Find out the idiom given in the extract and write its
meaning also.
(v) What did Lomov forget in the midst of the
argument?
Ans. (i) Natalya and Lomov were arguing over the ownership
of Oxen Meadows.
(ii) ‘Implore’ from the extract means ‘to beg someone
desperately to do something’.
(iii) The peasants of Natalya’s father’s grandfather used to
bake bricks for Lomov’s aunt’s grandmother.
(iv) The given idiom is ‘can’t make head or tails’ which
means unable to understand anything.
(v) Lomov forgot about marriage proposal for Natalya in
the midst of the argument.
2. Read the extract to attempt questions that follow.
‘‘But, please, Stephen Stepanovitch, how can they
be yours ? Do be a reasonable man ! My aunt's
grandmother gave the Meadows for the temporary
and free use of your grandfather’s peasants. The
peasants used the land for forty years and got
accustomed to it as if it was their own, when it
happened that .......
(i) Who is the speaker of the above lines ?
(ii) Why did his aunt’s grandmother give the
meadows ?
(iii) Why did the peasants treat the land as their own ?
(iv) What light do these lines throw on the speaker's
character ?
(v) How does the listener react to the speaker?
Ans. (i) Lomov is the speaker of these lines.
(ii) His aunt’s grandmother gave the meadows for the
temporary and free use of the peasants employed by
Stephan Chubukov’s grandfather in return for which
they were to make bricks for her.
(iii) The peasants treated the land as their own
because they used the land for forty years and got
accustomed to using it as their own land.
(iv) These lines tell that speaker is logical, rational and
polite.
(v) The listener, Chubukov politely refutes the speakers
assertion.