NCERT Solutions Class 10 English. FREE FLIP-BOOK by Study Innovations

Page No: 5
Oral Comprehension Check
1. What did Lencho hope for?
Answer
Lencho hoped for rains as the only thing that his field of ripe corn needed was a shower.
2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Answer
Lencho’s crops were ready for harvest. As raindrops would have helped in getting a better
harvest, resulting in more prosperity, so Lencho compared them with new coins.
3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
Answer
The rain was pouring down. But suddenly, a strong wind began to blow and very large
hailstones began to fall along with the rain.
All the crop in Lencho's fields destroyed.
4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Answer
After hail stopped, Lencho's soul was filled with sadness. He could see a bleak future for
him and his family. Hew was worried about lack of food for the coming year.
Page No: 6
Oral Comprehension Check
1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Answer

Lencho had faith in God. He believed that God’s eyes see everything, even what is deep in
one’s conscience. He wrote a letter to God saying that he needed a hundred pesos to sow
his field again.

2. Who read the letter?

Answer

Postmaster read the letter.

3. What did the postmaster do then?

Answer

The Postmaster first laughed. But then he became serious. He was deeply moved by the
writer’s faith in God. He did not want to shake this faith. So he decided to collect the money
and send it to Lencho.

Page No: 7

Oral Comprehension Check

1.Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?

Answer

No. Lencho was not at all surprised to see the letter from God with money inside it. His
confidence and faith in God was such that he had expected that reply from God.

2. What made him angry?

Answer

When he finished counting moneyhe found only seventy pesos. But he demanded hundred
pesos. He was confident that God could neither make a mistake nor deny him what he had
requested. Therefore, he concluded that the post office employees must have taken the
remaining thirty pesos.

Thinking about the Text

1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?

Answer

Lencho had complete faith in God. The sentences in the story that show this are as follows:
(i) But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there
was a single hope: help from God.
(ii) All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes,
as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience.
(iii) “God,” he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year.”
(iv) He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope, put the letter inside and, still troubled, went to town.
(v) God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had
requested.
(vi) It said: “God: of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me
the rest, since I need it very much.”

2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?

Answer

Postmaster was moved by Lencho’s complete faith in the God. So, he decided to send
money toLencho. Moreover, the postmaster did not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God.
So, he signed the letter ‘God’. It was a good ploy to convey a message that God had
himself written the letter.

3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?

Answer

No, Lencho does not try to find out who had sent the money to him. This is because he had
great confidence in God and never suspected that it could be someone else other than God
who would send him the money. His faith in God was so strong that he believed that God
had sent him the money.

4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the
situation? [Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic
situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.]

Answer

Lencho thinks that the post office people have taken the money. It is the post office people
who send the money to Lencho. But, on the other hand, Lencho thinks they have stolen his
money. He calls them crooks. Thus there is an element of irony in this situation.

Page No: 8

5.Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he
is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.

Greedy Naïve stupid ungrateful

selfish comical unquestioning

Answer

I don't think there can be any such people in the real world. Lencho is literate and yet he
dosen’t know how his letter will reach God without any address.
He probably would be naïve and unquestioning.

6. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between
humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?

Answer

The conflict between humans and nature is shown by the destruction of Lencho’s crops by
the hailstorm. As the crops failed by hail, Lencho started feeling sad and gloomy after the
storm appropriately projects the conflict of the nature and the man. The Story also shown
another conflict, between humans themselves. The postmaster, along with the help of the
other post office employees, sent Lencho the money that they could manage to collect.
They were not related to Lencho in any manner. It was an act of kindness and selflessness
on their part. Even though they did a good deed, Lencho blamed them for taking away
some amount of money. This shows that man does not have faith in his fellow humans,
thereby giving rise to this conflict.

Thinking about the Language

1. There are different names in different parts of the world for storms, depending on
their nature. Can you match the names in the box with their descriptions below, and
fill in the blanks? You may use a dictionary to help you.

gale, whirlwind, cyclone,

hurricane, tornado, typhoon

1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle:
__ __ c __ __ __ __
2. An extremely strong wind: __ a __ __
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: __ __ p __ __ __ __
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel:
__ __ __ n __ __ __
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic ocean: __ __ r
__ __ __ __ __ __
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of
damage: __ __ __ __ l __ __ __ __

Answer

1. Cyclone
2. Gale
3. Typhoon
4. Tornado
5. Hurricane
6. Whirlwind

2. Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.

AB

Will you get the subjects you want to − a feeling that something good will probably
1. study in college? happen

I hope so.

2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but − thinking that this would happen (It may or
I don’t like the way you are arguing. may not have happened).

3. This discovery will give new hope to − stopped believing that this good thing
HIV/AIDS sufferers. would happen

4. We were hoping against hope that the − wanting something to happen (and thinking
judges would not notice our mistakes. it quite possible)

5. I called early in the hope of speaking to − showing concern that what you say should
her before she went to school. not offend or disturb the other person: a

way of being polite

Just when everybody had given up hope,

6. the fishermen came back, seven days after − wishing for something to happen, although

the cyclone. this is very unlikely

Answer

AB

1. Will you get the subjects you want to − wanting something to happen (and thinking
study in college? I hope so. it quite possible)

2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but showing concern that what you say should
I don’t like the way you are arguing. − not offend or disturb the other person: a

way of being polite

3. This discovery will give new hope to − a feeling that something good will probably
HIV/AIDS sufferers. happen

4. We were hoping against hope that the − wishing for something to happen, although
judges would not notice our mistakes. this is very unlikely

5. I called early in the hope of speaking to − thinking that this would happen (It may or
her before she went to school. may not have happened.)

6. Just when everybody had given up hope, − stopped believing that this good thing
the fisherman came back, seven days after would happen
the cyclone.

Page No: 9

3. Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which as suggested.
1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)
2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)
3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been
excellent. (whose)
4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)
5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)

Answer

1. I often go to Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of India.

2. My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on cooking.
3. These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the
President.
4. Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.
5. This man, whom I trusted, cheated me.

Page No: 10

4. Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas
emphatically.

1. The trees lost all their leaves.
_______________________________________________________________
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
_______________________________________________________________
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
_______________________________________________________________

Answer

1. The trees lost all their leaves.
Not a leaf remained on the trees.
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
It was nothing less than a letter to God.
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Never in his career as a postman had he known that address.

Page No: 11

5. In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what
qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.

Object Metaphor Quality or Feature Compared
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains.
Cloud Huge mountains of
clouds

Raindrops

Hailstones

Locusts An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and
An ox of a man. leaves many people dead.

Answer

Object Metaphor Quality or Feature Compared

Cloud Huge mountains of The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
clouds
The draping or covering of an area by a curtain
Raindrops A curtain of rain The resemblance in colour and hardness of a pearl
The consequences (destruction) of plague
Hailstones The frozen pearls An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and
leaves many people dead
Locusts A plague of locusts The working of an ox in the fields (hard work)

Locusts A plague of locusts

Man An ox of a man

Page No: 18

Comprehension Check

1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India that
are made of sandstone?

