ENGLISH — TOPIC-WISE QUESTION BANK
THE BET — ANTON CHEKHOV
Complete Question Paper with Solved Answers
Class 12 WBCHSE Model Set-Solved Answers :THE BET
SECTION A: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQs)
1. Which incident best marks the lawyer's transformation from intellectual curiosity to spiritual enlightenment?
A. His request for wine and tobacco during confinement
B. His intense study of six foreign languages
C. His final letter rejecting knowledge, wealth and worldly pleasures
D. His reading of detective novels during the early years
Answer: C. His final letter rejecting knowledge, wealth and worldly pleasures
Explanation: The lawyer's letter explicitly documents his profound spiritual awakening, where he declares all material pursuits, human wisdom, and worldly pleasures to be fleeting mirages.
2. The banker tears up the agreement after discovering the lawyer has left early mainly because he:
A. Is relieved that he has escaped financial ruin and wants to conceal his shame.
B. Wants to reward the lawyer secretly.
C. Believes the bet has become legally invalid.
D. Intends to renew the wager.
Answer: A. Is relieved that he has escaped financial ruin and wants to conceal his shame.
Explanation: The banker takes and hides the document to prevent gossip and hide both his murderous intention and his moral humiliation.
3. The repeated changes in the lawyer's reading habits primarily symbolize:
A. Boredom caused by isolation.
B. The gradual evolution of his mind and philosophy.
C. The author's criticism of education.
D. The decline of his physical health.
Answer: B. The gradual evolution of his mind and philosophy.
Explanation: His reading transitions from light fiction to languages, philosophy, religion/Gospels, and finally science/theology, reflecting his intellectual progression toward transcendence.
4. Which statement best reflects Chekhov's central irony?
A. The lawyer wins the bet but loses his freedom.
B. The banker, who once valued money above all else, becomes morally poorer than the prisoner.
C. Both men remain unchanged after fifteen years.
D. The guests forget the discussion completely.
Answer: B. The banker, who once valued money above all else, becomes morally poorer than the prisoner.
Explanation: The wealthy free banker becomes spiritually bankrupt and willing to murder to keep his money, whereas the imprisoned lawyer attains total spiritual liberation and moral superiority.
5. The ending of the story suggests that true freedom is achieved through:
A. Financial independence.
B. Political power.
C. Detachment from worldly desires.
D. Social recognition.
Answer: C. Detachment from worldly desires.
Explanation: The lawyer achieves genuine liberty by consciously renouncing the two million rubles and completely relinquishing attachment to earthly treasures.
SECTION B: REARRANGEMENT
6. Arrange the following in chronological order:
A. The lawyer masters several foreign languages.
B. The banker reflects on the debate held years earlier.
C. The lawyer renounces material pleasures in a letter.
D. The banker contemplates murder.
A. B, A, D, C
B. B, A, C, D
C. A, B, D, C
D. B, D, A, C
Answer: A. B, A, D, C (or narrative progression: B -> A -> D -> C)
Explanation: In the story's structure, the banker paces his study reflecting on the party (B), recalls the lawyer's language studies (A), decides to murder the lawyer to prevent bankruptcy (D), and upon entering finds the letter where the lawyer renounces the fortune (C).
7. Arrange the stages of the lawyer's intellectual development:
A. Reading classics and languages
B. Reading theology and philosophy
C. Reading light literature
D. Rejecting worldly existence
A. C, A, B, D
B. A, C, B, D
C. C, B, A, D
D. A, B, C, D
Answer: A. C, A, B, D
Explanation: Year 1: Light novels/serials (C) -> Year 2-6: Classics and 6 languages (A) -> Year 10 onwards: Gospels, theology, and philosophy (B) -> Final stage: Complete rejection of worldly existence in his letter (D).
8. Arrange the events according to the banker's psychological journey:
A. Confidence in his wealth
B. Fear of bankruptcy
C. Decision to commit murder
D. Feeling of shame after reading the letter
A. A, B, C, D
B. B, A, C, D
C. A, C, B, D
D. C, A, B, D
Answer: A. A, B, C, D
Explanation: Begins with frivolous pride in millions (A), devolves into dread of financial ruin (B), descends into murderous intent (C), and concludes with deep self-contempt and shame (D).
