PSEB Class 10 English Chapter 5 How Much Land Does a Man Need? Important Question Answers from English Literature (Supplementary Reader) Book
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- How Much Land Does a Man Need? Textbook Questions
- How Much Land Does a Man Need? Extra Question Answers
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PSEB Class 10 English Chapter 5 How Much Land Does a Man Need? Textbook Questions
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. What did the two women discuss? Were they related to each other?
Ans. The two women who discussed the differences in their lives were related to each other. The one who boasted about their town life was the elderly sister who was married to a tradesman and the one who defended her country life was her younger sister, who was also Pakhom’s wife.
2. What did one woman say in defence of rural life? What was the counter-argument?
Ans. The younger sister, Pakhom’s wife, defended her rural life when her elder sister boasted about his comfortable and luxurious town life. She said that while rural life is rough and not as comfortable as town life, their life was mostly stress-free. They may not eat till their stomach is full, but they eat enough to make their stomachs content. She said that rich people have to worry about money and are too dependent on money. She talked about the proverb ‘Loss and gain are brothers twain’. She used this proverb to state that while she lived a normal and neutral life, the rich people gain so much that they have to lose a lot, because one cannot gain something without losing something valuable in exchange. The peasants just had to worry about having a good harvest. They may not live luxuriously, but they lived longer and more happily.
3. Pakhom listened to the women’s chatter. He started brooding and reached a conclusion. What was the conclusion?
Ans. Pakhom listened to the two sisters’ chatter and he started thinking about what his wife said. He agreed with his wife that peasants like him don’t have to worry about unnecessary things like the rich people do. He then thought that all he wished for was more land. With a bit more land, he and his family would finally be comfortable and completely stress-free, not too poor but not too rich. He then reached the conclusion that if he got more land, he would not fear even the Devil.
4. When the Devil heard Pakhom’s musings, what did he decide?
Ans. The Devil heard Pakhom’s thoughts, which was that if the peasant could have a bit more land, he would not fearl the Devil himself. The Devil decided to have a tussle with the peasant. He decided to give him as much land as possible. And when Pakhom would fall in his trap, he would be completely under the Devil’s control.
5. The estate-owner on whose land Pakhom was a tenant sold her land. Who bought the land?
Ans. Pakhom’s neighbor bought fifty acres of the land in half the purchase money with the surety to pay the rest within a year.
6. How did Pakhom manage to put together the money for buying the land?
Ans. Pakhom talked to his wife and together, they used different ways to scrape together half the purchase money. They sold a colt, half of the bees, borrowed some money from his brother in law, and put their son to labour work and got his wage in advance. That’s how Pakhom managed to put together the money for buying the land.
7. Pakhom met a stranger one day. Who was this stranger? What information did he give to Pakhom?
Ans. One day, a stranger who was just passing by, stopped at Pakhom’s house because he was tired and hungry. The stranger was a peasant who used to live beyond the Volga but then went out of the village to explore the land of other places. The peasant said that he knew a place near Samara where he now worked where the soil was virgin and the land as cheap as two shillings per acre. The crops would grow to be high and just five hits of the sickle would give a thick sheaf. He then narrated a story of a peasant who had absolutely nothing but his bare hands but after working there, the peasant now had six horses and three cows to call his own.
8. A trader told Pakhom something about the land of Bakshirs. What was it?
Ans. Pakhom was about to settle a deal when he met a tradesman who spoke about the land of Bakshirs. He said that he had gotten thirteen thousand acres of land in just one thousand roubles. All the tradesman had to do was make friends with the chief by giving him and the rest of the group gifts like dresses, carpets and tea.
9. Who were the Bakshirs? How did Pakhom make friends with them?
Ans. Bakshirs are a Turkish ethnic group that inhabit parts of Europe and Russia. They have a lot of land, but according to the tradesman, they are as simple as sheep. To gain their friendship and land, Pakhom gave them plenty of gifts, distributing presents and tea to each person and the best garments and five pounds of tea to the chief.
10. Bakshirs wanted to repay Pakhom for his gifts. What did Pakhom want from them?
Ans. Bakshirs told Pakhom that it was their custom to repay the guests who gave such generous gifts by offering them any one of their possessions. They asked Pakhom to choose any possession he wished to have. Pakhom spoke up and said that he wanted their land. He said that the land where he used to work before was exhausted and crowded and that their land was virgin and more suitable for cultivation.
