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An Astrologers Day: WBCHSE Class 11 English MCQs
Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, extra MCQs, PDF for R. K. Narayan’s An Astrologers Day: WBCHSE Class 11 English Literature textbook A Realm of English (B) Selection, which is part of the Semester I syllabus for students studying under WBBSE (West Bengal Board-Uccha Madhyamik). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
If you notice any errors in the notes, please mention them in the comments
Summary
An astrologer started his workday at midday in a busy park. He wore sacred ash and a saffron turban to look wise. He was not a real astrologer and knew nothing about the stars. He was good at guessing people’s problems through practice and observation. The story says people were attracted to him like bees to flowers. This means many people gathered around him because he seemed interesting. He sat near other sellers, like a man who sold fried groundnuts, and used the light from their stalls to work.
One night, as he was about to go home, a stranger challenged him. The astrologer felt scared when he saw the man’s face in the light of a match. The stranger, whose name was Guru Nayak, wanted to find the man who had tried to kill him long ago. The astrologer used this opportunity. He told the stranger exactly what had happened to him: he was stabbed with a knife and pushed into a well.
The astrologer then told the stranger that his enemy had died a few months ago, crushed under a lorry. He advised Guru Nayak to return to his village and never travel south again to stay safe. The stranger was pleased to hear his enemy was dead. He paid the astrologer and left.
When the astrologer got home, he gave the coins to his wife. He told her that a great burden had been lifted from him. He confessed that he was the one who had attacked Guru Nayak in their village many years ago after a fight. He had run away thinking he had killed the man. Knowing that Guru Nayak was alive brought him great relief.
Textbook MCQ solutions
1. How does the astrologer make his living?
a) By accurately predicting the future of his clients
b) By selling fake horoscopes to unsuspecting customers
c) By performing elaborate rituals to appease the Gods
d) By offering advice on various life matters to his clients
Answer: d) By offering advice on various life matters to his clients
2. What is the turning point of the story that leads to the astrologer’s realisation?
a) He finds a valuable gem stone while strolling through the market place
b) He encounters a man from the past whom he had tried to kill
c) He discovers that his wife has been cheating on him
d) He meets a wealthy client who offers him a large sum of money
Answer: b) He encounters a man from the past whom he had tried to kill
Additional MCQs
1. What was part of the astrologer’s professional equipment?
A. A crystal ball
B. A dozen cowrie shells
C. A set of tarot cards
D. A brass telescope
Answer: B. A dozen cowrie shells
2. What was the color of the turban the astrologer wound around his head?
A. Royal blue
B. Crimson
C. Saffron
D. Emerald green
Answer: C. Saffron
3. Under the boughs of which tree did the astrologer conduct his business?
A. A banyan tree
B. A mango tree
C. A peepal tree
D. A tamarind tree
Answer: D. A tamarind tree
4. What was the primary source of light for the astrologer’s business in the evening?
A. A municipal street lamp
B. The flare from a groundnut vendor’s heap
C. An old cycle lamp he owned
D. The light from a magician’s fire
Answer: B. The flare from a groundnut vendor’s heap
5. Which of the following names did the vendor of fried groundnuts use for his ware?
A. Madras Delight
B. Calcutta Crunch
C. Bombay Ice-Cream
D. Poona Peanut
Answer: C. Bombay Ice-Cream
6. How much did the astrologer truly know about the stars?
A. He was a master of the craft
B. He had studied them since childhood
C. He knew no more about them than his customers
D. He learned from ancient palmyra texts
Answer: C. He knew no more about them than his customers
7. What work would the astrologer have carried on if he had remained in his village?
A. Weaving cloth
B. Tilling the land
C. Working as a moneylender
D. Running the village shop
Answer: B. Tilling the land
8. For how long did the astrologer typically let a client speak before he offered any answers?
A. One minute
B. Five minutes
C. At least ten minutes
D. Half an hour
Answer: C. At least ten minutes
9. What did the stranger first fling at the astrologer as payment for some questions?
A. Three pice
B. An anna
C. A rupee
D. Five rupees
Answer: B. An anna
10. After some haggling, what amount did the stranger agree to pay if the astrologer’s answers were convincing?
A. Eight annas
B. Five rupees
C. One rupee
D. Twelve and a half annas
Answer: C. One rupee
11. What was the first thing the astrologer told the stranger that made him say, “Ah, tell me more”?
A. “A woman has betrayed you.”
B. “You have lost a great fortune.”
C. “You were left for dead.”
D. “You are searching for a lost relative.”
Answer: C. “You were left for dead.”
