Q1. [5]
Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read. Following him down the musty corridor of the gloomy French hotel where Ausable had a room, Fowler felt let down. It was a small room, on the sixth and top floor and scarcely a setting for a romantic adventure. 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.
Read the given extract and answer the questions:
- (i) Which of the following describes how Fowler felt on seeing Ausable for the first time? [1]
- (A) excited and happy
- (B) indifferent and disgusted
- (C) surprised and disappointed
- (D) envious and in awe
- (ii) How did the hotel's atmosphere influence Fowler's mood? [2]
- (iii) Fill in the blank with the correct word from the bracket:
Ausable's reaction on seeing how Fowler felt shows that he was _______. (observant/ embarrassed) [1]
- (iv) In what way does Ausable defy the typical spy image? [1]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 2/5/1 Q6(A)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:17 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
(i) (C) surprised and disappointed
(ii) The hotel had a musty corridor and a gloomy atmosphere, and Ausable's room was small and on the sixth floor — scarcely a setting for a romantic adventure. This dull, uninspiring environment deepened Fowler's sense of disappointment, making him feel that his expectations of an exciting spy world would not be met.
(iii) Ausable's reaction shows that he was observant. Without Fowler saying a word, he immediately said, "You are disappointed," proving he noticed and read his guest's feelings accurately.
(iv) Ausable defies the typical spy image because he was very fat and spoke with a thick American accent he had never lost — unlike the sharp, mysterious secret agents Fowler had read about.
Source: The Midnight Visitor, Opening/Introduction section
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Explanation
- (i) The extract clearly states Fowler "felt let down" — that is disappointment; "surprised" fits because Ausable was nothing like what he expected.
- (ii) 2-mark answers need two clear points developed briefly: the physical description of the hotel AND its effect on Fowler's mood.
- (iii) "Observant" is the correct pick — Ausable noticed Fowler's feelings without being told; he was not embarrassed, he chuckled.
- (iv) Quote or closely paraphrase the text: fat + American accent = opposite of the classic spy image. Keep it to one line for 1 mark.
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