ICSE & ISC English Made Easy

Merchant of Venice Act I, Scene I Extract 1 In sooth............much ado to know myself. 1)     Where are Antonio and his friends? What does Antonio say about his sadness? Antonio and his friends are in a street in Venice. Antonio says  that his sadness makes him depressed and dull. He further says that he is yet to learn about the origin and nature of his sadness. 2)     Give the meaning of : a)     Whereof it is born: how it originated. b)     A want-wit sadness: a dull sadness. c)     That I have much ado to know myself: that I have much difficulty in recognizing  myself. 3)     What reason does Salarino give as the probable cause of Antonio’s melancholy? Salarino tells Antonio that he is sad because his mind is preoccupied with his ships filled with cargo, which are out at sea. 4)     State in your own words the scene on the ocean as described ...

The Inchcape Rock Robert Southey I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell, The Mariners heard the warning Bell; And then they knew the perilous Rock, And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok. (i) Which Rock is referred to in this extract? Where was the rock? How was it sometimes hidden? The Inchcape rock is referred to in the extract. The rock lay hidden in the sea off the east coast of Scotland. It sometimes remained hidden under sea water during the high tide. (ii) Give the meaning of surge’s swell. What is meant by the warning bell? How was the warning bell rung? The words ‘surge’s swell’ mean the sea-waves moved up and down and rose high due to the influence of tides. The warning bell refers to the bell placed on the Inchcape rock by the Abbot of Aberbrothok, to give a warning to the sailors about the danger from the rock. The warning bell was placed on a buoy and during high tides the movemen...