Class 8 English - The School for Sympathy - Questions & Answers

Class 8 English - The School for Sympathy - Questions & Answers | Questions and Answers for Class 8 English - Unit 5 SHARE AND CARE | Std 8 English - The School for Sympathy - Questions & Answers | Textual Activities

1. Have you visited any other school? What all things did you find attractive in that school?
Answer: (Write your own answer)

2. Why, do you think, the writer wanted to visit Miss Beam's school?
Answer: Because he had heard a lot about Miss. Beam's school.

3. Do you think Miss Beam's school is different from other schools? How?
Answer: Yes, their teaching methods were quite different. They taught only those things that are simple and useful to the pupils by giving them interesting tasks.

4. Is there any hint suggesting that it is a residential school? Identify and write the sentence.
Answer: Miss. Beam says: " The bandage is put on overnight, they wake up blind." This sentence hints that the school is a residential one.

5. What according to Miss Beam, is the real aim of the school?
Answer: The real aim of Miss. Beam's school is to teach thoughtfulness, humanity, kindness and citizenship.

6. What surprised and pained the visitor when he looked out of the window?
Answer: The visitor realized that the jolly children whom he saw before him were not at all healthy and active. It surprised and pained him.

7. we make them share in misfortune too'. What does Miss Beam mean by this?
Answer: In order to make young minds appreciate and understand misfortune, every child has to observe one blind day, one dumb day and one deaf day.

8. 'It is educative to both of them. 'Explain how it helps the blind and the helpers.
Answer: The helpers learn the values of mutual help and compassion and understand the problems of the differently-abled.

9. What makes the dumb day the most frightening for the children?
Answer: On the dumb day, the child must use his/her willpower because the mouth is not bandaged.

10. If you were to observe a day in this way which day, do you think, would be the most difficult? Why?
Answer: (Write your own answer)

11. 'I shall be so glad when today's over'. Why does the girl feel so?
Answer: Because the other bad days cannot be half as bad as the blind day. It will be terrible for her not to see.

12. Why does the girl think that having an arm tied up is a little more troublesome?
Answer: With her own arm tied up, she may not be able to do anything without the help of others. She may need others even to cut up food for her.

13. Which clues helped the little girl identify Millie?
Answer: She was told that the girl was wearing a blue skirt and pink blouse and her hair was very light.

14. Who are Peter and Berryl in the lesson?
Answer: Peter is the gardener and Berryl is a student like the girl.

15. E.V Lucas leaves Miss Beam's school a wiser man. Do you agree? Substantiate your answer with examples from the story.
Answer: Yes. E.V. Lucas leaves as a wiser man. He gained a lot of knowledge about teaching methods and their effectiveness. Besides, he also developed kindness, compassion and love for fellow beings.

Activity 1
Read the extracts given below and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct option.

1.'It pains me, though to see that they are not all so healthy and active looking.'
i. Who speaks these words?
Answer: E.V. Lucas

ii. These words are spoken to
Answer: Miss Beam

iii. How does the listener react to the statement?
Answer: The listener laughs and tells the truth.

Read the extracts given below and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct option.

2. And so we walked on. Gradually I discovered that I was ten times more thoughtful than I ever thought I could be.'

i. Who are the "we" referred to here?
Answer: The author and the girl

ii. Who is the 'I' in the above sentence?
Answer: The author

iii. What change came over the author after his visit to Miss Beam's school?
Answer: Became more thoughtful

Activity 2
Say whether the following sentences are true or false, if false, rewrite them.
1. The author had been to Miss Beam's school Several times.
False

2. In Miss Beam's school, all subjects are taught in detail.
False

3. The children in Miss Beam's school are taught to appreciate and understand misfortunes. 
True

4. The author saw a blind girl being led out by others.
True

5. On the dumb day the mouths of the children are bandaged.
False

6. Peter is very old, but not hundreds of years old.
True

Activity 3.
Some of the features of a normal school are given below: Read them.
1. Many subjects are taught.
2. Most parents expect their children to learn subjects like Mathematics, Science, etc.
3. Different methods of teaching are adopted.
Now, write about Miss Beam’s school, based on your reading of the text.
……………………………………..
……………………………………..
Answer:
Miss. Beam’s school is very interesting and the teaching methods are very simple. They teach simple and useful things to pupils like spelling, adding, subtracting, multiplying, writing, etc. All the other things are taught by reading and through interesting tasks. Practically no other lessons are given. The real aim of Miss. Beam’s school is to teach thoughtfulness, humanity, kindness, and citizenship.
The children in this school have to observe a blind day, a lame day, a deaf day and a dumb day. It would help young minds to appreciate and understand misfortunes. The children learn to be helpful to each other and compassionate. They learn the necessary values required for peaceful coexistence.

