Short Questions (with Answers)
1. Who wrote The Bet?
Answer : Anton Chekhov wrote The Bet.
2. What was the bet between the banker and the lawyer?
Answer : The lawyer had to live alone for 15 years to win two million roubles.
3. What did the guests at the banker’s party discuss?
Answer : They talked about whether death penalty or life imprisonment is better.
4. What did the banker think about the death penalty?
Answer : He thought it was kinder than life imprisonment.
5. What did the lawyer prefer, death or life imprisonment?
Answer : He preferred life imprisonment because living is better than dying.
6. What was the lawyer allowed to have during his time in isolation?
Answer : He could have books, food, wine, and music through a small window.
7. How did the banker feel about the bet after 15 years?
Answer : He felt sorry because it made him almost broke.
8. Why did the lawyer avoid wine and smoking in the first year?
Answer : He wanted to stay healthy and focused during his time alone.
9. What did the lawyer study during his sixth year in isolation?
Answer : He studied languages, philosophy, and history.
10. Which book did the lawyer spend a whole year reading?
Answer : He read the New Testament for one year.
11. How many books did the lawyer read in four years?
Answer : He read about 600 books during this time.
12. Why did the banker think of killing the lawyer?
Answer : He was too poor to pay the two million roubles.
13. What did the lawyer look like after 15 years?
Answer : He looked very thin, pale, and older than his age.
14. What did the lawyer write in his letter before leaving?
Answer : He wrote that he didn’t want the money or worldly things anymore.
15. Why did the lawyer leave before the 15 years were complete?
Answer : To prove he didn’t care about money or winning the bet.
16. How did the banker react to the lawyer’s letter?
Answer : He cried and felt ashamed of himself.
17. Why did the lawyer cry and talk to himself in his fifth year?
Answer : He was lonely and frustrated during that time.
18. What happened to the banker’s wealth after 15 years?
Answer : He lost most of it and became poor.
19. What were the terms of the lawyer’s confinement?
Answer : He could not leave the room, meet people, or hear any voices.
20. Why did the banker lock the lawyer’s note in his safe?
Answer : He wanted to keep it a secret and avoid rumors.
Medium Questions (with Answers)
1. What did the banker and lawyer argue about at the party?
Answer : The banker said the death penalty was better because it was quick. The lawyer said both punishments were cruel, but life was better than death. Their argument led to the bet. The lawyer promised to stay in isolation for 15 years to prove his point.
2. What were the lawyer’s first few years in isolation like?
Answer : In the first year, he played the piano and read fun books but felt lonely. By the second year, he stopped playing music and asked for serious books like classics. He started missing human interaction but stayed committed to the bet.
3. Why did the lawyer start studying so many subjects?
Answer : He wanted to use his time to gain knowledge. He studied languages, philosophy, history, science, and religion. He read hundreds of books to make his mind stronger and learn about the world.
4. What did the lawyer learn from reading so many books?
Answer : He learned about life, death, and human history. He understood that money and worldly things are not as important as people think. This changed his view of life.
5. Why did the banker regret making the bet?
Answer : The banker was rich when he made the bet, but over 15 years, he lost most of his money. If he paid the lawyer, he would go broke. He felt the bet was foolish and harmful.
6. How did the banker feel when he saw the lawyer after 15 years?
Answer : He felt shocked because the lawyer looked very weak and old. The lawyer was no longer interested in the money or the world.
7. What did the lawyer do to break the agreement?
Answer : The lawyer left the room five minutes before the 15 years ended. This meant he would not get the two million roubles.
8. How did the lawyer spend his last two years in isolation?
Answer : He read many books about science, religion, and philosophy. He wanted to learn everything he could. He read so much that it seemed he was searching for meaning in life.
9. What did the lawyer say about worldly pleasures in his letter?
Answer : He said he had learned that money, fame, and success are meaningless. He believed that death erases everything and nothing lasts forever.
10. What happened to the banker’s wealth during the 15 years?
Answer : The banker lost most of his money because of bad investments. By the end of the bet, he was poor and scared of losing the little money he had left.
11. How did the lawyer’s thinking change during his isolation?
Answer : At first, he thought the money was important. But after reading so much, he realized knowledge and wisdom are more valuable than riches. He lost interest in material things.
12. What was the banker’s plan to avoid paying the money?
Answer : The banker decided to kill the lawyer to avoid giving him two million roubles. He thought no one would suspect him because the lawyer lived alone.
13. How did the lawyer’s letter save his life?
Answer : When the banker read the lawyer’s letter, he realized the lawyer no longer wanted the money. This stopped the banker from killing him.
14. Why did the lawyer reject the two million roubles?
Answer : The lawyer said he no longer cared about money because he had learned it was meaningless. He valued knowledge and wisdom more.
15. What was the final outcome of the bet?
Answer : The lawyer left the room early, giving up the money. The banker was relieved but felt ashamed of his selfishness and greed.
Long Questions (with Answers)
1. Why did the banker and the lawyer make the bet?
Answer : The banker and lawyer argued about whether death penalty or life imprisonment was better. The banker believed death was quicker and less cruel, while the lawyer said life was better, even in prison. The banker bet two million roubles that the lawyer couldn’t stay in isolation for 15 years. The lawyer accepted to prove his point and for the money.
2. What were the terms of the bet, and how was the lawyer kept in isolation?
Answer : The lawyer had to stay in a locked room for 15 years. He could not meet anyone, hear voices, or leave the room. He could ask for books, music, and food through a small window. If he left even a minute early, he would lose the bet and not get the money.
3. How did the lawyer’s interests change during his confinement?
Answer : At first, he read fun books and played the piano but felt lonely. Later, he read classics and drank wine. In the middle years, he studied serious subjects like philosophy, history, and science. Toward the end, he focused on religion and understanding life’s meaning.
4. Why did the banker want to kill the lawyer before the bet ended?
Answer : The banker had become poor and couldn’t afford to pay the two million roubles. He thought killing the lawyer would save him from losing everything. He planned to make it look like a natural death.
5. What did the banker see when he entered the lawyer’s room?
Answer : He saw the lawyer sitting still, looking very thin and weak. The lawyer was surrounded by books, and a letter was on the table. The banker was shocked to see how much the lawyer had changed.
6. What was written in the lawyer’s letter?
Answer : The lawyer wrote that he no longer wanted the money. He said he had learned that life and riches were meaningless. He decided to leave the room early to prove he didn’t care about the bet anymore.
7. What did the lawyer learn about life during his 15 years of isolation?
Answer : The lawyer learned that knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual understanding are more important than money or fame. He realized that worldly things don’t last and are not worth chasing.
8. How did the bet affect both the lawyer and the banker?
Answer : The lawyer became wiser and gave up his interest in money. The banker lost most of his wealth and became greedy and desperate. Both men suffered because of their pride and foolishness.
9. Why did the banker feel ashamed after reading the lawyer’s letter?
Answer : The banker realized the lawyer had given up the money he once wanted so badly. He felt guilty for planning to kill the lawyer and for being so selfish. The letter showed him how meaningless his greed was.
10. What is the main message of The Bet?
Answer : The story shows that greed and pride can destroy people’s lives. It teaches that wisdom, knowledge, and spiritual values are more important than money or worldly success. It also shows how time and isolation can change a person’s perspective on life.
Leave a Reply