21.

The Big Ben
Every evening, some part of the British Commonwealth hears the chimes of Big Ben, largest of the bells in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. The bell is popularly called Big Ben and it is this bell which chimes out the quarter hours to the people of London. For Britons at sea or living in distant lands, the sound of Big Ben is still a link with home, for the chimes are broadcast each evening by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Big Ben has been chiming out the quarter hours now for more than one-and-a-half centuries. It started chiming on June 11, 1859. At that time, the Parliament couldn't decide what to name the bell. A light-hearted Member of Parliament called attention, in a speech, to the impressive bulk of Sir Benjamin Hall, Queen Victoria's Chief Lord of the Woods and Forests. "Call it Big Ben", said the speaker and the name stuck. Big Ben is 9 feet in diameter, 7 feet 6 inches tall and the thickness where the hammer strikes is 8.75 inches. The clock that regulates the chiming of Big Ben keeps good time. In 1939, the Royal Astronomer made a 290 days check on the performance of the clock. He found that during this test, the margin of error was less than two-tenth of a second in 24 hours on 93 days and greater than one second only on 16 of the 290 days. There was an unexpected lapse on August 12, 1945, and consternation, swept through the Ministry of Works. On that dark day, the clock was five minutes slow. A flock of starlings had roosted on the minute hand.

For the Britons at sea or living in distant lands, the Big Ben serves as a link with home. It shows that

• the British are very patriotic

• the British are very sentimental

• the British are fond of traveling to far-off lands

• the Big Ben has become a powerful national symbol

The Big Ben
Every evening, some part of the British Commonwealth hears the chimes of Big Ben, largest of the bells in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. The bell is popularly called Big Ben and it is this bell which chimes out the quarter hours to the people of London. For Britons at sea or living in distant lands, the sound of Big Ben is still a link with home, for the chimes are broadcast each evening by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Big Ben has been chiming out the quarter hours now for more than one-and-a-half centuries. It started chiming on June 11, 1859. At that time, the Parliament couldn't decide what to name the bell. A light-hearted Member of Parliament called attention, in a speech, to the impressive bulk of Sir Benjamin Hall, Queen Victoria's Chief Lord of the Woods and Forests. "Call it Big Ben", said the speaker and the name stuck. Big Ben is 9 feet in diameter, 7 feet 6 inches tall and the thickness where the hammer strikes is 8.75 inches. The clock that regulates the chiming of Big Ben keeps good time. In 1939, the Royal Astronomer made a 290 days check on the performance of the clock. He found that during this test, the margin of error was less than two-tenth of a second in 24 hours on 93 days and greater than one second only on 16 of the 290 days. There was an unexpected lapse on August 12, 1945, and consternation, swept through the Ministry of Works. On that dark day, the clock was five minutes slow. A flock of starlings had roosted on the minute hand.

People outside London can hear the chimes of the Big Ben because

• the BBC broadcasts the chimes

• the recording of the bell's chime is available all over the world

• the bell's sound is so loud that it can travel to all

• the legendary bell has become a global phenomenon

The Big Ben
Every evening, some part of the British Commonwealth hears the chimes of Big Ben, largest of the bells in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. The bell is popularly called Big Ben and it is this bell which chimes out the quarter hours to the people of London. For Britons at sea or living in distant lands, the sound of Big Ben is still a link with home, for the chimes are broadcast each evening by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Big Ben has been chiming out the quarter hours now for more than one-and-a-half centuries. It started chiming on June 11, 1859. At that time, the Parliament couldn't decide what to name the bell. A light-hearted Member of Parliament called attention, in a speech, to the impressive bulk of Sir Benjamin Hall, Queen Victoria's Chief Lord of the Woods and Forests. "Call it Big Ben", said the speaker and the name stuck. Big Ben is 9 feet in diameter, 7 feet 6 inches tall and the thickness where the hammer strikes is 8.75 inches. The clock that regulates the chiming of Big Ben keeps good time. In 1939, the Royal Astronomer made a 290 days check on the performance of the clock. He found that during this test, the margin of error was less than two-tenth of a second in 24 hours on 93 days and greater than one second only on 16 of the 290 days. There was an unexpected lapse on August 12, 1945, and consternation, swept through the Ministry of Works. On that dark day, the clock was five minutes slow. A flock of starlings had roosted on the minute hand.

