Going Places Important Questions CBSE Class 12

English
Going Places Important Questions Short Answer Type Questions (3-4 MARKS)

Question 1.
“Damn that Geoff, this was a Geoff thing not a Jansie thing.” Why did Sophie say so? (Delhi 2010)
Answer:
Sophie had cooked up the story of her meeting with Danny Casey to impress Geoff who was a
great fan of the football prodigy. She knew this news would be of great interest to her brother. She
had also thought her brother would keep her secret. She did not want Jansie, who was „nosey‟, to
know about this. So when Geoff told Jansie, Sophie cursed him because she knew Jansie would
spread her story in the entire neighbourhood.

Question 2.
Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person? (All India 2010)
Answer:
For Sophie, her brother Geoff was the only person who listened to her fantasies and long
cherished dreams. She only trusted Geoff to keep all her secrets to himself.

Question 3.
Why didn‟t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny? (All India 2010)
Answer:
Jansie told Sophie that Geoff had given her the news of her (Sophie‟s) meeting with Danny Casey.
Sophie cursed Geoff for telling Jansie this because it was meant to be something special between
Geoff and her. „It wasn‟t the jansie kind of thing at all‟. Jansie was „nosey‟ and now the whole
neighbourhood would come to know her story.

Question 4.
What did Sophie tell Geoff about her meeting with Danny Casey? (All India 2010)
Answer:
Sophie told Geoff that she had met Danny Casey, the wonder footballer. As she was looking at the
clothes in a shop‟s window Casey came and stood beside her. Geoff did not believe her. Sophie
then went on to tell him that Casey had green and gentle eyes and he was not very tall.

Question 5.
Why didn‟t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny? (Delhi 2011)
Answer:
Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey because she
knew Jansie was good at spreading rumours. Telling anything to Jansie was like telling the whole
town. Sophie had made up this story only for her family and she did not want this story to spread
in the town.

Question 6.
Did Geoff keep his promise to Sophie? How do you know? (Delhi 2011)
Answer:
No, Geoff did not keep his promise to Sophie. He told Sophie‟s secret to Jansie‟s brother Frank
who in turn told Jansie about it. We know this because Jansie questions Sophie about her meeting
with footballer, Danny Casey and Sophie is startled that Jansie knows about this meeting.
Question 7.
How did Sophie‟s father react when Geoff told him about her meeting with Danny Casey? (Delhi
2011)
Answer:
When Geoff told their father about Sophie‟s meeting with Danny Casey he did not believe it and
suspected it was one of Sophie‟s wild stories. He was filled with disdain and did not want to
encourage her in any way. So he warned her to keep herself out of any kind of trouble.

Question 8.
What thoughts came to Sophie‟s mind as she sat by the canal? (All India 2011)
Answer:
Sophie considers the spot along the canal the best place for a date, as it is away from the rush of
the city. As she sits by the canal she is lost in the world of her dreams. She imagines Casey
coming along the river and her own excitement thereafter.

Question 9.
Which was the only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person? (All India 2011)
Answer:
The only occasion when Sophie got to see Danny Casey in person was when she had gone to see
the football match with her family. Sitting among the spectators, she saw Danny Casey from a
distance.

Question 10.
Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from enter¬taining thoughts about the sports-star, Danny
Casey? (All India 2011)
Answer:
Jansie is a practical girl who lives in the real world. She knows that Danny Casey, a sports- star is
far beyond Sophie‟s dreams and imagination. So she discourages Sophie from entertaining any
kind of wild thoughts about him.

Question 11.
Did Geoff keep his promise? How do you know? (Comptt. Delhi 2011)
Answer:
No, Geoff did not keep his promise. He told Frank about Sophie‟s meeting with Danny Casey
though he had promised her he would not disclose it. Even Jansie came to know about it. Sophie
was happy to know that Geoff had at least not revealed the date of her meeting with Casey.

Question 12.
Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know any¬thing about her meeting with Danny Casey?(All
India 2012)
Answer:
Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey because she
knew Jansie was good at spreading rumours. Telling anything to Jansie was like telling the whole
town. Sophie had made up this story only for her family and she did not want this story to spread
in the town.

