CBSE Class 12 English Evans Tries An O Level Worksheet

Chapter Summary Evans Tries An O Class 12 English

Characters

1. James Roderick Evans: a prisoner
2. Secretary of the Examination Board: a higher official of the examination board
3. Governor: the governor of H.M. Prison, Oxford.
4. Mr. Jackson: a prison
5. Mr. Stephens: a prison officer
6. Reverend Stuart McLeery: an invigilator
7. Mr. Carter: a detective superintendent
8. Mr. Bell: a detective chief inspector

Theme

This story depicts a clash of wit between a criminal and the law enforcing authorities in which the prisoner Evans befools the jail authorities and manages to escape from the prison. If the government and law enforcing officials are vigilant, crime can be detected and criminals can be booked. But criminals like Evans can hoodwink the authorities and escape punishment as long as the officials are slow and lack alertness and wit. More Summary It is the month of early March. The secretary of the Examination Board receives a call from the Governor of the H.M. Prison, Oxford. He tells that a prisoner named Evans has started night classes in O Level German. Now he wants to attain some academic qualification. The Secretary replies that there is no need to worry. All the necessary forms and other requisite material will be sent. They will give him a chance. He enquires about Evans. The Governor tells him that Evans has no record of violence. Rather he is an amusing fellow. He is one of the stars at the Christmas concert. The Secretary asks him if they can arrange a room where Evans can sit in for the examination. The Governor tells that the room of Evans can be used for this purpose. The Secretary agrees and tells that they could get a parson from St. Mary Mags to invigilate. The Governor takes utmost care to see that he would not be fooled. Every care was taken to make Evans prepare for the exam. He was tutored by a German teacher for 6 months. The day before the exam the teacher wishes good luck but makes it clear that he had hardly any ‘chance of getting through.’ But Evans gives an ironical twist to the tutor’s observation by saying “I may surprise everybody.” On the day of the exam Jackson and Stephens visited Evan’s cell and took away everything that may help him injure himself. Evans was insisted to take away the hat but he refused saying that it was lucky charm. Evan’s cell was bugged so that the Governor could himself listen to each and every conversation in the cell. The invigilator Rev. S. Mc Leery too was searched and left him invigilator Rev. S. Mc Leery too was searched and left him to complete the task. Stephen sitting outside the cell every now and then peeped into the cell. The exam went on smoothly. Stephen escorted the invigilator to the main gate and looked into Evan’s cell and found the invigilator (actually Evans) wounded, informed the Governor. The latter was to be hospitalized but informed that he was alright and asked them to follow Evans. Thus he escaped the prison. When the invigilator was not found in the hospital they went to the residence of Rev. S. Mc Leery only to find him ’bound and gagged in his study in Broad Street”. He has been there, since 8.15 a.m. Now everything was clear to the Governor. Evan escaped the prison the fourth time. But by taking the hint from the question paper the Governor reached the hotel where Evans was staying. He captured him and came to know how he planned his escape. The Governor said that his game was over. Evans surrendered himself to the Governor. Evans was handcuffed and sent away with a prison officer in the prison van. But here again he befools the Governor. Both the prison officer and the prison van were part of the plan devised by Evan’s friends.
Once again he was a free bird.

GIST OF THE LESSON

• Evans a kleptomaniac was imprisoned thrice and all the time escaped from the prison. Now he was in the prison for the 4th time and all of a sudden developed curiosity to appear in O-level German Examination which also was an effort to break the prison.
• The Governor takes utmost care to see that he would not be fooled. Every care was taken to make Evans prepare for the exam.
• He was tutored by a German tutor for 6 months. The day before the exam the tutor wishes good luck but makes it clear that he had hardly any ‘chance of getting through.’ But Evans gives an ironical twist to the tutor’s observation by saying “I may surprise everybody.”
• On the day of the exam Jackson and Stephens visited Evans cell and took away everything that may help him injure himself. Evans was insisted to take away the hat but he refused saying that it was lucky charm.
• Evans cell was bugged so that the Governor could himself listen to each and every conversation in the cell. The invigilator Rev. S. McLeery too was searched and left him to complete the task. Stephen sitting outside the cell every now and then peeped into the cell.
• The exam went on smoothly. Stephen escorted the invigilator to the main gate and took a look into Evans cell and found the invigilator (actually Evans) wounded, informed the Governor. The latter was to be hospitalized but informed that he was alright and asked them to follow Evans. Thus he escaped the prison.
• When the invigilator was not found in the hospital they went to the residence of Rev. S. McLeery only to find him ’bound and gagged in his study in Broad Street”. He has been there, since 8.15 a.m. Now everything was clear to the Governor.
• Evan escaped the prison the 4th time. But by taking the hint from the question paper the Governor reached the hotel where Evans was and captured him and came to know how he planned his escape and said that his game was over. Evans surrenders himself to the Governor.
• The Governor tells Evan they would meet soon.
• The moment they are rid of the Governor, the so called prison officer-a friend of Evans unlocks the handcuffs and asks the driver to move fast and Evans tells him to turn to Newbury.

