The Third Level NCERT Solution

Read and Find out

1. What does the third level refer to?
Ans. Third level refers to an additional floor at the Grand Central Station which originally only had two levels. Charley
was hallucinating one night while going home when he reached the third level.
2. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and
his wife?
Ans. Charley went looking back for the third level that could take him and his wife to Galesburg because he wanted to go
back to his past. He wanted to go back to the world that has not seen two of its deadliest wars that changed everything.
Read with insight
1. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Ans. Yes, the third level of the Grand Central Station was a medium of escape for Charley. Modern world offers a lot of
challenges and in order to take refuge from reality, one might resort to day-dreaming or hallucination We all understand
the miseries of the modern world which is full of worry and pressure, thus, in order to take the burden away from his
shoulders and heap a sigh of relief, Charley resorted to escaping reality, although unintentionally.
2. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
Ans. The way Charley discovered Sam’s letter was rather peculiar. It was one of those first-day covers people used to
mail to themselves back in time with a blank page inside. So to begin with, the cover had a letter in it and not a blank
page in it. Secondly, the letter dates back to 18 July, 1894 when Sam (the writer of the letter) didn’t exist because both
Sam and Charley exist in the present times. Thus, it is sound to conclude that it was just a product of Charley’s
imagination.
3. The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. What are the ways in which we attempt to
overcome them?
Ans. One cannot count on fingers the negative aspects the modern lifestyle has to offer. There is stress, pressure, fear,
insecurity and worry. In order to relieve yourself of all these miseries, one can indulge in creative activities from time to
time. Making time for yourself and what you love without worrying about a productive outcome is a crucial thing many
people tend to ignore in the hustle and bustle of daily lives. Secondly, one can read a good book or even meditate. Long
walks in the lap of nature are not to be underestimated because nature has its own healing power. Apart from these, a
short weekend getaway, movie night with friends or even alone at home can be done in order to dissociate oneself from
the routine.
4. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
Ans. Yes, there are a lot of instances that tell us about the intersection of time and space in the story. First intersection
being the one between the first two levels of the Grand Central Station and its third level which is based somewhere in
the 1890s whereas the former exists in the present times. Also when Charley went to buy tickets for Galesburg which
existed in 1894 while he and his wife exists in the present times. Not to ignore the old-fashioned architecture of the third
level in contradiction to the modern interiors of the first two levels. Lastly, the letter dated 18th July, 1982 that Charley
found also throws light upon the intersection of time and space as both the sender (Sam) and the receiver (Charley) exist
in the present times.
5. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.
Ans. While a lot of the world’s greatest inventions were made by people who were criticised for their ideas. Audiences
used to mock at them for being illogical. Sighting the example of Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb, no one
believed in him at first but all he had was an idea and it’s realistic projection in mind. The idea here tells us how important
it is to sometimes follow one’s insight and have hope for it holds the capacity to change the world through its futuristic
projections.
6. Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is done. What do you think of the human
tendency to constantly move between the past, the present and the future?
Ans. Philately does indeed help in keeping the treasures of past alive. It gives one a chance to revisit and embrace the
past of one’s existence. Some of the other ways in which it can be done is by keeping a record of all the letters, ancient
manuscripts, things that are discontinued but were a significant part of the past, images, videos and written records of
experiences.
Human beings are a collection of all the experiences they have been through. Their tendency to connect with the past
from time to time helps them stay connected to the roots while helping them to face the present and future challenges
with more strength. Connecting with the future on the other hand, is just as important to know the outcome of one’s
current actions and decisions. If one doesn’t seem satisfied with the realistic interpretation of future, it can certainly help
in altering current actions to direct towards a better future.
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Class 12 English The Third Level Question Answers Lesson 1 – Extract
Based Questions
Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select the correct option for each
question by carefully reading the passage.

A. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
The Presidents of the New York Central and the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroads will swear on a stack of
timetables that there are only two. But I say there are three, because I’ve been on the third level of the Grand Central
Station. Yes, I’ve taken the obvious step: I talked to a psychiatrist friend of mine, among others. I told him about the third
level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking dream wish fulfilment.

