I
Arrange the events of the poem in the correct order of occurrence. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.
Question 5
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The boy returned to his friends, feeling proud of what he had done.
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The old woman stood alone at the crossing, hesitant to move.
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A group of schoolboys passed by, playing, and laughing.
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The boy offered to help the old woman cross the street.
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The woman prayed for the boy who helped her.
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The children hurried past the old woman without offering help.
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The woman placed her hand on the boy’s arm, and he guided her safely across the street.
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The boy thought about his own mother and hoped someone would help her one day.
How to answer:
Follow the poem as a story: woman waiting → boys arrive → most pass → one helps → he explains why → woman prays.
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Event as given
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Correct order
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1. The boy returned to his friends, feeling proud of what he had done.
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6
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2. The old woman stood alone at the crossing, hesitant to move.
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1
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3. A group of schoolboys passed by, playing, and laughing.
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2
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4. The boy offered to help the old woman cross the street.
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4
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5. The woman prayed for the boy who helped her.
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8
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6. The children hurried past the old woman without offering help.
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3
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7. The woman placed her hand on the boy’s arm, and he guided her safely across the street.
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5
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8. The boy thought about his own mother and hoped someone would help her one day.
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7
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Sequence:
2 → 3 → 6 → 4 → 7 → 1 → 8 → 5
Poem ka sahi order hai: pehle woman akeli crossing par khadi hoti hai hesitant hokar, phir boys hasi-mazak karte hue nikal jaate hain bina help kiye. Fir woh boy aage aakar help offer karta hai aur usko safely street cross karata hai. Uske baad woh apni mother ke baare mein sochta hai, proud feel karta hai apne friends ke paas jaake, aur last mein woman uske liye dua deti hai.
II
Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct answer from the options given in the brackets.
Question 6
1. The central theme of the poem is _____________. (kindness and empathy/adventure and courage)
How to answer:
Choose the option that matches the poem’s form or central idea.
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Completed sentence:
The central theme of the poem is
kindness and empathy
.
Reason:
The poem centres on noticing another person’s need and helping with compassion.
Poem ka central theme hai kindness and empathy, kyunki poem kisi doosre insaan ki need ko notice karke compassion se help karne ke baare mein hai.
Question 7
2. The tone of the poem is _____________. (humorous and playful/sympathetic and hopeful)
How to answer:
Choose the option that matches the poem’s form or central idea.
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Completed sentence:
The tone of the poem is
sympathetic and hopeful
.
Reason:
The poet first shows concern for the old woman and later presents the boy’s kindness positively.
Poem ka tone hai sympathetic and hopeful — pehle poet woman ke liye concern dikhata hai, fir boy ki kindness ko positive tarike se present karta hai.
Question 8
3. The poem is written in couplets with _____________ lines in each stanza. (four/two)
How to answer:
Choose the option that matches the poem’s form or central idea.
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Completed sentence:
The poem is written in couplets with
two
lines in each stanza.
Reason:
A couplet is a pair of lines, and the poem is arranged in such pairs.
Poem couplets mein likha gaya hai, jisme har stanza mein two lines hoti hain — couplet ka matlab hi lines ka pair hota hai.
Question 9
4. The structure of the poem gives a rhythmic flow that reflects both the _____________. (narrative and emotions/story’s pace and message)
How to answer:
Choose the option that matches the poem’s form or central idea.
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Completed sentence:
The structure gives a rhythmic flow that reflects both the
narrative and emotions
.
Reason:
The regular flow carries the story forward while the emotional movement changes from concern to relief and gratitude.
Poem ki rhythmic flow story ke flow aur emotions dono ko reflect karti hai — regular rhythm story ko aage badhata hai, aur emotions concern se relief aur gratitude tak change hote hain.
Question 10
5. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of _____________. (AABB/ABAB)
How to answer:
Choose the option that matches the poem’s form or central idea.
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Completed sentence:
The poem follows a rhyme scheme of
AABB
.
Reason:
The NCERT exercise identifies the paired end-rhyme pattern as AABB.
Poem ka rhyme scheme AABB hai — yani lines paired end-rhyme mein arrange ki gayi hain.
III
Pick examples from the poem for the following poetic devices.
Question 11
1. Simile
How to answer:
Give the exact words from the poem and briefly state why they fit the device.
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Answer:
“Came the boys
like a flock of sheep
”
Reason:
The boys are compared to a flock using the word “like”.
Simile hai
'Came the boys like a flock of sheep'
— boys ko sheep ke flock se compare kiya gaya hai 'like' word use karke.
Question 12
2. Alliteration
How to answer:
Give the exact words from the poem and briefly state why they fit the device.
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Answer:
“
slippery street
”
Reason:
The ‘s’ sound is repeated at the beginning of nearby words.
'
slippery street
' mein alliteration hai — nearby words ke start mein 's' sound repeat ho raha hai.
Question 13
3. Repetition
How to answer:
Give the exact words from the poem and briefly state why they fit the device.
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Answer:
“
somebody’s mother
”
Reason:
The key phrase is repeated to emphasise that the old woman is a loved human being, not merely a stranger.
'
somebody's mother
' phrase poem mein baar baar repeat hoti hai, jisse emphasize hota hai ki woman sirf stranger nahi balki kisi ki loved family member hai.
IV
Complete the following sentences appropriately explaining the imagery.
Question 14
1. The poem uses imagery to describe scenes of a bustling street. We know this by the phrase _______________________.
How to answer:
Use an exact phrase or a simple weather word supported by the poem.
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Completed sentence:
We know this by the phrase
“Down the street, with laughter and shout”
.
Reason:
The words create auditory imagery of a lively street filled with the boys’ voices.
'Down the street, with laughter and shout' phrase se bustling street ka imagery banta hai — yeh words lively street ka feel dete hain jahan boys ki hasi-mazak ki awaazein sunayi de rahi hain.
Question 15
2. The line ‘The street was wet with a recent snow’ suggests a cold and _______________________ weather, emphasising the woman’s helplessness.
How to answer:
Use an exact phrase or a simple weather word supported by the poem.
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Completed sentence:
The line suggests a cold and
snowy
weather.
Reason:
Recent snow has made the street wet and difficult for the old woman to cross.
'The street was wet with a recent snow' line se cold aur snowy weather ka pata chalta hai — recent snow ki wajah se street wet ho gayi hai aur woman ke liye cross karna mushkil ho gaya.
V
Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason.
Question 16
The poet repeats the phrase
Somebody’s mother
because it _______________________.
How to answer:
Explain what the phrase makes us remember about the old woman.
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Completed sentence:
The poet repeats the phrase
Somebody’s mother
because it
reminds us that the old woman is not just a stranger but a loved member of someone’s family
.
Poet 'Somebody's mother' phrase baar baar repeat karta hai kyunki isse yaad dilaya jaata hai ki woman sirf ek stranger nahi hai, balki kisi na kisi ki loved family member hai.
Question 17
The old woman: vulnerable and neglected :: The young boy: _______________________.
How to answer:
Use qualities that are the opposite of neglect and are shown by his action.
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Answer:
The old woman: vulnerable and neglected :: The young boy:
compassionate and helpful
.
Jaise old woman vulnerable and neglected hai, waise hi young boy compassionate and helpful hai — dono characters ka contrast poem mein clearly dikhta hai.
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