11. ‘Our price is always the same: One thousand roubles a day,” the chief said. What did he mean?
Ans. When Pakhom asked for the price of the land, the chief said that he could have all the land but it cost one thousand roubles per day. That means that the area of land that Pakhom covered on foot in a day would be his for a price of 1000 roubles.
12. On what condition did the chief agree to sell land to Pakhom?
Ans. When Pakhom agreed to give one thousand roubles, the chief spoke of another condition. Pakhom would have to return to the spot where he started his work at the end of the day. This meant that he would place his fox-fur cap to mark the spot where the peasant would start his work and the peasant had to return to the same spot at the end of the day if he wished to have all the land that he had covered on foot that day.
13. What is the moral of the story?
Ans. We see that in his materialistic ambitions, Pakhom stopped thinking about his family and his own well-being, always thinking about earning more and more. Pakhom thought that finding a way to earn more materialistic possessions was the way to live life. It was ironic because all the materialistic possessions that he thought would make him fearless of death and the Devil did not save him from dying of strain. Therefore, the moral of the story is that there are more important things in the world than materialistic possessions and that we should enjoy the moment instead of thinking of having more than what we need.
Punjab Board Class 10 English Chapter 5 How Much Land Does a Man Need? Extra Question and Answers
Extract-Based questions
A. An elder sister came to visit her younger sister in the country. The elder was married to a tradesman in town, the younger to a peasant in the village. As the sisters sat over their tea talking, the elder began to boast of the advantages of town life: saying how comfortably they lived there, how well they dressed, what fine clothes her children wore, and what good things they ate and drank. The younger sister was piqued.
“I would not change my way of life for yours,’ said she, “We may live roughly, but at least we are free from anxiety. You live in better style than we do, but though you often earn more than you need, you are very likely to lose all you have. You know the proverb, “Loss and gain are brothers twain.” It often happens that people who are wealthy one day, are begging their bread the next. Our way is safer. Though a peasant’s life is not a fat one, it is a long one. We shall never grow rich, but we shall always have enough to eat.”
Q1. Who is talking in the extract?
Ans. Two sisters are talking.
Q2. What were the sisters having?
Ans. They were having tea.
Q3. What did the elder sister boast about?
Ans. She boasted about the advantages of town life. They lived in comfort, dressed well, wore fine clothes, ate and drank good things.
Q4. Why was the younger sister piqued by the elder sister’s words?
Ans. She was piqued because they did not live a good life in the village as her family did in the town.
Q5. What did the younger sister say in her defence?
Ans. She said that she would not change her lifestyle. She quoted the proverb that loss and gain were brothers twined and wealthy people often end up losing their wealth and become beggars.
B. “It is perfectly true,” thought he. “Busy as we are from childhood tilling mother earth, we peasants have no time to let any nonsense settle in our heads. Our only trouble is that we haven’t land enough. If I had plenty of land, I shouldn’t fear the Devil himself!”
The women finished their tea, chatted a while about dress, and then cleared away the tea-things and lay down to sleep.
But the Devil had been sitting behind the store, and had heard all that was said. He was pleased that the peasant’s wife had led her husband into boasting, and that he had said that if he had plenty of land, he would not fear the Devil himself.
Q1. What did the farmer think?
Ans. He thought that if he had a lot of land, he wouldn’t even fear the devil.
Q2. What did the women do after having tea?
Ans. They talked a while, cleared up the tea-things and lay down to sleep.
Q3. Who had heard the farmer’s words?
Ans. The devil
Q4. Who had led the farmer into boasting?
Ans. The farmer’s wife had led him into boasting.
Q5. What had the farmer boasted?
Ans. He boasted that if he had a lot of land, he would not fear the devil himself.
C. As soon as Pakhom and his family reached their new abode, he put up the buildings he needed, and bought cattle. He now had three times as much as at his former home, and the land was good cornland. He was ten times better off than he had been. He had plenty of land, and could keep as many heads of cattle as he liked.