Let’s enrich our vocabulary
Activity 1.
In ‘The school for Sympathy’. EV Lucas describes Miss Beam as ‘middle-aged, authoritative, kind and understanding’. The author uses words to describe her age, appearance, and character, The Jable given below contains words describing the physical features and character of people, Match the items give in the columns
 Describing WordsPhysical features/Character
 tall, short, medium height
 frail, stocky, slim, thin, plump, fatty, skinny, well-built build
 young, elderly, middle-aged, teenager age
 round, oval, square, wrinkled face
 grey, straight, curly, black, blonde, wavy, bushy hair
 big, round, small, bright, narrow eyes
 cheerful, aggressive, sensitive, serious, energetic, confident  Character
Now, describe the following personalities using the words given in the above box.
One has been done for you.
1. Sherlock Holmes: Sherlock Holmes is a tall, middle-aged man. He has black hair, a long nose, bright eyes and an oval-shaped face.
2. Amitabh Bachchan: Amitabh Bachchan is a tall and elderly person with a grey French beard. He has black and wavy hair and an oval-shaped face. He is a well-built man having a serious and energetic appearance.
3. Sachin Tendulkar: Sachin Tendulkar is a short, well-built and middle-aged person. He has curly hair and a round face. He is cheerful and energetic.
4. Mohammed Rafi: Mohammed Rafi has a long nose and bright and narrow eyes. He is a bald-headed, elderly man having a cheerful and confident look.

The writer E.V . Lucas was blown away by Miss. Beam's school. Later that evening, he goes back home and scribbles his thoughts in his diary. Attempt a similar one.
Monday
10. p.m
Today was an eventful day. I was really nurturing a wish to drop by Miss. Beam's school because I have heard a lot about the school. Miss Beam and her school were doing the rounds. Since I was too busy, I didn’t get a chance to peep in. But today  I made it. I couldn’t put into words what I felt there. I was really taken aback. As I expected, Miss Beam was a comforting figure. When I stepped in, I saw a poor girl, eyes bandaged, being led by a boy. It was a sight too disheartening. While having a formal talk with Miss. Beam, I expressed that the school amused me for sure, except few sights with children coping with some disabilities. Miss Beam laughed it out and said that those kids with physical challenges are not really so and they are instructed to observe days such as blind day, dumb day, deaf day and lame day. The school aims at teaching them by exposing them to real-life situations whereby all the children will get quick access to the concept with fewer efforts, besides teaching them
the basics of maths and language skills. Talking with the children was a unique experience. I came to know that they enjoyed each bit of their school life. I was instantly taken back to my childhood where I learned the lessons most unwillingly. How blessed are those children! They learn life lessons faster and prove to be good human beings at the end of the day. Hats off to Miss Beam and her team.
E.V Lucas writes a letter to his son about Miss Beam's school. Prepare the same.
U.K
10.11.17
My dear Joe,
Hope you are doing good and are too keen on your grades. Things roll out as usual here. I and your mother plans to drop by you soon. I really wish to share something that arrested my attention. Have you heard about Miss Beam and her school? I visited her school. Do you know that the children weren’t taught much than elementary knowledge on calculation and language skills. The children
there, are exposed to real-life situations. You know something, children, most willingly observe blind days which means that they have to bandage their eyes a day before and they are supposed to stay blind the whole day. The school makes them go through difficulties and makes them aware of reality without long lectures. Likewise, they also have the dumb day, deaf day and lame day. Don’t you think you should try this? To me, I am really blown away. It was even so inspiring to me. Write to me your thoughts. Keep trust in God. Hugs.
Your Dad
E.V Lucas.

