Chapter 9: Three questions Textbook Solutions

NIOS Class 12 English Chapter 9 Question Answer

INTEXT QUESTIONS 9.1

1. What did occur in the mind of the king?

Ans: It occurred to the king that if he knew the answers to certain questions, he would be successful in everything and no one could defeat him.

2. Why did he want to know the answers?

Ans: He wanted to become undefeatable, so he wanted to know the answers.

3. What was the first question?

Ans: The first question was what is the right time to begin something.

4. What was the second question?

Ans: The second question was whom he should listen to.

5. What was the third question?

Ans: The third question was what is the important work to do.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 9.2

1. What were the answers the king got for the first question?

Ans: The answers were that a timetable should be formed and strictly followed, time should not be wasted in foolish pleasure, and he should have a council of ministers and magicians with him as they could predict the future.

2. What were the answers the king got for the second question?

Ans: To question number two, the answers were councillors, the priests, the doctors, while some said the warriors were the most necessary people.

3. What were the answers the king got for the Third question?

Ans: The answers for the third question were Science; others said it was skill in warfare; and some others again, that it was religious worship.

4. Was the king happy and satisfied with the answers?

Ans: The king was neither happy nor satisfied with the answers.

5. What did he finally decide to do?

Ans: He decided to go to a wise hermit to seek answers.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 9.3

1. Why did the king disguise himself?

Ans: The king disguised himself as a common man because the hermit met only common people.

2. What was the hermit doing?

Ans: The hermit was digging the ground in front of his hut.

3. What did the king do when he went there?

Ans: The king wished the hermit and asked his question.

4. How did the hermit react?

Ans: The hermit took a minute to stop his work and wished the king, and then continued the work.

5. What did the king offer to the hermit?

Ans: The King offered to help the hermit in digging the soil bed.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 9.4

1. Who was the bearded man?

Ans: The bearded man was the King’s enemy, waiting to kill him.

2. What did the king and the hermit do to him?

Ans: The king and the hermit cleaned his wound and provided first aid to him.

3. Why did the king fall asleep on the threshold?

Ans: The King fell asleep on the threshold because he was tired from his walk and the work he had done.

4. Why did the bearded man thank the king, and also what did he say?

Ans: The bearded man thanked the king as he saved his life, and also he said that he’ll be a loyal slave to the king and will ask his sons to do so.

5. What was the outcome of this encounter in the woods?

Ans: The outcome of the encounter was that the King made peace with his enemy, saved his life, and offered him assistance and friendship.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 9.5

1. When the king asked for the answer, what was the hermit’s reply?

Ans: The hermit replied that the king had already got his answers.

2. What was his answer to the first question?

Ans: His answer to the first question is that the present time is the right time to start any job.

3. What was his answer for the second question?

Ans: The important person is whoever he is with at the present moment.

4. What was his answer for the third question?

Ans: To do that person’s good is an important task.

5. Was the king satisfied with the hermit’s answers?

Ans: The king was satisfied and happy with the answer.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 9.6

1. Fill in the blanks with proper words to get the answer.

i _____________ you coming to the party?

Answer: No

Ans: Are

ii. _____________ she finished her homework yet?

Answer: No, she hasn’t finished it.

Ans: Hasn’t

iii. _____________ they visited this museum before?

Answer: Yes

Ans: Have

iv. __________ I borrow your pen?

Answer: Yes, you may borrow my pen.

Ans: May

v. _______________ she help us?

Answer: Yes, she could help us.

Ans: Could

2. Fill in the blanks with proper words to get an answer.

i. ___________ are you doing?

Ans: What

ii. _____________ did they go last weekend?

Ans: Where

iii. _____________ has she been so busy?

Ans: Why

iv. _____________ one of them won the tennis match, Becker or Sampras?

Ans: Which

v. ______________ will you come to my house?

Ans: When

vi. _________________ can we foster creativity and innovation in educational settings?

Ans: How

3. Now make questions, using Which, Where, What and Who, which will fit the underlined words in the following answers.

i. I have been to the zoo.

Ans: Where have you been?

ii. Amit and Amar are sitting under the Peepal tree.

Ans: Where are Amit and Amar sitting?

iii. My name is Mohinder.