Question 13.
What do you think of Sophie‟s dream about her career? (Comptt. Delhi 2012)
Answer:
Sophie‟s dreams of her future life are far removed from her reality. She dreams of owning a
boutique, of becoming an actress but the fact was that she was earmarked for the biscuit factory.
Sophie drifts into a world of fantasy and wants to live her dreams by stepping out of her middle-
class status.
Question 14.
Though Sophie and Jansie were good friends, how were they basically different from each other?
(Comptt. All India 2012)
Answer:
Although Sophie and Jansie were good friends they were completely different from each other.
Sophie lived in a world of dreams and fantasy, a world which was far removed from reality. Jansie,
on the other hand, was a sensible and realistic girl who was grounded to her reality.

Question 15.
Why did Sophie want to keep her story with Danny a secret from Jansie? (Comptt. All India 2012)
Answer:
Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey because she
knew Jansie was good at spreading rumours. Telling anything to Jansie was like telling the whole
town. Sophie had made up this story only for her family and she did not want this story to spread
in the town.

Question 16.
Why did Sophie like her brother, Geoff more than any other person? (Delhi 2013)
Answer:
For Sophie, her brother Geoff was the only person who listened to her fantasies and long
cherished dreams. She only trusted Geoff to keep all her secrets to himself.

Question 17.
Why was Sophie jealous of Geoff‟s silence? (All India 2013)
Answer:
Sophie‟s brother‟s hallmark is his silence. Sophie feels “words have to be prized out of him like
stone out of the ground.” She is jealous of his silence and is very keen to enter the recesses of his
mind. There is so much about her brother that Sophie only suspects because she has never really
known anything about him.

Question 18.
Did Geoff keep up his promise? How do you know? (All India 2013)
Answer:
No, Geoff did not keep his promise. He told Frank about Sophie‟s meeting with Danny Casey
though he had promised her he would not disclose it. Even Jansie came to know about it. Sophie
was happy to know that Geoff had at least not revealed the date of her meeting with Casey.

Question 19.
What is unrealistic about Sophie‟s dreams of her future life? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
Answer:
Sophie‟s dreams of her future life are far removed from her reality. She dreams of owning a
boutique, of becoming an actress but the fact was that she was earmarked for the biscuit factory.
Sophie drifts into a world of fantasy and wants to live her dreams by stepping out of her middle-
class status.

Question 20.
Why does Jansie discourage Sophie from living in a world of fantasy? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
Answer:
Jansie was a realistic and practical girl who knew both she and Sophie were earmarked for the
biscuit factory. So she discouraged Sophie from living in a world of fantasy. Whenever Sophie
expressed her wishes aloud Jansie became melancholic and told Sophie to behave sensibly.
Question 21.
Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know about her story with Danny? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
Answer:
Sophie did not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey because she
knew Jansie was good at spreading rumours. Telling anything to Jansie was like telling the whole
town. Sophie had made up this story only for her family and she did not want this story to spread
in the town.

Question 22.
How do we know that Sophie‟s family lived in poor circumstances? (Comptt. All India 2013)
Answer:
We know that Sophie‟s family lived in poor circumstances as her father worked hard as a manual
labourer. Her mother‟s back had become crooked due to the burden of household work. Their
house was rather small, easily suffocated with steam from the stove.

Question 23.
Why did Sophie want to be admitted into Geoff‟s affections? (Comptt. All India 2013)
Answer:
Geoff was an apprentice mechanic who traveled to the far side of the city every day. Sophie
wished she could be admitted into Geoff‟s affections so that someday he might take her with him
to meet those exotic and interesting people whom he never spoke about.

Question 24.
Whom did Sophie like more than anyone else in the story? Why? (Comptt. All India 2013)
Answer:
Sophie liked her brother Geoff more than anyone else. She was most fascinated by his
evasiveness and wanted to travel with him to his enigmatic world. Her brother‟s lost and inquisitive
eyes captivated her and his silence intrigued her.

Question 25.
Why did Sophie long for her brother‟s affection? (All India 2014)
Answer:
Sophie longed for her brother‟s affection because she trusted him more than any other member of
her family. He symbolised freedom and she wanted to be a part of his exotic and adventurous
world. He was the only one to whom she could look for approval as her father was critical and
disapproving and she hero- worshipped him.

Question 26.
How are Jansie and Sophie different from each other? (Comptt. Delhi 2014)
Answer:
Although Jansie and Sophie are classmates and friends, their approach to life is completely
different from each other. While Jansie is practical and grounded to reality, Sophie lives in a make-
believe world of her own, which she „invents‟ in her imagination.

Question 27.
Why is Sophie attracted to Danny Casey? (Comptt. Delhi 2014)
Answer:
Danny Casey is an Irish football prodigy and Sophie is attracted to him because like most
youngsters she idolizes and hero-worships him. So she envisions her meetings with the football
star and also gives vivid details of their meetings.
Question 28.
What was Sophie‟s ambition in life? How did she hope to achieve that? (Delhi 2017)
Answer:
Sophie‟s ambition in life was either to have her own boutique and be a fashion designer or to be
an actress. She wanted to do something a bit sophisticated. She hoped to achieve her ambition by
being a manager at a boutique to start with and then save enough money to have her own
boutique.

Question 29.
Why did Jansie discourage Sophie from hav-ing dreams? (All India 2017)
Answer:
Jansie was a realistic and practical girl who knew both she and Sophie were earmarked for the
biscuit factory. So she discouraged Sophie from living in a world of fantasy. Whenever Sophie
expressed her wishes aloud Jansie became melancholic and told Sophie to behave sensibly.

Going Places Important Questions Long Answer Type Questions (5-6 MARKS)

Question 30.
Contrast Sophie‟s real world with her fantasies. (Delhi 2009)
Answer:
Sophie belongs to a lower middle class family and lives a humble life with her parents and elder
brother. But her dreams far supercede the reality in which she is living. Her dreams are far beyond
her reach. So she wishes to open a boutique, entertains the idea of being an actress and also
aspires to be a fashion designer. Her dreamy disposition and romantic allusions lead her to hero-
worship the wonder-footballer, Danny Casey towards whom she develops a romantic fascination.
Though she sees him only once in person she sits for hours imagining Danny Casey coming to
her. The incurable dreamer in her remains an escapist who wants to remain away from her real
world.

Question 31.
Describe the character of Sophie‟s father and the role played by him. (Delhi 2009)
Answer:
Sophie‟s father is a happy-go-lucky and carefree man. He does not appear to be either soft or
even sophisticated. He is a heavy breathing man. He usually sits in his vest at the table. Sophie, it
appears, fears him. He does not believe in his daughter‟s „wild stories‟ and so he ignores her
completely and prefers to go and watch television than listen to her. Even when his son Geoff tells
him that Sophie had met the Irish prodigy Danny Casey, he completely ignores this news. He is
extremely interested in football and, like all his children, he also adores Danny Casey. He is a
middle-class man who goes to the pub on his bicycle to celebrate his team‟s victory and the fact
that Casey had scored a second goal. He is a rather dominating person and a typical
representation of the lower middle-class family of that time.

Question 32.
Jansie is just as old as Sophie but she is very different from her. Bring out the contrast bet¬ween
the two friends citing relevant instances from the story, “Going Places”. (All India 2009)
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie were classmates as well as friends. They both belonged to lower middle- class
families. But that is where their similarity ends. There is a striking contrast between their
characters. Sophie is a day-dreamer and Jansie is practical. Sophie lives in a world of dreams and
does not want to come out of this fairyland. She is an incurable escapist and dreams of having a
boutique, becoming an actress or a fashion designer. Jansie, on the other hand, is very grounded.
Jansie has her feet firmly planted on the ground and knows they are both „earmarked for the
biscuit factory‟. She knows big things require big money and experience which they lack
desperately. She advises Sophie to be sensible and not entertain wild dreams. Sophie and
Jansie‟s temperaments differ greatly. While Sophie shares her dreams only with one person, her
brother Geoff, Jansie on the other hand is nosey. She takes an interest in learning new things
about others and can spread stories in the whole neighbourhood.