Question. How will you categorize ‘Evans Tries an O-Level’?
(a) The narration of Evans’ talent.
(b) A satire.
(c) Battle of wits between the criminal and the jail authorities.
(d) Tragic conflict between the criminal and the jail authorities.

Answer: C

Question. “God Almighty! There’s far more going on than I —” “Always will be, sir.”
What can be collected from the aforesaid conversation between the Governor and Evans?
(a) The Governor realized that he was likely to lose his job very soon.
(b) Evans proved that criminals are always one step ahead of the police.
(c) There were always schemes afoot unknown to prison authorities.
(d) The Governor’s confidence in his control over the prison stood shattered.

Answer: C

Question. Evans wanted to take an O-Level examination in ____________.
(a) French
(b) German
(c) Italian
(d) Spanish

Answer: B

Question. Why did Evans drape a blanket around his shoulder?
(a) To conceal his efforts of changing dress to look like McLeery.
(b) Because he was feeling cold.
(c) To hide himself from the police.
(d) All of these.

Answer: A

Question. A trope is a common device or theme used to describe situations or characters in a story.
Given below are some typical tropes found in a prison escape narrative.
Choose the option that is NOT a trope used in the story ‘Evans Tries an O-Level’.
(i) Prison Changes People - Spending time in prison can change one’s personality, for better or for worse.
(ii) Master of Disguise - When a character masquerades as someone else.
(iii) Wardens Are Evil - The prison is run by a ruthlessly corrupt administrator.
(iv) The Guards Must Be Crazy - Prison staff make it almost too easy for prisoners to escape.
(v) Breaking Out the Boss - Members of a gang bust their boss out of jail.
(vi) Passive Rescue - A character who rescues someone from prison without using aggression or violence to break them out.
(vii) Prison Escape Artist - A character who is known for escaping prison multiple times.
(a) Options (ii), (iii) and (vi)
(b) Options (i), (iii) and (v)
(c) Options (ii), (iv) and (v)
(d) Options (i), (iv) and (vi)

Answer: B

Question. What would the prison officers call Evans?
(a) Evans the Magician
(b) Evans the Shrewd
(c) Evans the Break
(d) Evans the Fool

Answer: C

Question. What information was given by the detective Superintendent to the Governor?
(a) McLeery had spotted Evans.
(b) Evans was seen near Elsfield way.
(c) They chased Evans but lost him.
(d) All of these.

Answer: D

Question. How did the Governor, Oxford Prison, describe Evans to the Secretary Examinations Board?
(a) He was very aggressive.
(b) He was violent.
(c) He was a congenital kleptomania.
(d) He was shrewd but was also a lazy fellow.

Answer: C

Extract Based MCQs

I. Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow: 
“They’re not — they don’t honestly think I’m goin’ to try to — ”
“They’re taking no chances, Evans. Nobody in his senses would take any chance with you.”
“Who’s goin’ to listen in?”
“I’ll tell you who’s going to listen in, laddy. It’s the Governor himself, see? He don’t trust you a bloody inch — and nor do I. I’ll be watching you like a hawk, Evans, so keep your nose clean. Clear?”
He walked towards the door. Evans nodded. He’d already thought of that and number two handkerchief was lying ready on the bunk — a neatly folded square of off-white linen.
“Just one more thing, Einstein.”
“Ya? Wha’s ‘at?”
“Good luck, old son.”

Question. In the given extract, “Einstein” is meant as a ___________.
(a) compliment
(b) misconception
(c) taunt
(d) provocation

Answer: C

Question. The above extract employs several idiomatic expressions. Which of the following is not an idiom?
(a) To not trust an inch
(b) To watch like a hawk
(c) To keep nose clean
(d) To be ready on the bunk

Answer: D

Question. Which of the following qualities of Jackson do NOT come through in the given extract?
(a) Soft-hearted
(b) Gullible
(c) Sceptical
(d) Authoritative

Answer: B

Question. “Nobody in his senses would take any chance with you”. Why not?
(a) Jackson did not like Evans and was keen to get rid of him.
(b) Evans had quite a reputation for escaping from prisons.
(c) Evans had been transferred to Oxford prison and needed care.
(d) The Governor was uneasy about Evans’ German O-Level exams.

