CBSE Class 12 English The Enemy Pearl (S. Buck) VBQs

Question. ‘She did not wish to be left alone with the white man.’ Why did Hana feel so, despite having studied in America?
This was so because
a) being Japanese, it wasn’t appropriate to stay on with a stranger.
b) America and Japan were not allies in the ongoing World War.
c) He was someone she’d recognised from her past in America.
d) her husband had cautioned her against the American.

Answer : B

Question. “Those scars,” she murmured, lifting her eyes to Sadao.
The ‘scars’ DO NOT indicate
a) torture perpetrated on prisoners of war.
b) superiority of Japan over America.
c) the quest for supremacy in war.
d) the rumours of torture often heard.

Answer : B

Question. Pick the quote that best describes the theme of the story.
(a) World belongs to humanity, not this leader, that leader or that king or prince or religious leader. World belongs to humanity.
(b) You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirt.
(c) The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.
(d) To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.

Answer : C

Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:

The man moaned with pain in his stupor but he did not awaken.
“The best thing that we could do would be to put him back in the sea,” Sadao said, answering himself. Now that the bleeding was stopped for the moment he stood up and dusted the sand from his hands.
“Yes, undoubtedly that would be best,” Hana said steadily. But she continued to stare down at the motionless man.
“If we sheltered a white man in our house we should be arrested and if we turned him over as a prisoner, he would certainly die,” Sadao said.
“The kindest thing would be to put him back into the sea,” Hana said. But neither of them moved. They were staring with curious repulsion upon the inert figure.

Question. Pick the option that best describes Sadao and Hana in the passage.
a) Sadao: scrupulous Hana: wary
b) Sadao: daring Hana: prudent
c) Sadao: prudent Hana: suspicious
d) Sadao: wary Hana: daring

Answer : C

Question. Pick the idiom that best describes the situation in which Sadao and Hana were in.
a) to be like a fish out of water
b) like water off a duck’s back
c) to be dead in the water
d) to be in hot water

Answer : D

Question. In which of the following options can the underlined words NOT be replaced with ‘stupor’?
a) She hung up the phone feeling as though she had woken up from a slumber.
b) The manager complained about the employee’s sluggishness.
c) He seemed to be in a trance when the doctor called upon him last week.
d) Seeing him in a daze, the lawyer decided not to place him in the witness box.

Answer : B

Question. Choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below.
Statement 1: Sadao and Hana cared about the soldier but were worried about the consequences of being considerate.
Statement 2: Sadao and Hana wanted to shirk their responsibilities of looking after an injured soldier, who could be an American.
a) Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false.
b) Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true.
c) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are true.
d) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are false.

Answer : A

Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:

“I wondered, Your Excellency,” Sadao murmured.
“It was certainly very careless of me,” the General said. “But you understand it was not lack of patriotism or dereliction of duty.” He looked anxiously at his doctor. “If the matter should come out you would understand that, wouldn’t you?”
“Certainly, Your Excellency,” Sadao said. He suddenly comprehended that the General was in the palm of his hand and that as a consequence he himself was perfectly safe. “I swear to your loyalty. Excellency,” he said to the old General, “and to your zeal against the enemy.”

Question. Pick the option that best describes the word ‘dereliction’ as used in the passage.
1. evasion
2. deterioration
3. negligence
4. carelessness
5. dilapidation
6. management
a) 2, 3 and 6
b) 1, 4 and 5
c) 2, 4 and 6
d) 1, 3 and 4

Answer : D

Question. Pick the option that best matches the idioms with ‘hand’ with their meanings.
Idioms                                              Meanings
1. hand in glove                                A) in the care of somebody good and knowledgeable
2. in good hands                               B) to reveal a secret about one’s plans
3. tip one’s hand                               C) do harm to someone who has been kind to you
4. bite the hand that feeds you        D) two or more people who are in collusion
a) 1-A; 2-D; 3-C; 4-B
b) 1-B; 2-C; 3-D; 4-A
c) 1-D; 2-A; 3-B; 4-C
d) 1-C; 2-A; 3-D; 4-B

Answer : C

Question. At the end of the conversation with the General, Sadao felt
a) rejuvenated and guilt-free.
b) conceited and egotistic.
c) refreshed and self-conscious.
d) relieved and guilt-free.

