If you are searching for the Class 12 Alt Eng Chapter 2 Question Answer for the HS Final Exam 2023 then this is the right place to find the Testament of a Walker Question Answer for you.
Besides the Class 12 Alt Eng Chapter 2 Question Answer, we have added the Question Answer from Previous years’ papers. Also, here at the Assamese Medium website, you will get a summary of the lesson testament of a walker.
Summary of Testament of a walker
The author R.K Narayan says that he is impervious to the fine values in a car. He is not interested in the facilities or luxuries that a car can provide. He is satisfied if he is provided a seat and four wheels that can roll. However, he happened to own an ‘imported car, which is flashy and full of sophistication. Anybody would be ecstatic to see its easy steering maneuverability, concealed air-conditioner, and Taperecorder- digital alarm with a calculator. But the author never understood the purpose of most of the buttons, switches, and gadgets. The air conditioner in the author’s car, which was supposed to make one’s journey comfortable, was switched on, during the ten years for a total period of thirty minutes, i.e., less than three minutes in a year. Whenever the air-conditioner was on, the windows were to be closed; which inhibited his driver, whose habit was to show right or left turn by thrusting his arm out, who, when the glass was raised, constantly hit it with his fist. He had a habit of gesticulating at erring pedestrians and addressing them volubly in passing. And in the car with the air-conditioner on and the windows closed, the driver felt constricted, encapsulated, and tongue-tied, and drove without spirit. The author thinks that he was in fact, conditioned to driving to the tune of the rattle and roar of other vehicles beside, behind, and ahead.
The author confesses that he does not have automobile sensibility. And he does not regret it. He believes that man’s ultimate destiny lies in walking, and that is why he is endowed with a pair of legs, which can operate without petrol or gears. It is this philosophy which leaves him indifferent to any ‘hike’ in the petrol price. He says that there will be a time when it may cost a thousand rupees to travel one kilometer, and then the only man will discover the use of his feet. The most ambitious work the author has been planning for years is to be called “Testament of a Walker”. However, he has not started writing the book. But the philosophy is deeply rooted in him. There was a time when he used to walk ten miles a day. Even in bad weather, he did his walking on the verandah. He thinks that for a person like him possessing a sophisticated and imported car is irrelevant and a nuisance.
Privacy and anonymity are the two things the author value. And both things are lost when he travels in a gaudy car. He becomes conspicuous to all. In a small city like Mysore, it becomes very difficult for the author to hide from the people. He generally avoids all public engagements and invitations with the excuse that he will be away in Bangalore or Madras or Delhi. Apart from that, the author is constantly in a tear that the driver might drive the car in a reckless manner and it might break down. As his car was of a special pedigree, it was not advisable to allow any ordinary workshop to open the bonnet. The accredited workshop with special tools was a workshop a hundred miles away in Bangalore. There in the workshop, one would be made to pay high prices for the replacement of parts or any repair. The spare parts are available in an exclusive shop only. A customer entering this shop should be ready to pay any price they ask for.
The author had to visit the workshop every other week to get some kind of repair for his car and shed his savings. He started fearing that at this rate he would soon reach the border of bankruptcy. One day two cyclists collided and fell on his car parked in front of the hospital, and smashed the parking light on the left side. It could not easily be replaced in India. The elite shop could produce one if the author was prepared to pay two thousand for the piece. The mechanic, after examining the broken light, declared that it could be repaired – he would fabricate a cover in plastic. So, he unscrewed off the whole assembly of the light and left. After that, he was away from the workshop for ten weeks on sick leave. And later on, when the author met him, he denied that the light was with him. And the author had no other way but to accept what the mechanic said.
All these made the author come to the conclusion that he had no use for a car. It seemed to him that the most thoughtless thing he had done in his life was to have acquired the car. He decided to get rid of it, lock it up in the shed as soon as possible to turn his energies to writing stories.
The author declares that he is not the sort of a person who would enjoy getting under the car on a Sunday, as is the case with a friend of his, who generally spends his leisure hours under his imported car. He spends all his time collecting spare parts from far and near. And he can repair his car on his own. The author can appreciate his Competence but can never accept his advice- “Don’t give up your car…the thing to do is to be on the lookout for a similar model, buy it at any price, and then you could transfer all the necessary parts from one car to another. It will work out cheaper that way. Ultimately you can sell away the shell of the remaining car to any fellow who is planning to set up a wayside tea stall, or you could convert it into a little garden house in your own compound.”
