Activity- 1

Rearrange the following sentences in the correct order and put the numbers in the given boxes :

1. He met Sofie Magdalene Hesselberg in 1911. [iv]

2. They, along with their family members, moved to Radyr in 1918. [vi]

3. Harold Dahl became a successful shipbroker and set up a farm at Cardiff. [iii]

4. They married soon after. [v]

5. Harold Dahl lost his arm when he was fourteen. [ii]

6. The writer’s grandfather was a prosperous merchant. [i]

Activity- 2

Complete the following sentences with information from the text :

a. The narrator’s grandfather was a fairly prosperous merchant who owned a store in Sarpsborg and traded in just about everything from cheese to chicken wire.

b. Harold Dahl had lost an arm when he was fourteen.

c. A shipbroker is a person who supplies the ship with everything it needs.

d. In the country mansion beside the village of Radyr, there were many acres of farm and woodland and a number of cottages for the staff.

Activity- 3

Answer the following question :

Do you think that the narrator was happy living in the imposing mansion?

Ans- The narrator was very happy when he was living in the imposing mansion. There were meadows, acres of farm, and woodland he could wander in. He could play with the chickens in the chicken run. The gardener and servants were probably his good friends. He enjoyed himself.

Activity- 4

Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements in the given boxes. Give supporting statements for each of your answers :

a. The narrator was the eldest child in the family. [F]

Supporting statement: In 1920, when I was still only three, my mother’s eldest child, my own sister Astri, died from appendicitis.

b. Astri was the favourite child of the narrator’s father. [T]

Supporting statement: Astri was far and away my father’s favourite.

c. The narrator’s father died of appendicitis. [F]

Supporting statement: He was so overwhelmed with grief that when he himself went down with pneumonia a month or so afterward, he did not much care whether he lived or died.

d. After his father’s death, the narrator along with his other family members moved to Llandaff. [T]

Supporting statement: She sold the big house and moved to a smaller one a few miles away in Llandaff.

Activity-5

Answer the following questions :

a. How old was Astri when she died?

Ans- Astri was seven years old when she died of appendicitis.

b. Why was pneumonia a very dangerous disease?

Ans- There was no penicillin or any other magical antibiotic cure for pneumonia at that time. Therefore, pneumonia was a very dangerous disease in those days.

c. What made the narrator’s father reluctant to fight against the disease?

Ans- The narrator’s father loved his daughter Astri very much. After Astri had died he was grief-stricken. He wanted to join her in heaven. Therefore, he gave up the fight against the disease pneumonia.

Activity-6

Fill in the following chart with information from the text :

Cause	Effect
i) One can remember very little about one’s life before the age of seven	The narrator is astonished
ii) The narrator can tell about very few things before the age of eight.	The narrator cannot picture the faces of Mrs Cornfield or Miss Tucker
iii) The journeys made to or from the school were tremendously exciting	The narrator can remember these journeys very clearly.
iv) A motor car on the road was an event then	It was quite safe for tiny children to go tricycling in the centre of the highway.

Activity-7

Answer the following questions :

a. What was the name of the narrator’s first school?

Ans- The name of the narrator’s first school was Elmtree House.

b. Which blurred memory does the narrator have of his early days?

Ans- The narrator sat on the stairs and tried over and over again to tie one of his shoelaces. This is the narrator’s blurred memory of his early days.

c. How did the narrator enjoy his journeys to and from school?

Ans- There were hardly any motorcar in those days. So the narrator enjoyed racing on his tricycle at tremendous speed with his eldest sister in the middle of the highway. The narrator’s journeys to and from school were, therefore, highly exciting.

d. ‘It’s not much, but it’s all there is left’ - Why, according to you, did the narrator make this comment?

Ans- The narrator had very few memories of his early childhood. He regretted this. But he could still recall some special incidents which were the most precious things in his life. Therefore, the narrator made this comment.

The narrator wishes he had more memories of his childhood, but he's grateful for the few special moments he does remember, which are very precious to him.

Or:

The narrator regrets not remembering much of his childhood, but he holds dear the few memories he has, which are very special to him.

Activity-8 (a)

In the following sentences, underline the verb forms which show that the person denoted by the Subject does something. Circle the verb forms which show that something is done to person denoted by the Subject:

i) She sings a song.

ii) A song is sung by her.

iii) He drew a picture.

iv) A picture was drawn by him.

Activity-8(b)

Identify the voice of the following sentences and fill in the table given below :

i) He told a story.

ii) The ball was thrown by the boy.

iii) I read many books.

iv) Football is played by them.

Active voice	Passive voice
He told a story.	The ball was thrown by the boy.
I read many books.	Football is played by them.

Activity-8(c)

Match column A with column B:

A	B
i) Rumita made a paper boat.	c) A paper boat was made by Rumita.
ii) I know the man.	d)The man is known to me.
iii) She cooks food.	a) Food is cooked by her.
iv) We watched a cricket match.	b) A cricket match was watched by us.

Activity-8(d)

Change the voice of the following sentences :

a. Riya sang a song.

Ans- A song was sung by Riya.

b. She knows my brother.

Ans- My brother is known to her.

c. I wrote a letter.

Ans- A letter was written by me.

d. They cleaned the classroom.

Ans- The classroom was cleaned by them.

Activity- 9

Make meaningful sentences with the given pairs of words. Use one pair for one sentence :

a) met, shop

b) remember, days

c) moved, place

d) fight, country

Activity-10(a)

Write an autobiography of a broken bicycle.

I was once a shiny bicycle, loved by a boy who rode me every day. Together, we went on exciting adventures, explored new places, and made unforgettable memories. But as the boy grew up, he forgot about me. I was left alone in the garage, where I slowly became rusty and broken.

Now, my chain is rusty, my tires are flat, and I'm no longer rideable. Yet, I cherish the memories of our joyful rides. Though I'm broken, I hold onto the hope that one day, someone will fix me, and I'll ride again, feeling the wind in my spokes and the sun on my frame.

Activity-10(b)

Suppose recently you had to change your place of residence. Write a page in your diary about the experience of shifting from a familiar neighbourhood to a new place.

24th May

Today was a big day - we moved to a new house! I'm feeling a mix of emotions. I'm excited for a new adventure, but I'm also sad to leave our old neighbourhood behind. I'll miss my friends, the park where we had so much fun, and the familiar streets. Moving was a lot of work. We packed up all our belongings and said goodbye to the only home I have ever known. When we arrived at our new house, I was pleasantly surprised. It's bigger and nicer than our old one, and my room has a huge window with a beautiful view. But everything feels new and unfamiliar. I don't know the streets, the shops, or the people. It's a bit scary and overwhelming. Mom says it's normal to feel this way, and that it'll take time to settle in. She promises we'll make new friends and find new favourite places. I hope she's right!

Tales of Childhood Lesson 10 Question Answer

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