Chapter 3.4 How the First Letter was Written
Chapter 3.4 How the First Letter was Written
Textbook Questions and Answers
Warming Up:
1. List the materials that man used for the following purposes in the different ages:
Question 1.
List the materials that man used for the following purposes in the different ages:
Answer:
2. Write your name in bold capitals.
Question 2.
Write your name in bold capitals.
(a) Now, within 3 minutes try to make as many words as you can using the letters in your name. You cannot use the same letter twice in a word, unless It Is so In your name.
(b) You may use the above Idea to devise a game with your friends.
Answer:
(An example is given below.)
Name: Sandeep Joshi
Words: deep, seep, pane, pain, heap, sheep. etc.
3. List words from your mother tongue or from Hindi which do not have an exact English equivalent. Try to write their meaning in English.
Question 1.
List words from your mother tongue or from Hindi which do not have an exact English equivalent. Try to write their meaning in English.
4. Now, list at least twenty English words which do not have an exact equivalent in your mother tongue.
Question 1.
Now, list at least twenty English words which do not have an exact equivalent in your mother tongue.
5. Browse the internet to find names of people/ places, etc. in any language that is not familiar to you.
Question 1.
Browse the internet to find names of people/ places, etc. in any language that is not familiar to you. Can you pronounce the names correctly? How will you find the correct pronunciation? (An example is given below.)
Answer:
1. Names of people: The name Xi in Chinese is pronounced as ‘she’ and the English name ‘Sean’ is pronounced as ‘Shawn’.
2. Name/es of place/es: The name of a town ‘Muvattupuzhe’ in Kerala is not pronounced the way it is written. The last three letters are pronounced as ‘rh’ with a roll of the tongue. I will get the information from the net or ask people when I want to know the correct pronunciation of names or places.
English Workshop:
1. Read the remaining part of the original story.
2. Make as many 5 – 8 letter words as you can within five minutes from the name:
Question 1.
Make as many 5 – 8 letter words as you can within five minutes from the name: Teshumai Tewindrow: (A few examples have been given. Students can more words)
Answer:
3. How do the following characters in the story live up to their names? Provide points from the story:
Question a.
Tegumai Bopsulai:
Answer:
The meaning of Tegumai is Man-who-does- not-put-his-foot-forward-in-a-hurry. He lived up to his name when he showed patience in mending his spear and did not just rush off home or send Taffy back to get another spear. He also did not ask Taffy too many questions about what she had been doing when he was busy repairing his spear, or about her conversation with the Stranger-man. He was patient and cautious.
Question b.
Taffimai Metallumai:
Answer:
The meaning of Taffimai is Small-person- without-any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked. She lived up to her name in the way in which she ordered the stranger ‘Come here’, stamped her foot and called him silly. She wanted the stranger to do her bidding and she succeeded in it. She pulled off the shark’s tooth from his necklace without his permission. She would not tell her father what she had done and she wanted him to promise to be surprised. This was a silly thing to do but he did it.
Question c.
Teshumai Tewindrow :
Answer:
The meaning of Teshumai is Lady-who-asks- very-many-questions. Though she did not ask many questions, she talked and shouted continuously at the poor stranger. She drew wrong conclusions and she spoke continuously to her friends telling them all that she had understood from Taffy’s drawing.
4. The story is written in an informal, colloquial style – the way it would be told orally. Find and write expressions where the author addresses the audience directly in the story. for example, ‘but we, O Best Beloved, will…….’, ‘Now attend and listen!’
Question 1.
The story is written in an informal, colloquial style – the way it would be told orally. Find and write expressions where the author addresses the audience directly in the story. for example, ‘but we, O Best Beloved, will…….’, ‘Now attend and listen!’
Answer:
Expression: ‘He did this, Best Beloved’.
5. Write the character sketch of the ‘Stranger- man’ using examples from the story to support the following attributes:
Question 1.
