Class 8th ncert honeydew solution

  Chapter 1 The Best Christmas Present in the World

Comprehension Check (Page 10)

Questions:

1.    What did the author find in a junk shop?

2.    What did he find in a secret drawer? Who do you think had put it in there?

Answers:

1.    The author found a roll-top desk for sale in a junk shop. It was made of oak wood, but it was in a veiy bad condition.

2.    In the secret drawer of the desk, the author found a small tin box. It had a letter in it. I think the owner of the roll-top desk might have put it there.

Comprehension Check (Page 14)

Questions:

1.    Who had written the letter, to whom, and when?

2.    Why was the letter written — what was the wonderful thing that had happened?

3.    What jobs did Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson have when they were not soldiers?

4.    Had Hans Wolf ever been to Dorset? Why did he say he knew it?

5.    Do you think Jim Macpherson came back from the war? How do you know this?

Answers:

1.    John Macpherson, a captain in the British army, had written that letter, dated Dec. 26, 1914, to his wife Connie.

2.    The letter described a wonderful event. The two armies-the British and the Ger­man—fighting against each other celebrated Christmas together.

3.    Before joining the army, Hans played the cello in the orchestra and Jim was a teacher.

4.    No, Hans had never been to Dorset. He had only read about Dorset in Hardy’s novel ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’.

5.    No, Jim Macpherson never came back home from the war. Perhaps therefore his wife Connie had preserved his letters.

Comprehension Check (Page 15)

Questions:

1.    Why did the author go to Bridport?

2.    How old was Mrs Macpherson now? Where was she?

Answers:

1.    The author went to Bridport to meet Mrs Jim Macpherson and deliver to her Jim’s letter.

2.    Macpherson was 101 years old. She was in a nursing home.

Comprehension Check (Page 16)

Questions:

1.    Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?

2.    Which sentence in the text shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity?

Answers:

1.    Connie thought that the visitor was her own husband, Jim Macpherson.

2.    That sentence is, “you told me you’d come home by Christmas, dearest,” she said, “And here you are, the best Christmas present in the world. Come closer, Jim dear, sit down.

Working with the Text (Page 16)

Question 1:
For how long do you think Connie had kept Jim’s letter? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Connie had kept Jim’s last letter till January 25, 1915. The letter was dated Dec. 26, 1914.

Question 2:
Why do you think the desk had been sold, and when?
Answer:
The desk must have been sold when Connie’s house had burnt. The table had been damaged by fire as well as water.

Question 3:
Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts? Do you agree?
Answer:
Both Jim and Hans were soldiers. Both were warm hearted. They had seen the sufferings of war. So it was natural for them to hate war. They favoured a peaceful solution to settle disputes. Games or sports, they said, were good ways of resolving conflicts. I also quite agree with them.

Question 4:
Do you think the soldiers of the two armies are like each other, or different from each other? Find evidence from the story to support your answer.
Answer:
All human beings are alike in many ways. They love peace and hate war. They want to live together. Examples from the story: “Then they were calling out to us from a cross no man’s land. “Happy Christmas, Tommy! Happy Christmas! “When we had got

Question 5:
Mention the various ways in which the British and the German soldiers become friends and find things in common at Christmas.
Answer:
The British and the German soldiers belonged to different camps. They were enemies in war time. But after all they were human beings and therefore they had similar feelings. They shared the festive spirit of the Christmas. They got over hatred and played games, feasted and drank like good friends. Both hated war. Both were anxious to go back to their families at the end of war.

Question 6:
What is Connie’s Christmas present? Why is it the best Christmas present in the world?
Answer:
Connie thought that Jim had come back home from war. She mistook the author for Jim. She had been waiting for her husband Jim. So the coming home of Jim was the best Christmas present in the world for her.

Question 7:
Do you think the title of the story is suitable for it? Can you think of any other title(s)?
Answer:
Decidedly the title of the story is most suitable. For the old Connie, no other present could have given her such joy as the coming home of Jim, her husband. Her presumption might be wrong, but she got the greatest happiness of her life. Since the story revolves around Christmas, the alternate title of the story could be War and Peace’ or ‘Christmas Gift’. But neither can be a match to the present title.

Working with Language (Page 17)

Question 1:
Look at these sentences from the story.
I spotted it in a junk shop in Bridport… The man said it was made in the early nineteenth century… This one was in a bad condition…
The italicised verbs are in the past tense. They tell us what happened in the past, before now.

(i) Read the passage below and underline the verb in the past tense.
A man got on the train and sat down. The compartment was empty except for one lady. She took her gloves off. A few hours later the police arrested the man. They held him for 24 hours and then freed him.
Answer:
A man got on the train and sat down. The compartment was empty except for one lady. She took her gloves off. A few hours later the police arrested the man. They held him for 24 hours and then freed him.

Now look at these sentences.
The veneer had lifted almost everywhere. Both fire and water had taken their toll on this desk.

Notice the verb forms had lifted, had taken (their toll).
The author found and bought the desk in the past. The desk was damaged before the author found it and bought it. Fire and water had damaged the desk before the author found it and bought it.

·         We use verb forms like had damaged for an event in the ‘earlier past’. If there are two events in the past, we used the ‘had ….’ form for the event that occurred first in the past.

·         We also use the past perfect tense to show that something was wished for, or expected before a particular time in the past. For example, I had always wanted one

·         Discuss with your partner the difference in meaning in the sentences below.

·         When I reached the station, the train left.

·         When I reached the station, the train had left.

(ii) Fill in the blanks using the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
My little sister is very naughty. When she———- (come) back from school yester­day, she had ———- (tear) her dress. We——————————————————— (ask) her how it had——– (happen). She—– (say) she——- (have, quarrel) with a boy. She———– (have, beat) him in a race and he——— (have, try) to push her. She——— (have, tell) the teacher and so he——- (have, chase) her and she———- (have, fall) down and——– (have, tear) her dress.
Answer:
My little sister is very naughty. When she came back from school yesterday, she had torn her dress. We asked her how it had happened. She said she had quar­relled with a boy. She had beaten him in a race and he had tried to push her. She had told the teacher and so he had chased her and she had fallen down and had torn her dress.

(iii)Underline the verbs and arrange them in two columns, Past and Earlier

(a) My friends set out to see the caves in the next town, but I stayed at home, because I had seen them already.
(b) When they arrived at the station, their train had left. They came back home, but by that time I had gone out to see a movie!
(c) So they sat outside and ate the lunch I had packed for them.
(d) By the time I returned, they had fallen asleep!

Answer:

Question 2:
Dictionary Work
By the end of the journey, we had run out of drinking water.
Look at the verb run out of in this sentence. It is a phrasal verb: it has two parts, a verb and a preposition or an adverb. Phrasal verbs often have meanings that are different from the meanings of their parts.

Find these phrasal verbs in the story.

Write down the sentences in which they occur. Consult a dictionary and write down the meaning that you think matches the meaning of the phrasal verb in the sentence.
Answer:

·         “House number 12 turned out to be nothing but a burned-out shell …………….. (destroyed by fire).

·         That was the moment her eyes lit up with recognition, and her face……………… (brightened).

·         Hans Wolf and I looked on and cheered, clapping our hand……… : (considered somebody to be somebody)

·         The time came, and all too soon when the game was finished, the schnapps and the run and the sausage had long since run out, and we knew it was all over, (become used up, finished)

·         Hans Wolf and I looked on and cheered clapping our hands and stamping our feet, to keep out the cold as much as anything, (to avoid)

Question 3:
Noun Phrase
Read the following sentence.
I took out a small black tin box.

·         The phrase in italics is a noun phrase.

·         It has the noun—box—as the head word, and three adjectives preceding it.

·         Notice the order in which the adjectives occur—size (small), colour (black) and material (tin) of which it is made.

We rarely use more than four adjectives before a noun and there is no rigid order in which they are used, though there is a preferred order of modifires/adjectives in a noun phrase, as given below.

Determiner	Modifier 1 (opinion,   feeling)	Modifier 2 (Size, shape, age)	Modifier 3 (colour)	Modifier 4 (material)	Hard word
a/an/the	Nice/ lazy/ beautiful	tall / round/ old / young	red/ white/ light/dark	Silk/cotton woollen	Woman man/table/chair

Question 4:
The table below contains a list of nouns and some adjectives. Use as many adjectives as you can to describe each noun. You might come up with some funny descriptions!

Nouns	Adjectives
elephant	circular, striped, enormours, multicoloured, round, cheerful, wild,    blue, red, chubby, large, medium-sized, cold
face
building
water

Answer:

1.    elephant—enormous, striped, wild

2.    face—cheerful, round, chubby

3.    building—circular, large, multicoloured

4.    water—blue, cold.

Speaking (Page 19)

Question 1:
In groups discuss whether wars are a good way to end conflicts between countries. Then present your arguments to the whole class.
Answer:
War means bloodshed, hate and destruction. It shows the animalism in man. Even the animals fight for some sound reason. But nations go to war to settle some petty dispute or in the name of religion. War solves no problem. Understanding alone can end differences. All religions condemn greed and bloody quarrels. Let us learn this great lesson from history.

Question 2:
What kind of presents do you like and why? What are the things you keep in mind when you buy presents for others? Discuss with your partner. (For ex­ample, you might buy a book because it can be read and re-read over a period of time.)
Answer:
Personally I am against the practice of exchanging expensive gifts. A rose or a token of affection suits every person and every pocket. This is why some guests offer bouquets or greeting cards alone. In case the gift is essential, it should satisfy some need and¹ have utility. When I go to buy a present, I first take into account the liking of my classmate, relative or girl/boy friend.

Writing (Page 20)

Question 1:
Imagine that you are Jim. You have returned to your town after the war. In your diary record how you feel about the changes you see and the events that occur in your town. You could begin like this
25 December,
1919 It’s Christmas today, but the town looks…..

OR

Suppose you are the visitor. You are in a dilemma. You don’t know whether to disclose your identity and disappoint the old lady or let her believe that her dear Jim has come back. Write a letter to a friend highlighting your anxiety, fears and feelings.
Answer:
25 December, 1919
It’s Christmas today, but the town looks very much different from what I had imagined. It has been ravaged by war. Buildings are in ruins and there is graveyard silence. My own house burnt when it was hit by a bombardment. The events of war have taken a toll of civilians as well as soldiers. I hate the fighting instinct in us and curse the war makers (monger). Can’t we live in peace like brothers?

OR

Answer:
12-A, Block 4,
Dorset
August 10, 2009 Dear Smith,
I am in a dilemma. It seems to be insolvable. I, therefore, seek your help in making a decision.
You know I had purchased an old desk. Inside it I got a box containing an old letter. It was written by Jim, a British soldier, to his wife. I decided to deliver that letter to Mrs. Jim at Briport.
I reached her house. She was 101 years old. When I gave her the letter, her eyes lit up. She thought I was her long lost husband Jim, who had come home to keep his promise. She was excited and she kissed me. She didn’t listen to what I tried to tell her about my identity.
I don’t know whether or not I should tell who I am. I only walked away from her quickly.

Question 2:
Given below is the outline of a story. Construct the story using the outline.
A young, newly married doctor———- freedom fighter——– exited to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the British————– infamous cellular Jail———— prisoners tortured ——- revolt by inmates——— doctor hanged———- wife waits for his return —– becomes old——– continues to wait with hope and faith.
Answer:
It was the year 1930. India was a British colony. But English education enlightened a section of people. They started fighting for freedom. A young, newly- married doctor was implicated in a conspiracy case. He was sent to Black Waters (Kalapani) It was a group of Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Many freedom fighters and revolutionaries were sent there for life. They were put in cellular Jail for a few years. They were subjected to torture. The doctor was hanged. But his wife kept waiting for the return of her husband. She grew old. However, her hope and faith did not fade.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
How did the author find Jim’s letter? What did it contain?
Answer:
The author found Jim’s letter in the small black tin box, put in the drawer of an old table. Jim’s letter was addressed to his wife. He was a British soldier but he was glad to have celebrated Christmas together with the German soldiers. He put it down in the letter and promised to come back home on Christmas.

Question 2:
Jim talks about an incident that had just happened at the front. What was it?
Answer:
England and Germany were at war with each other. The British soldiers were waiting to shoot the German soldiers. But on Christmas, a strange development took place. The German soldiers came out of their hiding places and called out ‘Happy Christmas’. They were unarmed and they waved a white flag. The British soldiers led by captain Jim Macpherson agreed to celebrate the festival together.

Question 3:
Who are Fritz and Tommy in the story?
Answer:
Fritz and Tommy are the names given to the German and the British soldiers respectively.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Describe in brief the author’s meeting with Connie.
Answer:
Connie or Mrs Macpherson was 101 years old. When the author took Jim’s letter to her in a nursing home she became very excited. Her eyes lit up and she mistook the author for her husband. She kissed his cheek. She said that she had been reading his letter every day. But she wanted to hear his voice. She had made a Christmas cake also for him as he had promised to come home. She thought that he was back home. She called his presence at home as the best Christmas present for her in the world.

Question 2:
What had happened to Mrs. Macpherson? Describe her condition.
Answer:
Mrs. Macpherson lived alone after her husband (Jim Macpherson) went to join the British army during the First World War. One day her house caught fire. But she was saved by the firemen. From then she had been in a nursing home for treatment. She had grown extremely old and couldn’t walk on herself. And her life got confined to a wheelchair.

Chapter 2 The Tsunami

Comprehension Check (Page 27)

Say whether the following are true or false.

Questions:

1.    Ignesious lost his wife, two children, his father-in-law, and his brother-in-law in the tsunami.

2.    Sanjeev made it to safety after the tsunami.

3.    Meghna was saved by a relief helicopter.

4.    Almas’s father realised that a tsunami was going to hit the island.

5.    Her mother and aunts were washed away with the tree that they were holding on to.

Answers:

1.    True

2.    False

3.    False

4.    True

5.    True

Comprehension Check (Page 28)

Answer the following in a phrase or sentence.

Questions:

1.    Why did Tilly’s family come to Thailand?

2.    What were the warning signs that both Tilly and her mother saw?

3.    Do you think Tilly’s mother was alarmed by them?

4.    Where had Tilly seen the sea behaving in the same strange fashion?

5.    Where did the Smith family and the others on the beach go to escape; from the tsunami?

6.    How do you think her geography teacher felt when he heard about what Tilly had done in Phuket?

Answers:

1.    Tilly’s family had come to Thailand to celebrate Christmas.

2.    Both saw the sea rise and it started to foam and form whirlpools.

3.    No, Tilly’s mother was not alarmed by them.

4.    Tilly had seen the strange sea behaviour in a video.

5.    They went to the third floor of the hotel and were saved.

6.    She felt very pleased and satisfied.

Comprehension Check (Page 30)

Answer using a phrase or a sentence.

Questions:

1.    In the Tsunami 150,000 people died. How many animals died?

2.    How many people and animals died in Yala National Park?

3.    What do people say about the elephants of Yala National Park?

4.    What did the dogs in Galle do?

Answers:

1.    Very few animals died.

2.    Sixty visitors and two animals.

3.    People say that the elephants ran from the beach an hour before the Tsunami hit the coast.

4.    The dogs in Galle refused to go to the beach for their daily exercise.

Working With the Text (Page 30)

Discuss the following questions in class. Then write your own answers.

Question 1:
When he felt the earthquake, do you think Ignesious immediately worried about a Tsunami? Give reasons for your answer. Which sentence in the text tells you that the Ignesious family did not have any time to discuss and plan their course of action after the tsunami struck?
Answer:
No, Ignesious did not think about the tsunami. He thought that it was just an earthquake. So he took the television off the table and put it on the ground. His family did not have time to discuss and plan their course of action. The following sentence tells about the chaos and confusion. “…two of his children caught hold of the hands of their mother’s father and mother’s brother, and rushed in the opposite direction.”

Question 2:
Which words in the list below describe Sanjeev, in your opinion?

Answer:
brave, heroic, selfless

Use words from the list to complete the three sentences below.

1.    I don’t know if Sanjeev was cheerful, ………………. or……………….

2.    I think that he was very brave, ……………….. and……………….

3.    Sanjeev was not heartless, ……………….. or……………….

Answer:

1.    ambitious or brash.

2.    heroic and selfless.

3.    careless or humorous.

Question 3:
How are Meghna and Almas’s stories similar?
Answer:
Meghna and Almas—both were lucky. Meghna was carried away with her parents and other people. But she alone survived. She was washed ashore by a wave. Almas climbed on to a log of wood. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a hospital in Kamorta.

Question 4:
What are the different ways in which Tilly’s parents could have reacted to her behaviour? What would you have done if you were in their place?
Answer:
Tilly foresaw the danger of tsunami at once. She became hysterial. Her parents didn’t ignore her. They were sure that something wrong must be going to happen. So they all left the beach and were saved. If I were in place of Tilly parents, I might not have believed her. I might have scolded her for making a nonsense situation.

Question 5:
If Tilly’s award was to be shared, who do you think she should share it with— her parents or her geography teacher?
Answer:
It is very obvious. Tilly’s award should be shared with her geography teacher. Her parents could not guess the tsunami was coming.

Question 6:
What are the two different ideas about why so few animals were killed in the tsunami? Which idea do you find more believable?
Answer:
Very few animals were killed in the tsunami. Perhaps they feel the tremor much before humans do. Secondly, the animals have sixth sense. They can guess the coming disaster and so run away to safer places/higher ground. The idea that the animals are gifted with the sixth sense is more believable. They move fast to get over the crisis.

Working with Language (Page 31)

Question 1:
Go through Part-I carefully, and make a list of as many words as you can find that indicate movement of different kinds. (There is one word that occurs repeatedly-count how many times!). Put them into three categories.
fast movement slow movement neither slow nor fast Can you explain why there are many words in one column and not in the others?
Answer:

There are more words in column A. These are related to fast movements of escape from the tsunami. It was natural for men and animals to make fast movements in such situation. The waves also overtook some people very fast and washed them away.

Question 2:
Fill in the blanks in the sentences below (the verbs given in brackets will give you a clue).

1.    The earth trembled, but not many people felt the………………………… (tremble)

2.    When the zoo was flooded, there was a lot of……………………. and many animals es­caped into the countryside, (confuse)

3.    We heard with………………. that the lion had been recaptured, (relieve)

4.    The zookeeper was stuck in a tree and his ……………………… was filmed by the TV crew, (rescue)

5.    There was much……………….. in the village when the snake charmer came visit­ing. (excite)

Answer:

1.    termbling/termors

2.    confusion

3.    relief

4.    rescue

5.    excitement.

Question 3:
Study the sentences in the columns A and B.

Compare the sentences in A to the ones in B. Who is the ‘doer’ of the action in every case? Is the ‘doer’ mentioned in A, or in B?
Notice the verbs in A: ‘was swept away’, ‘was hit’, ‘were washed away’, ‘were found’. They are in the passive form. The sentences are in the Passive Voice. In these sentences, the focus is not on the person who does the action.
In B, the ‘doer’ of the action is named. The verbs are in the active form. The sentences are in the Active Voice.

Say whether the following sentences are in the Active or the Passive voice. Write A or P after each sentence as shown in the first sentence.

(i) Someone stole my bicycle.  A
(ii) The tyres were deflated by the traffic police. ____________
(iii) I found it last night in a ditch near my house. _____________
(iv) It had been thrown there. ________
(v) My father gave it to the mechanic. __________
(vi) The mechanic repaired it for me. ___________

Answer:

(ii) P
(iii) A
(iv) P
(v) A
(vi) A

Speaking And Writing (Page 32)

Question 1:
Suppose you are one of the volunteers who went to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for relief work after the tsunami. You work in the relief camps, distributing food, water and medicine among the victims. You listen to the various stories of bravery of ordinary people even as they fight against odds to bring about some semblance of normalcy in their lives. You admire their grit and determination. Write a diary entry.
You may start in this way.
31 December, 2004
The killer tsunami struck these islands five days ago. But the victims are being brought in even now. Each one has a story to tell….
Answer:
The killer tsunami struck these islands five days ago. But the victims are being brought in even now. Each one has a story to tell. Their stories are hair raising as well as heartening or inspiring. Many were determined to start a new life. They don’t want to stay in the camp for long. They feel small because living on charity was disgraceful. Most of them want to return to their cottages which are no more there, and to get a fishing boat to earn their livelihood. One woman, though old, recalled how she had saved a child from drowning.

Question 2:
The story shows how a little girl saved the lives of many tourists when a tsunami struck the beach, thanks to the geography lesson that she had learnt at school. She remembered the visuals of a tsunami and warned her parents.
Do you remember any incident when something that you learnt in the classroom helped you in some way outside the classroom?
Write your experiences in a paragraph of about 90-100 words or narrate it to the whole class like an anecdote.
Answer:
For self-attempt

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What is a Tsunami? When did it hit so many countries and sea coasts?
Answer:
A tsunami is a very large and powerful wave. It is caused by earthquakes under the sea. The deadly tsunami hit Thailand, India and the Andaman Islands on 26 December, 2004.

Question 2:
Do animals get foreknowledge of the tsunami coming?
Answer:
Yes, it is true that animals sense the coming disaster earlier than human beings. It became evident in 2004. The tsunami killed more than 1,50,000 people in a dozen countries. But very few animals were reported dead. Buffaloes, goats and dogs remained unharmed. So did elephants and leopards. They ran away to higher places to save their lives.

Question 3:
Who was Ignesious? Why did he put his television down on the ground from table?
Answer:
Ignesious was the manager of a cooperative society in Katchall. When his wife told him about an earthquake, he immediately took his television set off its table and put it down on the ground so that it would not fall and break.

Question 4:
How did Sanjeev lose his life?
Answer:
When Sanjeev heard cries for help from the wife of John, the guest house cook, he immediately jumped into the water to rescue her. But unfortunately they were both swept away by the powerful waves.

Question 5:
What is the view of some experts about the animals?
Answer:
Some experts believe that animals more acute hearing helps them to hear or feel the earth’s vibration. They can sense an approaching disaster long before humans realise what’s going on.

Question 6:
How did Tilly Smith save her family from the deadly waves?
Answer:
Tilly Smith with her family was celebrating Christmas at a beach in Thailand. She was only 10 years old. She noted the sea water flowing towards, the beach. She was reminded of a geography lesson and the video of Hawaiian Islands in 1946. She started shouting to her parents to clear off the beach. Her parents heeded her. They all took shelter in the third floor of the hotel and were saved.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Give a brief account of how the animate saved themselves when the giant waves hit India and Sri Lanka.
Answer:
Before the great waves moved towards the coast in India and Sri Lanka, the wild and domestic animals foresaw the danger. Elephants ran for higher ground. Dogs refused to go outdoors. Zoo animals rushed into their shelters. This was perhaps the animals possess a sixth sense, which is very sharp and work as warning during disasters. So not many animals lost their lives in 2004 Tsunami while thousands people were washed away.