Class 12 Alt Eng Chapter 2 Question Answer
A. Answer the following questions in one or two words
1. What is an automobile according to the author?
Ans: According to the author, an automobile is only the means to an end.
2. What causes ecstasy in every auto pundit?
Ans: The author imported car, flashy and full of sophistication causes ecstasy in every auto pundit.
3. In Narayan’s opinion, what does he lack? (2016)
Ans: In Narayan’s opinion, he lacks automobile sensibility.
4. What are the things that the author values most?
Ans: Privacy and anonymity are the things that the author values most.
5. What name does the author propose for his most ambitious work? (2016)
Ans: The author proposes the name ‘Testament of a walker’ for his most ambitious work.
B. Answer the following questions in a few words
1. Why do you think the author is indifferent at the mention of any petrol ‘hike’? (2016, 18)
Ans: The author is indifferent at the mention of any petrol ‘hike’ because he believes that man’s ultimate destiny lies in walking and that is why he is endowed with a pair of legs that require neither petrol nor gears.
2. What made the author fear that he would soon become bankrupt? (2017, 20)
Ans: The author owned a very flashy, sophisticated imported car. He had to visit the accredited workshop for the maintenance of the car which was a hundred miles away in Bangalore. The author feared that he would soon become bankrupt if he had to visit the workshop every other week and spend a reasonable amount.
3. Who fell on Narayan’s car when it was parked in front of the hospital?
Ans: Two cyclists collided with each other and fell on Narayan’s car when it was parked in front of the hospital.
4. Which part of the author’s car could not ordinarily be replaced? (2018, 20)
Ans: The author’s parking light on the left side of the author’s car could not ordinarily be replaced.
5. How, according to the author, did his friend spend his leisure hours?
Ans: According to the author, his friend generally spent his leisure hours under his imported car doing repairing on his own as did not he trust any mechanic or workshop in India. All his time was spent collecting spare parts from far and near. He had collected such a rich stock of parts that he could easily assemble a couple of new cars if he wished so.
C. Answer the following question briefly in your own words
1. Describe the author’s ‘imported car’. (2018)
Ans: The author R.K. Narayan has owned an imported car, flashy and full of sophistication. The car caused ecstasy in every auto pundit. It was a car full of features like a recessed handle, steering maneuverable with a flick of the finger, push-button glass raiser, floating seats, multicolored speedometer, concealed air-conditioned, tape recorder, and digital alarm with a calculator. The dashboard panel of the car was worth a second look with buttons, switches, and gadgets.
2. Why do you think the author regards himself as a ‘fanatic’ in the context of walking? (2017)
Ans: ‘Fanatic’ is a person who has excessive zeal and attachment to a cause. The author R.K. Narayan regards himself as a ‘fanatic’ in the context of walking as he believes that man’s ultimate destiny lies in walking and that is why he is endowed with a pair of legs that require neither petrol nor gears. Moreover, this philosophy of walking is deep-rooted in him and he is fond of walking. When he was young, he used to walk ten miles a day, morning and evening in Mysore which was conducive for such walks. Later too continues the habit of walking through on a lesser scale irrespective of the season. If bad weather compels him to remain indoors, he walks even on the verandah.
3. What is Narayan’s opinion about his driver?
Ans: Narayan considers his driver to be an old-fashioned one who is not at all comfortable driving the air-conditioned car of the author. He had the habit of showing right or left turns by thrusting his arm out of the car’s window. But when the glass was raised for running the air conditioner of the car, he constantly hit it with his fist. Moreover, he would gesticulate animatedly at the erring pedestrians and address them volubly in passing. But in Narayan’s sophisticated car, the driver felt restricted, confined tongue-tied, and eventually drove morosely.
D. Give a suitable answer to the following.
1. Discuss the reasons for the author’s imperious attitude towards his car. (2019)
Ans: The author R.K. Narayan has owned an imported car, flashy and full of sophistication. Though the car causes ecstasy in every auto pundit, the author has an impervious attitude towards his car as he considered a car as only the means to an end. He is always satisfied if he is provided a seat and four wheels that can roll. The elegance of an imported car with all its flashy sophistication does not matter to him. Unlike the auto-pundit, he does not marvel at the distinctive switches, buttons, or gadgets.
Moreover, R.K. Narayan regards himself as a ‘fanatic’ in the context of walking as he believes that man’s ultimate destiny lies in walking and that is why he is endowed with a pair of legs that require neither petrol nor gears. This philosophy on walking is deep-rooted in him.
