Question Bank — Birth

QUESTION BANK

Unit: Birth (A.J. Cronin)

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

1. Why did Joe Morgan come to fetch Andrew at midnight?
   a) His wife was in labour
   b) He needed medicine
   c) Andrew had forgotten an appointment
   d) There was an accident in the mine

2. What was Andrew’s state of mind when he reached the Morgans’ house?
   a) Cheerful and excited
   b) Dull, listless and preoccupied
   c) Angry and impatient
   d) Confident and relaxed

3. Assertion (A): Andrew decided to stay at the house instead of going home for rest.
   Reason (R): He knew the case would demand all his attention and he could not sleep anyway.
   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 old woman’s remark “Susan said not to give her the chloroform if it would harm the baby” shows her
   a) fear of doctors
   b) deep concern for the unborn child
   c) dislike of anaesthetics
   d) ignorance of medical procedures

5. What did Andrew discover when he looked under the bed for the child?
   a) The child was already breathing
   b) A perfectly formed but lifeless baby boy
   c) The midwife hiding the child
   d) Only newspapers and towels

6. Assertion (A): Andrew ignored the midwife’s warning and continued efforts to revive the child.
   Reason (R): He remembered a case he had seen at the Samaritan hospital and felt it was asphyxia pallida.
   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. The phrase “the blanched skin was slowly turning pink” indicates
   a) the child was dying
   b) the child was responding to treatment
   c) the child had a skin disease
   d) the room was getting warmer

8. Andrew’s final feeling after the successful delivery was one of
   a) exhaustion and regret
   b) having done something real and worthwhile
   c) anger at the midwife
   d) fear of future cases

9. The old woman’s action at the end of the episode shows she was
   a) angry with Andrew
   b) praying in gratitude
   c) preparing tea again
   d) leaving the room

10. Which word in the text most nearly means “a condition caused by lack of oxygen”?
    a) Lethargy
    b) Asphyxia
    c) Convulsive
    d) Flaccid

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

Extract 1

“Eh, Doctor, I’m glad to see you. I been back and forward here this last hour. The missus wants ye — before time, too.”

i. Who is the speaker and to whom is he speaking?
ii. What does “before time” mean in this context?
iii. Identify the literary device used in the speaker’s anxious pacing described earlier in the paragraph.
iv. What does this line reveal about Joe Morgan’s state of mind?

Extract 2

“Still kneeling, Andrew stared at the child with a haggard frown. The whiteness meant only one thing: asphyxia, pallida…”

i. Where is Andrew at this moment and what has just happened?
ii. Why does the whiteness of the child’s body alarm Andrew?
iii. Name the literary device in “like a strange, white fish”.
iv. What immediate action does Andrew take after this realisation?

Extract 3

“All right, Joe,” he said thickly. “Both all right.” It was quite light. Nearly five o’clock.

i. Who is Andrew speaking to and what has just been achieved?
ii. Why does Andrew’s voice sound “thick”?
iii. Identify the literary device used in the description of the early morning scene.
iv. How does this moment mark a turning point for Andrew in Blaenelly?

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

1. Why did Andrew feel “dull and listless” when Joe Morgan came to fetch him?
2. What dilemma did Andrew face immediately after the child was born lifeless?
3. How did the old woman show her anxiety and hope during the long wait?
4. Describe the method Andrew used to revive the child.
5. What does Andrew mean when he thinks, “I’ve done something; oh, God! I’ve done something real at last”?

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

1. Andrew’s decision to stay and fight for the child’s life, even when everyone had given up, shows his dedication as a doctor. Discuss with reference to the text.
2. “There lies a great difference between textbook medicine and the world of a practising physician.” How is this idea illustrated in the story “Birth”?

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

1. From the unit, fill in the blanks with appropriate words:
   a) Andrew felt a queer __ of spirit.
   b) The child gave a short, _ heave.
   c) The old woman’s eyes were strangely alive and .
   d) Andrew worked ___ to restore the mother.
   (lethargy, convulsive, probing, unsparingly)

2. Write a diary entry (80–100 words) from Andrew’s point of view the morning after the Morgan delivery, expressing how the experience changed his view of his work in Blaenelly.