Chapter 5: A Different Kind of School

English
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Chapter 5: A Different Kind of School

Class: VI

Exercise number - 1

Question a 

Put these sentences from the story in the right order and write them out in a paragraph. Don’t refer to the text.

•   I shall be so glad when today is over.
•   Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess.
•   I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day — at least not much.
•   But being blind is so frightening.
•   Only you must tell me about things.
•   Let’s go for a little walk.
•   The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this.

Answer a

Let’s go for a little walk. Only you must tell me about things. I shall be so glad when today is over. The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this. Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess. I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day − at least not much. But being blind is so frightening.

Question b

Answer the following questions.

1. Why do you think the writer visited Miss Beam’s school? (1)
2. What was the ‘game’ that every child in the school had to play? (9)
3. "Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day…" Complete the line. Which day was the hardest? Why was it the hardest? (9, 11, 15)
4. What was the purpose of these special days? (5, 9)

Answer b

1. The writer had heard a great deal about Miss Beam’s school and hence he visited it.
2. To understand and appreciate misfortune children they play games in their school. The game was that each term every child had one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day.
3. "Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one  injured day and one dumb day." The hardest day was the dumb day because children’s mouth cannot be bandaged. They had to exercise their willpower to remain silent. As per the bandaged girl she mentioned that being blind was so frightening and headaches worrying if she would get hurt.
4. To teach thoughtfulness − kindness to others and to be a responsible citizen are the purposes of these special days. To understand and appreciate misfortune, they were made to share in misfortune too.

Question a

Match the words and phrases with their meanings in the box below.

paragraph numbers

1. homesick (3)
2. practically (4)
3. it pains me (7)
4. appreciate (9)
5. thoughtless (10)
6. exercise (11)
7. relief (13)
8. ghastly (14)

Answer a

1. homesick − Wanting to be home
2. practically − Almost
3. it pains me − It hurts me
4. appreciate − Understanding the difficulties
5. thoughtless − Not very caring
6. exercise − Test the strength of
7. relief − A welcome change
8. ghastly − Terrible

Question b

Re-word these lines from the story:

1. I had heard a great deal about Miss Beam’s school.
2. Miss Beam was all that I had expected — middle-aged, full of authority.
3. I went to the window which overlooked a large garden.
4. "We cannot bandage the children’s mouths, so they really have to exercise their will-power."

Answer b

1. I had heard a lot of good things about the school run by Miss Beam.
2. Miss beam was everything I had thought of, in the middle years of her life and authoritative.
3. I reached a window which opened in front of a garden of a large size.
4. "The children’s mouths cannot be put into bandages, so an exercise of will power is required on their part."