12. According to the astrologer, what weapon had passed through the stranger’s body in the past?
A. A bullet
B. A spear
C. An arrow
D. A knife
Answer: D. A knife
13. What name did the astrologer call the stranger, causing him to be taken aback?
A. Vijay Kumar
B. Guru Nayak
C. Mohan Lal
D. Ram Singh
Answer: B. Guru Nayak
14. What crucial piece of advice did the astrologer give to Guru Nayak?
A. To find his attacker and forgive him
B. To seek his revenge in the next town
C. To move to the city and start a new life
D. To go home and never travel southward again
Answer: D. To go home and never travel southward again
15. What fate did the astrologer claim had befallen the man who attacked Guru Nayak?
A. He died of a fever in a far-off town
B. He was crushed under a lorry
C. He was hanged for another crime
D. He drowned while crossing a river
Answer: B. He was crushed under a lorry
16. How much money did the astrologer’s wife count from the coins he brought home that night?
A. Eight annas
B. One rupee
C. Five rupees
D. Twelve and a half annas
Answer: D. Twelve and a half annas
17. What “great load” did the astrologer tell his wife was gone from him that day?
A. The fear of being discovered as a fake
B. The burden of a large debt
C. The thought that he had the blood of a man on his hands
D. The guilt of abandoning his parents
Answer: C. The thought that he had the blood of a man on his hands
18. What was the reason the astrologer had run away from his home village as a youngster?
A. He was escaping an arranged marriage
B. He had stolen from the village temple
C. He was seeking fame and fortune in the city
D. He had quarreled, drank, and gambled
Answer: D. He had quarreled, drank, and gambled
19. Which of the following was NOT part of the astrologer’s professional equipment?
A. A dozen cowrie shells
B. A square piece of cloth with mystic charts
C. A crystal ball
D. A bundle of palmyra writing
Answer: C. A crystal ball
20. Which of the following statements about the astrologer’s method is NOT accurate?
A. He allowed his clients to speak for ten minutes to gather information.
B. He used shrewd guesswork and a practical understanding of human problems.
C. He had no genuine knowledge of the stars and was a stranger to them.
D. He performed elaborate rituals with his equipment to predict the future.
Answer: D. He performed elaborate rituals with his equipment to predict the future.
21. Which of the following is NOT true about the location where the astrologer conducted his business?
A. He sat under the boughs of a spreading tamarind tree.
B. The area was well-lit by bright municipal lighting.
C. It was a crowded path in the Town Hall Park.
D. His spot was lit by a flare from a nearby groundnut vendor.
Answer: B. The area was well-lit by bright municipal lighting.
22. Which of the following statements about the astrologer’s past is NOT true?
A. He left his village without telling anyone.
B. He would have been a farmer, tilling the land, if he had stayed home.
C. He ran away from home because he thought he had murdered a man.
D. He came from a long line of astrologers and was trained by his father.
Answer: D. He came from a long line of astrologers and was trained by his father.
23. Which of the following details was NOT part of the astrologer’s description of the attack on the stranger?
A. He had been stabbed with a knife.
B. He was pushed into a well in a field.
C. He was robbed of all his money and valuables.
D. He was left for dead by his attacker.
Answer: C. He was robbed of all his money and valuables.
24. Which of the following vendors is NOT mentioned as being present along the path in the park?
A. An auctioneer of cheap cloth
B. A seller of fresh flowers
C. Sellers of stolen hardware and junk
D. A vendor of fried groundnuts
Answer: B. A seller of fresh flowers
25. Which of the following events did NOT occur during the encounter between the astrologer and the stranger, Guru Nayak?
A. The astrologer recognized the stranger by the light of a match.
B. The stranger held the astrologer’s wrist to prevent him from leaving.
C. The astrologer told the stranger that his attacker had been crushed by a lorry.
D. The stranger recognized the astrologer as the man who attacked him years ago.
Answer: D. The stranger recognized the astrologer as the man who attacked him years ago.
26. Which of the following was NOT part of the advice the astrologer gave to Guru Nayak?
A. He should take the next train and return to his village.
B. He should never travel southward again.
C. He should seek revenge on his attacker’s family.
D. He was told that his attacker was already dead.
Answer: C. He should seek revenge on his attacker’s family.
27. The astrologer’s professional equipment included a dozen cowrie shells, a notebook, a bundle of palmyra writing, and a square piece of cloth with obscure __________ on it.
A. mystic charts
B. star maps
C. holy scriptures
D. client names
Answer: A. mystic charts
28. To complete his look, the astrologer wound a __________ turban around his head.
A. deep blue
B. saffron-colored
C. stark white
D. jet black
Answer: B. saffron-colored
29. The astrologer set up his business under the boughs of a spreading __________ tree.
A. banyan
B. mango
C. tamarind
D. peepal
Answer: C. tamarind
30. The astrologer’s eyes sparkled with a gleam that his clients took for a prophetic light, but was actually an outcome of a continual __________ for customers.
A. searching look
B. divine blessing
C. meditative state
D. inner wisdom
Answer: A. searching look
31. A vendor of __________ created a lot of noise next to the astrologer, giving his ware fancy names each day.
A. cheap cloth
B. fried groundnuts
C. stolen hardware
D. magical charms
Answer: B. fried groundnuts
32. The dim and varied lighting of the place suited the astrologer because he knew __________ about astrology as his customers.
A. everything
B. very little
C. more
D. nothing
Answer: D. nothing
33. The astrologer had left his village because he had __________.
A. inherited a fortune in the city
B. been exiled by the village elders
C. quarrelled and thought he had killed a man
D. received a calling to become an astrologer
Answer: C. quarrelled and thought he had killed a man
34. The astrologer’s method involved letting the client talk for ten minutes, which provided him enough stuff for a dozen __________.