Question 2:
What happened to Almas and her family?
Answer:
When the tremors came early in the morning, Almas and her family were sleep­ing. Suddenly Almas’s father saw the sea water recede. He understood that the water would come rushing back with great force. He woke everyone up and tried to rush them to a safer place. As they ran, her grandfather was hit on the head by something and fell down. Her father rushed to help him. But soon a giant wave came and swept both of them away. Her mother and ants too were washed away by the mighty waves. Almas was somehow saved. But she became the victim of trauma.

 Chapter 3 Glimpses of the Past

Comprehension Check (Page 45)

Questions:

1.    Look at picture 1 and recall the opening lines of the original song in Hindi. Who is the singer? Who else do you see in this picture?

2.    In picture 2 what do you understand by the Company’s ‘superior weapons?

3.    Who is an artisan? Why do you think the artisans suffered? (Picture 3)

4.    Which picture, according to you, reveals the first sparks of the fire of revolt?

Answers:

1.    The opening lines of the Hindi Song are “Aye Mere Waten Ke Logon, Turn Khub Logo Nara: Ye Shubh Din Hai Hum Sab Ka Lehralo Tiranga Pyara, Par Mat Bhulo Seema Par Veron Ne Hain Pran Gawayen.” It was sung by Lata Mangeskar. We see Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Lai Bahadur Shastri and Mrs. Indira Gandhi in this picture.

2.    The East India Company conquered India by using their superior weapons, the guns and diplomacy.

3.    An artisan is a craftsman, skilled in some trade. They suffered because the goods that they produced lost demand in the Indian market.

4.    Picture 7 reveals the first spark of the fire of revolt.

Working With the Text (Page 45)

Answer the following questions.

Question 1:
Do you think the Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach to the events of 1757?
Answer:
Yes, the Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach. They fought against each other with the help of the British. Thus the British became the virtual rulers.

Question 2:
How did the East India Company subdue the Indian Princes?
Answer:
The East India company spread their wings in India to promote their trade. They supported one Indian Prince to finish the other. As a result power passed onto their hands.

 

Question 3:
Quote the words used by Ram Mohan Roy to say that every religion teaches the same principles.
Answer:
The words of Ram Mohan Roy spoken to his wife were: “Cows are of different colours, but the colour of their milk is the same. Different teachers have different opinions but the essence of every religion is the same.”

Question 4:
In what ways did the British officers exploit Indians?
Answer:
The British rulers passed a resolution under which an Indian could be sent to jail without trial in a court. The goods manufactured in England were exempted from custom duty. The officers prospered on the company’s loot and their private business flourished.

Question 5:
Name these people.

1.    The ruler who fought pitched battles against the British and died fighting.

2.    The person who wanted to reform the society.

3.    The person who recommended the introduction of English education in India.

4.    Two popular leaders who led the revolt (choices may vary.)

Answer:

1.    Tipu Sultan of Mysore.

2.    Raja Ram Mohan Roy of Bengal.

3.    Lord Mecaulay

4.    Nana Sahib Peshwa, Kunwar Singh, Begum Hazrat Mahal.

Question 6:
Mention the following.

1.    Two examples of social practices prevailing then.

2.    Two oppressive policies of the British.

3.    Two ways in which common people suffered.

4.    Four reasons for the discontent that led to the 1857 War of Independence.

Answer:

1.    Untouchability and child marriage.

2.    The British masters allowed imports in India tax free. They ruined Indian cottage industries,

3.    The farmers were taxed heavily and the thumbs of skilled workers were cut.

4.    (a) Santhals who lost their land became desparate and they revolted.
(b) The sepoys in the English army were paid much less than the white soldiers. So they were discontented and angry.
(c) The Brahmins were furious when they came to know that the bullets they had to bite, contained cow fat and pig-fat.
(d) Many landlords were sore because the British policies deprived them of their land and estate.

Working With Language (Page 45)

In comics what the characters speak is put in bubbles. This is direct narration. When we report what the characters speak, we use the method of indirect narration.
Study these examples:
First farmer: Why are your men taking away the entire crop?
Second farmer: Your men have taken away everything.

 

Officer: You are still in arrears. If you don’t pay tax next week, I’ll send you to jail.

·         The first farmer asked the officer why his men were taking away the entire crop.

·         The second farmer said that their men had taken away everything.

·         The officer replied that they were still in arrears and warned them that if they did not pay tax the following week, he (the officer) would send them (the farm­ers) to jail.

1.Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

(i) First man: We must educate our brothers.
Second man: And try to improve their material conditions.
Third man: For that we must convey our grievances to the British Parliament.
The first man said that________________ a__________________________________
The second man added that they _____b______________________________________
The third man suggested that___________ c__________________________________
(ii) First soldier: The white soldier gets huge pay, mansions and servants.
Second soldier: We get a pittance and slow promotions.
Third soldier: Who are the British to abolish our customs?
The first soldier said that______________ a___________________________________
The second soldier remarked that_____ b ______________________________________
The third soldier asked___________________ c________________________________

Answer:(i)
(a) they must educate their brothers.
(b) should try to improve their material conditions,
(c) they must convey their grievances to the British Parliament.
(ii)
(a) the white soldier got huge pay, mansions and servants.
(b) they got a pittance and slow, promotions.
(c) who the British were to abolish their customs.

Speaking and Writing (Page 46)

Question 1:
Play and act the role of farmers who have grievances against the policies of the government. Rewrite their speech bubbles in dialogue form first.

See NCERT Textbook Pages 47-48

(i)Ask one another questions about the pictures.

·         Where is the fox?

·         How did it happen?

·         What is the fox thinking?

·         Who is the visitor?

·         What does she want to know?

·         What is the fox’s reply?

·         What happens next?

·         Where is the goat?

·         Where is the fox now?

·         What is the goat thinking?

Answer:

(i) The fox is in the well.
She fell into the well by accident.
The fox thinks how to get out of there.
The visitor is a goat.
She wants to know whether the water is sweet.
The fox replies that the water is very sweet and she had a lot of it.
The goat wanted to taste the water.
The goat is dragged into the water by the fox.
The fox comes out of the well.
The goat is thinking of her mother’s advice not to trust any stranger.
(ii)Write the story in your own words. Give it a title.

Answer:

Once a fox fell into a well accidentally. She thought how to get out of the well. A goat arrived there by chance. She looked into the well. She asked the fox if the water was sweet. The cunning fox played a trick. She told a lie that the water was very, very sweet, and she had had enough of it. The foolish goat also wanted to taste the water. The fox invited her into the well. The goat reached there soon. Now the fox rode on the goat’s back and climbed out of the well. Then she thanked the goat for help. The goat was reminded of her mother’s words that she must never go by the advice of a stranger.

Question 2:
Read the following news item.

See NCERT Textbook Page 49

Based on this news item write a paragraph on what you think about this new method of teaching history.

Answer:
Attempt yourself.

Question 3:
Find the chapters in your history book that correspond to the episodes and events described in this comic. Note how the information contained in a few chapters of history has been condensed to a few pages with the help of pictures and ‘speech bubbles’.
Answer:
Attempt yourself.

Question 4:
Create a comic of your own using this story.
Once the Sun and the Wind began to quarrel, each one saying that he was stronger than the other. At last they decided to test each other’s strength. A man with a cloak around his shoulders was passing by. The Wind boasted, “Using my strength I can make that man take off the cloak.” The Sun agreed. The Wind blew hard. The man felt so cold that he clasped his cloak round his body as tightly as possible.
Now it was the turn of the Sun which shone very hot indeed. The man felt so hot that he at once removed the cloak from his body. Seeing the man taking off the cloak, the Wind conceded defeat.
Answer:
Attempt yourself.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What helped the East India Company to overpower Indian princes?
Answer:
Indian princes were always engaged in fighting with one another. The rivalries paved the way for the East India Company to overpower Indian princes.

Question 2:
Who was Tipu Sultan? What happened to him?
Answer:
Tipu Sultan was a far-seeing ruler of Mysore. He was dead against the British and their policies. He fought them till he died fighting.

Question 3:
Why did Ram Mohan Roy go to England? What did he tell the British there?
Answer:
Ram Mohan Roy went to England to see what made the British so powerful. There he told them that they (Indians) accepted them as rulers and they must accept them (Indians) as subjects. He also reminded them of the responsibility a ruler owed to his subjects.

Question 4:
What was Regulation III?
Answer:
In 1818, the British had passed Regulation III. Under this Regulation, an Indian could be jailed without trial in a court.

Question 5:
What did Macaulay suggest in 1835?
Answer:
An Englishman Macaulay suggested that Indians should be taught through the English language.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
How did the British East India Company eventually become the ruler of India? What tactics did they adopt to expand their empire?
Answer:
The British came to India as traders. Their chief motive was to make a fortune. But they needed political power to carry on their trade. They imposed heavy taxes on the peasants. The Indian goods lost their demand because the market was flooded with imported English goods. These goods didn’t have to pay import duty. The British, in this way, ruined the skilled Indians. They dethroned the Indian rulers and took advantage of their rivalries. Slowly and steadily they spread their empire all over India.

Question 2:
How did the white rulers cripple Indian industries?
Answer:
The white rulers were chiefly traders. Their chief aim was to make profits at all cost. Hence, they began to ruin Indian industries. They imposed heavy taxes on farmers. They destroyed Indian cottage industries in order to sell goods manufactured in England. They exempted all goods imported from England from duties. In this way, their business flourished while the Indian industries died. The British made the Indians weak as well as poor.

Question 3:
How did the resentment against the white man grow leading to armed revolt?
Answer:
The white rulers adopted all the mean and foul tactics to take over the princely states. By 1856, they had conquered the whole of India. The Indian princes became their puppets. The British forced Indians to adopt Christian religion. They paid low wages to Indian soldiers. This created resentment among all sections of society, and the army as well. The so-called 1857 mutiny was, in fact, India’s first War of Independence.

Question 4:
Give a brief account of the role of Raja Rammohan Roy in spreading awareness in the Indian society.
Answer:
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a learned man, a social reformer and a true nationalist. He was from Bengal. He understood well what was wrong with the Indian society. He called upon the people to fight against social evils of untouchability and child marriage. He also asked the people to throw out superstitions. He asked them to feel proud of their culture and learn English. Then alone they would be able to write to the British Parliament for a fair deal

 

 

Honeydew Chapter 4 Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory

Comprehension Check (Page 62)

Questions:

1.    Why did the man stare at Bepin Babu’s is disbelief?

2.    Where did Bepin Babu say he went in October’ 58?

3.    Mention any three (or more) things that Parimal Ghose knew about Bepin Babu.

Answers:

1.    The man, Parimal Ghose, was taken aback when Bepin failed to recognise him. He didn’t believe that Bepin had a lapse of memory.

2.    Bepin Babu said that in October 58 he was in Kanpur.

3.    Parimal Ghose knew that Bepin Babu’s wife was dead, and his only brother had died in the same year in a Ranchi lunatic asylum. He also knew that Bepin Babu had no children and he was a lover of books.

Comprehension Check (Page 65)

Questions:

1.    Why did Bepin Babu worry about what Parimal Ghose had said?

2.    How did he try to decide who was right— his memory or Parimal Ghose?

3.    Why did Bepin Babu hesitate to visit Mr. Mukerji? Why did he finally decide to phone him?

4.    What did Mr. Mukerji say? Did it comfort Bepin Babu, or add to his worries?

Answers:

1.    Bepin Babu was taken aback to hear the intimate details about his life from Parimal Ghose. There seeded no reason why he should tell a lie. He wondered if he really had forgotten about his visit to Ranchi.

2.    In order to resolve the puzzle about his visit to Ranchi, Bepin Babu decided to contact Dinesh Mukerji. Parimal had said that Mukerji was also in Ranchi at that time

3.    Bepin Babu hesitated to visit Mr. Mukerji thinking that it would be ridiculous if he had really visited Ranchi. Mukerji would think Bepin Babu had gone mad. Hence, Bepin babu finally decided to phone him.

4.    Mukerji didn’t reply clearly. But he said that he had been to Ranchi twice. He was not sure about the trip. Bepin Babu exactly wanted to know. It made Bepin Babu more puzzled. He lost his appetite.

Comprehension Check (Page 68)

Questions:

1.    Who was Chunilal? What did he want from Bepin Babu?

2.    Why was Dr. Chanda puzzled? What was unusual about Bepin Babu’s loss of memory?

Answers:

1.    Chunilal was an old friend of Bepin Babu. He wanted a favour from Bepin Babu in his job.

2.    Paresh Chanda was a young physician. He had never dealt a case of memory loss. So he was puzzled. He gave a suggestion to Bepin Babu to visit Ranchi again.

Comprehension Check (Page 70)

Questions:

1.    Had Bepin Babu really lost his memory and forgotten all about a trip to Ranchi?

2.    Why do you think Chunilal did what he did? Chunilal says he has no money; what is it that he does have?

Answers:

1.    Perhaps not. He finally recollected his memory and admitted that he had visited. Ranchi in 1958.

2.    Chunilal wanted some money from Bepin Babu, his old friend. So he went to him for help. He assured Bepin that the term of his fortune would be back again. Chunilal had no money but he had mind and wit.

Working With the Text (Page 70)

Question 1:
The author describes Bepin Babu as a serious and hardworking man. What evi­dence can you find in the story to support this?
Answer:
Bepin Babu was a serious, honest and hardworking fellow. He went to office regularly. He was doing a responsible job. He was not a good mixer. Being serious minded, he didn’t waste time in idle chat.

Question 2:
Why did Bepin Babu change his mind about meeting Chunilal? What was the result of this meeting?
Answer:
Bepin Babu first refused to meet Chunilal. He was in no mood to help Chunilal out of his trouble. But he changed his mind soon. He thought Chunilal might remember something about his trip to Ranchi in 1958.

Question 3:
Bepin Babu lost consciousness at Hundroo Falls. What do you think was the reason for this?
Answer:
Bepin Babu might have slipped near Hundroo Falls that made him unconscious.

Question 4:
How do you think Bepin Babu reacted when he found out that Chunilal had tricked him?
Answer:
Bepin Babu’s first reaction was that he regretted having refused to help Chunilal. He saw through Chunilal’s trick to test him, and learnt a lesson.

Working With Language (Page 71)

Question 1:
Look at these two sentences.

·         He had to buy at least five books to last him through the week.

·         Bepin had to ask Chuni to leave.

Had to is used to show that it was very important or necessary for Bepin Babu to do something. He had no choice. We can also use “have to’/ ‘has to’ in the same way.

Fill in the blanks below using ‘had to’/have to’/ ‘has to’.

(i) I _________________ cut my hair every month.
(ii) We _______________ go for swimming lessons last year.
(iii) She_______________ tell the principal the truth.
(iv) They_____________ take the baby to the doctor.
(v) We________________ complain to the police about the noise.
(vi) Romit_________________ finish his homework before he could come out to play.
(vii) I _________________ repair my cycle yesterday. ——————– Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory

Answer:

(i) have to
(ii) had to
(iii) had
(iv) had to
(v) have to
(vi) had to
(vii) had to

Question 2:
Here are a few idioms that you will find in the story. Look for them in the dictionary in the following way.
First, arrange them in the order in which you would find them in a dictionary. (Clue: An idiom is usually listed under the first noun, verb, adjective or adverb in it. Ignore articles or prepositions in the idiom). To help you, we have put in bold the word under which you must look for the idiom in the dictionary.)

(i) at/from close quarters (close: adjective)
(ii) break into a smile (break: verb; look under “break into something”)
(iii) carry on (carry: verb)
(iv) have a clean record (you may find related meanings under both these words).
(v) beat about the bush (verb) (verb)

Now refer to your dictionary and find out what they mean.

Answer:

Question 3:
Study the sentences in the columns below:

Compare the sentences in the two columns, especially the verb forms. Answer the following questions about each pair of sentences.

(i) Which column tells us that Bepin Babu is still working at the same place?
(ii) Which column suggests that Chunilal is now waiting for a reply from the publisher?
(iii) Which column suggests that the person still remembers the movie he saw?
(iv) Which column suggests that the experience of visiting Ranchi is still fresh in the speaker’s mind?

Answer:

(i) Column A_______
(ii) Column A_______________
(iii) Column B_____________
(iv) Column A________

Question 4:
Given below are jumbled sentences. Working in groups, rearrange the words in each sentence to form correct sentences.
You will find that each sentence contains an idiomatic expression that you have come across in the lesson. Underline the idiom and write down its meaning. Then use your dictionary to check the meaning. One sentence has been worked out for you as an example.
Jumbled sentence: vanished/The car/seemed to/into thin/have/air.
Answer:
The car seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Idiom: vanished into thin air: disappeared or vanished in a mysterious way.
(i) Stop/and tell me/beating about/what you want/the bush.
Answer:
Stop beating about the bush and tell me what you want.
Idiom: beating about the bush—talk vaguely
(ii) don’t pay/if you/attention/you might/the wrong train/to the announcement/ board.
Answer:
If you don’t pay attention to the announcement, you might board the wrong train.
Idiom: Pay attention: be careful
(iii) The villagers/tried/the crime/on the young woman/to pin.
Answer:
The villagers tried to pin the crime on the young woman.
Idiom: Pin the crime on (implicate the wrong person)
(iv) Bepin Babu/orders to/telling people/under/loved/doctor’s/eat early/that he was.
Answer:
Bepin Babu loved telling people that he was under doctor’s order to eat early.
Idiom: Under one’s order (doctor’s): under instruction of someone
(v) the students/The teacher/his eyebrows/when/said that/all their lessons/ raised/they had revised.
Answer:
The teacher raised his eyebrows when the students said that they had revised all their lessons, (showed his assessment).
Idiom: Raised the eyebrows—to feel annoyed: showing annoyance.

Speaking And Writing (Page 73)

Question 1:
What do you think happened after Bepin Babu came to know the truth?
Was he angry with this friend for playing such a trick on him? Or do you think he decided to help a friend in need?
Answer:
Bepin Babu came to know the truth what Chunilal had done. In fact Chunilal had only played a trick with him to test his friendship. Bepin Babu had a mixed feeling of relief as well as anger. He was happy to know that he had not suffered the lapse of memory. He was a little angry with his friend who was not really helpful. But he had made Bepin feel awkward. He must have decided not to disappoint a friend in need.

Question 2:
Imagine you are Bepin Choudhury. You have received Chunilal’s letter and feel ashamed that you did not bother to help an old friend down on his luck. Now you want to do something for him. Write a letter to Chunilal promising to help him soon.

Or

A prank is a childish trick. Do you remember any incident when someone played a prank on you or your friends? Describe the prank in a paragraph.
Answer:
15th November, 20XX
My Dear Chunilal,
Let me first thank you for your letter dated 10th November. I am really feeling sorry for disappointing you. I can understand your resentment. Now allow me to give you a happy news. I spoke to my friend in Delhi, and he has agreed to engage you as assistant manager in his firm.
Please come to me on Sunday. I shall then introduce you to my friend.

With regards
Yours sincerely
Bepin Choudhury

Or

On March 26, I received a letter from one of my friends. It contained a happy news that I had been granted scholarship from back date. He asked me to call on him in April, so that both would go together to the office of the Superintendent of the school. I was very glad. I even distributed sweets to my neighbours. But when I reached my friend’s house, I found him laughing at me. It was April the first. All Fools Day.’ I got over it soon and admired the practical joke or the prank.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What was Bepin Babu’s hobby? What would he do every Monday?
Answer:
Bepin Babu’s hobby was reading books. Every Monday, he would purchase books of crime stories, ghost stories and thrillers from Kalicharan’s shop.

Question 2:
What type of man was Bepin Babu?
Answer:
Bepin Babu was a loner. He was not a good mixer. He had a few friends and he didn’t like spending time in idle chat.

Question 3:
What was Bepin Babu sure about?
Answer:
Bepin Babu was sure that he hadn’t visited Ranchi in ’58, during the Pujas.

Question 4:
How can you say that Bepin Babu’s encounter with Parimal Ghose made him restless?
Answer:
Bepin Babu’s encounter with Parimal Ghose made him really very restless. Even in the office, he noticed that with every passing hour, his encounter with Parimal Ghose was occupying more and more of his mind.

Question 5:
Why couldn’t Bepin Babu ignore what Parimal Ghose had said to him?
Answer:
It was because Parimal Ghose knew a great deal about him. He knew about his (Bepin Babu’s) wife’s death, his brother’s insanity… If the man knew so much about him, how could he make such a mistake about the Ranchi trip.

Question 6:
What was wrong with Bepin Babu? What did Dr. Chanda suggest him?
Answer:
He had completely forgotten about his visit to Ranchi. Dr. Chanda suggested him to go to Ranchi once again in order to get back his lost memory.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What was Bepin Choudhury’s ailment or problem? Was it real or deliberate?
Answer:
Bepin Babu was a lonely map. His wife had died some 10 years ago. His ailment was the lapse of memory. He clearly forgot that he had been to Ranchi in ’58. Nothing could revive his memory. Finally, he hit against some rock in Ranchi and became unconscious. On returning home he received Chunilal’s letter. The letter had an electrifying effect. And Bepin Babu felt relaxed.

Question 2:
Who was Chunilal? What is his role in the story?
Answer:
Chunilal had once been Bepin Babu’s schoolmate. He was facing hard times and looking for a job. He called on Bepin with hope to get help. But Bepin even refused to see him. Later Chunilal confirmed Bepin Babu’s visit to Ranchi. He recalled several instances in his support but Bepin was not convinced. A letter from Chunilal gave such a news that Bepin became all right. The news was that Chunilal’s novel had been accepted for publication and he would get a handsome amount.

 

Honeydew Chapter 5 The Summit Within

Comprehension Check (Page 80)

Question 1:
Standing on Everest, the writer was
(i) overjoyed
(ii) very sad.
(iii) jubilant and sad.
Choose the right item.

Question 2:
The emotion that gripped him was one of
(i) victory over hurdles.
(ii) humility and a sense of smallness.
(iii) greatness and self importance.
(iv) joy of discovery.
Choose the right item.

Question 3:
“The summit of the mind” referes to
(i) great intellectual achievements.
(ii) the process of maturing mentally and spiritually.
(iii) Overcoming personal ambition for common welfare.
(iv) living in the world of thought and imagination.

(v) the triumph of mind over worldly pleasures for a noble cause.
(vi) a fuller knowledge of oneself
Mark the item(s) not relevant.

Answers:

1.    (iii) jubilant and sad.

2.    (ii) humility and a sense of smallness.

3.    (vi) a fuller knowledge of oneself.