9. Arrange these incidents:
A. The lawyer requests books in different languages.
B. The banker hides the lawyer's letter.
C. The guests argue about capital punishment.
D. The lawyer intentionally loses the bet.
A. C, A, D, B
B. A, C, D, B
C. C, D, A, B
D. A, D, C, B
Answer: A. C, A, D, B
Explanation: 1870 debate at the party (C) -> Years 6-10 language phase (A) -> Lawyer walks out 5 hours early (D) -> Banker locks the letter in the safe (B).
10. Arrange the following according to the progression of the story's central theme:
A. Debate on justice
B. Pursuit of knowledge
C. Rejection of materialism
D. Moral awakening
A. A, B, C, D
B. B, A, D, C
C. A, C, B, D
D. B, C, A, D
Answer: A. A, B, C, D (Progression: Debate on capital punishment -> Imprisonment & study -> Renunciation of wealth -> Spiritual/moral awakening)
Explanation: The story opens with justice/punishment (A), develops through intellectual striving (B), climaxes in renouncing wealth (C), and resolves in profound moral awakening (D).
SECTION C: ASSERTION-REASON QUESTIONS
11. Assertion (A): The lawyer deliberately sacrificed the reward he had earned.
Reason (R): He believed human knowledge and worldly success were ultimately insignificant.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is true, but R is false.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Answer: A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Explanation: The lawyer forfeits the two million by leaving five hours early precisely to prove his disdain for earthly wealth and intellectual hubris.
12. Assertion (A): The banker becomes morally inferior to the lawyer by the end of the story.
Reason (R): His willingness to commit murder reveals the corruption caused by greed.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is true, but R is false.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Answer: A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Explanation: The banker is ready to smother a sleeping, defenseless man to save his fortune, which demonstrates total moral degradation driven by greed.
13. Assertion (A): Isolation destroys the lawyer's personality.
Reason (R): He loses all interest in intellectual and spiritual pursuits.
A. Both A and R are true.
B. A is true, but R is false.
C. A is false, but R is true.
D. Both A and R are false.
Answer: D. Both A and R are false.
Explanation: Isolation did not destroy his mind or spiritual capacity; it elevated him from superficial vanity into profound spiritual enlightenment.
14. Assertion (A): The title 'The Bet' refers only to a financial agreement between two men.
Reason (R): The story is mainly about legal contracts and gambling.
A. Both A and R are true.
B. A is true, but R is false.
C. A is false, but R is true.
D. Both A and R are false.
Answer: D. Both A and R are false.
Explanation: The bet transcends money and law; it serves as a philosophical wager testing human nature, the value of life, and the illusions of materialism.
15. Assertion (A): The conclusion of the story questions conventional ideas of success.
Reason (R): The lawyer abandons immense wealth after recognising the emptiness of material achievements.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is true, but R is false.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Answer: A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Explanation: By forsaking the millions, the lawyer subverts society's definition of victory and demonstrates that true freedom lies in spiritual transcendence.
SECTION D: COLUMN MATCHING
1. Match Column A with Column B:
Column A Column B
A. The Banker 1. Rejects wealth before the end of the Bet
B. The Lawyer 2. Proposed the wager
C. Fifteen years 3. Period of voluntary imprisonment
D. Two million rubles 4. Prize money of the bet
Options:
A. A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
B. A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3
C. A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1
D. A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
Answer: A. A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
Explanation: The Banker proposed the wager (A-2); The Lawyer rejects the money (B-1); 15 years was the imprisonment term (C-3); Two million rubles was the prize (D-4).
2. Match the Character/Incident with its Significance:
Column A Column B
A. Debate at the party 1. Moral transformation
B. Reading books 2. Beginning of the conflict
C. Final letter 3. Intellectual growth
D. Banker's shame 4. Realisation of moral defeat
Options:
A. A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
B. A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3
C. A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1
D. A-4, B-1, C-3, D-2
Answer: A. A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
Explanation: Debate initiates conflict (2); reading drives intellectual growth (3); the final letter conveys moral transformation (1); banker's shame embodies moral defeat (4).
3. Match the Symbol with its Meaning:
Column A Column B
A. The Bet 1. Human greed
B. The Lodge 2. Spiritual awakening
C. The Letter 3. Test of human values
D. Two million rubles 4. Physical isolation
Options:
A. A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
B. A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
C. A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
D. A-4, B-2, C-3, D-1
Answer: A. A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
Explanation: The Bet is a test of values (3); the garden lodge represents physical isolation (4); the letter represents spiritual awakening (2); two million rubles symbolizes material greed (1).
