The Best Christmas Present In The World Class 8 Questions And Answers CBSE

The Best Christmas Present In The World Class 8 Questions And Answers CBSE

Question 1.
What did the author find in a junk shop ?
Answer:
The author found a roll-top desk in a junk shop.

Question 2.
What did he find in a secret drawer ? Who do you think had put it in there?
Answer:
He found a small tin box there. It had been placed there by Ms. Macpherson as I think.

The Best Christmas Present in the World Comprehension check (Page-14)

Question 1.
Who had written the letter, to whom, and when ?
Answer:
Jim Macpherson wrote the letter to his wife, Connie, on the Christmas Eve from the battlefield.

Question 2.
Why was the letter written–what was the wonderful thing that had · happened?
Answer:
The letter was written to describe an unusual thing/event happened on the Christmas eve at the battlefield.Both the enemies celebrated the eve in the ferocity of war. They enjoyed together German drinks and sausage. And their carols were praised by each other. It was the wonderful event that had happened on the battlefield.

Question 3.
What jobs did Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson have when they were not soldiers?
Answer:
Jim Macpherson was a school-teacher whereas Hans Wolf used to play a cello in the orchestra.

Question 4.
Had Hans Wolf ever been to Dorset ? Why did he say he knew it ?
Answer:
No, he had never been to Dorset. He learned about the place from school and reading books in English

Question 5.
Do you think Jim Macpherson came back from the war ? How do you know this ?
Answer:
Jim Macpherson did not return from the war. On tin box, it was written in a clumsy handwriting : “Jim’s last letter, received January 25, 1915. To be buried with me when the time comes.” This line supports our answer

The Best Christmas Present in the World Comprehension check (Page – 15)

Question 1.
Why did the author go to Bridport ?
Answer:
The author went to Bridport in search of Mrs. Connie Macpherson.

Question 2.
How old was Mrs. Macpherson now ? Where was she ?
Answer:
Mrs. Macpherson was 101 years old. She was in a Nursing Home situated at Dorchester Road named as Burlington House. The place was on the other side of the town.

The Best Christmas Present in the World Comprehension check (Page – 16)

Question 1.
Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?
Answer:
Connie Macpherson thought her visitor was her own husband, Jim Macpherson.

Question 2.
Which sentence in the text shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity
Answer:
The sentence ‘I said I was a friend come to visit Mrs. Macpherson to bring her a Christmas present’ shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity.

The Best Christmas Present in the World Working With the Text (Page-16)

Question 1.
For how long do you think Connie had kept Jim’s letter? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
I think she must have kept Jim’s letter till their house caught fine.
The reasons are :
The roll-up desk was of early 19th century, the date on the letter i.e., 26th Dec. 1914 and moreover she was now 101 years old. All these reasons support my answer.

Question 2.
Why do you think the desk had been sold, and when ?
Answer:
The desk, I think, must have been sold when the house got fire. As it was badly burnt,it must have been sold to a junk dealer by Mrs. Macpherson. She left then the place to live in a Nursing Home.

Question 3.
Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts ? Do you agree?
Answer:
As no one dies in a game or sport, it can be a right way to resolve conflicts between the two nations or societies. Sports netive make children orphan and nor make wives widows. I agree to this concept of resolving conflicts. It would be better for the entire humanity.

Question 4.
Do you think the soldiers of the two armies are like each other, or different from each other ? Find evidence from the story to support your answer.
Answer:
Soldiers are like each other and they are not at all different. Both wanted peace and harmony. They enjoyed wine and meat together, celebrated Christmas on the battlefield. Moreover they played football. At night they applauded each other by singing carols. Hans Wolf also narrated that each soldier must wish the fight to end soon and they wanted to go homes. Even they wanted to resolve the conflicts by sports.

Question 5.
Mention the various ways in which the British and the German soldiers become friends and find things in common at Christmas.
Answer:
The Germans wished Happy Christmas to the British soldiers. After that they thought of having a party at no-man’s land with schnapps and sausages. The British responded it bravely and warm-heartedly. They became friends and shared each others goodwill and time of peace by enjoying, eating, laughing, drinking and talking. Besides, they played football that was won by the Germans by two goals to one.

