Class 11 English (Snapshots / JAC Board)

1. Who is the author of 'The Ghat of the Only World'?

• A. Amitav Ghosh
• B. Agha Shahid Ali
• C. Vikram Seth
• D. Khushwant Singh

2. Who was Agha Shahid Ali?

• A. A celebrated Kashmiri-American poet
• B. A famous Indian politician
• C. A renowned doctor in Brooklyn
• D. A painter from Delhi

3. What disease was Agha Shahid Ali suffering from?

• A. Brain cancer (Malignant brain tumour)
• B. Tuberculosis
• C. Heart disease
• D. Kidney failure

4. What promise did Shahid ask Amitav Ghosh to fulfill before his death?

• A. To write something about him after he passes away
• B. To publish his unreleased poetry books
• C. To visit Kashmir on his behalf
• D. To take care of his family

5. Where was Shahid living during his treatment in the United States?

• A. Brooklyn, New York
• B. Chicago
• C. Washington D.C.
• D. Los Angeles

6. On what date did Shahid first mention his approaching death to Amitav Ghosh?

• A. April 25, 2001
• B. May 10, 2000
• C. December 8, 2001
• D. January 1, 2002

7. What was Shahid's attitude toward his terminal illness and impending death?

• A. Cheerful, vibrant, and facing it with stoic grace and joy
• B. Depressed, weeping, and bitter
• C. Angry and blameful towards doctors
• D. Isolated and refusing to speak to anyone

8. Which famous Indian singer's music was Shahid immensely fond of?

• A. Begum Akhtar
• B. Lata Mangeshkar
• C. Asha Bhosle
• D. Kishori Amonkar

9. Which culinary delicacy did Shahid love cooking and serving to his friends?

• A. Kashmiri Wazwan and Rogan Josh
• B. Hyderabadi Biryani
• C. South Indian Dosa
• D. Bengali Fish Curry

10. What specific ingredient smell in cooking made Shahid instantly happy?

• A. Kashmiri Rogan Josh with proper spices and ghee
• B. Freshly brewed coffee
• C. Baked bread
• D. Roasted garlic

11. Where did Shahid wish to pass away initially?

• A. Kashmir
• B. New York
• C. New Delhi
• D. London

12. Why was Shahid unable to return to Kashmir in his final days?

• A. Due to administrative difficulties, political turmoil, and medical conditions
• B. His family refused to go
• C. He lost his passport
• D. He changed his mind completely

13. Where was Shahid buried after his death?

• A. Northampton, Massachusetts
• B. Srinagar, Kashmir
• C. Brooklyn, New York
• D. New Delhi, India

14. What form of English poetry did Shahid help popularize in America?

• A. The Ghazal written in English
• B. Sonnets
• C. Haiku
• D. Free verse ballads

15. What was Shahid's view on the political situation in Kashmir?

• A. He was deeply pained by the violence but firmly believed in secularism and peace
• B. He supported militant groups
• C. He was completely indifferent to politics
• D. He advocated for religious division

16. What was the title of Shahid's poetry collection published in 2001, from which the chapter's title is derived?

• A. The Country Without a Post Office
• B. Rooms Are Never Finished
• C. The Ghat of the Only World
• D. A Nostalgist's Map of America

17. How did Amitav Ghosh record his interactions with Shahid after Shahid asked him to write about him?

• A. By keeping a meticulous daily diary of every phone call and conversation
• B. By recording audio tapes secretly
• C. By making video blogs
• D. By asking Shahid's doctor for notes

18. What kind of atmosphere always prevailed in Shahid's apartment?

• A. Festive, filled with friends, laughter, food, and poetry recitations
• B. Quiet and gloomy like a hospital room
• C. Tense and argumentative
• D. Dark and strictly closed to visitors

19. Which university did Shahid teach at as a professor of creative writing?

• A. University of Utah / Massachusetts
• B. Harvard University
• C. Oxford University
• D. Delhi University

20. What date did Agha Shahid Ali pass away?

• A. December 8, 2001
• B. November 15, 2001
• C. April 25, 2001
• D. January 10, 2002

21. What feeling did Amitav Ghosh experience after Shahid's death?

• A. A profound void/emptiness, yet enriched by the friendship
• B. Relief that the suffering was over
• C. Anger at medical science
• D. Indifference

22. What does the word 'Ghat' mean in the context of the title?

• A. A threshold or passage between life and death / bank of a river
• B. A high mountain peak
• C. A valley in Kashmir
• D. A place of celebration

23. How did Shahid respond when a security guard at Barcelona airport asked about his occupation?

• A. He replied, "I am a poet, and I write poetry."
• B. He said he was a doctor
• C. He remained silent
• D. He said he was a tourist

24. What quality of Shahid made him stand out among contemporary poets?

• A. His love for life, music, secular ethos, and refusal to let sorrow conquer joy
• B. His strict religious orthodoxy
• C. His isolation from society
• D. His commercial focus on making money

25. What type of prose piece is 'The Ghat of the Only World'?

• A. A memoir / biographical tribute
• B. A fictional short story
• C. A travelogue
• D. A political essay