Q1. [5]
"It's not my balcony," Ausable said with extreme irritation. "It belongs to the next apartment." He glanced explanatorily at Fowler. "You see," he said, "this room used to be part of a large unit, and the next room — through that door there — used to be the living room. It had the balcony, which extends under my window now. You can get onto it from the empty room two doors down — and somebody did, last month. The management promised to block it off. But they haven't."
Read the following extract and answer the questions:
- (i) What was the management supposed to do regarding the balcony? [1]
- (ii) Which of the following was the reason that irritated Ausable about the balcony? [1]
- A its size and layout
- B its location relative to his apartment
- C its accessibility from the neighbouring unit
- D its maintenance by the apartment management
- (iii) How does Ausable's detailed explanation of the balcony's history and current accessibility contribute to the atmosphere of suspense or tension in the story? Answer in about 40 words. [2]
- (iv) Fill in the blank with the correct word from the brackets.
The reference to 'last month' and 'now' adds to a sense of _________ (reconciliation/mystery). [1]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2025 2/3/1 Q6(b)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:17 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
(i) The management was supposed to block off the balcony so that no one could access Ausable's room through it.
(ii) C — its accessibility from the neighbouring unit.
(iii) Ausable's detailed explanation makes the balcony seem real and credible. By mentioning that someone had already used it "last month" and that the management failed to block it, he creates a sense of ongoing danger and vulnerability. This raises tension, as it suggests the room is not fully secure.
(iv) The reference to 'last month' and 'now' adds to a sense of mystery.
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Explanation
- (i) Direct retrieval from the passage: "The management promised to block it off."
- (ii) Ausable's irritation is specifically about the balcony being reachable from an empty room two doors down — i.e., its accessibility from a neighbouring unit (C). Do not confuse with maintenance (D), which is secondary.
- (iii) Examiners want you to connect the fabricated detail with dramatic/narrative effect — the story sounds convincing precisely because it is specific, which makes Max believe it, creating deadly suspense.
- (iv) The past reference ("last month") and present vulnerability ("now") build an atmosphere of mystery — not reconciliation, which has no relevance here.
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