The Best Christmas Present in the World

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NCERT Solutions for The Best Christmas Present in the World Class 8 Honeydew English

Book Solutions

1

What did the author find in a junk shop?

Answer

The author found a very old 19th century roll-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.
Comprehension Based

2

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

Answer

In a secret drawer of a roll-top desk, the author found a small tin box. There was a piece of lined note paper sello-taped to its top. It had, ‘Jim’s last letter, received January 25, 1915. To be buried with me when the time comes” written on it.
Most likely, it was put there by Mrs. Jim Macpherson, who was Jim’s wife. Her name and address were on the envelope inside the box.
Comprehension Based

3

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.
Comprehension Based

4

Why was the letter written-what was the wonderful thing that had happened?

Answer

Jim wrote the letter to tell his wife about a wonderful thing that had happened on Christmas day. The British and the Germans were engaged in a war, yet on this day, both the troops met in no man's land. It was a thing of wonder because right in the middle of a war, the warring soldiers were making peace.
Comprehension Based

5

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

Answer

Hans Wolf was from Dusseldorf. He played the cello in the orchestra. Jim Macpherson was a school teacher from Dorset.
Comprehension Based

6

Had Hans Wolf even been to Dorset? Why did he say he knew it?

Answer

No, Hans Wolf had never been to Dorset. He had learned all about England from school and from reading books in English.
Comprehension Based

7

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

Answer

No, it is most likely that Jim Macpherson did not come back from the war.
In the sellotaped notepaper it was written that the letter was Jim’s last letter. Connie Macpherson did not receive any more letters from him. It indicates Jim Macpherson’s demise. The incident took place around the earlier part of the World war I in which the Germans had been victorious which implies the defeat of the British and the demise of Jim Macpherson.
Comprehension Based

8

Why did the author go to Bridport?

Answer

The author went to Bridport because that was the address where Mrs. Macpherson lived. The address on the letter read “Mrs Jim Macpherson, 12 Copper Beeches, Bridport, and Dorset. He wanted to give that letter back to her.
Comprehension Based

9

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.
Comprehension Based

10

Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?

Answer

Connie Macpherson thought that her visitor was her husband, Jim.
Comprehension Based

11

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

Answer

The sentence which shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity is, 'I explained about the desk, about how I had found it, but I don't think she was listening.'
Comprehension Based

1

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.
Working with Text

2

Why do you think the desk had been sold, and when?

Answer

The desk must have been sold when the house in which Connie Macpherson lived had caught fire. She was taken to a nursing home. All the burnt up things must have been sold after that.
Working with Text

3

Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts? Do you agree?

Answer

Jim and Hans thought that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts because nobody dies in matches. No children are orphaned and no wives become widows.
Due to these reasons, games are good ways for resolving conflicts. Wars only lead to death and devastation.
Working with Text

4

Do you think the soldiers of the two armies are like each other, or different from each other? Find evidence form the story to support your answer.

Answer

The soldiers of the two armies were like each other. Below are some instances from the story to prove:
→ Both the armies celebrated Christmas
→ Both the armies shared their food and spent time together in smoking, laughing, talking, drinking and eating.
→ They played a football match and agreed that conflicts and disputes may be resolved by football match
→ They agreed about the negative aspects of war and longed peace.
→ They exchanged carols and hoped to unite with the families again.
Working with Text

5

Mention the various ways in which the British and the German soldiers become friends and find things in common at Christmas.

Answer

The British and the German troops celebrated Christmas with each other. They enjoyed each other's food. All of them were smoking, laughing, talking, drinking and eating. Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson shared the cake Connie had baked. They talked about Bathsheba, Gabriel Oak, Sergeant Troy and Dorset. They even talked about the books they liked. They agreed about everything. Both the troops played a game of football for which both Hans and Jim cheered, clapped hands and stamped feet. They also exchanged carols at night. In this way, they celebrated Christmas together, finding a lot in common between them.
Working with Text

6

What is Connie’s Christmas present? Why is it “the best Christmas present in the world?

Answer

When the narrator came to see Connie and gave her the box, she mistook him for her husband Jim. She thought that Jim had come home for Christmas. This was Connie's Christmas present. It was the best Christmas present in the world for her because Jim had written in the letter that he would come home on Christmas. She had read that letter several times everyday to feel that he was near her. Now that he was finally there with her, she was extremely happy.
Working with Text

7

Do you think the title of this story is suitable for it? Can you think of any other title(s)?

Answer

Yes, the title of the story is suitable for it. The spirit of Christmas is the theme that prevails throughout the story. The message of Christmas peace and good will to all is brought out so clearly through the story. It was on a Christmas day, in the middle of a raging war, that two warring troops made peace. The moment of peace that the soldiers shared with each other was the best Christmas present for them. Again, it was on a Christmas day that the narrator went to see Mrs Macpherson. He went to return her husband’s letters to her. The letter was precious to her, but even more precious was her delusion that the narrator was her husband Jim, who she believed had returned as promised on a Christmas day. This was the best Christmas present in the world for her.
Suitable titles could be “A Christmas wish comes true!”, “Someday at Christmas…””The Christmas Message”.
Working with Text

1

(i) 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.
(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.