Question 33.
Contrast Sophie‟s real world with her fantasies. (Comptt. All India 2011)
Answer:
Sophie belongs to a lower middle class family and lives a humble life with her parents and elder
brother. But her dreams far supercede the reality in which she is living. Her dreams are far beyond
her reach. So she wishes to open a boutique, entertains the idea of being an actress and also
aspires to be a fashion designer. Her dreamy disposition and romantic allusions lead her to hero-
worship the wonder-footballer, Danny Casey towards whom she develops a romantic fascination.
Though she sees him only once in person she sits for hours imagining Danny Casey coming to
her. The incurable dreamer in her remains an escapist who wants to remain away from her real
world.

Question 34.
Compare and contrast Sophie and Jansie high¬lighting their temperament and aspirations. (Delhi
2012)
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie were classmates as well as friends. They both belonged to lower middle- class
families. But that is where their similarity ends. There is a striking contrast between their
characters. Sophie is a day-dreamer and Jansie is practical. Sophie lives in a world of dreams and
does not want to come out of this fairyland. She is an incurable escapist and dreams of having a
boutique, becoming an actress or a fashion designer. Jansie, on the other hand, is very grounded.
Jansie has her feet firmly planted on the ground and knows they are both „earmarked for the
biscuit factory‟. She knows big things require big money and experience which they lack
desperately. She advises Sophie to be sensible and not entertain wild dreams. Sophie and
Jansie‟s temperaments differ greatly. While Sophie shares her dreams only with one person, her
brother Geoff, Jansie on the other hand is nosey. She takes an interest in learning new things
about others and can spread stories in the whole neighbourhood.

Question 35.
Attempt a character sketch of Sophie as a woman who lives in her dreams. (Delhi 2012)
Answer:
Sophie belongs to a lower middle class family and lives a humble life with her parents and elder
brother. But her dreams far supercede the reality in which she is living. Her dreams are far beyond
her reach. So she wishes to open a boutique, entertains the idea of being an actress and also
aspires to be a fashion designer. Her dreamy disposition and romantic allusions lead her to hero-
worship the wonder-footballer, Danny Casey towards whom she develops a romantic fascination.
Though she sees him only once in person she sits for hours imagining Danny coming to her. The
incurable dreamer in her remains an escapist who wants to remain away from her real world.

Question 36.
Why did Sophie enjoy living in a world of dreams? Describe some of her dreams. (All India 2012)
Answer:
Sophie, like most girls of her age, enjoyed living in her world of dreams which provided to her the
refuge she needed from her middle – class reality. Through her dream world she visualised for
herself a life that she would like to lead. Her imagination drew into her life all the things she
desired and people she idolised but could never make a part of her real life. Sophie dreams of
having her own boutique after she leaves school, a boutique which will be the most amazing in the
city. Becoming an actress or a fashion designer is also her dream. She was conscious of a vast
world which waited for her and she was very sure that she would adjust easily in that world. In her
dream world, Sophie dreams of meeting the sensational footballer Danny Casey. She even fixes a
date with him and actually travels to that place and waits for him to come. In her world of fantasy,
Sophie moves rapidly from one dream to another through the leaps of her mind.

Question 37.
Has Sophie met Danny Casey? What details of her meeting with Danny Casey did she narrate to
her brother? (Delhi 2014)
Answer:
No, Sophie had never met Danny Casey. Her story is merely a part of her fantasy. Her fertile mind
made up the story of her encounter with him. She told her brother that she had met Danny Casey
in the arcade. When she was looking at the clothes in Royce‟s window someone came and stood
beside her and she looked around and saw Danny. She also told Geoff that Danny Casey has
gentle, green eyes and he is not as tall as one would think him to be. She also asked Danny for
his autograph but could not get it as none of them had a paper or pen with them. Sophie‟s dream
world makes her travel into those aspects of life which she may never be able to achieve in reality.

