NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 7 Evans Tries an O-level

Evans Tries an O-level NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 7

Evans Tries an O-level NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Evans Tries an O-level Before you read

Question 1.
Should criminals in prison be given the opportunity of learning and education?
Answer:
Criminals are also basically human beings. It is only that they have detracted from the path of goodness and humanity. They have a conscience also, though the voice of it may not be temporarily heard by the criminals. I feel that criminals also, like all other human beings, should be given a chance and an opportunity to improve themselves. For this purpose learning and education can play a vital and significant part.

By education and learning Yoga and meditation etc. they can develop their lop-sided personality and they can definitely be better human beings and more balanced persons. They thus can be inspired to leave fheir criminal activities for good and become useful members of the society. By learning through various vocational courses, they can start earning by honest means. Thus I think that the criminals in prison should be provided with an opportunity of learning and education.

Evans Tries an O-level Read and find out (Page 70)

(i) What kind of a person was Evans ?
Answer:
James Roderick Evans was quite an unusual and a pleasant sort of person who had no record of violence. But he was just a ‘congenital kleptomaniac’. So he could not suppress his desire to steal things, a mental illness which existed with him from birth. He was one of the stars at the Christmas concert. He was called ‘Evans the Break’ because three times he had escaped from prison. Because of this he was kept in the prison under maximum security.

(ii) What were the precautions taken for the smooth conduct of the examination ?
Answer:
Evans, who was imprisoned for stealing, wanted to get some sort of academic qualification. He had attended night classes in O-level German. As Evans was known for escaping from the prison, extra precautions were taken for the smooth conducting of the examination to be held for this purpose. The Governor was himself supervising all the – ‘ arrangements. The Governor saw to it that Evans should sit for the exam in his own cell.

It was decided that one of the clergymen could be asked to invigilate. The Secretary asked the Governor to ensure that Evans should be kept away from communicating with other people. The Senior Prison Officer Mr. Jackson visited Evans’ cell in the morning when exam was to take place.

Jackson who had already taken Evans’ nail-scissors, asked Stephens to take Evans’ razor out of the cell after he had finished shaving. The invigilator McLeery and his bag were thoroughly searched and his paper knife was taken out of his bag. Previously, Jackson had thoroughly searched Evans’ cell so that nothing objectionable was found there.

Evans’ cell was bugged and the Governor himself listened to whatsoever was spoken there. Stephens was continuously watching from the peep-hole of Evans’ cell. All the prison officers were on high alert, there were two locked doors between Evans’ cell and the yard. The Governor double-checked when he was informed about the correction slip from the Examination Board’s office.

Evans Tries an O-level Read and find out (Page 77) 

Question 1.
Will the exam now go as scheduled ?
Answer:
The two hour examination was scheduled to start at 9.15 a.m. Because McLeery was called outside by Jackson for searching his bag finally it started at 9.25 a.m. McLeery told Evans that he would tell him when to start and again when he had five minutes left. Evans said that he won’t be able to concentrate if Stephens would stay in the cell.

The Governor who was hearing it from his office, asked Jackson to get Stephens out of the cell. At 9.40 a.m. Assistant Secretary of the Examination Board rang the Governor and told that there was a correction slip which some fool had forgotten to place in the examination package.

A short while after it, McLeery asked Evans to stop writing and read from the correction slip. Stephens was out fully watching through the peep-hole of Evans’ cell at the interval of one minute. At 10.50 a.m. Evans requested McLeery if he could put a blanket round his shoulders as it was very cold.

At 11.20 a.m. the Governor heard McLeery informing Evans that only five minutes remained. At 11.25 McLeery told Evans to stop writing and put his sheets in order and see that they were correctly numbered. Thus the exaiti was over but a bit behind the schedule.