(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!

Past

Earlier past

Answer

(i) 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.

(ii) My little sister is very naughty. When she came (come) back from school yesterday, she had torn (tear) her dress. We asked (ask) her how it had happened (happen). She said (say) she had quarrelled (have, quarrel) with a boy. She had beaten (have, beat) him in a race and he had tried (have, try) to push her. She had told (have, tell) the teacher and so he had chased (have, chase) her, and she had fallen (have, fall) down and had torn (have, tear) her dress.

(iii) (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!

Past

Earlier past

set out

had seen

stayed

had left

arrived

had gone

came

had packed

sat

had fallen

ate

returned
Working with Lang.

2

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.

Answer

(i) burn out
House number 12 turned out to be nothing but a burned-outshell, the roof gaping, the windows boarded-up.

(ii) light up
That was the moment her eyes lit up with recognition and her face became suffused with a sudden glow of happiness.

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

(iv) run out
The time came, and all too soon, when the game was finished, the schnapps and the rum and the sausage had long since run out, and we knew it was all over.

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

3

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!

Noun

Adjective

elephant

circular, striped, enormous, multicoloured, 
round, cheerful, wild, blue, red, chubby, large, medium-sized, cold

face

building

water

Answer

Noun

Adjective

elephant

enormous, cheerful, wild, large, medium-sized,

face

round, cheerful, chubby

building

multi-coloured, blue, red, large, medium-sized

water

blue, cold
Working with Lang.

1

In groups discuss whether wars are a good way to end conflicts between countries. Then present your arguments to the whole class.

Answer

Wars are the worst possible way of conflict resolution and an expensive choice. It means social tension, bloodshed, suffering and economic damage that do no good to either of the warring nations. Wars are best avoided with meaningful discussions that take into accounts the concerns of the conflicting nations, it is the best way of avoiding misunderstanding and reaching a fruitful solution.

Speaking

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

I like to give and receive books for presents. Books are one’s best friend for life, you can read them in the privacy of your room after a long day or quietly in public when travelling. You can also exchange books with friends who like to read and talks to them about it, it is a good way of making good conversations and friends. I keep in mind the taste of the person when I am buying books for someone, like my war like to read about history while my mother likes to read poems. I like to gift popular fiction to my friends and discuss the plot and characters of the story at lengths.

Speaking

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 belike this 25 December 1919It’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, fear, and feelings.

Answer

Dear Smith,

Merry Christmas! Hope this letter finds you in good spirits and health. You wouldn’t believe the day I have had! I had long wanted to buy a roll-top desk, the old kinds that look regal and classic. Yesterday, walking through the street I spotted one at the corner of the street in a garage sale. It was a damaged in many places but seemed repairable, so I decided to invest in it. I was carefully working on it at home last night when I came across a letter hidden in a secret drawer. It was a soldier’s letter to his beloved wife, written a day after Christmas day in 1914 from the war trenches somewhere near Germany. He had this amazing Christmas day he had, where the British and the German force that put down weapons and made merry together for the day. They shared food, played football and sang carols in the night. Wonderful as it may sound, I don’t think the man ever return home from the war. His wife, now an old lady lived by herself for years waiting for his return. I went to see her at the address on the latter and found the house burned down. She had been rescued in time and been moved to a nursing facility. I went there to see her and return the priced letter but she took me for her dead husband Jim. I was startled and wanted to correct her but she had a bright smile on her face and I decided against it. She was happy, even if mistaken she was contented after years of wait to have met him her Jim. How could I take it away from her? So, I sat there with her until she was tired of talking and the visiting hours were over and she was ready to bid goodbye to her Jim.

Writing

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 were tortured _ _ _ revolt by inmates_ _ _doctor hanged _ _ _wife waits for his return _ _ _ becomes old_ _ _continues to wait with hope and faith.

Answer

A young doctor, newly married and happy in his regular life, was inspired to join the freedom struggle and fight for the emancipation of the nation. He took leadership of the struggle in Bengal and as a result, he was arrested and exiled to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the British to the infamous cellular jail where political prisoners were kept away, isolated from the chaos that engulfed the rest of the country. The prisoners were tortured and starved which lead to them to revolt. The doctor led the inmates to a peaceful protest and show of strength that intimidated the jail authority. They were scared that the prisoners would at some point turn violent and overpower the fewer numbered guards and break out of jail. They decided to break the revolt and hang the doctor for sedition. His wife never received the news of her husband’s demise and waited for him to return for years. He grew old and senile with the wait but still prays for his safe return.

Writing

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