A Special Request

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A. Answer these questions with reference to the context.

1. ‘How is that possible?’

      a.   Who said this and to whom?

      Ashok Bhat said this to twins, Srini and Sally.

      b.   Why does the speaker ask this question?

  The speaker asked this question because they were twins.

      c.   What explanation was given to the speaker?

              Srini said that Sally is twelve minutes older than him.

2. ‘Probably, I was the cook!’

       a.   Whose words are these originally – Ashok’s or his father’s?

       his father’s

       b.   When did he say this?

       He said this when he was once asked, “Did you ever kill anyone?”

       c.   What was said after this?

       After this, Ravikant was asked if the cooks here are under surveillance.

B. Mark these statements as (T) for true or (F) for false.

1. The occasion for the family gathering was a grandson’s wedding. F

2. Only close relatives were invited to the celebrations. F

3. There were no infants or babies in the family. T

4. Ashok Bhat was one of the relatives. F

5. Ashok was a comedian. F

C. Answer these questions.

1. What was the special celebration for?

Ans. The special celebration was for Jacob and Shiela Johnson’s golden jubilee.

2. How did Ravikant make sure everyone enjoyed the evening?

Ans. Ravikant arranged every sort of entertainment for the varying ages present so that everyone could enjoy the evening. For this he also invited a star entertainer Ashok Bhat, a famous singer and lyricist.

3. In what way was Ashok Bhat’s invitation the best gift?

Ans. Ashok Bhat’s invitation was the best gift because Ravikant's parents loved his music. He also asked him to write a special song for them and perform it as well. Ashok Bhat’s performance was appreciated by all the guests as he provided a variety of entertainment.

4. Why did the children find the cake joke funny?

Ans. The children found the cake joke funny because Ashok Bhat played with word ‘tiers’. His act has brought uproarious laughter that had made everyone wiping their tears. This is such an emotional moment for everyone, ‘he said. ‘Even the cake is in tiers!’

5. What request was Ashok attempting to fulfill all evening?

Ans. The request that Ashok was attempting to fulfill all evening was made by the twins. They had requested Ashok Bhat to make the great grandfather laugh.

6. What does the last sentence in the story mean?

Ans. The last sentence in the story meant that for the first time Ashok was speechless. He was a witty person but the twins had outsmarted him with a prank.

Discuss and write

The twins did a very mischievous thing. Was it on purpose or unintentional? Justify your opinion.

Ans. The twins did a very mischievous thing. It seems that they must have done it intentionally because they must knew that it was the wax model of their Great Grand Father, yet they requested Ashok Bhat to make him laugh.