Evans Tries an O-level Read and find out (Page 81) 

Question 1.
Did the Governor and his staff finally heave a sigh of relief ?
Answer:
The Governor and his staff thought that the examination was over without posing any problem. But they were proved wrong because Evans had dodged them. Stephens closed the door of the cell of Evans and accompanied McLeery upto the main gate. After seeing McLeery off, Stephens wanted to take just one last look at Evans. When he opened the peephole of Evans’ cell, he saw in Evans’ chair a man from whose head blood was oozing.

Stephens shouted wildly for Jackson which was heard by McLeery. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket, and held it to his bleeding head. By the time Jackson had arrived and sent Stephens to ring the police and the ambulance. McLeery who was in fact Evans said not to worry about the ambulance as he was alright.

He said to get the police as he knew where Evans had gone. He took the German question paper and grasped it tightly in his bloodstained hand. He wanted to contact the Governor to tell him where Evans had gone. So the search for Evans began and their sigh of relief was for a few moments only. They could not identify Evans, who was impersonating as McLeery.

Evans Tries an O-level Read and find out (Page 84)

Question 1.
Will the injured McLeery be able to help the prison officers track Evans ?
Answer:
Immediately after it was known that Evans had escaped sirens were sounding, prison officers were giving orders and phones were ringing everywhere. McLeery, with Jackson and Stephens supporting him on either side, was greeted by the Governor. McLeery who was in fact Evans asked if they had called the police.

He was told that they were on the way. McLeery opened the German question paper and asked the Governor to examine it. The Governor saw that a photocopied sheet had been carefully and cleverly superimposed over the last page of the question paper. The text was in German. Detective Superintendent Carter came and saluted the Governor. Turning to McLeery he said who had hit him. McLeery

while breathing heavily said, “Elsfield Way, officer! I know where Evans ”. The Governor said to Carter to take McLeery with him as he was the only one who seemed to know what had happened. Carter opened the back door and helped McLeery ihside and the car moved speedily.

The Governor reading from the text said that from Elsfield Way drive to the Headington round about. In the text ‘Neugraben’ was written but there was no place with that name. The Governor thought that it must be Newbury. McLeery told that he had spotted Evans driving off along Elsfield Way. They had got the number of the car and given chase immediately, but had lost him at the Headington roundabout.

He said that Evans must have speedily gone back to the city. The Governor felt that Evans was on his way to Newbury. Evans McLeery impersonating was taken to hospital by Carter. Carter told the Governor that McLeery was in Redcliff now. The Governor rang the Redcliff a few minutes later and was told that they had sent an ambulance, but when they got there McLeery had gone. So the injured McLeery instead of helping the police, misled them. Nobody could judge that he was actually Evans himself.

Evans Tries an O-level Read and find out (Page 85)

Question 1.
Will the clues left behind on the question paper, but Evans back in prison again ? ‘
Answer:
After a gentle stroll round the centre of Chipping Norton, Evans decided to return to the hotel to sleep early. A smart new hat concealed his closely cropped hair and he kept it on as he walked up to the reception desk of the Golden Lion hotel. The receptionist was not the same girl who had booked him in.

As he collected his key, he asked for an early- morning call at 6.45 a.m. Evans unlocked his bedroom door and closed it quitely behind him. He stood frozen as he saw the Governor sitting on the narrow bed of his room. As Evans looked around the room, the Governor said quietly that it was not worth trying anything. The Governor told Evans that he had got men all round the place including the blonde girl in reception.

Evans knew that he was beaten but gradually he relaxed. Evans said that the correction slip provided him the information about the name of the hotel for him and the exact time the exam started. The Governor told him that he had come to know about the hotel through the words ‘Zum Golden Lawmen’ or Golden Lion. Index number 313 and centre number 271 form six figures. And if one takes an Ordnance Survey Map for Oxfordshire, he would find that the six figure reference lands him in the middle of Chipping Norton.

