Site icon CBSE Janta

CBSE NCERT Solution for class 8 English Chapter 2 Children at Work

Comprehension Check 1

  1. Why did Velu feel “as if he was still on a moving train” while standing on the platform?
    Answer: Velu felt “as if he was still on a moving train” because he was tired and dizzy from his long journey. His body was still adjusting to the movement, making him feel as though he hadn’t fully stopped.
  2. What made Velu feel miserable?
    Answer: Velu felt miserable because he was hungry, alone, and had nowhere to go. He had run away from home, and the unfamiliar, crowded surroundings made him feel even worse.
  3. (i) Why did Velu travel without a ticket?
    Answer: Velu traveled without a ticket because he had no money. He was desperate to escape his home and didn’t have any other options.(ii) How did he escape the ticket collector’s attention?
    Answer: Velu escaped the ticket collector’s attention by hiding in the crowded, noisy train.
  4. Why had Velu run away from home?
    Answer: Velu ran away from home because his father was a drunkard who spent all the family’s money on alcohol, leaving them without food or basic necessities. Velu wanted to escape this miserable life.
  5. Why did Velu decide to follow the ‘strange’ girl?
    Answer: Velu decided to follow the ‘strange’ girl because he had nowhere else to go. Being new to the city, he felt that she might help him survive.

Comprehension Check 2

  1. Can Velu read Tamil and English? How do you know?
    Answer: Velu can read Tamil but not English. This is clear because he reads the Tamil letters on a signboard but cannot understand any English words.
  2. What does the girl mean by “If you are not careful, you will soon be counting bars there”?
    (i) What is she referring to?
    Answer: She is referring to jail.(ii) What does she mean by saying “If you are not careful…”?
    Answer: She means that Velu needs to be cautious or he might end up in trouble with the police. Later, she warns him again, saying, “You don’t have to do anything. Just don’t get caught, that’s all.”
  3. (i) Where did the girl lead Velu?
    Answer: The girl led Velu to a rubbish bin behind a large building.(ii) What did they get to eat?
    Answer: They found half-eaten bananas and vada, which they ate to satisfy their hunger.
  4. What work did the girl do? (Use a one-word answer.)
    Answer: Ragpicker.

Comprehension Check 3

  1. (i) What material are the ‘strange’ huts made out of?
    Answer: The ‘strange’ huts are made from plastic sheets, cardboard, tin, and other discarded materials.(ii) Why does Velu find them strange?
    Answer: Velu finds them strange because he is used to seeing houses made of bricks and cement in his village, not makeshift shelters built from waste materials.
  2. What sort of things did Jaya and children like her collect, and what did they do with those things?
    Answer: Jaya and children like her collected items like plastic, paper, glass, and other reusable materials from the garbage, which they sold to earn a small income.
  3. Is Velu happy or unhappy to find work? Give a reason for your answer.
    Answer: Velu is unhappy to find work as a ragpicker. He had run away from home hoping for a better life, but the reality of scavenging through trash for survival disappointed him.

Exercise

1. Is Velu a smart boy? Which instances in the text show that he is or isn’t?

Ans: At the age of twelve Velu decided to leave his village because he was irritated by his drunkard father. I believe his decision was not wise enough but he was courageous to take the step. He took a train to Chennai and followed a girl who knew the city well. He knew how to read Tamil. It was difficult for him to adjust to his present conditions at first and he refused to eat the banana from the bin but eventually submitted to his circumstances. He found the place strange and planned to stick to his present job till the time he finds a better one in the city to sustain himself.

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.

Ans: Jaya was a girl of Vedu’s age who lived and sustained herself in the big city without any help. She was a ragpicker and knew her way around the city. She knew the places that were dangerous for them and places where they could find food easily. Velu was an unknown boy she met at the station. Though she didn’t have enough to sustain herself she still helped Velu in the best possible ways. She was funny too. When she dragged him to help him cross the road she said, “What do you think you’re doing? Grazing cows? If you stand around in the middle of the road like that, you’ll be chutney.”

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?

Ans: We throw away things that are not useful for us but those items might help someone to survive and sustain themselves. The vivid picture of the slum sketched in the story proves the same. The huts were basically made out of scrap but were enough to provide shelter. The kids would collect items such as plastic bottles and leftovers and then sell them to earn money. Waste comes disguised in the form of blessings and sustenance for them.

Why Choose CBSEJanta.com?

Download Our App!

For easy access to Class 8 English NCERT solutions, grammar guides, and composition practice, download our app. With CBSEJanta.com, mastering English is straightforward and engaging.

Excel in Class 8 English with CBSEJanta.com! Get FREE NCERT solutions, grammar guides, and composition practice. Visit CBSEJanta.com or download our app now to enhance your English skills!

Exit mobile version