20. Reading Skills Comprehension: Travel by Train

TRAVEL BY TRAIN

 Gandhi had to travel by train from Durban to Pretoria in connection with his job. Once while travelling by train, he was asked by the white passengers to leave the first class compartment and shift to the van compartment. He refused to do so. Thereafter he was pushed forcibly out of the compartment and his luggage was thrown on the platform. It was winter and he kept shivering all night. He did not go to the waiting room because the white men sleeping there might insult him further. This event was a turning point in the life of Gandhi and he decided to stay back in South Africa and fight against this blatant injustice.

1. The White people asked Gandhi to abandon the first class compartment because

(a) they wanted to annoy him.

(b) they wanted to avenge themselves on Gandhi.

(c) they treated Indians as inferior to them.

(d) they were looking for a chance to talk to him.

2. Why was he thrown out of the compartment? Because 

(a) he misbehaved with the Whites.

 (b) they wanted him to spend the night in the waiting room.

(c) they wanted to insult him.

 (d) he refused to shift to the van compartment.

3. Why did he not go to the waiting room to spend the night?

 (a) The room was unclean.

(b) He wanted to sleep in the open.

 (c) He was badly hurt and so couldn’t move to the room.

(d) He feared that the White men there might insult him further.

4. ‘This event was its turning point in the life of Gandhi’. The event being talked about here is

 (a) Gandhi’ being ill-treated by the Whites

(b) Gandhiji’s spending night on the platform

(c) Gandhiji’s travel by a train

(d) Gandhiji’s staying back in Africa

5. Gandhi stayed back in South Africa

 (a) to avenge himself on the Whites who had insulted him

(b) because his work was complete

 (c) to fight against racial discrimination in Africa

 (d) to build up an army and fight against the White people

ANSWERS:-

1. (c)

2. (d)

3. (d)

4. (a)

5. (c)

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