Somebody’s Mother Question Answer Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5

Click here to access the best NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Poorvi Unit 2 Values and Dispositions Chapter 5 Somebody’s Mother Questions and Answers.

Somebody’s Mother Class 8 Questions and Answers

Somebody’s Mother Class 8 Question Answer

NCERT Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Somebody’s Mother Question Answer

Somebody’s Mother Question Answer – Let us do these activities before we read. (Page 70)

I. Recall a time you helped someone. Write two words describing:

1. What were your feelings after you did so?
2. What might have been the feelings of the person whom you helped?
Answer:
1. Happy, Proud
2. Relieved, Grateful

II. Work in pairs. Read the words given below. Circle the words you would associate with an elderly person and underline the words you would associate with a school student. Share the reasons for your choices with your classmates and teacher.

Answer:

III. Read the lines.
The woman was old and ragged and grey And bent with the chill of the Winter’s day. Select the suitable meaning of ‘ragged’ as used in these lines. There are other four meanings given below. Discuss with your classmates and teacher.
1. (of clothes) old and torn; synonym: shabby
a ragged jacket

2. Having an outline, an edge, or a surface that is not straight or even
a ragged coastline

3. Not smooth or regular; not showing control or careful preparation

• I could hear the sound of his ragged breathing.
• Their performance was still very ragged.

4. (Informal] very tired, especially after physical effort
The elderly man was ragged after climbing the stairs.
Answer:
(of clothes) old and torn; synonym: shabby a ragged jacket
Explanation: In the poem, “ragged” refers to the old and worn-out appearance of the woman’s clothing.

Somebody’s Mother Class 8 Question Answer – Let us discuss (Pages 73-74)

I. Arrange the events of the poem in the correct order of occurrence. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.
1. The boy returned to his friends, feeling proud of what he had done.
2. The old woman stood alone at the crossing, hesitant to move.
3. A group of schoolboys passed by, playing, and laughing.
4. The boy offered to help the old woman cross the street.
5. The woman prayed for the boy who helped her.
6. The children hurried past the old woman without offering help.
7. The woman placed her hand on the boy’s arm, and he guided her safely across the street.
8. The boy thought about his own mother and hoped someone would help her one day.
Answer:
2 → 3 → 6 → 4 → 7 → 1 → 8 → 5

II. Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct answer from the options given in the brackets.
1. The central theme of the poem is __________ (kindness and empathy/adventure and courage)
2. The tone of the poem is __________ (humorous and playful/sympathetic and hopeful)
3. The poem is written in couplets with lines in each stanza. __________ (four/two)
4. The structure of the poem gives a rhythmic flow that reflects both the __________ (narrative and emotions /story’s pace and message)
5. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of (AABB/ABAB)
Answer:
1. kindness and empathy
2. sympathetic and hopeful
3. two
4. story’s pace and message
5. AABB

III. Pick examples from the poem for the following poetic devices.
1. Simile
2. Alliteration
3. Repetition
Answer:
1. Came the boys like a flock of sheep
2. The woman was old and ragged and grey
3. So meek, so timid

IV. Complete the following sentences appropriately explaining the imagery.
1. The poem uses imagery to describe scenes of a bustling street.
We know this by the phrase __________
2. The line ‘The street was wet with a recent snow’ suggests a cold and __________ weather, emphasising the woman’s helplessness.
Answer:
1. ‘Amid the throng of human beings who passed her by’.
2. slippery

V. Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason.
The poet repeats the phrase Somebody’s mother because it __________.
Answer:
it reminds the readers that every elderly person is important and loved by someone, deserving kindness and respect.

VI. Complete the analogy:
The old woman: vulnerable and neglected :: The young boy:
Answer:
strong and beloved

Class 8 English Somebody’s Mother Question Answer – Let us think and reflect (Paves 74-75)

I. Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow.