The clock lost five minutes once because

• some starlings had roosted on the minute hand

• there was an unexpected lapse

• the maintenance was not done by the Ministry of works

• it was a dark day

The Big Ben
Every evening, some part of the British Commonwealth hears the chimes of Big Ben, largest of the bells in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. The bell is popularly called Big Ben and it is this bell which chimes out the quarter hours to the people of London. For Britons at sea or living in distant lands, the sound of Big Ben is still a link with home, for the chimes are broadcast each evening by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Big Ben has been chiming out the quarter hours now for more than one-and-a-half centuries. It started chiming on June 11, 1859. At that time, the Parliament couldn't decide what to name the bell. A light-hearted Member of Parliament called attention, in a speech, to the impressive bulk of Sir Benjamin Hall, Queen Victoria's Chief Lord of the Woods and Forests. "Call it Big Ben", said the speaker and the name stuck. Big Ben is 9 feet in diameter, 7 feet 6 inches tall and the thickness where the hammer strikes is 8.75 inches. The clock that regulates the chiming of Big Ben keeps good time. In 1939, the Royal Astronomer made a 290 days check on the performance of the clock. He found that during this test, the margin of error was less than two-tenth of a second in 24 hours on 93 days and greater than one second only on 16 of the 290 days. There was an unexpected lapse on August 12, 1945, and consternation, swept through the Ministry of Works. On that dark day, the clock was five minutes slow. A flock of starlings had roosted on the minute hand.

"Call it Big Ben" can be written in passive voice as

• We may call it Big Ben

• You will call it Big Ben

• Let it be called Big Ben

• People should call it Big Ben

I Build Walls
I build walls
Walls that protect,
Walls that shield,
Walls that say I shall not yield
Or reveal
Who I am or how I feel.
I build walls
Walls that hide,
Walls that cover what's inside,
Walls that stare or smile or look away,
Silent lies,
Walls that even block my eyes
From the tears I might have cried.
I build walls
Walls that never let me
Truly touch
Those I love so very much.
Walls that need to fall!
Walls meant to be fortresses
Are prisons after all

What are the walls in this poem made of?

• Blood and flesh

• Hidden feelings and thoughts

• Bricks or any physical material

• Cement and tiles

I Build Walls
I build walls
Walls that protect,
Walls that shield,
Walls that say I shall not yield
Or reveal
Who I am or how I feel.
I build walls
Walls that hide,
Walls that cover what's inside,
Walls that stare or smile or look away,
Silent lies,
Walls that even block my eyes
From the tears I might have cried.
I build walls
Walls that never let me
Truly touch
Those I love so very much.
Walls that need to fall!
Walls meant to be fortresses
Are prisons after all

When walls act as a protection, they

• touch the ones who are truly loved

• surrender to strong feelings

• do not reveal what is inside

• make one shed tears

I Build Walls
I build walls
Walls that protect,
Walls that shield,
Walls that say I shall not yield
Or reveal
Who I am or how I feel.
I build walls
Walls that hide,
Walls that cover what's inside,
Walls that stare or smile or look away,
Silent lies,
Walls that even block my eyes
From the tears I might have cried.
I build walls
Walls that never let me
Truly touch
Those I love so very much.
Walls that need to fall!
Walls meant to be fortresses
Are prisons after all

Which one of these has been used in the poet's presentation of 'the walls'?

• metaphor

• alliteration

• simile

• personification

I Build Walls
I build walls
Walls that protect,
Walls that shield,
Walls that say I shall not yield
Or reveal
Who I am or how I feel.
I build walls
Walls that hide,
Walls that cover what's inside,
Walls that stare or smile or look away,
Silent lies,
Walls that even block my eyes
From the tears I might have cried.
I build walls
Walls that never let me
Truly touch
Those I love so very much.
Walls that need to fall!
Walls meant to be fortresses
Are prisons after all

The expression 'silent lies' in the second stanza implies that

• walls make one hide one's true feelings

• walls lie silently around all of us

• walls are silent

• walls are liars

I Build Walls
I build walls
Walls that protect,
Walls that shield,
Walls that say I shall not yield
Or reveal
Who I am or how I feel.
I build walls
Walls that hide,
Walls that cover what's inside,
Walls that stare or smile or look away,
Silent lies,
Walls that even block my eyes
From the tears I might have cried.
I build walls
Walls that never let me
Truly touch
Those I love so very much.
Walls that need to fall!
Walls meant to be fortresses
Are prisons after all

Why is it not a good idea to have these "walls"?

• They are made of bricks

• They hurt others

• They act as a fortress

• They act as a prison and keep loved ones away

I Build Walls
I build walls
Walls that protect,
Walls that shield,
Walls that say I shall not yield
Or reveal
Who I am or how I feel.
I build walls
Walls that hide,
Walls that cover what's inside,
Walls that stare or smile or look away,
Silent lies,
Walls that even block my eyes
From the tears I might have cried.
I build walls
Walls that never let me
Truly touch
Those I love so very much.
Walls that need to fall!
Walls meant to be fortresses
Are prisons after all

Walls built to protect us ultimately turn into a prison. It is an example of a

• puzzle

• riddle

• satire

• paradox