Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, extra MCQs, PDF for R. K. Narayan’s An Astrologers Day: WBCHSE Class 11 English Literature textbook A Realm of English (B) Selection, which is part of the Semester I syllabus for students studying under WBBSE (West Bengal Board-Uccha Madhyamik). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
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Summary
An astrologer started his workday at midday in a busy park. He wore sacred ash and a saffron turban to look wise. He was not a real astrologer and knew nothing about the stars. He was good at guessing people’s problems through practice and observation. The story says people were attracted to him like bees to flowers. This means many people gathered around him because he seemed interesting. He sat near other sellers, like a man who sold fried groundnuts, and used the light from their stalls to work.
One night, as he was about to go home, a stranger challenged him. The astrologer felt scared when he saw the man’s face in the light of a match. The stranger, whose name was Guru Nayak, wanted to find the man who had tried to kill him long ago. The astrologer used this opportunity. He told the stranger exactly what had happened to him: he was stabbed with a knife and pushed into a well.
The astrologer then told the stranger that his enemy had died a few months ago, crushed under a lorry. He advised Guru Nayak to return to his village and never travel south again to stay safe. The stranger was pleased to hear his enemy was dead. He paid the astrologer and left.
When the astrologer got home, he gave the coins to his wife. He told her that a great burden had been lifted from him. He confessed that he was the one who had attacked Guru Nayak in their village many years ago after a fight. He had run away thinking he had killed the man. Knowing that Guru Nayak was alive brought him great relief.
Textbook MCQ solutions
1. How does the astrologer make his living?
a) By accurately predicting the future of his clients
b) By selling fake horoscopes to unsuspecting customers
c) By performing elaborate rituals to appease the Gods
d) By offering advice on various life matters to his clients
Answer: d) By offering advice on various life matters to his clients
2. What is the turning point of the story that leads to the astrologer’s realisation?
a) He finds a valuable gem stone while strolling through the market place
b) He encounters a man from the past whom he had tried to kill
c) He discovers that his wife has been cheating on him
d) He meets a wealthy client who offers him a large sum of money
Answer: b) He encounters a man from the past whom he had tried to kill
Additional MCQs
1. What was part of the astrologer’s professional equipment?
A. A crystal ball
B. A dozen cowrie shells
C. A set of tarot cards
D. A brass telescope
Answer: B. A dozen cowrie shells
2. What was the color of the turban the astrologer wound around his head?
A. Royal blue
B. Crimson
C. Saffron
D. Emerald green
Answer: C. Saffron
3. Under the boughs of which tree did the astrologer conduct his business?
A. A banyan tree
B. A mango tree
C. A peepal tree
D. A tamarind tree
Answer: D. A tamarind tree
4. What was the primary source of light for the astrologer’s business in the evening?
A. A municipal street lamp
B. The flare from a groundnut vendor’s heap
C. An old cycle lamp he owned
D. The light from a magician’s fire
Answer: B. The flare from a groundnut vendor’s heap
5. Which of the following names did the vendor of fried groundnuts use for his ware?
A. Madras Delight
B. Calcutta Crunch
C. Bombay Ice-Cream
D. Poona Peanut
Answer: C. Bombay Ice-Cream
6. How much did the astrologer truly know about the stars?
A. He was a master of the craft
B. He had studied them since childhood
C. He knew no more about them than his customers
D. He learned from ancient palmyra texts
Answer: C. He knew no more about them than his customers
7. What work would the astrologer have carried on if he had remained in his village?
A. Weaving cloth
B. Tilling the land
C. Working as a moneylender
D. Running the village shop
Answer: B. Tilling the land
8. For how long did the astrologer typically let a client speak before he offered any answers?
A. One minute
B. Five minutes
C. At least ten minutes
D. Half an hour
Answer: C. At least ten minutes
9. What did the stranger first fling at the astrologer as payment for some questions?
A. Three pice
B. An anna
C. A rupee
D. Five rupees
Answer: B. An anna
10. After some haggling, what amount did the stranger agree to pay if the astrologer’s answers were convincing?
A. Eight annas
B. Five rupees
C. One rupee
D. Twelve and a half annas
Answer: C. One rupee
52. (I) The astrologer advised Guru Nayak to take the next train and go home.
(II) The astrologer wanted to prevent Guru Nayak from ever finding him in that town.
A. I is a contradiction of II.
B. I is independent of II.
C. II is the cause for I.
D. I is an example of II.
Answer: C. II is the cause for I.
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