Answer: B

II. “Perhaps you won’t be with us next September, Evans.”
James Roderick Evans appeared to ponder the Governor’s words deeply. “No. P’r’aps I won’t,” he said.
As the prison van turned right from Chipping Norton on to the Oxford road, the hitherto silent prison officer unlocked the handcuffs and leaned forward towards the driver, “For Christ’s sake get a move on! It won’t take ‘em long to find out —’
“Where do ye suggest we make for?” asked the driver, in a broad Scots accent.
“What about Newbury?” suggested Evans.

Question. Evans suggested Newbury because :
(a) the police had already been to Newbury and would not expect to find him there.
(b) he was being playful and wanted to crack another joke at the police’s expense.
(c) he wanted the thrill of another chase and the opportunity to outsmart authorities.
(d) he did not want to risk going to a new place, and opted for something more familiar.

Answer: A

Question. Silent : Loud :: Ponder : __________
(a) Meditate
(b) Repeat
(c) Exaggerate
(d) Overlook

Answer: D

Question. How would you describe Evans in the above extract?
(a) Solemn
(b) Cheeky
(c) Anxious
(d) Cheerful

Answer: B

Question. A ‘broad accent’ is that which is :
(a) applied widely, all over the world.
(b) recognised by broadcasters.
(c) associated with the traditional speech of the local people.
(d) developed over several years for the purposes of special communication.

Answer: C

III. “It’s a slightly unusual request, Governor, but I don’t see why we shouldn’t try to help. Just the one fellow, you say?”

Question. Why, according to the Governor, had Evans started taking classes in O-level German?
(a) To upgrade his academic qualification
(b) To pass time in the prison
(c) To become a translator
(d) To reform himself

Answer: A

Question. Why did Evans select German only for his O-level examination?
(a) He knew the German teacher.
(b) He loved the language.
(c) He was planning to shift to Germany.
(d) None of these.

Answer: A

Question. Who is ‘I’ here?
(a) Evans
(b) Oxford Prison Superintendent
(c) Governor
(d) Secretary of the Examinations Board

Answer: D

Question. Who made a slightly unusual request?
(a) Evans
(b) Governor
(c) Station Head Officer
(d) Commissioner of Police

Answer: B

IV. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll be sending you all the forms and stuff. What’s his name, you say?

Question. Which forms and stuff is the speaker talking about?
(a) To release the prisoner
(b) To confer a degree
(c) To appear for an exam
(d) To extend the course duration

Answer: C

Question. Which exam will he appear for in German?
(a) A-level
(b) E-level
(c) G-level
(d) O-level

Answer: D

Question. Who is the speaker here?
(a) Secretary of the Examination Board
(b) Governor of Oxford Prison
(c) James Roderic Evans
(d) None of these

Answer: A

Question. Whom is he talking to?
(a) Secretary of the Examination Board
(b) Governor of Oxford Prison
(c) James Roderic Evans
(d) None of these

Answer: B

V. “I said, “Good luck”. Good luck for tomorrow.” “Oh. Thanks, er, I mean, er, Danke Schon.” “You haven’t a cat in hell’s chance of getting through, of course, but — ” “I may surprise everybody.“

Question. What does ‘cat in a hell chance’ mean?
(a) Good
(b) Excellent
(c) Almost no
(d) Moderate

Answer: C

Question. What does the phrase “I may surprise everybody“ actually turn into?
(a) The prisoner escaped the prison.
(b) Student cleared the exam with flying colours.
(c) The student did not appear for the exam.
(d) The prisoner was shot while trying to escape.

Answer: A

Question. Who is wishing ‘Good Luck’?
(a) German student
(b) German teacher
(c) Prison Governor
(d) Examination Controller

Answer: B

Question. Who is being wished good luck?
(a) Evans
(b) Douglas
(c) Dr. Sadao
(d) McLeery

Answer: A

VI. “Can you come outside a minute, sir? You too, Stephens.”

Question. Who is the examinee?
(a) James Roderick Evans
(b) McLeery
(c) Jackson
(d) Stephens

Answer: A

Question. Other than Stephens, who is the other person who is asked to come out?
(a) Jackson
(b) Governor
(c) McLeery
(d) Evans

Answer: C

Question. Who speaks these words?
(a) Jackson
(b) McLeery
(c) Governor
(d) None of these

Answer: A

Question. Why has McLeery come to the prison?
(a) To carry out his duty as Examiner.
(b) To carry out his duty as Invigilator.
(c) To carry out his duty as Prison incharge.
(d) To carry out his duty as Governor.

