NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 3 The Man Who Knew Too Much
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Reader Chapter 3 The Man Who Knew Too Much
TEXTUAL EXERCISES
Question 1.
With your partner, discuss and narrate an incident about a person who likes to show off.
Check whether your classmates agree with you.
Answer
Mainly for class level. One such incident is given below :
Last year we had Preeti in our class. Now she has left the school. Preeti was very showy by nature. She belonged to a rich family and had, perhaps, inherited this trait. She always wanted to demonstrate that she was the ultimate genius. So she always spoke before the teacher spoke while teaching. She was snubbed many a time. But she never mended her habits of poking her nose in everybody’s affairs.
After a few months, a new English teacher came. He had a vast knowledge and was, in fact, a master of literature. He taught by precepts and examples. Preeti went on with her habits. One day out of irritation, he called Preeti to him. He then asked her to teach a particular portion of the textbook which had depth of thought. Preeti rose to teach but she fumbled horribly. The whole class roared with laughter and ridicule. This set at rest Preeti’s showing off for sometime.
Question 2.
The ‘Professor’ knew too much. How did he prove himself ? Fill up the space with suitable examples from the story, using the given clues :
(a) about muzzle velocity : _____
(b) after a thirty mile walk : _____
(c) his salute on payday : ______
(d) the loud sound of a high flying invisible aeroplane : _______
(e) about hand grenades : _______
(f) during cook house duties :. _______
Answer:
The ‘Professor’ certainly knew too much. He had everything on the tips of his fingers. He borrowed training manuals and read them all at night. He troubled instructors with questions. He always tried to show that all others, including his instructors, knew much less than him.
(a) about muzzle velocity: When a Sergeant defines muzzle velocity or the speed at which the bullet leaves the rifle, the Professor interrupts, “Two thousand, four hundred and forty feet per second”.
(b) after a thirty mile walk: After a thirty mile walk he was not only wonderfully tireless but would display his terrible heartiness. He would say, “What about a song, chaps?”
(c) his salute on payday: His salute on payday was a model to behold. When officers in sight he would swing his skinny arms marching like a Guardsman.
(d) the loud sound of a high flying invisible aeroplane: The ‘Professor’ could unmistakably identify it by the harsh engine note, due to the high tip speed of the airscrew.
(e) about hand grenades: The ‘Professor’ gave a very specific answer about the fragments of the outside of a grenade. He told, “Forty- Four”.
(f) during cook house duties: During cook house duties he protested against the unscientific and unhygienic method of peeling potatoes resulting in sheer waste of vitamin values.
Question 3.
Based on your reading of the story, answer the following questions by choosing the correct options.
(a) Private Quelch was nick-named ‘Professor’ because of ____
- his appearance.
- his knowledge.
- his habit of reading.
- his habit of sermonising.
(b) One could hammer nails into Corporal Turnbull without his noticing it because ____
- he was a strong and sturdy man.
- he was oblivious to his surroundings.
- he was a brave corporal.
- he was used to it.
(c) The author and his friend Trower fled from the scene as _____
- they had to catch a train.
- they could not stand Private Quelch exhibiting his knowledge.
- they felt they would have to lend a helping hand.
- they did not want to meet the cooks.
Answer
(a) 2
(b) 1
(c) 2
Question 4.
Answer the following questions briefly :
- What is a ‘nickname’ ? Can you suggest another one for Private Quelch ?
- Private Quelch looked like a ‘Professor’ when the author first met him at the training depot. Why ? [V. Imp.]
- What does the dark, sun-dried appearance of the Sergeant suggest about him ?
- How was Private Quelch’s knowledge exposed even further as the Sergeant’s classes went on ?
- What did the Professor mean by “intelligent reading” ?
- What were the Professor’s ambitions in the army ? [V. Imp.]
- Did Private Quelch’s day to day practices take him closer towards his goal ? How can you make out ?
- Describe Corporal Turnbull.
- How did Private Quelch manage to anger the Corporal ? [V. Imp.]
- Do you think Private Quelch learnt a lesson when he was chosen for cookhouse duties ?
