The Dear Departed-I Reading Comprehension

AP SSC Board-Based Reading Comprehension For Grade 10 
Unit 2 Reading A The Dear Departed-I

Reading Comprehension 1

Mrs. Slater : (sharply) Victoria, Victoria! D'ye hear? Come in, will you?

(Victoria comes in.)

Mrs. Slater: I'm amazed at you, Victoria. I really am. Be off now, and change your dress before your Aunt Elizabeth and your Uncle Ben come. It would never do for them to find you in colours with grandfather lying dead, upstairs.

Victoria: What are they coming for? They haven't been here for ages.

Mrs. Slater: They're coming to talk over poor grandpa's affairs. Your father sent them a telegram as soon as we found he was dead. (A noise is heard)

(Henry Slater, a stooping, heavy man with a drooping moustache, enters. He is wearing a black tailcoat, grey trousers, a black tie and a bowler hat.)

Henry: I'm wondering if they'll come at all. When you and Elizabeth quarrelled she said she'd never set foot in your house again.

Mrs. Slater: She'll come fast enough after her share of what our father's left. You know how hard she can be when she likes. Where she gets it from I can't tell.

1.Why does Mrs. Slater want Victoria to change her dress?

Mrs. Slater wants Victoria to change her dress because it would be inappropriate for her to be wearing colours while her grandfather is lying dead upstairs.

2. Why are Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ben coming to the house?

Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ben are coming to the house to discuss the affairs of the deceased grandfather.

3. Who sent Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ben a telegram about the grandfather's death?

   a) Mrs. Slater

   b) Victoria

   c) Henry Slater

Answer: c) Henry Slater

4. What is Victoria asked to do before Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ben arrive?

   a) Change her dress

   b) Prepare tea

   c) Clean the house

Answer: a) Change her dress

5. Why does Mrs. Slater believe Aunt Elizabeth will come to the house despite their quarrel?

   a) Aunt Elizabeth wants to reconcile with Mrs. Slater.

   b) Aunt Elizabeth is concerned about her share of their father's inheritance.

   c) Aunt Elizabeth values family more than their disagreements.

Answer: b) Aunt Elizabeth is concerned about her share of their father's inheritance.

Reading Comprehension 2

Henry : I suppose it's in the family. (pause) Where are my slippers?

Mrs. Slater : In the kitchen; but you want a new pair, those old ones are nearly worn out. (Nearly breaking down) You don't seem to realize what it's costing me to bear up like I am doing. My heart's fit to break when I see the little trifles that belonged to father lying around, and think he'll never use them again. (Briskly) Here! You'd better wear these slippers of my father's now. It's lucky he'd just got a new pair.

Henry : They'll be very small for me, my dear.

Mrs. Slater : They'll stretch, won't they? I'm not going to have them wasted. (She has  finished laying the table.) Henry, I've been thinking about that bureau of  my father's that's in his bedroom. You know I always wanted to have it after he died.

Henry : You must arrange with Elizabeth when you're dividing things up.

Mrs. Slater : Elizabeth's that sharp she'll see I'm after it, and we'll drive a hard bargain over it.

Henry : Perhaps she's got her eye on the bureau as well.

Mrs. Slater : She's got her eye on the bureau as well.

Mrs. Slater : She's never been here since father bought it. If it was only down here instead of in his room, she'd never guess it wasn't our own.

Henry : (startled): Amelia! (He rises)

1. Why does Mrs. Slater want Henry to wear her father's slippers?

Mrs. Slater wants Henry to wear her father's slippers because the old ones are nearly worn out, and she doesn't want them to go to waste.

2. Who does Mrs. Slater plan to negotiate with regarding the bureau?

Mrs. Slater plans to negotiate with Elizabeth when dividing things up.

3. What does Mrs. Slater want to have after her father's death?

   a) The slippers

   b) The bureau

   c) The kitchen table

 Answer: b) The bureau

4. Why does Mrs. Slater think Elizabeth will drive a hard bargain over the bureau?

   a) Elizabeth has sentimental attachment to it.

   b) Elizabeth knows its value.

   c) Elizabeth wants to keep it for herself.

