question_answer

Read the following passage carefully:                                                      One day, a guru foresaw in a flash of vision what he would be in his next life. So he called his favourite disciple and asked him what he would do for his guru in return for all he had received. The disciple said he would do whatever his guru asked him to do. Having received this promise, the guru said, "Then this is what I'd like you to do for me. I've learned that when I die, which will be very soon, I'm going to be reborn as a cat. Do you see that cat eating garbage there in the yard? I'm going to be reborn as the fourth kitten of its next litter. You'll recognise me by a mark on my brow. When that cat has littered, find the fourth kitten with a mark on its brow and, with one stroke of your knife, slaughter it. Ill then be released from a cat's life. Will you do this for me?" The disciple was sad to hear all this, but he agreed to do as he had promised. Soon after this conversation, the guru did die. And the cat did have a litter of four little kittens. One day, the disciple sharpened his knife and picked out the fourth little kitten, which did indeed have a mark on its brow. Just as he was about to bring down his knife to slit its throat, the little kitten suddenly spoke. "Stop! Don't kill me!" it screamed. Before the disciple could recover from the shock of hearing the little kitten speak in a human voice, it said, "Don't kill me. I want to live on as a cat. When I asked you to kill me, I didn't know what a cat's life would be like. It's great! Just let me go."

On the basis of your reading of the above passage answer the following questions:

(i) What did the guru foresee for himself in his next life?

(ii) How would the disciple be able to recognise the right kitten?

(iii) What preparations did the disciple make to fulfill the promise he made to his guru?

(iv) Do as directed:

(a) The disciple was sad to hear this.

(Rewrite the sentence using the '-ing' form of the infinitive)

(b) Just as he was about to bring down his knife to slit its throat, the little kitten suddenly spoke.

(Rewrite using 'No sooner??than??' and rewrite the sentence)

(v) Why, do you think did the guru change his mind?

(vi) Pick the antonyms of the following from the passage:

(a) save

(b) held.

Answer:

(i) The guru saw himself as a cat in his next life.

(ii) The disciple would be able to recognise the right kitten as it would have a mark on its brow.

(iii) The disciple sharpened his knife and picked out the fourth little kitten as per his guru?s instructions.

(iv) (a) The disciple was sad on hearing this.

(b) No sooner was he about to bring down his knife to slit its throat than the kitten suddenly spoke.

(v) When born as a human being, the Guru must have felt that life as a human would be far superior than a creature. But once he took the birth of a cat he realised that life as an animal is far better. So he must have changed his mind.

(vi) (a) kill

(b) released.