1. The woman was old and ragged and grey And bent with the chill of the Winter’s day. The street was wet with a recent snow And the woman’s feet were aged and slow.
(i) What does the phrase ‘ragged and grey’ refer to?
A. The woman’s emotional state that day.
B. The woman’s old and worn-out appearance.
C. The weather conditions of the particular day.
D. The colour of the street and the surroundings.

(ii) Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason:
The woman was ‘bent’ with the chill of the Winter’s day because she was __________

(iii) Identify the fact and opinion from the following sentences:
A. The street was wet with recent snow
B. The woman was too weak to cross the street on her own

(iv) Why do you think the woman’s feet were described as ‘aged and slow?
Answer:
(i) B. The woman’s old and worn-out appearance.
(ii) weak due to old age and the cold weather.
(iii) A – Fact B – Opinion
(iv) The woman’s feet were described so because she was old, weak, and unsteady due to her physical condition and the cold.

2. He guided the trembling feet along,
Proud that his own were firm and strong. Then back again to his friends he went, His young heart happy and well content.
(i) What does the contrast between the ‘trembling feet’ of the old woman and the ‘firm and strong’ feet of the boy emphasise?
Answer:
It emphasises the difference between the weakness of old age and the strength of youth.

(ii) Fill in the blank given below by selecting the correct option from the brackets.

• The poem tells us that the boy was ‘proud’ that his feet were strong.
• This tells us that the boy was __________ (arrogant about being strong/ grateful for his ability to help)

Answer:
grateful for his ability to help

(iii) What is the boy most likely to tell his friends on getting back?
A. I’m so glad I could help her.
B. I’m worried about her safety.
C. I’m surprised she forgot to thank me.
D. I’m thankful for all your support.
Answer:
A. I’m so glad I could help her.

(iv) Rectify the false sentence given below. The young boy’s actions were driven by a logical decision.
Answer:
The young boy’s actions were driven by empathy and kindness.

II. Answer the following questions.

Question 1.
What might be the old woman’s fears as she waited for a long time at the crossing?
Answer:
She could be afraid of falling on the slippery road or getting hit by carriages and horses.

Question 2.
How does the poet show the helplessness of the old woman? Support your answer with evidence from the poem.
Answer:
The poet shows the helplessness of the old woman by describing her as timid, meek, and afraid to stir, standing alone and uncared for.

Question 3.
Why does the boy decide to help the old woman? What does this tell us about him?
Answer:
The boy does so because he is kind-hearted and empathetic. It shows he values others’ needs and acts compassionately.

Question 4.
How was the boy’s approach towards the old woman different from that of the other boys in the group?
Answer:
While the other boys ignored the old woman, he noticed her difficulty and chose to help, showing empathy.

Question 5.
Justify the appropriateness of the title of the poem.
Answer:
The title of the poem is appropriate as it reminds us that every elderly person is the mother of someone like ours and deserves our respect and care.

Question 6.
What does the poem suggest about the role of empathy and humanity in society?
Answer:
The poem suggests that small acts of kindness reflect the best of human nature and can have a deep, lasting impact.

Somebody’s Mother Class 8 Questions and Answers – Let us learn (Pages 76-77)

I. The grid given below has the antonyms of the words from the text. Locate these words in the grid horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. One example has been done for you. You may refer to a dictionary.

Answer:

II. Match the words from the text given in Column 1 with the underlined phrases in Column 2.

Answer:

III. In the poem, the poet uses the idiom Tend a hand’ which means ‘help somebody’. Some more idioms using ‘hand’ are given in Column 1. Match these idioms with their meanings in Column 2. You may refer to a dictionary.