2. Narrate the circumstances that led Narayan to decide to ‘get rid’ of his car.
Ans: Once two cyclists collided and fell on the author’s car parked in front of the hospital, and smashed the parking light on the left side.
The situation following the incident led the author to decide not to use the car anymore. The light smashed by the collision of the cyclists could not easily be replaced in India. The elite shop could produce one if the author was prepared to pay two thousand for it. The mechanic, after examining the broken light, declared that it could be repaired he could fabricate a cover in plastic. So, he unscrewed off the whole assembly of the light and left. After that, he was away from the workshop for ten weeks on sick leave. And later on, when the author met him, he denied that the light was with him. And the author had no other way but to accept what the mechanic said.
All these made the author come to the conclusion that he had no use for a car. It seemed to him that the most thoughtless thing he had done in his life was to have acquired the car. He decided to get rid of it, lock it up in the shed as soon as possible, and turn his energies again to writing stories.
Previous year’s paper Solutions (2016-22)
1. What name does R. K. Narayan propose for his most ambitious work? (2016)
Ans: The author proposes the name ‘Testament of a walker’ for his most ambitious work.
2. What does R. K. Narayan lack and yet does not regret? (2016, 20)
Ans: R.K. Narayan lacks automobile sensibility and yet does not regret it.
3. What is R. K. Narayan’s philosophy that leaves him indifferent to a hike in the price of petrol? (2016, 18)
Ans: See Above Qno. 1 (B. Answer the following questions in a few words.)
4. What are the things that Narayan values and what causes these to be lost? (2016)
Ans: The things that Narayan values are his privacy and anonymity. He feels that these would be lost if he travels around in an extravagant car as almost everyone would then take notice of it.
5. Why is the acquisition of a sophisticated imported car “an irrelevancy and a nuisance” for Narayan? (2016)
Ans: Narayan believed that man’s ultimate destiny lies in walking. Therefore he preferred walking to riding around in a car. He says that he had the habit of walking about ten miles a day in the past and at present also he has not given up this habit. Although he walks less now, he takes care to walk every day throughout the year. In days of bad weather also Narayan paces up and down his verandah creating a sight that he feels would appear strange, for the sophisticated gadgets of an imported car often cause anxiety to him and his driver. Therefore, he is of the opinion that a sophisticated imported car is “an irrelevancy and a nuisance” for him.
6. For how long, during Narayan’s ownership of the car, was, the airconditioner switched on? (2017)
Ans: During Narayan’s ownership of the car, the air conditioner was switched on for a total period of thirty minutes.
7. What does an automobile mean to Narayan? (2017, 18)
Ans: An automobile is only a means to an end for Narayan.
8. What made Narayan fear, he would soon become bankrupt? (2017, 20, 22)
Ans: See Above Qno. 2 (B. Answer the following questions in a few words.)
9. Who fell on Narayan’s car when it was parked in front of the hospital? (2017, 20)
Ans: See Above Qno. 3 (B. Answer the following questions in a few words.)
10. Why, do you think, the author, R.K. Narayan, regards himself as a fanatic in the context of walking? (2017)
Ans: See Above Qno. 2 (C. Answer the following question briefly in your own words.)
11. Name the author of “The Testament of a Walker’? (2018)
Ans: R.K. Narayan.
12. Which part of the authors’ car could not ordinarily be replaced? (2018, 20)
Ans: The author’s parking light on the left side of the author’s car could not ordinarily be replaced.
13. Describe the author’s ‘imported car’. (2018)
Ans: See Above Qno. 1 (C. Answer the following question briefly in your own words.)
14. What is the name of the book that R. K. Narayan has been planning to write? (2019)
Ans: The name of the book that R. K. Narayan has been planning to write is “The Testament of a Walker”.
15. For how long did Narayan use his car? (2019)
Ans: Narayan uses his car for a total of ten years.
16. What did R. K. Narayan do to turn his energies again into writing stories? (2019, 22)
Ans: R.K. Narayan decided to get rid of his car, and locked it up in the shed as soon as possible to turn his energies again to writing stories.
17. What does Narayan begin to fear after every visit to the workshop? (2019)
Ans: After his visits to the workshop Narayan began to fear that he would go bankrupt if he had to continue to shell out an exorbitant amount of money every other week for his car.
18. What are the reasons for the author’s impervious attitude towards his car? (2019)
Ans: See Above Qno. 1 (D. Give a suitable answer to the following.)
