"The Night Train at Deoli" by Ruskin Bond ---MCQs ON "Conceptual questions"

  WBCHSE//XII//ENGLISH B//SEMESTER III// UNIT 1: Prose//The Night Train at Deoli//MCQs ON "Conceptual questions"

MCQs ON "Conceptual questions"

MCQ Conceptual questions are multiple-choice questions that focus on testing a student's understanding of broader concepts, principles, or theories rather than just factual knowledge. These questions often require a deeper level of comprehension and the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to various situations. Unlike factual questions that assess whether a student knows specific details, conceptual questions assess whether a student can grasp and apply the underlying ideas or principles of a subject. Answering conceptual questions typically involves critical thinking, analysis, and a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

Passage 1: “When I was at college I used to spend my summer vacations in Dehra, at my grandmother's place. I would leave the plains early in May and return in July. Deoli was a small station about thirty miles from Dehra; it marked the beginning of the heavy jungies of the Indian Terai.

The train would reach Deoli at about five in the morning, when the station would be dimly lit with electric bulbs and oil lamps, and the jungle across the railway tracks would just be visible in The faint light of dawn. Deoli had only one platform, an office for the station master and a waiting room. The platform boasted a tea stall, a fruit vendor, and a few stray dogs; not much else, because the train stopped there only ten minutes before rushing on into the forests.”

Instructions: These questions go beyond the factual details and ask you to analyze the underlying concepts in the passage. Choose the answer that best reflects the passage's meaning.

1. The description of Deoli station as having "only ten minutes" for the train to stop suggests the concept of:

(a) Efficient travel planning.

(b) The isolation and insignificance of the place.

(c) The beauty of the surrounding jungle.

(d) The narrator's impatience with slow travel.

2. By mentioning the narrator's routine summer visits to his grandmother, the passage establishes the concept of:

(a) The narrator's love for train travel.

(b) Deoli as a popular tourist destination.

(c) The narrator's familiarity with the route.

(d) The importance of family traditions.

3. The passage introduces the story with details about Deoli and the narrator's travel habits. What is the likely purpose of this introduction?

(a) To provide historical context about train travel.

(b) To showcase the narrator's knowledge of geography.

(c) To establish the setting and routine that disrupts with the girl's appearance.

(d) To foreshadow a future event involving the jungle.

Passage 2: “Why it stopped at Deoli, I don't know. Nothing ever happened there. Hobody got off the train and nobody got in. There were never any coolies on the platform. But the train would halt there a full ten minutes, and then a bell would sound, the guard would blow his whistle, and presently Deoli would be left behind and forgotten. I used to wonder what happened in Deoli, behind the station walls. I always felt sorry for that lonely little platform and for the place that nobody wanted to visit decided that one day I would get off the train at Deoli, and spend the day there, just to please the town.”

Instructions: Choose the answer that best reflects the underlying concept in the passage.

1.The passage suggests that the narrator finds Deoli station to be:

(a) Bustling and full of activity.

(b) Important for the smooth running of the train network.

(c) Unnecessary and forgotten.

(d) A symbol of efficiency in the railway system.

2.Why does the narrator decide to get off the train at Deoli?

(a) He needs to buy something from the station.

(b) He is curious about the town itself.

(c) He wants to meet the people who live there.

(d) He feels empathy for the seemingly abandoned place.

3.What can be inferred about the narrator's character based on the passage?

(a) He is easily bored by routine journeys.

(b) He is concerned with practicality and efficiency.

(c) He has a sense of compassion for neglected things.

(d) He is easily swayed by the opinions of others.

4. The passage "Why it stopped at Deoli, I don't know. Nothing ever happened there"  is an example of:

(a) A factual statement about the train schedule.

(b) A rhetorical question to highlight a puzzling situation.

(c) A detailed description of the station's appearance.

(d) An instruction for the train conductor.

5. The concept of Deoli being a "lonely little platform" uses:

(a) Personification to give human qualities to a non-living object.

(b) A metaphor to compare the platform to a deserted island.

(c) Simile to show similarity between the platform and a forgotten person.

(d) Hyperbole to exaggerate the emptiness of the platform.

