Summary
The passage describes a person who is very confident in their ability to pack for a trip and is irritated by their friends George and Harris, who are not helping with the packing and are instead sitting around doing nothing. The person starts to pack and encounters various difficulties, such as forgetting to include certain items and having to repack multiple times. Eventually, George and Harris offer to help with the packing, but their efforts prove to be disorganized and chaotic. The passage ends with the person feeling that the situation is becoming exciting.
Summary in 300 words
The passage is about a person who is very confident in their ability to pack for a trip and feels that they know more about packing than anyone else. They are irritated by their friends George and Harris, who are not helping with the packing and are instead sitting around doing nothing. The person starts to pack and encounters various difficulties, such as forgetting to include certain items and having to repack multiple times. They also mention that their toothbrush is a thing that haunts them when they’re traveling, and it makes their life miserable. They dream that they haven’t packed it and wake up in a cold perspiration, and it is always the last thing they turn out of the bag.
As the person continues to pack, George and Harris offer to help with the packing, but their efforts prove to be disorganized and chaotic. They begin in a light-hearted spirit, evidently intending to show the person how to do it, but their efforts lead to piles of plates, cups, kettles, bottles, jars, pies, stoves, cakes, and tomatoes, etc.
The person seems to be annoyed by George and Harris’s actions and is not impressed by their efforts to help. They feel that the situation is becoming exciting and it is clear that the person is not pleased with the way things are going. The passage ends with the person feeling that the situation is becoming exciting.
Overall, the passage describes a person who is very confident in their ability to pack for a trip and is irritated by their friends George and Harris, who are not helping with the packing and are instead sitting around doing nothing. The person starts to pack and encounters various difficulties, such as forgetting to include certain items and having to repack multiple times. Eventually, George and Harris offer to help with the packing, but their efforts prove to be disorganized and chaotic. The passage ends with the person feeling that the situation is becoming exciting.
Multichoice Question And Answers
Q1. How does the person in the passage feel about their ability to pack for a trip?
a) Confident
b) Doubtful
c) Uncertain
d) Inexperienced
Answer: a) Confident
Q2. How do George and Harris initially respond to the person’s request for help with packing?
a) They eagerly offer to help
b) They ignore the request
c) They reluctantly agree
d) They refuse to help
Answer: d) They refuse to help
Q3. What is the person’s toothbrush described as in the passage?
a) A helpful tool
b) A source of comfort
c) A source of anxiety
d) A nuisance
Answer: c) A source of anxiety
Q4. What is the person’s attitude towards George and Harris’s attempts to help with the packing?
a) Positive
b) Neutral
c) Negative
d) Indifferent
Answer: c) Negative
Q5. How does the person feel about the situation as George and Harris begin to pack?
a) Calm
b) Excited
c) Anxious
d) Disappointed
Answer: b) Excited
Q6. How does the person feel when they realize they have forgotten to pack an item?
a) Amused
b) Frustrated
c) Indifferent
d) Embarrassed
Answer: b) Frustrated
Q7. How does the person describe George’s laughter?
a) Amusing
b) Helpful
c) Irritating
d) Encouraging
Answer: c) Irritating
Q8. What is the person’s reaction to Harris’s comment about the boots?
a) Annoyed
b) Amused
c) Appreciative
d) Indifferent
Answer: a) Annoyed
Q9. How does the person feel about the job of packing?
a) Easy
b) Challenging
c) Frustrating
d) Boring
Answer: b) Challenging
Q10. How does the person feel about George and Harris sitting around while they are working?
a) Indifferent
b) Annoyed
c) Amused
d) Pleased
Answer: b) Annoyed
Q11. How does the person feel about the state of the packing materials after George and Harris begin to help?
a) Organized
b) Disorganized
c) Neat
d) Tidy
Answer: b) Disorganized
Q12. How does the person feel about the job of packing the hampers?
a) Excited
b) Relieved
c) Anxious
d) Frustrated
Answer: d) Frustrated
Q13. How does the person feel when they find their toothbrush inside a boot?
a) Amused
b) Frustrated
c) Relieved
d) Anxious
Answer: c) Relieved
Q14. What is the person’s reaction when they realize they have packed their spectacles in the bag?
a) Laughing
b) Frustrated
c) Anxious
d) Amused
Answer: b) Frustrated
Q15. How does the person feel when they finally finish packing?
a) Satisfied
b) Tired
c) Anxious
d) Frustrated
Answer: a) Satisfied
Q16. What is the person’s reaction when they realize they have packed the wrong items?
a) Frustrated
b) Amused
c) Indifferent
d) Anxious
Answer: a) Frustrated
Q17. How does the person feel about the job of packing the hampers compared to the bag?
