1. The Best Christmas Present in the World Solutions

Working with Language (Page 17)

Ques 1: Look at these sentences from the story.
I spotted it in a junk shop in Bridport… The man said it was made in the early nineteenth century… This one was in a bad condition…
The it alicised verbs are in the past tense. They tell us what happened in the past, before now.

(i) Read the passage below and underline the verb in the past tense.
A man got on the train and sat down. The compartment was empty except for one lady. She took her gloves off. A few hours later the police arrested the man. They held him for 24 hours and then freed him.

Ans: A man got on the train and sat down. The compartment was empty except for one lady. She took her gloves off. A few hours later the police arrested the man. They held him for 24 hours and then freed him.
Now look at these sentences.
The veneer had lifted almost everywhere. Both fire and water had taken their toll on this desk.
Notice the verb forms had lifted, had taken (their toll).
The author found and bought the desk in the past.
The desk was damaged before the author found it and bought it.
Fire and water had damaged the desk before the author found it and bought it.

• We use verb forms like had damaged for an event in the ‘earlier past’. If there are two events in the past, we used the ‘had ….’ form for the event that occurred first in the past.
• We also use the past perfect tense to show that something was wished for, or expected before a particular time in the past. For example, I had always wanted one …. .
• Discuss with your  partner the difference in meaning in the sentences below.
  • When I reached the station, the train left.
  • When I reached the station, the train had left.

(ii) Fill in the blanks using the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

My little sister is very naughty. When she ____ (come) back from school yesterday, she had _____ (tear) her dress. We _____ (ask) her how it had _____ (happen). She _____ (say) she _____ (have, quarrel) with a boy. She _____ (have, beat) him in a race and he ______ (have, try) to push her. She _____ (have, tell) the teacher and so he _____ (have, chase) her and she ____ (have, fall) down and ______ (have, tear) her dress.

Ans: My little sister is very naughty. When she came back from school yesterday, she had torn her dress. We asked her how it had happened. She said she had quarrelled with a boy. She had beaten him in a race and he had tried to push her. She had told the teacher and so he had chased her and she had fallen down and had torn her dress.

(iii) Underline the verbs and arrange them in two columns, Past and Earlier past.

(a) My friends set out to see the caves in the next town, but I stayed at home, because I had seen them already.
(b) When they arrived at the station, their train had left. They came back home, but by that time I had gone out to see a movie!
(c) So they sat outside and ate the lunch I had packed for them.
(d) By the time I returned, they had fallen asleep!

Ans:

Ques 2: Dictionary Work
By the end of the journey, we had run out of drinking water.
Look at the verb run out of in this sentence. It is a phrasal verb: it has two parts, a verb and a preposition or an adverb. Phrasal verbs often have meanings that are different from the meanings of their parts.

Find these phrasal verbs in the story.

burn out, light up, look on, run out, keep out

Write down the sentences in which they occur. Consult a dictionary  and write down the meaning that you think matches the meaning of the phrasal verb in the sentence.

Ans:

• ‘House number 12 turned out to be nothing but a burned‑out shell ……: (destroyed by fire).
• ‘That was the moment her eyes lit up with recognition, and her face……: (brightened).
• ‘Hans Wolf and I looked on and cheered, clapping our hand …….. : (considered somebody to be somebody)
• The time came, and all  too soon when the game was finished, the schnapps and the run and the sausage had long since run out, and we knew it was all over. (become used up, finished)

Hans Wolf and I looked on and cheered clapping our hands and stamping our feet, to keep out the cold as much as anything. (to avoid)

Ques 3: Noun Phrase

Read the following sentence.
I took out a small black tin box.     

• The phrase in italics is a noun phrase.   
• It has the noun—box—as the head word, and three adjectives preceding it.
• Notice the order in which the adjectives occur—size (small), colour (black) and material (tin) of which it is made.

We rarely use more than four adjectives before a noun and there is no rigid order in which they are used, though there is a preferred order of modifires/adjectives in a noun phrase, as given below.

