Ability Enhancement Skills (AEC)
English Proficiency and Life Skills – III
MCQs on Action Will be Taken
(Empathy Skills)
1. What is the narrator's initial attitude towards work?
A) Enthusiastic and motivated
B) Inclined towards pensiveness and inactivity
C) Always eager to find a job
D) Highly ambitious and competitive
Correct Answer: B) Inclined towards pensiveness and inactivity
2. What was the first test the narrator faced at Wunsiedel’s factory?
A) A written exam
B) An aptitude test disguised as a breakfast
C) A physical endurance test
D) An interview with Mr. Wunsiedel
Correct Answer: B) An aptitude test disguised as a breakfast
3. What answer did the narrator give to the question about handling multiple
telephones?
A) "I can handle three telephones at most."
B) "Nine telephones are not enough to keep me busy."
C) "Seven telephones are my limit."
D) "Four telephones are ideal for me."
Correct Answer: B) "Nine telephones are not enough to keep me busy."
4. Who was Broschek in the story?
A) The narrator's coworker
B) Wunsiedel's right-hand man
C) A factory manager in another department
D) Wunsiedel’s secretary
Correct Answer: B) Wunsiedel's right-hand man
5. How did Wunsiedel die?
A) He was poisoned.
B) He had a heart attack.
C) He was accidentally injured.
D) He fell from the roof.
Correct Answer: B) He had a heart attack.
6. What job did the narrator take up after leaving Wunsiedel's factory?
A) A secretary at another factory
B) A professional mourner
C) A salesperson in a funeral director's office
D) A telephone operator in a different company
Correct Answer: B) A professional mourner
7. Why did the narrator believe Wunsiedel’s factory was producing soap?
A) Because of the smell in the factory
B) Due to the glass brick structure
C) The narrator never bothered to find out and guessed
D) It was mentioned during the aptitude test
Correct Answer: C) The narrator never bothered to find out and guessed
8. How did the narrator perceive the cheerful atmosphere of the coffee shop in
Wunsiedel's factory?
A) As a welcoming and pleasant environment
B) As suspicious and part of the test
C) As a place to relax and enjoy
D) As a normal factory setting
Correct Answer: B) As suspicious and part of the test
9. What did the narrator do during the breakfast that was unusual for him?
A) Enjoyed the food thoroughly
B) Left most of the food untouched and drank orange juice on an empty
stomach
C) Talked to the other applicants
D) Refused to eat anything
Correct Answer: B) Left most of the food untouched and drank orange
juice on an empty stomach
10. What is the underlying reason for the narrator's success in the factory job?
A) His extreme enthusiasm for work
B) His understanding of Wunsiedel’s obsession with "action"
C) His experience in factory jobs
D) His ability to handle physical labor
Correct Answer: B) His understanding of Wunsiedel’s obsession with
"action"
11. How does Wunsiedel motivate his employees every morning?
A) By giving them bonuses
B) By threatening them with dismissal
C) By shouting "Let's have some action!"
D) By giving motivational speeches
Correct Answer: C) By shouting "Let's have some action!"
12. How did the narrator feel when Wunsiedel died?
A) Overjoyed
B) Indifferent
C) Surprised and somewhat tender
D) Angry and resentful
Correct Answer: C) Surprised and somewhat tender
13. What unusual activity was Broschek engaged in when the narrator informed him
of Wunsiedel's death?
A) Exercising while on the phone
B) Operating a knitting machine with his feet while on two phones
C) Writing a report while talking on three telephones
D) Having lunch at his desk
Correct Answer: B) Operating a knitting machine with his feet while on
two phones
14. What does the narrator ultimately realize about his experience at Wunsiedel's
factory?
A) It was the best job he ever had
B) It led him to discover his true vocation as a mourner
C) It was just another meaningless job
D) He should have stayed longer to understand the factory's production
Correct Answer: B) It led him to discover his true vocation as a mourner
15. Why does the narrator visit the cemetery cafe frequently after becoming a
professional mourner?
A) To meet new people
B) To enjoy the peaceful atmosphere
C) To take breaks between his professional engagements
D) To have lunch with his coworkers
Correct Answer: C) To take breaks between his professional
engagements
16. What was Wunsiedel’s most common command in the factory?
A) "Work harder!"
B) "Take immediate action!"
C) "Think creatively!"
D) "Reduce costs!"
Correct Answer: B) "Take immediate action!"
17. What aspect of the factory's construction initially aroused the narrator's
suspicion?
