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Answer the following questions :, Q. 1. When did the astrologer usually start his day’s business?, Answer: The astrologer usually started his day’s business punctually at midday., Q. 2. Why did the astrologer think he had committed a murder?, Answer: The astrologer had a fight with Guru Nayak and had thrown him in a well and he supposed him to be dead. So the astrologer thought he had committed the murder of Guru Nayak., Q. 3. What mark did Guru Nayak have on his chest?, Answer: Guru Nayak had a mark of injury of knife on his chest., Q. 4. How much money did the astrologer usually charge per question?, Answer: The astrologer usually charged three pies per question., Q. 5. What made the astrologer’s forehead look grand?, Answer: The astrologer’s forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion and his eyes sparkled with abnormal gleam and this made the astrologer’s forehead look grand., Q. 6. How did the astrologer know the name of his customer?, Answer: The astrologer knew the name of his customer because he was from his hometown and an old friend of him., Q. 7. Describe the place where the astrologer set up his daily business., Answer: The astrologer set up his daily business at a path running through the Town Hall Park. He sat under the boughs of a spreading tamarind tree which flanked a path running through the Town Hall Park. It was remarkable in many ways: a surging crowd was always moving up and down this narrow road morning till night. A variety of trades and occupations was represented all along its way: medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians and above all, an auctioneer of cheap cloth, who created enough din all day to attract the whole town. Next to him in vociferousness came a vendor of fried groundnut, who gave his ware a fancy came each day, calling it “Bombay Ice Cream” one day, and on the next “Delhi Almond” and on the third “Raja’s Delicacy”, and so forth and people flocked to him. A considerable portion of this crowd dialled before the astrologer too. The astrologer transacted his business by the light of a flare which crackled and smoked up above the groundnut heap nearby. The place was lit up by shop lights. It was a bewildering crisscross of light rays and moving shadows. In short, the place was perfect for the astrologer’s business., Q.8. If the astrologer had stayed in the village then he would have carried on _______., Ans: If the astrologer had stayed in the village then he would have carried on the work of his forefathers – namely, tilling the his cornfield and ancestral home., Q.9. the astrologer could understand the problem in five minutes. How?, Ans: The astrologer had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles: marriage, money, and the tangles of human ties. Long practice had sharpened his perception. That’s how he could understand the problem in five minutes., Q.10. how could the astrologer tell the person about his life?, Ans: The astrologer never opened his mouth till his client had spoken for at least ten minutes, which provided him enough time to form a dozen answers and advices. He had a working analysis of mankind’s common troubles. He utilised the time spent in silence to collate his experience and common understanding of life’s problems to tell the person about his life., Q.11. what do you understand by the author’s statement that the astrologer deserved the wages he carried home at the end of the day?, Ans: The statement means that the earnings of the astrologer were a result of a hard day’s work. Even though he did not really know astrology, he did a good job of delighting and convincing his customers by telling them what they wanted to hear. So, it was as much an honest man’s labour like any other., Q.12. The astrologer had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles. What can you infer about him from this remark?, Ans: The astrologer did not really know astrology but by virtue of his study, practice and shrewd guesswork, he could say pleasant and astonishing things to his customers. He generically knew about mankind’s troubles such as marriage, money, relationships and said vague but delightful things to them that endeared him to their hearts., Q. 13. The astrologer never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes. Discuss the reasons behind his act., Ans: . he is good at reading the people, ii. he needs to buy time to frame his answers to the questions of his clients., iii. he uses the time to weigh the client’s concerns against the working analysis of human problems that he is an expert at., iv. he possibly takes his time to impress on the client that he is working hard to resolve the latter’s problem., Q.14. What are the reasons behind the astrologer’s success in his profession?, Ans:The astrologer wore a professionally suitable appearance with vermilion and sacred ash on his forehead, saffron-coloured turban around his head and dark whiskers streaming down his cheeks. Also, he knew the tricks of his trade and said all the pleasing things to his customers, which endeared him to them. Moreover, he practised in a bustling marketplace where he could attract his customers easily. All these reasons made him successful in his profession., Q.15. Do you think that one can’t judge a person by his or her appearance?, Ans: Yes, I agree that one should not form an opinion of someone purely based on what appears on the surface. Upon a closer look, the person may turn out to be much more meritorious than the appearance suggests. On the contrary, someone looking very virtuous from outside may not prove worthy of the expectations upon a deeper analysis. This wisdom is aptly cared in the a cover.”, Q. 16. In your opinion, is astrology a true science?, Ans: In my opinion, astrology is not a science. There is no scientific evidence to prove the influence of stars and other heavenly bodies on one’s personality and future. It is merely an orthodox belief system based on superstition., Q.17. What can you infer about the stranger’s nature-based on his interaction with the astrologer?, Ans: The stranger deals roughly with the astrologer by thrusting his palm under the astrologer’s nose and challenging his professional skills. He also forces the astrologer to enter a challenge much against his wish. Based on his interaction with the astrologer, we can infer that the stranger is a rogue person., Q.18. What is the likely reason that the astrologer later tries to avoid the stranger, even though he had first suggested the latter to seek his help?, Ans: The astrologer caught a glimpse of the stranger’s face by the matchlight while the latter lit a cheroot. The stranger sat down there ruthlessly, sucking his cheroot and puffing out. All this made the astrologer feel uncomfortable and hence he tried to thereafter avoid the stranger., Q.19. In your opinion, is it appropriate to force someone to accept a challenge against his or her wish?, Ans: In my opinion, it is not at all appropriate to impose a challenge on someone. A challenge should be entered with mutual consent of those involved and not by bullying tactics. No one has the right to impose one’s will on the other without his or her agreement on the matter involved. A forced challenge can negatively impact the morale and mental balance of the person in question and is hence not a healthy situation to be in., Q.20. What was the load on the astrologer’s mind?, Ans: The astrologer thought that he had the blood of a man on his hands all those years after he fled from his home. This means that the guilt of having murdered a man was the load on the astrologer’s mind., Q.21. The astrologer feels relieved that Guru is not dead as it relieves a great burden from him. Critically justify the statement and explain it., Ans: The astrologer feels relieved to discover that Guru is not dead. This is so because the astrologer had attempted to kill Guru in his early age and left him for dead. To know that Guru isn’t dead must have acquitted him of the guilt of being an assassin. Hence, it unburdened him from the prick of conscience., Q.22. The astrologer has changed his appearance and his persona when he arrived in the city. Give specific reasons., Ans: The astrologer had moved out from his native village to the city after attempting to kill a man, whom he had left for dead. He had to disguise his true identity to avoid being caught. Also, he had to make a living and begin a new life in the city after absconding from his village. For these reasons, the astrologer had to change his appearance and persona when he arrived in the city., Q.24. The man was left for dead because _______., Ans: The man was left for dead because there was no chance of his survival after he was brutally attacked with knife in the chest by his assailant and then pushed into a well nearby in the field.