PSEB Class 12 Chapter 4 On Saying “Please” Important Question Answers from A Rainbow of English book
PSEB Class 12 English On Saying “Please” Question Answers – Looking for questions and answers for PSEB Class 12 A Rainbow of English Book Chapter 4 On Saying “Please”? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 12 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Chapter 4 On Saying “Please” now. The questions listed below are based on the latest PSEB exam pattern. All the Questions Answers given at the back of the lesson have also been covered.
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PSEB Class 12 English Chapter 4 On Saying “Please” Textbook Questions
I. COMPREHENSION
Short Answer Type Questions:
1. Why was the passenger hurled out of the lift?
Ans. The passenger was hurled out of the lift by the young lift-man because he had refused to say ‘please’ and be polite to the lift-man.
2. How could the liftman restore his equilibrium?
Ans. The lift-man could restore his equilibrium by going to his home and wife after his work ended. However, the lift-man chose physical violence and threw the passenger out of the lift.
3. Describe the chain reactions that possibly led to the liftman’s outburst.
Ans. The author explains that being rude and disrespectful creates a chain reaction that ruins everyone’s day. The author said that maybe the reason why the lift-man demanded courtesy and civility from the passenger was because he had already faced disrespect earlier that day and wanted to be acknowledged and respected for once. He thought that maybe the reason why the passenger was so rude was because his employer had been rude to him and had ignored the passenger’s ‘good morning’. The employer might have been in a bad mood because his wife had hen-pecked him again. His wife must have been in a bad mood because the cook complained to her irritatedly because the maid had talked back to him.
4. What is the first requirement of ‘civility’?
Ans. The first requirement of ‘civility’ is to request for a service politely and then to thank the giver for providing the service.
5. What serves as ‘little courtesies’ in our daily life?
Ans. Saying ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ are little courtesies in our daily life that help create a positive and comfortable atmosphere for easy-going social interactions.
6. What does a conductor in the bus generally think about the passengers?
Ans. A conductor focuses on maintaining a standard of service for the passengers and makes sure that they feel satisfied by the ride. However, in some rare cases, a bus conductor sees the passengers as their enemies, as if they come on the bus to cheat and disrespect him. So, in order to make sure he was in charge, the bus conductor would be loud and aggressive, intimidating the passengers.
7. Why was the narrator annoyed at himself in the bus?
Ans. The narrator was annoyed at himself in the bus. When he had to pay the fare, he put his hand in his pocket to take out his wallet. But, he couldn’t find his wallet and he soon realized that he had left the wallet back at home. He felt annoyed because he knew that he looked like a fool and a cheat to the conductor.
8. Describe the ‘glow of pleasure’ that the narrator experienced.
Ans. The narrator experienced a ‘glow of pleasure’. He had forgotten his wallet back home and couldn’t pay the fare for the bus ride. He was afraid that the conductor would have been cold and strict with him. He mustered all of his honesty and told the conductor that he would have to go back to get his wallet. However, to his surprise, the conductor believed that he was an honest man and let him ride the bus without paying the fare. The kindness in the conductor and that the conductor assured him that he could pay the fare anytime gave him a ‘glow of pleasure’.
9. What were the good qualities of the conductor?
Ans. The conductor was cheerful, patient, apologetic and concerned. Even though the author was in agony because the conductor had trodden on his toe, he convinced the conductor that he was not hurt and easily forgave him. Out of curiosity, the author began to observe the conductor’s cheerful disposition. The conductor was solicitous and cheerful. He would work hard to make sure the journey was smooth and every passenger felt comfortable and understood. He was patient and understanding like a son to the elderly people and solicitous and concerned with children like a father. He was helpful to blind people and made sure they reached their destination safely. He asked the driver to wait for him while he personally ensured the safety of the blind passenger while they were crossing the road. He engaged in merry jest with youthful passengers. The author compared him to the quote from Keats- “Nothing clears up my spirits like a fine day”, saying that the conductor was like a blessing to clear up the gloomy days.