Answer

The ceremonies took place in the campus of the Union Building of Pretoria.
The Parliament House in New Delhi, the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, the Supreme
Court of India in New Delhi and Madras High Court in Chennai are some examples of Indian
public buildings that are made of sandstone.

2. Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa?
Answer

10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa because on this day there was the largest
gathering of international leaders on South African soil for the installation of South Africa’s
first democratic, non-racial government.

Page No: 19

3. At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions “an extraordinary human disaster”.
What does he mean by this? What is the “glorious … human achievement” he speaks of at
the end?

Answer

By human disaster Mandela means to say that coloured people have suffered a lot due to
discrimination in the hands of whites. He considered it as great glorious human
achievement that a black person became the president of a country where the blacks are
not considered as human being and are treated badly.

4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?

Answer

Mandela felt privileged to be the host to the nations of the world because not too long ago,
the South Africans were considered outlaws. He thus thanked all the international leaders

for having come to witness his investiture as President since this event could be considered
as a common victory for justice, peace and human dignity.

5. What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?

Answer

Mandela set out the ideals of poverty alleviation, removal of suffering of people. He also set
the ideal for a society where there would be no discrimination based on gender or racial
origins.

Page No: 21

Oral Comprehension Check

1. What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?

Answer

The highest military generals of the South African defence force and police saluted Mandela
and pledged their loyalty.
Their attitude towards blacks had taken great change. Instead of arresting a black they
saluted him.

2. Why were two national anthems sung?

Answer

On the day of the inauguration, two national anthems were sung, one by the whites, and the
other by the blacks. This symbolized the equality of blacks and whites.

3. How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country (i) in the first
decade, and (ii) in the final decade, of the twentieth century?

Answer

(i) In the first decade of the twentieth century, the white-skinned people of South Africa
patched up their differences and erected a system of racial domination against the dark-
skinned people of their own land, thus creating the basis of one of the harshest and most
inhumane societies the world had ever known.
(ii) In the last decade of the twentieth century, the previous system had been overturned
forever and replaced by one that recognized the rights and freedoms of all peoples,

regardless of the colour of their skin.

4. What does courage mean to Mandela?

Answer

For Mandela courage does not mean the absence of fear but a victory over fear. According
to him brave men need not be fearless but should be able to conquer fear.

5. Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?
Answer

For Mandela, love comes more naturally to the human heart than hate.

Page No: 24
Oral Comprehension Check

1. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?
Answer

Mandela mentions that every man has twin obligations. The first is to his family, parents,
wife and children; the second obligation is to his people, his community and his country.

2. What did being free mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student? How does he contrast
these “transitory freedoms” with “the basic and honourable freedoms”?
Answer

Like any other kid for Mandela also the freedom meant a freedom to make merry and enjoy
the blissful life. Once anybody becomes an adult then antics of childhood looks like
transitory because most of the childish activity is wasteful from an adult’s perspective. Once
you are adult then someday you have to earn a livelihood to bring the bacon home, then
only you get an honourable existence in the family and in the society.

3. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?

Answer

Mandela does not feel that the oppressor is free because according to him an oppressor is
a prisoner of hatred, who is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. He
feels that both the oppressor and the oppressed are robbed of their humanity.

Thinking about the Text

1. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it
signify the triumph of?

Answer

The presence of large number of international leaders was a gesture of solidarity from
international community to the idea of the end of apartheid. It signified the triumph of good
over evil, the triumph of the idea of a tolerant society without any discrimination.

2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African
patriots” who had gone before him?

Answer

Mandela wants to pay his tribute to all the people who had sacrificed their lives for the sake
of freedom. he feels that he is the sum of all those African patriots who had gone before him
because those heroes of yesterday years had paved the path of co-operation and unity for
him. Therefore, he got the support of his people to be able to come to power to bring
equality for his own people.

3.Would you agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character? How does
Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples to this argument?

Answer

Yes, I agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character”. Nelson Mandela
illustrates this by giving examples of great heroes of South Africa who sacrificed their lives
in the long freedom struggle. India is full of such examples. During our freedom struggle
there was a galaxy of leaders of great characters. Probably the oppression of British rule
created so many men of such characters. If we compare this with the quality of political
leaders India is having today, then Nelson Mandela seems to be absolutely right.

4. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?

Answer

With age Nelson Mandela realised that he had a lot of responsibilities of his people, his
community and his country. As a boy, Mandela did not have a hunger for freedom because
he thought that he was born free. He believed that as long as he obeyed his father and
abided by the customs of his tribe, he was free in every possible manner. He had certain
needs as a teenager and certain needs as a young man. Gradually, he realized that he was
selfish during his boyhood. He slowly understands that it is not just his freedom that is being
curtailed, but the freedom of all blacks. It is after attaining this understanding that he
develops a hunger for the freedom of his people.

5. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?

Answer

Mandela realized in his youth that it was not just his freedom that was being curtailed, but
the freedom of all blacks. The hunger for his own freedom became the hunger for the
freedom of his people. This desire of a non-racial society transformed him into a virtuous
and self-sacrificing man. Thus, he joined the African National Congress and this changed
him from a frightened young man into a bold man.

Thinking about Language

I. There are nouns in the text (formation, government) which are formed from the
corresponding verbs (form, govern) by suffixing − (at)ion or ment. There may be
change in the spelling of some verb − noun pairs: such
as rebel, rebellion; constitute, constitution.

1. Make a list of such pairs of nouns and verbs in the text.

Noun Verb

rebellion rebel

constitution constitute

Answer

Noun Verb

Rebellion Rebel

Constitution Constitute

Formation Form

Government Govern

Obligation Oblige

Transformation Transform

Discrimination Discriminate

Deprivation Deprive

Demonstration Demonstrate

Oppression Oppress

Imagination Imagine

2. Read the paragraph below. Fill in the blanks with the noun forms of the verbs in brackets.

Martin Luther King’s __________ (contribute) to our history as an outstanding leader began
when he came to the __________ (assist) of Rosa Parks, a seamstress who refused to give
up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. In those days American Blacks were confined to
positions of second class citizenship by restrictive laws and customs. To break these laws
would mean __________ (subjugate) and __________ (humiliate) by the police and the
legal system. Beatings, __________ (imprison) and sometimes death awaited those who
defied the System. Martin Lither King’s tactics of protest involved non-violent __________
(resist) to racial injustice.

Answer

Martin Luther King’s contribution (contribute) to our history as an outstanding leader began
when he came to the assistance (assist) of Rosa Parks, a seamstress who refused to give
up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. In those days American Blacks were confined to
positions of second class citizenship by restrictive laws and customs. To break these laws
would mean subjugation(subjugate) and humiliation (humiliate) by the police and the
legal system. Beatings, imprisonment(imprison) and sometimes death awaited those who
defied the System. Martin Luther King’s tactics of protest involved non-
violent resistance (resist) to racial injustice.

