on examination by winston 's churchill Q & A for +2 CHSE students

On Examination 

by Winston S Churchill

Introducing the author
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill (1874 — 1965) was the Prime Minister of England twice (1940-45  and  1951-55).  A  noted statesman and orator, Churchill was also an officer in the  British Army, a historian, a writer, and an artist. He was awarded the
Nobel Prize in  Literature in      1953.  At Harrow" is anexcerpt from  Chapter II (HARROW) of Winston  S.Churchill's autobiography, A Roving Commission My Early Life (1930).
 
Unit I
Warm-up
Examinations, for many, are not a pleasant experience. The apprehension of not doing well makes even bright students anxious. Read the following unit of the text and note how the writer took his Entrance Examination to Harrow:

The Text

I had scarcely passed my twelfth birthday when  I entered the inhospitable regions of examinations, through which for the next seven years I was destined to journey.  These examinations were a great trial to me.  The  subjects which were dearest to the examiners were almost invariably those I fancied least. I would have liked to have been examined in history, poetry and writing essays. The examiners, on the other hand, were partial to Latin and mathematics. And, their will prevailed. Moreover,  the  questions which  they  asked  on  both  these  subjects were almost invariably those to which  I was unable to suggest a satisfactory answer. I should have liked to be asked to say what I knew. They always tried to ask what I did not know. When I would have willingly displayed my knowledge, they sought to expose my ignorance. This sort of treatment had only one result: I did not do well in examinations.

This was especially true of  my  Entrance   Examination to   Harrow.   The Headmaster,  Dr. Welldon,  however, took a broad-minded view of my  Latin prose: he   showed   discernment   in   judging my   general   ability.   This   was   the   more remarkable, because  I was found unable to answer a single question in the Latin paper.  I wrote my name at the top of the page.  I wrote down the number of the question  "I".  After  much  reflection  I  put  a  bracket  round  it  thus ( "I") . But thereafter I could not think of anything connected with it that was either relevant or true.   Incidentally  there  arrived  from  nowhere  in  particular  a  blot  and  several smudges.  I  gazed  for two whole  hours  at this  sad  spectacle:  and  then  merciful ushers collected  my piece of foolscap with  all the others and carried  it up to the Headmaster's table.  It was from these slender  indications of scholarship that Dr. Welldon drew the conclusion that I was worthy to pass into Harrow. It is very much to his credit. It showed that he was a man capable of looking beneath the surface of things: a man not dependent upon paper manifestations.  I have always had the greatest regard for him.
In consequence of his decision, I was in due course placed in the third, or lowest, division of the Fourth, or bottom,  Form. The names of the new boys were printed in the School List in alphabetical order and as my correct name, Spencer- Churchill,  began with an  'S', I gained  no more advantage from the alphabet than from the wider sphere of letters. I was in fact only two from the bottom of the whole school  and  these  two,  I  regret to  say,  disappeared  almost  immediately  through illness or some other cause.

The Harrow custom of calling the roll is different from that of Eton. At Eton the  boys  stand  in  a  cluster and  lift their  hats when  their  names  are  called.  At Harrow they file  past  a  Master  in  the  school  yard  and  answer one  by  one.  My position was therefore revealed in its somewhat invidious humility. It was the year 1887. Lord Randolph Churchill had only just resigned his position as Leader of the House of Commons and  Chancellor of the Exchequer, and  he still towered  in the forefront of politics. In consequence large numbers of visitors of both sexes used to wait on the school steps,  in order to see me march by; and I frequently heard the irreverent comment, 'Why, he's last of all!'

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Questions and Answers

1. Does  the  writer  like  examinations?  Quote  the  line  in  support  of  your               answer?

Ans: The writer never used to like examinations. The line to support the statement: “These examinations were great trial to me".        

2. Mention  the subjects that were dearest to the examiners.

Ans: The subjects that were desert to the examiners were Latin and mathematics.

3. Which subjects did the writer like the most?
Ans: The subjects liked by the writer were history, poetry and writing essay.

4. What   reason   does   the   writer   give   for   his   not   doing   well   in   the
        examinations?

Ans: There were many reasons because of which the writer was not able to do well in the examination; it was a great trial to him. Secondly, he was not examined him from their favorite subjects, which were Latin and mathematics. Third, the questions were not asked from what he knew. And when he tried displaying his knowledge, examiners exposed hos ignorance.
        