4. Match the Reading Phase with the Lawyer's Development:
Column A Column B
A. Light novels 1. Search for truth
B. Languages and classics 2. Initial distraction
C. Philosophy and theology 3. Intellectual excellence
D. Final letter 4. Renunciation of worldly life
Options:
A. A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
B. A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1
C. A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
D. A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3
Answer: A. A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
Explanation: Light novels served as initial distraction (2); languages showed intellectual excellence (3); theology was search for ultimate truth (1); final letter marked renunciation (4).
5. Match the Event with the Theme:
Column A Column B
A. Capital punishment debate 1. Greed
B. Lawyer's confinement 2. Value of life
C. Banker's murder plan 3. Self-discovery
D. Lawyer leaves early 4. Renunciation of materialism
Options:
A. A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
B. A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3
C. A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
D. A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
Answer: A. A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4
Explanation: The debate examines the value of life (2); confinement yields self-discovery (3); murder plot demonstrates corrupt greed (1); early departure shows renunciation (4).
SECTION E: CASE-STUDY BASED QUESTIONS
Case Study 1
Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
"During a discussion at the banker's party, the guests argued about whether capital punishment or life imprisonment was the harsher punishment. The young lawyer insisted that life, under any condition, was better than death. This disagreement eventually led to an extraordinary wager."
1. What was the main issue discussed at the party?
A. Wealth and poverty
B. Capital punishment and life imprisonment
C. War and peace
D. Religion and science
Answer: B. Capital punishment and life imprisonment
Explanation: The conversation centered on whether execution or life imprisonment was more moral and humane.
2. Why did the lawyer agree to the bet?
A. He needed money immediately.
B. He wanted to prove that life is preferable to death.
C. He wanted to challenge the banker politically.
D. He wished to become famous.
Answer: B. He wanted to prove that life is preferable to death.
Explanation: He asserted that 'to live anyhow is better than not at all' and took the wager to prove that human life is viable under solitary confinement.
3. Which human quality of the banker is revealed through the wager?
A. Compassion
B. Humility
C. Pride and overconfidence
D. Forgiveness
Answer: C. Pride and overconfidence
Explanation: The banker was 'spoilt and frivolous', staking millions out of ego, impulse, and reckless arrogance.
4. The discussion at the party serves as the __________ of the story.
A. climax
B. resolution
C. exposition (beginning of the conflict)
D. conclusion
Answer: C. exposition (beginning of the conflict)
Explanation: The debate sets up the background, introducing the characters and establishing the initial conflict.
Case Study 2
Read the following extract carefully:
"During his confinement, the lawyer spent years reading novels, philosophy, theology, science and foreign languages. His reading habits changed as his understanding of life deepened."
1. What does the lawyer's changing choice of books mainly suggest?
A. He was unable to decide what to read.
B. His intellectual and spiritual growth.
C. He was preparing for an examination.
D. He wished to become a professor.
Answer: B. His intellectual and spiritual growth.
Explanation: His shift from light fiction to theology and philosophy marks his transformation from boredom to profound enlightenment.
2. Which quality best describes the lawyer during his imprisonment?
A. Laziness
B. Determination and self-discipline
C. Dishonesty
D. Carelessness
Answer: B. Determination and self-discipline
Explanation: Enduring fifteen years of strict solitary confinement while reading over 600 complex volumes requires extraordinary discipline.
3. Reading books helped the lawyer primarily to:
A. become wealthy
B. gain wisdom beyond material life
C. forget the conditions of the bet
D. escape from prison
Answer: B. gain wisdom beyond material life
Explanation: Books allowed him to traverse human thought, music, nature, and divine philosophy, ultimately transcending physical reality.
4. Which theme is best reflected in this extract?
A. Revenge
B. Personal transformation through knowledge
C. Political conflict
D. Family relationships
Answer: B. Personal transformation through knowledge
Explanation: The extract focuses squarely on how literature and contemplation reconstructed his worldview.
Case Study 3
Read the following extract:
"Fifteen years later, the banker had lost much of his fortune. Unable to bear the thought of paying two million rubles, he secretly entered the lodge with the intention of murdering the lawyer."