a) More challenging
b) Less challenging
c) Equally challenging
d) Not challenging
Answer: a) More challenging
Q18. How does the person feel about the way George and Harris pack?
a) Impressed
b) Disappointed
c) Amused
d) Irritated
Answer: d) Irritated
Q19. How does the person feel when Harris suggests that they and George should do the rest of the packing?
a) Relieved
b) Anxious
c) Frustrated
d) Happy
Answer: a) Relieved
Q20. How does the person feel about the whole situation in general?
a) Excited
b) Frustrated
c) Tired
d) Annoyed
Answer: b) Frustrated
Prose Passage (Packing)
The passage describes a person who is very confident in their ability to pack for a trip and is irritated by their friends George and Harris, who are not helping with the packing and are instead sitting around doing nothing. The person starts to pack and encounters various difficulties, such as forgetting to include certain items like toothbrush and having to repack multiple times. They also mention that their toothbrush is a thing that haunts them when they’re traveling, and it makes their life miserable. They dream that they haven’t packed it and wake up in a cold perspiration, and it is always the last thing they turn out of the bag.
As the person continues to pack, George and Harris offer to help with the packing, but their efforts prove to be disorganized and chaotic. They begin in a light-hearted spirit, evidently intending to show the person how to do it, but their efforts lead to piles of plates, cups, kettles, bottles, jars, pies, stoves, cakes, and tomatoes, etc. The person seems to be annoyed by George and Harris’s actions and is not impressed by their efforts to help. They feel that the situation is becoming exciting and it is clear that the person is not pleased with the way things are going. The passage ends with the person feeling that the situation is becoming exciting.
Multiple Choice Questions:
Q1. How does the person in the passage feel about their ability to pack for a trip?
a) Confident
b) Doubtful
c) Uncertain
d) Inexperienced
Answer: a) Confident
Q2. How does the person feel about the job of packing?
a) Easy
b) Challenging
c) Frustrating
d) Boring
Answer: b) Challenging
Q3. How does the person describe George’s laughter?
a) Amusing
b) Helpful
c) Irritating
d) Encouraging
Answer: c) Irritating
Q4. How does the person feel about the state of the packing materials after George and Harris begin to help?
a) Organized
b) Disorganized
c) Neat
d) Tidy
Answer: b) Disorganized
Q5. How does the person feel about the whole situation in general?
a) Excited
b) Frustrated
c) Tired
d) Annoyed
Answer: b) Frustrated
Prose Passage (Packing)
The passage describes a person who is very confident in their ability to pack for a trip, but is still haunted by the fear of forgetting to pack something essential. The person is also irritated by their friends George and Harris, who are not helping with the packing and are instead sitting around doing nothing. Despite the difficulties and obstacles, the person starts to pack and works diligently to ensure that all the necessary items are included.
One of the major difficulties the person faces is their toothbrush. It’s a thing that haunts them when they’re traveling, and it makes their life miserable. They dream that they haven’t packed it and wake up in a cold perspiration, and it is always the last thing they turn out of the bag.
As the person continues to pack, George and Harris offer to help with the packing, but their efforts prove to be disorganized and chaotic. They begin in a light-hearted spirit, but their efforts lead to piles of plates, cups, kettles, bottles, jars, pies, stoves, cakes, and tomatoes, etc. The person seems to be annoyed by George and Harris’s actions and is not impressed by their efforts to help. Despite the challenges, the person manages to finish the packing and is ready to embark on the trip.
Multiple Choice questions:
Q1.What is the person’s toothbrush described as in the passage?
a) A helpful tool
b) A source of comfort
c) A source of anxiety
d) A nuisance
Answer: c) A source of anxiety
Q2. How does the person feel when they realize they have forgotten to pack an item?
a) Amused
b) Frustrated
c) Indifferent
d) Embarrassed
Answer: b) Frustrated
Q3. How does the person feel about George and Harris sitting around while they are working?
a) Indifferent
b) Annoyed
c) Amused
d) Pleased
Answer: b) Annoyed
Q4. How does the person feel about the job of packing the hampers?
a) Excited
b) Relieved
c) Anxious
d) Frustrated
Answer: d) Frustrated
Q5. How does the person feel about the whole situation in general?
a) Excited
b) Frustrated
c) Tired
d) Annoyed
Answer: b) Frustrated
Prose Passage (Packing)
The passage describes a person who is a master at packing for a trip and takes pride in their ability to do so. However, the person is irritated by their friends George and Harris, who are not helping with the packing and are instead sitting around doing nothing. Despite this, the person starts to pack and encounters various difficulties, such as forgetting to include certain items and having to repack multiple times. One of the most recurring difficulties that the person faces is their toothbrush. It’s a thing that haunts them when they’re traveling, and it makes their life miserable. They dream that they haven’t packed it and wake up in a cold perspiration, and it is always the last thing they turn out of the bag.
