Q6 of 23 Page 137

Did Ernest believe that the old prophecy had come true? What did he say about it?

Ernest did not believe that the old prophecy had come true. He just finished the talk and went home with the poet, still hoping that a greater man than him who resembled the Great Stone Face would come.


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5

Write ‘Ernest’ or ‘Poet’, against each statement below.

(i) There was a gap between his life and his words.


(ii) His words had the power of truth as they agreed with his thoughts.


(iii) His words were as soothing as a heavenly song but only as useful as a vague dream.


(iv) His thoughts were worthy.


(v) Whatever he said was truth itself.


(vi) His poems were noble.


(vii) His life was nobler than all the poems.


(viii) He lacked faith in his own thoughts.


(ix) His thoughts have power as they agreed with the life he lived.


(x) Greatness lies in truth. Truth is best expressed in one’s actions. He was truthful, therefore he was great.

 6

Who, by common consent, turned out to be like the Great Stone Face?

 1

Mark the meaning that best fits the word or a phrase in the story.











































(i) (sun) going down



(a) becoming smaller


(b) weakening


(c) setting



(ii) brightening



(a) making (it) look bright and cheerful.


(b) lending (it) a special glow


(c) causing (it) to appear hopeful.



(iii) spacious



(a) lonely and wild


(b) big and wide


(c) special and important



(iv) prophecy



(a) proverb


(b) prediction


(c) rumour



(v) marvellous



(a) wonderful


(b) surprising


(c) shocking



(vi) proclaim



(a) reveal


(b) declare


(c) shout



(vii) cease



(a) happen


(b) stop


(c) remain



(viii) (a night’s) shelter



(a) stay


(b) safety


(c) hospitality



(ix) gazed



(a) wandered about


(b) stared at


(c) thought of



(x) took on (an Expression)



(a) challenged


(b) resembled


(c) assumed


 2

Read the following sentences.

(a) I do hope I’ll live to see him.


(b) He will come! Fear not, Earnest: the man will come.


(c) Gathergold is arriving tomorrow, people said.


(d) Blood-and-Thunder starts his journey back to the valley next week, everyone proclaimed.


(e) The great man is going to spend his old age in his native town.


Notice that in the above sentences, verbs in bold type are in four different forms, denoting four important ways of expressing future time. None of these can be said to be exclusively used to show future time, though each is used to refer to some action in future.