Important Questions for The Address

 Prose Extract-Based Questions

1.I had remembered it. But I had waited a long time to go there. Initially, after the Liberation, I was absolutely not interested in all that stored stuff, and naturally I was also rather afraid of it. Afraid of being confronted with things that had belonged to a connection that no longer existed; which were hidden away in cupboards and boxes and waiting in vain until they were put back in their place again; which had endured all those years because they were ‘things.’

1. Who is ‘I’ in the above extract?

2. Why is the word ‘Liberation’ in capital? What does it refer to?

    a) It is in capital because it was a regular event. 

    b) It refers to the period after the war ended.

    c) It refers to the end of the Second World War.

    d) It is in capital because it refers to an important event; the end of the Second World War.

3. What was the narrator ‘not interested in?’

   a) She was not interested in the past.

   b) She was not interested in the things that Mrs Dorling had taken away.

   c) She was not interested in old times and memories.

   d) She was not interested in anything.

4. What do you think the narrator was afraid of?

    a) being confronted by a past; a connection that existed

    b) being confronted by a past; a connection that did not exist

    c) haunting memories of Jews being attacked

    d) memories of childhood

2. At the corner of the road I looked up at the name-plate. Marconi Street, it said. I had been at Number 46. The address was correct. But now I didn’t want to remember it any more. I wouldn’t go back there because the objects that are linked in your memory with the familiar life of former times instantly lose their value when severed from them; you see them again in strange surroundings.

1. What was so distinct about Number 46?

   a) It was the address of Mrs. S.

   b) It was the address of Mrs. Dorling.

   c) It was the address of the hotel where Marga was staying in Holland

   d) It was the address of Mrs Dorling in the city of Holland.

2. Why did the narrator not want to remember the address any more?

     a) She did not want to remember the address because it was where her mother had died.

     b) The address was a repository of past memories that no longer had any relevance today.

     c) It was the address of a mansion that used to be the headquarters of the Gestapo.

    d) It was full of musty smells, poorly placed objects and dark.

3. When do objects linked in your memory lose their value?

4. Describe the tone in the above extract.

3. As I walked slowly back to the station I thought about my mother, who had given me the address years ago. It had been in the first half of the War. I was home for a few days and it struck me immediately that something or other about the rooms had changed. I missed various things. My mother was surprised I should have noticed so quickly. Then she told me about Mrs Dorling. I had never heard of her but apparently she was an old acquaintance of my mother, whom she hadn’t seen for years. She had suddenly turned up and renewed their contact. Since then she had come regularly.

1. Why do you think Mrs Dorling turned up and renewed her contact with the narrator’s mother?

2. Why is the first letter of the word War in capital?

3. What had ‘changed’ about the rooms?

4. How is Mrs Dorling associated with the change in the rooms?

4. Perhaps I was mistaken, I thought; perhaps it isn’t her. I had seen her only once, fleetingly, and that was years ago. It was probable that I had rung the wrong bell. The woman let go of the door and stepped to the side. She was wearing my mother’s green knitted cardigan. The wooden buttons were rather pale from washing. She saw that I was looking at the cardigan and half hid herself again behind the door. But I knew now that I was right.

1. Describe the relationship between the Statement of Assertion (A) and statement of Reason (R):

Statement (S): She felt mistaken about Mrs. Dorling.

Reason (R)  : The description given by her mother did not match her.

a) Statement (A) is correct, and it is supported by the Reason Statement (R).

b) Statement (A) is correct, but it is not supported by the Reason Statement (R).

c) Statement (A) is not correct and is not supported by the Reason Statement (R)

d) Both Statement (A) and Statement (R) are incorrect.

2. Who was the woman in the first sentence?

3. Why was she wearing her mother’s knitted cardigan?

4. Why did the woman hide herself behind the door?

5. What was it that confirmed the narrator’s suspicions?

II Character Sketches

1. Draw a character sketch for Mrs. Dorling.

2. Draw a character sketch for the narrator, Marga Minco.

3. Draw a character sketch for Mrs. Dorling’s Daughter.

Long answer type questions (125-150 words)

1. The story is divided into pre-war and post-war times. What hardships do you think the girl underwent during these times?

2. The central theme of the lesson deals with the displacement of innocent civilians during times of conflict. How had war affected the narrator as a displaced person?

3. Why was the narrator compelled to return to Holland? How did the experience impact her? 

4. You are Mrs. Dorling; write a diary entry describing the day Marga Minco visited you, how you treated her, and why you did so.

5. Write a letter on behalf of Marga to her friend in the United States describing why you decided to leave behind all the household goods, her past, her childhood, and all her memories.

Why is the African Giant Snail spreading in India?

