Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Extract 2: "...when it toils so hard to reach and cling, And tumbles every time."
But up the insect went once more, Ah me! 'tis an anxious minute; He's only a foot from his cobweb door, Oh say, will he lose or win it?
Choose the correct option to complete the analogy. toil: hard::_____: _____ A. roll: tumble B. tumble: circle C. compress: roll D. jump: tumble
A
List any two characteristics of the spider highlighted in the line, 'But up the insect went once more'.
Two characteristics of the spider highlighted in this line are: (i) Perseverance - the spider continues to try despite repeated failures. (ii) Determination - the spider does not give up but goes 'once more' showing its resolve to succeed.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. The expression 'Ah me!' in the extract indicates a sense of ____. A. happiness B. stress C. relief D. loneliness
B
Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason. Readers are able to relate to this extract because ____.
Readers are able to relate to this extract because everyone has experienced moments of struggle and uncertainty in life. Like the spider, people face challenges where success or failure hangs in balance, and they must decide whether to keep trying or give up. The universal experience of facing obstacles and the anxiety of not knowing the outcome makes this moment deeply relatable.
Explanation
(i) The analogy follows the pattern: verb: associated action. 'Toil' means to work hard, so 'toil: hard' shows the relationship between the verb and its characteristic. Similarly, 'roll: tumble' shows that when something rolls, it can tumble. 'Tumble' is an action associated with 'roll,' just as 'hard' is associated with 'toil.' (ii) The line 'But up the insect went once more' emphasizes the spider's persistence and determination. Despite falling multiple times (nine attempts mentioned earlier), the spider continues to climb. The word 'once more' shows its refusal to give up. (iii) The expression 'Ah me!' is an exclamation that typically expresses sighing, weariness, or anxiety. In this context, it indicates the poet's stress and anxiety about whether the spider will succeed. The poet is emotionally invested in the spider's struggle. (iv) The extract captures a universal human experience - the moment of uncertainty when we are close to our goal but success is not guaranteed. Readers connect with the spider's struggle because they have faced similar situations where they had to persist despite difficulties and uncertain outcomes.