A. prayers and chants
B. horoscopes and charts
C. answers and advices
D. rituals and offerings
Answer: C. answers and advices
35. The astrologer caught a glimpse of the stranger’s face by the light of a __________ he lit.
A. flare
B. gaslight
C. match
D. cycle lamp
Answer: C. match
36. The stranger, Guru Nayak, was searching for the man who had __________.
A. stolen his family’s jewels
B. cheated him in a business deal
C. tried to kill him and left him for dead
D. predicted a false future for him
Answer: C. tried to kill him and left him for dead
37. The astrologer told the stranger that the man he was looking for had died four months ago after being __________.
A. struck by lightning
B. crushed under a lorry
C. drowned in a river
D. bitten by a snake
Answer: B. crushed under a lorry
38. The astrologer advised Guru Nayak to take the next train home and never to travel __________ again.
A. by cart
B. alone at night
C. northward
D. southward
Answer: D. southward
39. At the end of the day, the astrologer’s wife counted __________ from the coins he gave her.
A. one rupee
B. eight annas
C. twelve and a half annas
D. five rupees
Answer: C. twelve and a half annas
40. The astrologer confessed to his wife that a great load was gone from him because he discovered that the man he thought he had killed was __________.
A. still alive
B. had forgiven him
C. had moved away
D. was a criminal
Answer: A. still alive
41. (I) The astrologer’s eyes sparkled with a sharp gleam.
(II) His simple clients believed this was a prophetic light and felt comforted.
A. I is a contradiction of II.
B. I is independent of II.
C. II is an example of I.
D. I is the cause for II.
Answer: D. I is the cause for II.
42. (I) The astrologer was as much a stranger to the stars as his customers.
(II) He made his living through study, practice, and shrewd guesswork.
A. I is the cause for II.
B. I is a contradiction of II.
C. II is an example of I.
D. I is independent of II.
Answer: A. I is the cause for II.
43. (I) The astrologer told the stranger that he had been pushed into a well and left for dead.
(II) The stranger was overwhelmed by enthusiasm and confirmed the astrologer’s statement.
A. I is independent of II.
B. I is the result of II.
C. I is the cause for II.
D. I is a contradiction of II.
Answer: C. I is the cause for II.
44. Statement 1: The astrologer told Guru Nayak that his attacker had been crushed under a lorry.
Statement 2: The astrologer himself was the attacker and was still alive.
A. Statement 1 is true, and Statement 2 is false.
B. Both the statements are true.
C. Both the statements are false.
D. Statement 1 is false, and Statement 2 is true.
Answer: B. Both the statements are true.
45. (I) The astrologer had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles like marriage and money.
(II) He would tell a client, “In many ways you are not getting the fullest results for your efforts.”
A. I is a contradiction of II.
B. II is an example of I.
C. I is independent of II.
D. I is the cause for II.
Answer: B. II is an example of I.
46. (I) The stranger lit a cheroot, and the astrologer saw his face by the matchlight.
(II) The astrologer felt very uncomfortable and tried to cancel the appointment.
A. I is the cause for II.
B. I is an example of II.
C. I is a contradiction of II.
D. I is independent of II.
Answer: A. I is the cause for II.
47. (I) The astrologer fled his home village many years ago.
(II) He believed he had the blood of a man on his hands from a quarrel.
A. I is an example of II.
B. I is independent of II.
C. I is a contradiction of II.
D. II is the cause for I.
Answer: D. II is the cause for I.
48. (I) The nuts-vendor blew out his flare and went home.
(II) The astrologer was left in darkness, which was a signal for him to bundle up too.
A. I is the cause for II.
B. I is a contradiction of II.
C. I is an example of II.
D. I is independent of II.
Answer: A. I is the cause for II.
49. (I) The astrologer wore a saffron-colored turban on his head.
(II) A vendor of fried groundnuts sold his ware under names like “Bombay Ice-Cream”.
A. I is the cause for II.
B. I is a contradiction of II.
C. I is independent of II.
D. II is an example of I.
Answer: C. I is independent of II.
50. (I) The astrologer felt a great load was gone from him.
(II) He discovered that the man he thought he had killed was, in fact, alive.
A. I is a contradiction of II.
B. I is independent of II.
C. II is the cause for I.
D. I is an example of II.
Answer: C. II is the cause for I.
51. Statement 1: The astrologer’s standard fee was three pice per question.
Statement 2: The stranger, Guru Nayak, paid the astrologer a full rupee as promised.
A. Both the statements are true.
B. Statement 1 is true, and Statement 2 is false.
C. Both the statements are false.
D. Statement 1 is false, and Statement 2 is true.
Answer: B. Statement 1 is true, and Statement 2 is false.
52. (I) The astrologer advised Guru Nayak to take the next train and go home.
(II) The astrologer wanted to prevent Guru Nayak from ever finding him in that town.
A. I is a contradiction of II.
B. I is independent of II.
C. II is the cause for I.
D. I is an example of II.
Answer: C. II is the cause for I.