1. Name the chapter.

A. The Last Lesson
B. Should Wizard Hit Mommy
C. On the Face of It
D. The Third Level
Ans. D. The Third Level
2. Name the author of this chapter.
A. Alphonse Daudet
B. Jack Finale
C. Jack Finney
D. John Updike
Ans. C. Jack Finney
3. Who is ‘l’ in the above extract?
A. Charley
B. Louisa
C. Sam
D. Coin Dealer
Ans. A. Charley
4. “There are only two” What is two in this statement?
A. Blocks
B. Platforms
C. Levels
D. Towers
Ans.C. Levels

B. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained that he meant the modern world is full of
insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it, and that I just want to escape. Well, who doesn’t? Everybody I know
wants to escape, but they don’t wander down into any third level at Grand Central Station. But that’s the reason, he said,
and my friends all agreed. Everything points to it. they claimed. My stamp collecting, for example; that’s a ‘temporary
refuge from reality.’ Well, maybe, but my grandfather didn’t need any refuge from reality; things were pretty nice and
peaceful in his days, from all I hear, and he started my collection. (CBSE SQP 2021-22)

1. Why did Sam’s verdict make Charley’s wife ‘mad’?

A. It made it difficult for her to accept that Charley would consult a psychiatrist.
B. It seemed to suggest to her that she was the cause of Charley’s unhappiness.
C. It made her aware of Charley’s delicate state of mind.
D. It offended her that Charley and Sam collectively accused her.
Ans. B. It seemed to suggest to her that she was the cause of Charley’s unhappiness.
2. Sam’s explanation to the reaction of Charley’s wife was ___________ in nature
A. critical
B. aggressive
C. clarifying
D. accusatory
Ans. C. clarifying
3. Select the option that signifies the condition of people of the ‘modern world’ mentioned in the extract.
(1) unsure
(2) lazy
(3) offensive
(4) anxious
(5) afraid
A. (1) and (3)
B. (2) and (5)
C. (2), (3) and (4)
D. (1), (4) and (5)
Ans. D. (1), (4) and (5)
4. Select the option that displays a cause-effect set.

Ans. D
5.Why didn’t Charley’s grandfather need refuge from reality?
A. He was too busy to bother.
B. He had chosen to deny his reality.
C. He lived in peaceful times.
D. He was a very secure person.
Ans. C. He lived in peaceful times.

C. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
I’m just an ordinary guy named Charley, thirty-one years old, and I was wearing a tan gabardine suit and a straw hat with
a fancy band; I passed a dozen men who looked just like me. And I wasn’t trying to escape from anything: I just wanted
to get home to Louisa, my wife. I turned into Grand Central from Vanderbilt Avenue, and went down the steps to the first
level, where you take trains like the Twentieth Century. Then I walked down another flight to the second level, where the
suburban trains leave from, ducked into an arched doorway heading for the subway- and got lost. That’s easy to do.
1. What is ‘Gabardine”?
A. A firm durable fabric
B. Brown colour
C. Kind of tight outfit
D. None of these
Ans. A . A firm durable fabric
2. What does the speaker mean by “suburban”?
A. Place located on the outskirts of the city
B. Place located in the city
C. Place located far away from the city
D. Place located in the centre of the city
Ans. A. Place located on the outskirts of the city
3. What does ‘Duck into’ mean?
A. To move downwards and enter
B. To move upwards and enter
C. To move aside and enter
D. None of these
Ans. A. To move downwards and enter
4. Where does the narrator get lost?
A. On the first level
B. On the second level
C. On the third level
D. All of these
Ans B. On the second level

D. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
I’ve been in and out of Grand Central hundreds of times, but I’m always bumping into new doorways and stairs and
corridors. Once I got into a tunnel about a mile long and came out in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel. Another time I
came up in an office building on Forty-Sixth Street, three blocks away. Sometimes I think Grand Central is growing like a
tree, pushing out new corridors and staircases like roots. There’s probably a long tunnel that nobody knows about feeling
its way under the city right now, on its way to Times Square, and maybe another to Central Park. And maybe – because
for so many people through the years Grand Central has been an exit, a way of into…. escape maybe that’s how I got
into the tunnel.

