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Chapter 3.3 The Last Leaf

Textbook Questions and Answers

3.3 The Last Leaf Warming Up:

1. Suppose you suffer from a long – term illness (one or two weeks), what should you do and what should you avoid? Fill up the table of Do’s and Don’ts:

Answer:

2. You already know that Homophones are pairs of words that sound the same but differ in spellings and meanings:
For example sum and some
There are some words that even have the same spelling and pronunciations, but have different meanings in different situations or contexts.
For example: bat (a bird) and ki (sports / games equipment)
Such words are called Homographs.
Make pairs of sentences of your own to point out the different meanings of the following Homographs

Question 1.
fine:
Answer:
(i) The new driver had to pay a fine for breaking the signal.
(ii) We decided to go for a picnic only if the day was fine.

Question 2.
wave:
Answer:
(i) Ronny waved to his father before going for the picnic.
(ii) The waves in the sea before the tsunami were huge.

Question 3.
bear:
Answer:
(i) The grizzly bear hibernates during winter.
(ii) Simi could not bear to see the two cats fighting.

Question 4.
rose:
Answer:
(i) The rose is a beautiful flower.
(ii) The teacher rose from her chair to explain the sum.

Question 5.
lead:
Answer:
(i) Lead is used in pencils.
(ii) A good king leads his country to prosperity.

Question 6.
match:
Answer:
(i) Though we lost the match, we were not upset,
(ii) “Buy the shoes only if they match the dress,” said mother to Madhu.

Question 7.
second:
Answer:
(i) Every second counts when we are writing an examination paper.
(ii) “Take the second turn on the right,” directed the policeman.

Question 8.
object:
Answer:
(i) The lawyer objected to what the witness said.
(ii) The objects on the table were taken away before the girl could see them properly.

1. Read the story and choose the appropriate meanings:

Question a.
Struggling artists:
(i) artists fighting with one another
(ii) artists trying hard to earn a living
(iii) artists painting war scenes
Answer:
(ii) artists trying hard to earn a living

Question b.
Skeleton branches:
(i) bones branching out from joints
(ii) leafy branches
(iii) bare branches
Answer:
(iii) bare branches

Question c.
Wielded the brush:
(i) painted skillfully
(ii) broke the brush
(iii) joined the broken brush
Answer:
(i) painted skillfully

Question d.
Palette:
(i) the tip of the brush
(ii) a board used by artists to mix colours
(iii) a fancy dinner plate
Answer:
(ii) a board used by artists to mix colours

Question e.
Masterpiece:
(i) a master who promotes peace
(ii) the very first creation of on artist
(iii) an exceptionally beautiful work of art
Answer:
(iii) an exceptionally beautiful work of art

2. Make pairs of sentences to show the difference between the meanings of the following Homographs from the story:

Question a.
interest
Answer:
(i) The bank promised a high rate of interest to its customers.
(ii) The audience soon lost interest in the boring match.

Question b.
well
Answer:
(i) The well was so deep that one could not see the water.
(ii) The Principal sent Sumeet home as he was not feeling well.

Question c.
left
Answer:
(i) When Roma turned to her left, she saw a long line of taxis.
(ii) The Mayor had left before it begem to rain.

Question d.
just
Answer:
(i) The children had just left when the magician arrived.
(ii) It is the duty of a judge to be just.

Question e.
mind
Answer:
(i) “Mind your language!” said the man to the rude young boy angrily.
(ii) We should try not to have any negative thoughts in our mind.

3. State the facts about the story:

Main characters:
Problem:
Attempts made to solve it:
Climax / Turning point:
Problem solved:
End:
Answer:
Main characters: Sue, Johnsy, the doctor and Behrman
Problem: Johnsy’s negative attitude, her lack of will to live and the fancy that she would die when the last leaf fell from the ivy vine.
Attempts made to solve it: The doctor informed Sue that Johnsy would recover only if she had the wish to live. Sue looked after her well and tried to make her think positively. Finally, Behrman painted a leaf on the wall so that the last leaf would never fall, and Johnsy would live.
Climax/Tuming point:
(i) When Johnsy sees the last leaf still clinging to the vine, and realizes that she has been given a message that she was wicked to want to die.
(ii) The sweeper finding Behrman in very wet clothes and shoes, with scattered brushes and a palette with yellow and green colors mixed on it.
Problem solved: Johnsy realizes her mistake and begins to look forward to life again.
End: Though Johnsy lives, Behrman, who painted the last leaf, contracts pneumonia due to exposure to rain and snow. He dies due to his efforts. He dies so that Johnsy lives.

4. Say whether the following statements are right or wrong:

Question a.
Sue and Johnsy were very close friends.
Answer:
Right

Question b.
Sue was a rich girl.
Answer:
Wrong

Question c.
Johnsy was hopeful that she will live.
Answer:
Wrong

Question d.
Behrman was a hard-hearted person.
Answer:
Wrong

Question e.
The last leaf fell off during the rain.
Answer:
Right

Question f.
Johnsy realized that her thinking was wrong.
Answer:
Right

Question g.
Behrman did not know anything about the last leaf on the ivy.
Answer:
Wrong

5. Correct the following statements:

Question a.
Sue and Johnsy were good neighbours.
Answer:
Sue and Johnsy were very good friends.

Question b.
Johnsy was eager to recover from her illness.
Answer:
Johnsy had made up her mind that she was not going to recover.

Question c.
Sue ignored Johnsy completely.
Answer:
Sue looked after Johnsy well.

Question d.
Behrman was a very heartless person.
Answer:
Behrman was a very kind-hearted person.

Question e.
The real ivy leaf did not fall off at all.
Answer:
The real ivy leaf fell off the night it rained and snowed.

Question f.
The last leaf was a real leaf that survived.
Answer:
The last leaf was a leaf painted on the wall by Behrman.

6. Read the descriptions of the following from the story and describe any one of them using your own words:

Question 1.
The ivy vine
Answer:
Outside the window there was an old ivy vine, gnarled and decayed at the roots. It had climbed half way up the brick wall. It had lost most of its leaves due to the cold autumn. Only a few bare branches were left, clinging to the bricks.

Question 2.
Behrman
Answer:
Behrman was a struggling painter who lived on the ground floor of the building where Sue and Johnsy lived. He was a failure in art, for though he had been painting for forty years, he had not made any money. He always dreamt about painting a masterpiece, and often spoke about it, but had never got round to doing it. He served as a model for the young artists in the colony, who could not afford other models.

He was shocked when he heard about Johnsy’s fancy and thought that the place was not good for her. He was a generous, compassionate and kind- hearted man. Even though he was old, he braved the wind, rain and snow to go out and paint the last leaf on the wall. He died in order that Johnsy could live.

Question 3.
The last leaf that Johnsy saw
Answer:
The last leaf that Johnsy saw was not a real leaf but a leaf painted on the wall by Behrman. It was dark green near its stem, but its edges were tinted with yellow. It hung from a branch some twenty feet above the ground. Naturally it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew. It was Behrman’s masterpiece and had been painted the night when the real last leaf had fallen.

7. You have learnt that a Clause is a group of words that has a Subject and a Verb, and is a part of a larger sentence:
In the sentence, ‘We returned home, when school was over’ there are two clauses.
(i) We returned home and
(ii) When school was over’.
The first one makes complete sense, so it is called Main I Principal Clause. The second one is not complete by itself. It depends on the Main Clause to convey proper sense. So it is called Dependant or Subordinate Clause. ‘When’ is the joining word, and it is called o Subordinator.

In the following sentences, point out the Main Clause and Subordinate Clause. Encircle the Subordinator.

Question a.
There was a colony, where many struggling artists lived.
Answer:
Main Clause: There was a colony
Subordinate Clause: where many struggling artists lived
Subordlnator: where

Question b.
Though Sue looked after her well, Johnsy showed no signs of improvement.
Answer:
Main Clause: Johnsy showed no signs of improvement
Subordinate Clause: Though Sue looked after her very well
Subordlnator: Though

Question c.
Sue thought that she had fallen asleep.
Answer:
Main Clause: Sue thought
Subordinate Clause: that she had fallen asleep
Subordinator: that

Question d.
Old Behrman was a painter, who lived on the ground floor.
Answer:
Main Clause: Old Behrman was a painter
Subordinate Clause: who lived on the ground floor
Subordlnator: who

Question e.
Johnsy was sleeping when the two went upstairs.
Answer:
Main Clause: Johnsy was sleeping
Subordinate Clause: when the two went upstairs
Subordlnator: when

Question f.
I want to see the last one before it falls.
Answer:
Main Clause: I want to see the last one
Subordinate Clause: before It falls
Subordlnator: before

8. Compose an imaginary dialogue between Sue and Johns, when I realise what Behrman had done for Johnsy:
Answer:
Johnsy: Sue, did you know that Mr. Behrman had painted that last leaf?
Sue: No, I knew it just now, too.
Johnsy: Sue, that means that he got wet that night painting the last leaf!
Sue: And got pneumonia after that!
Johnsy: Yes, because of my stupid fancy that I would die when the last leaf fell.
Sue: It certainly was a stupid idea.
Johnsy: I feel so guilty now! Sue, it is as if …. as if …. he died for me!
Sue: Yes, so that you may live.
Johnsy: Oh, what a wonderful, compassionate man! To go out in that cold, wintry, snowy night just to paint that leaf!
Sue: And develop pneumonia ….
Johnsy: What can I do now? How can I ever thank him?
Sue: I know what you can do!
Johnsy: What? What?
Sue: Paint your masterpiece of the Bay of Naples and dedicate it to him.
Johnsy: Yes, I think that’s a good idea.Yes, I’ll do that. Thanks, Sue.

Additional Important Questions and Answers

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1.
What did the doctor tell Sue about Johnsy?
Answer:
The doctor told Sue that Johnsy had one chance in ten. That chance was for Johnsy to want to live, and Johnsy had made up her mind that she was not going to get well. He also told Sue that medicines alone would not help if the patient did not want to live.

Question 2.
Describe the ivy vine outside the window.
Answer:
Outside the window, there was an old ivy vine, gnarled and decayed at the roots. It had climbed half way up the brick wall. It had lost most of its leaves due to the cold autumn. Only a few bare branches were left, clinging to the bricks.

Question 3.
Explain the false belief that Johnsy had about the ivy vine.
Answer:
Johnsy felt that when the last leaf fell off from the ivy vine, she too would die.

Question 4.
Who was Behrman? Explain why Sue called Him to their flat.
Answer:
Behrman was a struggling painter who lived on the ground floor of the building where Sue and Johnsy lived. He served as a model for the young artists in the colony. Sue called him to their flat to act as a model for the old man that she was drawing.

Question 5.
What happened that night and what did the two friends see when the window was open?
Answer:
That night it rained and snowed. A fierce wind blew. When the window was open, the two friends saw one ivy leaf still clinging to the vine. It was dark green near the stem, but its edges were tinted with yellow. It hung from a branch some twenty feet above the ground.

Question 6.
What did Johnsy declare when she saw the last ivy leaf?
Answer:
When Johnsy saw the last ivy leaf, she declared that it would fall that day and she would die at the same time.

Question 7.
What change came over Johnsy the next day? Why?
Answer:
Johnsy now felt that she had been wicked earlier and it was a sin to want to die. She wanted to sit up in bed and was ready to have broth and milk. She looked forward to the future and hoped to paint the Bay of Naples some day. It was the sight of the last leaf staying on the vine that was the reason for her change.

Question 8.
Explain what happened to Mr. Behrman.
Answer:
Mr. Behrman had gone out in the rain and snow to paint the last leaf on the wall. He had got thoroughly wet and became ill with pneumonia. He died in a hospital two days later.

Question 9.
Who had saved Johnsy’s life and how?
Answer:
Mr. Behrman had saved Johnsy’s life. He had realized that Johnsy had a fancy that she would die after the last leaf; fell. He wanted to make certain that the last J leaf never fell, and hence he painted a false leaf on the wall. The sight of the persistent leaf, which Johnsy thought was real, made her come to her senses and want to live.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
What type of attitude should a person have when he/she is ill?
Answer:
When a person is ill, he/she should have a positive attitude. He/She should have cheerful thoughts and courage and try to keep the mind occupied. Only then will medication help.

Question 2.
Do you think that Johnsy was talking nonsense? Or did she have some forewarning that she would die?
Answer:
I think that Johnsy was talking nonsense. How can the number of leaves on an ivy vine indicate when she was going to die? This is just having negative thoughts when the mind is idle and frightened.

Write who said the given words and to whom:

Question 1.

Answer:

Write the words given below in the proper columns:

Question 1.
idiotic, fancy, foolish, weak, place, away, upstairs, work, rain, continuously,closed, window, fierce, bravely, branch,surely
Answer:

Do as directed:

Pick out two words from the lesson whose first letter is silent.
Answer:
pneumonia, gnarled.

Question 2.
Use the following phrase in your own sentence : above the ground
Answer:
During monsoon, the clouds are just a few feet above the ground in Ooty.

Question 3.
Add two letters before the given word to form three separate words:
own
Answer:
brown, crown, drown

Question 4.
Find out four hidden words from the given word:
twilight (Each word should have at least 3 letters.)
Answer:
twilight: light, tight, wilt, tilt

Question 5.
Use the following word and its homophone in two separate sentences: earn
Answer:
(i) It is difficult to earn a living if you are illiterate.
(ii) I placed the flowers in an urn and poured water into it.

Question 6.
Pick out the main clause and subordinate clause from the following sentence:
Medicines alone did not help if the patient did not wish to live.
Answer:
Medicines alone did not help- the main clause if the patient did not wish to live-subordinate clause.

Question 7.
Rewrite in indirect speech :
“Open the window; I want to see,” she
ordered. Sue obeyed.
Answer:
She ordered Sue to open the window as she wanted to see. Sue obeyed.

Question 8.
Pick out the non-finite verb and state what it is:
He always talked of his coming masterpiece.
Answer:
coming – present participle

Question 9.
Rewrite as an affirmative sentence:
In those days, it was not easy to cure pneumonia patients.
Answer:
In those days, it was difficult to cure pneumonia patients.

Question 10.
Rewrite using the positive form of the adjective:
They are falling faster now.
Answer:
They were not falling as fast as before.