Write the character sketch of the ‘Stranger- man’ using examples from the story to support the following attributes:
a. ignorant, innocent and polite
b. calm and cool
c. jumps to wrong conclusions
d. hasty and unwise at times
Answer:
The ‘Stranger-man’ was a very simple and ignorant person. He was so innocent and ignorant that he thought that Tegumai was a great tribal chief merely because he ignored him. He was polite enough to disregard Tegumai’s rudeness in ignoring him. He admired every action of Taffy’s, drawing his own wrong conclusions from them. He did not even object when Taffy pulled the shark’s tooth from his necklace.
He again jumped to wrong conclusions when he saw Taffy’s drawing, and without even waiting to consult Tegumai he rushed off to do Taffy’s bidding. This was very unwise of him, because Taffy’s mother drew her own wrong conclusions from the drawing. He was cool, calm and polite when he met Teshumai, even though he was tired, his legs were scratched with brambles and Teshumai was rude to him.
6. Note the punctuation used in the story. Here, single inverted commas or quotation marks have been used to show conservation. Rewrite the following sentences using double quotation marks:
Question 1.
Note the punctuation used in the story. Here, single inverted commas or quotation marks have been used to show conservation. Rewrite the following sentences using double quotation marks:
1. ‘Here’s a pretty kettle of fish!’ said Tegumai.
2. ‘It will take me half the day to mend this.’
Answer:
1. “Here’s a pretty kettle of fish!” said Tegumai.
2. “It will take me half the day to mend this.”
7. Underline the main clauses in the following sentences:
Question 1.
Underline the main clauses in the following sentences:
(a) And she was Tegumai Bopsulai’s Best Beloved and lier own Mummy’s Best Beloved, and she was not spanked half as much as was good for her, and they were all three very happy.
(b) One-day Tegumai Bopsulai went down through the beaver-swamp to the Wagai river to spear carp-fish for dinner, and Taffy went too.
(c) They were miles and miles from home and Tegumai had forgotten to bring any extra spears.
(d) Just then a Stranger-man came along the river, but he belonged to a far tribe, the Tewaras, and he did not understand one word of Tegumai’s language.
8. Imagine Taffy comes to you for help to write a letter of apology in the modem script we use. She wants to express her regret to the Stranger – man for her mother’s action. Write that letter of apology (informal) on her behalf.
Question 1.
Imagine Taffy comes to you for help to write a letter of apology in the modem script we use. She wants to express her regret to the Stranger – man for her mother’s action. Write that letter of apology (informal) on her behalf.
Answer:
Neolithic Cave
Bopsu Forest
Rassamalai
28th July, 2020
Dear Stranger-man Uncle,
I am Taffy, the girl who gave you the drawing on the birch-bark two days back and sent you to my Mummy with it.
When we reached home that day, Mummy told me j that you had come with the birch-bark. She also told me what she had understood from my drawing, and how she had treated you. I was really horrified.
Stranger-man Uncle, I am really very sorry for what happened to you. I did not know that Mummy would misunderstand my drawing and beat you up. Please i accept my apology. See, I am not spoilt like people say. I am sorry for what happened. I will learn to write j properly so that such things do not happen again.
From a sorry little girl,
Taffy.
9. Imagine the Stranger-man narrates how the Neolithic ladies overpowered him. Write an account of the same, making him the narrator.
Question 1.
Imagine the Stranger-man narrates how the Neolithic ladies overpowered him. Write an account of the same, making him the narrator.
Answer:
I reached the cave and saw the little girl’s mother standing there with some other women. I recognized her immediately, for she looked very much like the little girl. Relieved, I handed over the birch-bark to her. I thought that she would immediately call upon the other members of the tribe to go to the Chiefs help but she did nothing of the sort.
She screamed something to the other ladies, and they immediately pounced on me and flattened me. I was caught completely unawares, and thrown onto the ground. Those heavy and strong ladies sat on my back to prevent me from escaping. The little girl’s mother began shouting and pulling my hair. I wonder why they are doing all this, instead of helping their poor Chief?
10. Making suitable groups, convert the entire episode into a short skit and write it down. Each group leader must discuss it with the others and add a different end to the skit:
Question 1.
