WORKING WITH THE TEXT
1. For how long do you think Connie had kept Jim’s letter? Give reasons for your answer.
ANSWER: Connie had kept Jim’s letter for a very long period of time. As she told the narrator how she used to read the letter every day and feels the presence of Jim around her.
2. Why do you think the desk had been sold, and when?
ANSWER: The desk had been sold when Connie’s house was destroyed by the fire. The desk has been damaged by the fire and water.
3. Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts? Do you agree?
ANSWER: Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts because there is no loss of life. Nobody’s children are orphaned, no wives are widowed. Both of them think that the war only leads to death, devastation.
Yes, I definitely agree with Jim and Hans that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts as there is no loss of life like war.
4. Do you think the soldiers of the two armies are like each other, or different from each other? Find evidence from the story to support your answer.
ANSWER: The evidence that concludes that the soldiers of the two armies are like each other are as follows:
a. Both the armies celebrated Christmas together.
b. Both of the armies wanted to settle the war with peace.
c. They played a football match together, they shared their food and drinks with each other.
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 soldiers were enemies in the war. But during Christmas, both of the armies came together and celebrated Christmas by sharing food and drinks. They even played a football match and wanted to solve the conflict by playing football match because there is no loss of life. Both of the soldiers wanted to meet their families after the end of the war.
6. What is Connie’s Christmas present? Why is it “the best Christmas present in the world”?
ANSWER: When the narrator visited Connie to give her Jim’s letter, Connie mistook the author for her husband, Jim. She thought that her husband returned home for Christmas.
This was Connie’s best Christmas present in the world because Jim had mentioned his return on Christmas in the letter. When the narrator gave her the letter, she taught he is her husband which made her extremely happy.
7. Do you think the title of this story is suitable for it? Can you think of any other title(s)?
ANSWER: According to me, the title of the story is most suitable. As the story is about a woman waiting for her husband to return on Christmas. She must have mistaken the narrator for her husband, but she received the best Christmas gift. And the story also carries a strong message that how the enemy soldiers got together to celebrate Christmas and their craving to meet their families after the war.
The other title that would be suitable – is “Christmas Gift”.
WORKING WITH LANGUAGE
1. Look at these sentences from the story.
I spotted it in a junk shop in Bridport… The man said it was made in the early nineteenth century… This one was in bad condition… The italicised verbs are in the past tense. They tell us what happened in the past, before now.
(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.
ANSWER: 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.
Now, look at these sentences.
The veneer had lifted almost everywhere. Both fire and water had
taken their toll on this desk.
Notice the verb forms had lifted, had taken (their toll).
The author found and bought the desk in the past.
The desk was damaged before the author found it and bought it.
Fire and water had damaged the desk before the author found it
and bought it.
¤ We use verb forms like had damaged for an event in the ‘earlier
past’. If there are two events in the past, we use the ‘had…’ form for
the event that occurred first in the past.
¤ We also use the past perfect tense to show that something was
wished for, or expected before a particular time in the past. For
example, I had always wanted one…
¤ Discuss with your partner the difference in meaning in the
sentences below.
When I reached the station, the train left.
When I reached the station, the train had left.
(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.
ANSWER:
My little sister is very naughty. When she came back from school yesterday, she had torn her dress. We asked her how it had happened. She said she had quarrelled with a boy. She had beaten him in a race and he had tried to push her. She had told the teacher and so he had chased her, and she had fallen down and had torn 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:
| Past | Earlier past |
| Set out, stayed | had seen |
| Arrived, came | had left, had gone |
| Sat, ate | had packed |
| Returned | had fallen |
2. Dictionary work
By the end of the journey, we had run out of drinking water. Look at the verb run out of in this sentence. It is a phrasal verb: it has two parts, a verb and a preposition or an adverb. Phrasal verbs often have meanings that are different from the meanings of their parts.
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:
* Burn out: House number 12 turned out to be nothing but a burned-out shell, the roof gaping, the windows boarded-up. – (destroyed by fire)
* Light up: That was the moment her eyes lit up with recognition and her face became suffused with a sudden glow of happiness. – (brightened)
* 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. – ( to watch)
* 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. – (finished)
* 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. – (to avoid)
3. Noun phrase
Read the following sentence.
I took out a small black tin box.
¤The phrase in italics is a noun phrase.
¤It has the noun — box — as the head word, and three adjectives
preceding it.
¤Notice the order in which the adjectives occur — size (small), colour
(black) and material (tin) of which it is made.
¤We rarely use more than four adjectives before a noun and there is no
rigid order in which they are used, though there is a preferred order of
modifiers/adjectives in a noun phrase, as given below.
| determiner | modifier 1 (opinion, feeling) | modifier 2 (size, shape, age) | modifier 3 (colour) | modifier 4 (material) | head word |
| a/an/ the | nice/lazy/ beautiful | tall/ round/ old/young | red/white/ light/dark | silk/cotton/ woollen | woman man/ table/chair |
4. 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!
| Nouns | Adjectives |
| Elephant | circular, striped, enormous, multicoloured, round, cheerful, wild, blue, red, chubby, large, medium-sized, cold |
| face | |
| building | |
| water |
ANSWER:
| Nouns | Adjectives |
| Elephant | enormous, wild, large, cheerful, chubby, round, cheerful, medium-sized, blue, red, multicoloured, blue, cold |
| face | |
| building | |
| water |
SPEAKING
1. In groups discuss whether wars are a good way to end conflicts between countries. Then present your arguments to the whole class.
ANSWER: History says that the war has always ended with the loss of lives, destruction, conflicts, and many more. The conflict between two countries can be always settled with peace. In the conflict between the two countries, the common people are killed, children are orphaned, wives become a widow.
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: The handmade gifts are the most perfect gift which I prefer. The handmade gift is filled with the efforts and love that we put in for our loved ones. When I go to buy a present, I first think about the likings of my friend and choose accordingly.
WRITING
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 begin like this
25 December, 1919
It’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, fears and feelings.
ANSWER:
25 December, 1919
It’s Christmas today, but the town looks completely different. The war has caused many losses to the town. Many buildings are destroyed, people are living by the roadside. It is very said to see the consequences of the war. I always wish, that there are no more wars in the future.
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 tortured _______________ revolt by inmates_______________ doctor hanged _______________ wife waits for his return _______________ becomes old _______________ continues to wait with hope and faith.
ANSWER:
During the war, a young newly married doctor was sent to Andaman and Nicobar Island for a case. He was exiled to the infamous Cellular Jail for a year. He was living there with the other prisoners in the jail. He was badly tortured by the prisoners due to the revolt made by the inmates. One day, the doctor was hanged till death. His wife kept waiting for his return until she became old. But she always continues to wait for her husband’s return with the great hope and faith.
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