NCERT Solutions for The Great Stone Face-I Class 8 Honeydew English
Book Solutions1
Write 'true' or 'false' against each of the following statements.
- The Great Stone Face stood near where Ernest and his mother lived. _______
- One would clearly distinguish the features of the Stone Face only from a distance. _______
- Ernest loved his mother and helped her in her work. _______
- Though not very rich, gather gold was a skillful merchant. _______
- Gathergold died in poverty and neglect. ________
- The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Ernest should not fear the general. _______
Answer
- FALSE.
Explanation: Great Stone stood at a distance from Ernest's house and therefore, its features were clear. If it was near, it would have looked like a pile of gigantic rocks only.
- TRUE.
Explanation: Great Stone Face was a heap of huge rocks which looked like a human face only from a distance. If one was near it, only big rocks could be seen and the features would not be.
- TRUE.
Explanation: Even when Ernest was little, he helped his mother with her work. He was a dutiful and hardworking son even after growing up.
- TRUE.
Explanation: Gather gold set up a shop at a seaport after leaving the city. He began with nothing but got very rich only because of his skills as a merchant.
- TRUE.
Explanation: Just before Gathergold's death, he had lost all his wealth. The people also lost interest in him and didn't think he resembled the mountain anymore as he was now poor.
- FALSE.
Explanation: Great Stone Face suggested him to not fear that he will never see the man who resembles the Great Stone Face because that man will come.
1
(i) What was the Great Stone Face?
(ii) What did Young Ernest wish when he gazed at it?
Answer
(i)The Great Stone Face was a group of huge rocks on a mountain that was a beautiful work of nature. The rocks were in such a way that from a distance, they seemed to form a human face. People of the valley thought that this kind face gave their land its fertility.
(ii)Young Ernest wished that he will be able to see the man who resembled the Great Stone Face one day. Every day, he would look up at the Great Stone Face for hours until it seemed to come alive and smile encouragingly at Ernest. It became Ernest's teacher.
2
Answer
The story attributed to the Stone Face was that one day, a child will be born who will become the greatest and noblest person of his time. In manhood, his face would exactly resemble that of the Stone Face.
3
What gave the people of the valley the idea that the prophecy was about to come true for the first time?
Answer
The people of the valley got the idea that the prophecy was about to come true when they heard about Mr. Gathergold. He was a native of the valley who left long back but became very rich because of his skills. He wanted to spend his last days in the village and the people believed he will be the noble man to fulfil the prophecy.
4
(i) Did Ernest see in Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face?
(ii) Who did he confide in and how was he proved right?
Answer
(i) No, Ernest did not see in Gathergold the likeness
of the Stone Face.
(ii) Ernest confided in the Great Stone Face who was
now like a teacher to him. He was proved right when the people stopped seeing
the likeness because Gathergold had died a poor man.
5
(i) What made people believe General Blood-and-Thunder was their man?
(ii) Ernest compared the man's face with the Stone Face. What did he conclude?
Answer
(i) People believed that General Blood-and-Thunder was their man because he was a son of the village who became a soldier many years back. His fighting skills on the battlefield had made him a famous commander.
(ii) Ernest concluded that the man's face did not resemble the Stone Face. He looked at the Stone Face again who seemed to whisper to him that "fear not Ernest; he will come."
1
Look at the following words.
Like - likeness
Punctual - punctuality
The words on the left are adjectives and those on the right are their noun forms.
Write the noun forms of the following words by adding -ness or -city to them appropriately. Check the spelling of the new words.
(i) lofty ___
(vi) enormous ___
(ii) able ___
(vii) pleasant ___
(iii) happy ___
(viii) dense ___
(iv) near ___
(ix) great ___
(v) noble ___
(x) stable ___
Answer
(i) loftiness
(ii) ability
(iii) happiness
(iv) nearness
(v) nobility
(vi) enormity
(vii) pleasantness
(viii) density
(ix) greatness
(x) stability
2
Add-ly to each of the following adjectives, then use them to fill in the blanks.
|
perfect, near, kind, pleasant, eager |
(i) Why didn't you turn up at the meeting? We all were _____ Waiting for you.
(ii) _____ write your name and address in capital letters.
(iii) I was ______ Surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.
(iv) It is ______ believable that I am not responsible for this mess.
(v) He fell over the step and ______ broke his arm.
Answer
(i) eagerly
(ii) Kindly
(iii) pleasantly
(iv) perfectly
(v) nearly
3
Complete each sentence below using the appropriate forms of the verbs in brackets.
(i) I ______ (phone) you when I _______(get) home from school.
(ii) Hurry up! Madam _______ (be) annoyed if we _______ (be) late.
(iii) If it _______ (rain) today, we ________ (not) go to the play.
(iv) When you _______ (see) Mandal again, you _______ (not/recognize) him. He is growing a bread.
(v) We are off today. We _______ (write) to you after we ________ (be) back.
Answer
(i) I will phone when I get from home.
(ii) Madam will be annoyed if we are late.
(iii) If it rains today, we will not go to the play.
(iv) When you will see Mandal again, you will not recognize him.
(v) We will write to you after we are back.
1
Imagine you are Ernest. Narrate the story that his mother told him.
Begin like this: My mother and I were sitting at the door of our cottage. We were looking at the Great Stone Face. I asked her if she had ever seen anyone who looked like the Stone Face. Then she told me this story.
Answer
My mother and I were sitting at the door of our cottage. We were looking at the Great Stone Face. I asked her if she had ever seen anyone who looked like the Stone Face. Then she told me this story of an old prophecy that is associated with the Great Stone Face. She told me that sometime in the future, a child shall be born in the village who will be the noblest and the greatest man alive. When he reaches his manhood, his face would exactly resemble the Great Stone Face. However, the prophecy was yet to come true. Overjoyed, I told her how I wish I will be able to see that man before I die.
2
Imagine you are Gathergold. Write briefly the incident of your return to the valley.
Begin like this: My name is Gathergold. I left the valley of the Great Stone Face fifty years ago. I am now going back home. Will the people of the valley welcome me? Do they know that I am very rich?
Answer
My name is Gathergold. I left the valley of the Great Stone Face fifty years ago. I am now going back home. Will the people of the valley welcome me? Do they know that I am very rich? I had left the valley for a distant seaport. I began my work as shopkeeper there and worked hard. With my skills, I became more and more successful. Now I am so rich that one will have to take at least a hundred years to even count my wealth. But I wish to spend my last days here so I have returned. As my carriage rides into the village, I can see people all surrounding it. I look through the carriage's window and hear cheers in the crowd about my resemblance to the Great Stone Face.