5. What did the writer write in the answer book for the Latin paper?

Ans: The writer was unable to answer even a single question in Latin paper. He wrote his name at the top of the page and then wrote the number of the questions. After giving much thought, he just put a bracket round the number making it (“1”). In addition, he could make only small blots and smudges on the answer sheet

6. What was the sad spectacle for him?

Ans: The writer was not able to answer even a single question in the Latin paper. Even after much reflection, all he could do was to make some blot and smudges on the answer sheet. This was the sad spectacle for him which he gazed for two long hours.

7. What was the writer's position in the merit list for admission?

Ans: In the merit list for admission, he was placed in the third division of the fourth or bottom from. And since the list was in alphabetical order, he was third last of the whole school.

8. Whom   does   he   give   the   credit   of   his   success   in   the   Entrance Examination? Why?

Ans: The writer gave the credit of his success to the headmaster, Dr Weldon who took a broad-minded view of writer’s Latin prose and judged his general ability.it was him who concluded that the writer regarded him as the one capable of looking beneath the surface of things and not merely dependent upon paper manifestations.

9. What does he mean  by — gained no more advantage from the alphabet than from the wider sphere of letters'?

Ans: In writer’s school, the names of the boys were printed on the school list in alphabetical order. And his name being spencer Churchill gained no advantage from the alphabet. This is because in alphabetical order letter‘s’ comes towards the end and so did his name in the list. This made him say that the gained no more advantage from the letter‘s’ than from the knowledge of books.

10. How did he become the last boy in the class?

Ans: Writers name started with the letter‘s’ thus he was only two from the bottom of the whole school. And the other two disappeared immediately owing to illness or some other reason, leaving the writer the last of all.

11. What is the custom of calling the roll at Harrow?

Ans: At harrow, students would file past a master in the schoolyard and answer one by one.
12 What is the custom of calling the roll at Eton?

Ans: At Eton, boys used to stand in cluster and would lift their hats when their names were called.

13 'Why, he's last of all!' — why did people say so ?

Ans: Writers name appeared last in the school list because of the alphabetical arrangement. Since he was the son of a great leader, people expected him to be on the forefront. But he appeared in the last, that’s why people would say those words for him.

UNIT 2

Warm up

Think of the role of a teacher in a student's life. Doesn't a teacher facilitate the learning of a pupil and develop skills in him/her? Read the following unit of the text and note the role played by Mr. Somervell in the writer's education at Harrow:                    

UNIT 2

I continued  in this  unpretentious  situation for nearly a  year.  However,  by being so long in the lowest form I gained an immense advantage over the cleverer boys. They all went on to learn Latin and Greek and splendid things like that. But I was taught  English.  We were  considered  such  dunces that we  could  learn  only English.  Mr. Somervell - a most delightful  man, to whom  my debt  is great - was charged with the duty of teaching the stupidest boys the most disregarded thing -namely, to write mere English. He knew how to do it. He taught it as no one else has ever taught it.  Not only did we learn English  parsing thoroughly,  but we also practised continually English analysis.  Mr. Somervell had a system of his own. He took a fairly long sentence and broke it up into its components by means of black, red,  blue  and  green  inks.  Subject,  verb,  object;  Relative  Clauses,  Conditional Clauses, Conjunctive and Disjunctive Clauses! Each had its colour and its bracket. It was a kind of drill. We did it almost daily. As I remained in the Third Fourth  three times  as  long  as  anyone  else,  I  had  three  times  as  much  of  it.  I  learned  it thoroughly. Thus I got into my bones the essential structure of the ordinary British sentence - which  is a noble thing. And when  in after years my schoolfellows who had  won  prizes and  distinction  for writing  such  beautiful  Latin  poetry  and  pithy Greek epigrams had to come down again to common English, to earn their living or make their way, I did not feel myself at any disadvantage. Naturally I am biased in favour of boys  learning  English.  I would make them all  learn  English: and then  I would let the clever ones learn Latin as an honour, and Greek as a treat. But the only thing  I would whip them for would be for not knowing  English.  I would whip them hard for that.

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Question and Answers: 

1. What kind of students were taught Latin and Greek at Harrow?

Ans: The cleverer students were taught Latin and Greek at harrow.

2. Which students were taught only English?

Ans: Students who were considered dunces, who had no inclination towards Latin, Greek or mathematics were the ones who were taught only English.

