Comprehension (B)
Peter sat and looked out over the valley. Dad would marry that girl. Yes, that girl who had kissed him and who had said she would try to be a good mother to him and all that. The tune stopped suddenly and Granddad said, "It's a poor tune, except to be dancing to." And then, "It's a fine girl your father's going to marry. He will feel young again with a pretty wife like that. And what would an old fellow like me do around the house ... getting in the way an old fool with all the talk about backaches and pains!
"And then there will be babies coming, and I don't want to be around listening to them cry all hours of the night. No, it's best that I leave. Well, one more tune or two, and then we will get to bed, get some sleep. In the morning I'll get my new blanket and take my leave. Listen to this. It's a bit of a sad tune but a nice one for a night like this." They did not hear the two people coming down the road, Dad and the pretty girl with a hard bright face like a doll. But they heard her laugh and the tune stopped suddenly.
Questions:
i. What titles could be given to each paragraph in the passage to summarize its content?
ii. Interpret the expressions "getting in the way" and "hard bright face like a doll" in the context of the passage.
iii. Analyze the emotional impact on Peter and Granddad as they discuss Dad's upcoming marriage and Granddad's decision to leave.
iv. What theme or message is conveyed through Granddad's perspective on the upcoming changes in the family, especially regarding Dad's marriage and the prospect of babies?
v. How does the passage offer a perspective on the complexities of family dynamics, including the anticipation of change and the bittersweet emotions associated with it?
vi. In what ways can individuals relate to the challenges and emotions presented in the passage, and how might they navigate similar situations in their own lives?
