What was Fowler’s first impression of Ausable?
a) He looked like a typical secret agent
b) He was fat and spoke with an American accent
c) He was mysterious and dangerous
d) He was tall and athletic
Why did Fowler feel “let down” after meeting Ausable?
a) Ausable refused to meet him
b) Ausable did not match the romantic image of a secret agent
c) Ausable spoke only French
d) Ausable lived in a luxurious hotel
Assertion (A): Ausable told Max that the balcony belonged to the next apartment.
Reason (R): Ausable wanted to make Max believe there was a balcony outside his window.
Options:
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
How did Max enter Ausable’s room?
a) Through the balcony
b) Using a passkey
c) By breaking the window
d) With the help of the police
What did Ausable claim about the balcony?
a) It was his private balcony
b) It belonged to the next apartment and someone had used it before
c) It was blocked by the management
d) It did not exist at all
Assertion (A): Ausable remained calm when he saw Max with a pistol.
Reason (R): Ausable had already planned to use the non-existent balcony to trap Max.
Options:
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
Who knocked at the door?
a) The police
b) The waiter with drinks
c) Another secret agent
d) The hotel manager
What was the important paper that Max wanted?
a) A report on new missiles
b) A secret code
c) A map of Paris
d) A letter from the American embassy
Which word in the story means “ordinary and unexciting”?
a) Wheezed
b) Prosaic
c) Espionage
d) Shrilly
How did Max fall to his death?
a) He was shot by the police
b) He jumped believing there was a balcony
c) He slipped on the wet floor
d) Ausable pushed him
“And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room, a small automatic pistol in his hand, stood a man.”
i. Who is the speaker/narrator describing here?
ii. What does “first authentic thrill of the day” mean in this context?
iii. Identify the literary device used in the phrase “authentic thrill”.
iv. Why was Fowler thrilled at this moment?
“It’s not my balcony,” Ausable said with extreme irritation. “It belongs to the next apartment… somebody did, last month. The management promised to block it off. But they haven’t.”
i. Who is Ausable speaking to and about what?
ii. What information is Ausable giving about the balcony?
iii. Name the literary device used in the description of the balcony.
iv. How does this description help Ausable later in the story?
“The door opened and a waiter stood there with a tray, a bottle and two glasses. ‘Here is the drink you ordered for when you returned,’ he said…”
i. Who had ordered the drink and why?
ii. What was the actual purpose of the knock at the door according to Ausable?
iii. Identify one literary device in the extract.
iv. How did this event lead to Max’s downfall?
From the unit, fill in the blanks with the correct words:
(wheezed, prosaic, espionage, chuckled)
a) Ausable spoke in a __ manner because he was fat.
b) Fowler found the evening _ instead of exciting.
c) Secret agents are usually involved in .
d) Ausable ___ quietly when he saw Fowler’s disappointment.
Imagine you are Fowler. Write a diary entry (80–100 words) describing the events of the night you met Ausable and how your opinion of him changed.
Section B (Model points)
Extract 1: i. Narrator describing Max ii. First real moment of danger/excitement iii. Irony iv. He finally saw a real spy with a gun.
Extract 2: i. Speaking to Fowler about the balcony ii. It belonged to next room and was used before iii. Foreshadowing iv. It made Max believe the balcony existed.
Extract 3: i. Ausable had ordered it ii. He had called the waiter, not police iii. Irony/suspense iv. Max jumped thinking police had come.
Section C (Key points – 40-50 words)
1. Fat, American accent, lives in ordinary hotel room, no dramatic appearance.
2. To steal the missile report before it reached Ausable.
3. Said it belonged to next apartment, used last month, management failed to block it.
4. Shocked and confused, stammered about the police.
5. Stayed calm, invented balcony story and police visit, used waiter’s arrival cleverly.
Section D (Key content points)
1. Not romantic-looking but quick-thinking; created believable story about balcony; used waiter’s knock as police; remained composed under gun threat.
2. Detailed balcony description convinced Max; claimed police were coming; forced Max to balcony that didn’t exist. Shows intelligence, calmness and presence of mind.
All questions are answerable from the NCERT chapter text. Reviewed by GFIS faculty.