1. Why did the banker decide to kill the lawyer?
A. He hated the lawyer personally.
B. He feared financial ruin if he paid the wager.
C. The lawyer had insulted him.
D. The guests advised him to do so.
Answer: B. He feared financial ruin if he paid the wager.
Explanation: Due to reckless speculation, paying the two million would have left the banker completely bankrupt and ruined.
2. The banker's decision mainly highlights:
A. generosity
B. greed and moral weakness
C. wisdom
D. patriotism
Answer: B. greed and moral weakness
Explanation: Choosing to murder an innocent man to safeguard his social and financial standing exposes his moral degradation.
3. Which literary technique creates suspense in this episode?
A. Flashback
B. Dramatic irony and conflict
C. Humour
D. Personification
Answer: B. Dramatic irony and conflict
Explanation: The stormy night, the silent creeping through the garden, the sleeping helpless victim, and the banker's inner turmoil create high suspense and dramatic conflict.
4. Which statement best describes the banker at this point in the story?
A. Wealth has strengthened his moral values.
B. Fear has overcome his sense of right and wrong.
C. He has become spiritually enlightened.
D. He has forgiven the lawyer.
Answer: B. Fear has overcome his sense of right and wrong.
Explanation: Panic over public disgrace and poverty blindingly drives him to contemplate cold-blooded murder.
Case Study 4
Read the following extract:
"The banker found the lawyer asleep beside a letter in which he declared that he despised wealth, comfort, knowledge gained from books alone and all worldly pleasures. To prove his contempt for money, he would leave five minutes before the end of the bet."
1. Why did the lawyer leave before the agreed time?
A. He forgot the terms of the bet.
B. He wished to reject the prize money.
C. He became ill.
D. He wanted to escape secretly.
Answer: B. He wished to reject the prize money.
Explanation: Leaving early deliberately forfeits his legal claim, demonstrating active contempt for the millions.
2. The lawyer's action mainly symbolises:
A. defeat
B. spiritual victory over materialism
C. fear of the banker
D. disappointment
Answer: B. spiritual victory over materialism
Explanation: Forsaking the vast sum proves that his spiritual evolution has rendered earthly riches meaningless.
3. The final letter reveals that true happiness lies in:
A. wealth and comfort
B. fame and success
C. wisdom and freedom from worldly desires
D. political power
Answer: C. wisdom and freedom from worldly desires
Explanation: He sees worldly prizes as deceptive mirages and finds true peace in spiritual detachment.
4. Which theme is most prominent in this extract?
A. Materialism versus spiritual wisdom
B. Revenge and justice
C. Friendship and loyalty
D. Power and politics
Answer: A. Materialism versus spiritual wisdom
Explanation: The letter directly contrasts worldly illusions of wealth against profound spiritual wisdom.
Case Study 5
Read the following extract:
"After reading the lawyer's letter, the banker kissed the sleeping man's head and left the lodge. He realised the depth of the lawyer's sacrifice and felt ashamed of his own intentions. He later hid the letter in his safe."
1. Why did the banker feel ashamed?
A. He had lost all his money.
B. He realised the lawyer's moral greatness and his own greed.
C. He feared public criticism.
D. He regretted organising the party.
Answer: B. He realised the lawyer's moral greatness and his own greed.
Explanation: Seeing the lawyer's sublime renunciation made the banker sharply conscious of his own despicable, murderous greed.
2. Why did the banker hide the letter?
A. To preserve an important legal document.
B. To prevent others from learning the truth about the lawyer's sacrifice and his own disgrace.
C. To return it later to the lawyer.
D. To sell it as evidence.
Answer: B. To prevent others from learning the truth about the lawyer's sacrifice and his own disgrace.
Explanation: The text states 'To avoid arousing unnecessary talk, he took from the table the writing... and locked it up in the fireproof safe.'
3. The ending of the story suggests that:
A. money ultimately solves every problem.
B. moral values are superior to material wealth.
C. the banker wins the bet.
D. knowledge has no value.
Answer: B. moral values are superior to material wealth.
Explanation: The lawyer's triumph is moral and spiritual, exposing material wealth as empty and spiritually corrupting.
4. Which emotion dominates the banker's mind at the end?
A. Pride
B. Shame and remorse
C. Anger
D. Excitement
Answer: B. Shame and remorse
Explanation: The banker leaves in tears and confesses that never had he felt such immense contempt for himself.
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