Chapter 9: The Great Stone Face - I

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Chapter 9: The Great Stone Face - I

Class: VIII

Exercise number – 1

Question 1
Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

1. The Great Stone Face stood near where Ernest and his mother lived. ______
2. One would clearly distinguish the features of the Stone Face only from a distance.______
3. Ernest loved his mother and helped her in her work. ______
4. Though not very rich, Gathergold was a skilful merchant. ______
5. Gathergold died in poverty and neglect. ______
6. The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Ernest should not fear the general.______

Answer 1

1. False, The Great Stone Face stood miles away from where Ernest and his mother lived.
2. True
3. True
4. False, Gathergold was very rich.
5. True
6. False, The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Earnest should not lose heart, but believe that the man whose face resembled the Great Stone Face would come.

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Question 1

1. What was the Great Stone Face?
2. What did young Ernest wish when he gazed at it?

Answer 1

1. The Great Stone Face was a work of nature which was formed on the perpendicular side of a mountain by some gigantic rocks that had been thrown together so that when viewed at a proper distance, they resembled a human face.
2. Young Ernest wished that the Great Stone Face could speak while gazing at it because it looked so very kind that he thought its voice must be pleasant. He even said that if he ever found a man with such a face, he would love him very much.

Question 2
What was the story attributed to the Stone Face?

Answer 2
There was a story that was attributed to the Great Stone Face. It was, on some day in future, a child would be born near it, and he would be destined to become the greatest and noblest person of his time. His face, in manhood, would exactly resemble the Great Stone Face.

Question 3
What gave the people of the valley the idea that the prophecy was about to come true for the first time?

Answer 3
The people of the valley got the idea that the prophecy was about to come true from a rumour that went all over the valley. The rumour was that, the great man, who was going to bear a resemblance to the Great Stone Face, had finally appeared. Many years back, a young man named Gathergold left the valley and settled at a distant seaport. He had set up as a shopkeeper and being sharp in business matters, had become so rich that it would have taken him about a hundred years to count his wealth only. In time, he thought of his native valley, and decided to go back there and end his days where he had been born. The people believed him to be the prophesied man.

Question 4

1. Did Ernest see in Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face?
2. Who did he confide in and how was he proved right?

Answer 4

1. No, Ernest did not see any likeness of the Stone Face in Gathergold’s face.
2. He confided in the Great Stone Face. When everybody else believed that Gathergold’s face resembled the Stone Face, he turned away from the wrinkled astuteness of that unpleasant face and gazed up the valley, where the Stone Face looked like saying "He will come! Fear not, Ernest; the man will come!" He was proved right when later Gathergold died and was buried. His wealth, which was the body and soul of his existence, had disappeared before his death. After he lost his gold, it had been commonly agreed that there was no likeness between him and the majestic face upon the mountain.

Question 5

1. What made people believe General Blood-and-Thunder was their man?
2. Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face. What did he conclude?

Answer 5

1. The people believed that ‘General Blood & Thunder’ was their man as he had become a soldier many years back. After a great deal of tough fighting, he became a well known commander. He had lately expressed his desire to return to his native valley as he was old and tired now. Preparations were done to welcome him. It was being said that at last, the likeness of the Great Stone Face had genuinely appeared. When they saw him, they could see the resemblance and were sure that he was the man as they believed he was the greatest man of that or any other age without any doubt.
2. When Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face, he concluded that there was zero resemblance and if there was such a likeness as the crowd proclaimed, then he could not recognise it.

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Question 1
Write the noun forms of the following words by adding -ness or -ity to them appropriately. Check the spelling of the new words.

1. lofty ______________
2. able ______________
3. happy ______________
4. near ______________
5. noble ______________
6. enormous ______________
7. pleasant ______________
8. dense ______________
9. great ______________
10. stable ______________

Answer 1

1. loftiness
2. ability
3. happiness
4. nearness
5. nobility
6. enormity
7. pleasantness
8. density
9. greatness
10. stability

Question 2
Add -ly to each of the following adjectives, then use them to fill in the blanks. perfect near kind pleasant eager

1. Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were _______ waiting for you.
2. _________ write your name and address in capital letters.
3. I was _________ surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.
4. It is _________ believable that I am not responsible for this mess.
5. He fell over the step and _________ broke his arm.

Answer 2

1. Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were eagerly waiting for you.
2. Kindly write your name and address in capital letters.
3. I was pleasantly surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.
4. It is perfectly believable that I am not responsible for this mess.
5. He fell over the step and nearly broke his arm.

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

1. I _________ (phone) you when I _________ (get) home from school.
2. Hurry up! Madam _________ (be) annoyed if we _________ (be) late.
3. If it _________ (rain) today, we _________ (not) go to the play.
4. When you _________ (see) Mandal again, you _________ (not/recognise) him. He is growing a beard.
5. We are off today. We _________ (write) to you after we _________ (be) back.

Answer 3

1. I will phone you when I will get home from school.
2. Hurry up! Madam will be annoyed if we are
3. If it rains today, we will not go to the play.
4. When you see Mandal again, you will not recognize He is growing a beard.
5. We are off today. We will write to you after we are