  Answer: c) Elizabeth wants to keep it for herself.

5. Where is the bureau currently located?

   a) In the kitchen

   b) In Elizabeth's room

   c) In the deceased father's bedroom

   Answer: c) In the deceased father's bedroom

Reading Comprehension 3

Mrs. Slater : Henry, why shouldn't we bring that bureau down here now? We can do it before they come.

Henry : (stupefied) I wouldn't care to.

Mrs. Slater : Don't look so daft. Why not?

Henry : It doesn't seem delicate, somehow.

Mrs. Slater : We could put that shabby old chest of drawers upstairs where the bureau is now. Elizabeth could have that and welcome. I've always wanted to get rid of it. (She points to the drawers.)

Henry : Suppose they come when we're doing it.

Mrs. Slater : I'll fasten the front door. Get your coat off, Henry. We'll change it.

(Mrs. Slater goes out to fasten the front door. Henry takes his coat off. Mrs. Slater reappears.)

Mrs. Slater : I'll run up and move the chairs out of the way.

(Victoria appears, dressed according to her mother's instructions)

Victoria : What have you got your coat off for, father?

Henry : Mother and I are going to bring grandfather's bureau down here.

Victoria : Are you planning to pinch it?

Henry : (Shocked) No, my child. Grandpa gave it to your mother before he died.

Victoria : This morning?

Henry : Yes.

Victoria : Ah! He was drunk this morning.

(Mrs. Slater appears carrying a handsome clock under her arm.)

Mrs. Slater : I thought I'd fetch this down as well. (She puts it on the mantelpiece.) Our clock’s worth nothing and this always appealed to me.

Victoria : That's grandpa's clock.

Mrs. Slater : Be quiet! It's ours now. Come, Henry, lift your end.

1.Why does Mrs. Slater want to bring the bureau down before their guests arrive?

Mrs. Slater wants to bring the bureau down to make it appear as if it has always been their own and not their father's.

2. How does Victoria react to the idea of bringing the bureau down?

 Victoria questions if they are planning to steal it, 

3. Why does Mrs. Slater want to get rid of the shabby old chest of drawers?

   a) She wants to replace it with the bureau.

   b) She finds it ugly and useless.

   c) Elizabeth wants to have it.

Answer: a) She wants to replace it with the bureau.

4. What does Victoria imply about her grandfather's state of mind this morning?

   a) He was drunk.

   b) He was forgetful.

   c) He was generous.

Answer: a) He was drunk.

5. How does Mrs. Slater acquire the clock?

   a) She buys it.

   b) She inherits it from her father.

   c) She takes it from her grandfather's room.

   Answer: c) She takes it from her father's room.

Reading Comprehension 4

(Henry and Mrs. Slater, very hot and flushed, stagger in with a pretty old-fashioned bureau containing a locked desk. They put it where the chest of drawers was, and straighten the ornaments, etc. There is a knock at the door. The knocking is repeated.)(Victoria ushers in Ben and Mrs. Jordan. The latter is a stout, complacent woman with an irritating air of being always right. She is wearing an outfit of new mourning. Ben is also in complete new mourning. He is rather a jolly little man, but at present trying to adapt himself to the regrettable occasion. Mrs. Jordan sails into the room and solemnly goes straight to Mrs. Slater and kisses her. The men shake hands.)

Mrs. Jordan :Well, Amelia, and so he's gone at last.

Mrs. Slater : Yes, he's gone. He was seventy-two a fortnight last Sunday. (She sniffs back a tear.)

Ben (chirpily) : Now, Amelia, you mustn't give way. We've all got to die some time or other.

Mrs. Jordan : And now perhaps you'll tell us all about it.

Mrs. Slater : Father had been merry this morning. He went out soon after breakfast to pay his insurance.

Ben : My word, it's a good thing he did.

Mrs. Jordan : He always was thoughtful in that way. He was too honourable to have 'gone' without paying his premium.

1.How is Mrs. Jordan described here?