3. How  does  the  writer  rate  English  as  a  subject  and  Mr.  Somervell  as  a

teacher?

Ans:  16. The writer rated English as a notable thing which helped in earning a living. He believed that everyone, including the cleverer ones, should possess the knowledge of English by all means. He reacted Mr. Somervell as the most delightful man who knew exactly how to teach English to stupidest boys. He taught them as no one else had ever taught it. The writer was grateful and indebted to Mr. Somervell for teaching him the essential structure of the ordinary British sentence. It was because of him he felt at advantage over cleverer boys in the later years of life after school.

4. What part of the English grammar did he learn from Mr. Somervell?

Ans: The writer learned English parsing and English analysis. He also learned components of sentence like subject, object, verb and clauses. It was because of Mr. Somervell that the essential structure of the ordinary British sentence got into the bones of the writer.

5. How did he score over the clever schoolfellows in after years?

Ans: Spencer thoroughly learned English, thus it got into his bones. But the cleverer schoolfellows who had learned Latin and Greek had to come down to common English in the year after school to earn their living and make their way. There the writer had an advantage over those boys, as he knew English and its usage for day to day matter.

6. Why was he biased in favour of boys learning English language?

Ans: Churchill remained in the lowest third division of the fourth three times as long as anyone else. So, he had to learn the same English lessons again and again. But it proved fruitful to him in the years after school. In spite of much humiliation at school, he felt advantageous over the ones who had learned Latin and Greek .the cleverer schoolfellow had to come down again to learn common English. So, he was biased in favor of boys learning English language.

Unit 3

Warm up

Aren't students at school fun-loving?  Do young students play pranks with their schoolfellows?  Read the following  unit of the text and  note  how the writer describes a funny incident he was involved with at school:

The Text

I first went to Harrow in the summer term. The school possessed the biggest swimming-bath I had ever seen. It was more like the bend of a river than a bath, and it had two bridges across it. Thither we used to repair for hours at a time and bask between our dips eating enormous buns on the hot asphalt margin. Naturally it was a good joke to come up behind some naked friend, or even enemy, and push him in. I made quite a habit of this with  boys of my own size or less. One day when  I  had been  no  more than  a  month  in the  school,  I saw a  boy standing  in  a  meditative posture wrapped  in a towel on the very brink.  He was no bigger than  I was, so I thought him fair game. Coming stealthily behind I pushed him in, holding on to his towel out of humanity, so that it should not get wet. I was startled to see a furious face emerge from the foam, and a being evidently of enormous strength making its way by fierce strokes to the shore. I fled, but in vain. Swift as the wind my pursuer overtook me, seized me in a ferocious grip and hurled me into the deepest part of the pool.

I soon scrambled out on the other side, and found myself surrounded by an agitated crowd of younger boys. 'You're in for it,' they said. 'Do you know what you have done?  It's Amery,  he's  in  the  Sixth  Form.  He  is  Head  of his  House;  he  is champion at Gym; he has got his football colours.' They continued to  recount his many titles to fame  and  reverence  and  to  dilate  upon  the  awful  retribution  that would  fall  upon  me.  I  was  convulsed  not only  with  terror,  but with  the  guilt  of sacrilege. How could  I tell  his rank when  he was in a bath-towel and  so small?  I determined   to   apologise   immediately.   I   approached   the   potentate   in   lively trepidation. 'I am very sorry,' I said. 'I mistook you for a Fourth Form boy. You are so small.'  He did  not seem at all  placated  by this;  so I added  in a most brilliant recovery,  'My father, who  is a great man, is also small.' At this he laughed, and after some general remarks about my 'cheek' and how I had better be careful in the future, signified that the incident was closed.

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Question and Answers

1. How did the boys enjoy their time at the swimming bath?

Ans: At the swimming bath, students would go in large numbers at a time and bask, i.e. lay between their dips eating buns on the hot asphalt margin.

2. What kind of pranks did they enjoy at the bath?

Ans: 21. At the swimming bath it was a good prank to come up behind someone and push him in the pool.

3. What did the writer do to the boy standing in a meditative posture?

Ans: Writer saw a boy wrapped in a towel standing in a meditative posture on the edge of the pool. The writer stealthily came behind him and pushed him in the pool holding on to his towel so that it should not get wet.

