Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:
In Athens when people were condemned to die,
they were given a cup of poison. Socrates knew this, and he nodded to the jailor
who looked at him sadly saying. “You, Socrates, whom I know to be the noblest
and gentlest and best of all who ever came to this place, will not be angry
with me when I ask you to drink the poison, for other and not I am to blame.
Goodbye, Socrates! Try to bear lightly what has to happen: I can’t help
this.” Bursting into tears, he went out and
returned with a cup of poison.
“May the gods help me in my journy from this
to that other world!” said Socrates and lifted the cup to his lips. His pupils tried
to keep back their tears, but one sobbed aloud and this distressed the other.
Soon the room was filled with the sound of weeping.
Socrates paused, with the draught still
unfinished. “What is this strange outcry?” he asked, “I have heard that a man
should die in peace. Be silent and have patience.” He looked round, remembering
something, “Crito,” he whispered to one of his pupils, “I owe a cock to
Asclepius. Will you pay the debt?”
Questions:
(i) How were condemned people put to death in
Athens during the days of Socrates?
(ii) What did Socrates say just before
drinking the cup of poison?
(iii) What did Socrates ask Crito to do?
(iv) Choose the meaning of the word in ialics in the sentence below from the
given list.
“One
sobbed aloud and this distressed the others.”
(a) worried
(b) annoyed
(c) cheered
(d) saddened
(v) Find out in the passage two words which
mean—
(a) amount drunk in one swallow
(b) waited.
(vi) Of the following statements only two are
true. Write out the true statements.
(a) Socrates had given a cock to Asclepius.
(b) Socrates cried before he drank the
poison.
(c) The jailor was sorry to hand the cup of
poison to Socrates.
(d) Socrates asked his pupils to stop crying.
