THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT IN THE WORLD

 

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT IN THE WORLD

Extra Questions for Class 8 English Chapter 1

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Describe the condition of roll – top box. From where the author found the roll-top box?

Answer: The roll-top box was made up of oak. It was in very bad condition. It brings scorch mark all down one side & one leg is clumsily mended. He found roll – top box from a junk shop in Bridport

2. Why did the author buy roll top box even though it was in bad condition?

Answer: The Author bought roll top box of bad condition because it cost little money and he could easily restore it by working on it.

3. What did the author find in the secret-drawer?

Answer: He found a tin-box cello – taped to the top of that was a piece of lined notepaper in the secret drawer.

4. What was written on the tin box?

Answer: ‘Jim’s last letter, received January 25, 1915.’ was written on the tin box.

5. What was there inside the tin box?

Answer: Inside the box there was an envelope. The address read: ‘Mrs. Jim Macpherson, 12 Copper Beeches, Bridport Dorset’ and then he took out the letter and unfolded it. It was written in pencil and dated at the top – ‘December 26, 1914’.

6. Describe briefly about Christmas morning on the behalf of letter sent by Jim to Connie.

Answer: Christmas morning was crisp and quiet all about, as beautiful a charming day. It was totally cold and frosty as a Christmas morning should be.

7. Who was Hans Wolf?

Answer: Hans Wolf was the officer of Fritz. He was from Dusseldorf. He played a cello in the orchestra.

8. Who was Jim Macpherson?

Answer: Jim Macpherson was a school teacher. He was from Dorset, in the west of England.

9. What did Hans & Jim talk about when they were sharing rum & sausage?

Answer: They talked about their favourite book, ‘Far from the madding crowd’, with Bathsheba, Gabriel Oak, Sergeant Troy and Dorset.

10. How usually the war end? And how should it be end and why?

Answer: Normally, wars end by shedding blood and loses of properties and people. But there a football match resolves the war. As “No one dies in a football match. No children are orphaned. No wives become widows”.

11. Who won the match?

Answer: Fritz won the match.

12. Why the letter was so special?

Answer: The letter was so special because it was written to Connie Jim’s wife. And the letter explains us about the war and our home. This letter shows that every soldier wants peace and love.

13. What did author do after he read letter?

Answer: After reading letter the author went to Bridport and asked for the address from where the shop keeper got the roll top box.

14. Write the character sketch of Mrs. Macpherson.

Answer: Mrs. Macpherson was an old lady. She was hundred and one years old. She was very lovely. She had white silver hair and wrinkles on the skin. But she used candle rather than electricity because according to her, electricity was too expensive.

15. Where was Mrs. Machpherson living? And why so?

Answer: She was in a nursing home, Burlington house, on the Dorchesten. She was living there because her house caught fire and she got injured.

16. Why was the people at nursing hom£ surprised to see visitor?

Answer: The people were surprised because Mrs. Macpherson had no family, no one visits to her so they was happy too to see him there.

17. What did Mrs. Macpherson thought about visitors?

Answer: Mrs. Macpherson thought that visitor was her husband Mr. Macpherson. We know that because she said “you told me you had come home by Christmas, dearest,”. “And here you are the best Christmas present in the world. Come close Jim dear, sit down”.

18. What did the author find in a junk shop?

Answer: The author found a very old 19th century rolled-top desk in a junk shop. It was made of oak. It was in a very bad condition. The roll-top was broken into several pieces. One of the legs was clumsily mended and there were scorch marks down one side.

19. What did he find in a secret drawer? Who do you think had put it in there?

Answer: He found a small black tin box in a secret drawer. Jim’s wife Mrs. Macpherson had put it there. Here name and address were on the envelope inside the box.

20. Who had written the letter, to whom, and when?

Answer: Jim Macpherson had written the letter to his wife Connie Macpherson on December 26, 1914.

21. Why was the letter written? What was the wonderful thing that had happened?

Answer: German and British army was fighting a battle. The soldiers were living in their trenches to fight enemy. For soldiers were writing and receiving letter was the only way to be in touch with their family member. The wonderful thing was, in spite of enmity they celebrated Christmas together. This shows that festivals are above all personal enmity.

22. What jobs did Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson have when they were not soldiers?

Answer: Before joining the army, Hans played the cello in the orchestra and Jim was a teacher.

23. Had Hans Wolf ever been to Dorset? Why did he say he knew it?

Answer: No, Hans Wolf had never been to Dorset. He said so because he had learned all about England in his school and in English books.

24. Do you think Jim Macpherson came back from the war? How do you know this?

Answer: The written statement on the letter saying sheet the last letter was from Jim and that should be buried with Mrs. Macpherson. It indicates that Jim didn’t return from war.

25. Why did the author go to Bridport?

Answer: The author went to Bridport because that was the address where Mrs. Macpherson lived. He wanted to give that letter back to her.

26. How old was Mrs. Macpherson now? Where was she?

Answer: Mrs. Macpherson was a hundred and one year old. She was in a nursing home in Burlington house, on the Dorchester road, on the other side of town.

27. Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?

Answer: Connie Macpherson thought her visitor was her husband, Mr Jim Macpherson.

28. Which sentence in the text shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity?

Answer: That sentence is, “You told me You’d come home by Christmas, dearest,” she said, “And here you are. The best Christmas present in the world. Come closer, Jim dear, sit down.”

29. For how long do you think Connie had kept Jim’s letter? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer: Connie must have kept Jim’s letter for a long time. This is because she told the narrator how she read it quite often every day so that she could feel that Jim was near her.

30. Why do you think the desk had seen sold, and when?

Answer: The desk must have been sold as junk. It might have been sold after the demise of Macpherson.