In this article, we are explaining The Midnight Visitor Extra Questions and Answers PDF Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet CBSE, Extra Questions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet was designed by subject expert teachers.
The Midnight Visitor Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 3
CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 3 Summary
Ausable was a secret agent in an organization. He was a fat man with a strange accent. He was an American and could speak German and French fluently. He lived in a small room on the top floor of a French hotel in Paris.
Fowler was a young and romantic writer. One day, he visited Ausable in the hope of finding some unusual happenings there. He was also a spy and dealt in espionage and danger. However, he felt disappointed at Ausable’s sight.
Ausable and Fowler spent the evening in a French music hall. Fowler was feeling bored. Ausable informed him that he would soon receive an important paper. The paper might affect the course of history. It had also made many men and women risk their lives. He had got a telephone call making an appointment in his room.
Ausable switched on the light after closing the door. There was a man with a pistol standing half way across the room. Fowler was thrilled. Ausable was surprised to see Max (another secret agent belonging to another agent’s organization) in his room. On being asked, Max informed him that he had come there at the odd hour to take from him the prospective report about some new missiles.
Ausable sat in an armchair in a serious and angry mood. He started saying that it was the second time in a month that somebody had got into his room through a balcony. Max had no knowledge about the balcony. He reported that he had a passkey. Ausable explained that the balcony belonged to the next apartment which used to be the living room. The balcony extended under his window. The management had not still blocked it off and intruders could get in from the apartment.
Max asked Fowler to sit down, rather than stand stiffly for half an hour till the report arrived. Ausable was at a loss to find how Max had learnt about the incoming report. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Fowler jumped at it. Ausable concocted another story that the Police might have come to provide him security for the important paper. Ausable told Max that the Police would enter the room any way and shoot if he did not open the door. Max got unnerved.
Max got infuriated and started backing swiftly towards the window. He opened the window with one hand behind. He wanted to escape through the balcony. He informed Ausable that he would wait on the balcony. He would shoot and take his chances if Ausable did not send the Poljce away. The knocking became louder. Somebody called Ausable repeatedly. Max dropped to the balcony, screamed loudly and died.
A waiter entered the room with a bottle and two glasses set on a tray, the drink ordered by Ausable. Fowler got perplexed. Ausable explained that he was waiting for the waiter and not for the Police. Fowler was afraid lest Max should shoot them from the balcony. Ausable assured Fowler that Max would never return.
Extract Based Questions (4 marks each)
Question 1.
Ausable was, for one thing, fat. Very fat. And then there was his accent. Though he spoke French and German passably, he had never altogether lost the American accent he had brought to Paris from Boston twenty years ago.
“You are disappointed,” Ausable said wheezily over his. shoulder.
(a) Who is Ausable ? To whome is he talking ?
(b) How is Ausable different from others of his class ?
(c) Which word in the above passage means the same as “the tone of speaking some particular language”?
(d) Name the languages mentioned in the passage. (1×4=4)
Answer:
(a) Ausable was a secret agent. He is talking to fowler, a reporter.
(b) Ausable is different from other secret agents as he is very fat. Moreover, he lives in a room where there is no environment of romantic and thrilling adventure.
(c) ‘accent’.
(d) German, French and American.
Question 2.
Max was slender, a little less than tall, with features that suggested slightly the crafty, pointed countenance of a fox. There was about him aside from the gun – nothing especially menacing.
“The report,” he murmured. “The report that is being brought to you tonight concerning some new missiles. I thought I would take it from you. It will be safer in my hands than in yours.”
(a) Who was Max ?
(b) Why had he come to Ausable’s room ? What he did thereafter ?
(c) Which word in the passage means the same as ‘cunning’ ?
(d) Which words describe Max’s physique ? (1×4=4)
Answer:
(a) Max was another secret agent.
(b) He had come to Ausable’s room demanding a secret report from him. After intruding in the room, he threatened Ausable with a pistol.
(c) ‘crafty’.
(d) Slender, Crafty features.
Question 3.
The doorknob turned. Swiftly Max pushed with his left hand to free himself from the still and drop to the balcony. And then, as he dropped, he screamed once. Shrilly.
(a) Who was there at the door ?
(b) Could Max be able to jump from balcony ? Why ?
(c) Which word in the extract means the same as ‘in a high pitch’ ?
(d) What frightened Max ? (1×4=4)
Answer:
(a) A waiter was knocking at the door.
(b) Max couldn’t be able to jump from balcony because Ausable, to save himself from Max, told him a false story about existence of a non-existent balcony.
(c) ‘shrilly’.
(d) The turning of the door knob.
Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room, a small automatic pistol in his hand, stood a man.
(a) What was the turn of events ?
(b) What did they find ?
