B. Answer the Following Questions

1. How did they carry out the plan? How did they feel after doing it?
   The boys carried out their plan by going to Mrs. Pratchett’s sweet shop. One boy distracted Mrs. Pratchett by asking for sweets, while the narrator quietly lifted the lid of the Gobstopper jar and dropped the dead mouse into it. After carrying out the prank, they felt thrilled, excited and proud. They felt like heroes after successfully completing their daring plan.
2. How did Mrs. Pratchett take revenge? Give your opinion on Mrs. Pratchett’s character.
   Mrs. Pratchett complained to the Headmaster about the prank. The boys were caught, punished and caned by the Headmaster. This was Mrs. Pratchett’s revenge. In my opinion, Mrs. Pratchett was a rude, ill-tempered, suspicious and strict woman. Although the boys’ prank was wrong, she was harsh and unfriendly towards children.

C. Think and Answer

Can you think of a reason why the boys played this prank?

The boys played the prank because Mrs. Pratchett was always rude, unpleasant and unkind to them. They disliked her behaviour and wanted to frighten her as a mischievous act of revenge. Being young children, they thought the prank would be amusing without realising the serious consequences.

Exercise 1 Pg.no. 32 – Answers

1. As for Sonam, no one wants to participate in the dance.
2. They will never complete the task together; Seema has nothing in common with Chirag.
3. According to Maria, they won’t finish lunch till 5.00 p.m.
4. I’m taking hobby classes on behalf of the slum children, as it will help them.
5. We will have to postpone our trip because of bad weather.
6. I’d rather have tea instead of coffee.
7. On behalf of my fellow employees, I would like to thank all present here for their support.
8. We finally solved our problem by means of a new device created by our research and development department.
9. As for me, I will be happy to work honorary for the orphanage.
10. In case it rains, we should carry an umbrella with us.

A. Fill in the Blanks

1. The poet celebrates a day from dawn to dusk.
2. The dark and gloomy night walks away as the Sun delays to begin the dynamic day.
3. In the blue beam the sunrays rise like an incensed inferno.
4. The red tips of the sunrays open beautiful buds and wake me up.
5. The feathered friends fly in the sky and the clouds appear as featherbeds.
6. In the afternoon, the Sun is barbarous and causes scorching and sweltering.
7. Only the tree provides a sun parasol.
8. As the sun sets, it becomes dark, the stars twinkle and the buds close.
9. The sun departed and the ambience changed.
10. It’s the same routine every day from dawn to dusk.

Appreciation

1. Rhyming Scheme (First 8 Lines): AABBCCDD
2. Similes Used in the Poem:
   • The sun rose up like an incensed inferno.
   • Clouds, as if a featherbed.
   • The Sun’s all up, barbarous like a ferocious fire.
   • Downwards and downwards, seemed like a yellow bowl.
3. Alliterations Used in the Poem:
   • Tenebrous tiring tipsy
   • Bluish beam
   • Farrago fervour
   • Beautiful buds
   • Feathered friends flitted
   • Cerulean skilful sky
   • Deep dry slumber
   • Dismal discordant
   • Waspish warmth
   • Dynamic day

Comprehension Answers
A. Critical Thinking – Multiple Choice
(i) he wanted to lead the iron monster into the trap.
(iii) the hole was their only weapon against the iron monster.
(ii) nobody would believe that an Iron man existed.
(iv) the marks of the body sliding led to the sea at high tide.

B. Short Answer Questions

1. How did Hogarth trap the Iron Monster?

Hogarth tapped a nail against a knife blade to make a clinking metallic sound. Attracted by the sound of metal, the Iron Man walked towards him and crashed through the hidden pit cover, falling into the trap.

2. What did the farmers do to trap the monster?

The farmers dug a huge, deep hole and covered it with branches, straw, and soil to disguise it. They placed an old red lorry on the far side as bait. Once the Iron Man fell in, they buried him by pushing all the dug-up earth back into the hole using bulldozers.

C. Think and Answer

Was the fox smart and did he sense danger? Prove your opinion.

Yes, the fox was smart and did sense danger. When Hogarth threw a dead hen on the soil covering the trap to lure a fox, the fox appeared at the edge of the hole and kept sniffing towards the hen but did not step onto the trap. This proves he sensed that the ground was unsafe. Further proof is that the moment the fox spotted the Iron Man on the cliff-top, he instantly vanished without hesitation. This shows the fox had sharp instincts and could detect both physical danger (the unstable ground) and a threat from a distance, making him cleverer than the Iron Man himself, who fell into the very same trap.

Vocabulary – Onomatopoeic Words & Sentences

1. Achoo – She let out a loud achoo when the dust entered her nose.
2. Bang – The door shut with a sudden bang in the wind.
3. Click – He heard a click as the lock turned open.
4. Drip – The drip of the leaking tap kept her awake all night.
5. Growl – The dog let out a deep growl at the stranger.
6. Hiss – The snake began to hiss when it felt threatened.
7. Knock – There was a loud knock at the door at midnight.
8. Murmur – She heard a soft murmur of voices from the next room.
9. Neigh – The horse let out a loud neigh and galloped away.
10. Splash – The stone fell into the pond with a big splash.

Ten More Onomatopoeic Words:

D. Insert A, An, and The in the passage:

I am from Madhya Pradesh, a State in India. I live in a town called Bhopal which has a large lake. Bhopal is called the City of Lakes. I live in a house in a quiet area in the countryside called “Trilanga” and the house is new — less than 5 years old! I am an English lecturer at a college near the centre of town. I like books, music and taking photographs. I usually have lunch at college. I usually go home by car. We have all kinds of food in India. I like Chinese food very much. Sometimes, I go to a Chinese restaurant called “Rice Bowl”. Chinese food is delicious!

Why each article was used: