Question Bank — Footprints 4 — A Question of Trust

NCERT Class 10 English · Chapter 13 · CBSE Board Pattern

Class 10 English Chapter 13 Question Bank CBSE Board Pattern

Section A — MCQs (10 questions, 1 mark each)

  1. Horace Danby robbed a safe every year mainly to
    (a) support his housekeeper
    (b) buy rare and expensive books
    (c) pay his two helpers
    (d) travel abroad

  2. What does the story illustrate about thieves?
    (a) There is honour among thieves
    (b) A thief can catch another thief
    (c) Thieves always work alone
    (d) All thieves are caught

  3. Horace took off his gloves because
    (a) he felt hot
    (b) he wanted to light the lady’s cigarette
    (c) the lady asked him to
    (d) he had finished his work

Assertion-Reason

  1. Assertion (A): Horace Danby was respected in society.
    Reason (R): He had served only one prison sentence fifteen years earlier.
    (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.

  2. Assertion (A): The young lady in red could open the safe herself.
    Reason (R): She was the real owner of the jewels.
    (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.

  3. The painting in the drawing room hid
    (a) a telephone
    (b) a safe
    (c) the housekeeper’s key
    (d) a bowl of flowers

  4. Horace knew the dog’s name was Sherry because
    (a) he had studied the house for two weeks
    (b) the lady told him
    (c) it was written on the collar
    (d) the magazine article mentioned it

  5. The young lady asked Horace to open the safe because she claimed she had
    (a) lost the key
    (b) forgotten the combination
    (c) broken the lock
    (d) given the jewels to the bank

  6. Horace’s fingerprints were found everywhere because
    (a) he was careless by nature
    (b) he removed his gloves to light the cigarette
    (c) the lady made him touch everything
    (d) the police arrived before he could wipe them

  7. At the end of the story Horace realises that
    (a) the lady was also a thief
    (b) the housekeeper had betrayed him
    (c) the jewels were fake
    (d) the police had been watching the house

Section B — Reference to Context (3 extracts, 4 marks each)

Extract 1

“It is said that you must set a thief to catch a thief. But it is also said that there is honour among thieves. Which saying does this story illustrate?”

(i) Name the story and its author.
(ii) What does the opening sentence suggest about the theme?
(iii) Identify the literary device used in the two sayings.
(iv) Which saying does the story finally support? Give one reason.

Extract 2

“Anyone would think I’d been away for a month!” She smiled at Horace, and went on, “However, I came back just in time, though I didn’t expect to meet a burglar.”

(i) Who is the speaker and to whom is she speaking?
(ii) What does the line reveal about her supposed identity?
(iii) Pick out the word that shows she is pretending to be amused.
(iv) How does this meeting change Horace’s plan?

Extract 3

“Horace is now the assistant librarian in the prison. He often thinks of the charming, clever young lady who was in the same profession as he was, and who tricked him.”

(i) Who is the young lady Horace remembers?
(ii) What does “same profession” mean here?
(iii) Name the figure of speech in “charming, clever young lady”.
(iv) Why does Horace get angry when people talk about “honour among thieves”?

Section C — Short Answer (5 questions, 3 marks each)

  1. Why did Horace Danby rob only once a year and never more?
  2. How did Horace keep the dog quiet at Shotover Grange?
  3. What mistake did Horace make that led to his arrest?
  4. Why did the real lady of the house refuse to believe Horace’s story?
  5. How does the story show that Horace was not a typical thief?

Section D — Long Answer (2 questions, 6 marks each)

  1. Draw a character sketch of Horace Danby in 100–120 words. Highlight his profession, passion, careful planning and the one weakness that ruined him.
  2. “There is no honour among thieves.” How does the story prove this statement? Write your answer in 100–120 words with examples from the text.

Section E — Language and Writing (2 questions, 4 marks each)

  1. From the unit, fill in the blanks with the correct form of the words given in brackets:
    (a) Horace was a _ (respect) citizen.
    (b) He planned his robberies very _. (care)
    (c) The young lady spoke in a _ (kind) voice.
    (d) Horace felt _ (fool) when he realised the truth.

  2. Imagine you are Horace Danby. After being arrested, write a diary entry (80–100 words) expressing your regret at trusting the young lady and your feelings about “honour among thieves”.

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Section A

  1. (b) 2. (b) 3. (b) 4. (c) 5. (d) 6. (b) 7. (a) 8. (b) 9. (b) 10. (a)

Section B

Extract 1: (i) “A Question of Trust” by Victor Canning (ii) Introduces the theme of trust and betrayal among thieves (iii) Contrast / antithesis (iv) “set a thief to catch a thief” – the lady thief catches Horace.
Extract 2: (i) The young lady thief to Horace (ii) She pretends to be the owner who has just returned (iii) “smiled” (iv) Horace stops running and tries to persuade her instead.
Extract 3: (i) The young lady thief who tricked him (ii) Both are thieves (iii) Alliteration (iv) The lady had no honour; she betrayed him.

Section C (key points – 1 mark each for any three)
1. To buy books for the year / planned carefully / stole only what he needed.
2. Called the dog by its name “Sherry” and spoke lovingly.
3. Removed gloves to light cigarette → left fingerprints.
4. She was sixty and grey-haired, not the young lady in red.
5. He stole only from rich people, only once a year, for books, never hurt anyone.

Section D (key content points – award 1 mark per valid point + 2 for coherence)
1. Respectable lock-maker, hay-fever sufferer, loved rare books, careful planner, removed gloves only once, tricked by lady thief, now prison librarian.
2. Lady appeared kind but robbed Horace of his freedom; no code followed; Horace’s belief shattered.

Section E

  1. (a) respectable (b) carefully (c) kindly (d) foolish
  2. Diary: Date, “Dear Diary”, regret at removing gloves, anger at being fooled, realisation that there is no honour among thieves, promise never to trust again. (Format 1, Content 2, Expression 1)
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All questions are answerable from the NCERT chapter text. Reviewed by GFIS faculty.