ENGLISH LANGUAGE MS ZOHFISHAN BHATTI

A READING SILENCE – ANSWER KEY

1. Explain the ways in which Francis became ‘about as absent as a present person could be’ when
he was reading. [3]
Ans. Points to be covered:
• All sounds faded away - He would not hear the doorbells ring, he would not hear when
supper time would be called
• He did not notice footsteps of anyone approaching to find him

2. What were the ‘holes in the text’ which Francis came up against in his reading, and how did
he deal with them? [2]
Ans. The ‘holes in the text’ were parts which Francis could not comprehend while reading. He
would then methodically mark them so he could sort them out later, by reading more slowly and
exhibiting patience. This way he understood the gist (or context) of the line.

3. Why did Francis enjoy reading Swallows and Amazons? [1]

Ans. Francis enjoyed reading Swallows and Amazons because through that book he could
imagine being part of another family who were not so unlucky medically. The characters in that
story were all robust, unlike Francis’ own family.

4. Explain in your own words what it was that Francis wanted most of all from books? [2]
Ans. Francis wanted an escape from real life. He wanted to be transported to an entirely different
realm which he had never seen before. He didn’t just want to see things from different angles, he
wanted books to carry him to unknown places.

5. Identify one simile and one metaphor from the passage. [2]
Ans. Similes (any one is correct): bedsheets seemed as big as the world, curled in a chair like a
prawn, at first it was sluggish, like a jelly of meaning
Metaphor (any one is correct): each wrinkle a canyon, a thicket of symbols

[Total: 10]