R.C. Hutchinson
A British novelist, exhibits an exceptional flair for touching the sensitive isues of the contemporary society-with all its contradictions and paradoxex. In The Pace for Living’ R.C. Hutchinson captures the agony of modern man. He wonderfully brings out how the fast mavenent of men, things and objects hurts the normal rhythm and exerts undue pressure on men, women and children.
Objective Question
1. “The Pace for Living’ is written by :
(a) Aung San Suu Kyi
(b) Toni Morrison
(c) R. C. Hutchinson
(d) Satyajit Ray
Answer – C
2. In “The Pace for Living’, the writer captures the agony of …. man.
(a) modern
(b) ancient
(c) future
(d) uncivilized
Answer – A
3. The main character in the play which the author saw was a/an …….corn-merchant.
(a) elderly
(b) handicapped
(c) young
(d) diabetic
Answer – A
4. The author admits that quick travel does not give the traveller the real …… of travel.
(a) pains
(b) pleasure
(c) dreams
(d) knowledge
Answer – B
5. Slow thinkers have a disadvantage when it comes to earning a :
(a) car
(b) factory
(c) living
(d) holiday
Answer – C
6. R.C. Hutchinson was a …………
(a) American Novelist
(b) British Novelist
(c) French Novelist
(d) Italian Novelist
Answer – B
7. Where did the author see a play in which a corn-merchant was the chief character ?
(a) Budapest
(b) Milan
(c) Dublin
(d) Conteburry
Answer – C
8. Who had the fantastic notion of spending £ 10 on a holiday ?
(a) Son of Corn-merchant
(b) Daughter of Corn-merchant
(c) Father of Corn-merchant
(d) Wife of Corn-merchant
Answer – D
9. Who was cheating the corn-merchant ?
(a) His Son
(b) His Nephew
(c) His Daughter
(d) His Wife
Answer – B
10. Who didn’t dislike the rapid movement of life?
(a) Corn-merchant
(b) Nephew of Corn-merchant
(c) The Author
(d) Wife of Corn-merchant
Answer – C
11. Who did like fast travelling?
(a) The Corn-merchant
(b) The wife of Corn-merchant
(c) The Author
(d) None of these
Answer – C
12. Which word in the passage stands for worship ?
(a) Adore
(b) Esprit
(c) Escapiert
(d) Dispair
Answer – A
13. Which tribe did the author belong?
(a) Fast thinkers
(b) Slow thinkers
(c) Steady thinkers
(d) None of these
Answer – B
14. How many girls were there in the film ?
(a) Two
(b) Three
C) Four
(d) Five
Answer – B
Subjective Question
1. How does the writer classify himself as a thinker ?
Ans. The writer classifies himself as a slow thinker because he? had to face many problems.
2. Who was the chief character of the play ‘The Pace for Living’.
Ans. The chief character was an elderly corn-merchant in a small irish country town.
3. Does the writer dislike rapid movement in every field ?
Ans. The writer, R.C. Hutchinson, does not dislike rapid movement in every field. He enjoys going in a car at ninety miles an hour. He is fascinated by the aeroplanes flying at amazing speeds. He dislikes rapid speed of mental activities which follow the pace of machines.
4. In which situation does the writer find himself in the cinema ?
Ans. When the writer goes to the cinema, he finds himself in a hopeless situation. He cannot follow the fast movement of the story and rapid changes of scene and action. He has to seek his wife’s help in order to keep up with the rapid movement of the plot.
5. What does R.C. Hutchinson say about the intelligence tests ?
Ans. R.C. Hutchinson says that the intelligence tests are designed to measure the speed of human mind. They do not indicate the knowledge of a man. They show how fast a man can think. So, they do not measure all the mental faculties.
6.What are the disadvantages of slow thinkers in the modern world ?
Ans. According to R.C. Hutchinson, slow thinkers cannot adjust their mental activities to the rapid pace of modern life. So, they are terribly handicapped in getting a living. They are left behind in the race of good jobs.
7. Where did the writer watch the play? Who was the chief character in the play ?
Ans. The writer, R.C. Hutchinson, watched the play in Dublin. The chief character in the play was an elderly corn-merchant in a small Irish town.
8. Life has become too fast today, how ?
Ans. This essays ‘The Pace of Living conveys that today our life has become too fast but often it does not satisfy us. So, we need to make a balance between our life and thoughts. Only earning, spending and working more are not enough for a happy and peaceful life. One should not forget the art of happy living. One should remember that he is a human and not a machine.
9. What sort of excitement do we have today which our ancestors lack? Is it an advantage or a disadvantage?
Ans. The life-style of modern people has become very fast. Now we have great facilities for rapid movement. In the modern age cars, trains and aeroplanes can carry us to different places hurriedly. Fast travel gives us a sense of drama and excitement which our ancestors. lacked.
This sort of excitement is an advantage but it excludes all the real pleasures of travel.
10. Who are taken to be slow thinkers? How are the slow thinkers, handicapped today?
Ans. The people whose mental activities do not follow the pace of the machines are taken to be slow thinkers. The slow thinkers are handicapped today in getting a living. They find it difficult to get a good job because they do not adjust to the fast pace of life.
11. What enlightenment does the writer seek from his wife? What does it suggest about the plight of the modern man ?
Ans. He asks his wife whether the girl he was watching in the cinema was the same who was at first. It suggests that the modern man is not able to know his surrounding very well. He is too involved in the surrounding of his problems due to which he is not able to live his life in peace and harmony.
12. “They tell me there’s an aeroplane now that goes at 1,000 miles an hour. Now that’s too fast!” What light does the remark of the corn-merchant throw on the pace life today?
Ans. The above remark shows that today man’s life has become very fast. In fact, it is getting faster each day and due to which no one is satisfied with his life. Today people are able to earn well but don’t have enough time to spend it. It seems that today’s life has become like a machine.
13. What does writer say about the elderly corn-merchant ?
Ans. Once R. C. Hutchinson saw a play in Dublin, the main character in the play was an elderly corn-merchant who lived in a small Irish country town. He had several anxieties. He was weak hearted and his nephew was cheating him. He was tired of the fast pace of life.
Comprehension :-
I saw a play in Dublin not long ago in which the chief character was an elderly corn-merchant in a small Irish country town. He was a man of many anxieties-his heart was dicky, his nephew was cheating him, his wife had had the fantastic notion of spending £10 on a holiday. Altogether the pace of life was getting too much for him, and in a moment of despair he uttered a great cry from the heart: “They tell me there’s an aeroplane now that goes at 1,000 miles an hour. Now that’s too fast!”
Questions :
(a) What kind of a man was the corn-merchant
(b) What was his nephew doing?
(c) What his wife did?
(d) How was his life getting?
(e) Who was the chief character?
(f) Who was cheating him?
(g) Name the essay and its author.
(h) What is the meaning of ‘notion’?
(i) Where is ‘Dublin’?
(j) Name the essay and its author.
(k) What kind of a man was the corn-merchant?
(l) What his wife did?
Answers :
(a) He was a man of many anxieties-his heart was dicky.
(b) His nephew was cheating him.
(c) His wife used to spend £10 on a holiday uselessly.
(d) His life was getting very fast.
(e) The chief character was an elderly corn merchant.
(f) His nephew was cheating him.
(g) The name of the essay is “The Pace For Living’. The author is R.C. Hutchinson.
(h) Notion means – Ideal.
(i) Dublin is the Irish country town.
(j) The name of essay is ‘The Pace For Living’ and the author is R. C. Hutchinson.
(k) He was a man of many anxieties.
(l) His wife used to spend £ 10 on a holiday uselessly.