“Someone” is a lesson from the Textbook “Blossom” approved by West Bengal Board of Secondary Education for the students of Class 8. Here all the Activity Questions are done by English teachers.
Activity – 1
Tick the correct alternative:
(i) The door was
(a) big
(b) small √
(c) wide
Answer: The door was – small.
(ii) The poet looked
(a) backward and forward
(b) up and down
(c) to left and right √
Answer: The poet looked – to left and right.
(iii) The busy beetle was tap-tapping in the
(a) wall √
(b) Door
(c) window
Answer: The busy beetle was tap-tapping in the – wall.
(iv) The cricket was
(a) singing
(b) whistling √
(c) chirping
Answer: The cricket was – whistling.
Activity – 2
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
1.) Someone came knocking at the poet’s wee , small door.
2.) There was no stirring in the still, dark night .
3.) The poet heard the screech-owl’s call from the forest.
4.) The poet did not know at all who came knocking at his door .
Activity – 3
Answer the following questions:
1.) Who do you think came knocking at the poet’s small door ?
Answer: The poet was sure that someone was knocking on his door. Again he could feel something uncanny in the stillness and darkness of the night. Mysterious surroundings prevailed. So the uncertain knocking on the door actually heightens the supernatural atmosphere.
Activity 4
Fill in the following chart with information from the text:
| Who | Did What |
| (i) Someone | knocked at the poet’s small door. |
| (ii) Beetle | tap-tapped on the wall. |
| (iii) Owl | screeched from the forest. |
| (iv) Cricket | whistled. |
Activity – 5
Answer the following questions:
1.) What did the poet do after he heard the knocking on the door ?
Answer: When the poet heard the knocking at his door then he slowly opened it and looked left and right.
2.) What was the night like ?
Answer: The night was just quiet and dark.
3.) Name the insect mentioned in the poem.
Answer: There are two types of insects such as Beetle and Cricket mentioned in the poem .
4.) Why does the poet use the expression at all thrice in the last line of the poem ?
Answer: The poet used the expression ‘at all’ thrice in the last line of the poem to suggest that he did not know who came knocking. But the still, dark night gave him a mysterious feeling that there was someone knocking on the door.
Activity 6 (a)
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the given verbs in brackets:
(i) The Mayor will go to Pune next week. (go)
(ii) By next December, we will stay here for three years. (stay)
(iii) Perhaps they will visit Dooars later. (visit)
(iv) The boy has been watching television since morning. (watch)
Activity 6 (b)
In the following sentences underline the phrases and state what kind of Phrases they are:
1.) He wanted to speak to his teacher.
Answer: Prepositional phrase
2.) At this moment it’s raining hard.
Answer: Adverbial phrase
3.) To do well in the competition is my aim.
Answer: Noun phrase
4.) They live in a house made of wood.
Answer: Adjective phrase
Activity 6 (c)
In the following sentences underline the Clauses and state what kind of Clauses they are:
1.) The child ran away as soon as she saw the strange man.
Answer: Adverbial clause
2.) I saw an old woman who was carrying a child.
Answer: Adjective clause
3.) The dog follows his master wherever he goes.
Answer: Adverbial clause
4.) We all thought that it would not rain today.
Answer: Noun clause
Activity 6 (d)
Change the following sentences from Active to Passive Voice:
1.) India won the World Cup in cricket recently.
Answer: The World Cup in cricket recently was won by India.
2.) The teacher was teaching English.
Answer: English was being taught by the teacher.
3.) Rani is singing a beautiful song.
Answer: A beautiful song is being sung by Rani.
4.) The wind blew away the rooftops of the houses.
Answer: The rooftops of the houses were blown away by the wind.
Activity 7
Make meaningful sentences of your own with the following words:
1.) Wee – He said he wanted to wee.
2.) Stirring – The Prime Minister made a stirring speech.
3.) Busy – When you called me, I was busy.
4.) Dewdrops – There were tiny dewdrops on the leaves after it rained.
Activity 8 (a)
Suppose you spent a moonlit night in a forest guest house. Write a paragraph of about eight words on your experience. Mention the sounds that you heard there.
Answer:
Last month, my family went to Buxa forest. There we stayed at a forest guest house for 2 days. It was a beautiful guest house with all the facilities. On the second day, we spent a moonlight night. Also there was a power-cut. There was a pin drop silence. We could hear the sounds of many animals. It was filled with excitement and also some horror. The first sound that we heard was that of the roar of a lion. It was my first time that I heard such a sound. Then there were also some monkeys chattering. Then we heard the laughing of hyenas. All those sounds made us feel scared but it was altogether a different experience.
Activity 8 (b)
In about eight words write an autobiography of an owl enjoying the night.
Answer: Hello, I’m an owl. I’m a nocturnal animal and I feel active only at night. When you people sleep, I’m awake and I enjoy the most nights. I roam here and there without any fear. The world at night seems so different and I’m lucky to experience the nightlife. I can go and see how the world looks at night.