Question 38.
What were Sophie‟s plans for her future? Why would you call her dreams unrealistic? (Delhi 2014)
Answer:
Sophie had rather unrealistic plans for her future. She wanted to own a boutique and have the
most amazing shop in the city. She also dreamed of being an actress or a fashion designer.
Considering her meagre resources and family‟s position, her dreams are quite unrealistic, in fact
they are in sharp contrast to her reality. Her father works hard for a living and so she is never likely
to be a part of the sophisticated world. Her mother bears the back-breaking burden of household
chores. I Ier brother works as an apprentice mechanic. Considering her circumstances she would
actually have to work in the biscuit factory. So her dreams would just remain dreams and never
become a reality.

Question 39.
Sophie lives in a world full of dreams which she does not know she cannot realise. Comment. (All
India 2015)
Answer:
Sophie, like most girls of her age, loves to fantasize and live in a world full of dreams which is far
away from reality. She envisions a life for herself which she would like to lead not knowing that she
might never be able to realise her dreams. She dreams of owning a boutique which again she
might never be able to fulfil. The best part of her fantasy is that she is unaware of the fact that her
dreams may never materialise. Though her friend Jansie tries her best to keep her grounded,
Sophie is undeterred. Sophie‟s dream world makes her traverse into those spheres of life which
she may never be able to achieve in reality and this does not cause her any anxiety. She blissfully
ignores the fact that she comes from a lower middle class family and continues to dream on.

Question 40.
How different is Jansie from Sophie?(All India 2015)
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie were classmates as well as friends. They both belonged to lower middle- class
families. But that is where their similarity ends. There is a striking contrast between their
characters. Sophie is a day-dreamer and Jansie is practical. Sophie lives in a world of dreams and
does not want to come out of this fairyland. She is an incurable escapist and dreams of having a
boutique, becoming an actress or a fashion designer. Jansie, on the other hand, is very grounded.
Jansie has her feet firmly planted on the ground and knows they are both „earmarked for the
biscuit factory‟. She knows big things require big money and experience which they lack
desperately. She advises Sophie to be sensible and not entertain wild dreams. Sophie and
Jansie‟s temperaments differ greatly. While Sophie shares her dreams only with one person, her
brother Geoff, Jansie on the other hand is nosey. She takes an interest in learning new things
about others and can spread stories in the whole neighbourhood.

Question 41.
It is not unusual for a lower middle class girl to dream big. How unrealistic were Sophie‟s dreams?
(All India 2015)
Answer:
Sophie belongs to a lower middle class family and lives a humble life with her parents and elder
brother. But her dreams far supercede the reality in which she is living. Her dreams are far beyond
her reach. So she wishes to open a boutique, entertains the idea of being an actress and also
aspires to be a fashion designer. Her dreamy disposition and romantic allusions lead – her to
hero-worship the wonder-footballer, Danny Casey towards whom she develops a romantic
fascination. Though she sees him only once in person she sits for hours imagining Danny Casey
coming to her. The incurable dreamer in her remains an escapist who wants to remain away from
her real world.
Her friend Jansie continued to ground her to reality by stating that they were earmarked for the
biscuit factory. Her father also stated that if she ever had enough money she would first buy them
a decent house to live in. Sophie‟s little brother Derek too feels that his sister thinks money grows
on trees.

Question 42.
Every teenager must dream big. Yet the dream should also be rooted to the ground. Write a
character sketch of Sophie in the light of this remark. (Comptt. All India 2015)
Answer:
Every teenager must dream big. Yet the dream should also be rooted to the ground. This
statement is so true for Sophie whose dreams are larger than life and far supercede her real life.
Sophie had rather unrealistic plans for her future. She wanted to own a boutique and have the
most amazing shop in the city. She also dreamed of being an actress or a fashion designer.
Considering her meagre resources and family‟s position, her dreams are quite unrealistic, in fact
they are in sharp contrast to her reality. Her father works hard for a living and is never likely to be
a part of the sophisticated world. Her mother bears the back-breaking burden of household
chores. Her brother works as an apprentice mechanic. Considering her circumstances she would
actually have to work in the biscuit factory. So her dreams would just remain dreams and never
become a reality.