A) The location of the factory
B) The factory was built entirely of glass brick
C) The heavy security presence
D) The number of workers entering and leaving
Correct Answer: B) The factory was built entirely of glass brick
18. Why did the narrator decide to leave the job at Wunsiedel's factory?
A) He found a better-paying job
B) He felt he was not working to capacity
C) He was fired for incompetence
D) He was afraid of Broschek
Correct Answer: B) He felt he was not working to capacity
19. How does the narrator describe the waitresses in the factory’s coffee shop?
A) Polite and formal
B) Cheerful and bursting with unsung songs
C) Lazy and uninterested
D) Overworked and tired
Correct Answer: B) Cheerful and bursting with unsung songs
20. What does the narrator often say during his new job as a professional mourner?
A) "May they rest in peace."
B) "Action will be taken."
C) "I have found my true calling."
D) "Such action ought not to have been taken."
Correct Answer: D) "Such action ought not to have been taken."
21. What was Wunsiedel's reaction when the narrator hesitated to respond to his
usual command?
A) He calmly repeated his command
B) He shouted at the narrator
C) He ignored the narrator's hesitation
D) He complimented the narrator
Correct Answer: B) He shouted at the narrator
22. What is one trait that the narrator and Wunsiedel’s secretary have in common?
A) Both are highly efficient workers
B) Both have a talent for singing
C) Both have supported a paralyzed spouse
D) Both have a passion for factory work
Correct Answer: C) Both have supported a paralyzed spouse
23. What was the narrator's routine on the streetcar to work?
A) Planning his tasks for the day
B) Thinking up new imperatives for his job
C) Reading a novel
D) Listening to music
Correct Answer: B) Thinking up new imperatives for his job
24. What did the narrator conclude about his true vocation?
A) Being a secretary
B) Being a factory worker
C) Being a professional mourner
D) Being a telephone operator
Correct Answer: C) Being a professional mourner
25. What does the narrator imply about the factory's atmosphere?
A) It was very relaxed and casual
B) It was filled with obsessive personalities who valued action
C) It was focused solely on profit-making
D) It was chaotic and disorganized
Correct Answer: B) It was filled with obsessive personalities who valued
action
26. What realization does the narrator have about his feelings toward Wunsiedel
after his death?
A) He always hated Wunsiedel
B) He never truly hated Wunsiedel and felt tenderness for him
C) He admired Wunsiedel's dedication
D) He was indifferent to Wunsiedel
Correct Answer: B) He never truly hated Wunsiedel and felt tenderness
for him
27. How did Wunsiedel's secretary achieve fame?
A) By writing a bestseller
B) As a night-club singer known as "Vamp Number Seven"
C) By inventing a new type of soap
D) By becoming a renowned psychologist
Correct Answer: B) As a night-club singer known as "Vamp Number
Seven"
28. What phrase does Wunsiedel use to start the workday and motivate his
employees?
A) "Let's make some profit!"
B) "Action will be taken!"
C) "Let's have some action!"
D) "Work smarter, not harder!"
Correct Answer: C) "Let's have some action!"
29. How did Broschek react when told of Wunsiedel's death?
A) He immediately began mourning
B) He was in disbelief and repeatedly said "No"
C) He took over Wunsiedel’s role
D) He called the police
Correct Answer: B) He was in disbelief and repeatedly said "No"
30. What did the narrator fail to discover during his time at Wunsiedel’s factory?
A) The factory’s production output
B) The location of the factory’s main office
C) The names of his coworkers
D) The product being manufactured at the factory
Correct Answer: D) The product being manufactured at the factory
31. What did the narrator carry at Wunsiedel’s funeral?
A) A portrait of Wunsiedel
B) A wreath of artificial roses
C) A company flag
D) A copy of Wunsiedel's last will
Correct Answer: B) A wreath of artificial roses
32. Why did the narrator stand out as a professional mourner?
A) His remarkable ability to cry on demand
B) His appearance in dark suits, which fit the role perfectly
C) His loud and expressive mourning
D) His experience in the funeral business
Correct Answer: B) His appearance in dark suits, which fit the role
perfectly
33. Why does the narrator sometimes walk behind coffins without being paid?
A) He enjoys the walks in the cemetery
B) He feels it's his duty to mourn the homeless
C) He hopes to gain more clients
D) He wants to be seen by the funeral director
Correct Answer: B) He feels it's his duty to mourn the homeless
34. What does the narrator do after leaving Wunsiedel’s factory?
A) Works in a different factory
B) Becomes a telephone operator
C) Becomes a professional mourner
D) Starts his own business
Correct Answer: C) Becomes a professional mourner
35. What element of the story shows the narrator’s humorous attitude towards life?
A) His obsession with action
B) His detailed descriptions of Wunsiedel’s morning routines
C) His deadpan observations about his colleagues and job
D) His ambition to rise to the top of the factory
Correct Answer: C) His deadpan observations about his colleagues and
job
36. What phrase did the narrator obsessively repeat for two days because of its
sound?