10. How could the liftman have avoided the trouble?
Ans. The lift-man was hurt and frustrated by the rude passenger. However, he got into trouble for throwing the passenger out of the lift. The author advised the lift-man, saying that instead of responding to disrespect with physical violence was not the right way. The only way to win such fights was to give more importance to spiritual victories than material victories. The lift-man should not lose his civility because of someone else’s insolence. The lift-man should remain calm and civil even in the face of disrespect. Remaining civil even in the most vulgar and degrading situations was the only way for civility to gain an upperhand, instead of stooping down to their level by being violent.
Long Answer Type Questions:
1. Write, in your own words, the theme of the chapter “On Saying Please”.
Ans. The chapter “On Saying Please” is centered on the importance and impact of civility on day-to-day interactions. It sheds light on how politeness and kindness can create a positive atmosphere and encourage smooth functioning of the society. Humans are social beings, and so we need to know how to properly address and converse with others in order to be a part of society. The chapter delves into the necessity and impact of civility on society. It covers most of the aspects of civility with various examples and happenings from the author’s life. The author aims to cover all the scenarios to understand the delicate line between what is right and wrong, and what is lawful and illegal. The author also talks about how uncivil people create unpleasantness and a toxic, vicious chain reaction, spreading bad temper from one person to another. The chapter attempts to unravel the right way a civil person should defend and fight against insolence and boorishness.
2. Describe the narrator’s encounter with the bus-conductor.
Ans. One day, the author was sitting on a seat on the top section of a double decker bus and he was busy reading. Then, a person wearing heavy boots trodden on his sensitive toe. The author looked up in anger and pain and saw the bus conductor who looked solicitous and apologetic. The conductor apologized for trodding on his toe, explaining that he wore those boots so others wouldn’t be able to hurt his toes but since he had not worn those shoes before, he was accidentally stepping on other people’s toes. The conductor was so patient, kind and concerned that the author assured him that he was alright, even though he was still in pain.
3. Draw a brief character-sketch of the bus conductor in your own words.
Ans. The conductor is a polite and solicitous man who is so cheerful and kind that he irradiates a warm and pleasant glow around him. Every bus route with him is filled with positivity and kindness. He is patient and understanding like a son to the elderly people and solicitous and concerned with children like a father. He is helpful to blind people and makes sure they reach their destination safely. He asks the driver to wait for him while he personally ensures the safety of the blind passenger while they are crossing the road. He engages in merry jest with youthful passengers. When he stepped on the author’s sensitive toe with his heavy boots, he was extremely concerned and apologetic.
II Vocabulary Practice
1. Match the words in column A with their antonyms in column B
| A | B |
| beneficial | different |
| similar | constant |
| majority | deny |
| specific | careless |
| variable | gather |
| distribute | detest |
| cautious | detrimental |
| affirm | general |
| admire | minority |
Ans.
| A | B |
| beneficial | detrimental |
| similar | different |
| majority | minority |
| specific | general |
| variable | constant |
| distribute | gather |
| cautious | careless |
| affirm | deny |
| admire | detest |
2. Supply the appropriate words by unscrambling the letters given in the brackets:
(a) The protesting workers suddenly turned …………………(entlvio)
Ans. The protesting workers suddenly turned violent.
(b) She got some……..(snepaticmoon) for damages from the government.
Ans. She got some compensation for damages from the government.
(c) The law should protect the………..(tyerlib) of the individual.
Ans. The law should protect the liberty of the individual.
(d) It’s common…….(truocyes) to give up your seat for elderly people.
Ans. It’s common courtesy to give up your seat for elderly people.
(e) The court upheld the…….(dictrev) at appeal.
Ans. The court upheld the verdict at appeal.
(f) She married the blind man more out of ………(ayythpsm) than love.
Ans. She married the blind man more out of sympathy than love.
(g) It is a very…. (gluvra) mind that would wish to command where he can have the service for the asking.
Ans. It is a very vulgar mind that would wish to command where he can have the service for the asking.
III Grammar Exercises
1. Change the Narration
1. She said to me, “I was present in the class yesterday.”
Ans. She told me that she had been present in the class the previous day.
2. He says to me, “You may ask your brother to help you.”
Ans. He said to me that I might ask my brother to help me.
3. She will say to me, “They are very brave.”
Ans. She would say to me that they were very brave.
4. He told me that hard work pays in life.
Ans. He said, “Hard work pays in life.”
5. Rohtas said, “I prefer death to dishonour.”
Ans. Rohtas said that he preferred death to dishonour.
6. The stranger said, “I want to stay here for the night.”
Ans. The stranger said that he wanted to stay there for the night.
7. The man told Ravi that he knew his father.
Ans. The man said to Ravi, “I know your father.”
8. My uncle said that he had bought that house in 2005.
Ans. My uncle said, “I bought that house in 2005.”
9. Ashok will say to Sumit, “I will try to stand first.”
Ans. Ashok would say to Sumit that he would try to stand first.
10. Rishita said to me, “He needs help.”
Ans. Rishita told me that he needed help.
2. Do as Directed
1. The ability……….. (laugh) is peculiar to mankind.
(Fill up the blank with an infinitive)
Ans. The ability to laugh is peculiar to mankind.
2. Can you hop……….. (count) the stars.
(Fill up the blank with an infinitive)
Ans. Can you hop to count the stars.
3. Combine the following sentences using a Participle.
i. I call a spade a spade.
ii. I am not afraid of it.
Ans. I am not afraid of calling a spade a spade.
4. She comes……….. me every day. (see)
(Fill up the blank with an infinitive)
Ans. She comes to see me every day.
5. The man seems………..(worry).
(Fill up the blank with a Participle)
Ans. The man seems worried.
6. We had a drink of the……….(sparkle) water.
(Fill up the blank with a Participle)
Ans. We had a drink of the sparkling water.
7. Combine the following sentences using a participle.
i. The stable door was open.
ii. The horse was stolen.
Ans. The stolen horse was from an opened stable door.
8. Combine the following sentences using a participle.
i. We met a man.
ii. He was carrying a log of wood.
Ans. We met a man carrying a lot of wood.
9. We were prevented from………….(enter) the house.
(Fill up the blank with a Gerund)
Ans. We were prevented from entering the house.
10. I heard her…………(sing) at the function.
(Fill up the blank with a Gerund)
Ans. I heard her singing at the function.
2. Do as directed
1. He is too poor to offer you any financial help. (Remove ‘too”)
Ans. He is poor and cannot offer you any financial help.
2. Iron is the most useful of all metals. (Change the degree of Comparison)
Ans. Iron is a useful metal.
3. The doctor is hopeful of his recovery. (Change into a Complex Sentence)
(Hint:… that he would recover)
Ans. The doctor hopes that he would recover.
4. If she does not weep, she will die. (Change into a Compound Sentence)
(Hint: She must weep or ……..)
Ans. She must weep or else she will die.
5. He was fined because of his absence. (Use the Adjective form of the word in italics)
Ans. He was fined because he was absent
6. i. The policeman ran.
ii. He wanted to catch the thief.
(Combine the two sentences)
Ans. The policeman ran to catch the thief.
7. It is difficult to catch a butterfly. (Change into the Interrogative form)
Ans. Is it difficult to catch a butterfly?
Punjab Board Class 12 English Chapter 4 On Saying “Please” Extra Question and Answers
Extract-Based Questions
A.
The young lift-man in a city office who threw a passenger out of his lift the other morning and was fined for the offence was undoubtedly in the wrong. It was a question of “Please”. The complainant entering the lift said, “Top.” The lift-man demanded “Top please,” and this concession being refused, he not only declined to comply with the instruction, but hurled the passenger out of the lift. This, of course, was carrying a comment on manners too far. Discourtesy is not a legal offence, and it does not excuse assault and battery. If a burglar breaks into my house and I knock him down, the law will acquit me, and if I am physically assaulted it will permit me to retaliate with reasonable violence. It does this because the burglar and my assailant have broken quite definite commands of the law. But no legal system could attempt to legislate against bad manners, or could sanction the use of violence against something which it does not itself recognize as a legally punishable offence. And whatever our sympathy with the lift-man, we must admit that the law is reasonable. It would never do if we were at liberty to box people’s ears because we did not like their behaviour, or the tone of their voices, or the scowl of their faces. Our fists would never be idle, and the gutters of the city would run with blood all day.