Determiner

Modifier 1 
(opinion, feeling)

Modifier 2
(size, shape, age)

Modifier3
(colour)

Modifier 4
(material)

Head word

a/an/the

nice/lazy/

beautiful

tall/round/

old/young

red/white/

light/dark

silk/cotton

woollen

woman man/

table/chair

Ques 4: The table below contains a list of nouns and some adjectives. Use as many adjectives as you can to describe each noun. You might come up with some funny descriptions!

Nouns

Adjectives

elephant

circular, striped, enormous,

face

multicoloured, round, cheerful,

building

wild, blue, red, chubby,

water

large, medium-sized, cold

Ans:

1. elephant—enormous, striped, wild
2. face—cheerful, round, chubby
3. building—circular, large, multicoloured
4. water—blue, cold.

Speaking (Page 19)
Ques 1: In groups discuss whether wars are a good way to end conflicts between countries. Then present your arguments to the whole class.

Ans: War means bloodshed, hate and destruction. It shows the animalism in man. Even the animals fight for some sound reason. But nations go to war to settle some petty dispute or in the name of religion. War solves no problem. Understanding alone can end differences. All religions condemn greed and bloody quarrels. Let us learn this great lesson from history.

Ques 2: What kind of presents do you like and why? What are the things you keep in mind when you buy presents for others? Discuss with your partner. (For example, you might buy a book because it can be read and re-read over a period of time.)

Ans: Personally I am against the practice of exchanging expensive gifts. A rose or a token of affection suits every person and every pocket. This is why some guests offer bouquets or greeting cards alone. In case the gift is essential, it should satisfy some need and have utility. When I go to buy a present, I first take into account the liking of my classmate, relative or girl/boy friend.

Writing (Page 20)

Ques 1. Imagine that you are Jim. You have returned to your town after the war. In your diary record how you feel about the changes you see and the events that occur in your town. You could begin like this
 25 December, 1919
 It’s Christmas today, but the town looks…..
 OR
 Suppose you are the visitor. You are in a dilemma. You don’t know whether to disclose your identity and disappoint the old lady or let her believe that her dear Jim has come back. Write a letter to a friend highlighting your anxiety, fears and feelings.

Ans: 25 December, 1919
It’s Christmas today, but the town looks very much different from what I had imagined. It has been ravaged by war. Buildings are in ruins and there is graveyard silence. My own house burnt when it was hit by a bombardment. The events of war have taken a toll on civilians as well as soldiers. I hate the fighting instinct in us and curse the war mongers. Can’t we live in peace like brothers?

OR

Ans:
12-A, Block 4
Dorset
August 10, 2009
Dear Smith,
I am in a dilemma. It seems to be insolvable. I, therefore, seek your help in making a decision.
You know I had purchased an old desk. Inside it I got a box containing an old letter. It was written by Jim, a British soldier, to his wife. I decided to deliver that letter to Mrs. Jim at Bridport.
I reached her house. She was 101 years old. When I gave her the letter, her eyes lit up. She thought I was her long lost husband Jim, who had come home to keep his promise. She was excited and she kissed me. She didn’t listen to what I tried to tell her about my identity.
I don’t know whether or not I should tell who I am. I only walked away from her quickly.

Ques 2: Given below is the outline of a story. Construct the story using the outline.

A young, newly married doctor _____ freedom fighter _____ exiled to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the British _____ infamous Cellular Jail ______ prisoners tortured _____ revolt by inmates ______ doctor hanged _____ wife waits for his return _____ becomes old _____ continues to wait with hope and faith.

Ans: It was the year 1930. India was a British colony. But English education enlightened a section of people. They started fighting for freedom. A young, newly-married doctor was convicted in a conspiracy case. He was sent to Black Waters (Kalapani). It was a group of Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Many freedom fighters and revolutionaries were sent there for life imprisonment . They were put in cellular Jail for a few years. They were subjected to torture. The doctor was hanged. But his wife kept waiting for the return of her husband. She grew old. However, her hope and faith did not fade.