"The Best Seller" is a charming short story by O. Henry sharing an unusual yet endearing tale of romance and pursuit. The protagonist, John A. Pescud, is a travelling salesman for a plate-glass company in Pittsburgh who holds disdain for romantic novels that ........................
Best Seller - Interact in English: Literature Reader - Class 9 - English
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Back Questions - Best Seller | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Literature | English | Class 9
“Bully,” said Pescud brightening at once. He means to say that he was
being intimidated by his boss.
harassing his subordinates.
doing very well at his job.
meeting all the sales targets.
doing very well at his job.
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The narrator says that life has no geographical boundaries implying that
human beings are essentially the same everywhere.
one can travel freely to other countries.
boundaries exist only on maps.
one should work towards the good of mankind.
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Sign up nowClassify (1) to (4) as fact (F) or opinion (O), based on your reading of the story.
(1) Pescud had hurled the bestseller to the floor.
(2) People in real life marry somebody in their own station.
(3) Pescud got an opportunity to meet Jessie all alone two evenings after he met her father.
(4) Pescud believed that plate-glass was the most important commodity.
F-1, 3, 4; O-2
F-1, 3; O-2, 4
F-1, 2, 4; O-3
F-2; O-1, 3, 4
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Sign up nowSelect the suitable option for the given statements, based on your understanding of the story.
(1) The author’s description of Coketown brings out the ugly face of industries that operated there.
(2) Pescud got off at Coketown as it had good business prospects for a plate-glass salesman.
(1) is false but (2) is true.
(1) is true but (2) is false.
(1) is the cause for (2)
(2) is a fact but unrelated to (1)
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Sign up nowI contrived to keep out of her sight as much as I could, but I never lost track of her. The last station she got off at was away down in Virginia, about six in the evening. There were about fifty houses.
The rest was mud, mules, and speckled hounds.
A tall old man with a smooth face and white hair, looking as proud as Julius Caesar was there to meet her. His clothes were frazzled, but I didn’t notice that till later. He took her little satchel, and they started over the plank walks and went up a road along the hill. I kept along a piece behind ‘em, trying to look like I was hunting a garnet ring in the sand that my sister had lost at a picnic the previous Saturday.
The extract tells us that Virginia was a _________ populated town.
A. densely
B. highly
C. sparsely
D. hardlyChoose the option that uses the word ‘frazzled’ in the same way as the extract.
A. I feel pretty frazzled most weeks these days.
B. The cuffs of his brown shirt looked frazzled.
C. Father finally arrived home, tired and frazzled.
D. Mother was frazzled looking after all the guests had left.Read the statements (1) & (2) given below, and choose the option that correctly evaluates the statements.
(1): The speaker pretended that he was searching for a lost ring.
(2): The speaker wanted to hide the fact that he had been following her.
A. [1] is true but [2] is false.
B. [2] is contradictory to [1].
C. [1] is the reason for [2].
D. [2] is the result of [1].Select the option that displays the characteristics of the speaker.
1. discreet 2. vain
3. ambitious 4. observant
5. finicky 6. cautious
A. 1, 4 and 6
B. 2, 3 and 5
C. 1, 3 and 6
D. 2, 4 and 5
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Sign up nowFor about nine seconds he had me rattled, and I came mighty near getting cold feet and trying to sell him some plate-glass. But I got my nerve back pretty quick. He asked me to sit down, and I told him everything. I told him how I followed his daughter from Cincinnati, and what I did it for, and all about my salary and prospects, and explained to him my little code of living -to be always decent and right in your home town. At first, I thought he was going to throw me out of the window, but I kept on talking.
Well, that got him to laughing and I’ll bet that was the first laugh those ancestors and horsehair sofa had heard in many a day.
Select the option that matches the expression with the meaning correctly.
Column A
Column B
I. getting cold feet
a. to be exhausted
II. dead on my feet
b. to become used to a new situation
III. get your feet wet
c. carried away by someone on an emotional level
d. feeling nervous about something
A. I-c, II-b, III-a
B. I-d, II-a, III-b
C. I-a, II-c, III-d
D. I-b, II-d, III-cSelect the option that lists the statements which can be a part of one’s ‘code of living’.
1. Keep your word.
2. Never quit on yourself or your family.
3. Think about the future and ignore the present.
4. Focus on materialistic possessions.
5. Stay true to yourself.
6. Look back and wonder about your decisions.
A. 1, 3 and 6
B. 2, 4 and 5
C. 2, 5 and 6
D. 1, 2 and 5“I’ll bet that was the first laugh those ancestors and horsehair sofa had heard in many a day.” The tone of the speaker is
A. satirical.
B. ironical.
C. humorous.
D. sarcastic.Which option best describes the sequence of the speaker’s emotions in the given extract.
A. nostalgia-friendliness-jitters-disappointment
B. curiosity-nostalgia-fear-mild sadness
C. jitters-confidence-apprehension-delight
D. shyness—friendliness-excitement-nostalgia
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Sign up nowOne day last summer the author was travelling to Pittsburg by chair car. What does he say about his co-passengers?