Evans Tries an O-level Read and find out (Page 86)

Question 1.
Where did Evans go ?
Answer:
When Evans entered his hotel room, he found the Governor. He was entrapped and he felt that he was beaten. The Governor asked Evans how he managed to plan all this as he have had no visitors and received no lettem. Evans replied that he had got lots of friends, for example his German teacher. They reached the reception desk and the Governor asked if everything was ready.

The blonde receptionist replied that the van was out in the front. A silent prison officer handcuffed the recaptured Evans, and together the two men sat awkwardly into the back seat of the prison van. The Governor told Evans to see him soon. Evans told the Governor that his German was very good but he knew any more of these modern languages. The Governor said not very well and asked why he was saying so.

Evans said that he just happen to notice that same O-level Italian classes were coming up next September. The Governor said that perhaps he won’t be with them next September.

As the prison van turned right from Chipping Norton on to the Oxford road, the silent prison officer unlocked the handcuffs and learned forward towards the driver. He informed the driver to drive fast. He said that it won’t take them long to find out. The driver asked where they should go. Evans suggested, “What about Newbury” ?

Evans Tries an O-level Reading with insight

Question 1.
Reflecting on the story, what did you feel about Evans’ having the last laugh ?
Answer:
James Roderick Evans was imprisoned for stealing because he could not control or suppress his desire to steal thi ngs, a mental illness which existed with him from birth. He was a called ‘Evans the Break’ because he had escaped three times from prison. That is why he was kept in the prison under maximum security. He had attended night classes in O-level German.

He wanted to get some sort of academic qualification, so an examination was arranged for him in his prison cell. Extra precautions were taken for the smooth conducting of the exam. On the day of the examination a clergyman McLeery came to invigilate. Stephens was continously watching from the peep-hole of his cell during the examination.

Previously Jackson had thoroughly searched his cell and McLeery was also thoroughly searched. But even then Evans managed to escape with a carefully and meticulously planned strategy with the help of his friends. He escaped from the prison impersonating as McLeery, who was heavily bleeding.

The Governor was clever enough and caught him, but again Evans dodged them, and escaped. Thus Evans had the last laugh. Though I don’t like either criminals or their escaping from prisons, yet I cannot help appreciating the brilliant manner in which Evans managed it.

Question 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 can prevent one from seeing the obvious ? How is the criminal able to predict such negligence ?
Answer:
Conjecture is an opinion or idea that is not based on definite knowledge and is formed by guessing. This is what Stephens did when he came back to the cell after seeing off McLeery. He just wanted to have a look at Evans. But he was shocked to find an injured man with the blood oozing from his head covering his face. As . the injured man was in a clergyman’s dress, Stephens thought that Evans had escaped after injuring McLeery. And all the officers and the Governor himself blindly followed this assumption of Stephens.

They started taking action on this theory and the hunt for Evans began. Nobody tried to check the identity of the injured “McLeery” who, in fact, was Evans himself. So they were desperately looking for Evans whereas all the time he had been with them. This shows that if we form opinions without basing these on definite knowledge and jump to the conclusions hostily, we tend to ignore what is so obvious. Evans was a very clever criminal who was aware of this weakness, which is so common in human beings. And he made full use of it to his own advantage.

Question 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” ?
Answer:
Evans, after a gentle stroll round the centre of Chipping Norton, decided to return to the hotel Golden Lion to sleep early. He unlocked his bedroom door and closed it quitely behind him. He stood frozen as he saw the Governor sitting on the narrow bed of his room.

As the Governor saw Evans looking around the room, the Governor said quietly that it was not worth trying anything. He told Evans that he had got men all round the place including the blonde girl at reception. Evans held his head between his hands and said that it was due to the correction slip. Evans knew that he was beaten but gradually he relaxed.

He told the Governor that because of the correction slip he knew the name of the hotel and the exact time the exam started. They walked to the reception desk. The Governor asked the pretty blonde receptionist if everything was ready. She told him that the van was in the front. Then a silent prison officer handcuffed the recaptured Evans. And together they sat into the back seat of the prison van.

