MAHATMA EDUCATION SOCIETY’S

HOC INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL & JR.COLLEGE

Academic Year 2024-25
CLASS: 12 SUBJECT: ENGLISH

CHAPTER NO & NAME: 1.1 An Astrologer’s Day

NOTES
Question 1.
Discuss with your partner and complete the table:

Answer:
Your Strengths Why do you feel so? Your Dream career

painting and
can visualise, express commercial artist, cartoonist
drawing

……………………. ……………………… ………………………….

…………………… ……………………… …………………………

………………….. ………………………. ………………………..

Question 2.The scene in a local market of a village/ town/city is very attractive. People with different
occupations sell their wares. Discuss with your partner the variety of activities at the local market.
Answer:
1. selling flowers, selling grocery
2. selling garments and cloth
3. selling imitation jewellery and accessories
4. selling snacks and fast food
5. selling steel and earthenwares

Question 3.In a village/town/city it is quite a common sight to see an astrologer sitting by the roadside
with his professional equipment. Discuss with your partner and list the requirements for his trade.
Answer:1. parrot, cards, etc. 2.turban, beard, dhoti 3.dried leaves with writing on them 4.cloth with
mystic signs to spread his cards 5. bead necklace, coins, shells, punching, etc.

Question 4.There are certain unreasonable beliefs among people living in our society. Certain common
events are linked with superstitions. List such events, discuss the superstitions linked with them and the
means of their eradication.
Answer:Events and superstitions linked with them:
1. A cat crossing your path (something bad will happen)
2. Walking under a ladder (something unfortunate will happen)
3. Wearing black clothes for an auspicious function (will bring bad luck to the hosts)
4. Spilling salt (unlucky for the person)
5. A black crow cawing outside your window (you will be having guests)
Means of eradication: The only means of eradication is through education. Scientific attitude must be
developed in society. Religious heads must counsel and guide their followers. The elders in families
must also get rid of old beliefs.

A1.
(i) Given below are some descriptions. Discuss them with your partner and find out one word for each
of them.
Question (a)The scientific study of the universe and the objects in it, including stars, planets, nebulae
and galaxies:
Answer: Astronomy
Question (b)The study of the movements of the planets, Sun, Moon, and Stars in the belief that these
movements can have an influence on people’s lives:
Answer: Astrology
Question (c)A prediction of what will happen in the future:
Answer: Prophecy
Question (d)Scientific discipline that studies mental states and processes and behaviour in humans and
other animals:
Answer: Psychology

Question (ii)In the story we are told that the Town Hall Park was a remarkable place in many ways for
an astrologer to build his business. List the exceptional qualities of the place from this extract.
Answer: The exceptional qualities of the place were:
1. A surging crowd
2. A variety of trades and occupations, like medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk
3. magicians
4. auctioneers of cheap cloth
5. a vociferous vendor of fried groundnuts.

Question (iii)The astrologer never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes.
Discuss the reasons behind his act.
Answer:(a) He was good at reading people.
(b) He obtained a lot of information about their lives from their talk.
(c) He could analyse their character and understand their problems.
(d) He could easily frame his statements to their satisfaction.
A2.
Question (i)The tactics used by the astrologer to earn his wages are:
Answer:

Question (ii)An astrologer’s appearance helps to create an impression on his clients. Complete the
following(The answer is given directly and underlined.)
Answer:
1. The turban on his head
2. The sacred ash and vermilion on his forehead
3. dark whiskers covering the face
4. a sparkle in his eye accompanied by an abnormal gleam
1. Read the following sentences and choose the correct one:
Question (a)The astrologer says that if Nayak does not leave his village again, he would –
(1) return the money
(2) face danger
(3) go back home and stop looking for the man who tried to kill him
(4) not find the killer.
Answer:(2) face danger

Question (b)According to the narrator, the astrologer’s success in his profession is primarily due to –
(1) luck
(2) the bargains he drives
(3) his appearance
(4) his understanding of people.
Answer:(4) his understanding of people

Question (c)The story suggests that the astrologer’s comments and observations pleased people by –
(1) promising them success and good fortune
(2) proving, as time passes, to have been true
(3) flattering them or supporting their own views
(4) helping them to learn to solve their own problems.
Answer:(3) flattering them or supporting their own views

Question (d)Guru Nayak the astrologer because he wants to –

(1) understand the past
(2) find out who the astrologer is
(3) make some money through a bet
(4) get the answer to a specific question.
Answer: (4) get the answer to a specific question.
Question (e)Guru Nayak is looking for the man who tried to kill him –
(1) to take revenge
(2) to get an apology
(3) to demand an explanation
(4) to prove that the man was unsuccessful.
Answer: (1) to take revenge

Question (f)The astrologer’s remarks make Guru Nayak feel all of the following except –
(1) relieved
(2) suspicious
(3) impressed
(4) disappointed.
Answer: (2) suspicious

Question (g) Reactions of the astrologer’s wife to his news suggest that she –
(1) was unaware of his past
(2) has been worried about his safety
(3) has known him since he was young
(4) is concerned about her future with him.
Answer: (1) was unaware of his past

