A Photograph Extract Questions | English Class 11

Extract Questions

Passage with linked answers

Extract

Extract 1

Reading Set

Extract 1

Passage

The cardboard shows me how it was When the two girl cousins went paddling, Each one holding one of my mother's hands, And she the big girl — some twelve years or so.

The 'cardboard' mentioned in the extract refers to a/an ________.

old photograph frame

The mother was about ________ years old when the photo was taken.

twelve

Who were the other two girls in the photograph?

The other two girls in the photograph were the mother's cousins, Betty and Dolly. They were younger than the mother and are shown holding her hands while paddling in the sea, highlighting a moment of close family bonding during a holiday.

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Extract Questions

Passage with linked answers

Extract

Extract 2

Reading Set

Extract 2

Passage

All three stood still to smile through their hair At the uncle with the camera. A sweet face, My mother's, that was before I was born. And the sea, which appears to have changed less, Washed their terribly transient feet.

The girls were smiling at their ________ who was taking the photo.

uncle

The phrase 'terribly transient' is an example of the literary device ________.

alliteration

What does 'smile through their hair' imply about the scene?

The phrase implies that it was a windy day at the beach, causing the girls' hair to fly across their faces. Despite the wind, they remained still and happy for the photograph, capturing a natural and unposed moment of childhood joy.

How does the poet contrast the sea with the humans in this extract?

The poet contrasts the sea, which 'changed less' and represents permanence, with the girls' 'terribly transient feet,' which represent the brief nature of human life. This shows that while nature remains constant, humans grow old and eventually pass away quickly.

What does the poet mean by 'before I was born'?

By saying 'before I was born,' the poet emphasizes the passage of time and the fact that the photograph captures a version of her mother that she never personally knew. It highlights the distant, historical nature of the memory being observed.

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Extract Questions

Passage with linked answers

Extract

Extract 3

Reading Set

Extract 3

Passage

Some twenty-thirty years later She'd laugh at the snapshot. 'See Betty And Dolly,' she'd say, 'and look how they Dressed us for the beach.' The sea holiday Was her past, mine is her laughter.

The names of the mother's cousins mentioned are Betty and ________.

Dolly

The mother would laugh at the snapshot after ________ years.

twenty or thirty

Why would the mother point out Betty and Dolly?

The mother pointed them out to reminisce about their shared childhood and the specific beach holiday. Seeing her cousins in the old photo reminded her of the family bonds and the peculiar, perhaps funny, outfits their parents made them wear.

What is the difference between the mother's past and the poet's past?

The mother's past was the actual sea holiday she experienced as a child. In contrast, the poet's past is the memory of her mother laughing while looking at the photo. Both represent different stages of loss and the fading of time.

What does the mother's laughter indicate about her personality?

The laughter indicates that the mother was a person who could find joy in her memories and appreciate the humor in her past. It shows a side of her that was lively and cheerful, which makes her absence more painful for the poet.

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Extract Questions

Passage with linked answers

Extract

Extract 4

Reading Set

Extract 4

Passage

Now she's been dead nearly as many years As that girl lived. And of this circumstance There is nothing to say at all. Its silence silences.

The mother has been dead for approximately ________ years.

twelve

The poet finds that there is ________ to say about the current situation.

nothing

What does the poet mean by 'Its silence silences'?

The poet means that the absolute silence and emptiness left by her mother's death are so powerful that they prevent her from speaking or expressing her grief. The finality of death leaves the poet with a sense of wordless despair.

Why is there 'nothing to say at all' regarding this circumstance?

There is nothing to say because death is an ultimate truth that cannot be changed or fully explained. The poet feels that words are inadequate to describe the depth of her loss or the void left by her mother’s permanent absence.

Explain the significance of the time period mentioned in this extract.

The twelve-year period is significant because it matches the age of the girl in the photograph. This circularity highlights the completion of a life cycle and emphasizes how long the poet has been living with the quiet reality of her grief.

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Chapter sections

Chapter a-photograph: A Photograph | Extract Questions

Extract 1

The 'cardboard' mentioned in the extract refers to a/an ________.

The mother was about ________ years old when the photo was taken.

Who were the other two girls in the photograph?

What does the act of 'paddling' suggest about the setting?

Why is the mother described as the 'big girl'?

Extract 2

The girls were smiling at their ________ who was taking the photo.

The phrase 'terribly transient' is an example of the literary device ________.

What does 'smile through their hair' imply about the scene?

How does the poet contrast the sea with the humans in this extract?

What does the poet mean by 'before I was born'?

Extract 3

The names of the mother's cousins mentioned are Betty and ________.

The mother would laugh at the snapshot after ________ years.

Why would the mother point out Betty and Dolly?

What is the difference between the mother's past and the poet's past?

What does the mother's laughter indicate about her personality?

Extract 4

The mother has been dead for approximately ________ years.

The poet finds that there is ________ to say about the current situation.

What does the poet mean by 'Its silence silences'?

Why is there 'nothing to say at all' regarding this circumstance?

Explain the significance of the time period mentioned in this extract.