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)Transition metals and their compounds show catalytic activities because of Variable or multiple oxidation states, ability to form complexes, they provide large surface area for adsorption.

Yes, a vector which has zero magnitude is also a vector in case of two vectors travelling in opposite directions with equal magnitudes. At this case, the resultant vector has zero magnitude but it is still a vector. We call it a null vector.

The meaning of his wife's dream is a sign of a bad omen.