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Sign up nowWhat was John A. Pescud’s opinion about best sellers? Why?
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Sign up nowWhat does John say about himself since his last meeting with the narrator?
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Sign up nowHow did John’s first meeting with Jessie’s father go? What did John tell him?
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Sign up nowWhy did John get off at Coketown?
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Sign up nowJohn is a hypocrite. Do you agree with this statement? Elucidate.
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Sign up nowDo you think Colonel Allyn enjoyed Pescud’s company? Why/ Why not?
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Sign up nowDescribe John A. Pescud with reference to the following points:
His physical appearance .................................................................................
His philosophy on behaviour ............................................................................
His profession ..................................................................................................
His first impression of his wife .........................................................................
His success .......................................................................................................
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Sign up now‘Irony’ refers to the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite to their literal meaning. Working in pairs, bring out the irony in the following :
The title of the story, “The Bestseller”.
Pescud’s claim, “When people in real life marry, they generally hunt up somebody in their own station. A fellow usually picks out a girl who went to the same highschool and belonged to the same singing-society that he did.”
The name Trevelyan.
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Sign up nowPescud had the qualities of a good salesman. Justify this statement by citing examples from the text.
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Sign up nowImagine you are Andrew Smith, the author of the bestseller, ‘The Rose Lady and Trevelyan’. You happen to meet Pescud during one of your train journeys and realise he is one of your biggest critics. Write down the possible conversation.
You may begin like this:
Pescud: Hello sir! It’s a pleasure to have this chance meeting with you. I have read your book, ‘The Rose Lady and Trevelyan’ but I must say that I beg to differ with your idea of romance. I feel it is far from reality.
Andrew: Hello Mr Pescud! I am glad that you are candid in your opinion about my book. So, tell me what’s your notion of an ideal romance?
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Sign up nowThe elderly seek attention and company from younger members of their family. They are eager to listen and long to share their life experiences. John A Pescud is not only respectful but also very patient with Colonel Allyn, Jessie’s father. As a reporter, write an article for a newspaper, on the importance of the elderly in our lives.
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Sign up nowExtra Questions - Best Seller | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Literature | English | Class 9
The narrator says that John was '_______________ of the stuff that heroes are not often lucky enough to be made of.'
(i) he hated John
(ii) he felt that John was a threat to him
(iii) John was not particularly good looking
(iv) nobody liked John
(iii) John was not particularly good looking
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Pescud felt that best sellers were not realistic _____________
(i) American farmers had nothing in common with European princess.
(ii) men generally married girls from a similar background.
(iii) American men married girls who studied in America.
(iv) American men did not know fencing and were beaten by the Swiss guards.
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Sign up nowWhat did John describe about the mansion when he first saw it to the author?
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Vocabulary - Flashcards - Best Seller | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Class 9 Literature | English
About the Author - Best Seller | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Class 9 Literature | English
"The Best Seller" is written by William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry. He was an American short story writer who lived from 1862 to 1910. His stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and surprise endings. O. Henry's work is characterized by his ability to showcase the nature and elements of human life, using everyday events of people as themes for his stories. He gained widespread fame for his tales set both in America and abroad. His mastery of the short story genre and his use of plot twist has influenced countless authors since. Often his stories paint vivid pictures of the time period and settings, be it rural or urban.
Summary - Best Seller | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Class 9 Literature | English
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Themes - Best Seller | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Class 9 Literature | English
1. "Romance and Pursuit":
One of the primary themes of "The Best Seller" is romance and pursuit. John A. Pescud's relentless following of Jessie across several cities to her home in Virginia demonstrates a literal and metaphorical pursuit of love. His romantic interest and subsequent marriage ...
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Unlock now 🔓Plot - Best Seller | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Class 9 Literature | English
1. "Introduction":
The story begins with the narrator travelling and observing fellow passengers in the train. He recognizes John A. Pescud, a plate-glass salesman from...
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Unlock now 🔓Important Lines - Best Seller | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Class 9 Literature | English
1. “I leaned back idly in chair No. 7, and looked with tepidest curiosity at the small, black, bald-spotted head just visible above the back of No.9."
- This phrase sets the scene in the story. It begins ....
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tepidest : Feeling for showing little interest or enthusiasm
Despite the exciting news, John showed the tepidest response, barely expressing any interest or enthusiasm.Swell : a wealthy person of upper class and fashionably dressed.
The party was attended by the swells of society, the wealthy and fashionably dressed individuals.alias : also known by another name, false name
The notorious criminal,............................
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