Give reasons for your answer.
Answer
1. Nickname is actually a name given to a person seeing his most prominent character traits. For instance; if a person is skinny, lean and lanky and looks like a cartoon he could be nicknamed as Mr. Skinny, or Mr. Lanky or Mr. Scarecrow. The humorous side is also touched in nicknaming. Another name for Private Quelch could be Mr. Linku or Cheekucheek.
2. Private Quelch looked like a ‘Professor’ because of his being lean, lanky and stooping like most of the Professors. His horn-rimmed spectacles enhanced this image as a man of knowledge who had almost all facets of human knowledge.
3. This suggests that the Sergeant was very confident, harsh and a hard task master. Also he was very much confident of his trade.
4. The Sergeant didn’t bother about Private Quelch’s telling the exact muzzle speed. He had technical definitions of the parts of the rifle, its use and care etc, by heart. He told the Sergeant that it was all due to his intelligent reading.
5. By ‘intelligent reading’ the Professor meant that whatever one read one was to keep that in mind. One was to memorize and apply the knowledge in increasing it more.
6. The Professor wanted a commission in the army. But before that he would strive for various stripes, that is, decoration ribbons.
7. Yes, I think his day to day practices took him closer towards his goal. He wanted a commission in the army. His knowledge about things relating to it would prove a plus point in his attaining his goal of life. Then he remained physically untired even after thirty mile walk-off. These two things bring a man closer to his goal in the defence forces.
8. Corporal Turnbull was a young man with a serious nature. He was wise and practical. He couldn’t be trifled with. He was the hero of the squad. One summer afternoon he was talking about the segments of a hand grenade without telling how many these were. Private Quelch interrupted him saying these were forty-four. This shocked the Corporal and he tossed the hand grenade to the Professor. He asked him to deliver the lecture. When Private Quelch finished he thanked him.
9. Private Quelch angered the squad at many occasions. In recognising the aeroplane, he humbled the narrator and others. Then he cut a joke of presenting a song after a thirty-mile walk-off which had drained all. They could hardly speak due to tiredness. But he wasn’t. Finally, his commentary on peeling the potatoes that resulted in the loss of vitamin values angered the narrator. The narrator had to flee due to that.
10. I don’t think Private Quelch learnt a lesson in his cookhouse duties. If he had had such a sensitive nature he would have learnt it when the Sergeant posed questions to him. In a way, to poke one’s nose in all spheres had become Private Quelch’s habit. He never minded if he was belittled or made fun of. He only made the narrator flee because of his professional habits.
Question 5.
At first, Private Quelch was a hero in the eyes of his fellow soldiers. Support this observation with suitable examples from the story in about 100 words.
Answer:
At first, Private Quelch impressed all his fellow soldiers with his profound knowledge about everything under the sun. He was nicknamed as the ‘Professor’. The lanky, stooping and frowning ‘Professor’ was almost a hero in the eyes of his fellow soldiers. He had earned a certain respect from his colleagues. He wanted to get on in life. He had a brain that had a flair for details. He was always to the point and specific. In the very first lesson in musketry, he left his mark on the fellow soldiers. He had no liking for generalisation. When it came to telling the velocity at which the bullet leaves the rifle, the Professor was there to correct to the last digit. The Sergeant in the hope of revenge turned his questions again and again to the Professor. But the Professor was prompt in answering all the questions. Similarly, the Professor irritated Corporal Turnbull by interrupting and correcting him. He was sent for permanent cookhouse duties. Later on, his fellow soldiers couldn’t stand him for exhibiting his knowledge. They fled away whenever they saw him.
Question 6.
Private Quelch knew ‘too much’. Give reasons to prove that he was unable to win the admiration of his superior officers or his colleagues in about 100 words.
