NCERT solutions for English Poorvi Class 8 chapter * - Somebody’s Mother [Latest edition]

Recall a time you helped someone. Write two words describing:

1. What were your feelings after you did so?
2. What might have been the feelings of the person whom you helped?

Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

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. Share the reasons for your choices with your classmates and teacher.

Read the lines.

The woman was old and ragged and grey
And bent with the chill of the Winter’s day.

Select the suitable meaning of ‘ragged’ as used in these lines. There are other four meanings given below. Discuss with your classmates and teacher.

1. (of clothes) old and torn; synonym: shabby
   • a ragged jacket
2.  Having an outline, an edge, or a surface that is not straight or even
   
   • a ragged coastline
3. Not smooth or regular; not showing control or careful preparation
   • I could hear the sound of his ragged breathing.
   • Their performance was still very ragged.
4. (Informal) very tired, especially after physical effort
   • The elderly man was ragged after climbing the stairs.

Arrange the events of the poem in the correct order of occurrence. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

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

Fill in the blank by choosing the correct answer from the options given in the bracket.

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

Fill in the blank by choosing the correct answer from the options given in the bracket.

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

Fill in the blank by choosing the correct answer from the options given in the bracket.

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

Fill in the blank by choosing the correct answer from the options given in the bracket.

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

Fill in the blank by choosing the correct answer from the options given in the bracket.

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

Pick examples from the poem for the following poetic device.

Simile

Pick examples from the poem for the following poetic device.

Alliteration

Pick examples from the poem for the following poetic device.

Repetition

Complete the following sentence appropriately explaining the imagery.

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

Complete the following sentence appropriately explaining the imagery.

The line ‘The street was wet with a recent snow’ suggests a cold and ______ weather, emphasising the woman’s helplessness.

Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason.

The poet repeats the phrase Somebody’s mother because it ______.

Complete the analogy:

The old woman : vulnerable and neglected : : The young boy : ______.

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow.

(i) What does the phrase ‘ragged and grey’ refer to?

1. the woman’s emotional state that day
2. the woman’s old and worn-out appearance
3. the weather conditions of the particular day
4. the colour of the street and the surroundings

(ii) Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason:

The woman was ‘bent’ with the chill of the Winter’s day because she was ______.

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

1. The street was wet with recent snow.
2. The woman was too weak to cross the street on her own.

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

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow.

(i) What does the contrast between the ‘trembling feet’ of the old woman and the ‘firm and strong’ feet of the boy emphasise?

(ii) Fill in the blank given below by selecting the correct option from the brackets.

• The poem tells us that the boy was ‘proud’ that his feet were strong.
• This tells us that the boy was ______. (arrogant about being strong/grateful for his ability to help)

(iii) What is the boy most likely to tell his friends on getting back?

1. I’m so glad I could help her.
2. I’m worried about her safety.
3. I’m surprised she forgot to thank me.
4. I’m thankful for all your support.

(iv) Rectify the false sentence given below.

The young boy’s actions were driven by a logical decision.

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

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

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

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

Justify the appropriateness of the title of the poem.

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

The grid given below has the antonyms of the words from the text. Locate these words in the grid horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. One example has been done for you. You may refer to a dictionary.

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

In the poem, the poet uses the idiom ‘lend a hand’ which means ‘help somebody’. Some more idioms using ‘hand’ are given in Column 1. Match these idioms with their meanings in Column 2. You may refer to a dictionary.

Complete the following analogy by filling in the blank with the correct word from the poem.

______ : winter : : heat : summer

Complete the following analogy by filling in the blank with the correct word from the poem.

hurt : ______ : : old : aged

Complete the following analogy by filling in the blank with the correct word from the poem.

whispered : shouted : : humble : ______

Complete the following analogy by filling in the blank with the correct word from the poem.

eyes : ______ : : legs : walk

Complete the following analogy by filling in the blank with the correct word from the poem.

having a lot of money : wealthy : : densely packed people : ______

You will listen to a woman read the special broadcast of the news. As you listen, arrange the pictures in the correct sequence of the events that took place.

1.	2.	3.
4.	5.	6.

You will once again listen to the special broadcast of the news. As you listen, complete the following sentence with one to three exact words.

The woman was having a difficult time staying afloat due to the ______.

You will once again listen to the special broadcast of the news. As you listen, complete the following sentence with one to three exact words.

Rohan leapt into the river to save the woman without any ______.

You will once again listen to the special broadcast of the news. As you listen, complete the following sentence with one to three exact words.

Rohan’s act of bravery was witnessed by ______.

You will once again listen to the special broadcast of the news. As you listen, complete the following sentence with one to three exact words.

Rohan was honoured at the Vigyan Bhawan for his incredible courage and ______.

You will once again listen to the special broadcast of the news. As you listen, complete the following sentence with one to three exact words.

Rohan proved that when it comes to saving lives, age is ______.

Read aloud the list of words from the poem that end in ‘-ed’. As you read, focus on the final sound of each word and place them in the appropriate columns. One example has been done for you.

Note: Adjectives that come before a noun and end with ‘-ed’ have /id/as the final sound.

Work in pairs. Narrate an incident where you helped someone in the past. Take turns to speak and use the cue cards given below.

You may use the following prompts.

Write a diary entry of a day you helped someone in need. Remember to include the following points while writing it.

• Start with a sentence describing the day.
• Mention whom you helped.
• Explain the situation in which the other person needed help.
• Add the place and time of the day when the situation arose.
• Describe how you helped the other person.
• Describe the reaction of the person you helped.
• Mention how you felt during and after helping the person.
• Conclude by mentioning why you would do something like this again.

You may begin like this:
26 April 20xx, Saturday                   8:00 p.m.
Dear Diary,

Today, I feel was a special day...

Did you know that even Earth has been referred to as mother in the ancient scriptures of India? In section 12.1.12 of Pṛthvi-Sūkta (hymn-tothe-earth) of Atharva Veda, Earth is referred to as mother and us as her children by stating:

माता भूमिः पुत्रोऽहं पृथिव्याः।

It can be translated as ‘Earth is my mother and I am her child’.

Work in groups of four. Find out the names of countries that refer to their country as ‘motherland’ and a few others as ‘fatherland’. Share your findings with your classmates and teacher.

Read the poem and enjoy.

A Nation’s Strength

Not gold, but only men can make 
A people great and strong…
Men who for truth and honour’s sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly…
They build a nation’s pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Make a gratitude card for your mother/grandmother to thank her for at least five things that she does for you. Also write two things that you would do regularly to help them. Use recycled material to make and decorate the card.