Answer : D

Question. Read the analysis of the General based on the given extract. Choose the option that fills in the given blanks most appropriately:
The General (i) _____________ power but is (ii) ___________ of the obligations of his job. He is so (iii) _____________ with his health that he forgets to send the assassins to kill the prisoner. Due to his (iv) ____________ interests, he doesn’t want to expose Sadao and agrees to keep the prisoner’s escape a secret.
a) (i) fantasizes; (ii) lonely ; (iii) consumed ; (iv) vested
b) (i) relishes; (ii) weary; (iii) self-absorbed ; (iv) selfish
c) (i) fancies; (ii) apathetic ; (iii) negligent ; (iv) worthless
d) (i) desires; (ii) concerned ; (iii) indisposed ; (iv) narrow

Answer : B

Question. Why did the surgeon speak sharply to his wife?
(a) to get things he needed
(b) to get her help in treating the wounded man
(c) to stop any disturbance that could lead to harm the wounded man.
(d) None of the above
Answer. C

Question. What kind of person was Sadao’s father ?
(a) a serious
(b) a jollygood man
(c) very strict
(d) a true patriot and traditional person
Answer. D

Question. Why did Sadao marry a Japanese girl only?
(a) because he liked Japanese
(b) he didn’t like any other nationality
(c) because of his father’s fear
(d) because he didn’t want to upset his father
Answer. D

Question. What does the narrator speak about in the beginning of the chapter?
(a) the war
(b) the General
(c) Dr. Sadao’s childhood and his father
(d) the servants and Dr. Sadao ‘s wife
Answer. C

Question. Why did Hana wash the wounded man herself?
(a) because of her servants
(b) because her servants ran away
(c) because her servants refused to help an American enemy soldier
(d) because she pitied the American enemy soldier
Answer. C

Question. Why did the servants leave Doctor’s House?
(a) because he was wounded
(b) because he was dirty
(c) because there was an American Soldier and they didn’t like him
(d) because he didn’t pay them
Answer. C

Question. Why was Dr. Sadao not sent to the battlefield?
(a) because he had no interest
(b) he didn’t love his country
(c) he was supposed to offer his services to the General who was in pain
(d) All of the above
Answer. C

Question. Why did the messenger come to the doctor?
(a) to meet him
(b) for checkup
(c) to inform about the General’s pain
(d) All of the above
Answer. C

Question. Seeing the messenger, what was Hana’s reaction?
(a) She got frightened
(b) She thought he has come to arrest her husband
(c) General’s man
(d) All of the above
Answer. D

Question. What kind of person was the General?
(a) a kind hearted
(b) a wise man
(c) a selfish man
(d) None of these
Answer. C

Question. Why did the General not pass orders to arrest Dr. Sadao for giving space to a whiteman?
(a) because he trusted him
(b) because he needed him
(c) General was not in good health and needed his services
(d) None of the above
Answer. C

Question. Why did General spare the White American soldier?
(a) to spare his own life
(b) he himself was in pain
(c) needed Dr. Sadao’s help
(d) All of the above
Answer. D

Question. What conflicting ideas disturb Dr. Sadao’s mind after he brought American soldier?
(a) duty of a doctor and loyalty towards nation
(b) his wife’s health and general’s health
(c) patient’s health and servants behaviour
(d) servants’ behaviour and duty of a doctor
Answer. A

Question. What was General’s plan for American soldier?
(a) he wanted him to reach safely
(b) will inform his country
(c) will get him assassinated by some private assassins
(d) None of the above
Answer. C

Question. How did Dr. Sadao get rid of the American soldier?
(a) by giving him instructions
(b) by giving him flashlight to use in times of distress
(c) by asking him to row to the island
(d) All of the above
Answer. D

Question. What did Doctor give to the soldier?
(a) his boat
(b) food to eat
(c) flashlight to use in distress
(d) All of the above
Answer. D

