A Question of Trust CBSE Question Bank Class 10 English

CBSE has added the following question bank for students to prepare well for their class 10 board exams

MCQ Class 10 English A Question of Trust | CBSE Question Bank Answer Key

Q3 Multiple Choice Questions based on an extract
(A) How foolish people are when they own valuable things, Horace thought. A magazine article had described this house, giving a plan of all the rooms and a picture of this room. The writer had even mentioned that the painting hid a safe! But Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work. He buried his face in his handkerchief. Then he heard a voice say from the doorway, “What is it? A cold or hay fever?” Before he could think, Horace said, “Hay fever,” and found himself sneezing again. The voice went on, “You can cure it with a special treatment, you know if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you’d better see a doctor if you’re serious about your work. I heard you from the top of the house just now.”

i According to the extract, Horace was sneezing due to a

a) sudden allergy
b) prior infection
c) long-standing disease
d) nasal pain

ii Which magazine could have published the article mentioned in the given extract?

a) Paws & Claws
b) Outdoors & Landscaping
c) Interiors
d) The Investor

iii Choose the image that correctly describes the location of the safe, based on the given extract.

a) Option (1)
b) Option (2)
c) Option (3)
d) Option (4)

iv In the line – Before he could think, Horace said, “Hay fever,” –the response was

a) rehearsed.
b) spontaneous and natural.
c) hesitant.
d) rapid and hostile.

v The line from the extract that can be considered an example of sarcasm is

a) How foolish people are when they own valuable things.
b) Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work.
c) You can cure it with special treatment.
d) I think you’d better see a doctor if you’re serious about your work.

A Question of Trust MCQ Answer Key (A)

i. b
ii. c
iii. c
iv. b
v. d

(B) But he never got the chance to begin his plan. By noon a policeman had arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange. His fingerprints, for he had opened the safe without gloves, were all over the room, and no one believed him when he said that the wife of the owner of the house had asked him to open the safe for her. The wife herself, a grey-haired, sharp-tongued woman of sixty, said that the story was nonsense. Horace is now the assistant librarian in prison. He often thinks of the charming, clever young lady who was in the same profession as he was, and who tricked him. He gets very angry when anyone talks about ‘honour among thieves.

i The plan devised by Horace was to

a) tell about the safe to the owner of the house.
b) blackmail the wife of the owner later.
c) look for another safe for stealing books.
d) tell the police the truth before the lady could deceive him.

ii Based on the extract, choose what you think are the main feelings Horace probably has, for the young lady who tricked him, when he thinks about her.

a) anger and blame
b) admiration and respect
c) respect and gratitude
d) anger and vengeance

iii Choose the option that lists the evidence that the police might have used against Horace, to arrest him.

a) Option 1
b) Option 2
c) Option 3
d) Option 4

iv Given below are four situations in Mr Verma’s house. Choose the situation that depicts Mr Verma being sharp-tongued with his family members.

a) Mr Verma’s wife shares a life problem with him and he advises her honestly.
b) Mr Verma’s daughter scores poor marks in his exams and Mr Verma remains silent.
c) Mr Verma’s son cooks food for the first time and he is criticized by his father immediately.
d) Mr Verma’s sister buys a new car to surprise him and he is overjoyed with the news.

v Honour among thieves is an example of a/n

a) idiom
b) slogan
c) proverb
d) lyric

A Question of Trust MCQ Answer Key (B) CBSE Question Bank

i. c
ii. d (please note that its answer is wrongly printed as ‘b’ at CBSE’s site.)
iii. d
iv. c
v. a

Q10 Answer in 20-30 words

i The woman posing as the house owner’s wife had laid out a careful plan to dupe Horace Danby. Cite any two instances from the text that suggest the same.

ANS: She instantly fabricated a story that Horace believed without doubting her. She knew the name of the dog. She at once figured out that Horace was sneezing due to an allergy to flowers and turned her conversation accordingly.

ii In the chapter “A Question of Trust”, Horace Danby’s final arrest was a blessing in disguise. Comment briefly.

ANS: Nothing is mentioned about this in the story. But, we can assume that Horace Danby’s arrest in “A Question of Trust” leads to his redemption from past guilts of stealing. He got a new sense of moral responsibility, making it a blessing in disguise.

iii “Society must be protected from men like you.” Comment on the irony of the given quote.

ANS: The irony of this quote lies in the fact that the lady thief is herself a criminal, yet she accuses Horace Danby of being a danger to society. Additionally, Horace Danby is portrayed as a gentleman thief who steals only from the wealthy and has a moral code that guides his actions.

iv “A Question of Trust” is a story about the robbery of a robber. Expound.

ANS: In “A Question of Trust,” a gentleman thief named Horace Danby steals from a wealthy collector but is later robbed by a lady thief who cons him into revealing his loot. The story thus revolves around the robbery of a robber, highlighting the theme of betrayal and the consequences of misplaced trust.