When I visited Ramnagar in the Jim Corbett Park recently, I was surprised to spot giant snails. When I did some research, I learned that giant snails might be a silent invader reshaping India's Ecosystems and backyards. This mollusc is now thriving because of its resilience. Unfortunately, these non-endemic species have invaded our spaces, edging out our native species into nonexistence. In one of my previous posts, I described how non-endemic species of catfish consumed all the native species of fish in what was once an important wetland in Gurgaon known as the Basai wetland. 

The reason why these non native species have spread so rapidly in India is because of their resilience and reproductive power. This calls for the Government to implement measures to control the entry of non-native species into India. Invasive species of plants, trees, fish, and molluscs should be strictly monitored. Climate change has had an important role to play in the survival and existence of non-native species that are overwhelming our own native species of molluscs, fish, and other organisms. The persistent expansion of the African Giant Snail is causing an ecological imbalance that is a matter of great concern!

India’s horticulture and vegetable sectors face mounting economic costs from destroyed seedlings to losses in nursery production. Precise figures are hard to come by, but the scale is growing. Importantly, L. fulica is listed as a quarantine pest in India and several other countries, with restrictions on movement and advisories from agricultural authorities.

The African Giant Snail is a pest, and it is causing immense problems. The existence of the African Giant Snail is causing great damage not only to native species of endemic snails, but also to important insects that help in pollination of important crops.

We are facing a crisis because of the invasion of African Giant Snails, and we need to do something about this! This snail can harbour nematodes like Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm), linked to meningitis, and A. costaricensis, causing abdominal infection. Risks rise after heavy floods or in damp gardens, especially if raw greens are eaten unwashed or if children handle snails.

Flamingos Descend on the Chandu Budhera Wetland in Large Numbers

When I visited the Chandu Budhera wetland, I did not expect to spot flamingos in such large numbers. I had assumed that at most I would spot Sarus Cranes, and so I took the wrong lens! I carried a 70-300 mm lens instead of a 600 mm lens. The result? Well, I was too far away from the birds to take any decent pictures. Instead, I had to content myself with the very idea of spotting so many of these birds.

The entire far side of the wetland was chock-a-block with Flamingos! You could stand there for hours and enjoy the sight, if not snap photographs.

While Flamingos are usually spotted in the area during the winter months, spotting them during the summer season might be unusual. The reason why Flamingos settle at the Chandu Budhera Wetland is that the latter lies on the floodplains of the Sahibi River; therefore, it is rich in nutrients.

Hairy Moth Caterpillar-Amazing Examples of Metamorphosis

The summer season is a month of great activity in the insect kingdom. The Hairy Moth Caterpillar can be seen clinging to plant stems, surrounded by fine silken threads in preparation for the process of moulting. It is interesting to note that this is a time of feeding for its time as a pupa. 

Branches of bushes can be seen with large numbers of caterpillars feeding at a great rate, ensuring that they have enough to live on while they are enclosed inside a silken case waiting for the time when they emerge as Moths. This is indeed an interesting process of metamorphosis. These rather creepy bugs will emerge as beautiful Moths.

As you can see, the caterpillars have dense, long brown hair, a mottled head capsule, and small red spots along the sides of their bodies. These are common characteristics of caterpillars in the tussock moth family (Erebidae). The silken threads growing out of their bodies will be used to spin their cocoons.

The pupa of the Hairy Moth Caterpillars live inside quite tough cases made of a resilient silken material. These cases are often found stuck to stems of bushes quite high above the ground, probably to stay out of harm's way from predators. Earlier, when I used to visit the area, I would find empty cases and would wonder what they had once contained; now I know.

Precautions: One should avoid skin contact with these caterpillars, as it may cause skin irritation. I remember how my younger brother used to get inflamed eyes when huge caterpillars appeared around our home in Arbaminch, Ethiopia. It was not that he had deliberately touched the caterpillars; rather, it was because some of the hair might get airborne and land up in the eye! Washing your hands or skin that comes into contact with soap might help. Using topical ointments for the eyes might help. However, I have never spotted these caterpillars within the city, so one might never come into contact with them!

The Incredibly Unique Golden Silk Spider - Nephila pileps - a unique species of Spiders

The Nephila pileps spider is a strikingly unique spider that I spotted at the Ram Nagar (Jim Corbett Park) forest. This graceful spider has long legs and a large web from which it suspends itself. Often, the web spans across branches of different trees. Wikipedia mentions that adult females are very large, with a body length of up to 25 to 50 mm. This species of spider is the second largest of orb-weaving spiders. The male spiders are, however, much smaller than their female counterparts.

While female spiders are prone to gigantism, the male spiders are affected by dwarfism. I was struck by their appearance when I visited a forest in the Ram Nagar zone, and I couldn't help but photograph them from a distance with a zoom lens.

Strangely enough, the Raglai people in Vietnam roast these spiders and eat them. These spiders might be a rich source of protein and nutrients! 

Golden Silk Spiders play an important role in the ecological system. They hunt small insects, preventing them from overpopulating the environment. Their role in pest control and contribution to biodiversity has been appreciated.