NCERT Class 6:Honey Suckle:A Different Kind of School

 

Textual Questions and Exercises

 

Q1. Put these sentences from the story in the right order and write them out in a paragraph. Don’t refer to the text.

1. I shall be so glad when today is over.
2. Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess.
3. I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day — at least not much.
4. But being blind is so frightening.
5. Only you must tell me about things.
6. Let’s go for a little walk.
7. The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this.

Ans. Let’s go for a little walk. Only you must tell me about things. I shall be so glad when today is over. The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this. Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess. I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day – at least not much. But being blind is so frightening.

 

Q2. Why do you think the writer visited Miss Beam’s school?

 Ans. The writer visited Miss Beam’s school because he had heard a great deal about the school.

 

Q3. What was the ‘game’ that every child in the school had to play?

 Ans. The ‘game’ that every child in the school had to play was that each term every child had one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day.

 

Q4. “Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day…” Complete the line. Which day was the hardest? Why was it the hardest?

 Ans. “Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day.” The dumb day was the hardest because the children’s mouths could not be bandaged, so they really had to exercise their will power to remain silent.

 

Q5. What was the purpose of these special days?

 Ans. The purpose of these special days was to teach the children thoughtfulness – kindness to others, and how to be responsible citizens. These days make the children appreciate and understand misfortune by making them share in the misfortune of others.

 

Working with language

 

Q1. Match the words and phrases with their meanings in the box below.

 Ans. 1. Homesick – wanting to be home

2. Practically – Almost
3. It pains me – it hurts me
4. Appreciate – understanding the difficulties
5. Thoughtless – not very caring
6. Exercise – test the strength of
7. Relief – a welcome change
8. Ghastly – terrible

 

Q2. Re-word these lines from the story:

1. I had heard a great deal about Miss Beam’s school.
2. Miss Beam was all that I had expected — middle-aged, full of authority.
3. I went to the window which overlooked a large garden.
4. “We cannot bandage the children’s mouths, so they really have to exercise their will-power.”

Ans. 1. I had come to know a lot about the school run by Miss Beam.

2. Miss Beam was middle-aged authoritative as I had thought her to be.
3. I walked towards a window from which one could see a garden of a large size.
4. “It is not possible to put bandages on children’s mouths so an exercise of will power is required on their part.”

 

Q3. Given below is a page from a dictionary. Look at it carefully and find a word which means the same as ghastly. Write down the word and its two meanings.

Example: Terrible is that word. It’s two meanings are: causing fear and very bad.

(i) find a word meaning a part of the school year.  a term

(ii) find a word that means examination. test