Page No: 25

II. Here are some more examples of ‘the’ used with proper names. Try to say what
these sentences mean. (You may consult a dictionary if you wish. Look at the entry
for ‘the’)

1. Mr Singh regularly invites the Amitabh Bachchans and the Shah Rukh Khans to his
parties.
2. Many people think that Madhuri Dixit is the Madhubala of our times.
3. History is not only the story of the Alexanders, the Napoleons and the Hitlers, but of
ordinary people as well.

Answer

1. This means that Mr Singh regularly invites famous personalities such as Amitabh
Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to his parties.
2. This means that Madhuri Dixit is compared to a landmark in acting in the form of
legendary actress Madhubala.
3. This means that history is not only the story of the great fighters and leaders such as
Alexander, Napoleon and Hitler, but also of ordinary people.

Page No: 26

III. Match, the italicised phrases in Column A with the phrase nearest meaning in
Column B. (Hint: First look for the sentence in the text which the phrase in column A
occurs.)

AB

1. I was not unmindful of the fact. (i) had not forgotten: was aware of the fact
was not careful about the fact

(ii)

forgot or was not aware of the fact
(iii)

2. When my comrades and I were pushed (i) pushed by the guards to the wall
to our limits

(ii) took more than our share of beatings

felt that we could not endure the
(iii) suffering any longer

3. To reassure me and keep me going (i) make me go on walking

(ii) help me continue to live in hope in this
very difficult situation

make me remain without complaining
(iii)

4. The basic and honourable freedoms of (i) earning enough money to live on
… earning my keep…

keeping what I earned
(ii)

getting a good salary
(iii)

Answer

AB

1. I was not unmindful of the fact (i) had not forgotten; was aware of the
fact

When my comrades and I were pushed felt that we could not endure the
2. (iii)
to our limits suffering any longer

3. To reassure me and keep me going (ii) help me continue to live in hope in this
very difficult situation

4. The basic and honourable freedoms of (i) earning enough money to live on
…earning my keep…

Page No: 36

Thinking about Text

1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to make
their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a human baby also
finds it a challenge to take its first steps?

Answer

The young seagull was afraid to fly because it was its first flight. It is a well known fact that
doing something for the first time is challenging. Therefore, all young birds must be afraid to
make their first flights. Similarly, a human baby would also find it a challenge to take its first
step.

2. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the
young seagull to finally fly?

Answer

The young seagull was very hungry. It was this hunger that ultimately compelled it to fly. Its
hunger only intensified when it saw its mother tearing at a piece of fish that lay at her feet. It
cried to her, begging her to get some food. When its mother came towards it with food in
her beak, it screamed with joy and anticipation. However, she stopped midway. It wondered
why she did not come nearer. Not being able to resist or control its hunger any longer, it
dived at the food in its mother’s beak. At that moment, his hunger overpowered his fear of
the great expanse of sea beneath the cliff. Finally, this plunge was followed by the natural
reaction of its body, i.e., to fly.

3. “They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. “Why did the seagull’s father and mother
threaten him and cajole him to fly?

Answer

The young seagull was afraid to fly. Even when it saw its brothers and sisters flying, and its
parents helping and teaching them, it could not gather enough courage to make that first
flight. That is why its father and mother were calling to it shrilly and scolding it. They
threatened to let it starve on its ledge if it did not fly. They did so because they wanted it to
leave its fear behind and learn to fly.

The Black Aeroplane

By Fredrick Forsyth

Page No: 40

Thinking about the Text

1. “I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?

Answer

The risk was to fly through the black storm clouds. The narrator took the risk because he
wanted to reach Paris to celebrate Christmas with his family.

2. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.

Answer

As he flew into the storm, everything went black. It was impossible to see anything outside
the plane. It jumped and twisted in the air. When he looked at his compass, he saw that it
was turning round and round. It was dead. Along with it, the other instruments, including the
radio, were also dead. Suddenly, he saw another aeroplane. Its pilot waved at him, asking
him to follow. He was glad to find a helper. He was using his last fuel tank and there was
only enough fuel to fly five or ten minutes. Then, the other pilot started to go down and he
followed. He suddenly came out of the clouds and saw the runway, on which he then landed
his plane safely.

3. Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old
Dakota…”?

Answer

He was delighted to land safely out of dark stormy clouds, therefore, he was not sorry to
walk away for his plane. He felt bad, when he was no able to thank his guide, his mentor
who saved him from from frightening situations, but he was so happy after landing that he
didn't feel sorry for not being able to thank the guide pilot.

4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?

Answer

The women in the control room was surprised when the narrator asked about the other

aeroplane and its pilot. She said that there was no areoplane seen on the radar.

5. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves
and give reasons for your answer.

Answer

Probably, it was the narrator’s own self that helped him through the storm. There was no
other plane in the storm as the woman at the control centre could see only his plane on the
radar. Also, no other plane was flying that night. In his fear, he might have been
hallucinating. He was a good pilot, and it might have been his own self that came to his
help.

Thinking about the Language

1. Try to guess the meanings of the word ‘black’ in the sentences given below. Check
the meanings in the dictionary and find out whether you have guessed right.
1. Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black __________.
2. The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was
green.__________
3. The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity.
__________
4. Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy. __________
5. Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and then sell
these in black. __________
6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue. __________

Answer

1. The meaning of ‘black’ in this sentence is that the face and hands are dark with dust and
heat.
2. Here, ‘black’ refers to an angry look.
3. Here, ‘blackest’ refers to the darkest and cruellest crime against humanity.
4. Here, ‘black’ refers to dark and gloomy comedy.
5. The meaning of ‘black’ in this sentence is that the shopkeepers sell the described goods
‘at a higher price’.
6. Here, ‘black’ means that the criminal suffered excessive beating at the hands of the
villagers.

Page No: 41

2.Match the phrases given under Column A with their meanings given under Column
B:

AB

1. Fly a flag − Move quickly/suddenly

2. Fly into rage − Be successful

3. Fly along − Display a flag on a long pole

4. Fly high − Escape from a place

5. Fly the coop − Become suddenly very angry

Answer

AB

1. Fly a flag − Display a flag on a long pole

2. Fly into rage − Become suddenly very angry

3. Fly along − Move quickly/suddenly

4. Fly high − Be successful

5. Fly the coop − Escape from a place

3. We know that the word ‘fly’ (of birds/insects) means to move through air using
wings. Tick the words which have the same or nearly the same meaning.

swoop flit paddle flutter
ascend float ride skim

sink dart hover glide
descend soar shoot spring

stay fall sail flap

Answer

The words which have the same or nearly the same meaning as ‘fly’ are as follows:
swoop, flit, float, dart, soar, hover, sail skim, glide, flutter

Page No: 49

Activity

1. Do you keep a diary? Given below under ‘A’ are some terms we use to describe a
written record of personal experience. Can you match them with their descriptions
under ‘B’? (You may look up the terms in a dictionary if you wish.)