Question. How did Doctor ensure that the American Soldier had left safely?
(a) by escorting him
(b) by seeing no signal of flashlight
(c) by giving him a call
(d) None of the above
Answer. B

Question. Why did Doctor feel alone at the beach?
(a) for not bringing his wife with him
(b) for not listening to General
(c) for saving an American soldier’s life
(d) None of the above
Answer. C

Question. What does Dr. Sadao remember towards the end of the story?
(a) five American faces
(b) the professor at whose house he had met Hana
(c) his first landlady, who was full of prejudice,yet saved his life when he was suffering from influenza
(d) All of the above
Answer. D

Question. What were the dominant traits of Dr. Sadao’s personality?
(a) expertise in his profession and compassion as a human
(b) obstinate
(c) patriot
(d) rude
Answer. A

Question. What idea do you form of Dr. Sadao after reading the lesson?
(a) an excellent doctor
(b) a compassionate human being
(c) Sincere and responsible citizen
(d) All of the above
Answer. D

Question. At the age of _____ Dr. Sadao went to America.
(a) 22
(b) 32
(c) 12
(d) 42
Answer. A

Question. At the age of ______ Dr. Sadao came back to Japan.
(a) 20
(b) 40
(c) 50
(d) 30
Answer. A

Question. Dr. Sadao has _____ children.
(a) 4
(b) 5
(c) 3
(d) 2
Answer. D

Question. Dr. Sadao meet Hana in ______.
(a) Japan
(b) New York
(c) Paris
(d) America
Answer. D

Question. The young prisoner was asked to flash the light_____ if food ran out.
(a) twice
(b) thrice
(c) once
(d) not at all
Answer. A

Find the correct statement in the following:

Question.
(i) Dr. Sadao Hoki’s clinic was built ---- on a spot of the Japanese coast.
(ii) Sadao knew that his education---- was his father’s chief concern.
(iii) He was very light, like an ant --- that had been half starved for a long time.
(iv) The servants will come back as soon as the --- foreigner arrives.
Answer. B

Question.
(i) The young French, without a word, ----- shook Sadao’s hand warmly.
(ii) The Americans were full of prejudice ---- and it had been bitter to live in it.
(iii) There was lot of ---- light in the dusk.
(iv) Outside the door ----- Hana was waiting for Yumi.
Answer. B

Rearrange the sentences in the correct sequence and choose the correct option :

Question. (i) Thus agreed, together they lifted the man.
(ii) He ran quickly down the steps and behind him Hana came, her wide sleeves flying.
(iii) At once Yumi left the room.
(iv) Clouds were rising from the ocean now.
Options:
(a) (ii)-(iv)-(i)-(iii)
(b) (iii)-(i)-(ii)-(iv)
(c) (iv)-(ii)-(i)-(iii)
(d) (ii)-(iv)-(iii)-(i)
Answer. C

Question. (i) Hana went to the wall cupboards and slid back a door and took out a soft quilt.
(ii) His father would never have received her unless she had been pure in her race.
(iii) He was taking out the packing now, and the blood began to flow more quickly.
(iv) It was at this moment that both of them saw something black come out of the mists.
Options:
(a) (ii)-(iv)-(i)-(iii)
(b) (iii)-(i)-(ii)-(iv)
(c) (iv)-(ii)-(i)-(iii)
(d) (ii)-(i)-(iv)-(iii)
Answer. A

More Important Questions For CBSE Class 12 English VBQs The Enemy Pearl (S. Buck)

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. Will Hana help the wounded man and wash him herself?
Answer : The wounded American was in a very bad state and needed to be washed before being operated on. She did not want Dr. Sadao to clean the dirty and unconscious prisoner, and so asked their servant, Yumi, to do so. However, Yum, refused to clean the wounded soldier. As a result, she had no other option but to wash him herself. Although this act was impulsive and dipped in a sense of superiority over her servant Yumi, yet she did it with sincerity.