Q1. Why was the passenger thrown out of the lift?
Ans. He did not say ‘please’.
Q2. The passenger demanded to be taken to ____ floor
Ans. top
Q3. Hurled means _______
Ans. threw
Q4. Which of the following amounts to ‘discourtesy’ according to the extract-
A. “Please hurry!”
B. “Thank you for the gift”
C. “Get my order”
D. “Your bag has fallen”
Ans. C. “Get my order”
Q5. Is it right to use violence against bad manners?
Ans. No, no legal system could attempt to legislate against bad manners, or could sanction the use of violence against something which it does not itself recognize as a legally punishable offence.
B.
This does not mean that the damages are negligible. It is probable that the lift-man was much more acutely hurt by what he regarded as a slur upon his social standing than he would have been if he had a kick on the shin for which he could have got a legal redress. The pain of a wound to our self- respect or our vanity may poison a whole day. I can imagine that lift-man, denied the relief of throwing the author of his wound out of the lift, brooding over the insult by the hour, and visiting it on his wife in the evening as the only way of restoring his equilibrium. For there are few things more catching than bad temper and bad manners. When Sir Anthony Absolute bullied Captain Absolute, the latter went out and bullied his man Fag, whereupon Fag went downstairs and kicked the page-boy. Probably the man who said “Top” to the lift-man was really only getting back on his employer who had not said “Good Morning” to him because he himself had been hen-pecked at breakfast by his wife, to whom the cook had been insolent because the housemaid had “answered her back”. We infect the world with our ill humours. Bad manners probably do more to poison the stream of the general life than all the crimes in the calendar. For one wife who gets a black eye from an otherwise good-natured husband, there are a hundred who live a life of martyrdom under the shadow of a morose temper. But all the same the law cannot become the guardian of our private manners. No Decalogue could cover the vast area of offences and no court could administer a law which governed our social civilities, our speech, the tilt of our eyebrows and all our moods and manners.
Q1. ‘Slur’ means ____
Ans. insult
Q2. Which of the following means a husband who is dominated by the wife-
A. Shin
B. slur
C. hen-pecked
D. black eye
Ans. C. hen-pecked
Q3. How do we harm the world with our ill humour?
Ans. we infect it
Q4. What is outside the ambit of law?
Ans. private manners
Q5. What can poison a whole day?
Ans. The pain of a wound to our self- respect or our vanity may poison a whole day.
C.
I should like to “feature” in this connection my friend, the polite conductor. By this discriminating title, I do not intend to suggest a rebuke to conductors generally. (On the contrary, I am disposed to think that there are few classes of men who come through the ordeal of a very trying calling better than bus conductors do.) Here or there you will meet an unpleasant specimen who regards the passengers as his natural enemies-as creatures whose chief purpose on the bus is to cheat him, and who can only be kept reasonably honest by a loud voice and an aggressive manner. But this type is rare-rarer than it used to be. I fancy the public owes much to the underground Railway Company, which also runs the buses, for insisting on a certain standard of civility in its servants and taking care that the standard is observed. In doing this, it not only makes things pleasant for the travelling public but performs an important social service.
It is not, therefore, with any feeling of unfriendliness to conductors as a class that I pay a tribute to a particular member of that class. I first became conscious of his existence one day when I jumped on to a bus and found that I had left home without any money in my pocket. Everyone has had the experience and knows the feeling, the mixed feeling, which the discovery arouses. You are annoyed because you look like a fool at the best, and like a knave at the worst. You would not be at all surprised if the conductor eyed you coldly as much as to say, “Yes, I know that stale old trick. Now then, off you get.” And even if the conductor is a good fellow and lets you down easily, you are faced with the necessity of going back, and the inconvenience, perhaps, of missing your train or your engagement.
Q1. Find another word for ‘specimen’-
A. Signature
B. sample
C. gathering
D. arrange
Ans. B. sample
Q2. One day, the narrator discovered that _________________ without money
Ans. he had left home
Q3. How did the conductor behave when he saw that the narrator was not carrying money?
