PSEB Class 12 English Thinking Out Of The Box: Lateral Thinking Question Answers – Looking for questions and answers for PSEB Class 12 A Rainbow of English Book Chapter 3 Thinking Out Of The Box: Lateral Thinking? 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 3 Thinking Out Of The Box: Lateral Thinking 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.
- Thinking Out Of The Box: Lateral Thinking Textbook Questions
- Thinking Out Of The Box: Lateral Thinking Extra Question Answers
Related:
- Thinking Out Of The Box: Lateral Thinking Summary, Explanation
- Thinking Out Of The Box: Lateral Thinking Character Sketch
PSEB Class 12 English Chapter 3 Thinking Out Of The Box: Lateral Thinking Textbook Questions
1. COMPREHENSION
1. What was the proposal given to the poor farmer by the moneylender?
Ans. The moneylender offered to cancel the farmer’s debt if he would allow him to marry the farmer’s beautiful daughter. The moneylender then proposed to settle the issue by a game of chance. He would put a black pebble and a white pebble into a bag, and the girl had to pick one pebble. The colour of the pebble would determine her destiny.
2. What would have happened if the girl had selected a black pebble in the ‘pebble-game’?
Ans. If the girl had selected the black pebble, she would marry the moneylender, and her father’s debt would get canceled.
3. What trick did the moneylender cunningly play to win the game?
Ans. The money lender secretly placed two black pebbles into the bag in an attempt to trick the girl into picking a black pebble, because no matter which one she chose, he planned to marry her.
4. How did the girl intelligently win?
Ans. With a little creative genius sprinkled in, the girl intentionally dropped the pebble that she took out, on a rocky path of pebbles. Then she asked the money lender to check the other pebble in the bag to see that indeed there was only the black one left in the bag which showed that she must have picked the white pebble.
5. What do you understand by the term ‘lateral thinking’ after reading the chapter?
Ans. Lateral thinking is about solving problems in a creative, unconventional, and non-linear way instead of traditional logical reasoning.
6. What was Edward de Bono’s notion about ‘lateral thinking’?
Ans. Edward de Bono explained that lateral thinking is a skill to use intelligence creatively. Lateral thinking helps a person to shift their perceptions, to redefine problems, and to find new solutions that are somewhere outside normal, conditioned thinking.
7. Why did the millionaire not reveal the fact of his affluence to the bank officials?
Ans. The millionaire, Thomas, didn’t disclose his wealth because Thomas had a clever way to park his Ferrari at a low cost and be assured it would be safe while he was away on a trip.
8. Why was the loan officer amazed to know that Thomas had borrowed a loan for $5000?
Ans. The loan officer was astonished because Thomas was a wealthy man, and it was unusual for someone so rich to borrow such a small amount of money.
9. What was the millionaire’s trick in borrowing the loan?
Ans. Thomas actually used the loan as a clever way of ensuring he had secure parking for his expensive Ferrari, at a bank’s garage for two weeks for just $15 in interest.
Long Question Answers
1. How was lateral thinking fruitful in the field of cricket?
Ans. Lateral thinking provided an innovative jolt to the game of cricket. Kerry Packer, although controversial, developed cricket into a revolutionary sport, by having day-night matches, world series cricket, colour clothing, and white balls against the historical established days of cricket. Regardless of the initial reticence surrounding the innovations, they brought massive followings. These examples continued to enliven the spectator experience and, in turn, facilitate commercialization, turning cricket into a more accessible sport. By proposing different captains for Test matches and one-day internationals, Australia trialled these rules, demonstrating examples of lateral thinking. The aforementioned innovations made the game more appealing and provided more financial viability for cricket, and proved that new and lateral approaches could be applied to even the most established of traditional sports.
