LESSON: AN ASTROLOGER’S DAY

1. Who wrote the story "An Astrologer's Day?

Ans. R.K. Narayan.

2. Where did here did the astrologer carry on his job under a tree on a busy road. “That did the astrologer wear round his head?

Ans. A saffron coloured turban.

3. What did he mark his forehead with?

Ans. With sacred ash and vermilion.

4. What did the vendor sell who passed the way where the astrologer carried on his work?

Ans. He sold fried groundnut.

5. How did the vendor attract the customers?

Ans. He would give his fouts some fancy names to attract the customers.

7. The astrologer had to leave his village without telling anyone. Why?

Ans. Because he had stabbed a man.

8. Who had the astrologer stabbed in his village?

Ans. Guru Nayak recognize the astrologer

9. Could Guru Naya

10. What did the astrologer tell his wife when he came back home that night? Ans. He told her that he had been relieved of a great burden.

Ans1 The astrologer’s professional equipment included cowrie shells, a magical chart, a notebook etc.

Ans2 His face looked bright with sacred ash vermilion (red lead) on forehead, saffron turban on head and a glean in eyes.

Ans3 He sat under a tree in the Town Hall Park.

Ans4 The other professionals were-medicine sellers, junk dealers, magic vender etc.

Ans5 He called them ‘Bombay Ice Cream’, ’Delhi Almond’ and Raja’s Delicacy’.

Ans6 The astrologer carried on his business by the light above the heap of vendor’s groundnut.

Ans7 The astrologer was as much ignorant of astronomy as were his innocent customers.

Ans8 He would have carried on the work of his forefathers.

Ans9 He let his client to speak first for at least ten minutes. It provided him enough stuff to guess their problems.

Ans10 The client’s demand was that he tells something worthwhile his future.

Ans11 Because he discovered that he was the same man he thought he had murdered.

Ans12 He told her that a big load was off his mind that day.

Long Q/A

Ans1 The astrologer is the main character of the story ‘An Astrologer’s Day. This interesting story is written by R.K. Narayan. The astrologer lives a simple life. He belongs to a village. His forefathers were farmers. He has become an astrologer not by choice, but by compulsion. He has cowrie shells, a magical chart, a notebook etc. His face looked bright with sacred ash vermilion (red lead) on forehead, saffron turban on head and a glean in eyes. He sat under a tree in the Town Hall Park. He was as much ignorant of astronomy as were his innocent customers. He let his client to speak first for at least ten minutes. It provided him enough stuff to guess their problems. With experience, he has learned the tricks of trade.

Questions 1-3: Compete each sentence with the correct ending, A-D, below.

Write the correct letter A-D for each statement.

1 Guru Nayak wanted to know ___________.

2 According to the astrologer ___________.

3 Guru Nayak’s enemy had died ___________.

A Guru Nayak could never have revenge

B rub the ash on forehead

C when he could have revenge

D four months ago

Questions 4-8: Use ONLY ONE WORD to fi in the banks.

“Take this 4______ powder and be gone. I see once again a great 5 ______ to your if you go anywhere away from your home.” He took a 6 _____ of sacred ash and had it out to him. “Rub it on your 7 ______ and be gone. Never travel 8_____ again and you to be a hundred.”

Questions 1-3: Choose the correct option to describe the given character.

9 Guru Nayak

A shrewd B vengeful C kind

10 Astrooger

A kind B creduous C shrewd

READING (PASSAGE)

A The astrologer had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles: marriage, money and the tangles of human ties. Long practice had sharpened his perception. Within five minutes, he understood what was wrong. He charged three pies per question, never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes which provided him enough stuff for a dozen

Answers and advices. When he told the person before him, gazing at his palm, “In many ways you are not getting the fullest results for your efforts,” nine out of ten were disposed to agree with him. Or he questioned: “Is there any woman in your family, may be a distant relative who is not well-disposed towards you?” Or he gave an analysis of character: “Most of your troubles are due to your nature. How can you be otherwise with Saturn where he is? You have an impetuous nature and a rough exterior.” This endeared him to their hearts immediately, for even the mildest of us loves to think that he has a forbidding exterior.”

B The nut vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home. This was a signal for the astrologer to bundle up too, since it left him in darkness except for a little shaft green light which strayed in from somewhere and touched the ground before him. He picked up his cowrie shells and paraphernalia and was putting them back into his bag when the green shaft of light was blotted out: he looked up and saw a man standing before him. He sensed a possible client and said, “You look so careworn. It will do you good to sit down for a while and chat with me.” The other man grumble some reply vaguely. The astrologer pressed his invitation: whereupon the other thrust his palm under his nose, saying: “You call yourself an astrologer?” The astrologer felt challenged and said, tilting the other’s palm towards the green shaft of light: “Yours is a nature.....” “Oh, stop that”, the other said. “Tell me something worthwhile.......... “

Questions 1-3: The above Reading Passage has two paragraphs, A and B.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

1 The working methodology of the astrologer. Paragraph ___________

2 Frustration of the client. Paragraph ___________

3 The astrologer was a good judge of character. Paragraph ___________

Questions 4-8: Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

4 Which word in paragraph A me

Ans ‘impulsive’?

A immediately B mildest C impetuous

5 Find the synonym of the word, ‘unclearly’ in paragraph B.

A vaguely B careworn C thrust

6 In order to his business in the evening, the astrologer depended on the ________ for light.