Answer:
No doubt, Private Quelch or the Professor knew ‘too much’. He wds a lanky and stooping man frowning through his hornrimmed spectacles. He was aptly nicknamed die Professor. But Private Quelch’s habit of exhibiting his knowledge irritated his fellow- soldiers as well as his superior officers. Each time when one of his colleagues made a mistake, he would publicly correct him. He was always very condescending. He tried to show how superior he was to all of them. He badgered (he instructors with questions. When a Sergeant instructor described the muzzle velocity well over 2000 feet per second, the Professor corrected him. He replied 2440 feet per second. The irritated Sergeant in the hope of revenge, turned his questions again and again to the Professor. Corporal Turnbull cut the Professor to size for interrupting him. He snubbed Private Quelch by nominating him for permanent cookhouse duties. Even his colleagues fled when the Professor was nearby to avoid his sermonising.
Writing Task
Question 9.
You are the ‘ProfessorWrite a diary entry after your first day at the cookhouse, describing the events that led to this assignment, also express your thoughts and feelings about the events of the day in about 175 words. [V. Imp.]
Answer
10th September, 2015 10.00 pm
I feel a bit excited at my nomination for permanent cookhouse duties. I think, I deserved it due to my intelligence and sincerity to the subject and devotion. Secondly, my readiness to help all and my vast knowledge shall enable me to achieve my goal. I shall surely earn a commission in the army.
I have already made myself known in the field of knowledge about almost all things. These relate to army, ammunition, enemy tactics etc. I have acquired all this knowledge by intelligent reading. This should be the level of knowledge for a person who wants a commission in the army. The Sergeant and Corporal Turnbull should feel proud of me due to my correcting them on the muzzle speed and hand grenades.
The platoon officer deserves all thanks to have given me the cookhouse duties. How I called the cooks to lecture them on preserving the nutritional values of the food items ! They were amazed at my knowledge and practical advice. I rightly told them how food could be cooked without wasting its nutritional value. I asked my fellow-soldiers about the food cooked under my directions. They all expressed their joy over its taste. But some expressed amazement.
I must thank Corporal Turnbull for putting me on cookhouse duties. When I told my soldier-fellows of it, I appeared very innocent. But I stood nominated by him, though they kept this as a joke for days together.
I am confident that I shall prove my worth with great dedication and devotion to my duties. All will be greatly benefited by my knowledge and expertise.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Question 1:
Who was Private Quelch ? Where did the narrator meet him ?
Answer:
Private Quelch was a trainee soldier. He was a bespectacled, lanky person. He was serious-minded person. He looked frowning all the time. He was in the bad habit of sermonising and philosophising. The narrator met him at his training depot as he himself was a trainee there.
Question 2:
Why was Private Quelch labelled as the ‘Professor’ ? (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Private Quelch, a trainee soldier, was a bespectacled, serious-type of person. He had a great knowledge in his field. He was in the habit of sermonizing and finding fault with others. Se he was labelled as the Professor by his fellow trainees.
Question 3:
Who is an Orderly Officer in lesson ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’ ? How did the Professor behave in front of him ? (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
An Orderly Officer in the lesson is an officer of the day. The Professor wanted to please him. So he cleaned his hut so thoroughly that the officer could not help praising him. In this task he outshone his fellow trainees.
Question 4:
Describe Private Quelch. (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Private Quelch was a young trainee soldier. He was lanking, stooping and serious. He wore horn-rimmed spectacles. He had awesome knowledge in his field. Everyone was jealous of him. He earned the label of the Professor.
Question 5:
Aircraft recognition was a matter of pride for the narrator and his friends in the lesson “The Man Who Knew Too Much”. How did the Professor humiliate them ? (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
One day the trainee fellows of the Professor, among whom was the narrator, heard the sound of an aircraft. The aircraft was not visible in the sun. The Professor at once said on hearing the drone of the plane that it was a North American Harvard Trainer, while no one could recognize the plane. It was something humiliating for the narrator and his friends.
Question 6:
How did Private Quelch respond to mistakes made by his colleagues in the army training camp in the lesson ‘The Man Who Knew Much’ ? (CBSE)
Answer:
In the army training camp Private Quelch would at once respond to the mistakes made by his colleagues. He would intervene to show how the rifle is handled properly and used to fire a bullet. His habit of correcting others in public was not liked by anyone.
Question 7:
What was Private Quelch’s attitude to his juniors ? Give examples to support your answer. (CBSE)
Answer:
Private Quelch’s superior attitude to his juniors was resented by one and all. Once he intervened to tell someone to handle the rifle properly. At the end of a long, tiring march he angered others by suggesting, “What about a song, chaps ?”
Question 8:
What was Private Quelch’s attitude to his seniors ? Give examples to support your answer. (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Private Quelch’s attitude to his seniors was irritating. He interrupted the Sergeant and told him the exact speed of the bullet. Then he interrupted Corporal Turnbull to tell him that a grenade has exactly forty four fragments.
Question 9:
What was Tumbull’s reaction to Private Quelch’s answer ? (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Corporal Turnbull became angry on listening to Private Quelch’s answer. His brow tightened. He asked him to give a lecture on the grenade in place of him. In order to teach him a lesson, he nominated him for permanent cookhouse duties.
Question 10:
What was the announcement made by Corporal Turnbull in the lesson The Man Who Knew Too Much’ ? Why did he make the announcement ? (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Corporal Turnbull announced that he was nominating Private Quelch on permanent cookhouse duties. He made this announcement to take revenge on Private Quelch for humiliating and correcting him before others.
Question 11:
Why was everybody happy when Private Quelch was shifted to the cookhouse ? (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
When Private Quelch was shifted to the cookhouse, everybody was happy. He had become a nuisance for them by finding faults with one and all in the public. Everyone felt that it was a good riddance.
Question 12:
What was the Professor teaching his colleagues in the cookhouse ? (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Even in the cookhouse, the Professor did not stop sermonizing. He told his colleagues how to peel potatoes to preserve their hygienic value. He protested against the way they were peeling potatoes.
Question 13:
Which characteristics of Private Quelch do you like most ? (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Private Quelch was not a narrow-minded or evil-minded person. We appreciate his simple-mindedness and his desire to be helpful to others. His hard working nature and intelligence are really appreciable.
Question 14:
What made Private Quelch unpopular ?
Answer:
Private Quelch was in the habit of finding faults with others. He would flaunt his knowledge by correcting even his seniors in the public. This habit of his made him unpopular in the army camp.
Question 15:
Narrate in your own words the incident that proved to be a turning point in Private Quelch’s life.
Answer:
Private Quelch was hopeful of getting a commission soon. One day, as usual, he corrected his senior, Corporal Turnbull, by telling him the exact number of fragments a grenade has. This infuriated the Corporal who sent him on permanent cookhouse duties as punishment. This barred him from realizing his ambition.
Question 16:
What did the Professor mean by “intelligent reading” ?
Answer:
By “intelligent reading” the Professor meant thorough understanding of what he read. He did not read anything casually. He made it a point to learn everything by heart.
Question 17:
What were the Professor’s ambitions in the army ?
Answer:
The Professor’s ambitions were to get a stripe and a commission in the army. He really worked hard for realizing these ambitions. Only his impractical and tactless approach took him away from his goal.
Question 18:
Did Private Quelch’s day to day practices take him closer towards his goal ? How can you make out ?
Answer:
No, Private Quelch’s day to day practices did not take him closer towards his goal. He had antagonized everyone including his instructors by interrupting and correcting everyone publicly. The Corporal sent him to the kitchen for permanent cookhouse duties.
Question 19:
Describe Corporal Turnbull.
Answer:
Corporal Turnbull was a strong and sturdy man. He was boastful of his physical toughness. He had come back from Dunkirk. He was tough, serious and even revengeful. He did not take Private Quelch’s interruption lightly and took a sort of revenge on him by sending him to kitchen to do cooking duties.
Question 20:
Do you think Private Quelch learnt a lesson when he was chosen for cookhouse duties ? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Private Quelch did not learn any lesson. Even in the kitchen he continued with his interruptions and sermons. The author and his friend heard him protesting against the unscientific method of peeling potatoes, which was “a sheer waste of vitamin values.”