1. What does the word ‘Bumping’ mean?

A. Collide with force
B. Collide with empathy
C. Collide without any support
D. All of these
Ans. A. Collide with force
2. What does the narrator mean by ‘Grand Central has been an exit”?
A. People get lost in it
B. People want to escape through Grand Central station
C. People need excuses to go to Grand Central station
D. It is the best mode to reach the under-ground tunnel
Ans. B. People want to escape through Grand Central station
3. Which literary device has been used in ‘Grand Central Station growing like a tree’
A. Alliteration
B. Metaphor
C. Simile
D. Personification
Ans. C. Simile
4. Why does only Charley get lost at the third level?
A. Because he is practical
B. Because he is an escapist
C. Because he loves to do adventurous things
D. All of these
Ans. B. Because he is an escapist

F. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
For just a moment I thought I was back on the second level, but I saw the room was smaller, there were fewer ticket
windows and train gates, and the information booth in the centre was wood and old looking. And the man in the booth
wore a green eyeshade and long black sleeve protectors. The lights were dim and sort of flickering. Then I saw why;
they were open-flame gaslights.

1. What is an eyeshade?
A. Visor
B. hat
C. eye shadow
D. None of these
Ans. A. Visor
2. What is ‘flickering’?
A. Move back and forth rapidly
B. Shine unsteadily
C. Flash intermittently
D. All of these
Ans. D. All of these
3. What is Charley talking about?
A .The first level
B. The second level
C. The third level
D. None of these
Ans. C. The third level
4. Where did Charley want to go?
A. Illinois
B. Galesburg
C. New York
D. Gabba
Ans. B. Galesburg

G. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
A woman walked in through the train gate; she wore a dress with leg. of mutton sleeves and skirts to the top of her high-
buttoned shoes. Behind her, out on the tracks, I caught a glimpse of a locomotive, a very small Currier & Ives locomotive
with a funnel-shaped stack. And then I knew. To make sure, I walked over to a newsboy and glanced at the stack of
papers at his feet. It was The World; and The World hasn’t been published for years. The lead story said something
about President Cleveland. I’ve found that front page since, in the Public Library files, and it was printed June 11, 1894.