Question (iv) Read the following sentences and find out the True and False sentences. Correct the False
sentences:
(a) The astrologer gave a correct prediction to the client about his past that he was stabbed, thrown into
a well and left for dead
(b) When the astrologer came to know that the man whom he killed is alive he felt that he was relieved
of his guilt.
(c) The astrologer tried to back out of the deal and talked about the client’s past.
(d) The astrologer rescued himself from Guru Nayak’s revenge.
(e) The moral of the story is that we must be responsible about what we have done and should not run
away from our mistakes.
Answer:(a) True.
(b) True: When the astrologer came to know that the man whom he killed is alive he felt that he was
relieved of his guilt.
(c) False
Corrected sentence. The astrologer struck a bargain with the client and then talked about the client’s
past.
(d) True.
(e) False: The moral of the story is that we must be responsible about what we have done and should
not run away from our mistakes.
Corrected sentence: The moral is that we should never believe in superstitions.

Question (v)The astrologer had changed his appearance and his persona when he arrived in the city.
Give specific reasons for this.
Answer:The astrologer thought that he had killed a man after a quarrel. He was afraid that he would be
arrested and jailed for this crime. Hence, to avoid detection he changed his appearance and his persona
when he arrived in the city.

Question (vi)‘The darkness load that was inside the astrologer has disappeared’. Through this sentence,
explain the significance of the title ‘An Astrologer’s Day’.
OR

(vii) The astrologer feels relieved that Guru is not dead as it relieves a great burden from him. Critically
justify the statement and explain it.
Answer:The astrologer thought that he had killed a man after a quarrel. Hence he had run away from
his village, changed his appearance and his persona when he arrived in the city, and become an
astrologer. However, he still felt guilty for what he had done. When he came to know that the man he
thought he had killed was actually alive, the dark load inside him disappeared, and it made his day, i.e.
he felt relieved and happy. This is the significance of the title ‘An Astrologer’s Day’.

Question (viii)The astrologer wins/gets the sympathy/ criticism of the reader in the end. Express your
opinion with the support of the main story.
Answer:I think I sympathize with the astrologer. He did not try to intentionally kill Guru Nayak; it had
happened in the heat of the moment. Of course, he should not have tried to run away but should have
accepted responsibility for his crime. However, he is genuinely sorry for what had happened.
His words ‘a great load is gone from me today. I thought I had the blood of a man on my hands all
these years’ indicates this. Hence, I sympathize with him and am happy that he can now live in peace.

Question (ix)Suggest some steps to eradicate superstitions and other ill practices from our society.
Answer:To eradicate superstitions and other ill practices from our society the first and most important
step is education. Schools and colleges must help their students to develop a scientific attitude and
think logically and rationally.
Secondly, as people in India tend to listen to their religious heads, all religious heads should send out
clear messages to their followers about the eradication of superstitions. And lastly, the older generation
should change their opinions and ideas and get rid of silly superstitious beliefs.

Question (x)In the story, the astrologer has great listening power. Listening helps in developing good
relations with people. Express your opinion.
Answer:Yes, listening helps in developing good relations with people. When we listen, we indicate to
the speaker that we care about him/her and are interested in his/her problems/joys. We show that we are
ready to help him/her if necessary. We share his/ her ideas. We also realize how we can deal with
people successfully by listening to their views.

(A3)

Question (i)In the story, the astrologer, Guru Nayak and astrologer’s wife reveal their qualities through
words and actions. Pick out from the box the words that describe them and write in the appropriate

columns:
Answer:
Astrologer Guru Nayak Astrologer’s wife

shrewd manipulative caring

clever gullible suspicious

smart quarrelsome protective

sharp arrogant worried

intuitive aggressive humanistic

mystical demanding rational

cunning antagonistic

mean sceptical

over impetuous

confident

Question 1.Match the suffixes with the words and make words:

Answer:
Word Suffix Noun

auction able auctioneer

enchantment enchantment enchantment

know ment knowledge

prepare ure preparation

proceed tion procedure

appear (this word is not in the lesson) ment appearance

remark ure remarkable

Question (iii)‘An Astrologer’s Day’ has ironic elements where the astrologer pretends to have
‘supernatural knowledge’ that coincidently turns out to be the truth. Find out an example of irony from
the extract and write it down:
Find out the examples of irony from the extract and write them down.
Answer: His eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual
searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt
comforted.
1. He knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to
himself the next minute.
2. He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers.
3. He said things which pleased and astonished everyone : that was more a matter of study, practice,
and shrewd guesswork.

Question (iv)Find the examples of code-mixing from the extract and write them down.
Answer:1. ‘cowrie shells’ 2. turban

Question (v)There are some phrases where the word ‘crown’ is used with different shades of meaning.
Use the following phrases to complete the sentences meaningfully. One is done for you.
Crowning achievement, to crown the effect, crown of thorns, crowning glory, to crown it all
Answer:e.g. To crown the effect, he wound a saffron- coloured turban around his head.
(a) The works of Shakespeare are the crowning glory of English drama.
(b) Amitabh has given us awesome movies throughout five decades. But his crowning achievement is
his performance in the movie ‘Black’.
(c) In her pursuit of success, Radha has distanced herself from her family. Her fame has become a real
crown of thorns.
(d) They threw a wonderful party for me with costumes, games and to crown it all my favourite kind of
ice cream.
(e) Medical science has great inventions, but organ transplantation is definitely a crowning achievement
for human beings.