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
Question 1:
“Too much knowledge is also a bane’. Comment on the statement with reference to Private Quelch’s character. (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Having too much knowledge is not a bane. In fact, each one of us should aim at getting as much knowledge as possible. A knowledgeable person, if he is wise also, is respected and honoured everywhere. It is the public show of knowledge which is bad. Sometimes it proves to be harmful, as in the case of Private Quelch. No one can dislike Private Quelch for his extraordinary knowledge. It is his tactless flaundering of knowledge that proves to be harmful to him. He is in the habit of correcting even his superiors in public. He angers the Sergeant for telling him the exact speed of the bullet while he was lecturing to the trainees. He infuriates Corporal Turnbull by correcting him and telling him to improve his lecture. Corporal Turnbull sends him on permanent cookhouse duties, jeopardizing his career.
Question 2:
Self-promotion always brings resentment from others. Keeping the above statement in mind, comment on the character of Private Quelch. (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Self-promotion is now an accepted social value. Everyone, from a politician to an actor, is engaged in self-promotion. Watch any TV serial, you will come across examples of brazen self-promotion. But it is a fact that too much selfpromotion often boomrangs. This is what we see in the case of Private Quelch. Private Quelch or the ‘Professor’ has awesome knowledge about his field. He is in a hurry to impress others with his knowledge to realize his aim of getting commission in the army. So he tactlessly makes a show-off of his knowledge. He loses no opportunity to correct even his seniors in public. His fellow trainees .begin to resent his attempts at self-promotion. He becomes a butt of their sarcasms and jokes. He tries to impress the Sergeant and the Corporal by interrupting and correcting them before others. Finally, his selfpromotion costs him dearly. He is sent on permanent cookhouse duties. He loses a golden chance to get commission in the army.
Question 3:
Private Quelch’s ambition had blinded him. Analyse Corporal’s reaction to his behaviour. (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
It is good to have an ambition. There cannot be any progress without having an aim in life. Ho ever, one should never be blinded by ambition. One should never be in a hurry to achieve one’s aim. When one is in a hurry, one becomes tactless and irrational, as Private Quelch becomes. He wants to get commission in the army. He has acquired knowledge which is more than sufficient. He can easily achieve his aim. Yet he jeopardizes his prospects by his tactless behaviour. He annoys Corporal Turnbull by publicly correcting him. The Corporal takes a revenge on him by sending him on permanent cookhouse duties. His reaction is natural. But we feel that it is too severe and negative. He should have given Private Quelch some other less severe punishment.
Question 4:
‘It’s all a matter of intelligent reading’, said Private Quelch. Evaluate the statement on the basis of Professor’s character. (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Private Quelch made this remark when the Sergeant, impressed by his knowledge, asked him, “You had any training before ?” The remark is quite tactless and reveals Professor’s self-pride and his tendency to show off. It, no doubt, annoys his senior. Even his juniors feel that he has crossed the limits by publicly correcting the Sergeant as to what the exact speed of the bullet is. Intelligent reading is good, but the way it is used matters a lot. Private Quelch uses his knowledge for self-promotion and, that too, tactlessly. No wonder, he gets his career jeopardized by infuriating Corporal Turnbull.
Question 5:
Although the Professor was knowledgeable and willing to share his knowledge with his mates, they avoided crossing paths with him. Comment with reference to ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much.’ (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Knowledgeable persons are sometimes avoided by their friends and associates. It is so because no one wants to be overshadowed all the time by someone. Private Quelch or the Professor has acquired much knowledge about his field. When he begins to outdo his fellow trainees with his superior knowledge they begin to avoid him. One day at the end of a tiring, thirty mile route march he suggested with his horrible heartiness, “What about a song chaps ?” No one greeted the suggestion. Day in and day out he began to lecture to them in his droning, remorseless voice on every aspect of human knowledge. Very soon his peers were in an awe of him. He was made a butt of sarcasms and jokes.