Question 43.
Teachers always advise their students to dream big. Yet, the same teachers in your classrooms
find fault with Sophie when she dreams. What is wrong with Sophie‟s dreams? (Delhi 2016)
Answer:
There is nothing wrong with having big dreams. Infact it is an advice given to us by our teachers.
But then our dreams must not be in j complete contrast to our reality. This is the fault with Sophie‟s
dreams. Her dreams are not ! only over-ambitious but also most impractical. She is an incurable
escapist and lives in the world of her dreams. She drifts into the world of her fantasy and wants to
make her dreams her reality. Dreaming the unachievable can have a negative impact on one‟s
personality. It can lead to depression. Sophie blissfully ignores the fact that she comes from a
lower middle class family and is ear-marked for the biscuit factory. She dreams of owning a
boutique, becoming a fashion designer or an actress, dreams which she may never be able to
fulfill. Sophie not only dreams big but concocts stories about her imaginary meeting with the Irish
prodigy, Danny Casey. She envisions her meeting with the football star and also gives vivid details
of the meeting. Such unrealistic dreams need to be discouraged.

Question 44.
Every teenager has a hero/heroine to admire. So many times they become role models for them.
What is wrong if Sophie fantasizes about Danny Casey and is ambitious in life? (All India 2016)
Answer:
Dreams and fantasies are an integral part of every teenager‟s life. Their dreams motivate them to
achieve their goals. Every teenager has an idol to admire and these idols become role models for
them. Same is the case with Sophie who idolizes Danny Casey. The only thing wrong with
Sophie‟s fantasy is that she nurtures unrealistic dreams which are in sharp contrast to her reality.
Her ambitions too are way beyond the confines of her lower middle class status. Sophie has never
met Danny Casey but she envisions her meeting with the football star and even invents vivid
details of this meeting. Her over-imaginative mind concocts stories and she starts living in her
make-believe world. Through her dreams Sophie escapes from the harsh realities of life and such
people find it difficult to cope with reality.

Question 45.
Describe the fantasies Sophie had about Danny Casey. (Comptt. All India 2016)
Answer:
Sophie had never met Danny Casey. Her story is merely a part of her fantasy. Her fertile mind
made up the story of her encounter with him. She told her brother that she had met Danny Casey
in the arcade. When she was looking at the clothes in Royce‟s window someone came and stood
beside her and she looked around and saw Danny. She also told Geoff that Danny Casey has
gentle, green eyes and he is not as tall as one would think him to be. She also asked Danny for
his autograph but could not get it as none of them had a paper or pen with them. Sophie‟s dream
world makes her travel into those aspects of life which she may never be able to achieve in reality.
Sophie imagines Danny Casey coming to her, her own excitement and subsequent
disappointment.

Question 46.
Geoff and Sophie are different from each other, though they belong to the same family.
Com¬ment with examples from the text. (Comptt. All India 2016)
Answer:
Though Geoff and Sophie belong to the same family they are very different from each other.
Geoff, Sophie‟s elder brother is an apprentice mechanic who travelled to work to the far side of the
city everyday. He lived in reality and spoke little. In fact Sophie felt that words had to be prized out
of him like stone out of the ground. He had a life of his own and though he listened to Sophie‟s
fantasies, he did not believe her. Sophie, on the other hand, lived in a dream world. She dreams of
having a boutique, becoming an actress or a fashion designer. She is a day-dreamer and an
incurable escapist. She imagines meeting the football prodigy Danny Casey. Geoff is the most
important member of her family for Sophie who wishes to be admitted into her brother‟s affections
so that some day he might take her with him to meet the exotic and interesting people whom he
never spoke about.