Q11 Answer in 40-50 words

i “How foolish people are when they own valuable things” Does this statement hold true for Horace Danby himself?
Support your answer with instances from “A Question of Trust”.

ANS: The statement “how foolish people are when they own valuable things” can be said to hold true for Horace Danby himself. Despite his claims of being a “collector” rather than a thief, he is shown to be obsessed with valuable possessions of rare books, which ultimately leads to his downfall when he is robbed by the lady thief who cons him into revealing his loot.

ii “The most successful people work smart, not hard” Justify the quote with reference to “A Question of Trust”.

ANS: The quote “The most successful people work smart, not hard” is exemplified in “A Question of Trust” as the woman who tricks Horace Danby into stealing the necklace is portrayed as a shrewd and intelligent character who achieves her goal without resorting to hard work or physical labour.

iii Based on the story, would it be fair to say that deception is a crucial aspect of robbery? Do you agree? Why/why not?

ANS: Based on the events in “A Question of Trust,” it is fair to say that deception plays a crucial role in the robbery, as seen in the woman’s use of deception to trick Horace into stealing the necklace. However, it is important to recognize that not all robberies involve deception and that robbery is an illegal and immoral act.

iv Thieves and swindlers have no sense of moral righteousness. Comment with references to instances from “A Question of Trust”.

ANS: In “A Question of Trust,” both the woman who tricks Horace Danby into stealing the necklace and Horace himself initially act without a sense of moral righteousness. However, as the story progresses, Horace realizes the error of his ways and confesses his crime, demonstrating a newfound sense of moral responsibility.

Q12 Answer in 100-120 words

i Imagine that the young lady thief writes a letter to Horace Danby while he is in prison. Write the letter imagining yourself to be that young lady with respect to the story.

ANS: Dear Horace,

I hope this letter finds you well, and that your time in prison is being spent constructively. I wanted to take this opportunity to apologize for my role in the events that led to your custody. I understand that my actions were deceitful and immoral, and I regret the pain and suffering I have caused you.

I wanted to let you know that I have turned over a new leaf and have renounced my criminal ways. The incident with the necklace was a wake-up call for me, and I have realized that there are more honest and rewarding ways to live. I hope that one day you can forgive me for what I have done and that we can both move on from this experience.

Sincerely, [Name of the young lady thief]

ii As the woman who dupes Danby, pen a diary entry for the night before the robbery. Pen down your thoughts, fears, and hopes from the robbery based on the events of the story “The Question of Trust”.
Wednesday, 12 July ’78 9 PM
Its D-day, finally! Today, I know how it feels to be nervous and excited at the same time……. (continue)……….

ANS: Wednesday, 12 July ’78 9 PM

It’s D-day, finally! Today, I know how it feels to be nervous and excited at the same time. All the planning, the sleepless nights, and the constant worry about getting caught are about to culminate. But tonight, I am determined to steal the necklace.

I know I have played my part well so far. I’ve earned Horace’s trust by pretending to be a lover of rare books, and have convinced him to steal the pearl necklace for me. But what if something goes wrong? What if Horace figures out my game? I can’t afford to get caught. My whole future depends on this robbery. I need to get the necklace and disappear before anyone realizes it’s gone.

The fear and the adrenaline are both making me restless, but I know I can’t let my nerves get the best of me. I need to be alert and careful, and most importantly, I need to get the necklace tonight. I just hope my plan works and that everything goes as smoothly as I’ve planned it.

Wish me luck.

[Name of the woman who dupes Danby]

Supplementary Reader: Footprints without Feet NCERT Class 10 English > Lesson 1 A Triumph of Surgery > Lesson 2 The Thief’s Story > Lesson 3 The Midnight Visitor > Lesson 4 A Question of Trust > Lesson 5 Footprints without Feet > Lesson 6 The Making of a Scientist > Lesson 7 The Necklace > Lesson 8 The Hack Driver > Lesson 9 Bholi CBSE > Lesson 10 The Book that Saved the Earth

Class 10 Literature First Flight – CBSE Question Bank, (Fully solved) >Chapter 1 A Letter to God >Chapter 2 Nelson Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom >Chapter 3 Two Stories About Flying His First Flight > Chapter 3 Two Stories About Flying The Black Aeroplane >Chapter 4 From the Diary of Anne Frank >Chapter 5 (Part 1) The Hundred Dresses Part 1 >Chapter 6 (Part 2) The Hundred Dresses Part 2, >Chapter 7 Glimpses of India >Chapter 8 Mijbil the Otter >Chapter 9 Madam Rides the Bus >Chapter 10 The Sermon at Benares >Chapter 11 The Proposal >Poem 1 Dust of Snow >Poem 2 Fire and Ice > Poem 3 A Tiger in the Zoo Poem > Poem 4 How to Tell Wild Animals Poem > Poem 5 The Ball Poem > Poem 6 Amanda > Poem 7 Animals Poem > Poem 8 The Trees > Poem 9 Fog > Poem 10 The Tale of Custard the Dragon > Poem 11 For Anne Gregory