Quality
Chapter 5
Working with the Text
Answer the following questions.
- What was the author’s opinion about Mr Gessler as a bootmaker?
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- Why did the author visit the shop so infrequently?
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- What was the effect on Mr Gessler of the author’s remark about a certain pair of boots?
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- What was Mr Gessler’s complaint against “big firms”?
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- Why did the author order so many pairs of boots? Did he really need them?
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- Read the following sets of words loudly and clearly.
cot — coat
cost — coast
tossed — toast
got — goat
rot — rote
blot — bloat
knot — note
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- Each of the following words contains the sound ‘sh’ (as in shine) in the beginning or in the middle or at the end. First speak out all the words clearly. Then arrange the words in three groups in the table on page 80.
sheep trash marsh fashion
anxious shriek shore fish
portion ashes sure nation
shoe pushing polish moustache
initial
media
final
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- In each of the following words ‘ch’ represents the same consonant sound as in ‘chair’. The words on the left have this sound initially. Those on the right have it finally. Speak each word clearly.
choose bench
child march
cheese peach
chair wretch
charming research
Underline the letters representing this sound in each of the following words.
(i) feature (iv) reaching (vii) riches
(ii) archery (v) nature (viii) batch
(iii) picture (vi) matches (ix) church
- Do you think Mr Gessler was a failure as a bootmaker or as a competitive businessman?
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- What is the significance of the title? To whom or to what does it refer?
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- • Notice the way Mr Gessler speaks English. His English is influenced by his mother tongue. He speaks English with an accent.
• When Mr Gessler speaks, p,t,k, sound like b,d,g. Can you say these words as Mr Gessler would say them? It comes and never stops. Does it bother me? Not at all. Ask my brother, please.
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- Speak to five adults in your neighbourhood. Ask them the following questions (in any language they are comfortable in). Then come back and share your findings with the class.
(i) Do they buy their provisions packed in plastic packets at a big store, or loose, from a smaller store near their house?
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(ii) Where do they buy their footwear? Do they buy branded footwear, or footwear made locally? What reasons do they have for their preference?
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(iii) Do they buy ready-made clothes, or buy cloth and get their clothes stitched by a tailor? Which do they think is better?
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Trees
- What are the games or human activities which use trees, or in which trees also ‘participate’?
- (i) “Trees are to make no shade in winter.” What does this mean? (Contrast this line with the line immediately before it.)
(ii) “Trees are for apples to grow on, or pears.” Do you agree that one purpose of a tree is to have fruit on it? Or do you think this line is humorous?
- With the help of your partner, try to rewrite some lines in the poem, or add new ones of your own as in the following examples.