A B
(i) Journal
- A book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write
(ii) Diary down your thoughts and feelings or what has happened on that day
(iii) Log
- A full record of a journey, a period of time, or an event, written every day.
(iv)
Memoir(s) - A record of a person’s own life and experiences (usually, a famous
person)

- A written record of events with times and dates, usually official

Answer

AB

(i) Journal - A full record of a journey, a period of time, or an event, written everyday

(ii) Diary - A book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write
down your thoughts and feelings or what has happened on that day

(iii) Log - A written record of events with times and dates, usually official

(iv) - A record of a person’s own life and experiences (usually, a famous

Memoir(s) person)

2. Here are some entries from personal records. Use the definitions above to decide
which of the entries might be from a diary, a journal, a log or a memoir.

(i) I woke up very late today and promptly got a scolding from Mum! I can’t help it − how can
I miss the FIFA World Cup matches?
Ans: _____________________________
(ii) 10:30 a.m. Went to the office of the Director
01:00 p.m. Had lunch with Chairman

05:45 p.m. Received Rahul at the airport
09:30 p.m. Dinner at home
Ans: _____________________________
(iii) The ride to Ooty was uneventful. We rested for a while every 50 km or so, and used the
time to capture the magnificent landscape with my Handy Cam. From Ooty we went on to
Bangalore.
What a contrast! The noise and pollution of this once − beautiful city really broke my heart.
Ans: _____________________________
(iv) This is how Raj Kapoor found me − all wet and ragged outside R. K. Studios. He was
then looking for just someone like this for a small role in Mera Naam Joker, and he cast me
on the spot. The rest, as they say, is history?
Ans: _____________________________

Answer

(i) I woke up very late today and promptly got a scolding from Mum! I can’t help it − how can
I miss the FIFA World Cup matches?
Ans: Diary

(ii) 10:30 a.m. Went to the office of the Director
01:00 p.m. Had lunch with Chairman
05:45 p.m. Received Rahul at the airport
09:30 p.m. Dinner at home
Ans: Log

(iii) The ride to Ooty was uneventful. We rested for a while every 50 km or so, and used the
time to capture the magnificent landscape with my Handy Cam. From Ooty we went on to
Bangalore.
What a contrast! The noise and pollution of this once − beautiful city really broke my heart.
Ans: Journal

(iv) This is how Raj Kapoor found me − all wet and ragged outside R. K. Studios. He was
then looking for just someone like this for a small role in Mera Naam Joker, and he cast me
on the spot. The rest, as they say, is history?
Ans: Memoir

Page No: 51

Comprehension Check

1. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?

Answer

First she had never written anything like this before and secondly she thought that nobody
is going to read or would be interested in her diary.

2. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?

Answer

Anne wants to keep a diary as she didn't have friend.

3. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?

Answer

She could confide in her close friend but she didn't have one, the friends she had there
were to have more fun and good times rather than the ones on whom she could confide.
She also believes that a paper to have more patience than people, so she decided to write
and confide in a diary.

1. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?

Answer

Anne provides a brief sketch of her life since no one would understand a word of her
musings if she were to jump right in.

2. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?

Answer

Her statement, that no one could understand her intensity of love for her grandma tells that
she loved her grandmother. Moreover, the touching gesture of lighting up one candle for
grandmother during Anne’s birthday is also a poignant reminder of the love for grandma.

Page No: 54

Oral Comprehension Check

1. Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?

Answer

Mr. Keesing was annoyed with Anne because she talked very much in the class. He
assigned her extra homework, asking her to write an essay on the subject, ‘A Chatterbox’.

2. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?

Answer

She gave two arguments to justify her 'Chatterbox', one that chatting in student's traits and
other reason that nothing can be done about the inherited traits.

3. Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher?

Answer

Mr. Keesing was a strict teacher. However, he was not rigidly strict. He expected discipline
and silence in his class while he was teaching, which is acceptable.He punished Anne by
asking her to write an essay on ‘A Chatterbox’. When Anne wrote a convincing essay on it,
he received it with a good laugh. However, when Anne continued with her talking, he
punished her again by asking her to write another essay; this time the topic was ‘An
Incorrigible Chatterbox’. Even after this when she kept talking, he asked her to write on the
topic ‘Quack Quack Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox”. He was trying to play a joke on her.
However, she came up with a brilliant poem, and he read this poem in the class,
acknowledging its content. Therefore, in regard of these events, Mr. Keesing cannot be
entirely labelled as a strict teacher. He was fun-loving too.

4. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?

Answer

Anne was able to justify her talkative nature every time she was punished by Mr. Keesing.
On three occasions, as punishment, he gave her topics to write essays on. However, on
each occasion he was impressed by the manner in which she presented her arguments.
Finally, Mr. Keesing accepted the fact that Anne would always be that way. Hence, she was
allowed to talk in class.

Thinking about the Text

1. Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a
thirteen-year-old girl?

Answer

No, Anne was not right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings
of a thirteen-year-old girl.

2. There are some examples of diary or journal entries in the ‘Before You Read’ section.
Compare these with what Anne writes in her diary. What language was the diary originally
written in? In what way is Anne’s dairy different?

Answer

Anne’s diary was originally written in Dutch. Her diary is different from the others in many
aspects. She had named her diary ‘Kitty’. She thought of it as her only true friend whom she
could confide in. She treated it as another person who was listening to her daily accounts.
She wrote all her stories in it. She started by writing ‘Dearest kitty’ and ended the account
by writing, ‘Yours, Anne’. Her diary was a lot more personal than other diaries.

3. Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an
insider or an outsider?

Answer

Anne Frank claims that paper has more patience than people. She usually sits depressed
and all alone .She claims of having no real friend .This lends the reader the perception that
there isn’t any body to take care of Anne Frank. To clear the clouds of doubt , Anne Frank
gives the sketch of her adorable father, compassionate mother, kind grandmother, and
loving sister.
She treated Kitty as an insider because she called it her best friend and was ready to
confide in it.

4. How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr Keesing?
What do these tell you about her?

Answer

Anne felt that her father was the most adorable father she had ever seen.
Anne remembered her grandmother even after her death. She wrote in her diary that no
one knew how often she thought of her grandmother and still loved her.
In the sixth form at the Montessori nursery school, her teacher was Mrs Kuperus, who was
also the headmistress. At the end of the year, they were both in tears as they said a
heartbreaking farewell.
Mr Keesing was her Maths teacher. He was annoyed with her because she talked too
much. However, Anne was able to justify her talkative nature every time she was punished
by Mr. Keesing. On each occasion he was impressed by the manner in which she
presented her arguments.
All these incidents show how lovable and smart Anne was. Everybody was attached to her,
and even Mr Keesing could not help but laugh at her essays and acknowledge her smart
mind.