(c) What does the word ‘authentic’ mean ?
(d) Who is the author of the story ? (1×4=4)
Answer:
(a) The atmosphere had suddenly turned interesting after initial boredom.
(b) They saw a man with an automatic pistol in his hand.
(c) genuine/real.
(d) Robert Arthur.
Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words & 2 marks each)
Question 1.
What great qualities made Ausable a successful secret agent ? [Board Term I, 2012; Set EL2 – 064]
Answer:
Ausable was a secret agent in an organization. He was alert and resourceful. He was a cool-headed person and had a lot of presence of mind.
Question 2.
Why was Fowler disappointed on seeing Ausable ? [Board Term I, NCT-2014; 2012; Set EL2 – 067]
Answer:
Fowler was disappointed on seeing Ausable who was unlike other secret agents. He was fat and sloppy with heavy American accent. He was not at all flashy or romantic like other agents.
Question 3.
Who was Max ? How did Ausable get rid of him ? [Board Term I, 2012; Set EL2 – 065]
Answer:
Max was a secret agent, who came for secret papers on missiles. Ausable outwitted him by making a false story about the balcony. Max tried to escape through it and died.
Question 4.
How did Max try to escape ? What happened to him ? [Board Term I, 2012; Set EL2 – 024]
Answer:
Max wanted to hide himself on the balcony. He put his leg over the window and jumped on to the balcony. He dropped to the balcony, screamed loudly and died.
Question 5.
Why did Ausable frame the story of the balcony ? [Board Term I, DDE-2014]
Answer:
Ausable knew that Max was scared and he used his ignorance and foolishness in his own favour. He framed the story of the balcony to convince max about the balcony which was actually non-existant. It helped Ausable to get out of a dangerous and critical situation.
Question 6.
Why did Max enter Ausable’s room ? How did he do so ? [Board Term I, 2012; Set EL2 – 035]
Answer:
Max entered Ausable’s room to take a ‘report’ regarding the new missiles. It was the report that was to be delivered to Ausable that night. He did so by using a passkey to enter.
Question 7.
The balcony plays a significant role in the story ’The midnight visitor’, How ? [Board Term I, 2014]
OR
How did the role of the balcony become significant in the story, “The Midnigh Visitor” ?
Answer:
Max thought balcony as a means to escape from the police and Ausable created the balcony which did not exist so as to dupe Max.
Question 8.
How do you know that Ausable was an intelligent secret agent ? [Board Term I, 2016-17 Set 4G1ZMWA]
Answer:
Ausable was intelligent secret agent, as he could easily fabricate stories and befoot his enemies and killed them without using a weapon.
Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words & 8 marks each)
Question 1.
What fake story was made by Ausable in the hotel room ? What made it a convincing story ?
Answer:
Ausable was a clever secret agent. One day when he entered his room, he found Max in his room who aimed at him with a pistol. Ausable did not lose his courage. He was a quick-witted man. He fabricated a story about a balcony which extended under his room window. He said that he had informed the management to block that window as anyone might enter his room using that window but till then they hadn’t. Just then there was a knocking at the door and Ausable said that he had’ called in the police to have extra protection as they were having an important paper with them. Max took the whole story as a gospel of truth. He retraced his steps, reached the window-sill and jumped down the balcony which never existed.
Question 2.
Give a character sketch of Ausable.
Answer:
Ausable was a smart, intelligent man who was a secret agent. He was very fat and sloppy. He spoke in an American accent which he had brought from Boston twenty years ago. He could speak French and German but possibly he was a spy who dealt in espionage and danger. He had a very important paper for which several men and women had risked their lives and even Max had come to him to pinch that paper. He was quick witted and had a great presence of mind. He coocked up a police story and of the balcony to befool Max. The story was so convincing that Max jumped down the window. Not for a moment did he think that it might be a fabricated story. In other words, he proved to be quite dangerous for Max though he had a great sense of humour when he talked to Fowler.
Question 3.
Why did Fowler become white faced at the end of the story ?
Answer:
When Both Fowler and Ausable entered Ausable’s room, they saw Max, a man with pistol standing halfway across the room. They were taken aback. He had come for the same report that Ausable had come to collect. It was a secret document about some missiles. Ausable cursed the balcony, under the window saying that it was the second time in the month someone had come into his room through it.’Fowler gazed out of the window, but saw no balcony. Max said that he had come in through the door, with the help of a key. Just then the door bell rang. Ausable said it was the police to check the extra protection ensuring safety of the papers. Max decided to jump out of the window into the balcony to evade from the police. As he jumped out, he screamed. There was no balcony to the window on the sixth floor. Ausable did not use strength but mind to overcome the danger. Thus, Fowler was left white faced at the end of the story.
For More Resources
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