4. Work and Leisure
A. Match the following meanings in the left column with the correct words in the right.
a. to laugh at somebody in an unkind way - vii. mock
b. very unpleasant - v. hideous
C. to twist and turn body or part of it with quick, short movements - viii. wriggle
d. in a cheerful way - vi.gaily
e. very surprised or shocked - iii. open-mouthed
f. to ask for something in a serious and emotional way - ii. plead
g. to make a facial expression indicating disapproval - i. frown
h. to argue or disagree strongly with somebody - iv.dispute
B. The word tiptoe refers to the way of walking with one's heels off the ground, in order to make them taller or to move very quietly. Consult a dictionary and find the meanings of the following words related to walking.
a. sneak - to move in a stealthy or quiet manner, especially to avoid being noticed or heard
b. stroll - to walk in a leisurely way, often for pleasure or exercise
c. lurch - to walk unsteadily or staggeringly, as if about to fall
d. stagger - to walk unsteadily or move from side to side, as if about to fall,
e. stride - to walk with long steps in a confident or purposeful manner
f. stumble - to trip or lose one's balance while walking, often due to an obstacle or uneven surface
C. Answer these questions.
a. Why do you think the man frowned his face when Sarah and Jamie gave him their school card?
Ans: The man frowned his face when Sarah and Jamie gave him their school card because they were searching a job instead of going to school.
b. Why were Sarah and Jamie looking for a job instead of going to school?
Ans: Sarah and Jamie were looking for a job instead of going to school because they wanted to support their parents by earning money during their holiday.
c. Why was the man ready to give them work in hisbfarm?
Ans: The man was ready to give them work in his farm because he needed someone to eliminate all the caterpillars from the cabbage.
d. What work were they supposed to do at the man's farm?
Ans: They were supposed to eliminate caterpillars from every cabbage in his farm by picking them off and collecting.
e. Were there really a million or billion caterpillars in the cabbage field? If not, what do Sarah and Jamie mean by a million or billion caterpillars?
Ans: No, there were not really million or billion caterpillars in the cabbage field. Sarah and Jamie used the expression "million or billion caterpillars" to refer to the large number of caterpillars.
f. What were Sarah and Jamie desperate about?
Ans: Sarah and Jamie were desperate about the difficult job of eliminating all the caterpillars from the cabbage field.
g. What was Sarah's 'brilliant' idea?
Ans: Sarah's 'brilliant' ideas was to get rid of the butterflies so that there would be no more eggs or caterpillars.
h. Were the children happy with their work? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans: We can guess that the children were not happy with their work. They were desperate about the difficult job of eliminating all the caterpillars from the cabbage field. Their job was so exhausting, too. If they were really happy, they wouldn't run away from the farm.
i. Why did they run away from the farm secretly?
Ans: They ran away from the farm secretary because they had destroyed cabbage patches while hitting the butterflies. They didn't want to face their master.
D. Read the story and write 'True' for true statements, and 'False' for false ones. If the information is not given Balutionn in the text write 'Not Given'.
a. Sarah and Jamie's parents were unable to work to support the family. Not Given
b.Sarah and Jamie have never been to school. False
c. The man decides to pay them upon the completion of their work. True
d. Sarah and Jamie had not expected to find so many caterpillars in the cabbage field. True
e. Sarah's idea finally worked to finish off their job. True
f. They were caught by the farm owner while running away. False
A. Find the words from the poem which have the following meanings.
a. a small piece of glass or stone threaded with others to make a necklace - bead
b. to prepare and use land for growing crops - tilling
c. a piece of clothing - garment
d. a layer of something that covers a surface - mantle
e. the state of being rescued from danger, evil or pain - deliverance
f. a substance that produces a pleasant smell when you burn it - incense
g. covered with marks - stained
h. hard unpleasant work that makes you very tired -
B. Find the modern equivalents of the following archaic words used in the poem.
a. dost - do
b. thou - you
c. thine - your
d. thy - your
C. Answer the following questions.
a. Who is the poem addressed to?
Ans: The poem is addressed to the religious minded people who go to temple, chant mantras, sing bhajans and count beads in the name of worship.
b. What does the speaker advise people?
Ans: The speaker advises people not to chant, sing or count beads to please god. Instead, he advises them to seek god in a tiller/farmer and a pathmaker who do toilsome labour in sun and shower. He tells them to do toilsome labour.
c. Where do people try to find the god?
Ans: People try to find god in the lonely and dark corner of the temple.
d. Where, according to the speaker, does the god actually reside?
Ans: God actually resides with the hard-working people such as a tiller and a pathmaker who do toilsome labour even during sun and rain. God is with the people doing socially useful productive works.
e. How can people have a glimpse of the god?
Ans: People can have glimpse of the god by involving themselves in hard work without saying sun and rain and by eaming their bread with the sweat of their brow.
f. Why can't the god rescue people?
Ans: The god can't rescue people because he himself is not free. He is in love with his creation. He has bound himself to the work of creation and to the objects he has created.
g. What does the speaker ask people to do in the last stanza?
Ans: The speaker asks people to come out of their meditations, leave their flowers and incense aside; and toil in sun and shower to have glimpse of god.
