CBSE Class VIII English Poorvi Unit 2 Somebody's Mother Questions and Answers

Chapter 5: Somebody's Mother

Let us do these activities before we read

I. Personal Experience Activity

1. What were your feelings after you helped someone? Write two words describing it.

Happy, Satisfied.

2. What might have been the feelings of the person whom you helped? Write two words describing it.

Grateful, Relieved.

II. Word Association Activity

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.

• Associated with an elderly person: worried, trembling, bent, grey, slow.
• Associated with a school student: strong, hastening, firm, merry, guide, helpful.

Reasons: Elderly people often experience physical frailties such as grey hair, trembling hands, slow movement, and a bent back due to age. School students are typically young, energetic, physically strong, cheerful, and quick-moving.

III. Vocabulary Check

Select the suitable meaning of 'ragged' as used in these lines:
"The woman was old and ragged and grey
And bent with the chill of the Winter's day."

Meaning 1: (of clothes) old and torn; synonym: shabby (e.g., a ragged jacket).

Let us discuss

I. Sequence of Events

Arrange the events of the poem in the correct order of occurrence.

1. The old woman stood alone at the crossing, hesitant to move.
2. A group of schoolboys passed by, playing, and laughing.
3. The children hurried past the old woman without offering help.
4. The boy offered to help the old woman cross the street.
5. The woman placed her hand on the boy's arm, and he guided her safely across the street.
6. The boy returned to his friends, feeling proud of what he had done.
7. The boy thought about his own mother and hoped someone would help her one day.
8. The woman prayed for the boy who helped her.

II. Fill in the Blanks

1. The central theme of the poem is ____________. (kindness and empathy/ adventure and courage)

kindness and empathy

2. The tone of the poem is ____________. (humorous and playful/ sympathetic and hopeful)

sympathetic and hopeful

3. The poem is written in couplets with ____________ lines in each stanza. (four/two)

two

4. The structure of the poem gives a rhythmic flow that reflects both the ____________. (narrative and emotions/story's pace and message)

story's pace and message

5. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of ____________. (AABB/ABAB)

AABB

III. Poetic Devices

Pick examples from the poem for the following poetic devices:

1. Simile: "Came the boys like a flock of sheep".
2. Alliteration: "street was wet with a recent snow" (repetition of /w/ sound) or "whispered low".
3. Repetition: "Somebody's mother".

IV. Imagery Sentences

1. The poem uses imagery to describe scenes of a bustling street. We know this by the phrase ____________.

"throng of human beings who passed her by".

2. The line "The street was wet with a recent snow" suggests a ____________ weather, emphasising the woman's helplessness.

cold and slippery

V. Complete Reason

The poet repeats the phrase 'Somebody's mother' because it ____________.

emphasises that every elderly person is worthy of respect and care, just as we would want others to care for our own mothers.

VI. Analogy

The old woman: vulnerable and neglected :: The young boy: ____________

kind and helpful (or empathetic and compassionate)

Let us think and reflect

I. Extract-Based Questions

1. Extract 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?

B. the woman's old and worn-out appearance

(ii) Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason: The woman was 'bent' with the chill of the Winter's day because she was ____________.

very old, weak, and shivering in the freezing cold weather.

(iii) Identify the fact and opinion from the following sentences:

• A. The street was wet with recent snow: Fact
• B. The woman was too weak to cross the street on her own: Opinion / Inference based on her situation

(iv) Why do you think the woman's feet were described as 'aged and slow'?

Because she was very old and weak, making it difficult for her to walk fast on the slippery, snow-covered street.

2. Extract 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?

It emphasizes the weakness and vulnerability of old age compared to the strength and vigor of youth, highlighting how youth can support the elderly.

(ii) The poem tells us that the boy was 'proud' that his feet were strong. This tells us that the boy was ____________.

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.

(iv) Rectify the false sentence given below:
"The young boy's actions were driven by a logical decision."

Correction: The young boy's actions were driven by compassion, empathy, and kindness.

II. Short Answer Questions

1. What might be the old woman's fears as she waited for a long time at the crossing?

She was afraid that she might slip on the snowy road or get knocked down by the fast-moving carriage wheels and horses' feet.

2. How does the poet show the helplessness of the old woman? Support your answer with evidence from the poem.

The poet describes her as "old and ragged and grey", "bent with the chill", having "aged and slow" trembling feet, and standing "meek, timid, afraid to stir" in the busy street while passersby ignored her.

3. Why does the boy decide to help the old woman? What does this tell us about him?

He helps her because he realizes she is someone's mother and hopes that someday someone will help his own mother if she is ever in a similar situation. This shows that he is kind, thoughtful, empathetic, and respectful towards elders.