1. What is a locomotive?
A. Engine
B. Loco
C. Rail road
D. All of these
Ans. D. All of these
2. What does the speaker mean by stack of papers?|
A. Pile of papers
B. Pile of wastage
C. Pile of stamp papers
D. All of these
Ans. A. Pile of papers
3. What was ‘The World’?
A. Journal
B. Magazine
C. Newspaper
D. Book
Ans. C. Newspaper
4. Where had Charley traveled to?
A. Present
B. Past
C. Future
D. None of these
Ans. B. Past
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Class 12 English The Third Level Short Question Answers (including
questions from Previous Years Question Papers)
In this post we are also providing important short answer questions from Chapter 1 The Third Level for CBSE Class
12 Boards in the coming session. These questions have been taken from previous years class 12 Board exams and the
year is mentioned in the bracket along with the question.
Q1 What did Charley find at the Grand Central Station?
Ans. At the third level, Charley saw the people wearing old-fashioned dress, an old locomotive, newspaper dated June
11, 1894, brass spittoons, flickering gas same lights and many other things related to that era.
Q2 “I’ve taken the obvious step.” Explain.
Ans. Nobody believed in Charley’s statement about the existence of The Third Level. His wife was alarmed and brought
him to the psychiatrist. Charley himself needed to meet the psychiatrist. It was an ‘obvious step’.
Q3 What was Charley’s vision about Galesburg town? (CBSE 2013)
Ans. Charley thought that Galesburg was still a wonderful town. In that century in 1894, people used to sit in their lawns,
having sufficient time to talk to each other, smoking cigars and women waving palm leaf fans on very long summer
evenings. Overall, it was a peaceful and friendly place.
Q4 Why did Charley return from the third level?
Ans. With the wings of imagination Charley returned to collect enough money to buy two tickets to Galesburg town for
himself and his wife Louisa. The clerk did not accept the currency which Charley had so he went back to get the old
currency.
Q5 When and how did Charley find the letter of Sam?
Ans. One night while fussing with his stamp collection, Charley found, among his oldest first-day covers, the letter of
Sam with a six cent stamp mailed to his Granddad. It had been in his collection.
Q6 What did the ticket clerk say to Charley? (CBSE 2010)
Ans. The ticket-clerk scolded Charley that that was not the real currency which he was having. Additionally, he warned
Charley that if he was trying to skin him, he would not go very far. He would be prisoned.
Q7 “But now we are both looking.” What does this refer to? Explain.
Ans. The above mentioned words were said by Charley as he and his wife Louisa, both every weekend started to search
for the third level because they had the proof that Charley’s friend Sam had disappeared. So, both Charley and Louisa
were looking for the third level.
Q8 What does the third level refer to? (CBSE 2001, 2004)
Ans. The third level refers to the subway of the Grand Central Station in New York. Though this Third level was not
present there physically, Charley claimed it to be present there.
Q9 Would Charley ever go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself
and his wife?
Ans. No, Charley would never go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and
his wife because he would never find that third level again possibly.
Q10 Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why? (CBSE 2005, 2008)
Ans. Yes. The third level was a medium of escape for Charley because he might be unhappy and fearful from worldly
worries. He explained that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it and he just
wanted to escape from that. Perhaps Charley was not able to handle the stress.
Q11 What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
OR
In his letter to Charley, Sam writes, ‘…then I got to believing you were right.’ What could have made Sam begin
to believe? (CBSE SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 2020-21)
Ans. Sam’s letter to Charley proves that Sam had found and reached the third level. He had been staying there in
Galesburg since the last two weeks watching various activities and explaining to Charley. He invites both Charley and his
wife Louisa and motivates them to continue their search for the third level. So, we can say that Sam was also a victim of
worldly worries and sought the escape, like Charley.
Q12 “The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. What are the ways in which we attempt
to overcome them?
Ans. No doubt, the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war worry and stress. To overcome them, people start to
adopt their own ways. As some people start to imagine and develop their own unreal world whereas some people start to
use alcoholic products and destroy their lives. These all ways are just escapement and not the solution.
Q13 What would you describe as your “waking-dream wish fulfilment”? Explain. (CBSE QUESTION BANK)
Ans. Charley quoted this statement. A waking dream wish fulfilment is what we wish to happen or see. It’s not the reality.
He told this to Sam, his psychiatrist. While talking about the third level, Charley quoted this statement. He is an Escapist.
He couldn’t bear all the tensions happening around him. He said this out of his imagination.
Q14 Why do you think Charley withdrew nearly all the money he had from the bank to buy old-style currency?
(CBSE QUESTION BANK)
Ans. Charley had got his three hundred dollars out of the bank and got them changed into old-style currency so that he
could go back to the third level and buy the tickets to Galesburg.
Q15 How would you evaluate Sam’s character? Elucidate any two qualities, and substantiate with evidence from
the text. (CBSE QUESTION BANK)
Ans. Sam is a fiercely devoted friend to Charlie. Sam considers emigrating to the tranquil World of Galesburg in order to
escape the pulls and stresses of modern life. He writes a letter from The Third Level of Grand Central after locating it,
telling Charlie to keep looking for The Third Level.
Q16 ‘It’s easy to judge others and give advice, but much more difficult to apply it to ourselves.’ Elaborate with
reference to the character of Sam in The Third Level. (CBSE SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 2022-23)
