1) That old man is Aksionov.

2) The speaker is asking about the truth of digging an escape hole .

3) The speaker means the prison's wall.

the symbols used in the story are:

1. house and shops- it symbolizes Aksionov's family and material possessions
2. nightmare-it symbolizes a bad omen.
3. blood-stained knife- it indicates Aksionov's lack of control over his fate.
4. the prison- Aksionov's pain and subsequent mystical transformation are symbolized by the prison.
5. the book(the lives of the saints)- gives an impression of religiosity.

II)Cr2+ is reducing agent as its configuration changes from d4 to d3, when it is oxidized to Cr3+ .The d3 configuration have a half-filled t2g level which is very stable. On the other hand, the reduction of Mn3+ to Mn2+ results in the half-filled (d5) configuration which has extra stability hence Mn3+ acts as oxidizing agent.

The stage of cell division in which paired homologous chromosomes get shortened and thickened is prophase I of meiosis. During this stage, the chromosomes condense and become visible as distinct structures, allowing for the homologous chromosomes to pair up and exchange genetic material through a process called crossing over. The shortening and thickening of the chromosomes during prophase I is important for proper alignment and separation of the homologous chromosomes during subsequent...