4. How was the boy's approach towards the old woman different from that of the other boys in the group?

While the other boys ran past the woman without caring or offering help, this boy paused, spoke gently to her, and offered to guide her safely across the road.

5. Justify the appropriateness of the title of the poem.

The title "Somebody's Mother" is appropriate because it reminds us that every needy elderly person deserves our love and care as if they were our own mother.

6. What does the poem suggest about the role of empathy and humanity in society?

The poem suggests that empathy and humanity are essential to make society caring and safe. Helping others brings true joy to the giver and comfort to the receiver.

Let us learn

I. Vocabulary Grid - Antonyms

Locate the antonyms of the given words from the text in the grid.

Word from Text	Antonym in Grid
bent	STRAIGHT
firm	FRAGILE
meek	BOLD
merry	SAD
kind	UNKIND
anxious	PEACEFUL

II. Match Column 1 with Column 2

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

1. hastened – (iii) The students worked quickly to complete the project and submit it on time.
2. heeded – (vi) The stranded people were brought to safety because they paid attention to our advice.
3. stir – (i) The mother heard the baby move slightly in the cradle at night.
4. lend – (ii) It is our duty to give support to the poor.
5. piled – (iv) All the boxes were kept in a heap at one place.
6. offered – (v) They came forward to help us when we were in need.

III. Idioms Matching

Match the idioms using 'hand' in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2.

1. get out of hand – (iv) become difficult to control
2. try your hand at something – (i) do something new
3. give somebody a free hand – (vi) allow somebody to do something with full freedom
4. give somebody a big hand – (ii) applaud somebody
5. work hand in hand – (iii) work together
6. have your hands full – (v) be very busy

IV. Completing Analogies

Complete the following analogy by filling in the blanks with the correct words from the poem.

1. chill : winter :: heat : summer
2. hurt : harm :: old : aged
3. whispered : shouted :: humble : proud
4. eyes : glance :: legs : walk
5. having a lot of money : wealthy :: densely packed people : throng

Let us listen

I. Sequence of Broadcast Pictures

Arrange the pictures in the correct sequence of the events that took place.

Correct Sequence of Event Pictures: 3, 1, 6, 5, 2, 4

II. Fill in the Blanks (Listening Broadcast)

Complete the following sentences with one to three exact words:

1. The woman was having a difficult time staying afloat due to the strong currents.
2. Rohan leapt into the river to save the woman without any moment's hesitation.
3. Rohan's act of bravery was witnessed by onlookers.
4. Rohan was honoured at the Vigyan Bhawan for his incredible courage and selfless act (or bravery).
5. Rohan proved that when it comes to saving lives, age is no barrier.

Let us speak

I. Pronunciation of '-ed' Ending Words

Read aloud the list of words from the poem that end in '-ed' and place them in appropriate columns:

/id/ sound	/d/ sound	/t/ sound
ragged	offered	paused
aged	whispered
waited
heeded
guided

Let us write

I. Diary Entry

Write a diary entry of a day you helped someone in need.

26 April 20xx, Saturday
8:00 p.m.

Dear Diary,

Today, I feel was a special day. This afternoon, around 3:00 p.m., I was returning home from school when I saw an elderly woman carrying heavy grocery bags near the market street. She looked very tired and was struggling to walk.

Seeing her in trouble, I immediately walked up to her and gently offered to carry the bags for her. She smiled warmly and handed them to me. I accompanied her all the way to her doorstep. When we reached, she placed her hand on my head and blessed me with a broad, beautiful smile.

I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and contentment inside me. Helping her made my heart feel so light and joyous. I would definitely love to do something like this again because spreading kindness brings true inner peace.

Rahul

Let us explore

I. Cultural Insight

In the Atharva Veda (Prthvi-Sūkta 12.1.12), the Earth is referred to as a mother: "माता भूमिः पुत्रोऽहं पृथिव्याः।" meaning "Earth is my mother and I am her child".

II. Motherland vs Fatherland Countries

Find out the names of countries that refer to their country as 'motherland' and a few others as 'fatherland'.

• Countries that use 'Motherland': India, Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the Philippines.
• Countries that use 'Fatherland': Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Denmark.

IV. Gratitude Card Message

Make a gratitude card for your mother/grandmother to thank her for at least five things that she does for you, and write two things that you would do regularly to help them.

DEAREST MOTHER, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!

5 Things I am Grateful For:

1. Cooking delicious and healthy meals for me every day.
2. Taking care of me lovingly whenever I fall sick.
3. Helping me patiently with my studies and school projects.
4. Always encouraging me to pursue my dreams.
5. Teaching me good moral values and life lessons.

2 Things I Promise to Do to Help You:

1. Keep my room clean and tidy every single day.
2. Help you clear and clean the dinner table after meals.