Ans. He reacted coldly
Q4. What inconvenience one may face if one forgets money home?
Ans. One could get a cold look. One will have to go back home to get the money and will have to cancel the work and miss the train
Q5. Who treats passengers as his natural enemies?
Ans. a bus conductor
D.
A few days, after my most sensitive toe was trampled on rather heavily as I sat reading on the top of a bus. I looked up with some anger and more agony, and saw my friend of the cheerful countenance. “Sorry, sir,” he said, “I know these are heavy boots. Got’em because my own feet get trod on so much and now, I’m treading on other people’s. Hope I didn’t hurt you, sir.” He had hurt me but he was so nice about it that I assured him he hadn’t. After this I began to observe him whenever I boarded his bus, and found a curious pleasure in the constant good-nature of his bearing. He seemed to have an inexhaustible fund of patience and a gift for making his passengers comfortable. I noticed that if it was raining he would run up the stairs to give someone the tip that there was “room inside”. With old people he was as considerate as a son, and with children as solicitous as a father. He had evidently a peculiarly warm place in his heart for young people, and always indulged in some merry jest with them. If he had a blind man on board it was not enough to set him down safely on the pavement. He would call to Bill in front to wait while he took him across the road or round the corner, or otherwise safely on his way. In short, I found that he irradiated such an atmosphere of good temper and kindliness that a journey with him was a lesson in natural courtesy and good manners.
Q1. What was the narrator doing when his foot was trampled on?
Ans. Reading
Q2. Why did the narrator say that he wasn’t hurt although he was?
Ans. The man’s cheerful behaviour and politeness made the narrator say that he wasn’t hurt.
Q3. The man’s good-nature gave the narrator ________
Ans. a curious pleasure
Q4. The man had a lot of _______
Ans. patience
Q5. What did the man do when it rained?
Ans. He would run up and give the tip that there was space in the lower part of the bus which was covered.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. Why did the liftman throw the passenger out of the lift?
A. He was drunk
B. He was impolite
C. He was overweight
D. He was carrying weapons
Ans. B. He was impolite
Q2. Bad manners is _____
A. not an illegal act
B. an illegal act
C. harmless act
D. not mentioned
Ans. A. not an illegal act
Q3. No legal system has legislated against _______
A. burglary
B. theft
C. bad manners
D. All of these
Ans. C. bad manners
Q4. What does “legislation” mean?
A. law and order
B. Law-making
C. maintaining peace
D. judging
Ans. B. Law-making
Q5. “If a burglar breaks into my house and I knock him down, the law will acquit me,”. The word ‘acquit’ means-
A. to set free
B. to put in jail
C. to impose a penalty
D. to punish
Ans. A. to set free
Q6. ‘ to retaliate’ means-
A. to escape
B. to reciprocate
C. to harm
D. to explain
Ans. B. to reciprocate
Q7. Find a synonym of “liberty” as used in the following excerpt-
It would never do if we were at liberty to box people’s ears because we did not like their behaviour, or the tone of their voices, or the scowl of their faces.
A. freedom
B. assault
C. decision
D. example
Ans. A. freedom
Q8. ‘To compel’ means-
A. to please
B. to force
C. to abstain
D. to free
Ans. B. to force
Q9. The law does not force us to _______
A. say “please”
B. wax moustache
C. dye hair
D. all of these
Ans. D. all of these
Q10. “It does not recognize the laceration of our feelings as a case of compensation.” The word ‘laceration’ means-
A. decoration
B. deep cut
C. injury
D. none of these
Ans. B. deep cut
Q11. According to the lesson, which of the following can be more hurtful?
A. physical hurt
B. impolite behaviour
C. theft
D. none of these
Ans. B. impolite behaviour
Q12. Why can impolite behaviour be more hurtful?
A. it cannot be redressed legally
B. it is a social stigma
C. it harms the mind
D. it impacts the heart
Ans. A. it cannot be redressed legally
Q13. How does one break even with an act of bad manners?
