NCERT Solutions Class 8 English (It So Happened)
The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 8 English (It So Happened) Chapter – 2 Children At Work has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise.
NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English (It So Happened)
- Chapter – 1 : How the Camel Got His Hump
- Chapter – 3 : The Selfish Giant
- Chapter – 4 : The Treasure Within
- Chapter – 5 : Princess September
- Chapter – 6 : The Fight
- Chapter – 7 : The Open Window
- Chapter – 8 : Jalebis
- Chapter – 9 : The Comet 1
- Chapter – 10 : The Comet 2
- Chapter – 11 : Ancient Education System of India
Chapter – 2 (Children At Work)
Comprehension Check
1. Velu stood on the platform, but he felt “as if he was still on a moving train”. Why?
Answer – After a long train journey, Velu was too tired. Moreover, he was not able to sleep also. That is why Velu, while on the platform, was feeling as if he was still on a moving train.
2. What made him feel miserable?
Answer – Velu had run away from his village two days ago. He had not eaten anything except some peanuts and a piece of jaggery for two days. The journey also was too tiring and restless. All this made Velu feel miserable.
3. (i) Velu travelled without a ticket. Why?
Answer – Velu had run away from his village without money. That is why he had to travel without a ticket.
(ii) How did he escape the ticket collector’s attention?
Answer – Velu was in an unreserved compartment. Luckily, the ticket collector did not come to the unreserved compartment. That is how he escaped the ticket collector’s attention.
4. Why had Velu run away from home?
Answer – Velu had run away from home because his father used to beat him everyday. His father would also spend the money earned by Velu and his sisters on drinking.
5. Why did he decide to follow the ‘strange’ girl?
Answer – He decided to follow the ‘strange’ girl because he did not know where to go and what to do. Basically, he did not have a plan for himself.
Comprehension Check
1. Can Velu read Tamil and English? How do you know?
Answer – Velu could read Tamil. But he could not read English. We came to know about it when he was looking at the huge signboards. He could not read them because they were in English. However, he read signs which were in Tamil, like that of the Central Jail.
2. “If you are not careful, you will soon be counting bars there,” the girl said.
(i) What is she referring to?
Answer – She was referring to the Central Jail.
(ii) What does she mean when she says, “If you are not careful…”? (She says something a little later, which means the same. Find that sentence.)
Answer – She means to say that if Velu won’t be careful or vigilant enough, he could be behind the bars. After sometime she says, “You don’t have to do anything. Just don’t get caught, that’s all.”
3. (i) Where did the girl lead Velu to?
Answer – The girl led Velu to a big garbage bin behind the hall.
(ii) What did they get to eat?
Answer – They got a banana and a vada to eat.
4. What work did she do? Think of a one-word answer.
Answer – The girl worked as a rag-picker.
Comprehension Check
1. (i) What material are the ‘strange’ huts made out of?
Answer – The ‘strange’ huts were built from all sorts of things, such as metal sheets, tyres, bricks, wood and plastic.
(ii) Why does Velu find them strange?
Answer – Velu found the huts ‘strange’ because in his village the houses were made of mud and palm leaves.
2. What sort of things did Jaya and children like her collect and what did they do with those things?
Answer – They would collect things like paper, plastic and glass, etc. They would sell these things to Jaggu in J. in Bazaar.
3. Is Velu happy or unhappy to find work? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer – It is obvious in the story that Velu is not happy to do the job of a ragpicker. He just wants to do it, until he finds a better job.
Exercise
Discuss the following questions in small groups. Write their answers afterwards.
1. Is Velu a smart boy? Which instances in the text show that he is or isn’t?
Answer – Yes. Velu seems to be a smart boy. He ran away from home because of bad circumstances. When he reached Chennai, the girl, who was a ragpicker, tried to help him. Initially, he thought of not taking her help. However, he was smart enough to realize that he was very hungry and did not know where to go. Therefore, he followed the girl. He knew how to read Tamil. When the girl told him to eat the banana that she found in the garbage, he refused at first. However, he quickly realized that he was very hungry and therefore, ate it. Even though he found the place and even the girl very strange, he continued to walk along with her. He tried to understand why she collected rubbish. He knew that he had not come to the big city to collect rubbish; however, he adjusted to the circumstances and decided to do the same work till he found a better job.
2. Do you think Jaya is a brave and sensitive child with a sense of humour? Find instances of her courage, kind nature and humour in the text.
Answer – Yes, of course, we find Jaya a courageous, kind-hearted and a child who has a sense of humour. Thinking that Velu seems to run away from home, she sympathises with him. She helps him to have some food and see that he earns some money by being a ragpick er. While crossing the road full of traffic, Velu hesitated and did so reluctantly. Jaya dragged him to the other side.
She warned him that if he would stand in the middle of the road like that he will “be Chutney”. She also shows sense of humour when Velu is reluctant to do the work of a ragpicker. She calls him a “big hero” who just stands there “posing”. The way she faces the hardships of life in a smiling way shows her courage and strong will.
3. What one throws away as waste may be valuable to others. Do you find this sentence meaningful in the context of this story? How?
Answer – The referred sentence is quite meaningful with reference to the story ‘Children at Work’. Jaya, in story, is a ragpicker who collects paper, plastic goods and glass, etc. from various garbage bins. She makes a livelihood by selling these things, which are thrown by people as waste. Thus what are thrown away as waste may be valuable to others like Jaya and many ragpickers.
