CBSE Class 11 English Birth Questions Answers Worksheet Set 01

Question. Why does the writer say that the old woman’s ‘meditation had pursued a different course’?
Answer: While Andrew was thinking about the futility of marriage and relationships, the old woman was thinking about her daughter. She was concerned about both the mother and the child. She said that her daughter, Susan, did not want chloroform if it would harm the baby. She really looked forward to the birth of the child.

Question. What dilemma was Andrew caught in? How did he resolve it?
Answer: After an hour-long struggle, the child was born lifeless and the mother was in a critical state. Andrew was torn between his desire to save the child, and his obligation towards the mother. Instinctively, he gave the child to the nurse and turned his attention to Susan Morgan.

Question. How did he revive the mother?
Answer: To revive Susan Morgan, who lay collapsed and almost pulseless, Andrew smashed a glass ampule instantly, and injected the medicine. Then he flung down the hypodermic syringe and worked ceaselessly to revive the almost lifeless woman. After a few minutes of intense effort, her heart strengthened and she was safe.

Question. What did Andrew think was wrong with the child? What did he do?
Answer: Andrew saw that the child was a perfectly formed boy. The head lolled on a thin neck and the limbs seemed boneless. He knew that the whiteness meant asphyxia pallida. He remembered the treatment used for a similar case he had seen in the Samaritan. He applied the same to the stillborn child.

Question. What was the treatment given to the child?
Answer: Andrew hurried the child from one basin filled with cold water to the one with warm water. He continued his efforts for half an hour, to no avail. Lastly, he rubbed the child with a rough towel, crushing and releasing the little chest with both his hands, till the child finally gave a cry.

Question. Why was Andrew so serious and overwrought that particular evening?
Answer: That evening Andrew was tense and serious. He had a disappointing evening with his girlfriend Christine. Moreover, he had seen some painful incidents of husbands suffering at the hands of their wives. He was short of sleep as well.

Question. Who was Joe Morgan? Why had he been waiting anxiously for Dr Andrew that night?
Answer: Joe Morgan was in dire need of Dr Andrew’s help. His wife Susan was in labour. She was going to deliver their first child after 20 years of marriage. Joe and Susan were keen to have the child delivered safely. So he stood waiting anxiously for the doctor.

Long Answer Questions 

Question. Why was Andrew feeling so dull and listless that evening? How did that evening influence his whole life and career?
Answer: Andrew returned home after midnight. His experience with Christine that evening was not a happy one. Moreover, several episodes of unhappy married couples also saddened him. Outside his house was Joe Morgan, waiting anxiously for the doctor. He led Andrew to his house where his wife Susan was in labour. Andrew decided to wait and give medical aid. He had no idea that the incident of that night would give him not only supreme satisfaction but also name and fame. He worked very hard and intelligently saved the life of the mother as well as her stillborn child.

Question. Why was Andrew Manson called in? How did he react to the call of duty?
Answer: Andrew Manson had just begun his medical practice in the small Welsh mining town of Blaenelly. He was called in to attend to Susan Morgan, who was expecting her first child after being married for nearly twenty years. Her husband, Joe Morgan had been waiting for an hour outside the closed surgery. It was nearly midnight when Andrew reached there. As Joe informed Andrew of his wife’s condition, Andrew forgot his own affairs and immediately left for the driller’s place. Since his services were not immediately needed by the expecting mother, he decided to wait downstairs. He re-examined her after an hour. It was at 3:30 a.m. when the nurse summoned him. He struggled for an hour before the child was born. Then he worked feverishly to revive the weak mother and the stillborn child. He had to use all his knowledge and experience. He did not pay attention to his own physical tiredness or mental tension. Duty came first and he responded to it with single-minded devotion.

Question. Give a brief account of the efforts made by Andrew to revive the stillborn baby.
Answer: A shiver of horror passed over Andrew as he gazed at the still form of the newborn baby. Though it was a perfectly formed boy, its limp, warm body was white. The whiteness meant suffocation caused by lack of oxygen. Andrew remembered the treatment given to such a case in the Samaritan. Before the hot and cold water came that he had asked for, he laid the child upon a blanket and gave it artificial respiration. Then he dipped the child alternately in hot and cold water, and rubbed it with a rough towel. Then he pressed and released his chest till it heaved up. It was followed by other heaves. Andrew redoubled his efforts. The child started gasping. A bubble of mucus came from one tiny nostril. The pale skin turned pink. The limbs were no longer boneless. His head did not lie back spinelessly. The child gave a cry. It came alive.

Question. Compare and contrast Andrew’s emotional, mental and physical state at the beginning of the story and at the end.
Answer: At the beginning of the story, Andrew is physically tired and emotionally upset. He has just returned from a disappointing evening with Christine, the girl he loved. His thoughts are heavy and muddled. The episode he had witnessed at Cardiff station still filled his mind with sadness. Though he thought of marriage as a blissful state, he couldn’t help remembering the miserable failure of many marriages. At the end of the story, Andrew is physically exhausted but emotionally cheerful and mentally alert. His mind is filled with joy and self-satisfaction. He has performed an unusual feat, no less than a miracle. He calls upon God as witness to the fact that he has done something real at last. This sense of achievement helps him overcome his physical fatigue. His sense of duty towards his patients helps him to attend to them whole-heartedly. He forgets his personal feelings and thinks only of reviving the patients.

Question. What impression do you form of Andrew Manson on the basis of the story, ‘Birth’? 
Answer: Andrew Manson is a young man who has recently qualified as a doctor and started his medical practice as an assistant to Dr Edward Page in a small Welsh mining town of Blaenelly. He is in love with Christine and thinks of marriage as an idyllic state. His heart is overflowing with love. His steady mind helps him see the marriages of many couples as dismal failures. Andrew is mature enough to keep his private and professional lives apart. Once confronted with his responsibility, he discharges his obligations to his utmost capacity. He is duty conscious and believes in practical approach. He is pragmatic and is not afraid to try unique methods. Andrew has a tender heart. He is aware of the feelings of others. He knows how deeply Susan loved her newborn baby. He has a polite and reassuring tone. On the whole, Andrew impresses us as a dedicated doctor.

Question. “He had no premonition that this night call would prove unusual, still less that it would influence his whole future in Blaenelly.” What was the unusual event in store for him?
Answer: At nearly midnight, when Andrew reached Bryngower, he found Joe Morgan waiting for him. Joe and his wife had been married for nearly twenty years, and were expecting their first child. He accompanied Joe to his place where after an hour-long harsh struggle, the child was born lifeless and the mother was in a critical state. Andrew was torn between his desire to save the child, and his obligation towards the mother. After he revived Susan Morgan, he turned his attention to the child. It was a perfectly formed boy, but asphyxiated (unable to breath). He struggled to save the child and was finally successful. Having saved two lives in the course of the night, his future in Blaenelly seemed to hold promise.

Question. Andrew’s visit to the Morgan’s gave him pleasure and satisfaction that he had not achieved earlier. Justify.
Answer: At half past three, after an hour’s difficult struggle, the child was born lifeless. Andrew attempted to revive the mother who lay collapsed and almost pulseless. He injected the medicine and struggled to restore the lifeless Susan Morgan, and after a few minutes of intense effort, her heartbeat became steady. Andrew then turned his attention to the lifeless baby. He inferred that the condition was caused by lack of oxygen in the baby’s blood. He initiated the artificially induced method of respiration. Pouring cold water into one basin and warm into the other, he rushed the child, from one basin to the next, for fifteen minutes. As his last resort, he rubbed the child with a rough towel, crushing and releasing the little chest with both his hands, trying to get breath into that limp body. Then miraculously, the tiny chest began to heave and they heard the child’s cry. He had saved two lives and was eternally relieved at having ‘done something real at last.’