2. How did the moneylender’s attempt to win the hand of the farmer’s daughter go in vain?
Ans. The wily moneylender made a plan to force the farmer’s daughter into marrying him. He put two black pebbles in bag and asked her to pick one out. If she refused her father’s bail would not be paid and he would go to jail. Well, the girl thought creatively. She pretended to miss the bag of pebbles and dropped the one she selected on a path. She then asked the money lender to view the bag. The remaining pebble was black, but everyone assumed that she picked the other white pebble. By using clever thinking, she exposed the moneylender’s duplicitous nature without openly confronting him, this put the moneylender in a position to have to accept the situation he had created. He lost in his endeavor.
3. Write a note on the theme of the chapter: “Lateral Thinking”.
Ans. The chapter lays stress on the importance of non-linear form of problem-solving known as lateral thinking. The author’s narrative demonstrates that conventional thinking often breaks down in complex or tricky situations. Through the clever girl and the moneylender story, and in another scenario about the millionaire who used a bank loan as an inexpensive parking solution for his Ferrari, the author shows that thinking in a different manner can lead to intelligent and unexpected solutions to problems. The emphasis is on that success often just requires intelligence, but the ability to push the boundaries of convention and look at problems from a different angle.
4. How did lateral thinking help the millionaire?
Ans. Thomas, the millionaire, was looking for a secure spot for parking his Ferrari while he traveled abroad for two weeks. Rather than paying a lot for parking in New York City, he used lateral thinking. He went to a bank, borrowed $5000 using the car as collateral, and left it in the bank’s lovely secure garage. When he returned, he simply paid back the loan plus $15 interest. His clever approach allowed him to park a valuable asset without worrying about the security of it, and he got it virtually free. This anecdote is a unique use of a bank loan to secure parking, as well as an example of lateral thinking applied to a short-term problem and solution.
II. VOCABULARY PRACTICE
1. Look at the meanings of the words borrow and lend.
borrow:- to take and use something that belongs to somebody else, and return it at a later time.
lend:- to give something that belongs to you to someone and which the person has to return to you later.
Now fill in the blanks with the words borrow or lend-
1. Could you ______ me some money, please?
2. Some pupils can _________ books from their school.
3. Will you _____ me your umbrella till tomorrow?
4. You may _____ my bike, but be careful.
5. Could I _______ your football?
6. You can ______ your suitcase to Sita.
7. Why do some students ________ so much money from their friends?
8. Mohan won’t _____ his car to anyone.
9. Will your uncle _________ you some money?
Ans.
1. Could you lend me some money, please?
2. Some pupils can borrow books from their school.
3. Will you lend me your umbrella till tomorrow?
4. You may borrow my bike, but be careful.
5. Could I borrow your football?
6. You can lend your suitcase to Sita.
7. Why do some students borrow so much money from their friends?
8. Mohan won’t lend his car to anyone.
9. Will your uncle lend you some money?
2. Fill in the blanks with adjective/adverb forms:
1. He finished the book…… .(quick)
2. Sam is a……..driver. (careful)
3. He drives the car……………(careful)
4. Reema is a……… girl. (pretty)
5. The class is……….loud today. (terrible)
6. You can push this box…….. .(easy)
7. The girl’s dilemma could not be solved with………thinking. (tradition)
8. The farmer’s daughter threw away the pebble …………… .(immediate)
Ans:
1. He finished the book quickly.
2. Sam is a careful driver.
3. He drives the car carefully.
4. Reema is a pretty girl.
5. The class is terribly loud today.
6. You can push this box easily.
7. The girl’s dilemma could not be solved with traditional thinking.
8. The farmer’s daughter threw away the pebble immediately.
III. GRAMMAR EXERCISES
1. Change the Voice:
1. Her uncle looks after her.
Ans. She is looked after by her uncle.
2. A favour will be done to him by me.
Ans. I will do him a favour.
3. How is Sharda known to you?
Ans. How do you know Sharda?
4. He was shocked at his sister’s stupidity.
Ans. His sister’s stupidity shocked him.
5. Why are you laughing at me?
Ans. Why am I being laughed at by you?
6. Who abused you?
Ans. By whom were you abused?
7. Had the picture been painted by her?
Ans. Had she painted the picture?
8. This pot contains milk.
Ans. Milk is contained in this pot.
9. Were the villagers beating the terrorists?
Ans. Were the terrorists being beaten by the villagers?
10. Who does not love his motherland?
Ans. The motherland is not loved by whom?
2. Fill in the blanks with Determiners:
1. I have…………(many/much) friends in the city.
Ans. I have many friends in the city.
2. ………..umbrella is……. useful thing. (a, an, the)
Ans. An umbrella is a useful thing.
3. ………. (Many/Much) a man has died of cholera.
Ans. Many a man has died of cholera.
4. ………..(These/This) children go to school every day.
Ans. These children go to school every day.
5. Did you see…….(any/some) elephants in the forest?
Ans. Did you see any elephants in the forest?
6. She is proud of…….. (his/her) beauty.
Ans. She is proud of her beauty.
7. …..(That/Those) plant is dying.
Ans.That plant is dying.
8. ……..(All / Some) the girls are present today.
Ans. All the girls are present today.
9. She did not send me……………..(any/some) reply.
Ans. She did not send me any reply.
10. ……..(Every/Many) man is expected to do his best.
Ans. Every man is expected to do his best.
3. Do as Directed:
1. He is too aged to get a job. (Remove ‘too’)
Ans. He is so aged that he cannot get a job.
2. This church is the biggest in India. (Change the degree of comparison)
Ans. No other church in India is as big as this one.
3. Here comes a girl in red. (Change into a complex sentence)
Ans. A girl who is in red comes here.
4. You can join duty as you are well now. (Change into a compound sentence)
Ans. You are well now, so you can join duty.
5. Respect your elders. (Change voice)
Ans. Let your elders be respected.
6. i. He is good.
ii. He is not tactful. (Combine the two sentences)
Ans. He is good but not tactful.
7. How lovely the flowers are. I (Change into an assertive sentence)
Ans: The flowers are lovely.
Punjab Board Class 12 English Chapter 3 Thinking Out Of The Box: Lateral Thinking Extra Question and Answers
Extract-Based Questions
A
“Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender… So the cunning moneylender suggested that they let providence decide the matter.”
1. Why did the moneylender make such a proposal?
Ans. He wanted to marry the farmer’s daughter and thought he would manipulate the situation by pretending to offer a good deal.
2. What does the word ‘providence’ refer to here?
Ans. It means fate/ divinity will see to the outcome, eligible to ‘change the deal’, as the moneylender used it to uphold his dishonest play.
3. Was the farmer comfortable with the proposal?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Not sure
D. He agreed happily
Ans. B. No
4. What quality of the moneylender is highlighted here?
Ans. His cunning nature and manipulative intent.
5. What emotion did the farmer and his daughter feel?
Ans. They were horrified and distressed by the proposal.
B
“She put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path…”
1. What was the girl’s intention in dropping the pebble?
Ans. She wanted to disguise the unfair arrangement and imply that they should tap the remaining pebble to figure out the result.
2. How does the girl’s act reflect lateral thinking?
Ans. She employed a unique and intelligent way of problem-solving without having to point the finger at anyone.
3. The girl’s action was:
A. Foolish
B. Clumsy
C. Clever and strategic
D. Dishonest
Ans. C. Clever and strategic
4. What trait does the girl display here?
Ans. Intelligence, presence of mind, and courage.
5. What lesson can students learn from the girl’s action?
Ans. That they can think laterally and calmly in unfair situations in order to address them.
C
“A millionaire named Thomas walked into a popular bank… He said that he was going away on business… and needed to borrow a small sum of money: $5000.”
1. Why did Thomas visit the bank?
Ans. He would take a short-term loan and keep his car as a collateral because in reality, he wanted to use the bank’s garage as a safe parking for the car.
2. What did Thomas offer as collateral?
Ans. His brand-new Ferrari car.
3. Was Thomas actually in financial need?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Maybe
D. He did not say
Ans. B. No
4. What type of thinking is demonstrated by Thomas?
Ans. Lateral thinking using a non-standard way to develop a solution to a real problem.