Question 6.
What is Connie’s Christmas present ? Why is it “the best Christmas present in the world” ?
Answer:
Jim’s last letter was Connie’s Christmas present. He was away on the front. She had been waiting for his return. Unfortunately her house caught fire and she had lost everything. So, after so many years when she got her husband’s letter on the Christmas Eve, she lost in memory. So it is the best Christmas present in the world ‘for her’.

Question 7.
Do you think the title of this story is suitable for it ? Can you think of any other title(s)?
Answer:
The entire story resolves around the letter that belongs to Mrs. Macpherson. It is really valuable for Connie Macpherson as it turns out to be the best Christmas gift for her. Nothing can be thought beyond the letter. Some other titles may be : An extra ordinary Christmas present, the most adorable Christmas present.

The Best Christmas Present in the World Working With Language (Page 17)

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

Read the passage below and underline the verbs 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.
Answer:
The following are the verbs in the Past tense :
got, sat, took, arrested, held , freed.

• 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. K
We use verb forms like had damaged for an event in the ‘earlier past’. If there are two events in the past, we use 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. W
hen 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.
Answer:
came, torn, asked, happened, said, had quarrelled, had beaten, had tried, had told, had chased, had fallen, had torn

(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!

Answer:

2. Dictionary work

By the end of the journey, we had run out of drinking water. Look at the very 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

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.
Answer:
Burn out-destroyed by fine
(i) H.No. 12 turned out to be nothing but a burned out shell, the roof gaping ………
Lit up become bright.

(ii) That was the moment her eyes lit up with recognition …………
Look on-watch.

(iii) Hans Wolf and I looked on and cheered, clapping ………………….
Run out-disappear.

(iv) The time came and all too soon, when the game was finished the schnapps and the ruin and the sausage had long since run out and we knew it …………….
Keep out to be safe from

(v) ……………. clapping our hands and stamping our feet, to keep out the cold as much as anything.

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 modifiers/adjectives in a noun phrase, as given below.

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!

The Best Christmas Present in the World Speaking (Page – 19)

Question 1.
In groups discuss whether wars are a good way to end conflicts between countries. Then present your arguments to the whole
Answer:
Wars leave nothing but destruction. Loss of man, money and material is felt after the war had ended. They are a good way to end conflicts between the countries. Only having a good talk in regular momentum can lessen the tension. A nation becomes weak when war is thrown on it whether it is economically or materially. No nation wants war.

Question 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.)
Answer:
Providing presents may vary from person to person. If you are to give a present to an old lady, you must have not to select a book but a shawl or knee caps. To a housewife, a book is meaningless as compared to a set of air tight containers. We must think very professionally before selecting a present to be given. Some presents are beneficial to others, some presents are worthless to others. Make a sensible selection by matching one’s tastes and requirements.

The Best Christmas Present in the World Writing (Page – 20)

Question 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 …………….
Answer:
25 December, 1919
Its Christmas today, but the town looks dejected. Houses, bazaars, buildings, shops have no traces. All has changed. Only debris found here and there. My house looked out to be nothing but a burned-out shell. There is no one to share my feelings and pathos. All is lost. Sadness has been spread all over. What would happen when it was thrown to fire ? War has left nothing but disaster all around. Some corner of my heart is pinching within the ribs. Oh god! Save us from such a destruction-bound society.
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.
Answer:
Bridport
27th December, 19xx
Dear Sonal,
Here I am to share my anxiety, fears and feelings with you. They are about a roll-top desk I purchased from a junk shop. In its one drawer I found a letter. It was written by some Jim to his wife Mrs. Macpherson. Jim was an army officer and fought the war against Germany during World War I. The letter described an incident that occurred on the Christmas morning on the battlefield where the Germans invited the British to relish their shnapps, play a football match.