Question. What explains the attitude of the General in the matter of the enemy soldier?
Was it human consideration, lack of national loyalty, dereliction of duty or simply self absorption?
Answer : The General was totally governed by self absorption. He was a patient of Dr. Sadao and did not trust anyone except him when it came to his health. He could not risk executing the doctor for treachery at the expense of his health. He conspired to kill the soldier by private assassins to ensure his own interest and safety. His soft attitude towards Dr. Sadao was absolutely a gesture of selfish interest which overcame human consideration and lacked national loyalty.

Question. Why was Dr. Sadao not sent with the troops?
Answer : The General thought that Dr. Sadao was indispensable to his life and could save anyone as he was very skilled. He did not trust anyone except Dr. Sadao. So he was not sent with troops.

Question. What will Dr. Sadao and his wife do with the man?
Answer : Dr. Sadao and his wife found an unconscious wounded war prisoner who posed a huge threat to their own safety. However, he decided to stand by human ethics and operated on him. He saved his life even though it was for the time being. Though half heartedly, both took good care of the patient's health and other needs His wife even washed and fed him with her own hands. Although they knew that they would have to hand him over to the army sooner or later, they did their best to help the injured man.

Question. Do you think the doctor's final solution to the problem was the bet possible one in the circumstances?
Answer : The doctor tried his best to save the injured soldier as a part of his duty. The ultimate question was that to do next. It could not be said that he betrayed his country as he told the truth to the General. However, when he noticed that the soldier was to be killed not for the benefit of the country but only to save the doctor's life, he decided to help him flee. In such a situation, the doctor's final solution to the problem was the best possible one.

Question. Will Dr. Sadao be arrested on the charge of harboring an enemy ?
Answer : Dr. Sadao, tended a wounded war prisoner which was a serious crime. However he did not get punished for this offense as it was never revealed to anyone, except his wife, loyal but timid servants, and the General who was too self-obsessed with his own treatment assured him that he would never let the doctor leave him.

Question. Why did the servants leave Dr. Sadao’s house?
Answer : They were not in favour of keeping the American prisoner hidden in the house. They also did not want Dr. Sadao to save his life as he was the enemy. Also, if the police had come to know of it, all their lives would have been in danger. So they left the house.

Question. How was the plan of the prisoner’s escape executed in the story?
Answer : The prisoner was successful in his escape only because of the right guidance and help from Dr. Sadao. He provided him his boat, gave him food, made him wear Japanese cloths and also helped him in comfortable sail to a nearby island.

Question. Who was the wounded white man?
Answer : The white man was an American soldier as evident from his clothes. They guessed that he was a prisoner of war because his cap wore the letters ‘US Navy’.

Question. Why did the General overlook the matter of the enemy soldier?
Answer : The General had an attack and according to Dr. Sadao he could not survive the second attack. So if Dr. Sadao was arrested, no other doctor was capable of performing the operation. So for furthering his selfish needs he overlooked the matter and promised to send his assassins. But he was so self-absorbed, he forgot about it.

Question. How would you explain the reluctance of the soldier to leave the shelter of the doctor's home even when he knew he couldn't stay there without risk to the doctor and himself?
Answer : When the American war prisoner came to consciousness and realized that he was saved by a Japanese family, he feared that he would be soon handed over to the army. However, as he realized the hospitality and care given to him by the family, he understood that he was in safe hands. He knew that although he was a threat to the doctor's family but his own life might be saved there. Burdened with gratitude towards the family, he ultimately decided to comply with what the doctor planned for him for his escape.

Question. Who was Dr. Sadao? Where was his house?
Answer : Dr. Sadao was famous surgeon and a scientist of Japan. He was a sympa-thetic man who remained loyal to his profession even in adverse situations. He lived in his ancestral square stone house built upon rocks of a narrow beach at a coast of Japan

Question. But Sadao searching the spot of black in the twilight sea that night, had his reward’’. What was the reward?
Answer : The Reward was the escape of the young boy- a US prisoner of war. Dr. Sadao searched the spot of black in the twilight sea that night to see if the man was still there but there was no light. Obviously the man had gone. The escape of his patient, the enemy, was his reward.