Question. Justify the title of the story, ‘Birth’.
Answer: The title of this story is self-explanatory as the whole story revolves around the process of giving birth to a child. The story is about a young doctor, Andrew, dealing with a critical birth case. The baby is born lifeless. He takes certain decisions that prove quite successful. Not only he succeeds in saving the mother, who is in a critical condition after the delivery, but also succeeds in reviving the child. The doctor first saves the mother who has delivered the baby and then goes on to save the baby, which was considered to be stillborn or dead. After many efforts by the doctor, the life of the stillborn child was saved. So, the baby born lifeless was born again owing to the efforts of the dedicated doctor. Hence, the title is perfectly appropriate and justified.

Value Points

People’s sense of responsibility towards work.
A doctor’s sense of duty, dedication, and humanistic approach towards his patients.
The supreme joy of motherhood.
The real sense of fulfillment and peace and joy that a piece of good work done brings to human mind.
The real piece of work in human life lies in bringing joy in other people’s life.
The tremendous sense of expectation and anxiety that is caused in other family member’s heart when a baby is on the way.
The technical aspects of the resuscitation method as regards a new-born.

Short Question Answers:

Question. What was the dilemma that Andrew faced after the baby was born?
Answer: After the baby was born, Andrew was faced with the dilemma whether to attend to the baby which was still-born in order to try to resuscitate it or to turn his attention rather to the mother, Susan Morgan, who was in a desperate state of health because of loss of blood and labour pain.

Question. Why was Joe and Susan Morgan’s case special for Andrew?
Answer: Joe and Susan Morgan’s case was special for Andrew because Joe and Susan were expecting their first child although they had been married for twenty years.

Question. What was Susan Morgan’s suggestion to Andrew which she informed through her mother-inlaw?
Answer: Susan Morgan wished that she was not to be given the chloroform if it would harm the baby.

Question. What did Andrew guess could be cause of the baby being still born?
Answer: Andrew found out that the baby had turned white and it could mean only one thing:
asphyxia which is suffocation or unconscious condition caused by lack of oxygen and excess of carbon dioxide in the blood, accompanied by paleness of the skin, weak pulse, and loss of reflexes.

Question. What is your impression about Dr. Andrew as a doctor and a human being?
Answer: The story ‘Birth’ is a comment on what a doctor should really be as a doctor and a human being. Dr. Andrew is an exceptionally dutiful and kind and passionate human being. Not only he sets aside mental and bodily fatigue to visit Joe Morgan’s house dead at night, but also he almost rebels against nature’s laws to keep trying to bring breath back to the still born baby wherein he succeeds.

Long Question Answers:

Question. Describe the efforts that Andrew made in order to bring the still born baby back to life.
Answer: After pulling the still born baby out from beneath the bed, Andrew could guess why the baby had lost its breath. The cause was asphyxia which is a condition in which insufficient or no oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged on a ventilator basis caused by choking or drowning.
Therefore, he realized that there was point in trying to resuscitate the baby with the help of the traditional resuscitation methods applied in such cases. So he first laid the baby upon a blanket and began the special methods of respiration. Thus he poured hot and cold water in two basins and frantically went on pushing the baby into the water of both the basins alternately for almost half an hour. But no breath emerged from the baby and a sense of desperation and defeat set in his mind. Still he wanted to put in another last effort. So this time, he rubbed the baby with a rough towel and then he crushed and released the little chest with both his hands, trying to get breath into that lax body. And after this, the miracle happened and the tiny chest of the baby gave a heave and then another and then another and Andrew was victorious as the baby was finally revived.

Question. Why was Andrew so emotionally attached to his efforts to bring the lifeless baby back to life?
Answer:
-Joe Morgan and Susan Morgan were expecting the birth of their first birth
-They were married for twenty years.
-It was Dr. Andrew who had been handling the case.
-Andrew had assured the couple of no complication and safe delivery of the baby.
-All others in Morgan’s family were anxious
-Susan Morgan feels labour pain before due date
-Susan’s mother-in-law informs Andrew about Susan’s wish to go through labour pain without anesthesia in case the same would hurt the baby.
-Andrew goes on with anesthesia
-A still baby is born
-Andrew has to do something to revive the baby because he had held a promise.

