On the Face of It Class 12 MCQ Quiz – Test Your Knowledge!

MR LAMB: Look, boy, look.... what do you see?

DERRY: Just....grass and stuff. Weeds.

MR LAMB: Some call them weeds. If you like, then.... a weed garden, that. There’s fruit and there are flowers, and trees and herbs. All sorts. But over there.... weeds. I grow weeds there. Why is one green, growing plant called a weed and another ‘flower’? Where’s the difference? It’s all life.... growing. Same as you and me.

DERRY: We’re not the same.

MR LAMB: I’m old. You’re young. You’ve got a burned face, I’ve got a tin leg. Not important. You’re standing there.... I’m sitting here. Where’s the difference?

How would you describe Derry’s tone when he says – “We’re not the same”?

MR LAMB: I’m not fond of curtains. Shutting things out, shutting things in. I like the light and the darkness, and the windows open, to hear the wind.

DERRY: Yes. I like that. When it’s raining, I like to hear it on the roof.

MR LAMB: So you’re not lost, are you? Not altogether? You do hear things. You listen.

DERRY: They talk about me. Downstairs, When I’m not there.

“You do hear things. You listen.” Choose the option that captures the difference between hearing and listening.

hear: listen :: _________: _________

How does Mr. Lamb's character help to challenge societal norms and stereotypes?

DERRY: What do you do all day?

MR LAMB: Sit in the sun. Read books. Ah, you thought it was an empty house, but inside, it’s full. Books and other things. Full.

DERRY: But there aren’t any curtains at the windows.

MR LAMB: I’m not fond of curtains. Shutting things out, shutting things in. I like the light and the darkness, and the windows open, to hear the wind.

DERRY: Yes. I like that. When it’s raining, I like to hear it on the roof.

MR LAMB: So you’re not lost, are you? Not altogether? You do hear things. You listen.

DERRY: They talk about me. Downstairs, When I’m not there.

According to Mr. Lamb, what does the idea of being ‘lost’ signify?

How does Derry's mother contribute to his sense of alienation and isolation?

Compare and contrast the characters of Mr. Lamb and Derry.

DERRY: You’re... peculiar. You say peculiar things. You ask questions I don’t understand.

MR LAMB: I like to talk. Have company. You don’t have to answer questions. You don’t have to stop here at all. The gate’s open.

DERRY: Yes, but...

MR LAMB: I’ve a hive of bees behind those trees over there. Some hear bees and they say, bees buzz. But when you listen to bees for a long while, they humm....and hum means ‘sing’. I hear them singing, my bees.

DERRY: But....I like it here. I came in because I liked it .....when I looked over the wall.

MR LAMB: If you’d seen me, you’d not have come in.

DERRY: No.

Which of the following best summarises Mr. Lamb’s attitude towards the bees?

MR LAMB: Look, boy, look.... what do you see?

DERRY: Just....grass and stuff. Weeds.

MR LAMB: Some call them weeds. If you like, then.... a weed garden, that. There’s fruit and there are flowers, and trees and herbs. All sorts. But over there.... weeds. I grow weeds there. Why is one green, growing plant called a weed and another ‘flower’? Where’s the difference? It’s all life.... growing. Same as you and me.

DERRY: We’re not the same.

MR LAMB: I’m old. You’re young. You’ve got a burned face, I’ve got a tin leg. Not important. You’re standing there.... I’m sitting here. Where’s the difference?

Like the play, the given extract is a study in contrasts. What does Mr. Lamb seek to do by bringing up distinctions?

How did Derry find Mr. Lamb different from other adults he had encountered?

What is the significance of the title "On the Face of It"?

DERRY: What do you do all day?

MR LAMB: Sit in the sun. Read books. Ah, you thought it was an empty house, but inside, it’s full. Books and other things. Full.

DERRY: But there aren’t any curtains at the windows.

MR LAMB: I’m not fond of curtains. Shutting things out, shutting things in. I like the light and the darkness, and the windows open, to hear the wind.

DERRY: Yes. I like that. When it’s raining, I like to hear it on the roof.

MR LAMB: So you’re not lost, are you? Not altogether? You do hear things. You listen.

DERRY: They talk about me. Downstairs, When I’m not there.

Read the following analysis of Mr. Lamb’s character based on the given extract. Choose the option that fills in the given blanks most appropriately:

Mr. Lamb’s (i) ____________ and daily activities reflected the values he lived by and the kind of person he was. His openness, inquisitiveness, and his (ii) ____________ to nature were embodied in his work and words. Being close to and experiencing (iii) _________ was not only significant to him but was at the heart of finding meaning and (iv) ________ in life.

What is the bond that unites old Mr. Lamb and Derry, the boy?

MR LAMB: Look, boy, look.... what do you see?

DERRY: Just....grass and stuff. Weeds.

MR LAMB: Some call them weeds. If you like, then.... a weed garden, that. There’s fruit and there are flowers, and trees and herbs. All sorts. But over there.... weeds. I grow weeds there. Why is one green, growing plant called a weed and another ‘flower’? Where’s the difference? It’s all life.... growing. Same as you and me.

DERRY: We’re not the same.

MR LAMB: I’m old. You’re young. You’ve got a burned face, I’ve got a tin leg. Not important. You’re standing there.... I’m sitting here. Where’s the difference?

Look at the given images of books. In which of the following are you NOT likely to find Mr. Lamb’s words as given in the extract?

What does the play 'On the Face of It' suggest about the importance of empathy in overcoming prejudice and stereotypes?

What would have been the outcome if Mr. Lamb had not fallen off the ladder at the end?