Pakhom was pleased with it all, but when he got used to it he began to think that even here he had not enough land. The first year, he sowed wheat on his land and had a good crop. After a time Pakhom noticed that some peasant-dealers were living on separate farms and were growing wealthy: and he thought: “If I were to buy some more land it would be different thing altogether.” The question of buying more land recurred to him again and again.
Q1. Who is Pakhom?
Ans. The farmer.
Q2. What did Pakhom buy?
Ans. He bought a new settlement and cattle.
Q3. The land was good to grow _____
Ans. corn
Q4. Pakhom was _ times better off now.
Ans. ten
Q5. What did he sow in the first year? What kind of harvest did he got?
Ans. He sowed wheat and got a good crop
D. One day Pakhom was sitting at home when a peasant, passing through the village, happened to call in. He was allowed to stay during the night, and supper was given to him. Pakhom had a talk with this peasant and asked him where he came from. The stranger answered that he came from beyond the Volga, where he had been working. One word led to another, and the man went on to say that many people were settling in those parts. The land was so good, he said, that the rye sown on it grew as high as a horse, and so thick that five cuts of a sickle made a sheaf. One peasant, he said, had brought nothing with him but his bare hands, and now he had six horses and two cows of his own.
Pakhom’s heart kindled with desire. He thought: “Why should I suffer in this narrow hole, if one can live so well elsewhere? I will sell my land and my homestead here, and with the money I will start afresh over there and get everything new. In this crowded place one is always having trouble. But I must first go and find out all about it myself.”
Q1. Whose house did the peasant visit?
Ans. He visited Pakhom’s house.
Q2. How did Pakhom treat the visiting peasant?
Ans. He allowed him to stay for the night and served him supper.
Q3. The stranger had come from beyond the _____
A. Tigris
B. Nile
C. Volga
D. Ganga
Ans. C. Volga
Q4. What desire kindled in Pakhom’s heart?
Ans. After listening to the peasant’s words, Pakhom had a desire to live somewhere else where he could prosper more.
Q5. According to the peasant, one peasant with nothing but his bare hands had accumulated ____ horses and ____ cows of his own.
Ans. six horses and two cows
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. Pakhom was influenced by the boasting of his _____
A. mother
B. wife
C. daughter
D. sister
Ans. B. wife
Q2. Pakhom’s wife was boasting to her ____
A. mother
B. wife
C. daughter
D. sister
Ans. D. sister
Q3. The story – How Much Land Does A Man Need? Is written by-
A. Leo Tolstoy
B. William Shakespeare
C. R.K. Narayan
D. None of them
Ans. A. Leo Tolstoy
Q4. The story revolves around –
A. greed
B. selflessness
C. patriotism
D. feudalism
Ans. A. greed
Q5. What eventual end did Pakhom meet?
A. riches
B. poverty
C. death
D. happiness
Ans. C. death
Q6. Who was listening to the two women’s chatter?
A. the servant
B. Pakhom
C. no one
D. the neighbour
Ans. B. Pakhom
Q7. Pakhom’s wife was the ____ sibling.
A. elder
B. younger
C. step
D. foster
Ans. B. younger
Q8. Who had been sitting behind the store?
A. Pakhom
B. Thief
C. devil
D. the kid
Ans. C. devil
Q9. What did the devil think?
1. to kill Pakhom
2. to make Pakhom rich
3. to give Pakhom a lot of land
4. to take Pakhom in his power
A. 1, 2, 3
B. 3, 4
C. 1, 2, 3, 4
D. Only 2
Ans. B. 3, 4
Q10. The elder sister was married to ________
A. a peasant
B. an officer
C. a tradesman
D. a priest
Ans. C. a tradesman
Q11. According to Pakhom’s wife – _____ and ______ are bothers twain.
A. life and death
B. defeat and victory
C. loss and gain
D. beauty and beast
Ans. C. loss and gain
Q12. According to Pakhom’s wife, why did the rich tend to lose everything?
A. because they became careless
B. because they were struck by the evil eye
C. because they earned more than they needed
D. all of these
Ans. C. because they earned more than they needed
Q13. In which season did the small landowner lady decide to sell her land?