Answer: B

VII. “Would you mind if I put a blanket round shoulders, sir? It’s a bit parky in ’ere, isn’t it?” Silence.

Question. What was the real motive of ‘I’ draping his shoulder with a blanket?
(a) To cut his hair
(b) To change his makeup
(c) To change into parson’s dress
(d) To change into student uniform

Answer: C

Question. Who was Stephens supposed to call in case of any change in the cell?
(a) Jackson
(b) Evans
(c) Governor
(d) McLeery

Answer: A

Question. Who wrote these lines?
(a) Susan Hill
(b) Colin Dexter
(c) Kamala Das
(d) Jack Finney

Answer: B

Question. Who are ‘I’ and ‘you‘ in the above lines?
(a) Evans and Jackson
(b) Evans and McLeery
(c) Jackson and Stephens
(d) Jackson and Evans

Answer: B

VIII. “And which one of you two morons was it who took Evans for a nice little walk to the main gates and waved him bye-bye?”

Question. Who was the one who had escorted Evans to the main gates?
(a) McLeery
(b) Jackson
(c) Stephens
(d) James Roderick

Answer: C

Question. Why is the speaker angry?
(a) Evans had cut his hair.
(b) Evans had cleared the exam.
(c) Evans had escaped from the prison.
(d) Evans had learnt German.

Answer: C

Question. Who speaks these words?
(a) Governor
(b) Stephens
(c) Jackson
(d) McLeery

Answer: A

Question. To whom are these words spoken to?
(a) McLeery and James Roderick
(b) Stephens and Jackson
(c) Stephens and James Roderick
(d) McLeery and Jackson

Answer: B

IX. “I don’t think there’s anyone — ” “Yes, there is. You’ll find one of your ambulances picked him up from Elsfield Way about — “

Question. Why was the ambulance called?
(a) To take Evans to the hospital
(b) To take Governor to the hospital
(c) To take Jackson to the hospital
(d) To take McLeery to the hospital

Answer: D

Question. Where did the person to be hospitalized go?
(a) Injured
(b) Escaped
(c) Died
(d) None of these

Answer: B

Question. Who is the speaker of the second line?
(a) Stephens
(b) Governor
(c) Superintendent
(d) McLeery

Answer: B

Question. Who is the speaker asking for?
(a) Stephens
(b) Jackson
(c) McLeery
(d) Evans

Answer: C

Short Answer Type Questions: l

Question. What kind of person was Evans ? Why did he want to sit for O-level German examination?
Answer: Evans was considered a pleasant sort of chap by the prison authorities. They called him ‘Evans the Break’ because of his prior attempts to escape from prison. He was a congenital kleptomaniac. Evans wanted to sit for the O-level German examination because he saw it as another opportunity to escape from the prison.

Question. Who was Carter? What did the Governor ask him to do? 
Answer: Carter was Detective Superintendent. The Governor asked him to take McLeery with him and follow Evans in the direction as told by McLeery.

Question. What did the Detective Superintendent inform the Governor about Evans?
Answer: Superintendent Carter informed the Governor that McLeery had spotted Evans driving off along Elsfield Way. They had got the number of the car all right. They had given a chase immediately, but they had lost him at the Headington roundabout. He assumed that Evans must have doubled back into the city.

Question. What were the content of the small brown suitcase that McLeery carried? 
Answer: The small brown suitcase, which Reverend McLeery carried, contained all that he would require for his morning duties, including a sealed question paper envelop, a yellow invigilation form, a special authentication card from the Examination Board, a paper knife, a Bible and a current copy of the Church Times.

Question. How did the Governor react to the two phone calls he received in quick succession?
Answer: The two phone calls the Governor received in quick succession made him suspect that the calls might be fake, that it might be some kind of signal or a secret message. To be completely sure, he dialed the Exam Board number. However, he heard beeps of an engaged line.

Question. Why did Evans not take off his hat when Jackson ordered him to do so? 
Answer: Evans did not take off his hat when Jackson ordered him to do so because according to Evans it was his lucky Charm. However in reality he wanted to hide his cropped hair so that he could pass off as McLeery. Also, keeping his hat on would hide his plan to escape.

Question. What clues did the answer sheet of Evans provide to the Governor?
Answer: The clues, which the Governor found in Evans’ answer sheet, were the index number 313 and centre number 271. This six figure reference helped the Governor to find Evans. In addition to this, the correction slip also carried a clue for Evans. ‘Zum golden Lo..wen; which means ‘The Golden Lion’ in English was actually the name of the hotel where Evans was supposed to go to after escaping from jail.

Question. Describe the precautions taken by the prison authorities for a smooth conduct of Evans’ examination.
Answer: Fearing that Evans might escape, the exam was conducted in Evans’ prison cell itself. It was installed with a microphone so that the Governor could listen to every talk. The cell was fully checked by the staff who took away anything that could pose a threat. Moreover, the staff was put on high alert, doors and gates were locked. Prison officers Stephens was to peep into Evans’ cell after every few minutes. The parson who came to invigilate, was frisked at the prison gate and his briefcase was checked thoroughly.