19. Why did R. K. Narayan avoid all public engagements and invitations? (2020)
Ans: The author treasures his privacy and prefers being anonymous. These are lost when traveling in a flashy car. He compares it to sitting in a howdah atop an elephant and hoping to go unnoticed. The author lives in the city of Mysore where the whole touch knows about one another’s movement. This would lead to embarrassment for the author as he avoids public engagements and invitations by offering the excuse that he would be out of town.
20. Who is called ‘color blind’? (2022)
Ans: A person who has no eye for art.
21. Who lacks automobile sensibility? (2022)
Ans: R.K. Narayan lacks automobile sensibility.
22. How did the auto-pundits react after seeing R. K. Narayan’s imported car? (2022)
Ans: The author R.K. Narayan has owned an imported car, flashy and full of sophistication. Though the car causes ecstasy in every auto pundit.
Reference to Context (2016-23)
1. I began to fear that at his rate (I was obliged to visit the workshop every other week to shed my savings), I should soon reach the brink of bankruptcy effortlessly. (2016)
Ans: The given lines have been extracted from the satirical prose piece “The Testament of a Walker” written by R.K. Narayana.
Narayan’s car was an imported one, too sophisticated to be handed over to regular mechanics. So Narayan had to drive a hundred miles to an accredited workshop every time his car required any attention. But after some back-to-back visits to the workshop, Narayan began to fear that he would go bankrupt if he had to continue to shell out exorbitant amounts of money every other week for his car. This in turn led him to think that by buying the sophisticated car, he had allowed himself to be enchanted and carried away into the world of high-class people whose minds and thoughts he could never unravel.
2. I lack automobile sensibility and do not regret it. (2017)
Ans: The given lines have been extracted from the satirical prose piece “The Testament of a Walker” written by R.K. Narayana and describe his philosophy on walking.
In the satirical prose piece, Narayan confides in his readers that he lacked ‘automobile sensibility’ or knowledge of or feeling for automobiles. But this was not something Narayan regretted because he was a staunch believer of the philosophy that man’s destiny lay in walking. This in turn left him indifferent to any news of a hike in petrol prices because he rejoiced to think that the ‘hikes’ might one-day lead man to discover the lost art of walking and he will realize the true worth of his pair of legs.
3. Among the things l values are privacy and anonymity, both are lost when I allow myself to be carried about in a gaudy car. (2018)
Ans: The given lines have been extracted from the satirical prose piece ‘The Testament of a Walker’ written by R.K. Narayana.
Narayan valued his privacy and anonymity the most. Both of these were lost when he moved about in his gaudy car because his car’s sophisticated nature and unique looks piqued people’s interest whenever he went and thus it always resulted in him being noticed by people. Thus Narayan compared his car to a howdah atop an elephant and rued that neither could escape the curious glances and questioning looks of passers-by.
4. For a fanatic of this sort the possession of a car is an anachronism; and especially the acquisition of a sophisticated, imported make, an irrelevancy, and a nuisance. (2019)
Ans: The given lines have been extracted from the satirical prose piece ‘The Testament of a Walker’ written by R.K. Narayana.
The author R.K. Narayan regards himself as a ‘fanatic’ in the context of walking as he believes that man’s ultimate destiny lies in walking and that is why he is endowed with a pair of legs that require neither petrol nor gears. Moreover, this philosophy of walking is deep-rooted in him and he is fond of walking. When he was young, he used to walk ten miles a day, morning and evening in Mysore which was conducive for such walks. Later too continues the habit of walking through on a lesser scale irrespective of the season. If bad weather compels him to remain indoors, he walks even on the verandah.
5. “Since my car was of special pedigree, it was unadvisable to allow any ordinary workshop to open the bonnet” (2022)
Ans: These lines are from the “Testament of a Walker” by R.K. Narayan. In the story, he narrates his woes about becoming the owner of an imported car. These lines are spoken by R.K. Narayan to show that his car is more expensive than an ordinary workshop that was not allowed to open the bonnet.
6. “The elite shop could produce one if I was prepared to pay two thousand for the piece.” (2022)
Ans: These lines are from the “Testament of a Walker” by R.K. Narayan. In the story, he narrates his woes about becoming the owner of an imported car. The lines were spoken when two cyclists fell on the author’s car and smashed the parking light on the left side. At that time he was ready to purchase the lights from the exclusive shop at the cost of two thousand rupees for which only one was available.