Ans: What is your name?

iv. I like this book better than that one.

Ans: Which book do you like better?

v. Sulekha ate the cake.

Ans: Who ate the cake?

vi. I will give you the brown shirt.

Ans: Which shirt will you give me?

4. Fill in the question words in this dialogue.

Ravi : This shirt is very smart. ___________ did you buy it?

Alok : In a shop on Mall Road.

Ravi : ___________ shop was it-Modern Store, or Jagannaths?

Alok : Modern Store. But there is another shop on M.G. Road which is just as good.

Ravi : __________ is its name? M.G. is very long _________ exactly is it?

Alok : __________ you know the Tourist Hotel? It is next door, and it is called Uttam Singh Duggal and Sons.

Ans: where, which; What; where; Do.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 9.7

1. Fill in the blanks by using the opposite (antonym) of the words underlined in each sentence.

Example: The hall was _________ but the stage was empty.

The hall was full, but the stage was empty.

i. The dancer was tall and slim but her grandmother was short and _____.

Ans: fat

ii. Words can ________ but words can also soothe.

Ans: hurt

iii. The candidates forgot to bring their pens but they _____ to bring their identity cards.

Ans: remembered

iv. The cricketers came to the field early but their umpire was _____ .

Ans: late

v. There was nothing in the house: ______ had been taken away by the thieves.

Ans: everything

2. In the following list, there are words and their antonyms in a jumbled order. Find the pairs and write them in a table format:

persuade, work, brief, dissuade, inhuman, failure, play, human, agree, extended, disagree, success, social, bright, praise, dark, criticize, soften, antisocial, harden

Ans: persuade – dissuade, agree – disagree, work – play, success – failure, brief – extended, social – anti-social, inhuman – human, bright – dark, criticize – praise, soften – harden

3. Use words from above to fill in the blanks. Make necessary changes in the form of the words to make your sentences grammatically correct:

i. Even hardened criminals can be __________ by praise; __________ only hardens them further.

Ans: softened; criticism

ii. The meeting began on a bright and happy note. Unfortunately, as the _______ increased, the mood became ______ and angry.

Ans: disagreement; dark

iii. Don’t be sad because you have failed. _________ is the stepping stone to _______.

Ans: failure; success

iv. Sometimes humans behave in an _________ way. They forget all rules of social behaviour and use  _________ ways.

Ans: inhuman, anti-social

TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. Why did the King decide to consult the hermit?

Ans: To the third question, as to what was the most important occupation, some replied that the most important thing in the world was science. All the answers being different, the King agreed with none of them and gave the reward to none. But still wishing to find the right answers to his questions, he decided to consult a hermit, widely renowned for his wisdom.

2. Who interrupted the King and the hermit’s conversation, and why?

Ans: A bearded man interrupted the King and the hermit’s conversation. There was a large wound in his stomach. 

3. Where did the King and the wounded man spend the night?

Ans: The King and the wounded man spent the night at the hermit’s home. 

4. What was the initial intent of the wounded man towards the King?

Ans: He was waiting to kill the king, and meanwhile was identified by the King’s man and was attacked.

5. What promise did the King make to the wounded man?

Ans: The King forgave him, and said that he would send his servants and his own physician to attend him, and promised to restore his property.

6. What lesson did the hermit teach the King in the end?

Ans: The important lesson is that there is only one important time — and that is now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power. The most necessary man is he with whom you are, for no man knows whether he will ever have dealings with anyone else. And the most important thing to do is to do good, because for that purpose alone was man sent into this life!”

7. What is the central theme or moral of the story?

Ans: The moral of the story is that 

• The important time is the present time, the important person is the one who is with you at the present moment, and the right thing is to do good for that person.
• One must focus on the tasks at hand rather than dwelling on the past or worrying excessively about the future.
• Being compassionate and helpful to others and practicing forgiveness and kindness in everyday actions are important for life.

Additional Study Materials

• NIOS Class 12 English Sample Paper
• Chapter 4: Bholi
• Chapter 5: Ecology and Environment
• Chapter 6: Andha Yug
• Chapter 7: After Twenty Years
• Chapter 8: The Necklace