Working With the Text (Page 81)

Question 1:
Answer the following questions.
(i) What are the three qualities that played a major role in the author’s climb?
Answer:
The three qualities that ensured the success of the author were ‘endurance, persistence and will power’.

(ii) Why is adventure, which is risky, also pleasurable?
Answer:
Mountain climbing is a great adventure but is also risky. It is a great challenge and a doing challenging job is in itself pleasurable. It gives immense joy to the doers.

(iii) What was it about Mount Everest that the author found irresistible?
Answer:
Mount Everest attracted the author because it is the highest, the mightiest and has defied many previous attempts. It takes the last ounce of one’s energy.

(iv) One does not do it (climb a high peak) for fame alone. What does one do it for, really?
Answer:
Conquering summit is a great physical achievement. But more than that, it gives the climber the emotional and spiritual satisfaction. It satisfies man’s eternal love for adventure.
(v) “He becomes conscious in a special manner of his own smallness in this large universe”. This awareness defines an emotion mentioned in the first paragraph. Which is the emotion?
Answer:
That emotion is ‘humility’.

(vi) What were the ‘symbols of reverence’ left by members of the team on Everest?
Answer:
The author left on Everest a picture of Guru Nanak. Rawat left a picture of Goddess Durga. Phu Durgi left a relic of the Buddha. Edmund Hillary, being a Christian, buried a Cross under the rock. All these were symbols of reverence for God.

(vii) What according to the writer, did his experience as an Everester teach him?
Answer:
The experience of having conquered Mount Everest changed him completely. It made him realise his own smallness.

Question 2:
Write a sentence against each of the following statements. Your sentence should explain the statement. You can pick out sentences from the text and rewrite them. The first one has been done for you.

(i) The experience changes you completely.
One who has been to the mountains is never the same again.
_________________________________________________
(ii) Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles.
_________________________________________________
(iii) Mountains are nature at its best
_________________________________________________
(iv) The going was difficult but the after-effects were satisfying
_________________________________________________
(v) The physical conquest of a mountain is really a spiritual experience
_________________________________________________

Answer:

(ii) The obstacles in climbing a mountain are physical. A climb to a summit is a test of endurance and will power. It is a challenge that is difficult to resist.
(iii) Everest is the highest and the mightiest and has defied many previous attempts.
(iv) When the summit is climbed, there is the joy of having done something, one has the feeling of victory and of happiness.
(v) Mountains are a means of communion with God.

Working with Language (Page 82)

Question 1:
Look at the italicised phrases and their meanings given in brackets.
Mountains are nature (nature’s best form and appearance)
at its best.
Your life is at risk. (in danger; you run the risk of losing your life.) (it was his best/worst performance.)
He was at his (it was his best/worst performance.)
best/worst
in the last meeting.

Fill in the blanks in the following dialogues choosing suitable phrases from those given in the box.

at hand at once at all at a low ebb at first sight

1.    Teacher: You were away from school without permission. Go to the Principal________________ and submit your explanation.
Pupil: Yes, Madam. But would you help me write it first?

2.    Arun: Are you unwell?
Ila: No, not___________________ Why do you ask?
Arun: If you were unwell. I would send you to my uncle.
He is a doctor.

3.    Mary: Almost every Indian film has an episode of love________________________ .
David: Is that what makes them so popular in foreign countries?

4.    You look depressed. Why are your spirits_______________________ today?
(Use such in the phrase)
Ashok: I have to write ten sentences using words that I never heard before.

5.    Your big moment is close______________________ .
Jyoti: How should I welcome it?
Shieba: Get up and receive the trophy.

Answer:

1.    at once

2.    at all

3.    at first sight

4.    at such a low ebb

5.    at hand.

Question 2:
Write the noun forms of the following words adding -ance or -ence to each.

1.    endure ______________________

2.    persist_____________

3.    signify____________________

4.    confide___________

5.    maintain ___________________

6.    abhor_____________

Answer:

1.    endurance

2.    persistence

3.    significance

4.    confidence

5.    maintenance

6.    abhorrence.

Question 3:
(i) Match words under A with their meanings under B.

Answer:

(ii) Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with appropriate words from under A.

1.    There were ___________________ obstacles on the way, but we reached our destination safely.

2.    We have no __________________ of finding out what happened there.

3.    Why he lives in a house ______________________ from any town or village is more than I can tell.

4.    __________________ by gratitude, we bowed to the speaker for his valuable advice.

5.    The old castle stands in a _______________________ position above the sleepy town.

Answer:

1.    formidable

2.    means

3.    remote

4.    Overwhelmed

5.    dominant.

Speaking and Writing (Page 83)

Write a composition describing a visit to the hills, or any place which you found beautiful and inspiring.
Before writing, work in small groups. Discuss the points given below and decide if you want to use some of these points in your composition.

·         Consider this Sentence
Mountains are a means of communion with God.

·         Think of the act of worship or prayer. You believe yourself to be in the presence of the divine power. In a way, you are in communion with that power.

·         Imagine the climber on top of the summit—the height attained; limitless sky above; the climber’s last ounce of energy spent; feelings of gratitude, humility and peace.

·         The majesty of the mountains does bring you close to nature and the spirit and joy that lives there, if you have the ability to feel it. Some composition may be read aloud to the entire class afterwards.

Answer:
For self attempt

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What do you know about H.P.S. Ahluwalia?
Answer:
Major H.P.S. Ahluwalia was a member of the first successful Indian expedition to Mount Everest in 1965.

Question 2:
Which other summit has been talked to by the author?
Answer:
The other summit that has been talked to by the author is the summit of the mind. In the author’s opinion climbing this

Question 3:
Why do people climb mountains?
Answer:
People climb mountains because it is a difficult task. They take delight in over­coming obstacles. The obstacles in climbing a mountain are physical. A climb to- a summit means endurance, persistence and will power. The demonstration of these qualities is exhilarating.

Question 4:
How does the author view mountains?
Answer:
The author finds great joy in the company of mountains. He feels miserable in the plains. Their beauty and majesty pose a great challenge. The author be­lieves that mountains are a means of communion with God.

Question 5:
What features of Everest did draw the author to it?
Answer:
The beauty of Everest, its aloofness, might and ruggedness drew the author to it. The difficulties that the author encountered on the way also were taken by him as challenges which he couldn’t resist.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Why did the author climb Mount Everest?
Answer:
The author climbed Mount Everest because it is the highest, the mightiest and has defied many previous attempts. It takes the last ounce of one’s energy. It is a brutal struggle with rock and ice. Once taken up, it cannot be given up halfway because the passage back is as difficult as the passage onwards. And then, when the summit is climbed, there is the exhilaration, the joy of having done something, the sense of a battle fought and won. There is a feeling of victory and of happiness.

Question 2:
How does Ahluwalia explain the title of the lesson, ‘The Summit Within’?
Answer:
The writer was a member of the team that reached the summit of Mount Everest. It was a great achievement. But he did not feel vain or heroic. He felt that his conquest of Everest was merely a physical experience. There was another summit within every person. It was his own mind. One has to climb it also to get fuller knowledge of oneself. This exercise is difficult. It also changes one as does standing on the summit of Mt. Everest.

Question 3:
How did Ahluwaliah feel standing on the summit?
Answer:
Ahluwalia was overwhelmed by a deep sense of joy and thankfulness. Looking round from the summit, Ahluwalia told himself that his adventure, though risky, was worthwhile. The surrounding peaks looked like a jewelled necklace. It was an ennobling and enriching experience. He was filled with humility. He thanked God and then left on Everest a picture of Guru Nanak.

Question 4:
How does Ahluwalia describe his achievement?
Answer:
Ahluwalia feels that Everest is not just a physical climb. Standing on the mountain’s top he felt how small he was in the big universe. He experienced a sense of fulfilment. It satisfied his love for adventure. The experience was not just physical, but also emotional and spiritual.

Question 5:
What problems do the climbers face as they climb a mountain?
Answer:
Breathing at great height is difficult. The climber has to cut the steps in the hard ice and he has to strain every nerve as he takes every step. Sometimes he curses himself for undertaking such a task. There are moments when he feels like going back for relief. But there is something that does not let him give up the struggle.

Honeydew Chapter 6 This is Jody’s Fawn

Comprehension Check (Page 90)

Questions:

1.    What had happened to Jody’s father?

2.    How did the doe save Penny’s life?

3.    Why does Jody want to bring the fawn home?

4.    How does Jody know that the fawn is a male?

Answer:

1.    Jody’s father had been bitten by a rattlesnake.

2.    Jody’s father killed the doe or she dear. He used her heart and liver to draw out the snake’s poison. In this way the doe saved Penny’s life.

3.    Jody’s father had killed the doe. Without the mother-deer, the fawn was likely to starve to death in the forest. So Jody wanted to bring the young fawn home.

4.    The spots on the fawn’s body made Jody know that it was a male.

Comprehension Check (Page 91)

Questions:

1.    Jody didn’t want Mill-wheel with him for two reasons. What were they?

2.    Why was Mill-wheel afraid to leave Jody alone?

Answer:

1.    Jody didn’t want Mill-wheel to join him in the search for the fawn. The reason was that he was not sure about the fawn’s safety. He didn’t want Mill-wheel to see his disappointment.

2.    Mill-wheel was afraid that Jody might be lost in the jungle.

Comprehension Check (Page 94)

Questions:

1.    How did Jody bring the fawn back home?

2.    Jody was filled with emotion after he found the fawn. Can you find at least three words or phrases which show how he felt?

3.    How did the deer drink milk from the gourd?

4.    Why didn’t the fawn follow Jody up the steps as he had thought it would?

Answer:

1.    Jody picked up the fawn into his arms and proceeded to home. After some dis­tance, he kept the fawn down and took rest. Later on, the fawn followed him. Thus he brought the fawn back home.

2.    (i) (The fawn) shook him through with the stare of its liquid eye.
(ii) The touch of the fawn made him delirious.
(iii) As though the fawn were a china deer.

3.    Jody dipped his fingers in the milk. Then he left the fawn suck his fingers. He did so several times. Finally, the fawn drank off all the milk from the gourd.

4.    The fawn didn’t know how to raise its feet to climb the steps.

Working With the Text (Page 94)

Questions 1:
Why did Penny Baxter allow Jody to go find the fawn and raise it?
Answer:
Penny was convinced by Jody’s argument that it would be ungrateful if they left the fawn in the forest to starve. He realised that Jody was right.

Question 2:
What did Doc Wilson mean when he said, “Nothing in the world ever comes quite free”?
Answer:
Doc Wilson meant that Penny must pay back to the doe whom he had killed for his own gain by bringing up her fawn.

Question 3:
How did Jody look after the fawn, after he accepted the responsibility for doing this?
Answer:
Jody looked after the faWh like a mother. He made it drink milk with his fingers dipped in milk. This is how a mother feeds her baby. Jody was glad that he had found the fawn.

Question 4:
How does Jody’s mother react when she hears that he is going to bring the fawn home? Why does she react in this way?
Answer:
Jody’s mother turned her nose when she heard that he was going to bring back the fawn. She gasped with surprise because she didn’t want to see an animal in her home.

Working With Language (Page 94)

Question 1:
Look at these pairs of sentences.
Penny said to Jody, “Will you be back before dinner?”
Penny asked Jody if he would be back before dinner.
“How are you feeling, Pa?” asked Jody.
Jody asked his father how he was feeling.

Here are some questions in direct speech. Put them into reported speech.

1.    Penny said, “Do you really want it son?”

2.    Mill-wheel said, “Will he ride back with me?”

3.    He said to Mill-wheel, “Do you think the fawn is still there?”

4.    He asked Mill-wheel, “Will you help me find him?”

5.    He said, “Was it up here that Pa got bitten by the snake?”

Answer:

1.    Penny asked his son if he really wanted the fawn.

2.    Mill-wheel enquired if Jody would ride back with him.

3.    Jody asked Mill-wheel if he thought the fawn was still there.

4.    He asked Mill-wheel if he would help him find the fawn.

5.    Mill-wheel wanted to know if that was the place where Pa had got bitten by the snake.

Question 2:
Look at these two sentences.

He tumbled backward.

It turned its head.

The first sentence has an intransitive verb, a verb without an object. The second sentence has a transitive verb. It has a direct object. We can ask: “What did it turn?” You can answer. “Its head. It turned its head.”
Say whether the verb in each sentence below is transitive or intransitive. Ask yourself a “what’ question about the verb, as in the example above. (For some verbs, the object is a person, so ask the question ‘who’ instead of ‘what’).

(i) Jody then went to the kitchen.
(ii) The fawn wobbled after him.
(iii) You found him.
(iv) He picked it up.
(v) He dipped his fingers in the milk.
(vi) It bleated frantically and butted
(vii) The fawn sucked his fingers.
(viii) He lowered his fingers slowly into the milk.
(ix) It stamped its small hoofs impatiently.
(x) He held his fingers below the level of the milk,
(xi) The fawn followed
(xii) He walked all day.
(xiii) He stroked its sides.
(xiv) The fawn lifted its nose.
(xv) Its legs hung limply.

Answer:

Question 3:
Here are some words from the lesson. Working in groups, arrange them in the order in which they would appear in the dictionary. Write down some idioms and phrasal verbs connected to these words. Use the dictionary for more idioms and phrasal verbs.

Answer:

Idioms or phrasal verbs connected to the above words.
Clearing: clearing, campaign
Close: close shave, close up, close quarters
Draw: draw the curtain on/over, draw a blank
Light: in the light of, bring to light
Make: make the most of, make up
Part: part with, parted comparing
Pick: pick up, pick and choose
Scrawny: the scrawny neck
Sweet: have a sweet tooth, sweet seventeen, sweet tongued, sweet nothings
Wonder: wonder world, wonder load, nine day’s wonder, wonder about, do wonders.

Speaking (Page 96)

Question 1:
Do you think it is right to kill an animal to save a human life? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Most of the animals are our friends. Dogs, horses, elephants, cows are a few such animals that serve us. But man has been killing codfish or the whales for oil. Tigers are killed for their skin and bones. This is not fair. But there is no harm if any of them are killed strictly to save human life, properly and agriculture.
However, killing animals is a crime. It is wrong to kill wild life for their hide or for pleasure.

Question 2:
Imagine you wake up one morning and find a tiny animal on your doorstep. You want to keep it as a pet but your parents are not too happy about it. How would you persuade them to let you keep it? Discuss it in groups and present your argu­ments to the class.
Answer:
The young ones of cats, dogs and some birds attract us as does a human child. When I was a child, I wanted to adopt a kitten or a puppy as pet. I found a good breed puppy at my doorstep one day. But it created a commotion in the house. My mother got irritated at the veiy presence of pets in the house. They bite and bark, enter the kitchen or sit on our beds and make things dirty. But I assured her that I would look after my puppy and train it. The loyal dog would act as security guard and a playmate. My parents finally relented and let me have the poor puppy as a pet.

Writing (Page 96)

Question 1:
Imagine you have a new pet that keeps you busy. Write a paragraph describing your pet, the things it does, and the way it makes you feel. Here are some words and phrases that you could use.

frisky, smart, disobedient, loyal, happy, enthusiastic, companion, sharing, friend, rolls in mud, dirties the bed, naughty, lively, playful, eats up food, hides the newspaper, drinks up milk, runs away when called, floats on the water as if dead.

Answer:
I have taken a kitten as my pet. It is female with silky fur and skin. She keeps me busy. My mother does not take interest in my pet. She curses the little one for doing mischief, for moving about in the house, for making the bed and floor dirty. The kitten enters the kitchen and drinks up milk. She is naughty and disobedient also. She is most unlike a dog which is loyal, obedient and strong. Still I like my pet because it is lively, playful and frisky.

Question 2:
Human life is dependent on nature (that’s why we call her Mother Nature). We take everything from nature to live our lives. Do we give back anything to nature?
(i) Write down some examples of the natural resources that we use.
(ii) Write a paragraph expressing your point of view regarding our relationship with nature.
Answer:
(i) Man and nature are complementary to each other. Man for ages has been using forests, minerals and chemicals for his survival. Earth and nature are our lifelines. They help us directly or indirectly. Take for example the paper we print, our books and newspapers. They are products of trees. We get fruits, flowers and fodder from nature. We get water and air free from nature. It is unfortunate that we are over using the limited resources and are also polluting them.

Nature is our Mother. We must not use up anything to the extent that it is not restored naturally. By cutting down trees or killing whales we are, in a way, depriving our children of their share. Let us give back to nature for the benefits we get from it.

(ii) Some of the natural resources that we use are water, coal, mineral oil, etc.

Question 3:
In This is Jody’s Fawn, Jody’s father uses a “home remedy’ for a snake bite. What
should a person now do if he or she is bitten by a snake? Are all snakes poisonous?
With the help of your teacher and others, find out answers to such questions. Then write a short paragraph on—What to do if a snake chooses to bite you.
Answer:
Snakes are the most dreaded of wild creatures. This is why we use sticks to kill them. There are many poisonous snakes. Green snakes or water snakes are not poisonous. Still we cannot be sure of it. So we don’t take a chance. We call in a snake charmer to draw the cobra out of the house. A snake-bite can kill the victim in a few minutes. But the victim can be saved if he gets the first aid in the form of blood-letting and anti-venom serum. The cure for snake bite is prepared front the snake’s poison.

In case I am bitten by a poisonous snake, the first thing I would do is to put a band tightly over the bitten part. Then I shall use a blade or knife to make a small cut on the bitten part, and press the poisonous blood out. Then I shall go to hospital for medical help. I shall not go to sleep until I feel better and safe.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
When and why does Jody’s father need a remedy?
Answer:
Penny, Jody’s father, is bitten by a poisonous rattlesnake. Instead of going to a doctor, he kills a she deer and uses her liver to draw out the poison.

Question 2:
How does Jody react to the cruelty of his father?
Answer:
Jody, the small boy, tells his father that he had left the fawn alone and defenceless to die. So it is their moral duty to save the innocent and hungry young one of the doe.

Question 3:
How does Penny take his son’s argument?
Answer:
Penny agreed with Jody’s argument that it would be ungrateful to leave the fawn to starve.

Question 4:
What did Doc Wilson say about Jody’s suggestion?
Answer:
Doc Wilson said that they had to pay the price for everything. He justified the plan of Jody and Penny about the fawn.

Question 5:
Why did Jody see only vultures and kites feeding on the dead body of the doe?
Answer:
The sand showed large footprints of tigers or leopards but they did not eat up the dead doe. The reason was that the big cats killed an animal themselves to eat its flesh. Vultres and kites are birds of prey. They also feed on the dead bodies.

Question 6:
How did Jody approach and win the trust of the fawn?
Answer:
The fawn shook with fear as Jody drew near. It lifted its nose and scented the
visitor. Jody moved forward on all fours and put his arms around its body.

Question 7:
How did Jody feel as he touched the fawn’s skin?
Answer:
Jody found the fawn’s skin very soft and clean. He stroked its sides gently as though it were made of clay and would break soon.

Question 8:
How did Jody feed the fawn?
Answer:
Jody decided to give away his share of milk to the fawn. He poured the milk into a small pot. Then he dipped his fingers in the milk and put them into its mouth. The fawn sucked slowly until the milk vanished.

Question 9:
What message does the story of the fawn convey to the readers?
Answer:
The story highlights two things. It is not fair to kill an animal for its use as a cure. Secondly, one should have pity and love for the animals.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
How did Jody persuade his father to go to the forest to bring back the fawn?
Answer:
Jody was a small, brave and sensitive boy. He was with his father when he (his father) was bitten by a rattlesnake. His father quickly killed a doe and used its heart and liver to draw out the snake’s poison. Jody was happy to see that his father got a new life but at the same time he was worried for the little fawn who was left alone without its mother. He wanted to bring back the fawn. He requested his father to allow him to go to the forest to find the fawn. He told him that he didn’t need to drink milk because he was now a big boy. He would give the milk to the fawn. He also said that it was ungrateful to leave the fawn to starve. His father was in a fix. He couldn’t say “no’ to his son. And finally allowed him (Jody) to go to the forest to find the fawn.

Question 2:
How did Jody feed the little fawn?
Answer:
Jody poured milk into a small gourd. He dipped his fingers in the milk and thrust them into the fawn’s soft wet mouth. It sucked greedily. When he withdrew them, it bleated frantically and butted him. He dipped his fingers again and as the fawn sucked, he lowered them slowly into the milk. The fawn blew and sucked and snorted. It stamped its small hoofs impatiently. As long as he held his fingers below the level of the milk, the fawn was content.

 

Honeydew Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge

Comprehension Check (Page 104)

Which is the right sentence?

Questions:

1. “Cambridge was my metaphor for England.” To the writer
(i) Cambridge was a reputed university in England.
(ii) England was famous for Cambridge.
(iii) Cambridge was the real England.

2. The writer phoned Stephen Hawking’s house
(i) From the nearest phone booth.
(ii) From outside a phone booth.
(iii) From inside a phone booth.

3. Every time he spoke to the scientist, the writer felt guilty because
(i) He wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask.
(ii) He forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.
(iii) He was face to face with a legend.

4. “I felt a huge relief…in the possibilities of my body.” In the given context, the highlighted words refer to
(i) Shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.
(ii) Standing up, walking.
(iii) Speaking, writing.

Answers:

1.    (ii) England was famous for Cambridge.

2.    (i) From the nearest phone-booth.

3.    (ii) He forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.

4.    (i) Shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.

Working With the Text (Page 104)

Answer the following Questions.

Question 1:

1.    Did the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking make the writer nervous? If so, why?

2.    Did he at the same time feel very excited? If so, why?

Answer:

1.    The writer felt nervous because he was doubtful whether he would be granted the interview.

2.    He felt excited at the same time because he had been there to see Prof. Hawking for half an hour.

Question 2:
Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer.
Answer:
The writer’s first question might be about Hawking’s disability and how he had accepted it.

Question 3:
Stephen Hawking said, “I’ve had no choice.” Does the writer think there was a choice? What was it?
Answer:
Living creatively with the reality of his weakening body was a choice.

Question 4:
“I could feel his anguish.” What could be the anguish?
Answer:
Prof. Hawking’s mind was full of great ideas but he couldn’t speak them out clearly and forcefully.

Question 5:
What endeared the scientist to the writer so that he said he was looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world?
Answer:
Prof. Hawking’s one-way smile.

Question 6:
Read aloud the description of ‘the beautiful’ man. Which is the most beautiful sentence in the description?
Answer:
The line is “before you like a lantern whose walls are worn so thin, you glimpse only the light inside, is the incandescence of a man”.