A) "Action has been taken."
B) "Such action ought not to have been taken."
C) "We must act immediately."
D) "Let's have some action!"
Correct Answer: B) "Such action ought not to have been taken."
37. Why did Wunsiedel’s secretary become known as “Vamp Number Seven”?
A) Because she was the seventh secretary in the office
B) Due to her unique style of night-club singing
C) It was her code name for secret factory work
D) It was the title of her bestselling book
Correct Answer: B) Due to her unique style of night-club singing
38. Which word best describes the narrator's attitude towards his coworkers’
enthusiasm for work?
A) Admiration
B) Contempt
C) Curiosity
D) Indifference
Correct Answer: B) Contempt
39. What did the narrator feel he was doing when he used the imperative mood
frequently at work?
A) Fulfilling Wunsiedel’s expectations
B) Enjoying the sound of his own voice
C) Leading his team to success
D) Creating a playful atmosphere
Correct Answer: A) Fulfilling Wunsiedel’s expectations
40. How does the narrator feel about the interior decoration of the room where he
took the test?
A) He found it dull and uninspiring
B) He thought it would appeal to interior decoration enthusiasts
C) He found it to be overly modern
D) He was indifferent to it
Correct Answer: B) He thought it would appeal to interior decoration
enthusiasts
41. What event triggered the narrator to switch careers from the factory to becoming
a mourner?
A) A salary cut
B) Wunsiedel's sudden death
C) A new job offer from a competitor
D) His growing boredom with the factory
Correct Answer: B) Wunsiedel's sudden death
42. Why does the narrator feel grateful towards Wunsiedel after his death?
A) For giving him a raise
B) For allowing him to discover his true calling
C) For teaching him the value of hard work
D) For offering him a managerial position
Correct Answer: B) For allowing him to discover his true calling
43. Which character in the story seems to embody the most extreme dedication to
action?
A) The narrator
B) Wunsiedel
C) Broschek
D) The secretary
Correct Answer: B) Wunsiedel
44. What is implied about the narrator's personality through his description of his
actions and thoughts?
A) He is highly energetic and optimistic
B) He is reflective, ironic, and somewhat cynical
C) He is straightforward and sincere
D) He is easily frightened and indecisive
Correct Answer: B) He is reflective, ironic, and somewhat cynical
45. Which activity did the narrator never admit to enjoying while at Wunsiedel's
factory?
A) Handling multiple telephones
B) Eating breakfast in the coffee shop
C) Observing his colleagues' actions
D) Answering Wunsiedel's commands
Correct Answer: B) Eating breakfast in the coffee shop
46. What does the narrator suggest about the relationship between storytelling and
personality?
A) Vigorous personalities tend to tell their life stories more frequently
B) Quiet people have more interesting stories
C) People with no achievements are more eager to share their stories
D) Storytelling is irrelevant to personality
Correct Answer: A) Vigorous personalities tend to tell their life stories more
frequently
47. What humorous observation does the narrator make about the waitresses in the
coffee shop?
A) They are as cheerful as they are clumsy
B) They are bursting with unsung songs like chickens with unlaid eggs
C) They secretly dislike their jobs
D) They are the most efficient workers in the factory
Correct Answer: B) They are bursting with unsung songs like chickens with
unlaid eggs
48. Why does the narrator suspect that he is constantly being observed in the
factory?
A) There are cameras everywhere
B) The employees were always watching him
C) He feels the whole environment is a test
D) He overhears conversations about himself
Correct Answer: C) He feels the whole environment is a test
49. Which of the following best captures the irony in the narrator's decision to
become a professional mourner?
A) He has always loved action and excitement
B) He feels most comfortable in a role where pensiveness and inactivity are valued
C) He enjoys working in a highly dynamic environment
D) He dislikes funerals and mournful environments
Correct Answer: B) He feels most comfortable in a role where pensiveness and
inactivity are valued
50. What conclusion does the narrator draw from his experience in Wunsiedel’s
factory?
A) He was not meant to work in a factory setting
B) He is best suited for a job that values inactivity and contemplation
C) He should have tried harder to fit in
D) He regrets leaving the factory job
Correct Answer: B) He is best suited for a job that values inactivity and
contemplation