5. What does Anne write in her first essay?

Answer

In her first essay, titled ‘A Chatterbox’, Anne wanted to come up with convincing arguments
to prove the necessity of talking. She began thinking about the subject. She wrote three
pages and was satisfied. She argued that talking was a student’s trait and that she would do
her best to keep it under control. She further wrote that she would never be able to cure
herself of the habit since her mother talked as much as she did. There was not much that
one could do about inherited traits. Mr Keesing too had a good laugh reading her
arguments.

6. Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?

Answer

Anne felt that a quarter of her class was dumb, and should be kept back and not promoted to the
next class. However, she also felt that teachers were the most unpredictable creatures on earth.
Mr Keesing could be termed as unpredictable. The way Anne always talked while the class was
going on, any teacher would lose his temper. However, after several warnings, all Mr Keesing

did was to assign her extra homework. She had to write an essay on 'A Chatterbox'. In this way,
he tried to play a joke on her. Each time that he asked her to write such essays, she wrote very
well. She kept countering his jokes. One could not have predicted that he would take all the jokes
in the right spirit. Finally, when she wrote an entire essay in verse he accepted her talkative
nature and actually allowed her to talk in class. He did not even assign her any more extra
homework. That is why it can be said that Mr Keesing was unpredictable.

7. What do these statements tell you about Anne Frank as a person?
(i) We don’t seem to be able to get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault
that we don’t confide in each other.
(ii) I don’t want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would, but I want the
diary to be my friend.
(iii) Margot went to Holland in December, and I followed in February, when I was plunked
down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.
(iv) If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be
kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth.
(v) Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to
come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of taking.

Answer

(i) These lines show that Anne had no true friend whom she could confide in. She even put
the blame on herself that the fault might be hers.

(ii) This line shows that Anne really considered her diary as a friend whom she could trust
and narrate all her stories to. She did not want just a diary in which she could write down
the facts like others did. She considered it as her friend and named her Kitty.

(iii) This statement shows that Anne was a fun-loving person. She was witty and knew how
to present things in a funny way. She narrated this incident with a lot of fun. The use of
‘plunked down’ shows her sense of humour.

(iv) This statement shows that she had an opinion on everything. She thought that a quarter
of her class was full of dummies, signifying that she herself was intelligent enough to make
it to the next class. She thought of teachers as the most unpredictable creatures on earth
because nobody could say which students they would fail and which students would be
passed on to the next class.

(v) This statement shows that Anne knew a lot about writing. She was given the task of
writing an essay as a punishment. She took it on with full vigour. She did not want to write it
like others who merely left big spaces between the words to make the essay look
voluminous. She knew that the trick was to come up with a convincing argument to prove
the necessity of talking. She was different in her approach from everybody else.

Page No: 55

Thinking about Language

I. Match the compound words under ‘A’ with their meanings under ‘B’. Use each in
sentence.

AB

1. Heartbreaking - obeying and respecting the law

2. Homesick - think about pleasant things, forgetting about the present
3. Blockhead - something produced by a person, machine or organisation

4. Law-abiding - producing great sadness

5. Overdo - an occasion when vehicles/machines stop working

6. Daydream - an informal word which means a very stupid person

7. Breakdown - missing home and family very much
8. Output - do something to an excessive degree

Answer

AB

1. Heartbreaking - producing great sadness

2. Homesick - missing home and family very much

3. Blockhead - an informal word which means a very stupid person

4. Law-abiding - obeying and respecting the law
5. Overdo - do something to an excessive degree

6. Daydream - think about pleasant things, forgetting about the present

7. Breakdown - an occasion when vehicles/machines stop working
8. Output - something produced by a person, machine or organisation

II. 2. Now find the sentences in the lesson that have the phrasal verbs given below.
Match them with their meanings.

(i) plunge in - speak or write without focus
(ii) kept back - stay indoors
(iii) move up - make (them) remain quiet
(iv) ramble on - have a good relationship with
(v) get along - give an assignment (home work) to a person authority (the

with teacher)
(vi) calm down - compensate
(vii) stay in - go straight to the topic
(viii) make up for - go to the next grade
(ix) hand in - not promoted

Answer

(i) plunge in − go straight to the topic
Since no one would understand a word of my stories to Kitty if I were to plunge right in, I’d
better provide a brief sketch of my life, much as I dislike doing so.
(ii) kept back − not promoted
The reason, of course, is the forthcoming meeting in which the teachers decide who’ll move
up to the next form and who’ll be kept back.
(iii) move up − go to the next grade
The reason, of course, is the forthcoming meeting in which the teachers decide who’ll move
up to the next form and who’ll be kept back.
(iv) ramble on − speak or write without focus
Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to
come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking.
(v) get along with − have a good relationship with
I get along pretty well with all my teachers.
(vi) calm down − make (them) remain quite
Even G.’s pleading advances and my angry outbursts can’t calm them down.
(vii) stay in − stay indoors
I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was
sitting at home with my chin in my hands, bored and listless, wondering whether to stay in
or go out.
(viii) make up for − compensate
This birthday celebration in 1942 was intended to make up for the other.
(ix) hand in − give an assignment (homework) to a person in authority (the teacher)
I handed it in, and Mr Keesing had nothing to complain about for two whole lessons.

Page No: 56

III. 1. Here are a few sentences from the text which have idiomatic expressions. Can
you say what each means? (You might want to consult a dictionary first.)

i. Our entire class is quaking in its boots.
___________________________________________________________________
_________

ii. Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart.
___________________________________________________________________
_________

iii. Mr Keeping was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so
much.______________________________________________________________
_____

iv. Mr Keeping was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make
sure the joke was on him.____________________________.

Answer

(i)Our entire class is quaking in its boots. Shaking with fear and nervousness
(ii) Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart. Not to lose hope
(iii) Mr. Keeping was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much. Since a long time
(iv) Mr. Keeping was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make
sure the joke was on him. He was outwitted by her

2. Here are a few more idiomatic expressions that occur in the text. Try to use them in
sentences of your own.

(i) caught my eye (iii) laugh ourselves silly

(ii) he’d had enough (iv) can’t bring myself to

Answer

(i) caught my eye
A small red car passing by caught my eye.
(ii) he’d had enough
Tom had a hard time raising enough money build the orphanage he'd promised to build.
(iv) laugh ourselves silly
One girl said something funny, and we laughed ourselves silly.
(v) can’t bring myself to
I can’t bring myself to eat anything but chocolates.

Page No: 57

IV. You have read the expression ‘not to lose heart’ in this text. Now find out the
meanings of the following expressions using the word ‘heart’. Use each of them in a
sentence of your own.

1. break somebody’s heart
2. close/dear to heart
3. from the (bottom of your) heart
4. have a heart
5. have a heart of stone
6. your heart goes out to somebody

Answer

1. break somebody’s heart − to upset somebody deeply
It has unfortunately become very easy these days to break somebody’s heart.
2. close/dear to heart − something or someone who is near and close to you
The drawing given to me by my little daughter is very close to my heart.
3. from the (bottom of your) heart − genuinely meaning or feeling something
He loved his son from the bottom of his heart.
4. have a heart − to evoke the feeling to help someone in distress
The poor beggar asked the rich man to have a heart and give him something to eat.
5. have a heart of stone − to not feel anything or any sentiment
The cruel landlady has a heart of stone as she beats up her children.
6. your heart goes out to somebody − to sympathise with someone else and understand his
feelings and distress
My heart goes out to the little girl who lost both her parents in a car accident.