Question 6:
What were the negative characteristics of Private Quelch’s character ? Explain any four. (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Private Quelch was a hardworking, simple-minded fellow. But he has some glaring negative personality traits. He was in the bad habit of showing off his knowledge. He would lose no opportunity to do so. Then he was quite tactless. He did not know that it was not good to interrupt one’s seniors in an effort to impress them. He was also ready to correct others in public. He was unaware that one feels embarrassed and humiliated if corrected before strangers. He was also a very condescending person. He would sometimes try to please his seniors by outshining others. All these character traits made him unpopular among both his seniors and juniors.
Question 7:
What were the positive characteristics of Private Quelch’s character ? Explain any four. (CBSE 2014)
Answer:
Private Quelch was a hardworking fellow. He would spend a lot of time in reading books and manuals. He wanted to acquire as much knowledge as possible. Indeed, he was a highly knowledgeable person. He could recall the minor details of what he had read. Then he was quite helpful. Whenever he found someone doing something wrong, he extended his helping hand willingly. He seemed to be free from ill-will against anyone. He did not pay any attention to his fellow trainees’ sarcasms and jokes. He had no grudge even against Corporal Turnbull. He seemed to be happy and contented with his duties in the cookhouse.
Question 8:
“As a punishment Quelch was put on kitchen duties.”
Imagine yourself as the author of the story “The Man Who Knew Too Much”. Write a letter to your friend explaining the reason for giving him such punishment. (CBSE 2012)
Answer:
10 Green House
Mountain Top, MA
3rd March, 20…….
Dear George Hope you’re fine!
Thank you for reading my story. You have protested against the unjust punishment given to Private Quelch. You will agree with me that showing off one’s knowledge to belittle others in public is not a minor offence. It can infuriate anyone. Corporal Turnbull, if you remember, is a severe, hardy person.
How can he ignore anyone’s snub ? He acts as per his character traits. If he does not punish the Professor he will be acting against his own nature. So he sends him to kitchen so that he dare not cross his path again. Private Quelch, according to me, deserves punishment, and that is the message of the story : don’t cross the limits of decency even if you’re right.
Hope you’ll agree with me. Or we can agree to disagree. What do you say ?
Yours sincerely
Alexander
Question 9:
‘Each time one of us made a mistake the Professor would publicly correct him.’
The ‘Professor’ was in the habit of finding faults. He would criticize anyone in public. Do you approve or disapprove his behaviour ? Should we make fun of others in public, even if they are wrong ? What would be the consequences if we do so ?
Answer:
Private Quelch, called ‘Professor’ in jest, was in the habit of finding faults, sermonizing and publicly correcting others. He was not tactful, as he berated even his seniors in public, for which he had to suffer. He was sent on an unimportant duty in the kitchen.
We disapprove his behaviour. We should not berate anyone in public even if he is at fault or his knowledge is imperfect. We should particularly be careful while dealing with our superiors. Our superiors who can harm us will not tolerate any public criticism, however fair they may be.
If we persist in criticising and correcting others in public, we are likely to invite trouble. The person thus criticised will feel humiliated and react in some way or the other. He may assault us physically in anger. If in power, he may harm our career in some way. So, we should be tactful and practical. We should show off our knowledge only when it is safe and desirable to do so.
Question 10:
You are ‘Professor’. Write a diary entry after your first day at the cookhouse, describing the events that led to this assignment, also express your thoughts and feelings about the events of the day in about 150 words.
Answer:
2nd January, 20………… , Wednesday
10 p.m.
I am sad at what happened today. I am peeling potatoes in the cookhousesomething I had never dreamt of. I know it will be very difficult for me to get the active duties once again. Corporal Turnbull is really angry with me.
I don’t know what possessed me when I could not contain myself and interrupted the Corporal when he was explaining the structure of the grenade. When he asked me to give the lecture in his place, I did not realize its implications. In my zeal to prove myself I spoke on the subject well. My colleagues seemed to be overawed. They were silent and perhaps knew better than me what was in my store. The Corporal got really offended with my approach. He said nothing but sent me to the cookhouse.
I know it is a punishment duty. But what can I do ? Even here when I find people doing something wrong, I fail to check myself and try to correct them. People call it ‘sermonizing’. Whatever it is, it is. I cannot overlook ignorance. Of course, I shall try to be a bit more rational and tactful in future.