Making suitable groups, convert the entire episode into a short skit and write it down. Each group leader must discuss it with the others and add a different end to the skit:
1. Happy ending
2. Sad ending
3. Surprise ending
4. Humorous ending
Answer:
(Tegumai Bopsulai accidentally broke his spear while fishing. He had forgotten to bring any extra spears, and mending the broken spear would take him half a day.)
- Tegumai Bopsulai: Oh, no! It will take me half a day to mend this!
- Taffy: I’ll run back to the cave and ask Mummy to give your big black spear.
-
Tegumai Bopsulai: It’s too far, daughter, and you may fall into the beaver-swamp. I’ll try to mend this.
(Tegumai settles down to mend the spear. A Stranger-man comes along and Taffy begins to talk to him.) - Taffy: Do you know where my Mummy lives? Oh! I see! You want my Mummy’s living address? Well, I can’t write, but I can draw pictures if I have something sharp. Please lend me the shark’s tooth off, your necklace.
(Taffy pulls at the necklace. The Stranger-man was already in awe of Taffy and afraid of her father. He is even more impressed when she pulls at the shark’s tooth and comes to no harm, for the sharks’ tooth was supposed to be a magic one, which would make the person touching it swell up or burst.)
(The beginning lines have been given. Students can complete the skit in the same format in groups, changing the ending.)
11. Write a short passage/essay on ‘Women Power’ in the Neolithic, Medieval and Present times.
Question 1.
Write a short passage/essay on ‘Women Power’ in the Neolithic, Medieval and Present times.
Answer:
‘Women Power’ – in Neolithic, Medieval and Present times
The position of women in society and the power they wield has changed through the ages. During the Neolithic Age, women spent their days gathering berries, roots, nuts, etc. They also gathered materials to make pots and weapons. Women stayed on the home front and looked after the children, but were thought to be equal to men. The men hunted and brought home the food. Later on, with the start of agriculture, women also began to farm and weave cloth.
Medieval society, however, was patriarchal, Women were to fall under male control, and regardless of class women had to submit to the male head of her household. Rural women had many domestic responsibilities, like caring for the children, preparing food and tending livestock. They also had to lend a hand in other household activities like grinding, brewing and spinning. During harvest time,, women often helped their husbands in the field to bring in the crops. However, slowly women were increasingly relegated to low-paying tasks like spinning. They suffered a lot of criticism, lacked freedom and stood nowhere next to men.
Today, around the world, women’s status in each society and culture varies. In some societies, women’s status improved gradually, while in other, it has declined or remained unchanged. This is due to the major changes that have taken place in areas such as legislations, education, employment, awareness of their rights on the part of women, etc. In some societies, women have emerged as major political leaders, statesmen, doctors, lawyers, etc. In some places, she is still subjected to inhuman cruelty, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, etc.
12. Read: ‘Just so stories’ and ‘The Jungle Book’ by Rudyard Kipling.
Additional Important Questions and Answers
Simple Factual Activity.
Question 1.
Complete the following statements: (The answers are given directly and underlined.)
Answer:
- One-day Tegumai Bopsulai went down through the beaver swamp to the Wagai river.
- Tegumai’s spear was made of wood with shark’s teeth at the end.
- He accidentally broke it clean across.
- Tegumai had forgotten to bring any extra spears.
Complex Factual Activity.
Question 1.
Who is the author telling the story to?
Answer:
The author is telling us the story.
Question 2.
Write three things about Tegumal.
Answer:
Tegumal wore very few clothes. He couldn’t read and write and he lived a happy life, except when he was hungry.
Activities based on Vocabulary:
Question 1.
Give one word for the meaning of each of the following names:
Answer:
- Tegurnal Bopsulal
- Teshumai Tewindrow
- Taffimal Metallumai
OR
Question 2.
Complete the following table.
Answer:
Personal Response.
Question 1.
Do you like reading books or seeing films about primitive/prehistoric/Neolithic human beings and how they evolved?
Answer:
No, I don’t. I am very much a modern person and I wish to know how to do better in today’s environment. I like modern technology and the comforts it offers. Though I do like to understand evolution, I am not very interested in it.
Simple Factual Activity.