A. summer
B. winter
C. spring
D. monsoon
Ans. B. winter
Q14. The small landowner lady had an estate of about _______
A. a hundred acres
B. 300 acres
C. 500 acres
D. 400 acres
Ans. B. 300 acres
Q15. Pakhom and his wife purchased ______ acres of land from the lady.
A. 50
B. 70
C. 80
D. 20
Ans. D. 20
Q16. For making the purchase, they borrowed money from ______
A. sister
B. brother-in-law
C. money lender
D. all of them
Ans. B. brother-in-law
Q17. Towards Summer, Pakhom started for ______
A. Tigris
B. Nile
C. Volga
D. Ganga
Ans. C. Volga
Q18. The Bakshirs are a _________ ethnic group.
A. Chinese
B. Japanese
C. American
D. turkish
Ans. D. turkish
Q19. The new land was good for growing _____
A. wheat
B. rice
C. corn
D. cotton
Ans. C. corn
Q20. What did Pakhom gift the head of the Bakshirs to please him?
A. gold coins
B. gown and tea
C. cows
D. horses and sugar
Ans. B. gown and tea
True or False
Identify whether the following statements are True or false-
1. The devil decided to give them land and take them in his power
2. The bed at the Bakshir’s tent was made of leather.
3. The Bakshirs called a hillock as ‘Shikan’.
4. Steppe is a large area of flat unforested grassland in south-eastern Europe or Siberia.
5. The Bakshirs laughed to show pity on the dead Pakhom.
6. Pakhom’s wife lifted him to find him bleeding.
7. Pakhom managed to touch the cap with his hand.
8. The servant dug up Pakhom’s grave.
9. The Sun waits for no one.
10. Pakhom drank water from his flask
Answers.
1. True
2. False
3. True
4. True
5. false
6. False
7. True
8. True
9. True
10. True
Fill in the blanks
1. Pakhom’s wife boasted to ______
2. Pakhom was a _______
3. The river ________ has been mentioned in the story
4. The Bakshirs were a _______ tribal group
5. Pakhom had a desire to own _____
6. The story ends with the _____ of Pakhom
7. The Bakshir’s soil was _______, unused.
8. ______ was pleased that the wife had led the peasant into boasting.
9. Pakhom went down the Volga on a ______
10. Pakhom used _____ as a marker on the land he had walked on.
Answers-
1. Her elder sister
2. peasant
3. Volga
4. Turkish
5. land
6. death
7. virgin
8. The devil
9. steamer
10. turf
Extra Questions
Answer the following questions
Q1. What did Pakhom think about his wife’s boasting?
Ans. He thought that she was absolutely right. He lamented that the only drawback was that they did not own enough land.
Q2. Pakhom owned land but why was his desire growing?
Ans. The devil was increasing Pakhom’s desire to own more and more land so that he could get him under his power.
Q3. What did Pakhom’s greed end up into?
Ans. His greed for land ended up in his death.
Q4. What message does the story convey?
Ans. The story gives us a message to value what we have instead of running after more materialistic gains. A person does not require a lot of possessions. One must be satisfied and content in what one has.
Q5. What repeated pattern can be seen in Pakhom’s thought process?
Ans. Whenever he settled on a new and bigger piece of land, after sometime, he would feel that it was not enough and that he should get a bigger one.
Q6. What did the dealer who had returned from the land of Bakshirs tell Pakhom?
Ans. He told Pakhom that he had bought thirteen thousand acres of land for 1000 Roubles. He had gifted about one hundred roubles worth of silk robes and carpets, besides a case of tea, and wine to those who would drink it; and had got the land for less than a penny an acre.
Q7. How far did Pakhom travel to reach the land of Bakshirs?
Ans. They travelled for more than three hundred miles.
Q8. What price of land did the chief of the Bakshirs quote to Pakhom?
Ans. He said that the price was by the day. As much as he could go round on his feet in a day would be his, and the price was one thousand roubles a day.
Q9. What did the Chief use as a marker on the land?
Ans. He used his fox-fur cap and placed it on the land to indicate the point from where Pakhom could start walking and mark his land.
Q10. Before starting, what did Pakhom place on the chief’s cap?
Ans. Before starting, Pakhom placed the sum of 1000 Roubles, the price for the land that he would occupy that day, on the chief’s cap.