Question Bank — The Interview

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

1. According to the text, what do some celebrities believe an interview does to them?
   a) Enhances their fame
   b) Diminishes them or steals a part of themselves
   c) Improves their public image
   d) Provides them with new ideas

2. Who among the following expressed the view that being interviewed is “immoral” and “a crime”?
   a) V.S. Naipaul
   b) Lewis Carroll
   c) Rudyard Kipling
   d) H.G. Wells

3. What is the meaning of the phrase “thumbprints on his windpipe” as used by Saul Bellow?
   a) Physical injury caused by reporters
   b) A feeling of being choked or suffocated by interviews
   c) A mark of honour
   d) A sign of popularity

4. Assertion (A): Umberto Eco considers himself primarily a university professor.
   Reason (R): He participates in academic conferences and identifies with the academic community rather than writers’ meetings.
   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.

5. How does Umberto Eco describe the “empty spaces” in his life?
   a) Wasted time that he cannot recover
   b) Interstices that he utilises for writing
   c) Periods of complete rest
   d) Moments of creative block

6. Assertion (A): The huge success of The Name of the Rose surprised journalists and publishers.
   Reason (R): They believed that people prefer easy, trashy reading and dislike difficult books.
   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. What does Umberto Eco claim he is “always doing” despite appearing to do many different things?
   a) Writing detective novels
   b) Pursuing the same philosophical and ethical interests
   c) Teaching semiotics only
   d) Giving interviews

8. According to Denis Brian, how do we receive most of our vivid impressions of contemporaries?
   a) Through books and films
   b) Through interviews
   c) Through photographs
   d) Through public speeches

9. Why did Umberto Eco begin writing novels only at the age of fifty?
   a) He was busy with academic work
   b) He started writing fiction by accident when he had nothing else to do
   c) He was discouraged by his publishers
   d) He wanted to become famous first

10. What does the text suggest about the interview as a medium?
    a) It is always harmful to celebrities
    b) It is a supremely serviceable medium of communication despite drawbacks
    c) It has become obsolete in modern journalism
    d) It is used only for academic purposes

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

Extract 1

“Because of this, the interviewer holds a position of unprecedented power and influence.”

a) Who is the speaker/writer of this line and in what context is it said?
b) What does “this” refer to?
c) Identify the literary device used in the expression “unprecedented power and influence”.
d) What inference can be drawn about the role of the interviewer from this statement?

Extract 2

“While waiting for your elevator to come up from the first to the third floor, I have already written an article!”

a) Who is speaking and to whom?
b) What does the speaker mean by this statement?
c) Which literary device is evident in the casual, conversational tone of the remark?
d) What does this reveal about Eco’s attitude towards time and work?

Extract 3

“I consider myself a university professor who writes novels on Sundays.”

a) Who makes this statement and about whom?
b) What does the statement reveal about the speaker’s self-perception?
c) Identify the figure of speech in the phrase “writes novels on Sundays”.
d) Why does the speaker feel the need to clarify this identity?

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

1. Why did Lewis Carroll have “a just horror of the interviewer”?
2. How did Rudyard Kipling view the act of interviewing, and what contradiction is mentioned in the text?
3. What explanation does Umberto Eco give for the large number of books he has written?
4. How did Eco’s approach to writing his doctoral dissertation differ from the usual scholarly method?
5. Why does Eco say he does not feel frustrated like his friend Roland Barthes?

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

1. “Despite its drawbacks, the interview is a supremely serviceable medium of communication.” Discuss this statement with reference to the views of various writers mentioned in the text.
2. Umberto Eco claims he is “always doing the same thing” even though he appears to do many things. Explain this idea with examples from his interview.

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

1. Vocabulary/Grammar task
   From the unit, identify four words/phrases that express negative opinions about interviews (e.g., “horror”, “immoral”). Use each in a sentence of your own to show how they convey criticism.

2. Writing task
   Imagine you are Mukund Padmanabhan. Write a short diary entry (80–100 words) describing your experience of interviewing Umberto Eco, highlighting one surprising or amusing aspect of the conversation.