TEACHER’S SUPPORT DOCUMENT

Subject: English Topic: The Model Millionaire Std: VII

Textual Answers:
1. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
a) “I had to tell him all about you - who you are, where you live, what your income is,
what prospects you have—”
Now he knows all about the colonel, the lovely Laura, and the £10,000.”
i. Who is the speaker of the above lines and whom is he addressing?
Alan Trevor the artist is addressing Hughie Erskine.

ii. Who is referred to as ‘him’ and why was ‘him’ asking about the person the speaker
was addressing?
Baron Hausberg, the richest man in Europe, is referred to as ‘him’. He was having
his portrait painted as a beggar. Hughie mistook him for a real one and gave the
millionaire a sovereign. The Baron was quite taken in by Hughie’s generosity.

iii. What is the connection between ‘the colonel, the lovely Laura and £10,000‘?
Hughie liked Laura Merton, the daughter of a retired Colonel. The Colonel was very
fond of Hughie, but did not want his daughter to get married to him. He told
Hughie to come to him when he had ten thousand pounds of his own.

iv. Give the synonym of ‘prospects’.

chances/possibilities

2. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words.

a) Why is Hughie described as ineffectual?

Hughie is described as ineffectual because he had every accomplishment except
that of making money. He had gone on the Stock Exchange for six months. He had
been a tea-merchant for a little longer, but he left that too.

b) Why did Hughie give the beggar the sovereign? How did the beggar respond?
The old beggar-man looked forlorn and wretched so Hughie felt sorry for him and
gave him the sovereign. The old man smiled and thanked Hughie twice for the
alms.
c) What did Hughie receive from the ‘beggar’?
One morning, an old gentleman with gold spectacles and grey hair, Monsieur

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Gustave Naudin came to meet Hughie. He gave him a cheque for £10,000 as a
wedding present to Hugh Erskine and Laura Merton. It was from Baron Hausberg.

d) ‘How miserable he looks! But I suppose, to you painters, his face is his fortune?’
Explain the statement.
Hughie was filled with pity on looking at the old beggar’s face and clothes. The
mark of a good artist is if he paints a picture that evokes a strong emotion in the
observer. Artists look for such faces; hence, they become saleable for both the
model and the artist.

3. Answer the following questions in 80-100 words.

a) What did Hughie see in Trevor’s studio?

When Hughie entered Trevor’s studio, he found him putting the finishing touches
to a wonderful life-size picture of a beggar-man. The beggar himself was standing
on a raised platform in a corner of the studio. He was a wizened old man, with a
face like wrinkled parchment, and a most piteous expression. Over his shoulders
was flung a coarse brown cloak, all tears and tatters; his thick boots were patched
and cobbled, and with one hand he leaned on a rough stick, while with the other,
he held out his battered hat for alms.

b) Why did Hughie think he had made a fool of himself?

Hughie met his artist friend, Trevor at the Palette Club. Trevor informed him that he
had finished and framed the painting of the beggar. He also tells him that the old
model has become quite devoted to Hughie and wanted to know all about Hughie
– who he was, where he lived, what his income was, what prospects he had. He also
knew about the colonel, Laura and £10,000. Hughie was annoyed that Trevor had
told the old beggar all his private details. That’s when Trevor gives him the
shocking news that the old beggar is actually Baron Hausberg the richest man in
Europe. Trevor was given a commission to paint him as a beggar. Hughie was
dismayed and thought he had made a fool of himself by giving the Baron a
sovereign.

4. Find the meanings of the following phrases used in the text.

a) commissioned to formally choose someone to do a special piece of
work
b) show (the visitor) up escort someone up to the person he/she wants to
meet

c) never entered one’s mind did not think about it/consider it

d) made a conquest able to gain favour or admiration
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e) sank into(an armchair) slowly move one’s body into a sitting or lying
position, in a relaxed or tired way

5. Fill in the blanks with appropriate form of the adjective given in the bracket

a. He had been a tea-merchant for a little ……….. (long) longer than being on the stock
exchange.
b. He was a wizened old man with the …………. (piteous) most piteous expression on
his face.
c. That old beggar, as you call him, is one of the ……………. (rich) richest men in Europe.
d. Please offer him my ………………… (sincere) sincerest apologies.
e. Millionaire models are rare enough but model millionaires are …………. (rare) rarer
still.

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