Question. It was sheer negligence on the part of the prison staff that helped Evans to escape. Comment.
Answer: Even after taking various drastic precautions, for the smooth conduct of the exam, Evans fools the Governor and the prison authority in every step of the way. Stephens notices that Evans is wearing a hat but does not ask him to remove it. The hat concealed Evans’ cropped hair. Similarly, the prison staff do not check McLeery’s identity or verify the phone call or recognise Evans impersonating McLeery. All this helps him to escape prison easily. Later, though the Governor is able to catch him red-handed, at the capital, Evans escapes once again, this time audaciously in the prison van. Therefore, it proves that it is sheer negligence on the part of the prison staff that helps Evans to escape.

Question. How did the Governor, Oxford Prison describe Evans to the Secretary, Examination Board ?
Answer: The Governor gave quite a satisfactory report about Evans to the Secretary of the Board. It was stated that Evans had no record of violence and that he was quite a ‘pleasant sort of chap’. He also said that Evans was one of the stars at the Christmas concert. However, he suffered from a weakness, he was just a congenital kleptomaniac.

Question. What kind of person was Evans ? Why did he want to sit for O-level German examination?
Answer: Evans was considered a pleasant sort of chap by the prison authorities. They called him ‘Evans the Break’ because of his prior attempts to escape from prison. He was a congenital kleptomaniac. Evans wanted to sit for the O-level German examination because he saw it as another opportunity to escape from the prison.

Question. What could the Governor have done to securely bring Evans back to the prison from the ‘Golden Lion’?
Answer: To bring Evans back securely to the prison from the Golden Lion, the Governor could have brought the police force with him from the prison itself. Alternatively, he could have travelled in the van himself with Evans to take him to the prison. The Governor should have been more vigilant and checked the credentials of the officials escorting him to the prison.

Short Answer Type Questions: ll

Question. How did the Governor, Oxford Prison describe Evans to the Secretary, Examination Board ?
Answer: The Governor gave quite a satisfactory report about Evans to the Secretary of the Board. It was stated that Evans had no record of violence and that he was quite a ‘pleasant sort of chap’. He also said that Evans was one of the stars at the Christmas concert. However, he suffered from a weakness, he was just a congenital kleptomaniac.

Question. What was his German teacher’s opinion of Evans’ proficiency in German?
Answer: According to Evans’ German teacher, his language ability was not quite up to the mark, in fact, it is doubtful. Evans could not even understand basic pleasantries in German.

Question. Why did ‘Rev. McLeery’ bring a rubber ring with him to the prison? 
Answer: Rev. McLeery brought a rubber ring with him to the prison for an important reason. Although he told the prison guards that the ring was for him to sit on (due to his piles), the ring contained pig blood, which would eventually help Evans to escape from the prison. Since, there was no other way to carry the blood into the examination room, it was carried in the rubber ring.

Question. How did Evans have the last laugh at the Governor? 
Answer: Evans already had a well thought out plan B in case his initial plan failed. When the Governor recaptured Evans and handed him over to the silent prison officer, the Governor was unaware that the officer as well as the driver of prison van were actually Evans’ accomplices. As Evans finally escaped, he had the last laugh at the Governor.

Question. Jackson went through the contents of Rev. McLeery’s suitcase. Which object therein puzzled him sorely? What was his comment on that? 
Answer: While Jackson went through the contents of Rev. McLeery’s suitcase, the object, which puzzled him the most was the semi-inflated rubber tube. Seeing the rubber tube there Jackson asked the Reverend whether he was thinking of going for a swim.

Question. What could the Governor have done to securely bring Evans back to the prison from the ‘Golden Lion’?
Answer: To bring Evans back securely to the prison from the Golden Lion, the Governor could have brought the police force with him from the prison itself. Alternatively, he could have travelled in the van himself with Evans to take him to the prison. The Governor should have been more vigilant and checked the credentials of the officials escorting him to the prison. 

Question. What were the contents of the small brown suitcase that McLeery carried? 
Answer: McLeery’s small brown suitcase contained a sealed question-paper envelope, a yellow invigilation form, a special ‘authentication’ card from the examination board, a paper knife, a Bible and a semi–inflated rubber tube.

Question. How did the Governor find out where Evans was? 2
Answer: The Governor came to know where Evans was when he read the note in German on the question paper, about index and centre number.