Question 1.
Complete the diagram: (The answers are given directly and underlined.)
Answer:
Complex Factual Activity.
Question 1.
Why had Taffy stamped her foot?
Answer:
Taffy stamped her foot because she saw a shoal of very big carp going up the river just when her father couldn’t use his spear.
Activity-based on Vocabulary.
Question 1.
Give the meanings of the following expressions and use them in sentences of your own :
1. a pretty kettle of fish
2. make the best of a bad job
Answer:
1. a pretty kettle of fish : a messy situation.
Sentence: “What a pretty kettle of fish!” exclaimed the old man when he saw the ruined house.
2. make the best of a bad job: do something as well as one can under difficult circumstances.
Sentence: When he found that he had broken the switch while repairing it, he tried to make the best of a bad job by taping it together.
Personal Response.
Question 1.
What is your opinion of Taffy?
Answer:
Taffy was smart and wanted to help her father. She felt no shyness or fear when she saw the stranger and did not think twice before speaking to him. She was upset when she saw that her father was losing a big catch because his spear had broken at the wrong time.
Simple Factual Activity.
Question 1.
Write whether the following statements are True or False:
Answer:
- Tegumai did not speak to the stranger because he was busy – True
- The stranger was impressed with Taffy – True
- Taffy wanted the stranger to help her father repair his spear – False
- Taffy could read and write well – False
Complex Factual Activity.
Question 1.
What did the stranger make of Taffy’s stamping her foot?
Answer:
The stranger thought that Taffy was a very wonderful child because she stamped her foot at him and made faces.
Question 2.
Why did the stranger offer Taffy a big piece of birch-bark?
Answer:
The stranger offered Taffy a big piece of birch-bark to show that his heart was as white as the birch-bark and that he meant no harm.
Activities based on Vocabulary.
Question 1.
Write the antonyms of the following from the passage :
- idle
- fake
- rudely
- humble
Answer:
- idle × busy
- fake × genuine
- rudely × politely
- humble × haughty.
Activities based on Contextual Grammar.
Question 1.
Your legs are longer than mine. (Rewrite using the positive degree of comparison.)
Answer:
My legs are not as long as yours.
Question 2.
“Don’t bother grown-ups,” said Tegumai to Taffy. (Rewrite in reported speech.)
Answer:
Tegumai ordered Taffy not to bother grown-ups.
Personal Response.
Question 1.
What do you think about the stranger?
Answer:
The stranger seems to be very simple and foolish. He cannot understand Taffy’s body language and the non-verbal communication. He interprets Tegumai’s behavior too in the wrong manner. He seems to be in awe of Tegumai and Taffy, thinking that Tegumai is a haughty chief.
Simple Factual Activity.
Question 1.
Name the following: (The answers are given directly and underlined.)
Answer:
- The necklace was made of this: bead and seed and shark-tooth.
- This was what Taffy drew first: her father fishing.
- She wanted the stranger to fetch this: the black-handled spear.
- This is what Taffy drew with: the shark’s tooth.
Complex Factual Activities.
Question 1.
Why did the stranger’s admiration for Taffy grow?
Answer:
The shark’s tooth on the stranger’s necklace was a magic shark’s tooth. He had been told that if anybody touched it without his permission, that person would immediately swell up and burst. Taffy had touched it without his permission, but she hadn’t swollen up or burst. This made the stranger’s admiration for Taffy grow.
Question 2.
Is Taffy’s drawing realistic? In how many ways does it fail to show the real picture?
Answer:
Taffy’s drawing is not at all realistic. It does not show the true picture of Tegumai. The black-handled spear, which Taffy wanted the stranger to fetch, looked as if it was sticking in Tegumai’s back. Her hair was standing up in the picture, which it didn’t in real life. The stranger, who was nice, was not depicted as being ‘pretty’.
Activity-based on Vocabulary.
Question 1.
Match the adjectives in Column A with the nouns in Column B:
Answer:
Answer:
- wonderful – child
- magic – tooth
- beautiful – pictures
- black-handled – spear.
Activities based on Contextual Grammar.
Question 1.
