English Literature Lesson Made by me... Elizabeth Mathew Grade IX

1. THE MAN WHO KNEW
TOO MUCH
By: Alexander Baron

2. Alexander Baron
Alexander Baron (4 December 1917 – 6 December 1999) was
a British author and screenwriter. He is best known for his
highly acclaimed novel about D-Day entitled From the City from
the Plough (1948) and his London novel The Lowlife (1963).
His father was Barnet Bernstein, a Polish-Jewish immigrant to
Britain who settled in the East End of London in 1908 and later
worked as a furrier. Alexander Baron was born
in Maidenhead and raised in the Hackney district of London. He
attended Hackney Downs School. During the 1930s, with his
school friend Ted Willis, Baron was a leading activist and
organizer of the Labour League of Youth (at that time aligned
with the Communist Party), campaigning against the fascists in
the streets of the East End. Baron became increasingly
disillusioned with far left politics as he spoke to International
Brigade fighters returning from the Spanish Civil War, and
finally broke with the communists after the Hitler–Stalin
Pact of August 1939.

3. SUMMARY
The story is about a man named Private Quelchwho likes to show off his
knowledge. The narrator and his friends also gave him nickname ‘Professor'
due his lanky body and bespectacled looks. Although Private Quelch meant
to acquire a stripe and to get commission. He works hard for his ambition
but due to his habit of interrupting seniors and showing off his knowledge he
was nominated for permanent cookhouse duties by Corporal Turnbull.
Corporal Turnbull, a young and smart soldier who had returned from
Dunkirk, was a man not to be trifled with. The narrator and his fellow
soldiers told each other that they could hammer nails into him without him
noticing. There are also many incidents in the story, when Private Quelch
outshone his fellow soldiers(including the narrator) on aircraft recognition,
when professor interrupted the Sergeant and he started asking questions to
Professor in hope of revenge. The story ends with a light note on Private
Quelch lecturing his fellow soldiers on how to cut potato without its vitamin
values being wasted.

4. 1.Where did the writer meet private
Quelch?
a) Bus Stand b) Market
c) Training depot d) House
2. Who was Private Quelch?
a) Writer b) Professor
c) Sergeant d) Officer

5. 3. What was their first lesson in camp?
a) About hand grenade
b) About service rifle
c) How to use a weapon
d) How to use hand grenade
4. In which shape did they stand first?
a) Triangle b) Square
b) Circle d) Rectangle

6. 5. What is the speed of riffle as told
by the sergeant?
a) 3000 ft/sec b) 2500 ft/sec
b) 3500 ft/sec d) 2000 ft/sec
6. What is the original speed of the rifle?
a) 2440 ft/sec b) 3360 ft/sec
c) 4440 ft/sec d) 5340 ft/sec

7. 7. Who questioned the professor that,
“You had any training before”?
a) Ordinary Officer b) Sergeant
c) His Friend d) Writer
8. Who is known as ‘Ordinary Officer’?
a) Officer of the day b) Sergeant
c) Best Officer d) None of these

8. 9. Who announced the name of the
plane?
a) Ordinary Officer b) Professor
b) Both a and b d) None of these
10. How did the Professor identify the
plane?
a) By watching it
b) High tip speed of the airscrew
c) Both a and b
d) None of these

9. 11. When did the turning point come in the
Professor’s life?
a) Summer afternoon b) Morning
c) Evening d) None of these
12. What is the position below the Sergeant
rank?
a) Officer b) Doctor
c) Corporal Officer d) None of these

10. 13. Corporal was taking a lesson on?
a) Machine gun b) Rifle
c) Short gun d) Hand grenade
14. How many parts are there in a hand
grenade?
a) 35 b) 44
c) 40 d) 30

11. 15. Whom did the officer nominate for
permanent cook house duties?
a) Sergeant b) Professor
c) Corporal Officer d) None of these

12. Answers
1. (c) Training depot
2. (b) Professor
3. (b) About service rifle
4. (c) Circle
5. (d) 2,000feet/sec
6. (a) 2,440feet/sec
7. (b) Sergeant
8. (a) Officer of the day
9. (b) Professor
10. (b)High tip speed of the airscrew
11. (a) Summer afternoon
12. (c) Corporal Officer
13. (d) Hand grenade
14. (b) 44
15. (b) Professor

13. EDITTED BY:
ELIZABETH
MATHEW