Class-8 English Reader (Special), Lesson-10 Children Who Are Wanted Every Hour / M.P. Board

Lesson-10

Children Who Are Wanted Every Hour

Glossary

Spirit -  feeling

Cope with -  to deal successfully with something difficult

Whining-  complaining

Drones -  people who are lazy and give nothing to society while others work

Magnify -  to make something look bigger than it really is

Earnest -  very serious and sincere

Zeal -  great energy

Sinews-  strong bands of tissues in the body that join muscles to bones,  here are used for source of strength of power

Summary
A nation's destiny is defined by the type of children the nation has and their attitude towards life. Children who are ready to put in effort and overcome all obstacles are bound to bring glory and success to their country.

Word Power

(A) Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate words from the following:

cope with, magnified, earnest, zeal, sinews, destiny (use each word only once)

     1.    Desert plants are adapted to cope with extreme heat.

     2.    He wants to be in control of his own destiny.

     3.    Despite her earnest effort she could not find a job.

     4.    The dry summer has magnified the problem of water shortage.

     5.    The sinews of our body are the source of power.

     6.    The chief minister is working with great zeal.

Comprehension

(A) Answer the following questions:

      Q1. How have the children been described in the first stanza? Write at least five qualities of children?

      Ans- In the first stanza, the children have been described as;

1)   Children of spirit

2)   Children with will power

3)   Children with muscle power

4)   Children with brain power

5)   Children who are fit to cope with anything

     Q2. Who are whining drones?

     Ans- Whining drones are the children who are always complaining and lazy.

     Q3. Write the rhyming words of the second stanza?

     Ans- Rhyming words in the second stanza are- magnify and try.

     Q4. How are you expected to do the work according to the poet's wish?

     Ans- According to the poet’s wish, we are expected to work with an earnest zeal and an honest will. We should bend our sinews to the task.

     Q5. Do you think children are a nation's destiny? If yes, say how?

     Ans- Yes, children are a nation’s destiny. They are the future citizens, so their efforts decide the destiny of nation.

     Q.6 What do you mean by rhyme scheme. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

     Ans- The rhyming pattern of different lines of a poem is called rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme of this poem is a b c b.

     Q5. Define alliteration. Find two examples from the poem.

     Ans- The repetition of the same sounds at the beginning of words that are close to each other in a line of a poem is called alliteration. Examples from the poem are:

1. weak and whining

2. to the task

3. From your future

Let’s Read

Read the following conversation between Ravi and Suresh, then complete the paragraph that follows:

Ravi : I have come to the zoo but I am rather disappointed.

Suresh : This is a strange thing to say. What makes you feel so?

Ravi : The pathetic state of the animals makes my heart cry.

Suresh : True! Last year their condition was not as it is this year.

Ravi : I wish people had more consideration for animals.

Ravi looked dismayed and told Suresh that he was disappointed to see the zoo. Suresh was surprised and said that it was a strange thing to say. He further enquired why Ravi felt so. Ravi explained that the pathetic condition of animals made him feel so. Suresh agreed with him and said that the last year their condition had not been as it was that year. Ravi wished that people had more consideration for animals.

Let's Write

Mohan is getting his parcel registered. He takes the following steps.

Visits the post office ⇾ the parcel is weighed ⇾ buys the requisite stamps ⇾ sticks the stamps on the parcel ⇾ goes back to the registered parcel counter ⇾ hands over the parcel ⇾ collects the receipt

     Now Mohan tells his younger brother how he got his parcel registered. (Use active / passive as necessary)

1.   First, I visited the post office.

2.   Then the parcel is weighed.

3.   I bought the requisite stamps next.

4.   Then I sticked those stamps on the parcel.

5.   I went back to the registered parcel counter.

6.   Then I handed over the parcel.

7.   Next, I collected the receipt.   

Let’s do it

    (A) Collect some pictures in which children are engaged in different activities and paste them in the space provided:

·        Helping an old women / man to cross the road

·        Helping mother / father to buy things

·        Helping mother / father to clean the house

·        Helping younger brother / sister to do homework

    (B) Write 2-3 lines about each picture.

My house is on a busy street. My grandfather goes for walk in a nearby park. He always needs the help of some other family member to cross the road.

At the beginning of every month, I go to the super market for buying groceries. After coming home, we arrange the things in shelves together.

My mother vacuum cleans the house every Sunday. I also help her in dusting and moving the things for her.

I am in grade- 8 and my younger sister is in grade-5. I help her in English grammar. She is very good at learning.

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