NOTES PREPARED BY ASHAQ HUSSAIN BHAT TEACHER SCHOOL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT JAMMU AND KASHMIR
(PLAY) A STRANGE TRAIL
SUMMARY:
Alice enters the courtroom,
where she finds the King and Queen of Hearts on their thrones, surrounded by
animals and a deck of cards. The Knave lies chained before them. Alice observes
the various features of a court of law, such as jurors writing down their names
and the White Rabbit reading the accusation that the Knave of Hearts has stolen
the Queen's tarts.
The Mad Hatter is the first witness, but the King asks him to remove his hat,
which the Hatter refuses. As Alice watches, she notices her growth again. The
Dormouse becomes upset by Alice's growth and storms off to avoid being crushed
by her. The Hatter delivers a bungled testimony, suggesting that the March Hare
said something. The Hare denies it, and the Hatter tries to explain that the
Dormouse said something, but the Dormouse falls asleep.
The King insults the Hatter's stupidity, prompting a guinea pig to start
cheering. The King commands the Hatter to stand down, and another guinea pig is
suppressed. The King permits the Hatter to leave before the Queen has time to
order one of the officers to chop off his head.
The King calls the Cook as the next witness, and the courtroom flies into
chaos. The Cook disappears, and the King demands the next witness be called.
Alice desires meaning and order in the trial, but realizes that in a world
without meaning, the search for truth and order can only be a sham. The trial
mocks the legal process, with the importance of trivial points supersedes core
issues of right and wrong, innocence, and guilt.
1.)
What did Alice remember?
Ans. Alice recalled following a
white rabbit that took her to an unfamiliar location. She witnessed several
strange beings who behaved strangely. She recalled going to the Mad Tea Party
and conversing with a king and a queen.
2.) Why, according to the
Gryphon . were the jurymen putting down their names?
Ans. Gryphon said that the
jurors were writing down their names out of concern that they might forget them
before the trial was over.
3)The first witness was: a)
Alice b) White Rabbit c) King d) Mad Hatter
Ans. The first witness was the
Mad Hatter.
4) ‘Give your evidence or I’ll
have you executed whether you’re nervous or not.
a) Who says these words and to
whom?
b) What do you mean by ‘I’ll
have you executed’?
Ans. (a) The king says these
words to the Hatter.
(b) It means, “I’ll have you
killed.”
5) What, according to Alice, is
the first wise thing that the King has said that day?
Ans. according to Alice.
The hater's bad speech was the first insightful thing the king said that day.
6) Knave denies having imitated
somebody’s handwriting. What evidence does he give?
Ans. He provided proof that the
letter was signed without a name at the end.
7) What happens when the whole
pack of cards and all the animals fall upon Alice?
Ans. Alice cries, flees in all
directions, and vanishes as they fall on her.
8) A strange trial was a dream
which Alice dreamt. (True/False)
Ans. True.
Language work
( A) Match the phrasal verbs on the left with their meaning on the
ri right:
|
A |
B |
|
i) put down ii) pick up iii) send for iv) take off v) put on vi) stare at vii) hurry up viii) look at ix) fall in x) hand over xi) beat off xii) hit out |
a) defeat b) to criticize strongly c) give d) make a line e) make haste f) write down g) see h) wear i) take in hand j) look at something continuously k) remove l) send someone a message asking them to come to see you. |
Ans. (i) – (F); (ii) – (i); (iii) – (l); (iv) – (k); (v) – (h); (vi) – (j); (vii)
– (e); (viii) – (f); (ix) – (d); (x) – (c); (xi) – (a); (xii) – b).
B.) In spoken English and
written informal English, we use short forms contractions of certain words
instead of full forms. In the play you have read, there are many short forms.
Here are the full forms of these words.
Write the short forms of these
words in the space provided. Two have been done for you. You can find all the
words in the text.
Full Form Short Form
I
have = I’ve
I am = I’m
I am
not = I’m not
That is
wrong = That’s wrong
Let us
try = Let’s try
That is
all = That’s all
The trial
is beginning=the trial’s beginning
It is
happening = It’s happening
You have
not met = You’ve not met
He is
wearing = He’s wearing
She does
not like = She doesn’t like
You had
better = You’d better
They are
putting = They're putting
They would
get = They’d get
It is not
mine = It’s not mine
You would
not = You wouldn’t
I cannot
help = I can’t help
You have no
right = You've not right
Do not
talk = Don’t talk
I did
not = I didn’t
Shall
not = Shan't/ shan’t
It is the
oldest = It’s the oldest
There is
more = There’s more
Here is a
piece = Here’s a piece
You do not
know = You don’t
know
We have
had = We have’d
You are
nothing =You're nothing
C) Look at
the following sentence from the text:
The King
and Queen of Hearts sit on their thrones with the whole pack of cards around
them. The underlined words show combination or collection. Now fill in the
blanks. Choose words from those given in the box. Consult a dictionary if
necessary.
|
bevy ,brood ,throng ,staff ,suite ,chest
,cluster ,litter ,string ,shoal ,chain |
1. A
_____________ of fish.
2. A
_____________ of ladies.
3. A
_____________ of rooms.
4. A
_____________ of stars.
5. A
_____________ of officials.
6. A
_____________ of people.
7. A
_____________ of chickens.
8. A
_____________ of puppies.
9. A
_____________ of drawers.
10. A
_____________ of camels.
11. A
_____________ of mountains.
|
Ans. (1) Shoal; (2) Bevy; (3) Suite; (4)
Cluster; (5) Staff; (6) Throng; (7) Brood; (8) Litter; (9) Chest; (10) Chain;
(11) Cluster. |
D.) Look at
these sentences:
That’s the
most important piece of evidence we’ve had today. Of course, I meant
unimportant. The words italicized in the two sentences from the play are
antonyms i.e., words meaning the opposite of each other. In the following
sentences, choose the antonym of the italicized word from the four options.
1. Honesty
is the best policy.
a) sobriety
b) deceit c) uprightness d) rectitude
Ans.
(b)
2. The chairman initiated the proceeding with a brief speech.
a) complicated b)
started c) closed d) confused
Ans. (c)
3. William Wordsworth is celebrated for his lucid style.
a) notorious b) unpopular
c) unknown d) renowned
Ans. (b)
4. A faithful officer is always vigilant towards his duties.
a) innocent b) ignorant
c) irresponsible
d) careless
Ans.
(d)
Let’s Write
The play is actually a dream which Alice had. Do you remember
any dream?
Write a
brief description of your dream in a paragraph.
Ans. Last
night, I had a strange dream. I found myself immersed in the vibrant, lush
beauty of the natural world. As I journeyed through the dense jungle, a
symphony of wildlife sounds surrounded me, creating a cacophony of chirping
birds, buzzing insects, and rustling leaves. The air was thick with humidity,
carrying with it the earthy scents of wet soil and tropical foliage. I
marvelled at the towering trees stretching towards the sky, their canopy
forming a verdant umbrella overhead. I encountered exotic creatures like
colourful birds, elusive jaguars, and playful monkeys, each adding to the sense
of wonder and adventure that filled their days. At night, the jungle came alive
with the haunting calls of nocturnal creatures, and the sky above shimmered with
a blanket of stars, casting a magical glow over the dense greenery below. In
this dream, I felt a deep connection to the primal rhythms of nature, and a
profound sense of peace and harmony settled within my soul as I navigated the
beautiful and mysterious world of the Amazon rainforest. In my dream, suddenly
I saw a jaguar in front of me, and I woke up with fast breathing.....
0 Comments