She is a stout, complacent woman with an irritating air of being always right.

2. Why is the occasion said to be regrettable?

Because Father has died.

3. Why did Father go out after breakfast?

A) To pay his insurance

B) To run errands

C) To meet a friend

Answer: A) To pay his insurance

4. How did Mrs. Jordan describe Father's sense of honour?

A) He was always thoughtful

B) He was careless with his finances

C) He often forgot to pay his bills

Answer: A) He was always thoughtful

5. How did Mrs. Slater react to Father's passing?

A) She was cheerful

B) She was heartbroken

C) She didn't seem to care

Answer: B) She was heartbroken

Reading Comprehension 5

Henry : And when I came in I found him undressed sure enough and snug in bed.

Mrs. Slater : And when we'd finished dinner I thought I'd take up a bit of something on a tray. He was lying there for all the world as if he was asleep, so I put the tray down on the bureau-(correcting herself) on the chest of drawers - and went to waken him. (A pause) He was quite cold.

(A pause. They wipe their eyes and sniff back tears.)

Mrs. Slater : (Rising briskly at length; in a business-like tone) Well, will you go up and look at him now, or shall we have tea?

Mrs. Jordan : What do you say, Ben?

Ben : I'm not particular.

Mrs. Jordan : (surveying the table) Well, then, if the kettle's ready, we may as well have tea first.

(Mrs. Slater puts the kettle on the fire and gets tea ready.)

Henry : One thing we may as well decide now is the announcement in the papers.

Mrs. Jordan : I was thinking of that. What would you put?

(A pause)

Mrs. Jordan : Well, we'll think about it after tea, and then we'll look through his bits of things and make a list of them. There's all the furniture in his room.

1. What did Mrs. Slater find when she went to wake Father after dinner?

He was quite cold.

2. What do they decide to do before discussing the announcement in the papers?

Have tea first.

3. What did Henry find when he came in?

   A) Father dressed and awake

   B) Father undressed and snug in bed

   C) Father missing from the house

   Answer: B) Father undressed and snug in bed

4. What do they plan to do after tea?

   A) Look through Father's belongings and make a list of them

   B) Discuss the announcement in the papers

   C) Start cleaning Father's room

   Answer: A) Look through Father's belongings and make a list of them

5. What does Mrs. Jordan suggest they do with the furniture in Father's room?

   A) Sell it

   B) Donate it

   C) Make a list of it

   Answer: C) Make a list of it

Reading Comprehension 6

Henry : There's no jewellery or valuables of that sort.

Mrs. Jordan : Except his gold watch. He promised that to our Jimmy.

Mrs. Slater : Promised your Jimmy! I never heard of that.

Mrs. Jordan : Oh, but he did, Amelia, when he was living with us. He was very fond of Jimmy.

Mrs. Slater : Well, (Amazed) I don't know!

Ben : Anyhow, there's his insurance money. Have you got the receipt for the premium he paid this morning?

Mrs. Slater : I've not seen it.

(Victoria jumps up from the sofa and comes behind the table.)

Victoria : Mother, I don't think Grandpa went to pay his insurance this morning.

Mrs. Slater : He went out.

Victoria : Yes, but he didn't go into the town. He met old Mr. Tattersall down the street, and they went off past St. Philip's Church.

Ben : Do you think he hasn't paid it? Was it overdue?

Mrs. Slater : I should think it was overdue.

1. What valuable item did Father promise to Jimmy?

His gold watch.

2. According to Victoria, where did Grandpa go with Mr. Tattersall instead of paying his insurance premium?

They went off past St. Philip's Church.

3. What did Mrs. Jordan claim Father promised to Jimmy?

   A) His gold watch

   B) His jewelry collection

   C) His antique furniture

   Answer: A) His gold watch

4. Why does Victoria doubt that Grandpa paid his insurance premium?

   A) He didn't go into town as expected

   B) She found the premium receipt

   C) He mentioned forgetting to pay it

   Answer: A) He didn't go into town as expected

5. What does Mrs. Slater suspect about the insurance premium?

   A) It hasn't been paid

   B) It was paid by someone else

   C) It was paid on time

   Answer: A) It hasn't been paid

Reading Comprehension 7

Mrs. Jordan : Something tells me he's not paid it.