4. What was the reaction of the boy?

Ans: The boy was very angry with the prank. He emerged from the pool a furious face and made fierce, the boy quickly seized him in a ferocious grip and threw him into the deepest part of the pool.

5. What did the writer learn about Amery from the crowd of younger boys?

Ans: Churchill learned from the crowd that Amery was from the sixth from. He was the head of his house, champion at gym and had his football colors. They also recounted his many other titles to frame and reverence.

6. How did the writer apologise for his misconduct?

Ans: with a lot of guilt and fear, Churchill approached Amery to apologies, he said sorry for playing that prank and said that he mistook Amery for a fourth .who was a great man.

7. Did  he apologise out of fear or guilt or both?

Ans: Churchill apologized out of both fear and guilt. He was guilty of playing a prank with a boy of enormous strength, fame and reverence. Also, he feared the consequences of his prank.

8. Did the matter end happily for the writer?

Ans: Yes, the matter ended satisfactorily and happily when Amery laughed and asked Churchill to be cautions in future. 

Unit IV

Warm up

Isn't preparation for an examination very much painstaking?   Children adopt many peculiar ways to face an examination. Read the following unit of the text and note how the writer makes his preparation for the preliminary examination for the Army:

The Text

I have been fortunate to see a good deal more of him, in times when three years' difference in age is not so important as it is at school. We were afterwards to be Cabinet colleagues for a good  many years.  It was thought incongruous that while I apparently stagnated in the lowest form, I should gain a prize open to the whole  school for  reciting to the  Headmaster twelve  hundred  lines of Macaulay's 'Lays  of Ancient  Rome'  without  making  a  single  mistake.  I  also  succeeded  in passing the preliminary examination for the Army while still almost at the bottom of the school.

 

This examination seemed to have called forth a very special effort on  my part, for many boys far above me in the school failed  in  it.  I also  had a piece of good luck. We knew that among other questions we should be asked to draw from memory  a  map  of  some  country  or  other.  The  night  before  by  way  of  final preparation  I  put the  names of all the maps in the atlas into a hat and drew out New Zealand.  I applied my good memory to the geography of that Dominion. Sure enough the first question in the paper was: 'Draw a map of New Zealand. This was what is called at Monte Carlo an en 'plein, and I ought to have been paid thirty-five times my stake. However, I certainly got paid very high marks for my paper.

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Question and Answer

1. "three years' difference in age is not so important as it is at school" — How does the writer prove it?

Ans: The author is referring to Amery’s and his own age difference in this line. Amery was three years senior to Churchill and it commanded a lot of respect in school. But in the year after school, three years difference didn’t matter much as they were colleagues in cabinet for good many years and saw a lot of each other. Infact, Amery was the secretary of state for India in Churchill’s cabinet, meaning thereby that he was junior to Churchill in stature.

2. How did the writer fare at school?

Ans: The writer was placed in the lowest third division of the fourth and remained stagnated in the lowest form. He was counted amongst dances and stupidest boy. Yet, he had some achievements to his credit.

3. How did he win a prize at school?

Ans: The writer won a prize for reacting to the headmaster twelve hundred lines of Macaulay’s ‘lays of ancient Rome’ without making a single mistake. It was a surprise far a lowest from boy to win that prize which was open to whole school.

4. What was the writer's noteworthy achievements at school?

Ans: The writer passed the preliminary examination for the army while at the bottom of the school. It was a noteworthy achievement as many boys far above him in the school had failed in it. Also he had won a prize for reacting twelve hundred lines if Macaulay’s ‘lies of ancient Rome’ without making any mistake.

5. How did the writer prepare himself for the preliminary examination for the Army?

Ans: The writer had put forth a very special effort for the preliminary examination for the army. He had a piece of good luck too. He knew that beside other questions, students would be asked to draw a map of some country or other. The night before the final preparation he put the names of all the maps in the atlas into a hat and drew out one, which was New Zealand. He applied all the good memory to the geography of that only on dominion. Luckily the first question in the paper was to draw a map of New Zealand.

6. Why does he call his success an en 'plein?

Ans: In gambling, success by an en’plein meant to place the entire money/bet on one single number. Gambler is thus rewarded heavily for his win. Similarly, Churchill too put all his efforts and good memory to one map that was on New Zealand, and to his luck he got the same question in the paper. Thus, he passed the preliminary examination for army when many boys above him in the school had failed in it.