Question 7:

1.    If ‘the lantern’ is the man, what would its ‘walls’ be?

2.    What is housed within the thin walls?

3.    What general conclusion does the writer draw from this comparison?

Answer:

1.    The walls of the lantern in Hawking’s case were his skeleton like physical structure.

2.    The glow of the eternal soul was housed within the thin walls of his body,

3.    The writer draws conclusion that the eternal soul is more important than the body.

Question 8:
What is the scientist’s message for the disabled?
Answer:
Prof. Hawking’s message for the disabled is that they should concentrate on what they are good at. It is foolish to try to copy the normal people.

Question 9:
Why does the writer refer to the guitar incident? Which idea does it support?
Answer:
The writer spent many years trying to play a big Spanish guitar. One night he loosened the strings joyfully. This incident supports the idea that the disabled people should practise only what they are good at.

Question 10:
The writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking. What is the gratitude for?
Answer:
The author felt much inspired after meeting with Stephen Hawking. Therefore he felt grateful to him.

Question 11:
Complete the following sentences taking their appropriate parts from both the boxes below.

1.    There was his assistant on the line…

2.    You get fed up with people asking you to be brave….

3.    There he was ………

4.    You look at his eyes which can speak, ……..

5.    It doesn’t do much good to know…

A

·         tapping at a little switch in his hand

·         and I told him

·         that there are people

·         as if you have a courage account

·         and they are saying something huge and urgent

B

·         trying to find the words on his computer.

·         I had come in a wheelchair from India.

·         on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque.

·         smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.

·         it is hard to tell what.

Answer:

1.    There was his assistant on the line and I told him I had come in a wheelchair from India.

2.    You get fed up with people asking you to be brave, as if you have a courage account on which you are too
lazy to draw a cheque.

3.    There he was tapping at a little switch in his hand, trying to find the words on his computer.

4.    You look at his eyes which can speak and they are saying something huge and urgent it is hard to tell what.

5.    It doesn’t do much good to know that there are people smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.

Working With Language (Page 106)

Question 1:
Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using the appropriate forms of the words given in the following box.

guide , succeed , chair , travel,  pale , draw  ,true

1.    I met a_________ from an antique land.

2.    I need special_________ in mathematics. I can’t count the number of times I have failed in the subject.

3.    The guide called Stephen Hawking a worthy__________ to Issac Newton.

4.    His other problems ________ into insignificance beside this unforeseen mis­hap.

5.    The meeting was by the youngest member of the board.

6.    Some people say “yours________ ’when they informally refer to themselves.

7.    I wish it had been a________ We would have been spared the noise of celebrations, at least.

Answer:

1.    traveller

2.    guidance

3.    successor

4.    paled

5.    chaired

6.    truly

7.    drawn

Question 2:
Look at the following words.

walk   stick

Can you create a meaningful phrase using both these words? (It is simple. Add ing to the verb and use it before the noun. Put an article at the beginning.) …a walking stick
Now make six such phrases using the words given in the box.

read / session                  smile / face                    revolve / chair
walk / tour                      dance / doll                    win / chance

Answer:

1.    a reading session

2.    a smiling face

3.    a revolving chair

4.    a walking tour

5.    a dancing doll

6.    a winning chance

Question 3:
Use all or both in the blanks. Tell your partner why you chose one or the other.

1.    He has two brothers. _________are lawyers.

2.    More than ten persons called. _________ of them wanted to see you.

3.    They_________cheered the team.

4.    _________ her parents are teachers.

5.    How much have you got? Give me_____ of it.

Answer:
(i) Both (ii) All (iii) all (iv) Both (v) all

Question 4:
Complete each sentence using the right form of the adjective given in brackets,

1.    My friend has one of the cars on the road, (fast)

2.    This is the _________ story I have ever read, (interesting)

3.    What you are doing now is_________ than what you did yesterday, (easy)

4.    Ramesh and his wife are both________ (short)

5.    He arrived________ as usual. Even the chief guest came________than he did. (late, early)

Answer:

1.    fastest

2.    most interesting

3.    easier

4.    short

5.    late, earlier

Speaking and Writing (Page 107)

Question 1:
Say the following words with correct stress. Pronounce the parts given in colour loudly and clearly.

(i) In a word having more than one syllable, the stressed syllable is the one that is more prominent than the other syllable(s)
(ii) A word has as many syllables as it has vowels.

(iii) The mark (‘) indicates that the first syllable in ’manner’ is more prominent than the other.
Answer:
Attempt yourself.

Question 2:
Underline stressed syllables in the following words. Consult the dictionary or ask the teacher if necessary.

Answer:
Attempt yourself.

Question 3:
Writing a notice for the School Notice Board.

Step 1
Discuss why notices are put up on the notice board.
What kinds of “notices’ have you lately seen on the board?
How is a notice different from a letter or a descriptive paragraph?

Step 2
Suppose you have lost or found something on the campus.
What have you lost or found?
You want to write a notice about it. If you have lost something, you want it restored to you in case someone has found it. If you have found something, you want to return it to its owner.

Step 3
Write a few lines describing the object you have lost or found. Mention the purpose of the notice in clear terms. Also write your name, class, section and date.

Step 4
Let one member of each group read aloud the notice to the entire class. Com­pare your notice with the other notices, and make changes, if necessary, with the help of the teacher.
Or

·         Imagine that you are a journalist.

·         You have been asked to interview the president of the village panchayat.

·         Write eight to ten questions you wish to ask.

·         The questions should elicit comments as well as plans regarding water and electricity, cleanliness and school education in the village.

Or
The questions that I would ask the president of the Village Panchayat:

1. What steps will you take for the development of education in your area?
2. What will you do for health facilities?
3. What will you do for roads?
4. What will you do for civil amenities?
5. How will you improve agriculture of your village?
6. What will you do for farmers?
7. What do you plan for female child promotion?

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Who is Stephen Hawking?
Answer:
Stephen Hawking is a great scientist, an astrophysicist. But he is disabled. He has written the book ‘A Brief History of Time’. He can express himself only through a computer.

Question 2:
What took the author Firdaus to England? Why did he wish to see Hawking?
Answer:
Firdaus Kanga visited Britain in order to write a book about his travels. He himself could move only in a wheel-chair. On the advice of his guide, Kanga planned to meet the most brilliant and completely paralysed astrophysicist (Hawking) in Cambridge.

Question 3:
How did Kanga fix the interview with Hawking?
Answer:
Kanga phoned Hawking and requested the scientist’s assistant to arrange the interview. He asked for ten minutes but he got half an hour.

Question 4:
What advice do people usually give to the disabled? Was Hawking brave by choice?
Answer:
The people generally advise the disabled to be brave. Hawking admitted truthfully that he hadn’t been brave. In fact, he had had no choice.

Question 5:
What advice does the scientist give to the handicapped?
Answer:
He advises the disabled people to concentrate on what they are good at. They should not try to copy the normal people.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Write about Stephen Hawking and Firdaus Kanga.
Answer:
Both of them are disabled people. Stephen Hawking is one of the greatest scien­tists of our time. He suffers from paralysis that confines him to a wheelchair, and allows him to ‘speak’ only by punching buttons on a computer, which speaks for him in a machine like voice.
Firdaus Kanga is a writer and journalist. He lives and works in Mumbai. He was born with ‘brittle bones’ that tended to break easily when he was a child. Like Hawking, Kanga moves around in a wheelchair.

Question 2:
Why did the writer feel guilty talking to Stephen Hawking?
Answer:
The writer felt guilty every time he spoke to Stephen Hawking because by doing this he forced him to respond. There he (Hawking) was, tapping at the little switch in his hand, trying to find the words on his computer with the only bit of movement left to him, his long, pale fingers. His eyes would often shut in frustrated exhaustion. The writer could feel his anguish but he had no option. He had gone to his house to talk to him on certain points.

Honeydew Chapter 8 A Short Monsoon Diary

Comprehension Check (Page 115)

Questions:

1.    Why is the author not able to see Bijju?

2.    What are the two ways in which the hills appear to change when the mist comes up?

Answers:

1.    The author could not see Bijju because of the mist that concealed the hills. He could only hear his voice but could not see him.

2.    When the mist comes up, it covers the hills and spreads silence.

Comprehension Check (Page 117)

Questions:

1.    When does the monsoon season begin and when does it end? How do you prepare to face the monsoon?

2.    Which hill-station does the author describe in the diary entry?

3.    For how many days does it rain without stopping? What does the author do on these days?

4.    Where do the snakes and rodents take shelter? Why?

5.    What did the author receive in the mail?

Answers:

1.    The monsoon season in Mussorie begins from June 24/25. By August 2, the people are fed up with rain. It ends by August 31. Then begins winter rains which end by late March. We take out our rain coats and umbrellas to face the monsoon.

2.    Mussoorie

3.    It rains non-stop for eight or nine days. The author keeps pacing the room and looking out of the window.

4.    The rodents and snakes take shelter in roofs, attics and godowns. They do so because their holes are flooded with rain water.

5.    The author received a cheque in the mail.

Working With the Text (Page 118)

Question 1:
Look carefully at the diary entries for June 24-25, August 2 and March 23. Now write down the changes that happen as the rains progress from June to March.
Answer:
Rains in Mussoorie begin in June and end by March. June 24 is the first day of monsoon mist which covered the hills and spreads silence. On August 2 it rained all night and made sleeping difficult. By late March ends winter as well as the rains.

Question 2:
Why did the grandmother ask the children not to kill the Chuchundar?
Answer:
The grandmother told the children not to kill the Chuchundars because they brought good luck and money.

Question 3:
What signs do we find in Nature which show that the monsoons are about to end?
Answer:
By the end of the monsoon the greenery is at its peak. The seeds of the cobra lily turn red. A rainbow is formed in the sky.

Question 4:
Complete the following sentences.

1.    Bijju is not seen but his voice is heard because__________ .

2.    The writer describes the hill station and valley as _________ .

3.    The leopard was’ successful in________ but had to flee when

4.    The minivets are easily noticed because _________ .

5.    It looks like a fashion display on the slopes when_________.

6.    During the monsoon season, snakes and rodents are found in roofs and attics because _________.

Answer:

1.    dense mist covers and hides the hills.

2.    ‘A paradise that might have been.’

3.    killing a dog but had to flee when Bijju’s mother arrived crying curses.

4.    of their bright colours.

5.    they are covered by a variety of flowers.

6.    their holes are flooded with water and these places provide them conve­nient shelter.

Question 5:
‘Although tin roofs are given to springing unaccountable leaks, there is a feeling of being untouched by, and yet in touch with, the rain.’

1.    Why has the writer used the word, ‘springing’?

2.    How is the writer untouched by the rain?

3.    How is the writer in touch with the rain at the same time?

Answer:

1.    The word ‘springing’ is used to show suddenness with which water starts leaking.

2.    Because he is inside the room.

3.    He hears the drumming of rain on the tin roof. He also looks out of the window to see the rains.

Question 6:
Mention a few things that can happen when there is endless rain for days together?
Answer:
A long spell of rain makes life miserable. One is closed up in his room. Everything becomes damp and soggy. Rodents, snakes and insects enter the house for shelter.

Question 7:
What is the significance of cobra lily in relation to the monsoon season, its beginning and end?
Answer:
At first cobra lily appears with the arrival of the monsoon. When the cobra seeds begin to turn red, it indicates the rains are coming to an end.

Working With Language (Page 118)

Question 1:
Here are some words that are associated with the monsoon. Add as many words as you can to this list. Can you find words for these in your languages?

downpour  floods   mist   cloudy   powercuts   cold   umbrella

Answer:
rain, water, fog, raincoats, thunder, dampness, lakes etc.
In my language I find the alternative words like the following:
बौछार , बूंदाबांदी , तुषार, धुंध , सीत , छतरी, रेनकोट , आंधी , इत्यादी l

Question 2:
Look at the sentences below.
(i) Bijju wandered into the garden in the evening.
(ii) The trees were ringing with birdsong.
Notice the highlighted verb.
The verb wandered tells us what Bijju did that evening. But the verb was ringing tells us what was happening continually at same time in the past (the birds were chirping in the trees).
Now look the at sentences below. They tell us about something that happened in the past. They also tell us about other things that happened continually* at the same time in the past.

Put the verbs in the brackets into their proper forms. The first one is done for you.

1.    We (get out) of the school bus. The bell (ring) and everyone (rush) to class.

2.    The traffic (stop). Some people (sit) on the road and they (shout) slogans.

3.    I (wear) my raincoat. It (rain) and people (get) wet.

4.    She (see) a film. She (narrate) it to her friends who (listen) carefully.

5.    We (go) to the exhibition. Some people (buy) clothes while others (play) games,

6.    The class (is) quiet. Some children (read) books and the rest (draw).

Answer:

1.    We got out of the school bus. The bell was ringing and everyone was rushing to class.

2.    The traffic stopped. Some people were sitting on the road and they were shouting slogans.

3.    I wore my raincoat. It was raining and people were getting wet.

4.    She saw a film. She was narrating it to her friends who were listening carefully,

5.    We went to the exhibition. Some people were buying clothes while others were playing games.

6.    The class was quiet. Some children were reading books and the rest were drawing.

Question 3:
Here are some words from the lesson which describe different kinds of sounds.

drum  swish  tinkle  caw  drip

(i) Match these words with their correct meanings.

1.    to fall in small drops.

2.    to make a sound by hitting a surface repeatedly.

3.    to move quickly through the air, making a soft sound.

4.    harsh sound made by birds.

5.    ringing sound (of a bell or breaking glass, etc.).

(ii) Now fill in the blanks using the correct form of the words given above.

1.    Ramesh _______ on his desk in impatience.

2.    Rain water_____ from the umbrella all over the carpet.

3.    The pony______ its tail.

4.    The_____ of breaking glass woke me up.

5.    The_____ of the raven disturbed the child’s sleep.

Answer:

(i) (1) drip (2) drum (3) swish (4) caw (5) tinkle.
(ii) (1) drummed (2) dripped (3) was swishing (4) tinkle (5) caw

Question 4:
And sure enough. I received a cheque in the mail.
Complete each sentence below by using appropriate phrase from the ones given below.

sure enough            colourful enough        serious enough
kind enough           big enough                    fair enough
brave enough         foolish enough           anxious enough

1.    I saw thick black clouds in the sky and___ ____ it soon started raining heavily.

2.    The blue umbrella was___ ____ for the brother and sister.

3.    The butterflies are___ _____ to get noticed.

4.    The lady was___ _____to chase the leopard.

5.    The boy was____ ____ to call out to his sister.

6.    The man was____ ____ to offer help.

7.    The victim’s injury was____ _____ for him to get admitted in hospital.

8.    That person was____ _____ to repeat the same mistake again.

9.    He told me he was sorry and he would compensate for the loss. I said, ‘___ _____’.

Answer:

1.    sure enough

2.    big enough

3.    colourful enough

4.    brave enough

5.    anxious enough

6.    kind enough

7.    serious enough

8.    foolish enough

9.    Fair enough

Speaking (Page 120)

Question 1:
Do you believe in superstitions? Why, or why not? Working with your partner, write down three superstitious beliefs that you are familiar with.
Answer:
Truly speaking, I don’t believe in superstitions. These are blind beliefs. The ignorant and conservative people observe them. Superstitions have no scientific base or proof. The common superstitions are:
(i) 13 is an ominous number.
(ii) Don’t start a new project on Saturday.
(iii) Stop if a black cat crosses your path.

Question 2:
How many different kinds of birds do you come across in the lesson? How many varieties do you see in your neighbourhood? Are there any birds that you used to see earlier in your neighbourhood but not now? In groups discuss why you think this is happening.
Answer:
We come across different kinds of birds in this lesson. These are minivets, drongos, tree creepers and crows. We see sparrows, pigeons, and nightingales in our neighbourhood. Earlier we used to see big birds like kites and parrots in our neighbourhood. But these have become extinct now.

Writing (Page 121)

Question 1:
The monsoons are a time of great fun and even a few adventures: playing in the rain and getting wet, wading through knee-deep water on your way to school, wa­ter flooding the house or the classroom, power cuts and so on. Write a paragraph describing an incident that occurred during the rains which you can never forget.
(See NCERT Text Book Page 121)
Or
Write a poem of your own about the season of spring when trees are in full bloom.
Answer:
Attempt it yourself.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What is a diary? What do the extracts from Ruskin Bond’s diary portray?
Answer:
A diary is a record of personal experiences/events that occur in one’s life. It is written day after day over a long period of time. The extracts from Ruskin Bond’s diary portray monsoon season and the changes that occur as the rains progress from June to March.

Question 2:
How does the author describe the first day of monsoon mist?
Answer:
On the first day of monsoon mist all the birds suddenly fall silent and with it absolute silence is spread. The hills got hidden by the mist. The forest is deadly still as though it were midnight.

Question 3:
How does the author describe the scarlet minivets?
Answer:
The scarlet minivets are seen during rainy season. They flit silently among the leaves like brilliant jewels. No matter how leafy the trees, these brightly coloured birds cannot hide themselves.

Question 4:
Why couldn’t the author sleep on August 2 night?
Answer:
On August 2 it rained throughout the night. The rain had been drumming on the corrugated tin roof. There had been a steady swish of a tropical downpour. The author, therefore, couldn’t sleep.

Question 5:
What happened on August 12?
Answer:
Heavy downpour started on August 12. The rain continued for eight or nine days. Everything got damp and soggy. The author had to stay inside during these days.

Question 6:
Name the flowers that you come across in the lesson.
Answer:
Wild balsom, dahlias, begonias, ground orchids, cobra lilies etc.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Who are the seasonal visitors? How does the author describe them?
Answer:
The seasonal visitors are a leopard, several thousand leeches and different kinds of birds. The leopard created nuisance. It lifted a dog from near the servants’ quarter below the school. In the evening, it attacked one of Bijju’s cows. The scarlet minivets flitted silently among the leaves like brilliant jewels. No matter how leafy the trees, these brightly coloured birds could not conceal themselves. There was also a pair of drongos. They looked aggressive and chased the minivets away.
A tree creeper moved rapidly up the trunk of the oak tree, snapping up insects, all the way.

Question 2:
Sum up the main ideas of the author’s Monsoon Diary in about 100 words.
Answer:
The writer was in Mussoorie, a hill station in U.P. The first day of monsoon brought mist. The birds got silent and the hills became invisible. On June 25, came the early monsoon rain. He described the hill station as A paradise’ that might have been’ to a school boy. With the onset of the monsoon one could see leopards and leeches and the colourful minivet birds. There was no dearth of insects for the birds to eat. On August 2, it rained heavily and non-stop. The roofs began to leak. The rain stopped on August 3. The sunlight fell on the hills and the song birds began to sing. On August 12, there was heavy downpour and mist for more than a week. Everything was damp. Meanwhile wild flowers began to appear. August 31 saw the greenery at its peak. Snakes and rodents came out of their flooded holes and hid in roofs or godowns. Winter rain, hailstones and snow came on October 3. The author couldn’t go outside and he felt very lonely in his room. Late March saw the end of winter. He received a cheque in the mail.

Honeydew Chapter 9 The Great Stone Face I

COMPREHENSION CHECK (PAGE 129)

Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

1.    The Great Stone Face stood near where Ernest and his mother lived.

2.    One would clearly distinguish the features of the Stone Face only from a distance.

3.    Ernest loved his mother and helped her in her work.

4.    Though not very rich, Gathergold was a skilful merchant.

5.    Gathergold died in poverty and neglect.

6.    The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Ernest should not fear the general.

Answer:

1.    False

2.    True

3.    True

4.    False

5.    True

6.    True

WORKING WITH THE TEXT (Page 130)

Answer the following questions.
Question 1:

1.    What was the Great Stone Face?

2.    What did Young Ernest wish when he gazed at it?

Answer:

1.    The Great Stone Face was the work of nature. The rocks were put one over the other on the mountain side. They resembled the features of a human face.

2.    Young Ernest wished that the stone face could speak. He wished to love the man dearly whoever resembled that face.

Question 2:
What was the story attributed to the Stone Face?
Answer:
The story attributed to the Stone Face was that some day a child with the likeness of that face would be born. He would become the greatest and noblest person of his age.

Question 3:
What gave the people of the valley the idea that the prophecy was about to come true for the first time?
Answer:
A youngman named Gathergold had left the valley many years ago. By the time he grew old, he had grown rich. When he returned to his native valley, a rumour spread that he resembled the Stone Face. People thought that the prophecy had come true.

Question 4:

1.    Did Ernest see in Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face?

2.    Who did he confide in and how was he proved right?

Answer:

1.    No, Ernest did not see any likeness of the Stone Face in Gathergold.

2.    He confided in the Great Stone Face. After Gathergold’s death as his wealth and gold had already disappeared, it was generally agreed that Gathergold had no resemblance with the Great Stone Face.

Question 5:

1.    What made people believe General Blood- and-Thunder was their man?

2.    Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face. What did he conclude?

Answer:

1.    General Blood-and-thunder had risen to high position from a soldier. When he returned to the valley, his childhood friends said that the General had always looked like the Stone Face.

2.    Ernest could not find any likeness between the General and the Stone Face.

WORKING WITH THE LANGUAGE (Page 130)

Question 1:
Look at the following words.
Like — likeness
punctual — punctuality
The words on the left are adjectives and those on the right are their noun forms.
Write the noun forms of the following words by adding -ness or -itv to them appropriately. Check the spelling of the new words.

1.    lofty _____________

2.    able _____________

3.    happy _____________

4.    near _____________

5.    noble _____________

6.    pleasant _____________

7.    dense _____________

8.    great _____________

9.    stable _____________

Answer:

1.    loftiness

2.    ability

3.    happiness

4.    nearness

5.    nobility

6.    enormity

7.    pleasantness

8.    density

9.    greatness

10.  stability

Question 2:
Add-iv to each of the following adjectives, then use them to fill in the blanks.

1.    Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were ______ waiting for you.

2.    ______ write your name and address in capital letters.

3.    I was______ surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.

4.    It is______ believable that I am not responsible for this mess.

5.    He fell over the step and ______ broke his arm.

Answer:

1.    eagerly

2.    kindly

3.    pleasantly

4.    perfectly

5.    nearly

Question 3:
Complete each sentence below using the appropriate forms of the verbs in brackets.

1.    I ______ (phone) you when I (get) home from school.

2.    Hurry up! Madam  ______ (be) annoyed if we ______ (be) late.

3.    If it ______ (rain) today, we ______ (not) go to the play.

4.    When you  ______ (see) Mandal again, you  ______ (not/recognise) him. He is growing a beard.

5.    We are off today. We  ______  (write) to you after we ______ (be) back.

Answer:

1.    shall phone: get

2.    will be; are

3.    rains, shall not go

4.    see; will not recognise

5.    shall write; are

SPEAKING AND WRITING (Page 131)

Question 1:
Imagine you are Ernest. Narrate the story that his mother told him.
Begin like this: My mother and I were sitting at the door of our cottage. We were looking at the Great Stone Face. I asked her if she had ever seen any one who looked like the Stone Face. Then she told me this story.
Answer:
She had heard that story from her own Mother that some day a child would be born resembling the Stone Face. In manhood he would become the greatest and noblest person of his time.

Question 2:
Imagine you are Gathergold. Write briefly the incident of your return to the valley.
Begin like this: My name is Gathergold. I left the valley of the Great Stone Face fifty years ago. I am now going back home. Will the people of the valley welcome me? Do they know that I am very rich?
Answer:
I drove to my native village in a horse drawn carriage. The people mistook me for the Great Stone Face. They welcomed me and shouted, “Sure enough, the old prophecy is true and the great man has arrived at last”.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What is the significance of the Great Stone Face?
Answer:
The Stone Face was a work of nature. It was formed on the side of a mountain by rocks. Viewed from a distance, those rocks looked like the features of a human face. People linked stories to that face. The people living in that valley believed that some day a great and noble person with the likeness of that face would come.

Question 2:
What did the spectator see when he went near the Great Stone Face?
Answer:
When the spectator went near the Great Stone Face, he lost the outline of the enormous face and could see only a heap of gigantic rocks, piled one upon an¬other.

Question 3:
How did Ernest grow up to be a mild and quiet youth?
Answer:
Ernest never forgot of the story that his mother told him. He was dutiful to his mother and helpful to her many things, assisting her much with his little hands, and .more with his loving heart. In this manner he grew up to be a mild and quiet youth.

Question 4:
How did Gathergold become rich?
Answer:
Gathergold was a young man when he left his native valley and settled at a distant seaport. He set up there as a shopkeeper. He was very sharp in business matters and therefore became very rich in a very short span of time.

Question 5:
How did people’s opinion change about Gathergold after his death?
Answer:
Gathergold died one day. His wealth had disappeared before his death. Since the melting away of his gold, it had been generally believed that there was no like¬ness between the ruined merchant and the majestic face upon the mountain.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What was the prophecy connected with the Stone Face? Did it come true?
Answer:
The prophecy is a statement about some event in future. The people of the valley believed that the Stone Face was auspicious for them. It made the land fertile with its gaze.
The old prophecy about the Stone Face was that at some future day a child would be born there who will grow up to become great and noble. The child would look like the Stone Face. Some people thought it was just idle talk. It appears finally Ernest himself would be declared to be the great man resembling the Stone Face.

Question 2:
Who was Ernest? What personal qualities made him great?
Answer:
Ernest was a little boy who lived with his Mother in a valley. His interest grew in the Great Stone Face which smiled on him. His Mother told him the prophecy about that Face. The boy never forgot that story. He spent hours looking at that face. He regarded it as his teacher. He was inspired to be noble, kind and helpful. These qualities could make him the man with the likeness of the Face.

Honeydew Chapter 10 The Great Stone Face II

Comprehension Check (Page 136)

Questions:

Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

1.    Ernest’s words reminded people of the wise old sayings. __________

2.    Total strangers from far away, who visited Ernest in the valley, found his face familiar. _______

3.    The Great Stone Face confirmed Ernest’s view that the poet could be worthy of its likeness. _______

4.    When Ernest and the poet met, they respected and admired each other equally. ________

5.    The poet along with Ernest addressed the inhabitants of the valley. ___________

6.    The poet realised that Ernest’s thoughts were far nobler than his own verses. _________

Answers:

1.    True

2.    True

3.    False

4.    True

5.    False

6.    True

Working With the Text (Page 137)

Answer the following questions.
Question 1:
How was Ernest different from others in the valley?
Answer:
Ernest was unlike other commoners in the valley. He was a good, simple hearted, noble and thoughtful person. He had been under observation. He did not go with the crowd. He welcomed total strangers as the prophets.

Question 2:
Why did Ernest think the poet was like the Stone Face?
Answer:
The poet wrote wonderful songs. He had celebrated the Great stone Face in one of his poems. When Ernest read this poem he became convinced that the poet was like the stone face.

Question 3:
What did the poet himself say about his thoughts and poems?
Answer:
The poet confessed that he was not worthy to be compared with the Stone Face. His actions did not match with his thoughts.

Question 4:
What made the poet proclaim Ernest was the Stone Face?
Answer:
Ernest and the poet together went to a meeting place. Ernest addressed the gathering. His words had power and his thoughts had depth. They were the words of life, a life of good deeds and selfless love. The poet was convinced that Ernest – was much nobler than him. Ernest’s face had such a grand expression that he declared that Ernest bore the likeness of the Great Stone Face.

Question 5:
Write ‘Ernest’ or ‘Poet’, against each statement below.

(i) There was a gap between his life and his words.
(ii) His words had the power of truth as they agreed with his thoughts.
(iii) His words were as soothing as a heavenly song but only as useful as a vague dream.
(iv) His thoughts were worthy.
(v) Whatever he said was truth itself.
(vi) His poems were noble.
(vii) His life was nobler than all the poems.
(viii) He lacked faith in his own thoughts.
(ix) His thoughts had power as they agreed with the life he lived.
(x) Greatness lies in truth. Truth is best expressed in one’s actions. He was truthful, therefore he was great.

Answer:

(i) Poet           (ii) Ernest         (iii) Poet       (iv) Poet         (v) Ernest
(vi) Poet         (vii) Ernest      (viii) Poet     (ix) Ernest       (x) Ernest

Question 6:

(i) Who, by common consent, turned out to be like the Great Stone Face?
(ii) Did Ernest believe that the old prophecy had come true? What did he say about it?

Answer:

(i) Ernest was accepted by common consent exactly like the Great Stone Face.
(ii) No, Ernest still was not convinced that the old prophecy had come true. He hoped that some day, a man wiser and nobler than him would come, and would look truly similar to the Great Stone Face.

Working With Language (Page 137)

Question 1:
Mark the meaning that best fits the word or a phrase in the story.

(i) (sun) going down

(a) becoming smaller
(b) weakening
(c) setting

(ii) brightening

(a) making (it) look bright and cheerful
(b) lending (it) a special glow
(c) causing (it) to appear hopeful

(iii) spacious

(a) lonely and wild
(b) big and wide
(c) special and important

(iv) prophecy

(a) proverb
(b) prediction
(c) rumour

(v) marvellous

(a) wonderful
(b) surprising
(c) shocking

(vi) proclaim

(a) reveal
(b) declare
(c) shout

(vii) cease

(a) happen
(b) stop
(c) remain

(viii) (a night’s shelter)

(a) stay
(b) safety
(c) hospitality

(ix) gazed

(a) wandered about
(b) stared at
(c) thought of

(x) took on (an expression)

(a) challenged
(b) resembled
(c) assumed

Answers:

(i) c          (ii) a          (iii) b      (iv) b
(v) a         (vi) b         (vii) b      (viii) a
(ix) b        (x) c

Question 2:
(i) Read the following sentences.

(a) I do hope I’ll live to see him.
(b) He will come! Fear not, Earnest: the man will come.
(c) Gathergold is arriving tomorrow, people said.
(d) Blood-and-Thunder starts his journey back to the valley next week, everyone proclaimed.
(e) The great man is going to spend his old age in his native town.
Notice that in the above sentences, verbs in bold type are in four different forms, denoting four important ways of expressing future time. None of these can be said to be exclusively used to show future time, though each is used to refer to some action in future.

(ii) Which form of the verb is more natural in these sentences? Encircle your choice.

(a) I’m not free this evening. I will work/am working on a project.
(b) Have you decided where you will go for your higher secondary? Yes, I have. I will go/ am going to the Kendriya Vidyalaya.
(c) Don’t worry about the dog. It won’t hurt/isn’t hurting you
(d) The weatherman has predicted that it will snow/is snowing in Ranikhet tonight.
(e) Swapna can’t go out this evening. Her father will come/is coming to see her.

Answers:

(a) am working
(b) am going
(c) won’t hurt
(d) will snow
(e) is coming.

Question 3:
(i) Complete these pieces of conversation using will or going to with the verbs
Answer:

(a) am going to listen
(b) will lend
(c) is going to rain
(d) will have
(e) am going to make
(f) will go
(g) am going to get, will get

(ii) Let pairs of children take turns to speak aloud the dialogues.
Answer:
For class activity

Speaking and Writing (Page 139)

Question 1:
Each of the following words has the sound /f/ as in feel/ The words on the left have it initially. Those on the right have it finally. Speak each word clearly.

flail              life

philip          puff

flowed         deaf

fact              tough

fail               laugh

fast              stiff

Answer:

Attempt yourself.

Question 2:
Underline the letter or letters representing / f/in each of the following words.

file                      slough                faint                lift
cough                defence              afford             enough
photograph    staff                     tough              aloof
affront              philosophy       sophistry

Answer:

file                       slough                     faint                    life
cough                 defence                   afford                  enough
photograph       staff                         tough                  aloof
affront               philosophy              sophistry

Question 3:
Imagine that you are the poet. You have come to your native valley to meet a famous preacher called Ernest. the incident of your first meeting with him.
Answer:
I lived so far away from the valley. But I had heard about Ernest’s character and wisdom. One summer day I called on him. I found him reading a book. We sat down together and talked. I found Ernest wise, gentle and kind. Ernest greeted me warmly and called me a ‘gifted guest’ Then I introduced myself as one who wrote the po­ems Ernest was reading.
Ernest compared my face with the Stone Face. He had hoped to see the fulfilment of the prophecy but he was disappointed. I told him I was not worthy of that like­ness. I said that my thoughts and actions had no harmony.
I went with my host to a meeting place. I heard his address and found depth in his thoughts. In the golden light of the setting sun, Ernest appeared to me exactly like the Great Stone Face. The gathering also agreed with me.

Question 4:
(i) Put each of the following in the correct order to construct sentences.

·         a resident of Noida near Delhi/is visually impaired/George Abraham.

·         confidence and competitive spirit/and infuses discipline among the participants/It provides.

·         he has helped/The brain behind the World Cup Cricket, /the disabled to dream.

·         to the blind school in Delhi/It was a chance visit/that changed his life.

·         sport is a powerful tool/the disabled/He believes that/for rehabilitation of.

Answer:

·         George Abraham, a resident of Noida near Delhi, is visually impaired.

·         It provides confidence and competitive spirit and infuses discipline among the participants.

·         The brain behind the World Cup Cricket, he has helped the disabled to dream.

·         It was a chance visit to the blind school in Delhi that changed his life.

·         He believes that sport is a powerful tool for rehabilitation of the disabled.

(ii) Now rearrange the sentences above to construct a paragraph.

Answer:
George Abraham, a resident of Noida near Delhi, is visually impaired. The brain behind the World Cup Cricket, he has helped the disabled to dream. It was a chance visit to the blind school in Delhi that changed his life. He believes that sport is a powerful tool for rehabilitation of the disabled. It provides confidence and competitive spirit and infuses discipline among the participants.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What changes come to be seen in Ernest with passing of time?
Answer:
Ernest was now a man of middle age. His hairs turned white and there were wrinkles across his forehead and furrows in his cheeks. He had become wiser with profound thoughts. The valley people respected him and took his advice on several occasions.

Question 2:
Why did Ernest become sad after he examined the poet’s features?
Answer:
The poet had celebrated the Great Stone Face in one of his poems. When Ernest read that poem he became convinced that the poet had the likeness of the Great Stone Face. But when he met the poet, all his hopes shattered. He found no resemblance between the poet and the Stone Face. This was the reason why he became sad.

Question 3:
Why did the poet’s eyes fill with tears?
Answer:
The poet became sentimental to listen to Ernest. His words had power because they had depth. They were the words of life, a life of good deeds and selfless love. The poet felt that the life and character of Ernest were nobler strain of poetry that he had ever written. His eyes filled with tears and he said to himself that never was there so worthy a sage as that thoughtful face, with the glim of white hair diffused about it.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Give a character-sketch of Ernest.
Answer:
Ernest was a small boy when he became interested in the Great Stone Face. He felt that the face smiled on him. He wished to love the man with such a face. He was dutiful and helpful to his Mother. He grew up to be a gentle and quiet youth. He regarded the Stone Face as his teacher. He turned to the face for advice. He was not influnced by the common belief that Gathergold or Blood- and-Thunder General had any resemblance with the Stone Face. Even the poet’s face made him sad. And he was right when the poet himself admitted that he wasn’t worthy to be the likeness of the face. Finally, the same poet shouted with joy that Ernest himself was the likeness of the Stone Face. But Ernest remained humble to the last. He kept hoping that some wiser and better man than himself would appear.

Question 2:
How did Ernest feel when people hailed him as the likeness of the Stone face?
Answer:
Ernest was truly noble and humble. His deeds matched with his thoughts. He received the poet warmly. For a while he thought the writer of those poems was truly the greatest and wisest person. The poet and the people ultimately hailed him as the man with the likeness of the Stone Face. But Ernest did not agree with them. He kept hoping that a wiser and better man than himself would appear to make the prophecy true.

Question 3:
Describe in brief Ernest’s reaction on three occasions when Gathergold, General Blood-and-Thunder and the poet came to the valley.
Answer:
The inhabitants of the valley believed the story that one day a man bearing resemblance to the Stone Face would come there. The first one to arrive was a rich merchant Gathergold. The people were greatly excited. But Ernest noticed no resemblance between Gathergold’s face and that of the Stone Face. Likewise he did not agree with the people who welcomed General Blood-and-Thunder as the greatest man. But Ernest almost believed that the poet was the person he had been waiting for. But again he was disappointed. In fact, Ernest himself was accepted as the Prophet.

 

Honeydew Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge

Comprehension Check (Page 104)

Which is the right sentence?

Questions:

1. “Cambridge was my metaphor for England.” To the writer
(i) Cambridge was a reputed university in England.
(ii) England was famous for Cambridge.
(iii) Cambridge was the real England.

2. The writer phoned Stephen Hawking’s house
(i) From the nearest phone booth.
(ii) From outside a phone booth.
(iii) From inside a phone booth.

3. Every time he spoke to the scientist, the writer felt guilty because
(i) He wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask.
(ii) He forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.
(iii) He was face to face with a legend.

4. “I felt a huge relief…in the possibilities of my body.” In the given context, the highlighted words refer to
(i) Shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.
(ii) Standing up, walking.
(iii) Speaking, writing.

Answers:

1.    (ii) England was famous for Cambridge.

2.    (i) From the nearest phone-booth.

3.    (ii) He forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.

4.    (i) Shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.

Working With the Text (Page 104)

Answer the following Questions.

Question 1:

1.    Did the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking make the writer nervous? If so, why?

2.    Did he at the same time feel very excited? If so, why?

Answer:

1.    The writer felt nervous because he was doubtful whether he would be granted the interview.

2.    He felt excited at the same time because he had been there to see Prof. Hawking for half an hour.

Question 2:
Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer.
Answer:
The writer’s first question might be about Hawking’s disability and how he had accepted it.

Question 3:
Stephen Hawking said, “I’ve had no choice.” Does the writer think there was a choice? What was it?
Answer:
Living creatively with the reality of his weakening body was a choice.

Question 4:
“I could feel his anguish.” What could be the anguish?
Answer:
Prof. Hawking’s mind was full of great ideas but he couldn’t speak them out clearly and forcefully.

Question 5:
What endeared the scientist to the writer so that he said he was looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world?
Answer:
Prof. Hawking’s one-way smile.

Question 6:
Read aloud the description of ‘the beautiful’ man. Which is the most beautiful sentence in the description?
Answer:
The line is “before you like a lantern whose walls are worn so thin, you glimpse only the light inside, is the incandescence of a man”.

Question 7:

1.    If ‘the lantern’ is the man, what would its ‘walls’ be?

2.    What is housed within the thin walls?

3.    What general conclusion does the writer draw from this comparison?

Answer:

1.    The walls of the lantern in Hawking’s case were his skeleton like physical structure.

2.    The glow of the eternal soul was housed within the thin walls of his body,

3.    The writer draws conclusion that the eternal soul is more important than the body.

Question 8:
What is the scientist’s message for the disabled?
Answer:
Prof. Hawking’s message for the disabled is that they should concentrate on what they are good at. It is foolish to try to copy the normal people.

Question 9:
Why does the writer refer to the guitar incident? Which idea does it support?
Answer:
The writer spent many years trying to play a big Spanish guitar. One night he loosened the strings joyfully. This incident supports the idea that the disabled people should practise only what they are good at.

Question 10:
The writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking. What is the gratitude for?
Answer:
The author felt much inspired after meeting with Stephen Hawking. Therefore he felt grateful to him.

Question 11:
Complete the following sentences taking their appropriate parts from both the boxes below.

1.    There was his assistant on the line…

2.    You get fed up with people asking you to be brave….

3.    There he was ………

4.    You look at his eyes which can speak, ……..

5.    It doesn’t do much good to know…

A

·         tapping at a little switch in his hand

·         and I told him

·         that there are people

·         as if you have a courage account

·         and they are saying something huge and urgent

B

·         trying to find the words on his computer.

·         I had come in a wheelchair from India.

·         on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque.

·         smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.

·         it is hard to tell what.

Answer:

1.    There was his assistant on the line and I told him I had come in a wheelchair from India.

2.    You get fed up with people asking you to be brave, as if you have a courage account on which you are too
lazy to draw a cheque.

3.    There he was tapping at a little switch in his hand, trying to find the words on his computer.

4.    You look at his eyes which can speak and they are saying something huge and urgent it is hard to tell what.

5.    It doesn’t do much good to know that there are people smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.

Working With Language (Page 106)

Question 1:
Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using the appropriate forms of the words given in the following box.

guide , succeed , chair , travel,  pale , draw  ,true

1.    I met a_________ from an antique land.

2.    I need special_________ in mathematics. I can’t count the number of times I have failed in the subject.

3.    The guide called Stephen Hawking a worthy__________ to Issac Newton.

4.    His other problems ________ into insignificance beside this unforeseen mis­hap.

5.    The meeting was by the youngest member of the board.

6.    Some people say “yours________ ’when they informally refer to themselves.

7.    I wish it had been a________ We would have been spared the noise of celebrations, at least.

Answer:

1.    traveller

2.    guidance

3.    successor

4.    paled

5.    chaired

6.    truly

7.    drawn

Question 2:
Look at the following words.

walk   stick

Can you create a meaningful phrase using both these words? (It is simple. Add ing to the verb and use it before the noun. Put an article at the beginning.) …a walking stick
Now make six such phrases using the words given in the box.

read / session                  smile / face                    revolve / chair
walk / tour                      dance / doll                    win / chance

Answer:

1.    a reading session

2.    a smiling face

3.    a revolving chair

4.    a walking tour

5.    a dancing doll

6.    a winning chance

Question 3:
Use all or both in the blanks. Tell your partner why you chose one or the other.

1.    He has two brothers. _________are lawyers.

2.    More than ten persons called. _________ of them wanted to see you.

3.    They_________cheered the team.

4.    _________ her parents are teachers.

5.    How much have you got? Give me_____ of it.

Answer:
(i) Both (ii) All (iii) all (iv) Both (v) all

Question 4:
Complete each sentence using the right form of the adjective given in brackets,

1.    My friend has one of the cars on the road, (fast)

2.    This is the _________ story I have ever read, (interesting)

3.    What you are doing now is_________ than what you did yesterday, (easy)

4.    Ramesh and his wife are both________ (short)

5.    He arrived________ as usual. Even the chief guest came________than he did. (late, early)

Answer:

1.    fastest

2.    most interesting

3.    easier

4.    short

5.    late, earlier

Speaking and Writing (Page 107)

Question 1:
Say the following words with correct stress. Pronounce the parts given in colour loudly and clearly.

(i) In a word having more than one syllable, the stressed syllable is the one that is more prominent than the other syllable(s)
(ii) A word has as many syllables as it has vowels.

(iii) The mark (‘) indicates that the first syllable in ’manner’ is more prominent than the other.
Answer:
Attempt yourself.

Question 2:
Underline stressed syllables in the following words. Consult the dictionary or ask the teacher if necessary.

Answer:
Attempt yourself.

Question 3:
Writing a notice for the School Notice Board.

Step 1
Discuss why notices are put up on the notice board.
What kinds of “notices’ have you lately seen on the board?
How is a notice different from a letter or a descriptive paragraph?

Step 2
Suppose you have lost or found something on the campus.
What have you lost or found?
You want to write a notice about it. If you have lost something, you want it restored to you in case someone has found it. If you have found something, you want to return it to its owner.

Step 3
Write a few lines describing the object you have lost or found. Mention the purpose of the notice in clear terms. Also write your name, class, section and date.

Step 4
Let one member of each group read aloud the notice to the entire class. Com­pare your notice with the other notices, and make changes, if necessary, with the help of the teacher.
Or

·         Imagine that you are a journalist.

·         You have been asked to interview the president of the village panchayat.

·         Write eight to ten questions you wish to ask.

·         The questions should elicit comments as well as plans regarding water and electricity, cleanliness and school education in the village.

Or
The questions that I would ask the president of the Village Panchayat:

1. What steps will you take for the development of education in your area?
2. What will you do for health facilities?
3. What will you do for roads?
4. What will you do for civil amenities?
5. How will you improve agriculture of your village?
6. What will you do for farmers?
7. What do you plan for female child promotion?

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Who is Stephen Hawking?
Answer:
Stephen Hawking is a great scientist, an astrophysicist. But he is disabled. He has written the book ‘A Brief History of Time’. He can express himself only through a computer.

Question 2:
What took the author Firdaus to England? Why did he wish to see Hawking?
Answer:
Firdaus Kanga visited Britain in order to write a book about his travels. He himself could move only in a wheel-chair. On the advice of his guide, Kanga planned to meet the most brilliant and completely paralysed astrophysicist (Hawking) in Cambridge.

Question 3:
How did Kanga fix the interview with Hawking?
Answer:
Kanga phoned Hawking and requested the scientist’s assistant to arrange the interview. He asked for ten minutes but he got half an hour.

Question 4:
What advice do people usually give to the disabled? Was Hawking brave by choice?
Answer:
The people generally advise the disabled to be brave. Hawking admitted truthfully that he hadn’t been brave. In fact, he had had no choice.

Question 5:
What advice does the scientist give to the handicapped?
Answer:
He advises the disabled people to concentrate on what they are good at. They should not try to copy the normal people.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Write about Stephen Hawking and Firdaus Kanga.
Answer:
Both of them are disabled people. Stephen Hawking is one of the greatest scien­tists of our time. He suffers from paralysis that confines him to a wheelchair, and allows him to ‘speak’ only by punching buttons on a computer, which speaks for him in a machine like voice.
Firdaus Kanga is a writer and journalist. He lives and works in Mumbai. He was born with ‘brittle bones’ that tended to break easily when he was a child. Like Hawking, Kanga moves around in a wheelchair.

Question 2:
Why did the writer feel guilty talking to Stephen Hawking?
Answer:
The writer felt guilty every time he spoke to Stephen Hawking because by doing this he forced him to respond. There he (Hawking) was, tapping at the little switch in his hand, trying to find the words on his computer with the only bit of movement left to him, his long, pale fingers. His eyes would often shut in frustrated exhaustion. The writer could feel his anguish but he had no option. He had gone to his house to talk to him on certain points.

Honeydew Chapter 8 A Short Monsoon Diary

Comprehension Check (Page 115)

Questions:

1.    Why is the author not able to see Bijju?

2.    What are the two ways in which the hills appear to change when the mist comes up?

Answers:

1.    The author could not see Bijju because of the mist that concealed the hills. He could only hear his voice but could not see him.

2.    When the mist comes up, it covers the hills and spreads silence.

Comprehension Check (Page 117)

Questions:

1.    When does the monsoon season begin and when does it end? How do you prepare to face the monsoon?

2.    Which hill-station does the author describe in the diary entry?

3.    For how many days does it rain without stopping? What does the author do on these days?

4.    Where do the snakes and rodents take shelter? Why?

5.    What did the author receive in the mail?

Answers:

1.    The monsoon season in Mussorie begins from June 24/25. By August 2, the people are fed up with rain. It ends by August 31. Then begins winter rains which end by late March. We take out our rain coats and umbrellas to face the monsoon.

2.    Mussoorie

3.    It rains non-stop for eight or nine days. The author keeps pacing the room and looking out of the window.

4.    The rodents and snakes take shelter in roofs, attics and godowns. They do so because their holes are flooded with rain water.

5.    The author received a cheque in the mail.

Working With the Text (Page 118)

Question 1:
Look carefully at the diary entries for June 24-25, August 2 and March 23. Now write down the changes that happen as the rains progress from June to March.
Answer:
Rains in Mussoorie begin in June and end by March. June 24 is the first day of monsoon mist which covered the hills and spreads silence. On August 2 it rained all night and made sleeping difficult. By late March ends winter as well as the rains.

Question 2:
Why did the grandmother ask the children not to kill the Chuchundar?
Answer:
The grandmother told the children not to kill the Chuchundars because they brought good luck and money.

Question 3:
What signs do we find in Nature which show that the monsoons are about to end?
Answer:
By the end of the monsoon the greenery is at its peak. The seeds of the cobra lily turn red. A rainbow is formed in the sky.

Question 4:
Complete the following sentences.

1.    Bijju is not seen but his voice is heard because__________ .

2.    The writer describes the hill station and valley as _________ .

3.    The leopard was’ successful in________ but had to flee when

4.    The minivets are easily noticed because _________ .

5.    It looks like a fashion display on the slopes when_________.

6.    During the monsoon season, snakes and rodents are found in roofs and attics because _________.

Answer:

1.    dense mist covers and hides the hills.

2.    ‘A paradise that might have been.’

3.    killing a dog but had to flee when Bijju’s mother arrived crying curses.

4.    of their bright colours.

5.    they are covered by a variety of flowers.

6.    their holes are flooded with water and these places provide them conve­nient shelter.

Question 5:
‘Although tin roofs are given to springing unaccountable leaks, there is a feeling of being untouched by, and yet in touch with, the rain.’

1.    Why has the writer used the word, ‘springing’?

2.    How is the writer untouched by the rain?

3.    How is the writer in touch with the rain at the same time?

Answer:

1.    The word ‘springing’ is used to show suddenness with which water starts leaking.

2.    Because he is inside the room.

3.    He hears the drumming of rain on the tin roof. He also looks out of the window to see the rains.

Question 6:
Mention a few things that can happen when there is endless rain for days together?
Answer:
A long spell of rain makes life miserable. One is closed up in his room. Everything becomes damp and soggy. Rodents, snakes and insects enter the house for shelter.

Question 7:
What is the significance of cobra lily in relation to the monsoon season, its beginning and end?
Answer:
At first cobra lily appears with the arrival of the monsoon. When the cobra seeds begin to turn red, it indicates the rains are coming to an end.

Working With Language (Page 118)

Question 1:
Here are some words that are associated with the monsoon. Add as many words as you can to this list. Can you find words for these in your languages?

downpour  floods   mist   cloudy   powercuts   cold   umbrella

Answer:
rain, water, fog, raincoats, thunder, dampness, lakes etc.
In my language I find the alternative words like the following:
बौछार , बूंदाबांदी , तुषार, धुंध , सीत , छतरी, रेनकोट , आंधी , इत्यादी l

Question 2:
Look at the sentences below.
(i) Bijju wandered into the garden in the evening.
(ii) The trees were ringing with birdsong.
Notice the highlighted verb.
The verb wandered tells us what Bijju did that evening. But the verb was ringing tells us what was happening continually at same time in the past (the birds were chirping in the trees).
Now look the at sentences below. They tell us about something that happened in the past. They also tell us about other things that happened continually* at the same time in the past.

Put the verbs in the brackets into their proper forms. The first one is done for you.

1.    We (get out) of the school bus. The bell (ring) and everyone (rush) to class.

2.    The traffic (stop). Some people (sit) on the road and they (shout) slogans.

3.    I (wear) my raincoat. It (rain) and people (get) wet.

4.    She (see) a film. She (narrate) it to her friends who (listen) carefully.

5.    We (go) to the exhibition. Some people (buy) clothes while others (play) games,

6.    The class (is) quiet. Some children (read) books and the rest (draw).

Answer:

1.    We got out of the school bus. The bell was ringing and everyone was rushing to class.

2.    The traffic stopped. Some people were sitting on the road and they were shouting slogans.

3.    I wore my raincoat. It was raining and people were getting wet.

4.    She saw a film. She was narrating it to her friends who were listening carefully,

5.    We went to the exhibition. Some people were buying clothes while others were playing games.

6.    The class was quiet. Some children were reading books and the rest were drawing.

Question 3:
Here are some words from the lesson which describe different kinds of sounds.

drum  swish  tinkle  caw  drip

(i) Match these words with their correct meanings.

1.    to fall in small drops.

2.    to make a sound by hitting a surface repeatedly.

3.    to move quickly through the air, making a soft sound.

4.    harsh sound made by birds.

5.    ringing sound (of a bell or breaking glass, etc.).

(ii) Now fill in the blanks using the correct form of the words given above.

1.    Ramesh _______ on his desk in impatience.

2.    Rain water_____ from the umbrella all over the carpet.

3.    The pony______ its tail.

4.    The_____ of breaking glass woke me up.

5.    The_____ of the raven disturbed the child’s sleep.

Answer:

(i) (1) drip (2) drum (3) swish (4) caw (5) tinkle.
(ii) (1) drummed (2) dripped (3) was swishing (4) tinkle (5) caw

Question 4:
And sure enough. I received a cheque in the mail.
Complete each sentence below by using appropriate phrase from the ones given below.

sure enough            colourful enough        serious enough
kind enough           big enough                    fair enough
brave enough         foolish enough           anxious enough

1.    I saw thick black clouds in the sky and___ ____ it soon started raining heavily.

2.    The blue umbrella was___ ____ for the brother and sister.

3.    The butterflies are___ _____ to get noticed.

4.    The lady was___ _____to chase the leopard.

5.    The boy was____ ____ to call out to his sister.

6.    The man was____ ____ to offer help.

7.    The victim’s injury was____ _____ for him to get admitted in hospital.

8.    That person was____ _____ to repeat the same mistake again.

9.    He told me he was sorry and he would compensate for the loss. I said, ‘___ _____’.

Answer:

1.    sure enough

2.    big enough

3.    colourful enough

4.    brave enough

5.    anxious enough

6.    kind enough

7.    serious enough

8.    foolish enough

9.    Fair enough

Speaking (Page 120)

Question 1:
Do you believe in superstitions? Why, or why not? Working with your partner, write down three superstitious beliefs that you are familiar with.
Answer:
Truly speaking, I don’t believe in superstitions. These are blind beliefs. The ignorant and conservative people observe them. Superstitions have no scientific base or proof. The common superstitions are:
(i) 13 is an ominous number.
(ii) Don’t start a new project on Saturday.
(iii) Stop if a black cat crosses your path.

Question 2:
How many different kinds of birds do you come across in the lesson? How many varieties do you see in your neighbourhood? Are there any birds that you used to see earlier in your neighbourhood but not now? In groups discuss why you think this is happening.
Answer:
We come across different kinds of birds in this lesson. These are minivets, drongos, tree creepers and crows. We see sparrows, pigeons, and nightingales in our neighbourhood. Earlier we used to see big birds like kites and parrots in our neighbourhood. But these have become extinct now.

Writing (Page 121)

Question 1:
The monsoons are a time of great fun and even a few adventures: playing in the rain and getting wet, wading through knee-deep water on your way to school, wa­ter flooding the house or the classroom, power cuts and so on. Write a paragraph describing an incident that occurred during the rains which you can never forget.
(See NCERT Text Book Page 121)
Or
Write a poem of your own about the season of spring when trees are in full bloom.
Answer:
Attempt it yourself.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What is a diary? What do the extracts from Ruskin Bond’s diary portray?
Answer:
A diary is a record of personal experiences/events that occur in one’s life. It is written day after day over a long period of time. The extracts from Ruskin Bond’s diary portray monsoon season and the changes that occur as the rains progress from June to March.

Question 2:
How does the author describe the first day of monsoon mist?
Answer:
On the first day of monsoon mist all the birds suddenly fall silent and with it absolute silence is spread. The hills got hidden by the mist. The forest is deadly still as though it were midnight.

Question 3:
How does the author describe the scarlet minivets?
Answer:
The scarlet minivets are seen during rainy season. They flit silently among the leaves like brilliant jewels. No matter how leafy the trees, these brightly coloured birds cannot hide themselves.

Question 4:
Why couldn’t the author sleep on August 2 night?
Answer:
On August 2 it rained throughout the night. The rain had been drumming on the corrugated tin roof. There had been a steady swish of a tropical downpour. The author, therefore, couldn’t sleep.

Question 5:
What happened on August 12?
Answer:
Heavy downpour started on August 12. The rain continued for eight or nine days. Everything got damp and soggy. The author had to stay inside during these days.

Question 6:
Name the flowers that you come across in the lesson.
Answer:
Wild balsom, dahlias, begonias, ground orchids, cobra lilies etc.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Who are the seasonal visitors? How does the author describe them?
Answer:
The seasonal visitors are a leopard, several thousand leeches and different kinds of birds. The leopard created nuisance. It lifted a dog from near the servants’ quarter below the school. In the evening, it attacked one of Bijju’s cows. The scarlet minivets flitted silently among the leaves like brilliant jewels. No matter how leafy the trees, these brightly coloured birds could not conceal themselves. There was also a pair of drongos. They looked aggressive and chased the minivets away.
A tree creeper moved rapidly up the trunk of the oak tree, snapping up insects, all the way.

Question 2:
Sum up the main ideas of the author’s Monsoon Diary in about 100 words.
Answer:
The writer was in Mussoorie, a hill station in U.P. The first day of monsoon brought mist. The birds got silent and the hills became invisible. On June 25, came the early monsoon rain. He described the hill station as A paradise’ that might have been’ to a school boy. With the onset of the monsoon one could see leopards and leeches and the colourful minivet birds. There was no dearth of insects for the birds to eat. On August 2, it rained heavily and non-stop. The roofs began to leak. The rain stopped on August 3. The sunlight fell on the hills and the song birds began to sing. On August 12, there was heavy downpour and mist for more than a week. Everything was damp. Meanwhile wild flowers began to appear. August 31 saw the greenery at its peak. Snakes and rodents came out of their flooded holes and hid in roofs or godowns. Winter rain, hailstones and snow came on October 3. The author couldn’t go outside and he felt very lonely in his room. Late March saw the end of winter. He received a cheque in the mail.

Honeydew Chapter 9 The Great Stone Face I

COMPREHENSION CHECK (PAGE 129)

Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

1.    The Great Stone Face stood near where Ernest and his mother lived.

2.    One would clearly distinguish the features of the Stone Face only from a distance.

3.    Ernest loved his mother and helped her in her work.

4.    Though not very rich, Gathergold was a skilful merchant.

5.    Gathergold died in poverty and neglect.

6.    The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Ernest should not fear the general.

Answer:

1.    False

2.    True

3.    True

4.    False

5.    True

6.    True

WORKING WITH THE TEXT (Page 130)

Answer the following questions.
Question 1:

1.    What was the Great Stone Face?

2.    What did Young Ernest wish when he gazed at it?

Answer:

1.    The Great Stone Face was the work of nature. The rocks were put one over the other on the mountain side. They resembled the features of a human face.

2.    Young Ernest wished that the stone face could speak. He wished to love the man dearly whoever resembled that face.

Question 2:
What was the story attributed to the Stone Face?
Answer:
The story attributed to the Stone Face was that some day a child with the likeness of that face would be born. He would become the greatest and noblest person of his age.

Question 3:
What gave the people of the valley the idea that the prophecy was about to come true for the first time?
Answer:
A youngman named Gathergold had left the valley many years ago. By the time he grew old, he had grown rich. When he returned to his native valley, a rumour spread that he resembled the Stone Face. People thought that the prophecy had come true.

Question 4:

1.    Did Ernest see in Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face?

2.    Who did he confide in and how was he proved right?

Answer:

1.    No, Ernest did not see any likeness of the Stone Face in Gathergold.

2.    He confided in the Great Stone Face. After Gathergold’s death as his wealth and gold had already disappeared, it was generally agreed that Gathergold had no resemblance with the Great Stone Face.

Question 5:

1.    What made people believe General Blood- and-Thunder was their man?

2.    Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face. What did he conclude?

Answer:

1.    General Blood-and-thunder had risen to high position from a soldier. When he returned to the valley, his childhood friends said that the General had always looked like the Stone Face.

2.    Ernest could not find any likeness between the General and the Stone Face.

WORKING WITH THE LANGUAGE (Page 130)

Question 1:
Look at the following words.
Like — likeness
punctual — punctuality
The words on the left are adjectives and those on the right are their noun forms.
Write the noun forms of the following words by adding -ness or -itv to them appropriately. Check the spelling of the new words.

1.    lofty _____________

2.    able _____________

3.    happy _____________

4.    near _____________

5.    noble _____________

6.    pleasant _____________

7.    dense _____________

8.    great _____________

9.    stable _____________

Answer:

1.    loftiness

2.    ability

3.    happiness

4.    nearness

5.    nobility

6.    enormity

7.    pleasantness

8.    density

9.    greatness

10.  stability

Question 2:
Add-iv to each of the following adjectives, then use them to fill in the blanks.

1.    Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were ______ waiting for you.

2.    ______ write your name and address in capital letters.

3.    I was______ surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.

4.    It is______ believable that I am not responsible for this mess.

5.    He fell over the step and ______ broke his arm.

Answer:

1.    eagerly

2.    kindly

3.    pleasantly

4.    perfectly

5.    nearly

Question 3:
Complete each sentence below using the appropriate forms of the verbs in brackets.

1.    I ______ (phone) you when I (get) home from school.

2.    Hurry up! Madam  ______ (be) annoyed if we ______ (be) late.

3.    If it ______ (rain) today, we ______ (not) go to the play.

4.    When you  ______ (see) Mandal again, you  ______ (not/recognise) him. He is growing a beard.

5.    We are off today. We  ______  (write) to you after we ______ (be) back.

Answer:

1.    shall phone: get

2.    will be; are

3.    rains, shall not go

4.    see; will not recognise

5.    shall write; are

SPEAKING AND WRITING (Page 131)

Question 1:
Imagine you are Ernest. Narrate the story that his mother told him.
Begin like this: My mother and I were sitting at the door of our cottage. We were looking at the Great Stone Face. I asked her if she had ever seen any one who looked like the Stone Face. Then she told me this story.
Answer:
She had heard that story from her own Mother that some day a child would be born resembling the Stone Face. In manhood he would become the greatest and noblest person of his time.

Question 2:
Imagine you are Gathergold. Write briefly the incident of your return to the valley.
Begin like this: My name is Gathergold. I left the valley of the Great Stone Face fifty years ago. I am now going back home. Will the people of the valley welcome me? Do they know that I am very rich?
Answer:
I drove to my native village in a horse drawn carriage. The people mistook me for the Great Stone Face. They welcomed me and shouted, “Sure enough, the old prophecy is true and the great man has arrived at last”.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What is the significance of the Great Stone Face?
Answer:
The Stone Face was a work of nature. It was formed on the side of a mountain by rocks. Viewed from a distance, those rocks looked like the features of a human face. People linked stories to that face. The people living in that valley believed that some day a great and noble person with the likeness of that face would come.

Question 2:
What did the spectator see when he went near the Great Stone Face?
Answer:
When the spectator went near the Great Stone Face, he lost the outline of the enormous face and could see only a heap of gigantic rocks, piled one upon an¬other.

Question 3:
How did Ernest grow up to be a mild and quiet youth?
Answer:
Ernest never forgot of the story that his mother told him. He was dutiful to his mother and helpful to her many things, assisting her much with his little hands, and .more with his loving heart. In this manner he grew up to be a mild and quiet youth.

Question 4:
How did Gathergold become rich?
Answer:
Gathergold was a young man when he left his native valley and settled at a distant seaport. He set up there as a shopkeeper. He was very sharp in business matters and therefore became very rich in a very short span of time.

Question 5:
How did people’s opinion change about Gathergold after his death?
Answer:
Gathergold died one day. His wealth had disappeared before his death. Since the melting away of his gold, it had been generally believed that there was no like¬ness between the ruined merchant and the majestic face upon the mountain.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What was the prophecy connected with the Stone Face? Did it come true?
Answer:
The prophecy is a statement about some event in future. The people of the valley believed that the Stone Face was auspicious for them. It made the land fertile with its gaze.
The old prophecy about the Stone Face was that at some future day a child would be born there who will grow up to become great and noble. The child would look like the Stone Face. Some people thought it was just idle talk. It appears finally Ernest himself would be declared to be the great man resembling the Stone Face.

Question 2:
Who was Ernest? What personal qualities made him great?
Answer:
Ernest was a little boy who lived with his Mother in a valley. His interest grew in the Great Stone Face which smiled on him. His Mother told him the prophecy about that Face. The boy never forgot that story. He spent hours looking at that face. He regarded it as his teacher. He was inspired to be noble, kind and helpful. These qualities could make him the man with the likeness of the Face.

Honeydew Chapter 10 The Great Stone Face II

Comprehension Check (Page 136)

Questions:

Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

1.    Ernest’s words reminded people of the wise old sayings. __________

2.    Total strangers from far away, who visited Ernest in the valley, found his face familiar. _______

3.    The Great Stone Face confirmed Ernest’s view that the poet could be worthy of its likeness. _______

4.    When Ernest and the poet met, they respected and admired each other equally. ________

5.    The poet along with Ernest addressed the inhabitants of the valley. ___________

6.    The poet realised that Ernest’s thoughts were far nobler than his own verses. _________

Answers:

1.    True

2.    True

3.    False

4.    True

5.    False

6.    True

Working With the Text (Page 137)

Answer the following questions.
Question 1:
How was Ernest different from others in the valley?
Answer:
Ernest was unlike other commoners in the valley. He was a good, simple hearted, noble and thoughtful person. He had been under observation. He did not go with the crowd. He welcomed total strangers as the prophets.

Question 2:
Why did Ernest think the poet was like the Stone Face?
Answer:
The poet wrote wonderful songs. He had celebrated the Great stone Face in one of his poems. When Ernest read this poem he became convinced that the poet was like the stone face.

Question 3:
What did the poet himself say about his thoughts and poems?
Answer:
The poet confessed that he was not worthy to be compared with the Stone Face. His actions did not match with his thoughts.

Question 4:
What made the poet proclaim Ernest was the Stone Face?
Answer:
Ernest and the poet together went to a meeting place. Ernest addressed the gathering. His words had power and his thoughts had depth. They were the words of life, a life of good deeds and selfless love. The poet was convinced that Ernest – was much nobler than him. Ernest’s face had such a grand expression that he declared that Ernest bore the likeness of the Great Stone Face.

Question 5:
Write ‘Ernest’ or ‘Poet’, against each statement below.

(i) There was a gap between his life and his words.
(ii) His words had the power of truth as they agreed with his thoughts.
(iii) His words were as soothing as a heavenly song but only as useful as a vague dream.
(iv) His thoughts were worthy.
(v) Whatever he said was truth itself.
(vi) His poems were noble.
(vii) His life was nobler than all the poems.
(viii) He lacked faith in his own thoughts.
(ix) His thoughts had power as they agreed with the life he lived.
(x) Greatness lies in truth. Truth is best expressed in one’s actions. He was truthful, therefore he was great.

Answer:

(i) Poet           (ii) Ernest         (iii) Poet       (iv) Poet         (v) Ernest
(vi) Poet         (vii) Ernest      (viii) Poet     (ix) Ernest       (x) Ernest

Question 6:

(i) Who, by common consent, turned out to be like the Great Stone Face?
(ii) Did Ernest believe that the old prophecy had come true? What did he say about it?

Answer:

(i) Ernest was accepted by common consent exactly like the Great Stone Face.
(ii) No, Ernest still was not convinced that the old prophecy had come true. He hoped that some day, a man wiser and nobler than him would come, and would look truly similar to the Great Stone Face.

Working With Language (Page 137)

Question 1:
Mark the meaning that best fits the word or a phrase in the story.

(i) (sun) going down

(a) becoming smaller
(b) weakening
(c) setting

(ii) brightening

(a) making (it) look bright and cheerful
(b) lending (it) a special glow
(c) causing (it) to appear hopeful

(iii) spacious

(a) lonely and wild
(b) big and wide
(c) special and important

(iv) prophecy

(a) proverb
(b) prediction
(c) rumour

(v) marvellous

(a) wonderful
(b) surprising
(c) shocking

(vi) proclaim

(a) reveal
(b) declare
(c) shout

(vii) cease

(a) happen
(b) stop
(c) remain

(viii) (a night’s shelter)

(a) stay
(b) safety
(c) hospitality

(ix) gazed

(a) wandered about
(b) stared at
(c) thought of

(x) took on (an expression)

(a) challenged
(b) resembled
(c) assumed

Answers:

(i) c          (ii) a          (iii) b      (iv) b
(v) a         (vi) b         (vii) b      (viii) a
(ix) b        (x) c

Question 2:
(i) Read the following sentences.

(a) I do hope I’ll live to see him.
(b) He will come! Fear not, Earnest: the man will come.
(c) Gathergold is arriving tomorrow, people said.
(d) Blood-and-Thunder starts his journey back to the valley next week, everyone proclaimed.
(e) The great man is going to spend his old age in his native town.
Notice that in the above sentences, verbs in bold type are in four different forms, denoting four important ways of expressing future time. None of these can be said to be exclusively used to show future time, though each is used to refer to some action in future.

(ii) Which form of the verb is more natural in these sentences? Encircle your choice.

(a) I’m not free this evening. I will work/am working on a project.
(b) Have you decided where you will go for your higher secondary? Yes, I have. I will go/ am going to the Kendriya Vidyalaya.
(c) Don’t worry about the dog. It won’t hurt/isn’t hurting you
(d) The weatherman has predicted that it will snow/is snowing in Ranikhet tonight.
(e) Swapna can’t go out this evening. Her father will come/is coming to see her.

Answers:

(a) am working
(b) am going
(c) won’t hurt
(d) will snow
(e) is coming.

Question 3:
(i) Complete these pieces of conversation using will or going to with the verbs
Answer:

(a) am going to listen
(b) will lend
(c) is going to rain
(d) will have
(e) am going to make
(f) will go
(g) am going to get, will get

(ii) Let pairs of children take turns to speak aloud the dialogues.
Answer:
For class activity

Speaking and Writing (Page 139)

Question 1:
Each of the following words has the sound /f/ as in feel/ The words on the left have it initially. Those on the right have it finally. Speak each word clearly.

flail              life

philip          puff

flowed         deaf

fact              tough

fail               laugh

fast              stiff

Answer:

Attempt yourself.

Question 2:
Underline the letter or letters representing / f/in each of the following words.

file                      slough                faint                lift
cough                defence              afford             enough
photograph    staff                     tough              aloof
affront              philosophy       sophistry

Answer:

file                       slough                     faint                    life
cough                 defence                   afford                  enough
photograph       staff                         tough                  aloof
affront               philosophy              sophistry

Question 3:
Imagine that you are the poet. You have come to your native valley to meet a famous preacher called Ernest. the incident of your first meeting with him.
Answer:
I lived so far away from the valley. But I had heard about Ernest’s character and wisdom. One summer day I called on him. I found him reading a book. We sat down together and talked. I found Ernest wise, gentle and kind. Ernest greeted me warmly and called me a ‘gifted guest’ Then I introduced myself as one who wrote the po­ems Ernest was reading.
Ernest compared my face with the Stone Face. He had hoped to see the fulfilment of the prophecy but he was disappointed. I told him I was not worthy of that like­ness. I said that my thoughts and actions had no harmony.
I went with my host to a meeting place. I heard his address and found depth in his thoughts. In the golden light of the setting sun, Ernest appeared to me exactly like the Great Stone Face. The gathering also agreed with me.

Question 4:
(i) Put each of the following in the correct order to construct sentences.

·         a resident of Noida near Delhi/is visually impaired/George Abraham.

·         confidence and competitive spirit/and infuses discipline among the participants/It provides.

·         he has helped/The brain behind the World Cup Cricket, /the disabled to dream.

·         to the blind school in Delhi/It was a chance visit/that changed his life.

·         sport is a powerful tool/the disabled/He believes that/for rehabilitation of.

Answer:

·         George Abraham, a resident of Noida near Delhi, is visually impaired.

·         It provides confidence and competitive spirit and infuses discipline among the participants.

·         The brain behind the World Cup Cricket, he has helped the disabled to dream.

·         It was a chance visit to the blind school in Delhi that changed his life.

·         He believes that sport is a powerful tool for rehabilitation of the disabled.

(ii) Now rearrange the sentences above to construct a paragraph.

Answer:
George Abraham, a resident of Noida near Delhi, is visually impaired. The brain behind the World Cup Cricket, he has helped the disabled to dream. It was a chance visit to the blind school in Delhi that changed his life. He believes that sport is a powerful tool for rehabilitation of the disabled. It provides confidence and competitive spirit and infuses discipline among the participants.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What changes come to be seen in Ernest with passing of time?
Answer:
Ernest was now a man of middle age. His hairs turned white and there were wrinkles across his forehead and furrows in his cheeks. He had become wiser with profound thoughts. The valley people respected him and took his advice on several occasions.

Question 2:
Why did Ernest become sad after he examined the poet’s features?
Answer:
The poet had celebrated the Great Stone Face in one of his poems. When Ernest read that poem he became convinced that the poet had the likeness of the Great Stone Face. But when he met the poet, all his hopes shattered. He found no resemblance between the poet and the Stone Face. This was the reason why he became sad.

Question 3:
Why did the poet’s eyes fill with tears?
Answer:
The poet became sentimental to listen to Ernest. His words had power because they had depth. They were the words of life, a life of good deeds and selfless love. The poet felt that the life and character of Ernest were nobler strain of poetry that he had ever written. His eyes filled with tears and he said to himself that never was there so worthy a sage as that thoughtful face, with the glim of white hair diffused about it.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Give a character-sketch of Ernest.
Answer:
Ernest was a small boy when he became interested in the Great Stone Face. He felt that the face smiled on him. He wished to love the man with such a face. He was dutiful and helpful to his Mother. He grew up to be a gentle and quiet youth. He regarded the Stone Face as his teacher. He turned to the face for advice. He was not influnced by the common belief that Gathergold or Blood- and-Thunder General had any resemblance with the Stone Face. Even the poet’s face made him sad. And he was right when the poet himself admitted that he wasn’t worthy to be the likeness of the face. Finally, the same poet shouted with joy that Ernest himself was the likeness of the Stone Face. But Ernest remained humble to the last. He kept hoping that some wiser and better man than himself would appear.

Question 2:
How did Ernest feel when people hailed him as the likeness of the Stone face?
Answer:
Ernest was truly noble and humble. His deeds matched with his thoughts. He received the poet warmly. For a while he thought the writer of those poems was truly the greatest and wisest person. The poet and the people ultimately hailed him as the man with the likeness of the Stone Face. But Ernest did not agree with them. He kept hoping that a wiser and better man than himself would appear to make the prophecy true.

Question 3:
Describe in brief Ernest’s reaction on three occasions when Gathergold, General Blood-and-Thunder and the poet came to the valley.
Answer:
The inhabitants of the valley believed the story that one day a man bearing resemblance to the Stone Face would come there. The first one to arrive was a rich merchant Gathergold. The people were greatly excited. But Ernest noticed no resemblance between Gathergold’s face and that of the Stone Face. Likewise he did not agree with the people who welcomed General Blood-and-Thunder as the greatest man. But Ernest almost believed that the poet was the person he had been waiting for. But again he was disappointed. In fact, Ernest himself was accepted as the Prophet.

Honeydew Chapter 7 A Visit to Cambridge

Comprehension Check (Page 104)

Which is the right sentence?

Questions:

1. “Cambridge was my metaphor for England.” To the writer
(i) Cambridge was a reputed university in England.
(ii) England was famous for Cambridge.
(iii) Cambridge was the real England.

2. The writer phoned Stephen Hawking’s house
(i) From the nearest phone booth.
(ii) From outside a phone booth.
(iii) From inside a phone booth.

3. Every time he spoke to the scientist, the writer felt guilty because
(i) He wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask.
(ii) He forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.
(iii) He was face to face with a legend.

4. “I felt a huge relief…in the possibilities of my body.” In the given context, the highlighted words refer to
(i) Shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.
(ii) Standing up, walking.
(iii) Speaking, writing.

Answers:

1.    (ii) England was famous for Cambridge.

2.    (i) From the nearest phone-booth.

3.    (ii) He forced the scientist to use his voice synthesiser.

4.    (i) Shifting in the wheelchair, turning the wrist.

Working With the Text (Page 104)

Answer the following Questions.

Question 1:

1.    Did the prospect of meeting Stephen Hawking make the writer nervous? If so, why?

2.    Did he at the same time feel very excited? If so, why?

Answer:

1.    The writer felt nervous because he was doubtful whether he would be granted the interview.

2.    He felt excited at the same time because he had been there to see Prof. Hawking for half an hour.

Question 2:
Guess the first question put to the scientist by the writer.
Answer:
The writer’s first question might be about Hawking’s disability and how he had accepted it.

Question 3:
Stephen Hawking said, “I’ve had no choice.” Does the writer think there was a choice? What was it?
Answer:
Living creatively with the reality of his weakening body was a choice.

Question 4:
“I could feel his anguish.” What could be the anguish?
Answer:
Prof. Hawking’s mind was full of great ideas but he couldn’t speak them out clearly and forcefully.

Question 5:
What endeared the scientist to the writer so that he said he was looking at one of the most beautiful men in the world?
Answer:
Prof. Hawking’s one-way smile.

Question 6:
Read aloud the description of ‘the beautiful’ man. Which is the most beautiful sentence in the description?
Answer:
The line is “before you like a lantern whose walls are worn so thin, you glimpse only the light inside, is the incandescence of a man”.

Question 7:

1.    If ‘the lantern’ is the man, what would its ‘walls’ be?

2.    What is housed within the thin walls?

3.    What general conclusion does the writer draw from this comparison?

Answer:

1.    The walls of the lantern in Hawking’s case were his skeleton like physical structure.

2.    The glow of the eternal soul was housed within the thin walls of his body,

3.    The writer draws conclusion that the eternal soul is more important than the body.

Question 8:
What is the scientist’s message for the disabled?
Answer:
Prof. Hawking’s message for the disabled is that they should concentrate on what they are good at. It is foolish to try to copy the normal people.

Question 9:
Why does the writer refer to the guitar incident? Which idea does it support?
Answer:
The writer spent many years trying to play a big Spanish guitar. One night he loosened the strings joyfully. This incident supports the idea that the disabled people should practise only what they are good at.

Question 10:
The writer expresses his great gratitude to Stephen Hawking. What is the gratitude for?
Answer:
The author felt much inspired after meeting with Stephen Hawking. Therefore he felt grateful to him.

Question 11:
Complete the following sentences taking their appropriate parts from both the boxes below.

1.    There was his assistant on the line…

2.    You get fed up with people asking you to be brave….

3.    There he was ………

4.    You look at his eyes which can speak, ……..

5.    It doesn’t do much good to know…

A

·         tapping at a little switch in his hand

·         and I told him

·         that there are people

·         as if you have a courage account

·         and they are saying something huge and urgent

B

·         trying to find the words on his computer.

·         I had come in a wheelchair from India.

·         on which you are too lazy to draw a cheque.

·         smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.

·         it is hard to tell what.

Answer:

1.    There was his assistant on the line and I told him I had come in a wheelchair from India.

2.    You get fed up with people asking you to be brave, as if you have a courage account on which you are too
lazy to draw a cheque.

3.    There he was tapping at a little switch in his hand, trying to find the words on his computer.

4.    You look at his eyes which can speak and they are saying something huge and urgent it is hard to tell what.

5.    It doesn’t do much good to know that there are people smiling with admiration to see you breathing still.

Working With Language (Page 106)

Question 1:
Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using the appropriate forms of the words given in the following box.

guide , succeed , chair , travel,  pale , draw  ,true

1.    I met a_________ from an antique land.

2.    I need special_________ in mathematics. I can’t count the number of times I have failed in the subject.

3.    The guide called Stephen Hawking a worthy__________ to Issac Newton.

4.    His other problems ________ into insignificance beside this unforeseen mis­hap.

5.    The meeting was by the youngest member of the board.

6.    Some people say “yours________ ’when they informally refer to themselves.

7.    I wish it had been a________ We would have been spared the noise of celebrations, at least.

Answer:

1.    traveller

2.    guidance

3.    successor

4.    paled

5.    chaired

6.    truly

7.    drawn

Question 2:
Look at the following words.

walk   stick

Can you create a meaningful phrase using both these words? (It is simple. Add ing to the verb and use it before the noun. Put an article at the beginning.) …a walking stick
Now make six such phrases using the words given in the box.

read / session                  smile / face                    revolve / chair
walk / tour                      dance / doll                    win / chance

Answer:

1.    a reading session

2.    a smiling face

3.    a revolving chair

4.    a walking tour

5.    a dancing doll

6.    a winning chance

Question 3:
Use all or both in the blanks. Tell your partner why you chose one or the other.

1.    He has two brothers. _________are lawyers.

2.    More than ten persons called. _________ of them wanted to see you.

3.    They_________cheered the team.

4.    _________ her parents are teachers.

5.    How much have you got? Give me_____ of it.

Answer:
(i) Both (ii) All (iii) all (iv) Both (v) all

Question 4:
Complete each sentence using the right form of the adjective given in brackets,

1.    My friend has one of the cars on the road, (fast)

2.    This is the _________ story I have ever read, (interesting)

3.    What you are doing now is_________ than what you did yesterday, (easy)

4.    Ramesh and his wife are both________ (short)

5.    He arrived________ as usual. Even the chief guest came________than he did. (late, early)

Answer:

1.    fastest

2.    most interesting

3.    easier

4.    short

5.    late, earlier

Speaking and Writing (Page 107)

Question 1:
Say the following words with correct stress. Pronounce the parts given in colour loudly and clearly.

(i) In a word having more than one syllable, the stressed syllable is the one that is more prominent than the other syllable(s)
(ii) A word has as many syllables as it has vowels.

(iii) The mark (‘) indicates that the first syllable in ’manner’ is more prominent than the other.
Answer:
Attempt yourself.

Question 2:
Underline stressed syllables in the following words. Consult the dictionary or ask the teacher if necessary.

Answer:
Attempt yourself.

Question 3:
Writing a notice for the School Notice Board.

Step 1
Discuss why notices are put up on the notice board.
What kinds of “notices’ have you lately seen on the board?
How is a notice different from a letter or a descriptive paragraph?

Step 2
Suppose you have lost or found something on the campus.
What have you lost or found?
You want to write a notice about it. If you have lost something, you want it restored to you in case someone has found it. If you have found something, you want to return it to its owner.

Step 3
Write a few lines describing the object you have lost or found. Mention the purpose of the notice in clear terms. Also write your name, class, section and date.

Step 4
Let one member of each group read aloud the notice to the entire class. Com­pare your notice with the other notices, and make changes, if necessary, with the help of the teacher.
Or

·         Imagine that you are a journalist.

·         You have been asked to interview the president of the village panchayat.

·         Write eight to ten questions you wish to ask.

·         The questions should elicit comments as well as plans regarding water and electricity, cleanliness and school education in the village.

Or
The questions that I would ask the president of the Village Panchayat:

1. What steps will you take for the development of education in your area?
2. What will you do for health facilities?
3. What will you do for roads?
4. What will you do for civil amenities?
5. How will you improve agriculture of your village?
6. What will you do for farmers?
7. What do you plan for female child promotion?

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Who is Stephen Hawking?
Answer:
Stephen Hawking is a great scientist, an astrophysicist. But he is disabled. He has written the book ‘A Brief History of Time’. He can express himself only through a computer.

Question 2:
What took the author Firdaus to England? Why did he wish to see Hawking?
Answer:
Firdaus Kanga visited Britain in order to write a book about his travels. He himself could move only in a wheel-chair. On the advice of his guide, Kanga planned to meet the most brilliant and completely paralysed astrophysicist (Hawking) in Cambridge.

Question 3:
How did Kanga fix the interview with Hawking?
Answer:
Kanga phoned Hawking and requested the scientist’s assistant to arrange the interview. He asked for ten minutes but he got half an hour.

Question 4:
What advice do people usually give to the disabled? Was Hawking brave by choice?
Answer:
The people generally advise the disabled to be brave. Hawking admitted truthfully that he hadn’t been brave. In fact, he had had no choice.

Question 5:
What advice does the scientist give to the handicapped?
Answer:
He advises the disabled people to concentrate on what they are good at. They should not try to copy the normal people.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Write about Stephen Hawking and Firdaus Kanga.
Answer:
Both of them are disabled people. Stephen Hawking is one of the greatest scien­tists of our time. He suffers from paralysis that confines him to a wheelchair, and allows him to ‘speak’ only by punching buttons on a computer, which speaks for him in a machine like voice.
Firdaus Kanga is a writer and journalist. He lives and works in Mumbai. He was born with ‘brittle bones’ that tended to break easily when he was a child. Like Hawking, Kanga moves around in a wheelchair.

Question 2:
Why did the writer feel guilty talking to Stephen Hawking?
Answer:
The writer felt guilty every time he spoke to Stephen Hawking because by doing this he forced him to respond. There he (Hawking) was, tapping at the little switch in his hand, trying to find the words on his computer with the only bit of movement left to him, his long, pale fingers. His eyes would often shut in frustrated exhaustion. The writer could feel his anguish but he had no option. He had gone to his house to talk to him on certain points.

Honeydew Chapter 8 A Short Monsoon Diary

Comprehension Check (Page 115)

Questions:

1.    Why is the author not able to see Bijju?

2.    What are the two ways in which the hills appear to change when the mist comes up?

Answers:

1.    The author could not see Bijju because of the mist that concealed the hills. He could only hear his voice but could not see him.

2.    When the mist comes up, it covers the hills and spreads silence.

Comprehension Check (Page 117)

Questions:

1.    When does the monsoon season begin and when does it end? How do you prepare to face the monsoon?

2.    Which hill-station does the author describe in the diary entry?

3.    For how many days does it rain without stopping? What does the author do on these days?

4.    Where do the snakes and rodents take shelter? Why?

5.    What did the author receive in the mail?

Answers:

1.    The monsoon season in Mussorie begins from June 24/25. By August 2, the people are fed up with rain. It ends by August 31. Then begins winter rains which end by late March. We take out our rain coats and umbrellas to face the monsoon.

2.    Mussoorie

3.    It rains non-stop for eight or nine days. The author keeps pacing the room and looking out of the window.

4.    The rodents and snakes take shelter in roofs, attics and godowns. They do so because their holes are flooded with rain water.

5.    The author received a cheque in the mail.

Working With the Text (Page 118)

Question 1:
Look carefully at the diary entries for June 24-25, August 2 and March 23. Now write down the changes that happen as the rains progress from June to March.
Answer:
Rains in Mussoorie begin in June and end by March. June 24 is the first day of monsoon mist which covered the hills and spreads silence. On August 2 it rained all night and made sleeping difficult. By late March ends winter as well as the rains.

Question 2:
Why did the grandmother ask the children not to kill the Chuchundar?
Answer:
The grandmother told the children not to kill the Chuchundars because they brought good luck and money.

Question 3:
What signs do we find in Nature which show that the monsoons are about to end?
Answer:
By the end of the monsoon the greenery is at its peak. The seeds of the cobra lily turn red. A rainbow is formed in the sky.

Question 4:
Complete the following sentences.

1.    Bijju is not seen but his voice is heard because__________ .

2.    The writer describes the hill station and valley as _________ .

3.    The leopard was’ successful in________ but had to flee when

4.    The minivets are easily noticed because _________ .

5.    It looks like a fashion display on the slopes when_________.

6.    During the monsoon season, snakes and rodents are found in roofs and attics because _________.

Answer:

1.    dense mist covers and hides the hills.

2.    ‘A paradise that might have been.’

3.    killing a dog but had to flee when Bijju’s mother arrived crying curses.

4.    of their bright colours.

5.    they are covered by a variety of flowers.

6.    their holes are flooded with water and these places provide them conve­nient shelter.

Question 5:
‘Although tin roofs are given to springing unaccountable leaks, there is a feeling of being untouched by, and yet in touch with, the rain.’

1.    Why has the writer used the word, ‘springing’?

2.    How is the writer untouched by the rain?

3.    How is the writer in touch with the rain at the same time?

Answer:

1.    The word ‘springing’ is used to show suddenness with which water starts leaking.

2.    Because he is inside the room.

3.    He hears the drumming of rain on the tin roof. He also looks out of the window to see the rains.

Question 6:
Mention a few things that can happen when there is endless rain for days together?
Answer:
A long spell of rain makes life miserable. One is closed up in his room. Everything becomes damp and soggy. Rodents, snakes and insects enter the house for shelter.

Question 7:
What is the significance of cobra lily in relation to the monsoon season, its beginning and end?
Answer:
At first cobra lily appears with the arrival of the monsoon. When the cobra seeds begin to turn red, it indicates the rains are coming to an end.

Working With Language (Page 118)

Question 1:
Here are some words that are associated with the monsoon. Add as many words as you can to this list. Can you find words for these in your languages?

downpour  floods   mist   cloudy   powercuts   cold   umbrella

Answer:
rain, water, fog, raincoats, thunder, dampness, lakes etc.
In my language I find the alternative words like the following:
बौछार , बूंदाबांदी , तुषार, धुंध , सीत , छतरी, रेनकोट , आंधी , इत्यादी l

Question 2:
Look at the sentences below.
(i) Bijju wandered into the garden in the evening.
(ii) The trees were ringing with birdsong.
Notice the highlighted verb.
The verb wandered tells us what Bijju did that evening. But the verb was ringing tells us what was happening continually at same time in the past (the birds were chirping in the trees).
Now look the at sentences below. They tell us about something that happened in the past. They also tell us about other things that happened continually* at the same time in the past.

Put the verbs in the brackets into their proper forms. The first one is done for you.

1.    We (get out) of the school bus. The bell (ring) and everyone (rush) to class.

2.    The traffic (stop). Some people (sit) on the road and they (shout) slogans.

3.    I (wear) my raincoat. It (rain) and people (get) wet.

4.    She (see) a film. She (narrate) it to her friends who (listen) carefully.

5.    We (go) to the exhibition. Some people (buy) clothes while others (play) games,

6.    The class (is) quiet. Some children (read) books and the rest (draw).

Answer:

1.    We got out of the school bus. The bell was ringing and everyone was rushing to class.

2.    The traffic stopped. Some people were sitting on the road and they were shouting slogans.

3.    I wore my raincoat. It was raining and people were getting wet.

4.    She saw a film. She was narrating it to her friends who were listening carefully,

5.    We went to the exhibition. Some people were buying clothes while others were playing games.

6.    The class was quiet. Some children were reading books and the rest were drawing.

Question 3:
Here are some words from the lesson which describe different kinds of sounds.

drum  swish  tinkle  caw  drip

(i) Match these words with their correct meanings.

1.    to fall in small drops.

2.    to make a sound by hitting a surface repeatedly.

3.    to move quickly through the air, making a soft sound.

4.    harsh sound made by birds.

5.    ringing sound (of a bell or breaking glass, etc.).

(ii) Now fill in the blanks using the correct form of the words given above.

1.    Ramesh _______ on his desk in impatience.

2.    Rain water_____ from the umbrella all over the carpet.

3.    The pony______ its tail.

4.    The_____ of breaking glass woke me up.

5.    The_____ of the raven disturbed the child’s sleep.

Answer:

(i) (1) drip (2) drum (3) swish (4) caw (5) tinkle.
(ii) (1) drummed (2) dripped (3) was swishing (4) tinkle (5) caw

Question 4:
And sure enough. I received a cheque in the mail.
Complete each sentence below by using appropriate phrase from the ones given below.

sure enough            colourful enough        serious enough
kind enough           big enough                    fair enough
brave enough         foolish enough           anxious enough

1.    I saw thick black clouds in the sky and___ ____ it soon started raining heavily.

2.    The blue umbrella was___ ____ for the brother and sister.

3.    The butterflies are___ _____ to get noticed.

4.    The lady was___ _____to chase the leopard.

5.    The boy was____ ____ to call out to his sister.

6.    The man was____ ____ to offer help.

7.    The victim’s injury was____ _____ for him to get admitted in hospital.

8.    That person was____ _____ to repeat the same mistake again.

9.    He told me he was sorry and he would compensate for the loss. I said, ‘___ _____’.

Answer:

1.    sure enough

2.    big enough

3.    colourful enough

4.    brave enough

5.    anxious enough

6.    kind enough

7.    serious enough

8.    foolish enough

9.    Fair enough

Speaking (Page 120)

Question 1:
Do you believe in superstitions? Why, or why not? Working with your partner, write down three superstitious beliefs that you are familiar with.
Answer:
Truly speaking, I don’t believe in superstitions. These are blind beliefs. The ignorant and conservative people observe them. Superstitions have no scientific base or proof. The common superstitions are:
(i) 13 is an ominous number.
(ii) Don’t start a new project on Saturday.
(iii) Stop if a black cat crosses your path.

Question 2:
How many different kinds of birds do you come across in the lesson? How many varieties do you see in your neighbourhood? Are there any birds that you used to see earlier in your neighbourhood but not now? In groups discuss why you think this is happening.
Answer:
We come across different kinds of birds in this lesson. These are minivets, drongos, tree creepers and crows. We see sparrows, pigeons, and nightingales in our neighbourhood. Earlier we used to see big birds like kites and parrots in our neighbourhood. But these have become extinct now.

Writing (Page 121)

Question 1:
The monsoons are a time of great fun and even a few adventures: playing in the rain and getting wet, wading through knee-deep water on your way to school, wa­ter flooding the house or the classroom, power cuts and so on. Write a paragraph describing an incident that occurred during the rains which you can never forget.
(See NCERT Text Book Page 121)
Or
Write a poem of your own about the season of spring when trees are in full bloom.
Answer:
Attempt it yourself.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What is a diary? What do the extracts from Ruskin Bond’s diary portray?
Answer:
A diary is a record of personal experiences/events that occur in one’s life. It is written day after day over a long period of time. The extracts from Ruskin Bond’s diary portray monsoon season and the changes that occur as the rains progress from June to March.

Question 2:
How does the author describe the first day of monsoon mist?
Answer:
On the first day of monsoon mist all the birds suddenly fall silent and with it absolute silence is spread. The hills got hidden by the mist. The forest is deadly still as though it were midnight.

Question 3:
How does the author describe the scarlet minivets?
Answer:
The scarlet minivets are seen during rainy season. They flit silently among the leaves like brilliant jewels. No matter how leafy the trees, these brightly coloured birds cannot hide themselves.

Question 4:
Why couldn’t the author sleep on August 2 night?
Answer:
On August 2 it rained throughout the night. The rain had been drumming on the corrugated tin roof. There had been a steady swish of a tropical downpour. The author, therefore, couldn’t sleep.

Question 5:
What happened on August 12?
Answer:
Heavy downpour started on August 12. The rain continued for eight or nine days. Everything got damp and soggy. The author had to stay inside during these days.

Question 6:
Name the flowers that you come across in the lesson.
Answer:
Wild balsom, dahlias, begonias, ground orchids, cobra lilies etc.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Who are the seasonal visitors? How does the author describe them?
Answer:
The seasonal visitors are a leopard, several thousand leeches and different kinds of birds. The leopard created nuisance. It lifted a dog from near the servants’ quarter below the school. In the evening, it attacked one of Bijju’s cows. The scarlet minivets flitted silently among the leaves like brilliant jewels. No matter how leafy the trees, these brightly coloured birds could not conceal themselves. There was also a pair of drongos. They looked aggressive and chased the minivets away.
A tree creeper moved rapidly up the trunk of the oak tree, snapping up insects, all the way.

Question 2:
Sum up the main ideas of the author’s Monsoon Diary in about 100 words.
Answer:
The writer was in Mussoorie, a hill station in U.P. The first day of monsoon brought mist. The birds got silent and the hills became invisible. On June 25, came the early monsoon rain. He described the hill station as A paradise’ that might have been’ to a school boy. With the onset of the monsoon one could see leopards and leeches and the colourful minivet birds. There was no dearth of insects for the birds to eat. On August 2, it rained heavily and non-stop. The roofs began to leak. The rain stopped on August 3. The sunlight fell on the hills and the song birds began to sing. On August 12, there was heavy downpour and mist for more than a week. Everything was damp. Meanwhile wild flowers began to appear. August 31 saw the greenery at its peak. Snakes and rodents came out of their flooded holes and hid in roofs or godowns. Winter rain, hailstones and snow came on October 3. The author couldn’t go outside and he felt very lonely in his room. Late March saw the end of winter. He received a cheque in the mail.

Honeydew Chapter 9 The Great Stone Face I

COMPREHENSION CHECK (PAGE 129)

Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

1.    The Great Stone Face stood near where Ernest and his mother lived.

2.    One would clearly distinguish the features of the Stone Face only from a distance.

3.    Ernest loved his mother and helped her in her work.

4.    Though not very rich, Gathergold was a skilful merchant.

5.    Gathergold died in poverty and neglect.

6.    The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Ernest should not fear the general.

Answer:

1.    False

2.    True

3.    True

4.    False

5.    True

6.    True

WORKING WITH THE TEXT (Page 130)

Answer the following questions.
Question 1:

1.    What was the Great Stone Face?

2.    What did Young Ernest wish when he gazed at it?

Answer:

1.    The Great Stone Face was the work of nature. The rocks were put one over the other on the mountain side. They resembled the features of a human face.

2.    Young Ernest wished that the stone face could speak. He wished to love the man dearly whoever resembled that face.

Question 2:
What was the story attributed to the Stone Face?
Answer:
The story attributed to the Stone Face was that some day a child with the likeness of that face would be born. He would become the greatest and noblest person of his age.

Question 3:
What gave the people of the valley the idea that the prophecy was about to come true for the first time?
Answer:
A youngman named Gathergold had left the valley many years ago. By the time he grew old, he had grown rich. When he returned to his native valley, a rumour spread that he resembled the Stone Face. People thought that the prophecy had come true.

Question 4:

1.    Did Ernest see in Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face?

2.    Who did he confide in and how was he proved right?

Answer:

1.    No, Ernest did not see any likeness of the Stone Face in Gathergold.

2.    He confided in the Great Stone Face. After Gathergold’s death as his wealth and gold had already disappeared, it was generally agreed that Gathergold had no resemblance with the Great Stone Face.

Question 5:

1.    What made people believe General Blood- and-Thunder was their man?

2.    Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face. What did he conclude?

Answer:

1.    General Blood-and-thunder had risen to high position from a soldier. When he returned to the valley, his childhood friends said that the General had always looked like the Stone Face.

2.    Ernest could not find any likeness between the General and the Stone Face.

WORKING WITH THE LANGUAGE (Page 130)

Question 1:
Look at the following words.
Like — likeness
punctual — punctuality
The words on the left are adjectives and those on the right are their noun forms.
Write the noun forms of the following words by adding -ness or -itv to them appropriately. Check the spelling of the new words.

1.    lofty _____________

2.    able _____________

3.    happy _____________

4.    near _____________

5.    noble _____________

6.    pleasant _____________

7.    dense _____________

8.    great _____________

9.    stable _____________

Answer:

1.    loftiness

2.    ability

3.    happiness

4.    nearness

5.    nobility

6.    enormity

7.    pleasantness

8.    density

9.    greatness

10.  stability

Question 2:
Add-iv to each of the following adjectives, then use them to fill in the blanks.

1.    Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were ______ waiting for you.

2.    ______ write your name and address in capital letters.

3.    I was______ surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.

4.    It is______ believable that I am not responsible for this mess.

5.    He fell over the step and ______ broke his arm.

Answer:

1.    eagerly

2.    kindly

3.    pleasantly

4.    perfectly

5.    nearly

Question 3:
Complete each sentence below using the appropriate forms of the verbs in brackets.

1.    I ______ (phone) you when I (get) home from school.

2.    Hurry up! Madam  ______ (be) annoyed if we ______ (be) late.

3.    If it ______ (rain) today, we ______ (not) go to the play.

4.    When you  ______ (see) Mandal again, you  ______ (not/recognise) him. He is growing a beard.

5.    We are off today. We  ______  (write) to you after we ______ (be) back.

Answer:

1.    shall phone: get

2.    will be; are

3.    rains, shall not go

4.    see; will not recognise

5.    shall write; are

SPEAKING AND WRITING (Page 131)

Question 1:
Imagine you are Ernest. Narrate the story that his mother told him.
Begin like this: My mother and I were sitting at the door of our cottage. We were looking at the Great Stone Face. I asked her if she had ever seen any one who looked like the Stone Face. Then she told me this story.
Answer:
She had heard that story from her own Mother that some day a child would be born resembling the Stone Face. In manhood he would become the greatest and noblest person of his time.

Question 2:
Imagine you are Gathergold. Write briefly the incident of your return to the valley.
Begin like this: My name is Gathergold. I left the valley of the Great Stone Face fifty years ago. I am now going back home. Will the people of the valley welcome me? Do they know that I am very rich?
Answer:
I drove to my native village in a horse drawn carriage. The people mistook me for the Great Stone Face. They welcomed me and shouted, “Sure enough, the old prophecy is true and the great man has arrived at last”.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What is the significance of the Great Stone Face?
Answer:
The Stone Face was a work of nature. It was formed on the side of a mountain by rocks. Viewed from a distance, those rocks looked like the features of a human face. People linked stories to that face. The people living in that valley believed that some day a great and noble person with the likeness of that face would come.

Question 2:
What did the spectator see when he went near the Great Stone Face?
Answer:
When the spectator went near the Great Stone Face, he lost the outline of the enormous face and could see only a heap of gigantic rocks, piled one upon an¬other.

Question 3:
How did Ernest grow up to be a mild and quiet youth?
Answer:
Ernest never forgot of the story that his mother told him. He was dutiful to his mother and helpful to her many things, assisting her much with his little hands, and .more with his loving heart. In this manner he grew up to be a mild and quiet youth.

Question 4:
How did Gathergold become rich?
Answer:
Gathergold was a young man when he left his native valley and settled at a distant seaport. He set up there as a shopkeeper. He was very sharp in business matters and therefore became very rich in a very short span of time.

Question 5:
How did people’s opinion change about Gathergold after his death?
Answer:
Gathergold died one day. His wealth had disappeared before his death. Since the melting away of his gold, it had been generally believed that there was no like¬ness between the ruined merchant and the majestic face upon the mountain.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What was the prophecy connected with the Stone Face? Did it come true?
Answer:
The prophecy is a statement about some event in future. The people of the valley believed that the Stone Face was auspicious for them. It made the land fertile with its gaze.
The old prophecy about the Stone Face was that at some future day a child would be born there who will grow up to become great and noble. The child would look like the Stone Face. Some people thought it was just idle talk. It appears finally Ernest himself would be declared to be the great man resembling the Stone Face.

Question 2:
Who was Ernest? What personal qualities made him great?
Answer:
Ernest was a little boy who lived with his Mother in a valley. His interest grew in the Great Stone Face which smiled on him. His Mother told him the prophecy about that Face. The boy never forgot that story. He spent hours looking at that face. He regarded it as his teacher. He was inspired to be noble, kind and helpful. These qualities could make him the man with the likeness of the Face.

Honeydew Chapter 10 The Great Stone Face II

Comprehension Check (Page 136)

Questions:

Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

1.    Ernest’s words reminded people of the wise old sayings. __________

2.    Total strangers from far away, who visited Ernest in the valley, found his face familiar. _______

3.    The Great Stone Face confirmed Ernest’s view that the poet could be worthy of its likeness. _______

4.    When Ernest and the poet met, they respected and admired each other equally. ________

5.    The poet along with Ernest addressed the inhabitants of the valley. ___________

6.    The poet realised that Ernest’s thoughts were far nobler than his own verses. _________

Answers:

1.    True

2.    True

3.    False

4.    True

5.    False

6.    True

Working With the Text (Page 137)

Answer the following questions.
Question 1:
How was Ernest different from others in the valley?
Answer:
Ernest was unlike other commoners in the valley. He was a good, simple hearted, noble and thoughtful person. He had been under observation. He did not go with the crowd. He welcomed total strangers as the prophets.

Question 2:
Why did Ernest think the poet was like the Stone Face?
Answer:
The poet wrote wonderful songs. He had celebrated the Great stone Face in one of his poems. When Ernest read this poem he became convinced that the poet was like the stone face.

Question 3:
What did the poet himself say about his thoughts and poems?
Answer:
The poet confessed that he was not worthy to be compared with the Stone Face. His actions did not match with his thoughts.

Question 4:
What made the poet proclaim Ernest was the Stone Face?
Answer:
Ernest and the poet together went to a meeting place. Ernest addressed the gathering. His words had power and his thoughts had depth. They were the words of life, a life of good deeds and selfless love. The poet was convinced that Ernest – was much nobler than him. Ernest’s face had such a grand expression that he declared that Ernest bore the likeness of the Great Stone Face.

Question 5:
Write ‘Ernest’ or ‘Poet’, against each statement below.

(i) There was a gap between his life and his words.
(ii) His words had the power of truth as they agreed with his thoughts.
(iii) His words were as soothing as a heavenly song but only as useful as a vague dream.
(iv) His thoughts were worthy.
(v) Whatever he said was truth itself.
(vi) His poems were noble.
(vii) His life was nobler than all the poems.
(viii) He lacked faith in his own thoughts.
(ix) His thoughts had power as they agreed with the life he lived.
(x) Greatness lies in truth. Truth is best expressed in one’s actions. He was truthful, therefore he was great.

Answer:

(i) Poet           (ii) Ernest         (iii) Poet       (iv) Poet         (v) Ernest
(vi) Poet         (vii) Ernest      (viii) Poet     (ix) Ernest       (x) Ernest

Question 6:

(i) Who, by common consent, turned out to be like the Great Stone Face?
(ii) Did Ernest believe that the old prophecy had come true? What did he say about it?

Answer:

(i) Ernest was accepted by common consent exactly like the Great Stone Face.
(ii) No, Ernest still was not convinced that the old prophecy had come true. He hoped that some day, a man wiser and nobler than him would come, and would look truly similar to the Great Stone Face.

Working With Language (Page 137)

Question 1:
Mark the meaning that best fits the word or a phrase in the story.

(i) (sun) going down

(a) becoming smaller
(b) weakening
(c) setting

(ii) brightening

(a) making (it) look bright and cheerful
(b) lending (it) a special glow
(c) causing (it) to appear hopeful

(iii) spacious

(a) lonely and wild
(b) big and wide
(c) special and important

(iv) prophecy

(a) proverb
(b) prediction
(c) rumour

(v) marvellous

(a) wonderful
(b) surprising
(c) shocking

(vi) proclaim

(a) reveal
(b) declare
(c) shout

(vii) cease

(a) happen
(b) stop
(c) remain

(viii) (a night’s shelter)

(a) stay
(b) safety
(c) hospitality

(ix) gazed

(a) wandered about
(b) stared at
(c) thought of

(x) took on (an expression)

(a) challenged
(b) resembled
(c) assumed

Answers:

(i) c          (ii) a          (iii) b      (iv) b
(v) a         (vi) b         (vii) b      (viii) a
(ix) b        (x) c

Question 2:
(i) Read the following sentences.

(a) I do hope I’ll live to see him.
(b) He will come! Fear not, Earnest: the man will come.
(c) Gathergold is arriving tomorrow, people said.
(d) Blood-and-Thunder starts his journey back to the valley next week, everyone proclaimed.
(e) The great man is going to spend his old age in his native town.
Notice that in the above sentences, verbs in bold type are in four different forms, denoting four important ways of expressing future time. None of these can be said to be exclusively used to show future time, though each is used to refer to some action in future.

(ii) Which form of the verb is more natural in these sentences? Encircle your choice.

(a) I’m not free this evening. I will work/am working on a project.
(b) Have you decided where you will go for your higher secondary? Yes, I have. I will go/ am going to the Kendriya Vidyalaya.
(c) Don’t worry about the dog. It won’t hurt/isn’t hurting you
(d) The weatherman has predicted that it will snow/is snowing in Ranikhet tonight.
(e) Swapna can’t go out this evening. Her father will come/is coming to see her.

Answers:

(a) am working
(b) am going
(c) won’t hurt
(d) will snow
(e) is coming.

Question 3:
(i) Complete these pieces of conversation using will or going to with the verbs
Answer:

(a) am going to listen
(b) will lend
(c) is going to rain
(d) will have
(e) am going to make
(f) will go
(g) am going to get, will get

(ii) Let pairs of children take turns to speak aloud the dialogues.
Answer:
For class activity

Speaking and Writing (Page 139)

Question 1:
Each of the following words has the sound /f/ as in feel/ The words on the left have it initially. Those on the right have it finally. Speak each word clearly.

flail              life

philip          puff

flowed         deaf

fact              tough

fail               laugh

fast              stiff

Answer:

Attempt yourself.

Question 2:
Underline the letter or letters representing / f/in each of the following words.

file                      slough                faint                lift
cough                defence              afford             enough
photograph    staff                     tough              aloof
affront              philosophy       sophistry

Answer:

file                       slough                     faint                    life
cough                 defence                   afford                  enough
photograph       staff                         tough                  aloof
affront               philosophy              sophistry

Question 3:
Imagine that you are the poet. You have come to your native valley to meet a famous preacher called Ernest. the incident of your first meeting with him.
Answer:
I lived so far away from the valley. But I had heard about Ernest’s character and wisdom. One summer day I called on him. I found him reading a book. We sat down together and talked. I found Ernest wise, gentle and kind. Ernest greeted me warmly and called me a ‘gifted guest’ Then I introduced myself as one who wrote the po­ems Ernest was reading.
Ernest compared my face with the Stone Face. He had hoped to see the fulfilment of the prophecy but he was disappointed. I told him I was not worthy of that like­ness. I said that my thoughts and actions had no harmony.
I went with my host to a meeting place. I heard his address and found depth in his thoughts. In the golden light of the setting sun, Ernest appeared to me exactly like the Great Stone Face. The gathering also agreed with me.

Question 4:
(i) Put each of the following in the correct order to construct sentences.

·         a resident of Noida near Delhi/is visually impaired/George Abraham.

·         confidence and competitive spirit/and infuses discipline among the participants/It provides.

·         he has helped/The brain behind the World Cup Cricket, /the disabled to dream.

·         to the blind school in Delhi/It was a chance visit/that changed his life.

·         sport is a powerful tool/the disabled/He believes that/for rehabilitation of.

Answer:

·         George Abraham, a resident of Noida near Delhi, is visually impaired.

·         It provides confidence and competitive spirit and infuses discipline among the participants.

·         The brain behind the World Cup Cricket, he has helped the disabled to dream.

·         It was a chance visit to the blind school in Delhi that changed his life.

·         He believes that sport is a powerful tool for rehabilitation of the disabled.

(ii) Now rearrange the sentences above to construct a paragraph.

Answer:
George Abraham, a resident of Noida near Delhi, is visually impaired. The brain behind the World Cup Cricket, he has helped the disabled to dream. It was a chance visit to the blind school in Delhi that changed his life. He believes that sport is a powerful tool for rehabilitation of the disabled. It provides confidence and competitive spirit and infuses discipline among the participants.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What changes come to be seen in Ernest with passing of time?
Answer:
Ernest was now a man of middle age. His hairs turned white and there were wrinkles across his forehead and furrows in his cheeks. He had become wiser with profound thoughts. The valley people respected him and took his advice on several occasions.

Question 2:
Why did Ernest become sad after he examined the poet’s features?
Answer:
The poet had celebrated the Great Stone Face in one of his poems. When Ernest read that poem he became convinced that the poet had the likeness of the Great Stone Face. But when he met the poet, all his hopes shattered. He found no resemblance between the poet and the Stone Face. This was the reason why he became sad.

Question 3:
Why did the poet’s eyes fill with tears?
Answer:
The poet became sentimental to listen to Ernest. His words had power because they had depth. They were the words of life, a life of good deeds and selfless love. The poet felt that the life and character of Ernest were nobler strain of poetry that he had ever written. His eyes filled with tears and he said to himself that never was there so worthy a sage as that thoughtful face, with the glim of white hair diffused about it.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Give a character-sketch of Ernest.
Answer:
Ernest was a small boy when he became interested in the Great Stone Face. He felt that the face smiled on him. He wished to love the man with such a face. He was dutiful and helpful to his Mother. He grew up to be a gentle and quiet youth. He regarded the Stone Face as his teacher. He turned to the face for advice. He was not influnced by the common belief that Gathergold or Blood- and-Thunder General had any resemblance with the Stone Face. Even the poet’s face made him sad. And he was right when the poet himself admitted that he wasn’t worthy to be the likeness of the face. Finally, the same poet shouted with joy that Ernest himself was the likeness of the Stone Face. But Ernest remained humble to the last. He kept hoping that some wiser and better man than himself would appear.

Question 2:
How did Ernest feel when people hailed him as the likeness of the Stone face?
Answer:
Ernest was truly noble and humble. His deeds matched with his thoughts. He received the poet warmly. For a while he thought the writer of those poems was truly the greatest and wisest person. The poet and the people ultimately hailed him as the man with the likeness of the Stone Face. But Ernest did not agree with them. He kept hoping that a wiser and better man than himself would appear to make the prophecy true.

Question 3:
Describe in brief Ernest’s reaction on three occasions when Gathergold, General Blood-and-Thunder and the poet came to the valley.
Answer:
The inhabitants of the valley believed the story that one day a man bearing resemblance to the Stone Face would come there. The first one to arrive was a rich merchant Gathergold. The people were greatly excited. But Ernest noticed no resemblance between Gathergold’s face and that of the Stone Face. Likewise he did not agree with the people who welcomed General Blood-and-Thunder as the greatest man. But Ernest almost believed that the poet was the person he had been waiting for. But again he was disappointed. In fact, Ernest himself was accepted as the Prophet.