CLASS-VIII

Chapter-7 Poem-The Children’s Song

by Joseph Rudyard Kipling

B.

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

1.  Teach us to bear the yoke in youth,

With steadfastness and careful truth;

That, in our time, Thy Grace may give

The Truth whereby the Nations live.

a.  What yoke is the speaker referring to in the first line?

Ans. The speaker is referring to the yoke that children would strengthen the nation by firmly standing by the truth.

b.  What does the speaker mean by ‘careful truth’?

Ans.  ‘Careful truth’ means the truth which id unbiased, focused and builds a strong, prosperous and developed nation.

c.  What does the phrase ‘in our time’ in line 3 refer to?

Ans. The phrase ‘in our time’ refers to the time when children become grown ups and take the responsibility to serve their motherland.

d.  Explain: ‘The Truth whereby the Nations live’.

Ans. ‘The Truth whereby the Nations live’ means that children who are the future citizens of the country pray to God to make them honest, responsible and truthful. They also pray to give them the strength to always stand by the truth as it is a strong foundation of a country’s progress and prosperity.

2.  Land of our Birth, or faith, our pride,

For whose dear sake our fathers died;

Oh, Motherland, we pledge to thee

Head, heart and hand through the years to be!

a.  Why does the speaker call their motherland ‘Land of … …. faith, …pride’?

Ans. The speaker calls his motherland the land of faith….pride because it comprises of the customs, beliefs and traditions which he believes in and it has given him his identity and recognition. He is proud of his cultural heritage.

b.  How does the speaker wish to serve their motherland?

Ans. The poet wished to serve his motherland by being sincere, honest, hardworking, responsible and loving. He wishes to do good deeds and contribute to the betterment of human race. He is willing to make supreme sacrifices for his motherland.

c.  What do the words ‘head’, ‘heart’ and ‘hand’ refer to?

Ans. ‘Head’ refers to intelligence and knowledge. ‘heart’ refers to love and patriotism and ‘hand’ refers to hardwork. This reference has been made to signify that children should have intelligence, love and  sincerity towards their motherland.

d.  What purpose is served by the repetition of the word ‘our’ in line 1?

Ans. In line 1, the repetition of the word ‘our’ creates a sense of belongingness to the motherland. It gives a feeling that all the countrymen are equal for the motherland.

C. Explain the following.

1. …we pledge to thee

Our love and toil in the years to be.

Ans. The children pledge to serve their motherland woth sincerity and devotion when they grow up. They want to do their best possible for their country and make necessary sacrifices.

2.That we may bring, if need arise,

No maimed or worthless sacrifice.

Ans. The children wish to grow as disciplined and upright human beings capable of making sacrifices which are not half-hearted and worthless.

3.That we, with Thee, may walk uncowed

By fear or favour of the crowd.

Ans. The children pray to God to make them fearless and face any situation courageously and with faith in Him. They wish to be courageous so that they may be able to walk in any sphere of life without any fear, criticism or favour of the people around them.

4.Mirth that has no bitter springs.

Ans. The children pray to God to teach them to find happiness in small things of life and they should  not have any ill feelings against anyone. They should take life as it comes.

D. The repetition of a sound to create a musical effect in a poem is called ‘alliteration’. Find atleast four examples of alliteration in the poem.

Ans. The examples of alliteration in the poem are:

Head, heart and hand through the   a.  years to be

b.  That we, with Thee, may walk uncowed

c.  Controlled and cleanly night and day

d.  Forgiveness free of evil done

E. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

Ans. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ‘aabb’.

HOTS

Why is the poem titled ‘The Children’s Song’?

Ans. The poem deals with children’s wishes. They are making a prayer before God and the entire poem is in the form of a song offered to God. The poem is also very musical. Hence, it is titled ‘The Children’s Song’.

What is the theme of the poem 'The Children's Song '?

The poem deals with the children's wish to be the best  of the capabilities . Acquiring virtues like truth,fearlessness , compassion ,self control and selflessness they would like to leave behind an unpolluted heritage.They want to enjoy the innocent joys of life, heal the bleeding soul and have no malice in their heart.

Life Skills

A. ‘The Children’s Song’ has a definite message for the people of every country in every age. What is that message?

Ans.The poem conveys a patriotic message that the children will serve their motherland with all their strength and hardwork. For that, one needs to be a perfect human being of great virtues. Only an upright man with moral character can fulfil the responsibility of serving the motherland.

Class – VIII

Chapter-10 The Underserved Reward

                  by Premchand

B.