Passage 3: I was eighteen, visiting my grandmother, and the night train stopped at Deoli. A girl came down the platform, selling baskets.

It was a cold morning and the girl had a shawl thrown across her shoulders. Her feet were bare and her clothes were old, but she was a young girl, walking gracefully and with dignity.

When she came to my window, she stopped. She saw that I was looking at her intently, but at first she pretended not to notice. She had pale skin, set off by shiny black hair, and dark, troubled eyes. And then those eyes, searching and eloquent, met mine.

She stood by my window for some time and neither of us said anything. But when she moved on, I found myself leaving my seat and going to the carriage door, and stood waiting on the platform, looking the other way. I walked across to the tea stall. A kettle was boiling over on a small fire, but the owner of the stall was busy serving tea somewhere on the train. The girl followed me behind the stall.

Instructions: These questions test your understanding of the concepts and themes presented in the passage, rather than specific details. Choose the answer that best reflects the underlying ideas.

1.The passage describes a chance encounter between the narrator and the girl. What is the main concept explored through this encounter?

(a) The importance of punctuality during travel.

(b) The beauty and charm of rural landscapes.

(c) The power of unspoken communication and connection.

(d) The social hierarchy between passengers and vendors.

2.The narrator is initially drawn to the girl. What detail from the passage suggests this, beyond just physical appearance?

(a) Her worn clothes and bare feet.

(b) Her graceful way of walking.

(c) The description of her troubled eyes.

(d) The fact that she sells baskets.

3.Why might the narrator feel compelled to follow the girl after she moves on from his window?

(a) He needs to buy a basket.

(b) He wants to complain about the train service.

(c) He feels a sense of responsibility for her.

(d) He is intrigued and drawn to her unspoken emotions.

4.Considering the passage as a whole, what is the likely purpose of mentioning the unattended tea stall?

(a) To highlight the poor service at the station.

(b) To foreshadow a future meeting between the characters.

(c) To emphasize the isolation and quietness of the station.

(d) To introduce a potential conflict with the stall owner.

Passage 4: The train came to Deoli and I looked up and down the platform, but I could not see the girl anywhere.

 I opened the door and stepped off the footboard. I was deeply disappointed and overcome by a sense of foreboding. I felt I had to do something and so I ran up to the stationmaster and said, "Do you know the girl who used to sell baskets here?

"No, I don't," said the stationmaster. 'And you'd better get on the train if you don't want to be left behind."

But I paced up and down the platform and stared over the railings at the station yard; all I saw was a mango tree and a dusty road leading into the jungle. Where did the road go? The train was moving out of the station and I had to run up the platform and jump for the door of my compartment. Then, as the train gathered speed and rushed through the foresta, I sat brooding in front of the window.

Instructions: These questions test your understanding of the concepts and themes in the passage, rather than specific details. Choose the answer that best reflects the underlying ideas.

1. The passage describes the narrator's experience at Deoli. What is the MAIN CONCEPT conveyed about the narrator's emotional state?

(a) He feels relieved to be leaving the isolated station.

(b) He experiences a sense of accomplishment after talking to the stationmaster.

(c) He is deeply disappointed and apprehensive about not finding the girl.

(d) He is excited about the prospect of exploring the jungle road.

2.The passage mentions the dusty road leading into the jungle. How does this detail contribute to the overall story?

(a) It foreshadows the narrator's future adventures.

(b) It provides a sense of direction for the narrator's search.

(c) It highlights the mystery and unknown surrounding the girl's disappearance.

(d) It emphasizes the beauty of the natural landscape.

3. The narrator's actions of pacing and staring after the train departs suggest:

(a) A sense of frustration with the unhelpful stationmaster.

(b) A desire to get back on the train for comfort.

(c) A deep longing and contemplation about the missing girl and what might have happened to her.

(d) A determination to find another way to reach the girl.

4. Consider the story as a whole. What is a recurring theme explored throughout the narrator's encounters with Deoli?

(a) The importance of punctuality and following train schedules.

(b) The beauty and tranquility of nature in rural India.

(c) The challenges of long-distance travel.

(d) The power of unfulfilled longing and unanswered questions.