18 THE LITTLE GIRL || NIOS - SECONDARY COURSE || ENGLISH-202 CLASS-X

Chapter-18

THE LITTLE GIRL

 INTEXT QUESTIONS 18.1

Answer the following questions.

1 (i) Write Kezia's feelings about her father.  Pick out the expressions/phrases from the text to support your answer.

Ans:  Kezia was scared of her father and therefore did not feel free with him. It is evident from the expressions in the text. 'He was a figure to be feared and avoided'.

(ii) What was the real reason behind Kezia’s stuttering?

Ans: Lack of confidence in the presence of her father. She never stuttered in the presence of others.

(iii) Kezia’s parents never encouraged her to have an open conversation with them. Give an example from the text.

Ans: Kezia’s parents never encouraged her to have a free and informal interaction with them.  On Sunday noons her grandmother sent her to the drawing room to have a nice talk with them. She always found her father stretching on the sofa with his handkerchief on his face and her mother reading. She sat on a stool watching them and waiting for their attention until he woke up, looked at her. Instead of giving a welcome smile and calling her affectionately to him, he remarked 'Don’t stare so, Kezia, you look like a brown owl’. Such remarks would certainly work as a blow to the child’s desire to get closer to her parents.

(iv) Kezia did not object to her parents’ attitude towards her. Describe at least two options she could have considered in order to make them understand her view point, also mention one positive and one negative consequence of her efforts. One example is given for you.

Example :

Option: Kezia could have expressed her feelings to her mother that she wanted to have a more open relationship with them.

Ans: I would expect that father would start behaving like next door neighbour. Mr. Mcdonald.

2. Why do you think Kezia was more attached to her grandmother than to her mother?

Ans:Kezia's grandmother was more understanding. She spend time with Kezia and paid attention to her. Grandmother worked on the small need of Kezia and even guided her how to keep father happy.

3. Kezia’s mother is passive in her attitude towards her. If you were in her mother’s place what would you have done to promote a more positive relationship between Kezia and her father?

Ans: If I had been in her mother's place I would have talked to Kezia in an understanding manner.I would have also tried to take Kezia out with father so that things should become better.

4. Read the following statements and write 'True', 'False', or 'Not sure' against each one.

a. Kezia was scared of her father.

b. Her father did not like her.

c. Her father did not love her.

d. Her grandmother always showed interest in her.

e. Kezia’s mother was careless about her daughter.

f. Her father always disapproved of every move of hers.

 Ans: a) True

         b) Not sure,  

         c) Not sure,

         d) True, 

         e) Not sure,  

          f) True.

5.    Tick 🗸 the right option to complete the following statement

 Kezia’s grandmother sent her to have a nice talk with her parents so that

— she could get over the feeling of fear of her father.

— she could tell her father how deeply she missed his love and company.

— her mother comes to understand her daughter’s feelings and takes interest in her.

— the communication gap that was harming her personality development could be overcome.

— all the above reasons.

Ans: All the above reasons.

 INTEXT QUESTIONS 18.2

1. Tick þ the correct answers to complete the statements:

A  Kezia made a pin cushion for her father because

a. she loved him and wanted to give him a surprise.

b. he needed it for his study table.

c. her grandmother gave her the idea.🗸

B. Kezia’s father punished her because

a. he didn’t love her.

b. he already had a pin cushion.

c. Kezia had accidentally destroyed father’s speech and punishment was his way    of teaching her a lesson.🗸

 

2. Kezia’s grandmother believed that Kezia would forget the pain by next morning. Was she right? Pick out the words from the text to support your answer.

Ans:No, grandmother was not right. Whenever she saw her grandmother she put her hands behind in fear.

3. Kezia told the truth to her mother about the missing sheets of paper. Her mother handed her  over   to her father.  Do you think it was right on her part? If you were in her mother’s place, what would you have done?