But the silent prison officer and the people sitting in the van were in fact the companions of Evans. Thus once again Evans over situated the Governor despite his being extraordinarily vigilant. Just as he did not check up thoroughly about the German teacher, he did not do so with the silent police officer also. Had he done so Evans would not have escaped and could not have befooled the Governor once again.

Question 4.
While we condemn the crime, we are sympathetic to the criminal. Is this the reason why prison staff often develop a soft comer for those in custody ?
Answer:
It is said that we should hate the crime and not the criminal. The nature of the will remain the same, but the nature of a criminal can change. We find so many instances where a criminal, after self-realisation, had totally changed his way of life. Rishi Valmiki was a dacoit, but when enlightenment dawned upon him, he became a saint who created Ramayana. That is why we tend to sympathise with the criminal.

Evans was a ‘congenital kleptomaniac’. He could not suppress his desire to steal things. It was a sort of mental illness which seemed to be inborn in him. Thrice he had escaped from the prison. That is why he was kept under maximum security. But he was unusual but pleasant. He had no record of violence. Though the Governor and other staff of the prison despite being extremely cautious, did not seem to dislike him. That is why taking advantage of it, Evans was able to outsmart them. So it is not unlikely that the prison staff often develop a soft corner for those in custody.

Question 5.
Do you agree that between crime and punishment it is mainly a battle of wits ?
Answer:
Yes, I do agree that between crime and punishment there is, of course, a battle of wits. If the punishing agency like law or police acts intelligently, the criminal has to surrender and yield. This happens in most of the cases because such agencies act as an organised body. The hands of law are very long. Had it not been so there would be an utter chaos in the society. A criminal, in most of the cases, acts individually. Therefore, he is not supposed to be so powerful as the punishing agencies are.

But sometimes there are exceptions. In some cases a criminal like Evans plans so meticulously that he outwits the high officials like the Governor and the organisation like the police. Evans was kept under maximum security and best possible precautions were taken so that he did not escape from the prison. The Governor had made it his prestige issue. His room was searched thoroughly and any objectionable object found had removed. The Governor was monitoring the activities of his cell. But even then he outsmarted them all and escaped from the prison.

Evans Tries an O-level Extra Questions and Answers

Evans Tries an O-level Extra Questions Short Answer Type : (30-40 words)

Question 1.
Which classes did Evans attend ? What was he keen to get ?
Answer:
Evans was a prisoner who had started night classes in O-level German in September. He was the only one in the class. He was very much keen to get some sort of academic qualification.

Question 2.
“He is not a violent sort of fellow, is he ?” What does the Governor reply when the Secretary of the Examination Board asks him about Evans ?
Answer:
The Governor said that there was no record of violence. He said that Evans was quite a pleasant sort of person, but he was somewhat unusual also. He was one of the stars at the Christmas concert.

Question 3.
Why did people doubt Evan’s sincerity towards taking the ‘0’ level exam ?
Answer:
Evans sincerity was suspected by everyone because he was a thief. He had broken jail many a time. People thought he was trying to escape from prison.

Question 4.
Why was he called ‘Evans the Break’ ?
Answer:
He was called ‘Evans the Break’ by the prison officers. Evans was called so because he was known for escaping from the prison. That is why he was kept under the maximum security.

Question 5.
What did Evans reply when Jackson asked him to take off his hat ?
Answer:
Evans told Mr. Jackson that his hat was the only thing that had ever brought him any good luck in life. He requested Mr. Jackson to allow him to wear the hat because of his exam. .

Question 6.
Why was Evans’ cell bugged ?
Answer:
Extra precautions were taken so that he did not escape the prison. So his cell was bugged as the exam was being held in it. The Governor did not want to take any chances and would listen to the conversations himself.

Question 7.
Why did the Governor think that Evans cannot try to escape on the day of examination ?
Answer:
The Governor thought that Evans couldn’t try to escape because he was in a locked cell, all the prison officers were on alert, two more locked doors between his cell and the yard, and a yard with a very high wall.