Question. Why does Andrew comment that he had done something ‘real at last’ in Blaenelly?
Answer:
-Andrew Manson is a young doctor just out of medical school.
-The place where he works is a small mining town named Blaenelly.
-He had been handling the case of Joe and Susan Morgan who were expecting their first child after twenty years of marriage.
-Andrew had assured the couple of no complication and safe delivery of the baby.
-He visits Joe Morgan’s house dead at night as Susan Morgan has premature labour pain
-In an atmosphere of anxiety and expectation, he works for the safe delivery of the baby
-A lifeless baby is born and Susan is on the verge of death too -Andrew is crushed
-He first helps Susan’s condition improve
-Then he works massively for resuscitating the breathless baby
-After half an hour’s harsh struggle, the baby breaths
-At last Andrew can be true to the promise he had held.
-Saving the lives of two this way and guaranteeing joy to a whole family is thus ‘ something real’

QI.WHO SPOKE TO WHOM:

A. “I been back and forward here this last hour. The missus wants ye------- before time too.”

a. Joe to Andrew

b. Andrew to Joe

c. Christine to Joe

B. “Let me make a cup of tea Doctor, bach”

a. Mrs. Morgan’s mother to Doctor

b. The midwife to Doctor

c. Doctor to midwife

C. ‘It won’t do any harm, the anesthetic.”

a. Doctor to Susan

b. Doctor to Susan’s mother

c. Midwife to Doctor

D. “Get me hot water and cold water “

a. Doctor to Susan’s mother

b. Doctor to midwife

c. Doctor to Joe Morgan

E. “Dear father in heaven, it’s come—it’s come alive”

a. Mid wife to Doctor

b. Doctor to midwife

c. Midwife to Susan’s mother

Q.2 COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING WORDS BY SUPPLYING THE CORRECT LETTERS IN THE BLANKS: (Follow the hints given)

a. R__SUSCI__AT__(to bring back to life again)

b. D__L__MMA (a difficult position)

c. ID__LL__C(simple and pleasant)

d. PR__MONI__ION(forewarning)

e. CONST__,__NA__ION(alarm)

Q3. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING TABLE WITH THE HELP OF THE FOLLOWING PHRASES (FOLLOW THE ORDER OF EVENTS) :

A night call, at the patient’s house, A long wait, Andrew’s dilemma, A miracle, Sigh of relief 

A night call

Andrew’s dilemma

A sigh of relief

Q.4 FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE WORDS GIVEN IN THE BOX:

Waiting, overflowing, disappointing, expecting, waiting, broodingly

a. Dr. Andrew Manson was returning home after a --------------------------- evening with his girlfriend Christine.

b. Joe and his wife are married for twenty years and they are ------------------ ----- their first baby.

c. Though it was nearly midnight Andrew found Joe --------------------- for him.

d. Mrs. Morgan’s mother was ------------------ Andrew’s expression, as he moved about the room.

e. Dr. Andrew stretched out his legs, stared --------------------------- into the fire.

Q5. Put the jumbled sentences in the correct order.

a. Andrew was offered a cup of tea by Susan’s mother

b. Andrew started his work around three O’ clock

c. Andrew was coming home after meeting Susan

d. Andrew frantically hurried the child between two basins of cold and hot water

e. Jo Morgan was waiting for Dr. Andrew at his clinic cum home

f. The midwife placed the child under the bed

g. Dr. Andrew attended the mother/Diapason/

h. The newborn child was lifeless

i. The child resumed his lost breath

j. Andrew said, Oh God! I have done something real at last

VI. Match the following words with their correct meanings: Word Meaning

Lethargy flabby

Resuscitate difficult position

Muddled drowsiness

Dilemma confused

Flaccid to bring to life again

Across:

1 FOREWARNING

3 ALARM

5 INATTENTIVE

6 FORGETFUL

8 DIFFICULT POSITION

10 DROWSINESS

11 HARD FAT OF ANIMALS

12 CONFUSED

Down:

2 TO BRING BACK TO LIFE AGAIN

4 SIMPLE AND PLEASANT

7 STURDY

9 WILD LOOKING