A Photograph 11th Eng CLASS Test 30M

CBSE Class 11 English Core – Mock Test

Poem: A Photograph – Shirley Toulson

Maximum Marks: 20 | Time: 30 Minutes

Section A – Reading & Understanding the Poem (8 Marks)

Q1. Read the extract and answer the questions that follow. (4 × 1 = 4)

“The cardboard shows me how it was

When the two girl cousins went paddling,

Each of them holding my mother’s hands,

And she the big girl—some twelve years or so.”

What does the “cardboard” refer to?

a) A drawing

b) An old photograph

c) A letter

d) A painting

Who were the “two girl cousins”?

a) The poet’s sisters

b) The poet’s mother’s cousins

c) The poet’s friends

d) The poet’s daughters

How old was the poet’s mother approximately at the time of the photograph?

a) Five years

b) Twelve years

c) Twenty years

d) Thirty years

What does the photograph preserve?

a) A painful memory

b) A moment from the mother’s childhood

c) A family argument

d) A school event

Q2. Answer the following in 30–40 words. (2 × 2 = 4)

a) Why does the poet refer to the photograph as “silence”?

b) How does the photograph become a reminder of both happiness and loss for the poet?

Section B – Short Answer Questions (6 Marks)

Q3. Answer ANY THREE of the following in 30–40 words each.

(3 × 2 = 6)

a) What does the phrase “terribly transient feet” suggest?

b) Why does the poet smile when she looks at the photograph?

c) Explain the contrast between the sea and human life in the poem.

d) What do the three stages of the poem—childhood, adulthood and the present—show?

Section C – Competency-Based Questions (6 Marks)

Q4. Read the statement and answer the questions. (3 × 1 = 3)

The photograph captures a happy childhood moment, but for the poet it later becomes a symbol of change, ageing and loss.

Which theme is most prominent in the poem?

a) Adventure

b) The transience of human life

c) Patriotism

d) Nature worship

The sea mainly represents:

a) Something temporary

b) Permanence and continuity

c) Fear and danger

d) Childhood excitement

What is the central contrast in the poem?

a) Nature’s permanence and human transience

b) Wealth and poverty

c) Childhood and education

d) City life and village life

Q5. Answer the following in 40–50 words. (3 Marks)

“The poem is not merely about an old photograph; it is about the passage of time and the inevitability of loss.”

Explain the statement with reference to A Photograph.

Answer Key – A Photograph

Section A – Reading & Understanding

Q1. MCQs

b) An old photograph

b) The poet’s mother’s cousins

b) Twelve years

b) A moment from the mother’s childhood

Q2. Short Answers

a) The poet refers to the photograph as “silence” because the photograph cannot speak or respond. It silently preserves a moment from the past and reminds the poet of her mother, who is no longer alive.

b) The photograph reminds the poet of her mother’s happy childhood and the innocent joy of that time. At the same time, it brings a sense of loss because her mother has passed away, making the memory painful.

Section B – Short Answer Questions

Q3.

a) “Terribly transient feet” suggests the temporary nature of human life. Unlike the permanent sea, human beings grow, age and eventually die. The phrase highlights the fleeting nature of human existence and the passage of time.

b) The poet smiles because the photograph reminds her of her mother’s carefree childhood. She imagines her mother laughing at the old photograph many years later. However, the smile also carries sadness because her mother is no longer alive.

c) The sea represents permanence and continuity, while human life is temporary. The sea remains almost unchanged over time, whereas human beings grow old and eventually die. This contrast emphasizes the transience of human life.

d) The three stages show the passage of time and the changing relationship with the photograph. They move from the mother’s childhood, to her adulthood, and finally to the poet’s present, where only memories of her mother remain.

Section C – Competency-Based Questions

Q4. MCQs

b) The transience of human life

b) Permanence and continuity

a) Nature’s permanence and human transience

Q5. Long Answer

The photograph preserves a joyful moment from the poet’s mother’s childhood, but time changes everything. Her mother grows old and eventually dies. The photograph therefore becomes a reminder of the past, the passage of time and the inevitable loss caused by death.

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