Ans. Sam was being judgmental when he told Charley that he was dissatisfied with life and was looking for an escape.
The third level was just an imagination, so Charley should accept reality and be satisfied with it. However, Sam himself
wanted an escape from the stress filled modern life and went in search for the third level.
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Class 12 The Third Level Long Answer Questions Lesson 1
Q1 Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why? (CBSE 2005, 2008)
Ans. Actually, Grand Central Station did not have a third level. Charley stated that while travelling back to his house, he
just made an imaginary trip to the third level in order to escape the unsettling reality of this planet. He would frequently
explore relocating to Galesburg, which had already been established in 1894 and was thought to be a peaceful
community at the time.
He himself had aspirations of going there and pictured himself living in that era. Whenever he got back to his regular life,
he couldn’t stop thinking about that realm. In this way, we can claim that the third level was unquestionably a medium of
escapement for Charley because his friend Sam’s disappearance forced him to believe in it and subsequently he and his
wife Louisa both started to search the third level. Even though it was just in his head, it made him feel better.
Q2 Why did Charley again want to go to the third level?
OR
How did ‘The World’ help Charley to confirm his doubts regarding the existence of a third level? (CBSE SAMPLE
QUESTION PAPER 2019-20)
Ans. Since Galesburg had been in Charley’s thoughts since the beginning as a peaceful place, he had found and noticed
a significant difference once he had visited the third level in his imaginations. However, when Charley arrived at the ticket
window, he discovered that he was unable to purchase tickets or complete any transactions due to the lack of currency
of those days. Once he realised it, he went back to the actual world to get some old-fashioned money from the exchange
before going back to the third floor and Galesburg to settle down.
He originally intended to get two tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife since he was certain that there, people lived
carefree lives with plenty of time for one another. With the money he had with him, he could easily subsist there because
everything was so inexpensive. Thus, even though the third level didn’t actually exist—it was just in Charley’s head—he
wanted to go back there for his escape and satisfaction.
Q3 Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is done. What do you think of the
human tendency to constantly move between the past, the present and the future?
Ans. Many people use stamp collecting, the study of postage stamps, postal routes, postal history, etc. as a way to keep
memories of the past fresh. Other than this, there are many other ways to preserve our past, including museums,
historical structures & monuments, items used by people in the past, photographs, and old literature; we travel into our
past. This is termed as philately.
Humans frequently have a tendency to wander back and forth between the past, present, and future. Although we
actually exist in the present, thanks to God’s gift of memory, we can travel back in time and attempt to look into the
future. We find fulfilment, enjoy life, and manage to survive in the present because our conscious and unconscious minds
are in control of this shifting.
Q4 Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
Ans. Absolutely, the story shows how time and space intertwine. As an escapist, Charley travels from the present to the
past. It is practically impossible for someone to have reached the final century in 1894, yet thanks to his imagination, he
was sent to the third level and ended up in Galesburg, Illinois. That appears to be psychological, and Sam, his
psychiatrist friend, also slips to the third level and becomes a victim of the contemporary worldly concerns. Science
fiction author Jack Finney discusses the intersection of time and space in a highly rational way and establishes its
plausibility through escapement.
Q5 Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.
Ans. Sometimes what seems to be nonsensical turns out to be a futuristic vision, much like the majority of what we see
around us. were once in someone’s head and seemed impossible, but subsequently turned out to be possible. It’s now
achievable thanks to science. Such occurrences are caused by our unconscious mind.
With the help of these factors combined, we are occasionally able to create or learn incredible truths and things that were
completely unknown to the world until their physical manifestation. Hence, impossibility appears at first but quickly enters
the view due to correct projection, shocking the general populace.
Q6 At the beginning of the story, Sam is sceptical of Charley’s discovery of the third level. By the end of the
story, the reader is told that he found the third level and travelled back in time. How would Sam diagnose
himself? (CBSE QUESTION BANK)
Ans. Sam worked as a therapist. He was also Charley’s pal. Charley went to Sam for advice when he had fantasies
about the Third Floor at Grand Central Station. Sam declared it to be only a short-term relief from his anxiety. A waking-
dream-wish-fulfillment, as he put it. Yet over time, he found himself ensnared in this made-up universe. He spoke with
numerous psychic patients every day, who shared their problems and concerns with him. Sam’s life has been burdened
as a result. He also began looking for sojourn. After hearing about the suffering of those with mental illnesses, he
yearned to leave the life that had become miserable.
Unconsciously, he also had the urge to escape the constraints of everyday reality and roam freely in the realm of fantasy.
He desired to picture himself existing in a society free of suppressed anxieties and internal problems. Although he first
did not believe in the Third Level’s whim, he secretly wished to believe in this fantasy. He was aware that Charley was
wrong, yet he still wanted Charley to be correct. As a result, he eventually began to discover reality on a whim and
became trapped.