Question 8.
Why did Jackson call McLeery outside from Evans’ cell just before the exam started ?
Answer:
The Governor told Jackson to search McLeery and his suitcase so that he might not have anything with which Evans held him hostage. That is why Jackson called McLeery outside to frisk him and check his suitcase.

Question 9.
Why did the Assistant Secretary with special responsibility for modern languages phone the Governor ?
Answer:
He asked the Governor if the examination had started. He added that there was a correction slip which some fool had forgotten to place in the examination package. The Governor told him that he would put him straight through to Mr. Jackson in D-wing.

Question 10.
What did Stephens see in Evans’ cell after he had seen off McLeery at the prison gate ?
Answer:
Stephens opened the peep-hole of Evans’ cell and saw a man in the chair. A blanket was slipping from his shoulders. He was injured and blood was dripping from his head and spreading over the white collar.

Question 11.
“Stephens shouted wildly for Jackson.” Why did he do so ?
Answer:
After seeing McLeery injured and smeared with blood in Evans’ cell, Stephens shouted wildly for Jackson. He was panicked because he thought that Evans had escaped after injuring McLeery.

Question 12.
What happened when it was known that Evans had escaped ?
Answer:
Almost immediately after it sirens were sounding, prison officers were shouting to give orders, puzzled prisoners pushed their way along the corridors, doors were banged and be ’ted, and phones were ringing everywhere.

Question 13.
Why could the prison officers not identify Evans when he was impersonating as McLeery ?
Answer:
Evans was very clever. He had arranged pig’s blood mixed with human blood which fell on his face and was dried. His face was streaked and caked with drying blood due to which everybody thought that he was McLeery.

Question 14.
Why did the Governor scold Jackson after Evans had escaped ?
Answer:
The Governor told Jackson that he pretend to have brain but his skull was empty. He scolded Jackson because he had spent two hours in Evans’ cell the previous evening and reported that there was nothing hidden away there.

Question 15.
Whom did Evans find in his room of hotel Golden Lion ?
Answer:
After escaping, Evans was staying in the hotel Golden Lion. Evans unlocked his bedroom door and closed it quiety behind him. He was frozen to the spot when he saw the Governor sitting on the bed.

Evans Tries an O-level Extra Questions Long Answer Type: (125-150 words)

Question 1.
What discussion took place between the Governor and the Secretary of the Examination Board about conducting exam ?
Answer:
The Governor of Oxford Prison called in early March the Secretary of the Examination Board. The Governor told him that one of the prisoners Evans had started night classes in O-level German last September. He wanted to get some sort of academic qualification.

The Governor informed the Secretary that Evans was the only one in the class so he had individual tuition all the time. The Secretary of the Examination asked the Governor if Evans was a violent sort of fellow. The Governor told him that there was no record of violence and Evans was a pleasant sort of person. He was one of the stars at the Christmas Concert.

Then the Secreatry of the Examination Board informed the Governor that let a chance be given to Evans. The Governor asked him about the procedure of the examination. The Secretary asked him not to worry as forms etc. shall be sent to him. The Secretary asked the Governor if he could arrange a room. The Governor told him that Evans was in a cell on his own and he could sit in the exam there. The Secretary said that it was fine. They agreed that one of the clergymen could be asked to invigilate. This is how they decided to conduct the exam of Evans.

Question 2.
“It was 9.10 a.m. when the Governor switched on the receiver.” How did the Governor monitor the activities of Evans during the period he sat for the examination ?
Answer:
Evans’ cell was bugged so that the Governor could listen to whatever conversation took place there. Just before the examination about to start, the Governor switched on the receiver. He had instructed Jackson to tell Evans of the temporary little precaution. But Evans had already spotted it. The Governor thought that it was all a bit theatrical.

How Evans could try to escape sitting in a locked cell, with all the prison officers on the alert, two more locked doors between his cell and the yard with a very high wall. However, he did not want to take any chances with Evans. That is why he was personally listening to what was happening in Evans’ cell. The Governor thought that Evans might try to take advantage of McLeery. So he ordered Jackson to check him and his suitcase thoroughly, which he did.

At 9.18 a.m. the Governor heard their voices again. McLeery was saying to Evans that he would be telling him when to start, and again when he had five minutes left. The Governor heard Evans objecting to Stephens’ presence in the cell during exam. So he asked Jackson to get Stephens out of the cell. He said that they were perhaps overdoing things. The Governor heard the exchanges in the cell, heard the door closed once more and heard McLeery announce that the examination had begun at last.

The Governor heard McLeery dictating Evans from the correction slip and found nothing objectionable. At 10.51 a.m. the Governor heard from the receiver that Evans was asking McLeery that would be fine if he put a blanket round his shoulders.

At 11.20 a.m. the Governor heard McLeery informing Evans that only five minutes remained. At 11.25 a.m. the Governor heard the final exchanges between McLeery and Evans who told him to stop writing and put his sheets in order and see that they were correctly numbered. This is how the Governor monitored the activities took place in Evans’ cell.

Question 3.
“I may surprise everybody.” How did Evans surprise everybody and escaped ?
Answer:
The prison officers called him ‘Evans the Break’ because he had escaped from the prison three times. That is why he was kept under the maximum possible security. Before he sit for the exam all the precautions were taken so that there was no chance of his escaping the prison. The Governor had got his cell bugged and was personally listening to whatsoever was happening in the cell. But even then Evans surprised everybody by meticulosuly planning his escape in which he totally outwitted the governor and the jail authorities.

Evans had made the plan as far back as when he starting learning and attending O- level German night classes. Evans had ho visitors and received no letters. So under the fool proof and the maximum security in which he was kept it was next to impossible to escape. The Governor also thought so but even then he was personally supervising and monitoring Evans’ entire activities. But Evans outsmarted them while planning his escape. His German teacher was his own companion and friend. Evans being the only student in the class had all the chances to maintain contact with his other friends outside the prison.

The real McLeery was overpowered and bound and gagged in his house And his friend was impersonating as McLeery. Evans cut his long hair with the razor which was given to him for shaving. Just before the exam was going to finish Evans changed himself in the make up of McLeery, injured himself slightly and poured blood on his head which was brought in a tube by the fake McLeery.

After seeing off McLeery, Stephens was surprised to find in Evans’ cell badly injured McLeery with blood dropping from his head on his face. Stephens thought that Evans had escaped impersonating himself as McLeery. But actually Evans stayed in the cell in the make-up of McLeery impersonating as McLeery. He escaped when an ambulance was called from Redcliff. This is how he surprised everybody.

Question 4.
What happened at the Golden Lion hotel ?
Answer:
After escaping from the prison, Evans was staying in the Golden Lion hotel. After a gentle stroll round the centre of Chipping Norton, Evans decided to return to the hotel to sleep early. A smart new hat concealed his closely cropped hair and he kept it on as he walked upto the reception desk of the Golden Lion hotel.

The receptionist was not the same girl who had booked him in. As he collected his key he asked for an early-morning call at 6.45 a.m. He unlocked his bedroom door and closed it quietly behind him. Evans stood frozen as he saw the Governor sitting on the narrow bed of his room. As Evans looked around the room, the Governor said quietly that it was not worth trying anything.

The Governor told Evans that he had get men all round the place including the blonde girl at reception. They went to the reception and the Governor asked the receptionist if everything was ready. The pretty receptionist said that the van was out in the front.

Then a silent prison officer handcuffed the recaptured Evans. And together the two men sat into the back seat of the prison van. As the prison van turned right from Chipping Norton on to the Oxford road, the silent prison officer unlocked the handcuffs and asked the driver to drive fast. He said that it won’t take them long to find out. The driver asked where they should go. Evans suggested that they might go to Newbury.

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