1. Why is the narrator a secret admirer of the district officer?

Ans. The narrator secretly admires the district officer as he is a man of learning. He has done considerable research in history and old coins. The narrator wonders how he finds time for it in the midst of his official duties. The narrator had read his works and is impressed by him.

2. What did the Indian officer do when his father-in-law insisted on prolonging his daughter’s stay at his house?

Ans. When the father-in-law insisted on prolonging his daughter’s stay at his house, the Indian officer became furious and issued summons for his father-in-law.

3. When the narrator was invited by the district officer to see him, his friends said that it was an insult to him. Why?

Ans. When the narrator was invited by the district officer to see him, his friends said that it was an insult to him because they thought that the district officer should have himself come to his house if he was so keen to meet him.

4. Why was the narrator happy that the district officer had not come to his house himself instead of calling him?

Ans. The narrator was happy that the district officer had not come to his house because it would have created a problem for him as there was not even a decent chair in his house. It would have been difficult for him to entertain the district officer for long even after spending a lot of money. If his wife also accompanied him, it would have made the matter worse as the narrator’s wife would have been able to entertain her.

5. ‘I considered this as downright mean and dishonest.’ What did the narrator consider to be mean and dishonest?

Ans. The narrator had acquaintance with the district officer and it was easy for him to convince people that through him they could get favour from the district officer. But he considered taking advantage of his friendship with the district officer as mean and dishonest.

6. How did the narrator and Baldev become friends in their childhood?

Ans. The narrator and Baldev had studied together about forty five years ago. Baldev was dull in studies and his teacher was fed up with him. So, he gave the narrator the task of giving extra lessons to Baldev. The narrator’s sympathetic approach yielded results. Baldev was soon well up in studies and they became friends.

7. Why had the police involved Baldev’s son in a false case of dacoity?

Ans. Baldev’s son quarreled with the police on a number of occasions and they had always been on the lookout for an opportunity to implicate him. When a dacoity took place in the village, they got their chance and during investigation roped him in.

C. Baldev presented many arguments before the narrator to convince him to speak to the district officer. State a few arguments and identify the one which you think to be the most convincing.

Ans. Baldev presented many arguments before the narrator to convince him to speak to the district officer. He told the narrator that he considered him as his elder brother and depended upon him to get his son out of trouble. He argued that if his son would be sentenced the whole family would be ruined. He told him that the boy’s mother was crying her heart out and his son’s wife had not eaten anything since his arrest. He told him that both the women will die if his son was sent to jail. He also reminded the narrator that he was his childhood friend and also his guru.

HOTS

‘I feel sorry at the mentality of my countrymen,’ says the narrator. Why does the narrator feel sorry for it? Explain.

Ans. The narrator feels sorry that his countrymen gave a lot of importance to the government officials. They try to flatter by inviting them to preside over public functions or naming the school or a hospital after them. This mentality of Indians makes the narrator feel sorry for them.

Life  skills

A.   ‘Every deserving action should be rewarded; likewise every reward should be well deserved.’ Does this statement always hold true in  real life? Substantiate your answer with examples.

T    The doing of some good work should result in a reward as the person who has done it gets a motivation from this reward.Even if hedoesnot demand,the deserving action should be rewarded for the spread of the good deed.For ex., if someone finds money on the road and then returns it to its owner, he should be rewarded as this will motivate him for doing such things in the future also.But reward should also be given to deserving ones.

A. 

  One should listen to all but take one’s own decision guided by both intellect and conscience.’ Discuss.

iiIntellect involves reasoning and understanding something before making a decision whereas conscience guides one in making decisions.If decisions are made out of conscience alone , the decision maker may not put into consideration the consequences of his or her decision. Therfore it is important to use intellect too, so that one is able to understand the feeling and do appropriate decision making by using both intellect and conscience.

II    

Writing Skills

A.   You are the narrator. You are overcome with a feeling of guilt after Baldev and his son leave his house. Write a letter to Baldev expressing your guilt over accepting the honour that you did not deserve.

Examination Hall
New Delhi.

date :.

 Dear Baldev

It is with a great sense of shame that I write this letter to make a confession. The other day, the honour that you gave me for getting your son acquitted was an undeserved one. When you brought all those gifts to express your gratitude, I should have told you about it. But I could not gather enough courage to tell you the truth. I must tell you that I did not talk to the district officer and I have no role in the release of your son. The case was decided on his own merit. Instead of thanking me, express your thankfulness to God for showering justice on your son. Hope you will forgive me.