Answer:

IV. Complete the following analogy by filling in the blanks with the correct words from the poem.
1. ___________ : winter :: heat : summer
2. hurt : ___________ :: old: aged
3. whispered : shouted :: humble : ___________
4. eyes : ___________ :: legs : walk
5. having a lot of money: wealthy :: densely packed people: ___________
Answer:
1. cold
2. harm
3. proud
4. see
5. crowd

Read the lines from the poem given below.
Lest the carriage wheels or the horses’ feet
Should crowd her down in the slippery street.
‘Lest’ is a conjunction that means to prevent something bad or unpleasant from happening. To better understand its usage in a sentence, we can replace ‘lest’ with ‘just in case’.
For example, in the sentence ‘She showed all the documents lest we doubt her’, the word ‘lest’ can be replaced with ‘just in case’ to mean that she showed the documents to prevent any doubt.

Somebody’s Mother Question Answer Class 8 – Let us listen (Page 78)

I. You will listen to a woman read the special broadcast of the news. As you listen, arrange the pictures in the correct sequence of the events that took place. (Refer to NCERT Textbook Page 99 for transcript)

Answer:
3 → 6 → 1 → 5 → 2 → 4

II. You will once again listen to the special broadcast of the news. As you listen, complete the following sentences with one to three exact words.
1. The woman was having a diffilt time staying aflat due to the _________________
2. Rohan leapt into the river to save the woman without any _________________.
3. Rohan’s act of bravery was witnessed by _________________.
4. Rohan was honoured at the Vigyan Bhawan for his incredible courage and _________________.
5. Rohan proved that when it comes to saving lives, age is _________________
Answer:
1. strong currents
2. hesitation
3. several onlookers
4. selflessness
5. just a number

Class 8 English Chapter 5 Question Answer – Let us speak (Page 79)

I. Read aloud the list of words from the poem that end in ‘-ed\ As you read, focus on the final sound of each word and place them in the appropriate columns. One example has been done for you.

Note: Adjectives that come before a noun and end with ‘-ed’ have /id/as the fial sound.
Answer:

II. Work in pairs. Narrate an incident where you helped someone in the past. Take turns to speak and use the cue cards given below.

You may use the following prompts.

Answer:
Do it yourself.

NCERT Class 8 English Poorvi Chapter 5 Question Answer – Let us write (Page 80)

I. Write a diary entry of a day you helped someone in need. Remember to include the following points while writing it.

• Start with a sentence describing the day.
• Mention whom you helped.
• Explain the situation in which the other person needed help.
• Add the place and time of the day when the situation arose.
• Describe how you helped the other person.
• Describe the reaction of the person you helped.
• Mention how you felt during and after helping the person.
• Conclude by mentioning why you would do something like this again.

You may begin like this:
26 April 20xx, Saturday 8:00 p.m.
Dear Diary,
Today, I feel was a special day…
Answer:
26 April 20xx, Saturday 8:00 p.m.
Dear Diary,
Today, I feel was a special day. I helped an elderly man carry his bags across the busy market. He was grateful and thanked me with a smile. It made me feel so good.
I learned that a small act of kindness can make a big difference to the people whom we help.

Class 8th English Chapter 5 Somebody’s Mother Question Answer – Let us explore (Pages 80-81)

I. Did you know that even Earth has been referred to as mother in the ancient scriptures of India? In section 12.1.12 of Prthvi-Sukta (hymn-to-the-earth) of Atharva Veda, Earth is referred to as mother and us as her children by stating:
माता भूमिः पुत्रोऽहं पृथिव्याः।
It can be translated as ‘Earth is my mother and I am her child’.
Answer:
For self-reading.

II. Work in groups of four. Find out the names of countries that refer to their country as ‘motherland’ and a few others as ‘fatherland’. Share your findings with your classmates and teacher.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

III. Read the poem and enjoy.
A Nation’s Strength
Not gold, but only men can make
A people great and strong…
Men who for truth and honour’s sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly…
They build a nation’s pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (Note: Here, men refers to both men and women)
Answer:
For self-reading.

IV. Make a gratitude card for your mother/ grandmother to thank her for at least five things that she does for you. Also write two things that you would do regularly to help them. Use recycled material to make and decorate the card.

Answer:

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