Question Bank — First Flight 9 — The Proposal

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

1. What does Chubukov initially suspect Lomov has come for?
   (a) To borrow money
   (b) To propose marriage
   (c) To buy land
   (d) To quarrel over meadows

2. Which of the following best describes Lomov’s reason for wanting to marry Natalya?
   (a) Romantic love
   (b) Desire for a quiet life and economic advantage
   (c) Family pressure
   (d) Social status only

3. Assertion (A): Natalya initially refuses to accept that Oxen Meadows belong to Lomov.
   Reason (R): She believes the meadows have been in her family for nearly three hundred years.
   (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.

4. The play is described as a farce because it
   (a) Ends with a happy marriage
   (b) Uses exaggerated quarrels over trivial matters to create humour
   (c) Has only three characters
   (d) Is set in a Russian drawing-room

5. What physical ailment does Lomov repeatedly complain of during the arguments?
   (a) Headache
   (b) Palpitations and twitching eyebrow
   (c) Back pain
   (d) Fever

6. Assertion (A): Chubukov calls Lomov a “pettifogger” and “intriguer” during the quarrel.
   Reason (R): Chubukov is genuinely angry that Lomov wants to take the family to court.
   (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.

7. Which word from the text means “to speak in a roundabout way”?
   (a) Intriguer
   (b) Go round and round it
   (c) Pettifogger
   (d) Overshot

8. Natalya changes her attitude towards Lomov when she learns
   (a) He owns Oxen Meadows
   (b) He has come to propose to her
   (c) His dog is better than Squeezer
   (d) He is leaving the house forever

9. The final quarrel between Lomov and Natalya is about
   (a) The ownership of Oxen Meadows
   (b) Which dog is superior — Guess or Squeezer
   (c) Chubukov’s past behaviour
   (d) The price of hay

10. The play ends with
    (a) Lomov leaving the house in anger
    (b) The engagement being fixed amid continued argument
    (c) Chubukov refusing the proposal
    (d) Natalya rejecting Lomov

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

Extract 1

“I have the honour to ask the hand of your daughter, Natalya Stepanovna, in marriage.”

(i) Who is the speaker and to whom is he speaking?
(ii) What is the immediate reaction of the listener?
(iii) Identify the literary device used in the formal phrasing of the proposal.
(iv) What does this line reveal about the speaker’s character?

Extract 2

“Oxen Meadows are mine!” “It’s not true, they’re ours!” “Mine!” “Ours!”

(i) Name the speakers and the context of this exchange.
(ii) What issue are the characters arguing about?
(iii) Identify the literary device evident in the rapid repetition of words.
(iv) How does this quarrel affect the original purpose of Lomov’s visit?

Extract 3

“She’s willing! Well? Kiss and be damned to you!”

(i) Who says these words and to whom?
(ii) What situation has led to this statement?
(iii) Name one literary device used in the line.
(iv) What does the line suggest about the speaker’s attitude towards the marriage?

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

1. Why does Lomov visit Chubukov’s house? What does this reveal about his character?
2. How does Natalya react when she first learns that Lomov had come to propose?
3. Describe the quarrel over Oxen Meadows. Why does it start?
4. What reasons does Lomov give for wanting to marry Natalya?
5. How do the characters behave immediately after Lomov faints?

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

1. Draw a character sketch of Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov. Highlight his physical weaknesses, his reasons for marriage, and his quarrelsome nature. (100-120 words)
2. “The Proposal” shows how petty quarrels can endanger an important decision. Discuss this statement with reference to the play. (100-120 words)

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

1. From the unit, pick any five words/phrases used by the characters to insult each other (e.g., “intriguer”, “pettifogger”). Use each in a sentence of your own.
2. Write a short diary entry (80-100 words) from Natalya’s point of view the day after Lomov’s visit, expressing her feelings about the proposal and the quarrels.