Your friend

Premchand

CLASS -VIII

Chapter 11 Poem-Bangle Sellers

                        by Sarojini Naidu

C. Read these extracts from the poem and answer the questions that follow.

1. ‘Whose hands have cherished,’

a. Whose hands are being referred to?

Ans. Hands of middle aged woman are being referred to.here

b. Whom have these hands cherished?

Ans. These hands have cherished her children.

c. How are these hands ornamented?

Ans. These hands are ornamented with purple and gold flecked grey bangles.

d. Discuss the importance of these hands in the development of human race.

Ans. These hands have brought up faithful sons who serve the nation with sincerity and devotion.

2. ‘Some, like the flame of her marriage fire,

     Or rich with the hue of her heart’s desire;’

a.    Whom does ‘her’ refer to?

Ans. ‘her’ refers to the bride.

b.    List any two adjectives used by the poet to describe the bangles of the bride.

Ans. Tinkling, luminous, tender and clear are the adjectives used the poet to describe the bangles of the bride.

c.    What colour do you think would appropriately describe ‘heart’s desire’? Why?

Ans. Red colour is used to describe ‘heart’s desire’ because blood is red in colour. Red is also the symbol of love and warmth.

d.    The poet has compared the bangles of the Indian bride to her laughter as well as her tears. Why?

Ans. The poet has compared the bangles of the Indian bride to her laughter as she is happy that she is going to be united to her husband and her new family. The poet has compared the bangles to her tears because she is sad that she will be leaving her parents’ home and the place where she was brought up.

3. ‘Some are fit for maiden’s wrist,

     Silver and blue as the mountain mist.’

a.    Why has the word ‘some’ been repeated in the poem?

Ans. ‘Some’ has been repeated in the poem many times to indicate the wide variety of bangles the bangle sellers are carrying.

b.    What kind of bangles are suitable for the maiden?

Ans. Silver and blue bangles are suitable for the maiden.

c.    Name the poetic device used in the above lines.

Ans. Simile is the poetic device used in the above line.

d.    What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

Ans. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ‘aabbcc.’

HOTS

‘Bangles are not mere ornaments or accessories for women; they are a part of their identity.’ Discuss.

Bangles are more than accessories for Indian women. They are a part of their identity. Bangles have always been an inseparable part of Indian culture.For Indian women, bangles are not just mere ornaments. Indian women love their bangles. It is a tradition to wear bangles after marriage for the sake of health, luck and prosperity.

.

A.   ‘Man has drawn all colours and freshness from various aspects of Nature.’ Comment.

The relationship between man and nature has been an intimate one ever since the beginning of life. In the primitive age, his aesthetic pleasures and physical needs were gratified by nature.  The snow-clad mountains and sweet carols of various birds ,the rich  landscape, radiant flowers and their colours, the murmuring rivers, the snowy mountains and the melodious songs of birds enchant humans. Man and nature enrich and complement each other. Their dependence is mutual. There is a common stream of life, a rhythmic power, which animates both nature and man.

B.   The whole poem deals with bangles. Why has the poet titled ‘Bangle Sellers’?

Ans. The poet has titled the poem ‘Bangle Sellers’ because they are the ones who give the description of the bangles and suggest different bangles for a maiden, a bride and a middle-aged woman.

Life Skills

‘Worships the gods at her husband’s side.’ What is the significance of the woman’s presence by her husband’s side during worship?

The middle aged woman who is concerned with her household and prays to the gods with her husband for the good of her family. She  is considered as the pillar of her family. She takes care of everyone and almost everything in the family. Her only wish is the well-being of her family. This also signifies her respect for the cultural tradition of the society.

Writing Skills

Sarojini Naidu’s ‘Bangle Sellers’ is rooted in Indian culture and tradition.’ Explain in a short paragraph of not more than 80 words.

As Sarojini Naidu has depicted it, bangles are directly connected to the happiness and well-being of a family in the traditional Indian society. People buy bangles for their daughters and wives, on occasions like fairs to make them look good and make them happy. Women also find joy in wearing bangles. Naidu has presented how various colours of bangles match the emotions and aspirations of a woman in various stages of her life. In short, bangles are an integral part of woman life, be it a maiden, a bride on her marriage ceremony or a middle aged woman who has journeyed through life. To express the happiness connected with bangles, Naidu calls them “lustrous tokens of radiant lives.”  Bangles also play an important part in keeping the cultural traditional of the Indian society.

Bring out the main idea or theme of the poem The Bangle Sellers by Sarojini Naidu.

In Sarojini Naidu’s poem “The Bangle Sellers“, some bangle sellers go to the temple fair to sell their bangles. They shout their trade cry by glorifying those bangles and describing their colours and suitability for girls and women of various ages.

The main idea is to present the stages of woman life and the cultural tradition of a typical Indian society of the poet’s time. The bangles are compared with natural objects to symbolize the feelings and emotions attached with the life of Indian women and the roles played by the bangles.

1

CLASS-7

CHOCOLATES IN YOUR DREAMS TOO

A.   Fill in the blanks

:

1.    Mrs Dev bought   bread and butter    from the shop

2.     Gopas favourite TV progrramme was Super Samurai.

3.    Gopa was allowed to watch TV for one hour.

4.    Gopa went out and played video games .with his friends

5.    Alien was hiding in Gopa’s shirt pocket..

6.    Chocolates contain a  harmful _metal  that damages the brain.

7.    Gopa wanted to become an astronaut when he grew up.

B.        Complete the following statements :

1.    Gopa’s mother didn’t want him to eat chocolates because  chocolates  are bad for health.

2.    Gopa could not play in the streets because passersby and vehicles disturbed them at every moment.

3.    Mother told Gopa to do his work himself because she wanted him to do some physical exercise to make hi  muscles  flexible.

4.    Gopa thought that his mother wanted him to do work because she had to work hard in her childhood ,so she  wanted him to work hard.

5.    Alien told Gopa we should not eat junk food because they are harmful for our health.

C.   Answer the following qs. :

1.Why did Gopa create a fuss in the market?

Ans.  Gopa created a fuss in the market because his mother refused to buy a chocolate for him.

 2 .Why did Gopa’s mother forbid him to watch TV?

Ans. Gopa’s mother forbade him to watch TV because he had been watching TV for long duration which according  to  her,could harm his eyes.

3. What reasons did Gopa quote in favour of having cold drinks?

Ans. The reasons that Gopa quoted in favour of having cold drinks were

1.    what wrong was he doing when everyone was doing the same.

2.    all these things were readily available.

3.    they are advertised round the clock.

4.    What was the conclusion of aliens report about gopas health?

Ans.The conclusion of aliens report about Gopa’s health was that his  body would likely to stop functioning within five   years.

5 .List the instructions which alien gave to Gopa  to be disciplined.

      Ans.  The instructions which alien gave to  Gopa  to be disciplined were:

•        lead a disciplined life.
• ·         get up early in the morning.
• ·         sleep early.
• ·         avoid late night movies
• ·         avoid junk food
• ·         go for morning walks

1. 
   

    D, Read the extracts and answer the qs. :

a.    My dear , you’ve already warned me.

1.Who said these words and to whom?

Ans. Mrs Dev said these words to Gopa.

2. What warning had  been given to the speaker?

 Ans. The speaker had  been  warned that a scene would be created in the market if the speaker did not buy a chocolate for him.

b.Do you have the courage to listen to what I’ve to say?

i. What was the speaker going to say?

Ans.The  speaker was going to read the conclusion of  Gopa’s health report that stated that his  body would stop functioning in  another five  years.

ii. How did the listener react to what the speaker said?

Ans, The listener was surprised and shocked tohear the conclusion of his health report.

C .That means that your message needs to be spread to all children.

i.      Whose message need to be spread?

Ans. The alien’s message needs to be spread

Ii .  What is the message?

Ans, The message is that all the children of this world become happy, healthy and wise.

CLASS VIII

ARTICLE WRITING

Article Writing

Global Warming

by abc

Global warming' is caused by the rise in temperature of the Earth's atmosphere The basic cause of increasing the Earth’s temperature is continuous rise in the atmospheric carbon  dioxide. The average temperature of the Earth is increasing due to entrapment of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere.

Human activities like deforestation, pollution, consumption of fossil fuel, burning of plastic etc  have  resulted in the increase of global warming. Due to global warming, polar ice caps are melting and the sea level is rising. Ozone layer is becoming thinner resulting in entering of harmful rays in the atmosphere causing skin diseases. Climate is changing day by day.

Therefore, it is necessary for us to raise awareness among people if we have to save the world from disaster .We should practice afforestation. Instead of fossil fuels, we should use clean fuels such as natural gas. We should stop the burning of plastics etc. and use renewable energy to save the planet Earth

Nature Conservation

by abc

Nature consists of plants, animals, birds, water, mountain, etc. It is an important aspect of human life as we are all dependent on it for our survival. It fulfils our basic needs, gives us pleasure, de-stress us, inspires us and teaches us valuable lessons of life.

Sadly man for his greed and selfish needs is destroying nature by cutting down trees, polluting air, land and water, killing animals and in general overusing natural resources. Human activities are responsible for creating imbalance in nature. Therefore ,it is essential that in order to enjoy the benefits of nature ,we need to lay emphasis on conservation of nature.

Developing respect towards nature is the first step towards its conservation. We should spread awareness among all people about the importance of nature. We should develop an eco-friendly attitude and reduce our carbon footprints. Depletion of natural resources  must  be stopped immediately by the use of alternative source of energy. We must adopt the policy of 5 R’s that is reduce, re-use, recycle, repurpose and refuse. We must also grow a large number of trees to conserve the environment.

CLASS-7

Class-7

The Spider and the Fly

Vocabulary

spy – to see

vain-useless or futile

weary –tired

soaring-rise or fly high

snugly –cozy or close fitting

tuck- put in or insert

parlour: a drawing room

 ne’er: contraction for never.

cunning- sneaky, sly, crafty

witty: amusing, humorous, clever

gauzy: thin, delicate, see-through

looking glass: mirror

behold –to see or observe

subtle: slight, or delicate

robe-loose outer garment

crest-a growth of skin ona bird or animal’s head

wily: scheming, sly, sneaky, tricky

aloft-up in the air

hue-colour

flattering- false praise

idle:lazy, inactive

heed- listen to or pay attention

evil-wicked

counsellor: someone who guides or gives advice

fiercely-violently

dismal- dark

The Spider and the Fly

A]        Dear friend what can I do,

 To prove the warm affection,

 I 've always felt for you?

 I have within my pantry,

a good store of all that's nice;

 I'm sure you're very welcome,

 will you please to take a slice?

   I]     Why is the speaker called cunning

 Ans.  The speaker  is  called cunning because he flatters the fly and he wants to

          dine upon her. He shows false affection towards her.

ii.        How does ‘he’ in these lines,try to lure the fly

   Ans.  He tries to be affectionate to her , he  invites her to his pantry and sings a song to praise her beauty.

III.        How does the fly react to the offer made by him

Ans.      The fly shows no interest in the offers made by the spider and refuses to

             accept them.

   b.        Sweet creature!” said the Spider,

             “you're witty and you're wise,
   How handsome are your gauzy wings,

              how brilliant are your eyes!
   I've a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,
    If you'll step in one moment, dear,

                you shall behold yourself.”

i.              Who is this ‘sweet creature’

Ans.     The fly is the ‘sweet creature’

ii.             Why is the speaker praising her so much

Ans.     The speaker is praising her so much because he wants her to be his

            prey .He wants to trap and eat her up.

iii.             Do you think this creature is  really  wise. Why or why not

Ans.     The creature is not  really  wise because she comes under the influence

             of the spider and falls a victim to his flattery which leads to her death.

c.         The Spider turned him round about,

             and went into his den,
      For well he knew the silly Fly

            would soon come back again:
     So he wove a subtle web,

             in a little corner sly,
     And set his table ready,

             to dine upon the Fly.

i.              Wht did the speaker turn back into his den

Ans.    The speaker turned back into his den because he knew that the silly fly

           would surely come back to him. So,  he went to his den to weave a subtle  

           web  and set his table ready to dine upon her.

ii.             How did he know that the fly would soon be back

Ans.     He knew that the silly fly would not be able to resist the temptation after

            hearing  so  many flattering words. So he was sure of her coming back.

iii.             Is he able to dine upon the fly How

Ans.      Yes, he is able to dine upon the fly as she gets trapped in the web of his

              flattery.

          HOTS

    Q. A.   What is a ‘fable’ Why is the poem called a fable

     Ans. A fable is an imaginary story about animals and birds in which they behave like human beings. It also teaches us a moral. The Spider and the Fly is called  a fable because it talks about two creatures –a cunning spider and a silly fly. It tells us how the spider lures the fly to fall a prey into his web of flattery .It teaches us not to be a victim to other people’s flattery. We must close our ears, heart and eyes to evil counsellors.

B. The spider offers various things to lure the fly  but   when he sings a song dedicated to her beauty, she finds it difficult to resist and becomes a victim of his flattery.