Page No: 58

V. 1. Make a list of the contracted forms in the text. Rewrite them as full forms of two
words.

For example:
I’ve = I have
2. We have seen that some contracted forms can stand for two different full forms:
I’d = I had or I would
Find in the text the contracted forms that stand for two different full forms, and say what
these are.

Answer

(i) I’ve − I have

(ii) Doesn’t − does not
(iii) Won’t − would not
(iv) I’m − I am
(v) Don’t − do not
(vi) Can’t − cannot
(vii) it’s − it is
(viii) That’s − that is
(ix) I’d − I would
(x) Didn’t − did not
(xi) Who’ll − who will
(xii) You’re − You are
(xiii) We’ll − We will
(xiv) There’s − there is
(xv) He’d − he had
(xvi) Who’s − who is
(xvii) Haven’t − have not
2

(i) I’d − I had or I would
(ii) He’d − He had or he would

Page No: 65

Oral Comprehension Check

1.Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why?

Answer

Wanda used to sit in the seat next to the last seat, in the last row, in Room Thirteen. She
sat there because her feet were normally caked with dry mud and very dirty. So in order to
avoid being laughed at by her classmates, she sat there to hide her dirty feet.

2. Where does Wanda live? What kind of a place do you think it is?

Answer

Wanda lived at Boggins Heights. It seems that it was a place far away from the school and
also, where there was a lot of dry mud, thereby indicating that it was not a very rich locality.

3. When and why do Peggy and Maddie notice Wanda’s absence?

Answer

Peggie and Maddie noticed Wanda’s absence after three days, i.e., on Wednesday
because they wanted to be with her for a lot of fun. They waited for her for a long time but
she didn't turn up.

4. What do you think “to have fun with her” means?

Answer

Wanda was a quiet and shy girl who was ashamed of dust laden feet. The girls used to
make fun of her. This gave them a lot of pleasure therefore, they wanted to have fun with
her.

Page No: 67

Oral Comprehension Check

1. In what way was Wanda different from the other children?

Answer

Wanda was different from other children. She did not have any friends. She came to school
alone and went home alone. She always wore a faded blue dress that did not fit her
properly. Unlike other children, she did not talk to anybody.

2. Did Wanda have a hundred dresses? Why do you think she said she did?

Answer

No, she did not have a hundred dresses because she was poor and wore the same faded
dress to school everyday. She had an inferiority complex. In order to hide the complex and
impress the other girls, she always said that she had a hundred dresses.

3. Why is Maddie embarrassed by the questions Peggy asks Wanda? Is she also like
Wanda, or is she different?

Answer

Maddie was embarrassed by the questions Peggy asked Wanda because she was poor
herself. She usually wore old clothes, which were handed down by someone else. She did
not feel sorry for Wanda. She was worried that perhaps later, everyone would start teasing
her too. She thought she was different from Wanda in the sense that she would never claim
that she had a hundred dresses. She was not as poor as Wanda. Yet she was afraid that
the others might mock her too.

Page No: 70

Oral Comprehension Check

1. Why didn’t Maddie ask Peggie to stop teasing Wanda? What was she afraid of?

Answer

Maddie couldn't ask Peggie to stop teasing Wanda because Peggie was her best friend and
she had faith in Peggie that she would never do anything wrong. She was afraid of being
laughed at for her poor dresses.

2. Who did Maddie think would win the drawing contest? Why?

Answer

Maddie thought that Peggy would win the drawing contest because Peggy drew better than

anyone else. She could copy a picture in a magazine, or some film star’s face so well that
one could tell who it was.

3. Who won the drawing contest? What had the winner drawn?

Answer

Wanda won the drawing contest. The winner of drawing contest was appreciated by the
judges and applauded by her fellow classmates.

Thinking about the Text

1. How is Wanda seen as different by the other girls? How do they treat her?

Answer

Wanda is seen as different by the other girls. She is poor and lonely girl. The girls made fun
of her poverty and teased her by commenting on her dress.

2. How does Wanda feel about the dresses game? Why does she say that she has a
hundred dresses?

Answer

Wanda did not show any feelings regarding the dresses game. It is most likely that she was
deeply hurt. It could have been one of the reasons why her family left the place and moved
to the city.
She was a girl who was very poor and came form a long distance which made her feet dirty.
She wanted to draw attention of her friends. So, she felt very happy whenever she told her
friend that she had hundred dresses without realising that they were making fun of her.

3. Why does Maddie stand by and not do anything? How is she different from Peggy? (Was
Peggy’s friendship important to Maddie? Why? Which lines in the text tell you this?)

Answer

Maddie always stood by and never did anything as she was afraid that if she did, she would
be the next target of the children. She herself was poor and therefore, felt that if she spoke
against the others, they would target her next. Unlike her, Peggy was a rich girl. This was
also the reason why Maddie could think from Wanda’s point of view, but Peggy could not.
Maddie was Peggy’s best friend. It seemed as if she was in awe of Peggy. She admired her

quite a lot as she said that Peggy was the most liked girl in the room and that she drew
better than anyone else. She did not have the courage to go against her. Some of the lines
from the text which show that Peggy’s friendship was important to Maddie are as follows.
(i) Peggy, who had thought up this game, and Maddie, her inseparable friend, were always
the last to leave.
(ii) She was Peggy’s best friend, and Peggy was the best-liked girl in the whole room.
(iii) Peggy could not possibly do anything that was really wrong, she thought.
(iv) Oh, Maddie was sure Peggy would win.

4. What does Miss Mason think of Wanda’s drawings? What do the children think of them?
How do you know?

Answer

Miss mason appreciated the paintings of Wanda. She was impressed at the creativity of the
girl because she had painted hundred paintings which were in wide range of variety.
The children also admired the drawings. Everybody stopped and whistled or murmured
admiringly. After Miss Mason had announced that Wanda was the winner, they burst into
applause, and even the boys were glad to have a chance to stamp on the floor and whistle.
Also, just as Peggy and Maddie entered the room, they stopped short and gasped. Later
they recognized the designs as those which Wanda had described to them. And in the end,
Peggy exclaimed, “…and I thought I could draw.” This shows that she also realized how
good Wanda’s drawings were.

Page No: 71

Thinking about the Language

I.Combine the following to make sentences like those above.