The letter had so touching details, I decided to search Mrs. Macpherson and deliver the letter. Having made some enquiries I reached a nursing home and found the lady who was now 101 years old. I went up and handed over the letter to her. That was the Christmas morning. Her eyes lit up and she looked at me and believed that Jim had come back. She kissed my cheek, offered me tea and cake. I was spell-bound. I am in a fix whether to disclose my identity or disappoint the old lady. I could not make up my mind. Please do help me. What should I do? Your loving friend, Jane

Question 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.
Answer:
A young newly married doctor was captured on a false notion of a freedom fighter. He was exiled to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the British to the infamous Cellular Jail. In jail most of the prisoners had been tortured since long. Some of the inmates did revolt. The doctor was sentenced to death. But his wife waits for his return. She has become old and pathenic in nature. But he never returns. She continues to wait with the hope and faith that one day he will return her charming days with a happy later marriage life.

The Best Christmas Present in the World Introduction

Some dates, or events in the World History are worth-remembering. This story representes or describes a war held between the British and the Germans in 1914. The person who visited his city after the war had found everything changed. How did he feel about that change? It is the gist of the story. Now read it of your own.

The Best Christmas Present in the World Word Notes Pages 9-10.

spotted-saw देखा;
junk-waste paper or materials कूड़ा करकट;
clumsily awkward बेढंगा;
scorch marks burn marks जले के निशान;
veneer-thin layer of plastic प्लास्टिक की पतली परत;
taken their toll on-damaged क्षतिग्रस्त;
brute-extreme अधिक;
curiosity-eagerly उत्सुकतापूर्वक;
scruples-feelings of hesitation हिचक भरे भाव;
unfolded-unwrapped खोला।

Page 11.
standing to-taking up positions सतर्क मुद्रा में;
trenches-long deep ditches बंकर;
schnapps-a German drink शनैप;
cello-a musical instrument वायलिन।

Pages 12-13.
huddles-making crowd भीड़भाड़ करना;
marzipan-covering on a cake केक की ऊपरी मीठी परत;
dumped-heaped ढेर लगा;
mingling-mixing, spreading फैल रही थी;
probablypossibly संभवतया;
unwillingly-without wish बेमन से;
drifting-going जाते हुए;
Carol—song गीत ।

Pages 14-16.
terrible-fearful भयावह;
burned out-destroyed by fire आग से क्षतिग्रस्त;
boarded up-covered with wooden boards ढके हुए;
muddle-headed confused बदहवास;
mince pie-cut into smaller pieces छोटे टुकड़ों में कटा;
wispy-small bundle गुच्छा;
gazing-looking hard घूरना;
suffused with-spread all over her face चेहरे पर फैली हुई प्रसन्नता;
tenderly-softly कोमलता से।

Question 1.
Who does ‘Tommy’ refer to ?
(a) Germans
(b) Britishers
(c) Shepherds
(d) Indian
Answer:
(b) Britishers

Question 2.
I began work on it on Christmas Eve. What does ‘it refer to ?
(a) garage
(b) desk
(c) raincoat
(d) letter
Answer:
(b) desk

Question 3.
Which date was written at the top of the letter ?
(a) 26 December, 1914
(6) 26 December, 1919
(c) 26 December, 1910
(d) 26 December, 1929
Answer:
(a) 26 December, 1914

Question 4.
Who wrote the letter and to whom ?
(a) Jim to Connie
(b) Connie to Hans
(c) Connie to Morris
(d) Jim to Hans
Answer:
(a) Jim to Connie

Question 5.
What was Jim doing before joining the army ?
(a) Painter
(b) Architect
(c) School teacher
(d) Cello player
Answer:
(c) School teacher

Question 6.
Where was football match played between both the armies ?
(a) in a football ground
(b) in a trench
(c) on the war field
(d) none of the above
Answer:
(c) on the war field

Question 7.
Where was Burlington House situated at ?
(a) on Lincoln road
(b) on Dorchester road
(c) on Henry road
(d) on Clyodd road
Answer:
(b) on Dorchester road