Ans:Her mother did not behave in a sensible manner by handing over Kezia to her father. She should have put the matter in adifferent way. If I had been in mother's place, I would have talked to Kezia's father and tried to find about the solution of getting the speech which had been torn.

4. Kezia clung to her grandmother and sobbed, "What did God make fathers for"? Why do you think she said so? Choose the correct option:

a. She found her father to be harsh and angry all the time.

b. She wanted to be with her grandmother only.

c. She wanted her father to spend more time at home with her.

Ans:She found her father to be harsh and angry all the time.

5. You are Kezia. Express your feelings about your father’s behaviour when you gave him a birthday gift.  Write your answer in 50-60 words.

Ans:I never thought it would turn out this way! I worked hard to make a gift for dad so that he'll be happy but today I did a big mistake! I should have asked my Mom before taking the important documents which I thought were useless papers! My only intention was to give dad a beautiful gift that would make him love me even more!

But, it totally turned out opposite, I'm very sad and upset. It's better to apologize him right now, because there's no other way, I have had done a big loss already and I can't see my dad suffering more due to me! I'll take care next time now I just need to say sorry without being afraid! I just hope that he'll understand me!

 

INTEXT QUESTIONS 18.3

A. Let us answer the following questions:

1.  On the basis of your reading of the unit fill in the blanks in the following passage. The first letter of the word is given as a hint.

Kezia observed in the McDonalds family, that their father was       d__________ from her father. He spent   _t_______  in the _c_________of his five children. All of them were _f______   with their father and their life was  _h________  and _i________. She thought perhaps all fathers are not  _s________.

Ans:(i) different    (ii) time (iii) company (iv) free (v) happy (vi) interesting (vii) similar.

2.  Write short answers to the following: 

(i) Why was Kezia scared of being alone in the dark?

Ans:  She had nightmares when she was alone in the dark.

(ii) Why did Kezia cry out for her grandmother? Who attended to her?

Ans: Because she had a nightmare, her father attended her.

(iii) What did Kezia’s father do when he found that she was frightened?

Ans: He carefully tucked up the child and lay down beside her,  snuggled her head under his arm.

(iv) Kezia found her father soft and caring. What did she think about her father after the incident of the nightmare?

Ans: She realized that her father was a soft hearted man. He could not spend time with her because he was busy in business matters.

 3 Tick 🗸 the right choice to complete the following statement:

On the night when Kezia was alone her father was very caring and warm in his behaviour towards her because

(i) Kezia’s grandmother had instructed him to be so.

(ii) Kezia had called out for him.

(iii) he cared for her though he had never expressed it. 🗸

TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. Answer the following questions in about 100 words each.

(i) Comment on the role of grandmother in trying to make the family atmosphere warm and friendly.

Ans:The role of grandmother or any elderly person in a family is that of joining them together, holding them together like glue.

Grandmother teaches the children to respect parents and how it is important for children to do what parents ask them to do. This approach helps to remove issues of understanding and make a family atmosphere more friendly. Similarly, it is tried that the parents are counselled by the grandmother so that they understand the views of their children as well, when indulged in an argument.

This feeling of an older presence helping to coordinate among parents, children, grandchildren help to make family atmosphere friendly and people approachable in contrast.

(ii) Why do you think people give gifts to their loved ones?

Ans:We give gifts to people, we wish to establish a relationship with. Not just the romantic ones, relations of any kind. Giving gifts is an important part of human interaction. It defines our relationships and strengthens (or weakens) bonds with friends, family and lovers.

(iii) Do you think Kezia’s father was a cruel man who didn’t love his daughter? Give reasons.

Ans:No, I don't think that Kezia’s father was a cruel man who didn’t love his daughter because he had beaten his daughter because she tore a very important papers of him and because lack of time he didn't able to spend time with her but he loves her very much because on that night he sleeped with her scared daughter.

2. You are Seema /Arjun. You have got an appointment with Kezia’s mother for an interview. Complete the following conversation you had with Kezia’s mother using the words/phrases given in the box at the end: