TEXT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Answer the following questions:-
1 What was the author’s opinion about Mr. Gessler as a bootmaker.
Ans: The author was very impressed with Mr. Gessler. He liked the boots made only on order and those boots fitted his customers perfectly. These boots were made of the best materials and lasted for a long time.
2 Why did the author visit the shop so infrequently.
Ans: The author visited the shop so infrequently because the boots made by the Gessler brothers used to last very long and they fitted very well.So no one was in a hurry to buy another pair of boots.
3 What was the effect on Mr. Gessler of the author’s remark about a certain pair of boots.
Ans: Mr. Gessler at first found the remark unbelievable. He argued that the author might have got them wet. He told the author that he would repair them or adjust the money in his bills.
4 What was Mr. Gessler’s complaint against ‘big firms’.
Ans: Mr. Gessler complained that the big firms didn’t value the money of the customers. They did not see the quality of the work and they captured the market by their advertisements. He was having less work because of these big firms.
5 Why did the author order so many pairs of boots? Did he really need them.
Ans The author felt sorry for Mr. Gessler who was really talented and made great boots. He wanted to help Mr. Gessler financially so he ordered many pairs of boots. No, he did not really need them.
Working with the language:
- Study the following phrases and their meanings. Use them appropriately to complete the sentences that follow:-
Look after —- take care of
Look down as —– disapprove or regard as inferior.
Look in —– (on someone) make a short visit.
Look into —- investigate
Look out —- be careful
Look up —- improve
Look up to —– admire. - i) After a very long spell of heat, the weather is ————- at last.
ii) We have no right to ———— people who do small jobs.
iii) Nitin has always —– his uncle, who is a self-made man.
iv) The police are —- the matter thoroughly.
v) If you want to go out, I will —- the children for you.
vi) I promise to —– on your brother when I visit Lucknow next.
vii) ———- when you are crossing the main road.
Answers
i) After a long spell of heat, the weather is looking up at last.
ii) We have no right to look down people who do small jobs.
iii) Nitin has always looked up his uncle, who is a self-made man.
iv) The police are looking into the matter thoroughly.
v) If you want to go out, I will look after the children for you.
vi) I promise to look in on your brother, when I visit Lucknow next.
vii) Look out when you are crossing the main road.
2. Read the following sets of words loudly and clearly.
Cot — coat
Cost –– coast
Tossed — toast
Got —- goat
Rot —- rote
Blot — bloat
Knot — note
Read the above set of words yourself.
- Each of the following words contain the sound ‘sh’ ( as in shine) in the beginning or in the middle or at the end. First speak out all the words clearly. Then arrange the words in three groups in the table given in page 80.
Sheep trash marsh fashion anxious shriek shore fish
Portion ashes sure nation shoe pushing polish moustache
Initial medial final
Sheep fashion trash
Shriek anxious marsh
Shore portion fish
Sure ashes polish
Shoe nation
moustache
pushing
4.In each of the following words ‘ch’ represents the same consonant sound as in ‘chair’ The words on the left have this sound initially. Those on the right have it finally. Speak each word clearly.
Choose bench
Child march
Cheese peach
Chair wretch
Charming research.
Underline the letters representing this sound in each of the following words:-
i) Feature (ii) archery (iii) picture (iv) reaching (v) nature
(vi) matches (vii) riches (viii) batch (ix) church
1 Do you think Mr. Gessler was a failure as a bootmaker or as a competitive businessman.
Ans : Mr. Gessler was successful as a bootmaker as the boots he made were appreciated by his customers . They fitted them perfectly and lasted very long. Yes, he was a failure as a competitive businessman as he did not have enough money to spend on advertisements and compete with any big business firm.
2 What is the significance of the title. To whom or to what does it refer.
Ans: The title refers to the good quality of boots that Mr. Gessler made. In those days people did not care about quality. But for Mr. Gessler quality was more important than money. He worked hard to maintain the quality of his boots and did not compromise on it.So the title ‘Quality ‘ is perfect
3 Notice the way Mr. Gessler speaks English. His English is influenced by his mother tongue.He speaks English with an accent.When Mr. Gessler speaks, p,t,k, sound like b,d,g. Can you say these words Mr. Gessler would say them.It comes and never stops. Does it bother me. Not at all. Ask my brother, please.
Ans:
- Gessler used to speak English with a German accent. His English sounded funny and a bit difficult to understand.
- Gessler would have spoken these lines as
Id comes and neverf sdobs. Does id bodder me. Nod ad all. Ask my brodher blease.
4 Speak to five adults in your neighbourhood. Ask them the following questions ( in any language they are comfortable in. Then come back and share your findings with the class.
i) Do they buy their provisions packed in plastic packets at a big store or loose from a smaller store near their house.
ii) Where do they buy their footwear. Do they buy branded footwear or footwear made locally. What reasons do they have for their preference.
iii) Do they buy readymade clothes or buy cloth and get their clothes stitched by a tailor. Which do you think is better.
Ans
i) Yes, they prefer buying their provisions loose from the smaller stores near their house.
ii) They buy footwear for daily use from local shops. For office and party purposes they prefer buying it from branded shops. They buy from local shops as they are cheap and for office they buy branded ones to look smart and elegant.
iii) They buy from readymade shops and get new ones stitched in tailor shop as well. Readymade clothes are available in the latest fashion and can be got easily. The clothes stitched by the tailor takes time for stitching.
- Look at the picture in your text book (page 81).
Ajit is saying that he has decided to go abroad for higher studies.
Anisa is saying that she does not want to go abroad for higher studies . She loves her country.
Let a pair of students talk to each other about leaving the country. One student repeats Ajit’s statement. The other gives a reason for not agreeing with Ajit. The sentence openings given below should be used.
- If I leave this country, I’ll miss ———-
- There are some things which you can get only here. For example ——-
- There are some special days I’ll miss particularly ——-
- Most of all I’ll miss —- because ——
- I think it’s impossible for me to leave my country because ——
- How can you leave your own country except when ——-?
- Depends on one’s intention. I can’t leave for good because ——
- Maybe for a couple of years ——.
Answers:
- If I leave this country, I’ll miss my family and friends.
- There are some things which you can get only here. For example the tasty and spicy
- There are some special days I’ll miss particularly birthdays and weddings
- Most of all I’ll miss my sister because I share all my secrets with her.
- I think it’s impossible for me to leave my country because I love my country.
- How can you leave your own country except when there is an emergency.
- Depends on one’s intention, I can’t leave for good because I want to be close with all loved ones.
- Maybe for a couple of years I think that would be fine.
Writing
- Based on the following points write a story
- Your aunt has gone to her mother’s house.
- Your uncle does his cooking.
- He is absent-minded.
- He puts vegetables on the stove.
- He begins to clean his bicycle outside.
- The neighbor calls out saying something is burning.
- Your uncle rushes to the kitchen.
- To save vegetables, he puts oil on them.
- Unfortunately, it’s machine oil, not cooking oil.
- What do you think happens to the vegetables?
Story
Last month my aunt decided to visit her parents. Hence the job of cooking was in the hands of my uncle. He is very forgettable . One day he kept vegetables on the gas stove for cooking and went out to clean his bicycle. He got busy cleaning the bicycle and completely forgot about the vegetables on the stove. After some time his neighbour shouted that she smelt something burning. Then my uncle remembered the vegetables on the stove and ran inside. To save the vegetables from getting burnt he poured some oil over them. . By the smell of the vegetables he realized that the oil he poured into the vegetables was not cooking oil but machine oil. Thus the vegetables got spoilt and he had to throw them away..
Fill in the blanks
- Gessler was not an —– his mother tongue was ——-.
- ——- was written on Mr. Gessler’s shop.
- Gessler used ——- leather to make boots.
- Gessler failed to —– the author during his final days.
- The author went to the shop for the last time as he wanted to thank Mr. Gessler for making ——-
- The name plate was missing after some years as Mr. Gessler had ——-.
- The author preferred Mr. Gessler’s shoes because they were —–.
- The author felt sorry for ——- about his boots.
Answers
1) Mr. Gessler was not an Englishman his mother tongue was German.
2) Gessler brothers was written on Mr. Gessler’s shop.
3) Gessler used finest quality leather to make boots.
4) Gessleer failed to recognize the author during his final days.
5) The author went to the shop for the last time as he wanted to thank Mr. Gessler for making good quality boots.
6) The name plate was missing after some years as Mr. Gessler had died of slow starvation
7) The author preferred Mr. Gessler’s shoes because they were of a good quality and they lasted long.
8) The author felt sorry for complaining about his boot.