5. How much interest did Thomas pay?
Ans. Approximately $15
D
“Edward de Bono says ‘With logic, you start with certain ingredients, just as in chess you start out with given pieces…'”
1. What comparison does De Bono make here?
Ans. He is comparing logical thinking to chess using fixed pieces in typical life problems.
2. What is often confused with creative thinking?
Ans. Conditioned or traditional thinking.
3. According to De Bono, lateral thinking changes:
A. The goal
B. The way we use the same tools
C. The rules themselves
D. The pieces themselves
Ans. D. The pieces themselves
4. What is the main idea of this extract?
Ans. Lateral thinking is changing the perspective or assumptions we use to tackle a problem.
5. What skill does lateral thinking enhance?
Ans. The ability to solve problems in a creative and effective manner with complexity.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Who proposed to marry the farmer’s daughter?
A. The king
B. The village priest
C. The moneylender
D. The merchant
Ans. C. The moneylender
2. What was the moneylender’s intention behind the pebble game?
A. To help the farmer
B. To trap the girl into marrying him
C. To forgive the debt kindly
D. To play a fair game
Ans. B. To trap the girl into marrying him
3. Where did the story of the pebble game take place?
A. In a market
B. In a court
C. On a pebble-strewn path in the field
D. At a temple
Ans. C. On a pebble-strewn path in the field
4. What trick did the moneylender play?
A. Put a red and black pebble
B. Put two black pebbles in the bag
C. Dropped the bag deliberately
D. Put a white pebble only
Ans. B. Put two black pebbles in the bag
5. How did the girl outsmart the moneylender?
A. Picked the white pebble
B. Refused to play
C. Dropped a pebble and suggested checking the remaining one
D. Complained to the village head
Ans. C. Dropped a pebble and suggested checking the remaining one
6. What does the story of the pebbles highlight?
A. Luck
B. Intelligence
C. Lateral thinking
D. Revenge
Ans. C. Lateral thinking
7. What is lateral thinking?
A. Thinking emotionally
B. Logical reasoning only
C. Creative and non-linear thinking
D. Imitating others
Ans. C. Creative and non-linear thinking
8. Who propagated the concept of lateral thinking?
A. Edward de Bono
B. Albert Einstein
C. Stephen Hawking
D. Thomas Edison
Ans. A. Edward de Bono
9. What was Thomas’s profession?
A. Farmer
B. Teacher
C. Millionaire businessman
D. Bank clerk
Ans. C. Millionaire businessman
10. Why did Thomas borrow $5000?
A. To invest
B. To buy stocks
C. To park his Ferrari securely
D. To pay bills
Ans. C. To park his Ferrari securely
11. How much interest did Thomas pay?
A. $5
B. $15
C. $50
D. $500
Ans. B. $15
12. Where did the bank keep Thomas’s car?
A. Outside the gate
B. At his house
C. In the underground garage
D. In a showroom
Ans. C. In the underground garage
13. What was the bank’s reaction after knowing Thomas’s identity?
A. Surprised
B. Angry
C. Ignorant
D. Unbothered
Ans. A. Surprised
14. What example of lateral thinking is used from cricket?
A. Fielding strategy
B. Day/night matches and coloured clothing
C. Bowling technique
D. Stadium design
Ans. B. Day/night matches and coloured clothing
15. What quality is needed for lateral thinking?
A. Wealth
B. Education
C. Willpower
D. Creativity
Ans. D. Creativity
16. What does Edward de Bono compare logic to?
A. Chess pieces
B. Board games
C. Numbers
D. Imagination
Ans. A. Chess pieces
17. What does lateral thinking try to change?
A. The goal
B. The people
C. The given pieces or assumptions
D. The story
Ans. C. The given pieces or assumptions
18. What was the moral of the pebble story?
A. Be dishonest
B. Accept fate
C. Creative thinking can solve problems
D. Hard work is the key
Ans. C. Creative thinking can solve problems
19. The moneylender was described as:
A. Handsome and kind
B. Young and polite
C. Old and ugly
D. Rich and honest
Ans. C. Old and ugly
20. The girl’s final act was seen as:
A. Cowardly
B. Lucky
C. Foolish
D. Smart and brave
Ans. D. Smart and brave
True or False
Identify whether the following statements are true or false-
1. The moneylender wanted to genuinely help the farmer.
2. The girl was unaware of the moneylender’s trick.
3. Lateral thinking is another term for common sense.
4. Edward de Bono introduced the concept of lateral thinking.
5. Thomas borrowed money because he was poor.
6. The Ferrari was used as collateral.
7. The banker got angry at Thomas for cheating.
8. Lateral thinking is used only in science.
9. Traditional thinking is always better than lateral thinking.
10. The girl’s clever idea avoided both her marriage and her father’s punishment.
Ans:
1. False
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. True
7. False
8. False
9. False
10. True
Fill in the blanks
1. The girl cleverly dropped the _______ on the pebble-strewn path.
2. The remaining pebble in the bag was _______.
3. Lateral thinking means thinking _______ and creatively.
4. Edward de Bono compared logic to _______ pieces.
5. Thomas used his _______ as security for the loan.
6. The bank was located in _______ city.
7. The girl’s action made the moneylender’s trick _______.
8. The moneylender was _______ and ugly.
9. In cricket, day/night matches were introduced by _______ Packer.
10. The chapter teaches us to think out of the _______.
Ans.
1. pebble
2. black
3. differently
4. chess
5. Ferrari
6. New York
7. useless
8. old
9. Kerry
10. box
Extra Questions
Answer the following questions-
1. What was the moneylender’s plan to get the farmer’s daughter to marry him?
Ans. The moneylender agreed to write off the farmer’s debts, if the farmer let him marry his daughter. He then pretended that the penny was fair, if he offered two pebbles, one black one white and two black pebbles themselves. This is how he manipulated the girl into marrying him.
2. How did the farmer’s daughter turn the game in her favour?
Ans. The girl picked a pebble but then dropped it as an “accident” on the path, and cleverly asked the moneylender to see the remaining pebble in the bag. This exposed his dishonesty but she did so cleverly, without confrontation, and saved herself and her father.
3. What does the pebble story teach us about problem-solving?
Ans. The lesson in this story is that in any situation, which does not seem favourable, creative or lateral thinking may produce unexpected but effective outcomes without conflict or compromise.
4. Who introduced the concept of lateral thinking and what does it mean?
Ans. Like Edward de Bono indicated. Lateral thinking means solving problems using new angles; not by logic and rational thinking one step at a time but through creativity and your imagination.
5. Why did Thomas borrow $5000 from the bank despite being a millionaire?
Ans. Thomas wanted to safely park his expensive Ferrari in New York. What he did was borrow $5,000, and leave the car in the bank’s secure parking, as collateral. The bank gave him secure parking for 2 weeks for the fee of only $15.
6. What was the bank’s reaction when they discovered Thomas’s true identity?
Ans. The bank was intrigued and when they conducted a background check, they were shocked to learn that Thomas was a wealthy man who only borrowed $5,000 under existing credit with the bank and owned a Ferrari.
7. How did Thomas respond to the bank officer’s question about the loan?
Ans. Thomas smiled and said he had found the easiest and cheapest way to securely park his Ferrari in New York for 2 weeks at a mere fee of 15 dollars.
8. What changes did Kerry Packer bring to cricket using lateral thinking?
Ans. Kerry Packer rocked the world of cricket with the introduction of the day/night cricket game, ease of colourful clothing, and the use of white balls, rather than the more traditional formats. These changes made cricket more appealing to the sports-consuming public and other countries quickly adopted them.
9. What does De Bono mean by “changing the chess pieces” in real-life problem-solving?
Ans. He further argues that life does not have fixed pieces, as in chess. Lateral thinking is all about changing those pre-assumptions and looking at situations from another angle.
10. What is the difference between conditioned thinking and lateral thinking?
Ans. Conditioned thinking uses assumptions and habits, while lateral thinking questions those assumptions to explore new paths, and bring to light unexpected successful outcomes.