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. What will Dr. Sadao do to get rid of the man?
Answer : As the injured American war prisoner gradually recovered his health Dr. Sadao and his wife were in a state of dilemma as to what should be done with him. Their loyal servants had left them and sheltering the war prisoner in their house could pose a threat to their lives. As his wife's impatience and distress grew he revealed the matter to the General who decided to send assassins to kill the young American while sleeping. The American war prisoner survived because the assassins did not come to kill the war prisoner. He decided to save his patient once again. He secretly sent him to an isolated island with food, bottled water, clothes, blanket and his own flashlight on a boat from where he boarded a Korean ship to freedom and safety.

Question. Dr. Sadao was compelled by duty as a doctor to help the enemy soldier. What made Hana, his wife, sympathetic to him in the face of open defiance from the domestic staff?
Answer : Dr. Sadao and his wife Hana knew that their decision to save the enemy soldier would be questioned by everyone. However, they firmly followed their sense of duty. For him, this sense of duty came from the profession he was in; but for her, the duty was purely humanitarian. Despite getting no cooperation from her domestic staff, she did all the house-hold work herself with grace and dignity. Her loving, considerate and sympathetic nature blossomed out when she washed and fed the soldier which helped the soldier to recover fast. It was also apparent from the story that she respected her husband which was evident from the fact that she came back to the room and did what ever was told by her husband during the operation.

Question. While hatred against a member of the enemy race is justifiable, especially during war time, what makes a human being rise above narrow prejudices?
Answer : News of war is fast becoming a way of life. The moment one picks up a newspaper, one is bombarded with news of wars between different countries, directly or indirectly. It is obvious that the countries at war are enemies of each other and hatred is a part of this enmity. However, the success of humanity comes when we rise above this enmity and show our love towards the civilization as a whole. Dr. Sadao did the same. He did whatever he could to save the life of a man whom he knew was a war prisoner and the enemy of his country. He ignored the fact that he could be executed for the treachery by the law of his country for sheltering a war prisoner.

Question. There are moments in life when we have to make hard choices between our roles as private individuals and as citizens with a sense of national loyalty.
Discuss with reference to the story you have just read.
Answer : Life has many facets. We live it by maintaining a delicate balance between the various facets it offers to us as part of our existence as an individual in a society. Living for our own self, family, profession and country are just a few of them. However at times, it becomes difficult to maintain this balance, and gets overpowered by confusion and dilemmas. The story about Dr. Sadao, Hana and the war prisoner exemplified that, on finding a wounded war prisoner washed ashore, Dr Sadao and his wife were unable to decide what to do. They were confused whether they should save and tend the injured or leave him to die or inform the army. Eventually, he struck the balance by deciding to save him before handing him over to the army. He and his wife sympathetically tended him but secretly hid a war prisoner in their home by going against the rule of the law and subdued self conscience. In a bid to get rid of that burden, he revealed the fact to the General who promised to get the prisoner killed through assassins. His inner conscience did not allow him to get the war prisoner killed and he helped the enemy soldier flee to the safety.

Extract Based Question :

He packed the wound with the sea moss that strewed the beach. The man moaned with pain in his stupor but he did not awaken. ''The best thing that we could do would be to put him back in the sea,'' Sadao said, answering himself. Now that the bleeding was stopped for the moment he stood up and dusted the sand from his hands. ''Yes, undoubtedly that would be best,'' Hana said steadily. But she continued to stare down at the motionless man.

Question. Which word in the passage is similar in meaning to the word 'cried'
(A) pain
(B) moss
(C) moaned
(D) strewed

Answer : C

Question. Why did Dr Sadao treat the soldier when he was from enemy's nationality?
(A) He was a doctor
(B) It was against his professional ethics
(C) as a doctor he could not let anyone die
(D) All

Answer : D

Question. Who was Dr. Sadao?
(A) An Iranian Doctor
(B) An American doctor
(C) A Japanese doctor
(D) None

Answer : C

Question. Who was bleeding in the above lines ?
(A) Yumi
(B) Tom
(C) Hana
(D) Jack

Answer : B