1. This is the bus (what kind of bus?) It goes to Agra. (use which or that)
2. I would like to buy (a) shirt (which shirt?). (The) shirt is in the shop window.
(use which or that)
3. You must break your fast at a particular time (when?). You see the moon in the sky.
(use when)
4. Find a word (what kind of word?). It begins with the letter Z. (use which or that).
5. Now find a person (what kind of person). His or her name begins with the letter Z.
(use whose)
6. Then go to a place (what place?). There are no people whose name begins with Z in that
place. (usewhere)

Answer

1. This is the bus which goes to Agra.
2.I would like to buy the shirt that is in the shop window.
3. You must break your fast when you see the moon in the sky.
4. Find a word which begins with the letter Z.
5. Now find a person whose name begins with the letter Z.
6. Then go to a place where there are no people whose name begins with Z.

II. 1. Can you say whose point of view the italicised words express?

(i) But on Wednesday, Peggy and Maddie, who sat down front with other children who got
good marks and who didn’t track in a whole lot of mud, did notice that Wanda wasn’t there.
(ii) Wands Petronski. Most of the children in Room Thirteen didn’t have names like that.
They had names easy to say, like Thomas, Smith or Allen.

Answer

(i) In the given sentence, the italicised words express the point of view of Peggy and
Maddie.
(ii) In the given sentence, the italicised words express the point of view of the narrator.

Page No: 72

III. Look at this sentence. The italicised adverb expresses an opinion or point of
view.

Obviously, the only dress Wanda had was the blue one she wore every day. (This was
obvious to the speaker.)
Other such adverbs
are apparently, evidently, surprisingly, possibly, hopefully, incredibly, luckily. Use these
words appropriately in the blanks in the sentences below. (You may use a word more then
once and more than one word may be appropriate for a given blank.)
1. ____________, he finished his work on time.
2. ____________, it will not rain on the day of the match.
3. _____________, he had been stealing money from his employer.
4. Television is ___________ to blame for the increase in violence in society.
5. The children will _____________ learn from their mistakes.
6. I can’t ________________ lend you that much money.
7. The thief had _____________ been watching the house for many days.
8. The thief ______________ escaped by bribing the jailor.
9. _________________, no one had suggested this before.
10. The water was ________________ hot.

Answer

1. Surprisingly, he finished his work on time.
2. Hopefully, it will not rain on the day of the match.
3. Evidently, he had been stealing money from his employer.
4. Television is evidently to blame for the increase in violence in society.
5. The children will hopefully learn from their mistakes.
6. I can’t possibly lend you that much money.
7. The thief had apparently been watching the house for many days.
8. The thief possibly escaped by bribing the jailor.
9. Surprisingly, no one had suggested this before.
10. The water was incredibly hot.

Page No: 74

Oral Comprehension Check

1.What did Mr Petronski’s letter say?

Answer

Mr Pertronski’s letter said that Wanda would not come to school anymore as they were
shifting to another city. He also said that there, nobody would ask them why they had funny
names because there were plenty of funny names in the city.

2. Is Miss Mason angry with the class, or is she unhappy and upset?

Answer

Yes, Miss Mason was unhappy and upset as she was was disturbed by the ill treatment to
Wanda by the students of her class. She didn't approve of the humiliation of a child just
because of her name, dresses and house.

3. How does Maddie feel after listening to the note from Wanda’s father?

Answer

After listening to the note from Wanda’s father, Maddie had a very sick and guilty feeling in
the bottom of her stomach. She could not concentrate when she tried to prepare her
lessons. She had not enjoyed listening to Peggy ask Wanda how many dresses she had in
her closet.

4. What does Maddie want to do?

Answer

Maddie wanted to tell Wanda that she didn't want to hurt her feelings.

Page No: 76

Oral Comprehension Check

1. What excuses does Peggy think up for her behaviour? Why?

Answer

Peggy thought that she was satisfied that she never called Wanda a foreigner or made fun
of her name. She also said that she never thought Wanda had even the sense to know that
they were making fun of her. She realised her mistake of thinking that Wanda was not bright
enough to understand her insult.

2. What are Maddie’s thoughts as they go to Boggins Heights?

Answer

Maddie is feeling bad about Wanda and herself. She is feeling very sad for not even getting
a chance to say sorry to Wanda.

3. Why does Wanda’s house remind Maddie of Wanda’s blue dress?

Answer

Wanda’s blue dress was old, faded but used to be neat and clean. Similarly her house was
small and makeshift but clean. Therefore, it reminded Maddie of Wanda’s blue dress

Page No: 77

Oral Comprehension Check

4. What does Maddie think hard about? What important decision does she come to?

Answer

Wanda thinks about not letting injustice happen to anyone. She makes vow that she would
protest if anybody misbehaves with anybody. She won’t be a mute spectator the way she
did earlier. In a way the episode of Wanda’s family leaving that city works as major change
agent for Maddie’s personality.

Page No: 79

Oral Comprehension Check

1. What did the girls write to Wanda?
Answer

The girls wrote a friendly letter to Wanda telling her that she had won the contest. They also
wrote how pretty her drawings were. They asked her if she liked the place where she was
living and if she liked her new teacher. They wanted to say that they were sorry. However,
they ended up with just writing a friendly letter. They signed it with lots of X’s for love.

2. Did they get a reply? Who was more anxious for a reply, Peggy or Maddie? How do you
know?

Answer

No, they did not get a reply. Maddie was more anxious for a reply as she thought a lot about
it. She would put herself to sleep making speeches about Wanda and defending her from
great crowds of girls who were trying to tease her. Before Wanda could press her lips
together in a tight line, which she did before answering, Maddie would cry out and ask
everybody to stop and then, everybody would feel ashamed the way she felt. Peggy, on the
other hand, had begun to forget about the whole affair. This shows that Maddie was more
anxious for a reply than Peggy.

3. How did the girls know that Wanda liked them even though they had teased her?

Answer

The girls came to know that Wanda liked them even though they had teased her as she had
asked Miss Mason to give the green dress with red trimming to Peggy and the blue one to
Maddie. Later when Maddie looked at the drawing very carefully, she realized that the dress
had a face and a head, which looked like her own self. The head and face in the drawing
given to Peggy looked just like Peggy. That is why the girls knew that Wanda liked them
even though they had teased her.

Thinking about the Text

1. Why do you think Wanda’s family moved to a different city? Do you think life there was
going to be different for their family?

Answer

Wanda family moved to different city because of her father felt bad about the bad behaviour
of girls towards Wanda.

2. Maddie thought her silence was as bad as Peggy’s teasing. Was she right?

Answer

Yes, Maddie was right when she thought that her silence was as bad as Peggy’s teasing
because her silence encouraged Peggy to tease her. A person who sees something wrong
happening in front of him/her is as much an offender as the person committing the offence.
Maddie was too afraid to say anything because she did not want to lose Peggy’s friendship.
Also, she was poor herself, so she feared that everybody would make fun of her too.

3. Peggy says, “I never thought she had the sense to know we were making fun of her
anyway. I thought she was too dumb. And gee, look how she can draw!” What led Peggy to
believe that Wanda was dumb? Did she change her opinion later?