1.The Stranger-man didn’t say anything.
2. You mustn’t joggle.
Answer:
1. The Stranger-man remained silent.
2. You must refrain from joggling.
Personal Response.
Question 1.
Who does the author refer to when he says ‘some people’?
Answer:
When he says ‘some people’ he means the city dwellers of the modern age. The author has created a humorous mixture of the past and the present.
Simple Factual Activity.
Question 1.
Complete the flow-chart: (The answers are given directly and underlined.)
Answer:
Complex Factual Activity.
Question 1.
Is Taffy’s drawing realistic? In how many ways does it fail to show the real picture?
Answer:
Taffy’s drawing is not realistic. She had put the spear in the stranger’s hands, when he did not have any spear. The beavers did not look like beavers and only the heads could be seen. The cave looked as high as the hills, which it was not. The spear was actually inside the cave but she had drawn it outside the cave.
Activities based on Vocabulary.
Question 1.
Write:
1. ‘fended’ and
2. ‘splain’ with their proper spellings.
Answer:
1. offended
2. explain.
Question 2.
Pick out four adverbs from the passage.
Answer:
very, hard, scratchily, really, quite, inside, etc.
Activities based on Contextual Grammar.
Question 1.
Rewrite the sentences correctly:
1. She is the most beautifullest Mummy there ever was.
2. She’ll be pleased of me.
Answer:
1. She is the most beautiful Mummy there ever was.
2. She’ll be pleased with me.
Do as directed.
Question 1.
The cave isn’t as high as the hills. (Rewrite using the comparative form of the adjective.)
Answer:
The hills are higher than the cave.
Question 2.
I haven’t put in all the beavers. (Rewrite beginning ‘All the beavers …
Answer:
All the beavers haven’t been put in (by me).
Personal Response.
Question 1.
Do you think that giving clear directions to someone, narrating an incident clearly, etc. is important?
Answer:
Yes, it is. If your directions are not clear, people may land up at a different place, or do something completely different from what you intend. If a story or an incident is not narrated logically, people may get confused or bored.
Simple Factual Activity.
Question 1.
Complete the following statements: (The answers are given directly and underlined.)
Answer:
- The Stranger-man looked at the picture and nodded very hard.
- The Stranger-man raced off into the bushes like the wind.
- Tegumai had mended his spear and was carefully waving it to and fro.
- “It’s a little berangement of my own, Daddy dear,” said Taffy.
Complex Factual Activities.
Question 1.
How did the stranger interpret Taffy’s drawing?
Answer:
When the stranger looked at Taffy’s drawing, he thought that the beavers she had drawn were the Chiefs enemies who were coming up from all sides with spears. According to the stranger, the Chief was afraid that his enemies were hiding in the bushes and would see him. Therefore he had turned his back on the stranger and let Taffy draw a picture showing his difficulties. This was the stranger’s interpretation of Taffy’s drawing.
Question 2.
What mistaken notions made the stranger race off like the wind?
Answer:
After looking at the picture, the stranger thought that Tegumai would be slain by his enemies who were coming up from all sides with spears. Hence he raced off to get help for him from his tribe.
Activities based on Vocabulary.
Question 1.
Write the noun forms of:
1. wise
2. pleased
Answer:
1. wise – wisdom
2. pleased – pleasure.
Question 2.
Write the adjective forms of:
1. feared
2. picture
Answer:
1. feared – fearful/fearless/feared
2. picture – picturesque/pictorial.
Activities based on Contextual Grammar.
Question 1.
Pick out the adjectives in the following sentences:
1. He let the wise and wonderful child draw the terrible picture.
2. Now I see why the great Chief pretended not to notice me!
Answer:
1. wise, wonderful, terrible
2. great
Question 2.
Pick out the adverbs in the following sentences:
1. The stranger nodded very hard.
2. He was carefully waving his spear.
Answer:
1. very, hard
2. carefully
Personal Response.
Question 1.
Is it possible to promise that one will be surprised?
Answer:
No, it is not possible. Surprise is a spontaneous and not a pre-planned emotion. If one promises such a thing then one is prepared for it and will not be surprised. This is a promise one can make to a small child.
Simple Factual Activity.
Question 1.
Number the sentences according to their occurrence in the story: (The answers are given directly.)
Answer:
- The Neolithic ladies sat on the stranger. [3]
- The stranger ran for some miles. [1]
- Teshumai pulled his hair. [4]
- He found Teshumai at the door of her cave. [2]
Complex Factual Activities.
Question 1.
What was the stranger’s impression of Teshumai Tewindrow?
Answer:
The stranger thought that Taffy was very like Teshumai Tewindrow, especially about the upper part of the face and the eyes.
Question 2.
What terrible message had Taffy’s drawing conveyed to her Mummy?
Answer:
Taffy’s drawing conveyed the message that the stranger had stuck Tegumai full of spears and frightened Taffy so that her hair stood all on end. Teshumai thought that Tegumai’s arm was broken and he had a spear sticking into his back. She also thought that there was a man with a spear ready to throw, another man throwing a spear from a cave and a whole lot of people coming up behind Tegumai.
Activities based on Vocabulary.
Question 1.
Point out two humorous expressions from ‘all the Neolithic ladies sitting patiently on the Stranger-man’.
Answer:
Two humorous expressions:
- all the Neolithic ladies
- sitting patiently.
Question 2.
Pick out expressions that show you that this story took place in ancient times.
Answer:
Expressions:
- Neolithic ladies
- Primitive lunch.
Activity-based on Contextual Grammar.
Question 1.
Pick out the verbs in the following sentences and state their tense :
1. He had run hard so that he panted.
2. He has stuck my Tegumai all full of spears.
Answer:
1. had run – past perfect tense panted- simple past tense.
2. has stuck – present perfect tense.
Personal Response.
Question 1.
Did you enjoy reading the story? Write down one message it conveyed to you.
Answer:
Yes, I enjoyed the story. The message it conveyed was that if one does not communicate properly and clearly, it can lead to a lot of misunderstandings.
Simple Activities.
Question 1.
Write two compound words from the lesson.
Answer:
fireplace, drawing-room
Question 2.
Make a meaningful sentence using the phrase ‘to and fro’
Answer:
The old woman ran to and fro in search of her son.
Question 3.
Spot the error and correct the sentence: He done this to show that his heart was as white as the birch-bark.
Answer:
He did this to show that his heart was as white as the birch-bark.
Question 4.
Pick out a present participle/gerund/ infinitive from this sentence and use it in your own sentence: That’s the spear I want you to fetch.
Answer:
to fetch-infinitive.
Sentence: The poor little girl was told to fetch water from the well.
Question 5.
Identify the type of sentence:
Please lend me the shark’s tooth off your necklace.
Answer:
Imperative sentence
Question 6.
Form the present and past participle from a verb in the lesson in which the last letter is doubled.
Answer:
slip – slipped, slipping
Question 7.
Punctuate the following:
I cant make you pretty in the picture so you musnt be offended
Answer:
I can’t make you pretty in the picture, so you musn’t be offended.
Medium-Level Activities.
Question 1.
Use the word ‘hair’ and its homophone in two separate sentences :
Answer:
a. The hare rushed away when it saw the jackal.
b. The actress coloured her hair red.
Question 2.
“Don’t bother me,” said Tegumai to Taffy. (Rewrite using indirect speech.)
Answer:
Tegumai instructed Taffy not to bother him.
Question 3.
Teshumai was talking to some other ladies. (Use the present continuous tense of the verb.)
Answer:
Teshumai is talking to some other ladies.
Question 4.
The birch-bark was handed to Teshumai by the Stranger-Man. (Change the voice, beginning ‘The Stranger-Man’.)
Answer:
The Stranger-man handed the birch-bark to Teshumai.
Challenging Activities.
Question 1.
He stood on the bank and smiled at Taffy. (Rewrite as a simple sentence.)
Answer:
Standing on the bank, he smiled at Taffy.
Question 2.
She is the most beautiful mother. (Make it comparative.)
Answer:
She is more beautiful than all other mothers.