As the person continues to pack, George and Harris offer to help with the packing, but their efforts prove to be disorganized and chaotic. They begin in a light-hearted spirit, but their efforts lead to piles of plates, cups, kettles, bottles, jars, pies, stoves, cakes, and tomatoes, etc. The person seems to be annoyed by George and Harris’s actions and is not impressed by their efforts to help. Despite the challenges, the person manages to finish the packing and is ready to embark on the trip.
Multiple Choice Questions:
Q1. How does the person feel about their ability to pack for a trip?
a) Confident
b) Doubtful
c) Uncertain
d) Inexperienced
Answer: a) Confident
Q2. How does the person feel about George and Harris’s attempts to help with the packing?
a) Positive
b) Neutral
c) Negative
d) Indifferent
Answer: c) Negative
Q3. What is the person’s toothbrush described as in the passage?
a) A helpful tool
b) A source of comfort
c) A source of anxiety
d) A nuisance
Answer: c) A source of anxiety
Q4. How does the person feel about the job of packing the hampers?
a) Excited
b) Relieved
c) Anxious
d) Frustrated
Answer: d) Frustrated
Q5. How does the person feel about the whole situation in general?
a) Excited
b) Frustrated
c) Tired
d) Annoyed
Answer: b) Frustrated
Summary (Packing)
The passage describes a person who takes pride in their packing skills and is irritated when others do not take the task as seriously as they do. The person is packing for a trip and is frustrated by the actions of their companions, Harris and George, who do not assist in the packing and instead sit idly by. The person becomes increasingly irritated as they encounter difficulties with the packing, including forgetting to include important items like their toothbrush, and being interrupted by Harris and George. The passage ends with the person agreeing to let Harris and George finish the packing, but predicts that it will be a chaotic and frustrating process.
Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30 – 40 words).
Q1.How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don’t forget the dog!).
Ans; There are three characters in the narrative: the narrator (Jerome), George, and Harris. There is also a mention of a dog, but it is not clear if it is a character in the narrative.
Q2. Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing?
Ans; Jerome volunteered to do the packing because he takes pride in his packing skills and believes he knows more about packing than anyone else.
Q3. How did George and Harris react to this? Did Jerome like their reaction?
Ans; George and Harris react to Jerome’s offer by willingly leaving the matter of packing to him and sitting idly by. Jerome does not like their reaction as he wanted them to assist him and learn from him.
Q4. What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack?
Ans; Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack was to boss the job, and have George and Harris potter about under his direction and teach them how to pack.
Q5. What did Harris say after the bag was shut and strapped? Why do you think he waited till then to ask?
Ans; Harris asked if the boots were in the bag after it was shut and strapped. He likely waited until then because he wanted to irritate Jerome and test his attention to detail.
Q6. What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later?
Ans; The horrible idea that occurred to Jerome later was that he may have forgotten to pack his toothbrush.
Q7. Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?
Ans; Jerome found his toothbrush inside a boot.
Q8. Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag?
Ans; Jerome had to reopen the packed bag because he had accidentally packed his spectacles inside it.
Q9. What did George and Harris offer to pack and why?
Ans; George and Harris offered to pack the remaining hampers and because it was getting late and they knew Jerome was getting irritated.
Words From Packing
- Packing – the act of preparing and arranging items for transportation or storage
- uncanny – strange and mysterious
- readiness – willingness or eagerness
- boss – to give orders or directions to
- potter – to move around aimlessly or without purpose
- Irritated – to make someone feel angry or annoyed
- Slaving – working hard and for a long time
- Energetic – having or showing a lot of energy
- Superintend – to be in charge of and responsible for something
- Irritating – causing annoyance or frustration
- Lolly – to recline lazily
- Messing – to make a mess or disorder
- Hunts – to search for something
- Repacked – to pack again
- Mortal – likely to die or be destroyed
- rummaged – to search through something carelessly
- chaos – complete disorder and confusion
- mortal thing – a thing that is likely to die or be destroyed
- Shook – to move something back and forth with a quick motion
- Spectacles – eyeglasses
- Hampers – large baskets used for carrying food or other supplies
- Light-hearted – carefree and easygoing
- Piles – a large number of things that are put on top of each other
- Exciting – making you feel interested and eager
- Irritation – a feeling of annoyance or frustration
- Insensible – not able to be understood
- Perspiration – sweat
- Pocket-handkerchief – a small handkerchief that is carried in a pocket
- Unpack – to take items out of a bag or suitcase
- Chaos – complete disorder and confusion.