NCERT Class 12 English Chapter 19 Evans Tries An O Level

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NCERT Class 12 English Chapter 19 Evans Tries An O Level

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Also, you can read the NCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Book guidelines. CBSE Class 12 English Solutions are part of All Subject Solutions. Here we have given NCERT Class 12 English Chapter 19 Evans Tries An O Level Notes, NCERT Class 12 English Textbook Solutions for All Chapters, You can practice these here.

Evans Tries An O Level

Chapter: 19

VISTAS (SUPPLEMENTARY READER)

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS ANSWERS

READ AND FIND OUT

Q. 1. What kind of a person was Evans?

Or

According to the Governor, what kind of person was Evans?

Ans. Evans was a jail bird’ and the prison officers called him “Evans the Break” since he had escaped from the prison three times. He looked ‘scruffy’ and unshaven. He wore a filthy looking red and white bobble hat on his head. He had a heavy Scottish accent. He was exceptionally cunning. He was a quite pleasant type of personality who used to participate in various functions. He used imitations and was the star of Christmas concerts. He had no record of violence. He was very crafty, strategic and a deceitful type of fellow who very meticulously arranged his escape from the prison.

Q. 2. Describe the precautions taken by the prison officers to prevent Evans from escaping.

Or

What precautions were taken by the prison authorities for the smooth conduct of the examination?

Or

What were the precautions taken for the smooth conduct of the examination?

Or

Give a detailed account of the preparations made by the Governor for Exams James tv mile his examination?

Or

What precautions were taken for the smooth conduct of Evan’s O-Level examination?

Or

How was it ensured that Evans did not have any weapon in his cell?

Ans. The solitary cell of Evans was turned into examination room by placing two small tables and two chairs in it. Reverend Stuart McLeery, a person from St. Mary Mags was to work as invigilator. The cell was to be kept locked from outside and a prison officer would observe Evans from a peep-hole after every minute or so. All potential weapons such as knife, scissors, nail-file and razor had been taken away. Even the contents of the suitcase of the invigilator were thoroughly searched. The paper knife was taken away by a prison officer. The Governor himself was to listen-in the conversation in the cell during the examination. The cell was in the D-Wing which had two heavy gates-outer and inner. Both were locked securely. Mr. Jackson, the prison officer, was in constant contact with the Governor on the phone.

Q. 3. Will the examination now go as scheduled?

Ans. The examination was scheduled to start at 9.15 a.m and elaborate arrangements were made accordingly. It is now 9.18 a.m. and it is clear that the examination has not started so far. McLeery reads out the instructions. It is 9.20 a.m. He tells Evans to write the name of the paper 021-1 in the top left hand corner and index number 313 and centre number 271. Evans objects the presence of Stephens since he would not be able to concentrate in his presence. The Governor orders to go outside. It is now 9.25 and the examination starts. It will go smoothly.

Q. 4. Do the Governor and his staff finally heave a sigh of relief?

Ans. It is 11.20 when the Governor spoke to Stephens to accompany McLeery to the main prison gate and lock the door on Evans after he had left. At 11.25 a.m., McLeery announced “Stop writing, please.” He even instructed Evans to put number of his sheets orderly. Thus the examination was over and the Governor as well as his staff finally heaved a sigh of relief.

But it was short-lived. After returning from the main-gate, Stephens stopped and peered through the peep-hole. He was startled to see a man on Evans’ chair with dripping blood. He raised an alarm and called Jackson. There was a great panic in the prison. Sirens were sounding. The Governor was grim and perplexed. The injured McLeery had the clues about Evans. The Detective Superintendent Carter arrived and put McLeery in his car to search Evans. The Governor and his staff could not heave a sigh of relief in this panic situation.

Q. 5. Will the injured McLeery be able to help the prison officers trace Evans?

Ans. The injured McLeery had the question paper in his hand. It had a photocopy pasted on the last blank paper of the question paper. It showed whole of the plan of the escape. It was instructed in the paper to go towards Newbury. So with the help of these instructions, McLeery would help the prison officers. They would spot Evans driving along Elsfield way, but would miss him at the Headington round about. “Make your way to Neugraben.” It was a code for Newbury. They got the clue and followed the route accordingly.

Q. 6. Will the clues left behind on the question paper put Evans back in prison again?

Ans. If we peep deeply into the clues left behind on the question paper, it is clear that there is a message for Evans on its last page. He was been asked to drive from Elsfield way to the Headington roundabout and then direct to Neugraben (Newbury). The Governor concludes that Evans must have gone to Newbury and he is hopeful to put Evans behind the bars. In fact we must start from McLeery who is also involved in the plan of escaping Evans who has been sent by Board to invigilate and he may give them a slip. This is clearly what happens. McLeery dodges them when they reach the Board office and he disappears. He is found after a quarter an hour, bound and gagged in his study. He tells them that he is there since 8.15 a.m. Enquiries in Newbury do not produce any tangible solution. It has been clear that it is not Evans, impersonating McLeery, who walked out of the prison. It has been rather Evans, impersonating McLeery who has stayed in. He makes a good escape on getting an opportunity.

Q. 7. Where did Evans go?

Ans. Evans went to the Chipping Norton. He stayed in the hotel the Golden Lion in the middle of Chipping Norton.

READING WITH INSIGHT

Q. 1. Reflecting on the story, what did you feel about Evans having the last laugh.

Ans. ‘Having the last laugh’ means to be successful and making the opponent stupid. Here the phrase finds a suitable place in the story. We can see that the Governor initiates all precautionary measures for the smooth conduct of the examination and ensures that Evans won’t escape. He arranges for a microphone in the cell of Evans and appoints two Senior Police Officers for his vigil. And in spite of all his toil, Evans has the last laugh. His cell is thoroughly searched and it is reported that nothing is hidden there. Still Evans is able to hide a false beard, a pair of spectacles, a dog collar and some sort of weapon that has hurt McLeery.

Further McLeery is found securely bound and gagged in his study. It becomes clear that Evans has been impersonating McLeery who had stayed in. Even after his arrest at a hotel The Golden Lion, the Governor could not bring him back to the cell. He had some good friends who helped his escape. In examination and police department he had close friends who arranged things for him. With his intelligence and the help of his friends, Evans was able to have the last laugh in the story.

Q. 2. “When Stephens comes back to the cell he jumps to a conclusion and the whole machinery blindly goes by his assumption without even checking the identity of the injured “McLeery.” Does this show how hasty conjectures prevent one from seeing the obvious? How is the criminal able to predict such negligence?

Ans. We know that every precaution has been taken so that Evans will not escape from the cell. At 11.22 a.m., Stephens has been instructed to escort McLeery to the prison gate. He is asked to make sure that the door is locked on, Evans after McLeery has left the cell. He behaves like a woman who can never convinced herself if she has locked the door. She will again go to check it. In the same way Stephens opens the peep-hole and cries “Oh, no! Christ, no.!” He is perplexed to see a man lying in the chair with blood dripping from the head. Stephens thinks that McLeery has been hit and Evans has made his escape. This assumption leads to another hasty conjectures and none confirms the identity of the injured. In reality Evans throws dust in the eyes of the prison staff and escapes since the injured McLeery is Evans himself.

This clearly shows that hasty conjectures often prevent one from seeing the obvious. In case Stephens would have checked the identity of McLeery, the whole police machinery would not have to run like that and the prisoner would not have escaped. The criminals understand the human tendencies and act accordingly. They befool the whole system and plan the crime.

Q. 3. What could the Governor have done to securely bring back Evans to prison when he caught him at The Golden Lion? Does that final act of foolishness really prove that ‘he was just another good-for-a-giggle, gullible Governor, that was all’?

Ans. The Governor could have taken Evans in his vehicle from the hotel. After all those deceptions and misunderstandings, he should not have believed any one. If he would have been a bit more careful, the culprit could not get free again. Here two points come under our view. First the Governor should not have rang up the local police station for the van and the police officials. He was overconfident and believed what was happening there, was correct. It would have been in the fitness of the things that he should have taken the identity of the van, driver and the police officials.

But the Governor did not do anything. His act of foolishness proves beyond doubt that he was just an other good-for-a-giggle, gullible Governor, that was all. It was his last act of foolishness to believe the others, that helped Evans in running away once more. It proves that he was really a gullible Governor who can be easily deceived instead of his tight security arrangements.

Q. 4. While we condemn the crime, we are sympathetic to the criminal. Is this the reason why prison staff often develop a soft corner for those in custody?

Ans. Yes, it is true that the prison staff often develop a soft corner in their hearts for the criminals in custody. Those who are hard core criminals can never have sympathy of any one. But those who are petty criminals with good nature become friendly with the prison staff as is the case of Evans. He was not violent and was a jolly chap. Although he had tried to escape many times, still he was able to earn some sympathy in the hearts of the Governor and the prison officers. It was just because of this soft corner that the Governor recommended for conducting his O-level exams.

It is also correct that we hate the sin but develop sympathy towards the sinner. It is a human tendency and nobody is perfect as well as untouched from this. Prior to the examination, Jackson asks Evans to take his hat off but Evans does not remove and calls it is a good luck for him. In case he has taken it off, there has been a different story. But the police official takes a lenient view and that is why criminal Evans takes his full advantage. Prior to this the room of Evans is thoroughly checked and unwanted material is taken away but one surprises how there remained objectionable material in his room and the same turned the tables. Thus the prison staff often develops soft corner for those who are in custody.