Ben : The drunken old beggar.

Mrs. Jordan : He's done it on purpose, just to annoy us.

Mrs. Slater : After all I've done for him, having to put up with him in the house these three years. It's nothing short of swindling.

Mrs. Jordan : I had to put up with him for five years.

Mrs. Slater : And you were trying to turn him over to us all the time.

Henry : But we don't know for certain that he's not paid the premium.

Mrs. Slater : Victoria, run upstairs and fetch that bunch of keys that's on your Grandpa' dressing-table.

Victoria :(timidly) In Grandpa's room?

Mrs. Slater : Yes.

Victoria : I - I don't like to.

Mrs. Slater : Don't talk so silly. There's no one who can hurt you. (Victoria goes out reluctantly) We'll see if he's locked the receipt up in the bureau.

Ben : In where? In this thing? (He rises and examines it.)

Mrs. Jordan : (also rising) Where did you pick that up, Amelia? It's new since last I was here.

(They examine it closely.)

Mrs. Slater : Oh - Henry picked it up one day.

1. Why does Mrs. Jordan believe that Father intentionally didn't pay the insurance premium?

She thinks he did it just to annoy them.

2. Why does Mrs. Slater suspect that Father locked the receipt in the bureau?

She wants to check if the receipt is locked up in the bureau to confirm whether the premium was paid.

3. How do Mrs. Jordan and Mrs. Slater feel about their past experiences with Father?

   A) Resentful and annoyed

   B) Grateful and appreciative

   C) Indifferent and unaffected

   Answer: A) Resentful and annoyed

4. Why does Mrs. Slater ask Victoria to fetch the bunch of keys from Grandpa's room?

   A) To unlock the bureau and find the insurance receipt

   B) To open the chest of drawers and find valuable items

   C) To give the keys to Henry for safekeeping

   Answer: A) To unlock the bureau and find the insurance receipt

5. How did Henry come across the bureau?

   A) He found it abandoned on the street

   B) He purchased it from a store

   C) It was a gift from someone

   Answer: A) He found it abandoned on the street

Reading Comprehension 8

(Victoria returns, very scared. She closes the door after her.)

Victoria : Mother! Mother!

Mrs. Slater : What is it, child?

Victoria : Grandpa's getting up.

Ben : What?

Mrs. Slater : What do you say?

Victoria : Grandpa's getting up.

Mrs. Jordan : The child's crazy.

Mrs. Slater : Don't talk so silly. Don't you know your grandpa's dead?

Victoria : No, no; he's getting up. I saw him.

(They are transfixed with amazement; Victoria clings to Mrs. Slater.)

Ben : (Suddenly) Hist! Listen.

(They look at the door. A slight chuckling is heard from upstairs. The door opens, revealing an old man clad in a faded but gay dressing-gown. He is in his stockinged feet. Although over seventy, he is vigorous and well coloured. His bright, malicious eyes twinkle under his heavy, reddish-gray eye brows. He is obviously either the old man ABEL MERRYWEATHER or else his ghost.)

1. Who does Victoria claim to have seen getting up?

Grandpa

2. How do Mrs. Jordan and Mrs. Slater initially react to Victoria's claim?

They think Victoria is crazy and dismiss her statement.

3. How do the characters react when they hear a slight chuckling from upstairs?

   A) They are transfixed with amazement

   B) They are scared and run away

   C) They think it's a prank and start laughing

   Answer: A) They are transfixed with amazement

4. How does the old man appear when he enters the room?

   A) He is dressed in formal attire

   B) He is wearing a faded but gay dressing-gown

   C) He is wearing a ghostly white robe

   Answer: B) He is wearing a faded but gay dressing-gown

5. Who is the old man most likely to be?

   A) Abel Merryweather

   B) Grandpa's twin brother

   C) A stranger who resembles Grandpa

   Answer: A) Abel Merryweather