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NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter 2 Children at Work
Children at Work NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter 2
Children at Work NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers
Children at Work Comprehension check
Velu stood on the platform but he felt "as if he was still on a moving train Why?
Velu's legs were wobbly because of walking from his village to Kanur. Also, he was in a daze to see so many people at the station. Everyone was moving past him hurriedly, and he did not feel at ease. He was trying to take it all in, and was also quite tired from his journey. He must also have been very nervous as he was just eleven years old and had run away from his home.
What made him feel miserable?
Velu was exhausted and had not eaten much since the past two days. With nowhere to go in a completely new place, he felt miserable. At the same time, the noise around him made him feel even more anxious and unhappy.
i. Velu travelled without a ticket. Why?
Velu had run away from home, and had no money with him. So, he travelled without a ticket.
ii. How did he escape the ticket collector's attention?
Velu slept in the unreserved compartment and fortunately, the ticket collector never came to check the tickets there. This is how Velu escaped the ticket collector's attention.
Why had Velu run away from home?
Velu ran away from home to escape from his father who had a habit of beating him up. His father would snatch away all the money Velu and his sisters earned and spend it on drinks. Velu did not like this, and decided to run away.
Why did he decide to follow the 'strange 'girl?
He decided to follow the 'strange' girl because he was hungry and the girl had told him that she could arrange for some food for him. Besides, he had no idea what else to do than follow her.
Can Velu read Tamil and English? How do you know?
Velu can read Tamil, but not English. We know this because he is able to read the sign 'Central Jail' in Tamil, but is not able to read the huge signboards in the city that are in English.
If you are not careful, you will soon be counting bars there, " the girl said.
i. What is she referring to?
She is referring to the bars of a prison cell in the Central Jail.
ii. What does she mean when she says "If you are not careful… "? (She says something a little later which means the same. Find that sentence.)
She means that Velu will have to go unnoticed and not attract any attention towards him. Another sentence that has a similar meaning is: "Just don't get caught, that's all."
i. Where did the girl lead Velu to?
The girl led Velu in front of a big building where a wedding was taking place.
ii. What did they get to eat?
Velu got to eat a vada and a squashy banana, while Jaya ate a banana.
What work did she do? Think of a one-word answer.
She collected plastic bottles and cups. She was a rag picker.
i. What material are the 'strange ' huts made out of?
The 'strange' huts are made out of all sorts of things—metal sheets, tyres, bricks, wood and plastic. They stood crookedly and looked as if they would fall any moment.
ii. Why does Velu find them strange?
Velu found them strange because in his village, the huts were made of mud and palm leaves.
What sort of things did Jaya and children like her collect and what did they do with those things?
Jaya and children like her collected rubbish such as paper, plastic and glass from the streets. They sold it to a man called Jam Bazaar Jaggu, who sold it to the factories.
Is Velu happy or unhappy to find work? Give a reason for your answer.
Velu was unhappy to find work because he had never done this kind of work. In his village, the only work he had ever done was on the landowner's farm, weeding and taking cows out to graze.He thought that he hadn't run away and come to this new place to dig through garbage bins. He stood lost in thought when Jaya poked him with a stick. It was with a sigh that he accepted this job. He then decided that he will do this job till he found a new one.
Children at Work Exercise Questions and Answers
Discuss the following questions in small groups. Write their answers afterwards.
Encourage the students to discuss the given questions in groups.
Is Velu a smart boy? Which instances in the text show that he is or isn't?
Yes, Velu is a smart boy. He takes a stand against his father and runs away from home instead of getting beaten every day. He travels in a train without a ticket and knows that the ticket collector would not check tickets in the unreserved compartment. He travels from his village to a city for two days, and is able to reach safely. He also carries some essentials with him. When he reaches the new place, he manages to befriend Jaya, who not only helps him find food but also a job. Instead of going back to his father, he decides to become a rag picker, and keep doing this till he finds a new job.
Do you think Jaya is brave and sensitive child with a sense of humour? Find instances of her courage, kind nature and humour in the text?
Yes, Jaya is a brave and sensitive child. She finds a complete stranger on the platform, and helps him find a steady ground in a new city. She is a typical city child who knows how the world works. She guesses that Velu has run away from home, and helps him find food. She does not give him any false hopes that food will be served on a platter. She makes him walk
for an hour and then leads him to a wedding venue. When Velu asks her if this is where they will get food, she jokingly shakes her thumb under her nose to tell him not to hope for something like that.
She knows the city in and out. She is brave enough to navigate a city that has enough traffic to scare any other child. She shares her experience of living in the city with Velu. She tells him that he needs to be very careful if he does not want to end up counting bars in a prison cell. She is kind enough to help Velu find a job in the city and does everything she can to help him settle down on his own.
What one throws away as waste may be valuable to others. Do you find this sentence meaningful in the context of this story? How?
Yes, it is true that what one throws away as waste may be valuable to others. The story is about a child who works as a rag picker. She goes around the city collecting waste such as plastic cups, glass and paper. She makes her living in this way. The story takes us through a day in the life of a rag picker, showing us that the waste we throw away helps sustain many.
For instance, Jaya goes to a wedding venue and looks for food in the dustbin. She finds a banana there and eats it. In our country, there is no proper way to dispose of huge amounts of food waste. Unfortunately, the truth is that many people do not think twice before wasting food, especially during weddings. The same can be used to feed the poor. This is the point that the story is trying to make.
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