Question. It was important that the recaptured Evans keep up the facade till the very last moment of his interaction with the Governor. Support this statement with a rationale.
Answer: Evans already had a well thought out plan B in case his initial plan failed. When the Governor recaptured Evans, it was important for Evans to show that his initial plan has failed and he was feeling trapped.
This ensured the Governor that he was in his clutches and the Governor became a bit casual. This casualness made the Governor hand him over to the silent prison officer. The Governor was unaware that the officer as well as the driver of prison van were actually Evans’s accomplices. As Evans finally escaped, he had the last laugh at the Governor.

Question. Which important call did the Governor receive when the examination was going on? 
Answer: The important call that the Governor received was from the Exam Department. The person said that there were some corrections in the question paper and told the Governor about the said corrections. Besides, the caller also asked for the time when the exam started.

Question. Why did the prison officers call Evans, ‘Evans the Break’? 
Answer: Evans was also known as ‘Evans the Break’, as he had run away thrice from the jail. He was considered a pleasant sort of a chap by the prison authorities. He was good at imitations but was a congenital kleptomaniac.
He wanted to sit for examination so as to use the opportunity to escape from the prison.

Question. How does Evans escape from jail? 
Answer: Evans decided to appear for the O–level German Examination. When the examination was conducted, one of his accomplices came as the invigilator, McLeery. After the exam, Evans walked out a free man disguised as the examiner McLeery.

Question. What was his German teacher’s opinion of Evans proficiency in German?
Answer: The German teacher did not have a good opinion about Evans’s proficiency in German. He was doubtful about whether he would pass the exam as Evans could not understand even the basic pleasantries in German. So, the teacher was doubtful of Evans’s language ability.

Question. What could the Governor have done to securely bring Evans back to the prison from the ‘Golden Lion’? 
Answer: The Governor, instead of sending Evans with other officers in some other car, could have got Evans back with himself in his own car or should have sat in the van in which Evans was supposed to go. This way, he could have known that the people in the van were not his men but Evans’s accomplices.

Question. Why was Evans not ready to remove his hat?
OR
Why did Evans not take off his hat when Jackson ordered him to do so?
Answer: Evans did not take off his hat when Jackson ordered him to do so because he had a plan in his mind. Evans had long wavy hair. He had decided to crop them short so as to impersonate McLeery. But this would have been evident if he had taken off his bobble hat. So, he took permission from Jackson to keep his hat on while appearing for the exam on the pretext that it was his lucky charm.

Question. Which article in McLeery’s suitcase played perhaps the most significant role in Evans’s escape and how?
Answer: Evan was a habitual jail-breaker, who outwitted everyone and escaped from the prison in the spite of all the precautions. From the very beginning, when the German teacher entered the prison to the last encounter with the Governor in the hotel, the latter outsmarted everybody. The question paper for the examination served to send a message to Evans. McLeery drew the Governor’s attention to the photocopied sheet super imposed over the last sheet of the question paper. It contained a message for Evans.He had been asked to follow the escape plan. The most important point in time, according to the message was three minutes before the end of the examination. The Governor was unable to decipher the next line of the German text. Then, he was asked to hit McLeery and not to overdo the Scott’s accent. The correction slips also played a crucial role.
At first, they hadn’t been able to fix a hotel. The slips gave Evans the name of the hotel where he was to stay.

Question. Which important call did the Governor receive when the examination was going on?
Answer: When the examination was going on, the Governor received two important phone calls. The first call was from the University regarding a correction slip, which was not sent with the question paper. The second call was supposedly from the magistrate’s office requesting for a van and two prison officers.

​​​​​​​Long Answer Type Questions: 

Question. Describe the precautions taken by the prison officers to prevent Evans from escaping.
Answer: During Evans’ O-Level German test, special precautions were taken by the prison staff to prevent him from escaping. The test was scheduled to be taken in his own cell. A parson from St. Mary Mags was called to invigilate and to keep the prisoner incommunicado during the exam. Evans was placed in the heavily guarded Recreational Block. There were two locked doors between his cell and the yard, which boasted of a high wall. Moreover, all the prison officers were on high alert. The Governor got a microphone installed in Evans’ cell, while Stephens kept peeping into the cell every few minutes. Two prison officers, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Stephens, thoroughly checked his cell for any sign of possible escape. His razor, nail filer and nail scissors were also taken away.

Question. Give a detailed account of the preparations made by the Governor for Evans James to write his examination.
OR
What precautions were taken by the prison authorities for the smooth conduct of examination?
Answer: Evans, the prisoner was famous as ‘‘Evans the Breaker’’. So, the prison officers were quite alert while conducting the O’ level exam and took all the precautions to prevent him from escaping. First of all, it was requested that the board should conduct the exam in the cell itself and the request was accepted. Two prison officers, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Stephens, were appointed to make all necessary arrangements. They took away his razor as well as nail-scissors so that he could not use them for any type of injuries to McLeery, the invigilator. The cell was searched for two hours and every objectionable thing was removed. Heavy security arrangements were made in the cell. Stephens was given the charge of staying there all the time to keep an eye on Evans and also to leave McLeery at the gate when the exam was over. The Governor was all the time in touch with the officers so as to thwart any untoward incident. Hence, it was a foolproof plan on the part of the prison officials. Even then, Evans had the last laugh and escaped from the prison.

Question. Describe three tricks used by Evans to escape from the prison.
Answer: Evans, the habitual jail-breaker outwits everyone and in spite of all the precautions taken by the Governor, he is able to escape from the prison. From the very beginning, when the German teacher enters the prison to the last encounter between the Governor and Evans in the hotel, the latter outsmarts them at each stage and proves that they are no match for his crafty scheming. Evans carries out all his plans ‘right under their noses’, turning the tables on them, making the prison authorities appear as ‘good for nothing’ officers.
For example, he knew that Mr. Jackson who used a rough tone had some compassion in him. He granted Evans’s request to keep the filthy looking red and white bobble hat on his head during the examination. The hat was actually to hide his recently cropped hair. Also, he knew that prison officers will blindly go by assumption. He pretended to pose as ‘injured’ McLeery in the cell. No one checked the identity of ‘injured’ McLeery as it was assumed that Evans had hit McLeery and escaped.
In fact, Evans is actually, officially escorted out of jail by the prison official themselves. Finally at the hotel, when the Governor feels that he has been able to nab Evans, he dodges him and slips away.

Question. Write a character sketch of the Governor of Oxford Prison based on the story, ‘Evans Tries an O-Level’.
Answer:The Governor of the HM Prison, Oxford, appears to be a kind-hearted fellow at the start as he arranges for an O-level exam for a prisoner renowned for his ability to escape. He was, though, quite sceptical of Evans and made every arrangement to make sure that Evans had no means to escape. He was also very proud and self-conscious. He did not want Evans to disgrace him by escaping from his prison. He had a sharp presence of mind, which was clear from the fact that he cross- checked every call that was made to the prison that day. He planned the exam meticulously. He was smart enough to decode the message in the correction slip. However, he got over-confident of his arrangements and gave Evans the opportunity to escape. Also, he was a person who did not mind showering praise plan to him, he admired him. At last, he proved to be just another good for giggle, gullible Governor when Evans tricked him again and successfully escaped. His overconfidence and selfpraise let him down.

Question. What purpose did the question paper and the correction slip serve? How did they help both the criminals and the Governor? 
Answer: The question paper serves to send a message to Evans.McLeery draws the Governor’s attention to the photocopied sheet superimposed over the last sheet of the question paper. It contains a message for Evans. He has been asked to follow the plan. The most important point in time, according to the message is three minutes before the end of the examination. The Governor is unable to decipher the next line of the German text. Then, Evans has been asked not to hit McLeery too hard and not to overdo the Scots accent.
The correction slip plays a crucial role in the plan of Evans’s escape. It kills two birds with one stone. At first, they had not been able to fix up a hotel. The correction slip gives Evans the name of the hotel where he is to stay.
Secondly, it gives them the opportunity to know the time when the examination started.

Question. How did the mistakes committed by the prison authorities help Evans in escaping from the prison?
Answer: In spite of all the precautions taken by the Governor and his staff, they failed to foil Evans’s bid to escape because of certain lapses on their part. First of all, they called a teacher from the technical college to act as Evans’s German tutor, but never cared to check on him. Then, they engaged Reverend S. McLeery to invigilate, but never cared to check on him when he came to discharge his duties. When Stephens raised an alarm, they blindly went by his assumption that Evans impersonating as McLeery had walked out of the prison
after injuring McLeery. They did not even bother to check the identity of the injured McLeery. Then, McLeery gave them the slip and disappeared. Belatedly, they discovered that it was Evans impersonating McLeery who had stayed in. Finally, following the clues, the Governor nabs Evans at the Golden Lion Hotel. Here again, he acted foolishly. He rang up the local police station and asked them to send a police van which successfully took Evans away right from under his nose as no security check of the van was done.

Question. How was the ‘injured’ McLeery able to befool the prison officers? 
Answer: All precautions had been taken for the smooth conduct of the O-level German examination. No one wanted to take chances with ‘Evans the Breaker’. He had already escaped from prison three times. The Governor had to make an unusual request to the Board to conduct the examination in the cell itself. One of the persons from St. Mary Mag was to invigilate. The senior prison officer Jackson and prison officer Stephens left no stone un turned to make all the necessary arrangements. Evans’s razor and nail scissors were taken away as they could be used for cutting his throat or injuring McLeery. Jackson took two hours to search his cell and reported that nothing was hidden there. But Evans disturbed all his plans. He managed to procure a false beard, a pair of spectacles, a dog collar and some sort of weapon in his cell through the false McLeery. Actually, he had managed to keep the real McLeery securely bound and gagged in his study at Board Street. He had been there since 8:15 a.m. This meant that McLeery never went to prison. Secondly, it was Evans who impersonated McLeery and stayed in the cell. Stephens made a hasty conclusion that the injured man in the chair was McLeery. The last act of folly on the part of the Governor was enough to let Evans slip out of his net. Thus, this was how the ‘injured’ McLeery was able to befool the prison officers and Evans was able to escape.

Question. It was sheer negligence on the part of the prison staff that helped Evans to escape. Comment. 
Answer: Even after taking various drastic precautions, for the smooth conduct of the exam, Evans fools the Governor and the prison authority in every step of the way. Stephens notices that Evans is wearing a hat but does not ask him to remove it. The hat concealed Evans’ cropped hair. Similarly, the prison staff do not check McLeery’s identity or verify the phone call or recognise Evans impersonating McLeery. All this helps him to escape prison easily. Later, though the Governor is able to catch him red-handed, at the capital, Evans escapes once again, this time audaciously in the prison van. Therefore, it proves that it is sheer negligence on the part of the prison staff that helps Evans to escape.

Question. Give a character-sketch of the Governor of Oxford Prison based on your understanding of the story, ‘Evans Tries an O-Level’.
Answer: The Governor of the Oxford prison was a kind-hearted man, who requested the Secretary of the Examination board to allow Evans to appear for the O-level German Examination. He also seemed smart and efficient fellow, who, knowing that Evans had a tendency to escape prison, took every precaution to prevent that from happening. Yet, by the end of the story, he turned out to be a gullible man with qualities, which are ‘good-for-agiggle’. Never once he doubted Evans’ intentions of appearing for the test even though his German was very bad.
The Governor’s men made sure that Evans was not left with anything sharp and informed him that the Governor himself would be listening to each and every conversation going on in the cell. In spite of that neither the Governor nor his men were able to stop Evans from escaping. In the end the Governor was able to catch hold of Evans because of his smart thinking and commendable investigating skills. However, his habit of leaving things on others caused Evans to escape his clutches yet again. Therefore, it is suffice to say that the Governor was alert on some occasions, but on others, quite negligent and over-confident man, with a bad judgment of character. It is for this reason, Evans was able to escape from his prison multiple times.

Question. How did the question paper and correction slip help the prisoner and the Governor?
Answer: The Governor received a call from the Assistant Secretary of the Examination Board saying that there was a correction slip, which was not attached to the question paper. He requested the Governor if he could read out the correction to Evans. The correction was ‘zum goldenen Lowen’. In reality, it was an indication informing Evans where he was supposed to go after escaping from jail. Although, the Governor did not suspect anything, the correction slip helped Evans to know the name of the hotel and its location. Later, when the Governor learned about Evans’ escape, Rev. McLeery (Evans in reality) showed him the question paper at the back of which, instructions were given to help Evans escape. These instructions were meant to misguide the jail authorities. However, the Governor was able to put together the index and centre numbers.
With the six digit reference and the help of a survey map, the Governor came to know Evans had escaped to Chipping Norton. Now, the Governor could work out a plan to arrest Evans.

Question. How was ‘injured’ McLeery able to befool the prison officers?
Answer: An ‘injured’ McLeery was able to fool the prison officers easily because he was actually Evans dressed as parson, pretending to be Rev. McLeery. Evans was nicknamed ‘Evans the Break’ because earlier he had been able to escape prison thrice already. This time, he requested to appear for O-Level German Exam. The one who came to invigilate carried pig blood in a rubber tube. With the help of fake blood McLeery pretended to be bleeding profusely. He pretended to cover his ‘bleeding wound’ with a handkerchief. This was an opportunity for him to hide his face and since he was in so much pain be could not speak. To avoid being taken to the hospital, Evans (as McLeery) offered to help the officers track ‘Evans’, whom they thought had escaped. He even told them that ‘Evans’ had gone towards Elsfield Way. The Governor ordered McLeery to accompany Carter since he was the only one who knew everything that had happened. Thus, Evans (as McLeery) managed to leave the premises with Detective Superintendent Carter without anyone suspecting anything. An unsuspecting Detective Superintendent Carter dropped ‘McLeery’ at the Radcliffe hospital. However, when the Governor called the hospital, he was told that the injured McLeery had escaped.