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Read the extract and answer the following questions-
Extract:
Laboriously, with a double cotton, the little girl stitched three sides. But what to fill it with? That was the question. The grandmother was out in the garden, and she wandered into Mother’s bedroom to look for scraps. On the bed-table she discovered a great many sheets of fine paper, gathered them up, tore them into tiny pieces, and stuffed her case, then sewed up the fourth side. That night there was a hue and cry in the house. Father’s great speech for the Port Authority had been lost. Rooms were searched; servants questioned. Finally Mother came into Kezia’s room. “Kezia, I suppose you didn’t see some papers on a table in our room?” “Oh yes,” she said, “I tore them up for my surprise.” “What!” screamed Mother. “Come straight down to the dining-room this instant.”
(The Little girl)
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Question (i)
What was the little girl making as a surprise for her father?
- A) A card
- B) A pillow
- C) A doll
- D) A pin-cushion
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
D) A pin-cushion
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to look at the first sentence of the extract.
- The sentence says that laboriously, with a double cotton, the little girl stitched three sides. But what to fill it with? That was the question.
- This shows that the little girl was making something that required stitching and filling with some material. It also implies that she was putting a lot of effort and care into her work.
- From the context of the story, we know that she was making a surprise for her father's birthday. She wanted to make something useful and pretty for him.
- Therefore, we can infer that she was making a pin-cushion, which is a small cushion used to store pins and needles. It is a common item that can be made by sewing and stuffing a piece of fabric.
- Hence, the correct option is D.
Question (ii)
Why did the little girl wander into her mother's bedroom? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
She wandered into her mother's bedroom to look for scraps. She needed something to fill her pin-cushion with and she thought she might find some suitable material in her mother's room.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to look at the second sentence of the extract.
- The sentence says that the grandmother was out in the garden, and she wandered into Mother’s bedroom to look for scraps.
- This shows that the little girl did not have anyone to help or guide her in her project. She decided to explore her mother's bedroom on her own, hoping to find some scraps of fabric or paper that she could use to fill her pin-cushion.
- Therefore, we can say that she wandered into her mother's bedroom to look for scraps. She needed something to fill her pin-cushion with and she thought she might find some suitable material in her mother's room.
Question (iii)
Identify the word that means the same as 'hue and cry' in the context of the extract.
- A) Silence
- B) Applause
- C) Uproar
- D) Laughter
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
C) Uproar
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to know what the phrase 'hue and cry' means and how it is used in the context of the extract.
- The phrase 'hue and cry' means a loud and angry protest or complaint about something.
- In the context of the extract, the phrase 'hue and cry' is used to describe the reaction of the family when they discovered that Father’s great speech for the Port Authority had been lost. They searched everywhere and questioned everyone, but they could not find it. They were probably very worried and angry about it.
- Therefore, another word that could replace 'hue and cry' in this context is uproar, which means a loud and confused noise or disturbance.
Question (iv)
State TRUE or FALSE.
The little girl knew that she had torn up her father's speech.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
False
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to look at the last two sentences of the extract.
- The sentences say that finally Mother came into Kezia’s room. “Kezia, I suppose you didn’t see some papers on a table in our room?” “Oh yes,” she said, “I tore them up for my surprise.” “What!” screamed Mother. “Come straight down to the dining-room this instant.”
- This shows that the little girl did not know that she had torn up her father's speech. She thought they were just some papers on a table in her parents' room. She did not realize their importance or value. She innocently told her mother what she had done, expecting praise or appreciation for her surprise.
- Therefore, we can say that she did not know that she had torn up her father's speech, but rather found out later when her mother screamed at her.
- Hence, the statement that she knew that she had torn up her father's speech is false.
