The Best Christmas Present In The World | The Ant And The Cricket

Question
CBSEENEN8000029

Given below is the outline of a story. Construct the story using the outline.
A young, newly married doctor _______________ freedom fighter _______________ exiled to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the British _______________ infamous Cellular Jail _______________ prisoners tortured _______________ revolt by inmates _______________ doctor hanged _______________ wife waits for his return _______________ becomes old _______________ continues to wait with hope and faith.

Solution

There was a young doctor, freshly married, living in a tiny town. In the city he practiced medicine and was very pleased. But a few British soldiers went to his house one day and captured him calling him a fighter for liberty. They banished him to the notorious Cellular Jail on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The wife continued to ask the authorities about her husband's status, but all in vain. She was unable to create them think that her husband was a straightforward doctor, not a fighter for liberty. The British tortured and violently beat the inmates there in the jail. The prisoners revolted one day. They were captured by the police and hanged. Also among them was the doctor. The wife was still waiting for justice and returning to her husband. She grew old and still waits with hope and faith after independence. She's 103 years old.

Some More Questions From The Best Christmas Present in the World | The Ant and the Cricket Chapter

Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?

Which sentence in the text shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity?

For how long do you think Connie had kept Jim’s letter? Give reasons for your answer.

Why do you think the desk had been sold, and when?

Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts? Do you agree?

Do you think the soldiers of the two armies are like each other, or different from each other? Find evidence from the story to support your answer.

Mention the various ways in which the British and the German soldiers become friends and find things in common at Christmas.

What is Connie's Christmas present? Why is it 'the best Christmas present in the world'?

Do you think the title of this story is suitable for it? Can you think of any other tiles?

1. Look at these sentences from the story.
I spotted it in a junk shop in Bridport... The man said it was made in the early nineteenth century… This one was in bad condition…

The italicised verbs are in the past tense. They tell us what happened in the past, before now.

(i) Read the passage below and underline the verbs in the past tense.

A man got on the train and sat down. The compartment was empty except for one lady. She took her gloves off. A few hours later the police arrested the man. They held him for 24 hours and then freed him.

(ii) Now look at these sentences.

The veneer had lifted almost everywhere. Both fire and water had taken their toll on this desk.

Notice the verb forms had lifted, had taken (their toll).

The author found and bought the desk in the past.

The desk was damaged before the author found it and bought it.

Fire and water had damaged the desk before the author found it and bought it.

We use verb forms like had damaged for an event in the ‘earlier past’. If there are two events in the past, we use the ‘had…’ form for the event that occurred first in the past.

We also use the past perfect tense to show that something was wished for, or expected before a particular time in the past. For example, I had always wanted one…

Discuss with your partner the difference in meaning in the sentences below. When I reached the station, the train left. When I reached the station, the train had left.


When I reached the station, the train left.


When I reached the station, the train had left