(A4)
Question (i)Use the word given in the brackets and rewrite the sentence:
(a) The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced. (enhancement)
(b) He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles, (worked)
(c) He knew what was going to happen to himself the next minute. (happening)
(d) If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees? (satisfaction)
(e) He shook his head regretfully. (regret)
(f) It was a bewildering crisscross of light rays, (bewildered)
(g) “I should have been dead if some passer-by had not chanced to peep into the well,” exclaimed the
other, overwhelmed by enthusiasm. (enthusiastically)
(h) You tried to kill him. (killing)
(i) I will prepare some nice stuff for her. (preparation)
(j) The other groaned on hearing it. (heard)
Answer:(a) There was considerable enhancement in the power of his eyes.
(b) He had worked out an analysis of mankind’s troubles.
(c) He knew what could be happening to himself the next minute.
(d) If my answers give you satisfaction, will you give me five rupees?
(e) He shook his head with regret.
(f) He was bewildered by the crisscross of light rays.
(g) “I should have been dead if some passer-by had not chanced to peep into the well,” exclaimed the
other enthusiastically.
(h) You tried killing him.
(i) I will make a preparation of some nice stuff for her.
(j) The other groaned when he heard it.

(A5)
Question (i)Prepare a speech on Science and Superstitions.
Answer:Science and Superstitions
Respected teacher and my dear friends,
I wish you all a very good morning. Today we are celebrating Science day in our school, and on this
occasion I, Rohan Kamte, would like to say a few words about Science and Superstitions.
Science and Superstitions are two opposite ends of a pole. Those who have the scientific attitude and
believe in science cannot possibly believe in superstitions. After all, what exactly are superstitions?
They are only some tales made up by people for some reason or the other. Let me give you an example.
Many years ago, in a house in a village, they were having an auspicious function. A lot of food was
being cooked.
A cat and her kitten were moving about here and there in the kitchen. Afraid that the cat would be
trampled upon or may fall into one of the open fires, the mistress of the house ordered the servant to put
the cat and its kitten under a basket, and to do so every time there was a function in the house. This
became a ‘superstition’ and in some houses, people actually brought a cat into the house and put it
under a basket whenever they had a function!
This is what superstitions are all about. The superstition of bad luck if you walk under a ladder too has
its reasons. The ladder could fold up and injure a person walking beneath it, or something could fall on
the person’s head.
So friends, I request you: In this age of Science, do not believe in silly superstitions. Keep your minds
open. Be rational and logical. Analyse things. Believe something only if it has the backing of Science.
Thank you.
(ii) Read the following proverbs. Share you views and expand the ideas.

Question (a)Actions speak louder than words.

Answer :Actions speak louder than words
Today a lot of importance is being given to the way we speak and what we speak. But we have to
remember that ultimately it is not words but actions that are important. Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of
our Nation, did not give any grand speeches. However, by his actions he saw that India gained her
freedom. Our soldiers do not give long lectures on patriotism they merely act to defend the country.
What would have happened if they had only spoken but not acted?
This very well-known proverb is very apt when it comes to parent-child interaction. It has been seen
that children observe the actions of their parents and imitate them not their words. In the animal
kingdom too, the actions of the parent are of paramount importance. During elections, politicians make
loud speeches but later on do not work. It is because of this behaviour that they lose the trust of the
people. Thus, we must act with responsibility, always remembering that people observe our actions and
are not swayed by our words.

Question (b)The face is the index of the mind.

Answer:[Points: facial expressions and eyes indicate one’s thoughts – this is. non-verbal
communication – that is why we smile when happy and frown when sad – however, smart people can
hide their feelings so that face does not show them – so one has to be careful while reading faces]

Question (c)Speech is silver and silence is golden.

Answer:[Points: we speak – we give others information or reveal our thoughts – others speak, we get
information – sometimes we speak hastily and hurt others – create problems – remain silent and think –
can find solutions – many leaders speak hastily – create international problems – better to be silent and
let one’s actions speak]

Question (d)Argument is the worst kind of communication.

Answer:[Points: arguments – people get angry – angry words and raised voices – hurt people –
confusion – relationships spoilt – instead talk softly and allow others to talk – accept that others can
think in a different way – ‘a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still’]
Question (e)Attitudes are the real figures of speech.
Answer:[Points: quote by Edwin H Friedman – in communication, more than the verbal message, the
non-verbal message important – your attitude and behaviour have more impact than your words – for
example, if you say ‘sorry’ in a harsh tone without any apology on your face – the word has no
meaning – hence body language and attitude are very important)

Question (f)The wise man has long ears and a short tongue
Answer:[Points: better to listen than to speak – wise people listen more and speak only when they have
something important to say – speech is silver and silerwe is golden – in any situation it is better to
remain silent and evaluate situation – empty vessels make the most noise]