A. he takes a legal action
B. he reverts
C. he passes it on to another person
D. nothing is done
Ans. C. he passes it on to another person
Q14. How can ill humour infect the world?
A. it is full of virus which can be transferred
B. it is passed on to another person and so, the world gets infected with a single act
C. it is a mental disease
D. all of this
Ans. B. it is passed on to another person and so, the world gets infected with a single act
Q15. Why did the employer not say “Good morning”?
A. he had been hen-pecked by his wife
B. he was hungry
C. he was sleepy
D. he was annoyed with the employee
Ans. A. he had been hen-pecked by his wife
Q16. Bad manners are more poisonous than __________
A. bad people
B. bad habits
C. All the crimes in the calendar
D. theft
Ans. C. All the crimes in the calendar
Q17. What is a ‘decalogue’?
A. a code of conduct
B. a legal rule book
C. set of 10 comandments
D. all of these
Ans. C. set of 10 comandments
Q18. Good manners is a __________ practice
A. social
B. legal
C. compulsory
D. annoying
Ans. A. social
Q19. There is no law that compels us to _________
A. say “hello”
B. say “thank you”
C. say “please”
D. all of these
Ans. D. all of these
Q20. Who is a ‘knave’?
A. An innocent person
B. A dishonest person
C. an honest man
D. none of these
Ans. B. A dishonest person
True or False
Identify whether the following statements are true or false-
1. Bad manners is an illegal act.
2. The lift man sent the passenger to jail for not saying “please”.
3. Most bus conductors treat the passengers as their natural enemies.
4. A specimen is an example of something.
5. There is no law which asks people to be polite.
6. Burglary and assault are punishable offences.
7. The wound on one’s self-respect can spoil the entire day.
8. Impoliteness is like a communicable disease which passes on from one person to another.
9. Bad manners is a viral infection
10. The law cannot become the guardian of our private manners.
Answers-
1. False
2. False
3. True
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. True
8. True
9. False
10. True
Fill in the blanks
1. The lift man _________ the passenger out of the lift for not saying “please”.
2. __________- is not a legal offence.
3. Burglary ____________ legal offence.
4. No law punishes us for ____ manners.
5. An impolite behaviour can ______ the entire day.
6. Impoliteness is like an ___________ which passes from one to another.
7. Giving the __________ to box people’s ears if we did not like their behaviour is not feasible.
8. No one can hurt someone for ___________
9. An act of impoliteness can damage one’s ________
10. _______ cannot guard our private manners
Answers-
1. Hurled / threw
2. Impoliteness / discourtesy
3. Is a
4. Bad / ill
5. spoil
6. infection
7. Liberty / freedom
8. Impoilteness / bad manners / misbehaviour
9. Self respect
10. Law
Extra Questions
Answer the following questions-
Q1. List a few illegal offences mentioned in the lesson.
Ans. Burglary, assault are illegal offences.
Q2. Why does law not protect private manners?
Ans. Private manners are related to personal behaviour and so, the law does not protect them.
Q3. Does law give us the freedom to box someone in the face for being impolite?
Ans. No, such freedom is not granted because it will get chaotic.
Q4. How does one react to an act of impoliteness?
Ans. An act of impoliteness causes a person to do an impolite act with another person. Thus, it forms a chain of impolite acts.
Q5. How can politeness help us?
Ans. In case we do a mistake, by being polite we can win the other person’s heart who would then excuse us for the mistake.
Q6. What all acts comprise of our behaviour?
Ans. Social civility, our speech, the tilt of our eyebrows and all our moods and manners.
Q7. What is the first requirement of civility?
Ans. Civility requires us to say “please” and “thank you” as and when required in our social transactions.
Q8. How do bus conductors try to manage passengers?
Ans. The employ the use of loud voice and aggressive manner to keep the passengers under control.
Q9. What does the underground Railway company ensure?
Ans. It ensures that its employs follow certain levels of civility while interacting with the passengers.
Q10. On what was the narrator travelling when his foot was stomped by a fellow traveller?
Ans. He was travelling by a bus when his foot was stomped by another traveller.