Question Bank — The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

QUESTION BANK

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse – William Saroyan
(CBSE Class 11 – NCERT Snapshot)

Section A — MCQs (10 × 1 = 10 marks)

1. Who wakes Aram at four in the morning?
   a) Uncle Khosrove b) Mourad c) John Byro d) Zorab

2. The Garoghlanian family was famous for __.
   a) wealth b) honesty c) horse-breeding d) farming

3. Assertion (A): Aram initially refuses to believe that the white horse belongs to Mourad.
   Reason (R): The family had been famous for its honesty for eleven centuries and no member could be a thief.
   Options:
   (i) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   (ii) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   (iii) A is true but R is false.
   (iv) A is false but R is true.

4. Mourad’s “way with a horse” is best shown when he
   a) buys the horse b) makes the horse run across the irrigation ditch c) returns the horse to John Byro d) sings while riding

5. Assertion (A): John Byro does not accuse the boys of theft even after recognising the horse.
   Reason (R): He knows the Garoghlanian family’s reputation for honesty.
   Options: (i) Both true, R explains A (ii) Both true, R does not explain A (iii) A true, R false (iv) A false, R true

6. The phrase “It is no harm; pay no attention to it” is repeatedly used by
   a) Mourad b) Aram c) Uncle Khosrove d) John Byro

7. Where do the boys hide the horse?
   a) Behind their house b) In Fetvajian’s deserted vineyard barn c) In John Byro’s stable d) Near the irrigation ditch

8. The story suggests that the boys return the horse mainly because of
   a) fear of punishment b) family pride in honesty c) the horse’s wild behaviour d) John Byro’s complaint to the police

9. “A man could be the father of his son’s flesh, but that did not mean that he was also the father of his spirit.” This line refers to the relationship between
   a) Aram and Mourad b) Mourad and Zorab c) Khosrove and Arak d) John Byro and his horse

10. The story is narrated from the point of view of
    a) Mourad b) Uncle Khosrove c) Aram d) John Byro

Section B — Reference to Context (3 × 4 = 12 marks)

Extract 1

“My cousin Mourad was sitting on a beautiful white horse. I stuck my head out of the window and rubbed my eyes. Yes, he said in Armenian. It’s a horse. You’re not dreaming. Make it quick if you want to ride.”

1. Who is the speaker of the line “It’s a horse. You’re not dreaming”?
2. Why does Aram rub his eyes?
3. Identify the literary device used in “a beautiful white horse”.
4. What does the extract reveal about Mourad’s character?

Extract 2

“We were poor. We had no money. Our whole tribe was poverty-stricken. Every branch of the Garoghlanian family was living in the most amazing and comical poverty in the world… Most important of all, though, we were famous for our honesty.”

1. Name the tribe mentioned in the extract.
2. What two qualities does the narrator say the family valued most?
3. Pick out the word from the extract that means “strangely amusing”.
4. How does this reputation affect Aram’s reaction to seeing the horse?

Extract 3

“Good morning, son of my friends… I could swear it is the horse that was stolen from me many weeks ago… Yet the horse is the twin of my horse. A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart.”

1. Who is speaking to whom?
2. Why does the speaker decide not to accuse the boys?
3. Identify the figure of speech in “the twin of my horse”.
4. What does the extract tell us about John Byro’s attitude?

Section C — Short Answer Questions (5 × 3 = 15 marks)

(Answer in 40–50 words each)

1. Why could Aram not believe that Mourad had a horse?
2. How does the narrator describe Uncle Khosrove’s temperament? Give one example.
3. What reason does Mourad give for not returning the horse immediately?
4. How did the boys’ rides affect the horse’s behaviour?
5. Why does John Byro say the horse is “stronger than ever” after its return?

Section D — Long Answer Questions (2 × 6 = 12 marks)

(Answer in 100–120 words each)

1. “Honesty is a way of life for the Garoghlanian family.” Justify this statement with reference to the story.
2. Draw a character sketch of Mourad in the light of his actions and statements in the story.

Section E — Language and Writing (2 × 4 = 8 marks)

1. Vocabulary/Grammar task
   From the unit, fill in the blanks with the correct form of the words given in brackets:
   a) Mourad had a _ (simple) and honest understanding with horses.
   b) The horse stood on its hind legs and _ (snort) loudly.
   c) Aram felt the most _ (awe) fear when he mounted the horse alone.
   d) The family had been famous for its honesty for _ (eleven) centuries.

2. Writing task
   You are Aram. After the horse is returned, write a diary entry (80–100 words) describing your feelings about the whole experience and what you learned about honesty.