Answer

Peggy believed that Wanda was dumb as she could not understand why Wanda said she
had a hundred dresses, even when everybody knew that she was poor. She knew
everybody was laughing at her. Even then, she kept giving the same answer. She even
described the dresses she said she had. That is why Peggy thought Wanda was dumb. She
changed her opinion later when she saw the hundred dresses Wanda had talked about.
She saw the drawings and was highly impressed by their beauty. She realized that Wanda
was a very good artist.

Page No: 81

4. What important decision did Maddie make? Why did she have to think hard to do so?

Answer

The important decision that Maddie made was that she would never stand by and say
nothing again. If she ever heard anybody picking on someone because they were funny-
looking or because they had strange names, she would speak up. She did not even mind
losing Peggy’s friendship over it. She knew she could not make things right with Wanda.
However, she had decided that in the future, she would never make anybody else unhappy

again.
She was unhappy that she could not find Wanda at her home. She could not sleep that
night. She thought about Wanda, her faded blue dress, and the little house she lived in. She
also thought about the hundred glowing pictures, which were all lined up in the classroom.
She was feeling guilty of not having said anything when everybody else was teasing
Wanda. It was her guilt that made her think very hard and arrive at the important decision.

5. Why do you think Wanda gave Maddie and Peggy the drawings of the dresses? Why are
they surprised?

Answer

Wanda gave Maddie and Peggy the drawings of dresses because they made fun of her
hundred dresses. They believe her to be a liar. They were surprised because they always
made fun of here dresses and insulted her, but she had gifted them with those beautiful
designs.

6. Do you think Wanda really thought the girls were teasing her? Why or why not?

Answer

Yes, Wanda knew that girls were teasing her She would have known that the children
intended to make fun of her poverty, and would have laughed at her whatever she might
have said. This could have been the reason for her exaggerating everything whenever she
answered their questions.

Thinking about the Language

I. Here are thirty adjectives describing human qualities. Discuss them with your
partner and put them in the two word webs (given below) according to whether you
think they show positive or negative qualities. You can consult a dictionary if you are
not sure of the meanings of some of the words. You may also add to the list the
positive or negative ‘pair’ of a given words.

kind, sarcastic, courteous, arrogant, insipid, timid, placid, cruel, haughty, proud, zealous,
intrepid, sensitive, compassionate, introverted, stolid, cheerful, contented, thoughtless, vain,
friendly, unforgiving, fashionable, generous, talented, lonely, determined, creative,
miserable, complacent.



Answer

Page No: 81

II. What adjectives can we use to describe Peggy, Wanda and Maddie? You can
choose adjectives from the list above. You can also add some of your own.

1. Peggy ____________________________________________________________
2. Wanda ___________________________________________________________
3. Maddie __________________________________________________________

Answer

1. Peggy: sarcastic, cheerful, contented
2. Wanda: kind, timid, introverted, generous, talented, lonely, creative
3. Maddie: kind, timid, sensitive, miserable

III.
1.Find the sentences in the story with the following phrasal verbs.

lined up thought up took off stood by

Answer

(i) lined up
And she thought of the glowing picture those hundred dresses made − all lined up in the
classroom.
(ii) thought up
Peggy, who had thought up this game, and Maddie, her inseparable friend, were always
the last to leave.
(iii) took off − Miss Mason took off her glasses, blew on them and wiped them on her soft
white handkerchief.
(ivi) stood by − She had stood by silently, and that was just as bad as what Peggy had
done.

IV. Colours are used to describe feelings, moods and emotions. Match the following
‘colour expressions’ with a suggested paraphrase.

(i) the Monday morning - feel embarrassed / angry / ashamed
blues
- feel very sick, as if about to vomit
(ii) go red in the face - sadness or depression after a weekend of fun
(iii) look green - the sign or permission to begin an action
(iv) the red carpet - a sign of surrender or acceptance of defeat; a wish to stop
(v) blue-blooded
fighting
(vi) a green belt - in an unlawful act; while doing something wrong

(vii) a blackguard - a photographic print of building plans; a detailed plan or
(viii) a grey area scheme
(ix) a white flag
(x) a blueprint - land around a town or city where construction is prohibited
by law

- an area of a subject or a situation where matters are not
very clear

- a dishonest person with no sense of right or wrong

(xi) red-handed - a special welcome
(xii) the green light - of noble birth or from a royal family

Answer - sadness or depression after a weekend of fun

(i) the Monday morning - feel embarrassed/angry/ashamed
blues - feel very sick, as if about to vomit
- a special welcome
(ii) go red in the face - of noble birth or from a royal family
(iii) look green - land around a town or city where construction is prohibited
(iv) the red carpet
(v) blue-blooded by law
(vi) a green belt - a dishonest person with no sense of right or wrong

(vii) a blackguard

(viii) a grey area - an area of a subject or a situation where matters are not
(ix) a white flag very clear
(x) a blueprint
(xi) red-handed - a sign of surrender or acceptance of defeat; a wish to stop
(xii) the green light fighting

- a photographic print of building plans; a detailed plan or
scheme

- in an unlawful act; while doing something wrong

- the sign or permission to begin an action

Page No: 86

Oral Comprehension Check

1. What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?

Answer
The elders in Goa were nostalgic about the good old Portuguese days, the Portuguese, and
their famous loaves of bread.

2. Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know?

Answer

Yes, bread-making is still popular in Goa. The author has described about the existence of
time-old furnaces and their still burning fire. The Goan society is still having moulders, bread
mixers and bakers.

3. What is the baker called?

Answer

The bakers are known as pader .

4. When would the baker come everyday? Why did the children run to meet him?

Answer

The baker came twice every day, once when he set out in the morning on his selling round,
and then again, when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The children ran to meet
him not because of their love of the loaf, which was bought by the maid-servant of the
house. They actually longed for the bread-bangles, which they chose carefully. Sometimes,
it was a sweet bread of special make.

Page No: 87

Oral Comprehension Check

1.Match the following. What is a must

(i) as marriage gifts? - cakes and bolinhas

(ii) for a party or a feast? - sweet bread called bol

(iii) for a daughter’s engagement? - bread

(iv) for Christmas? - sandwiches

Answer

(i) as marriage gifts? - sweet bread called bol

(ii) for a party or a feast? - bread

(iii) for a daughter’s engagement? - sandwiches

(iv) for Christmas? - cakes and bolinhas

2. What did the bakers wear: (i) in the Portuguese days? (ii) when the author was young?

Answer

(i) In the Portuguese days, the bakers had a peculiar dress known as the kabai. It was a
single-piece long frock reaching down to the knees.
(ii) When the author was young, he saw the bakers wearing a shirt and trousers, which were
shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants.

3. Who invites the comment − “he is dressed like a pader”? Why?

Answer

Anyone who wears a half-pant which reaches just below the knees invites the comment that
“he is dressed like a pader”. This was so because the bakers were known as pader and
they wore such half pants.

4. Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?

Answer

The monthly accounts of the baker were recorded on some wall in pencil.

5. What does a ‘jackfruit-like appearance’ mean?