Miss. Beam’s school is awarded the best school award. Prepare a newspaper report.
AND THE AWARD GOES TO...... 
                                    By Staff reporter.
U.K.17.11.2017.Amid loud applause, the Education Minister declared the award for the best school for the year 2017-18. Miss Beam, the head of the school received the award in elation and was seen lingers on the dias to thank her wonderful children and parents. She was seen as overwhelmed. The Minister commented on the quality of the education done there and laid emphasis on the drastic change that they initiated. He, most generously, offers special aid and grants for schools par excellence. The ceremony was attended by men of letters. Promising children and child prodigies were honoured at the function.

4. At the function held to award the best school award, Miss Beam gives her reply speech. Prepare the same.
Honourable Minister of Education, respected dignitaries, parents and well-wishers, my dear children, This is a very special moment for me. Receiving an award for the best school, let me be frank, I’m thrilled to bits. At this juncture, this beautiful moment, I wish to shower my children with all the possible praise because it was they who made this award possible. The parents who trusted in me also need a special mention since they are the very strong pillars who always stood by my revolutionary ideas. I am thankful to everyone who believed in the potential of young children. I, a humble servant of God, remain most faithful to His Commands..I thank him for giving me a chance to change their
minds. This award makes me and my children all the more responsible. , together shall strive for more perfection. I thank the programme committee for arranging this beautiful evening.

5. Prepare a narrative of the lesson of the school for sympathy.
The school for sympathy is an interesting account of the writer E.V Lucas, about his visit to Miss Beam’s school. The author was in awe of Miss Beam’s revolutionary teaching methods. E.V Lucas had heard a lot about her school and really wanted to know how things are managed there. On reaching the school, he saw a poor little girl being led about by a still younger boy of eight. Her eyes were bandaged. She wanted to know who passed her by and was seen calm. The school and its atmosphere were so pleasant. The middle-aged Miss Beam was a mother figure with her round face, grey hair and the air of an authoritarian to the children who stayed away from their parents. After having a formal conversation with her, the writer was convinced about how the school works there. She said that they aimed to teach thoughtfulness, not thought. They are more on letting out a batch of human beings who could really understand the woes and worries of their fellow beings.., than a bunch of
hooligans with zero morals. There, the learners are taught the basics of maths and languages. No special textbooks are entertained. Children would be provided with a set of interesting activities. Each of them has to take part in knowing the sufferings of others. Hence they are assigned blind days, deaf
days, dumb days and lame days.The whole day they live with the reality of a disabled and his troubles are equally transacted to everyone. The learners have to undergo all the pains and hardships that the disabled experience. By the end, they learn to be patient, co. operative, and more caring. E.V Lucas was
really blown away by the concept and he talked with the young kids. They went eloquent on how they managed their tough days. One of them told that donning the role of a dumb is the most difficult one since no physical barriers would be put on their mouths and they have to go a little more cautious because there are chances aplenty of them breaking the rule unknowingly. They have to go much
against their natural instincts. A much enlightened Lucas goes home delighted especially for the young kids since they do not have to spend their years in the monotonous classrooms where they are forcibly taught and creativity massacred. Thus the end product of education should be a free creative man who can battle against historical circumstances and adversities of nature. Like the author and his changed perception, each of us yearns for such a  school where children could develop full-fledged.   

6. Attempt a character sketch of Miss Beam.
Miss Beam is a dynamic personality who thinks out of the box. She has revolutionary ideas to change the world. A middle-aged round-faced lady, who is flaunted with grey hairs showing much of her wisdom and experience in handling children, Miss Beam is a comforting mother figure to all her children. A very soft-spoken, humble lady, Miss Beam is highly appreciative of her students and parents. She feels glad that she was blessed to have parents who trusted her to go ahead with this new idea of schooling. She is pretty much confident and strongly believes in the ideals behind her school. She is much against creating a mechanic young generation flooded with promising professionals. she  stands for human values as envisaged by most of our educationalists and
philosophers.


ഈ ബ്ലോഗിലെ എല്ലാ പോസ്റ്റുകളും ഒരുമിച്ച് കാണാനും ആവശ്യമുള്ളവ എളുപ്പത്തിൽ തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കാനും ഇവിടെ ക്ലിക്കുക.

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