Achilles | Story 2 | English 8th | Tulip Series | (Gerald Durrell)

Short Stories – Tulip Series | jandkncert |

Achilles | Story 2 | English 8th | Tulip Series |
(Gerald Durrell)

WORKING WITH THE TEXT

Q1. How was the Rose-Beetle Man dressed?

Ans. Rose-Beetle Man was dressed in a wide hat on head, shirt, and a startling blue satin cravat around his neck. He had worn a coat with bulged pockets, patched trousers, and a pair of leather shoes with upturned toes.

Q2. How do we know that the Rose-Beetle Man cared well for his pets?

Ans. He had kept his pets in a sack. When he undid his sack half a dozen tortoise came out tumbling. He had polished their shells with oil and decorated their front legs with little red bows. This shows that he cared well for his pets.

Q3. What made the narrator select one particular tortoise from among the other animals?

Ans. Among the other animals, one was energetic than others. Its shell was of the size of a teacup. Its eyes were bright and its walk was alert. This fascinated the narrator and he was convinced to select this particular tortoise as his pet.

Q4. How did Achilles enjoy eating strawberries?

Ans. Achilles liked the wild strawberries the most. He easily swallows the small-sized strawberries but when he was given the big one, he would grab it to a quiet spot among the flower beds to eat it in the leisure time. He was very fond of wild strawberries.

Q5. How were Roger and Achilles rivals?

Ans. Both Roger and Achilles liked grapes. Before the arrival of Achilles, Roger enjoyed the full part of grapes. Now the Achilles became his partner, therefore there was a great rivalry between them.

Q6. Why did Achilles find Roger irritating?

Ans. Achilles was very fond of grapes, when he ate grapes, the juice would run his chin, and Roger would lie watching him his mouth dropping saliva. Roger would creep up to Achilles and lick him vigorously to get the grape juice which irritated Achilles.

Q7. How did Roger feel at Achilles’ funeral?

Ans. Roger felt happy at Achilles’ death that is why he was wagging his tail at his funeral.

Q8. The family wandered about the olive-groves, shouting, ‘Achilles… strawberries, Achilles. … .’ At length, we found him;

a. How had Achilles escaped?

Ans. Achilles was habitual to walk through the whole garden. One day, the garden gate was left opened and Achilles got an opportunity to escape from the garden.

b. Explain, why the family shouted ‘strawberries’ during their search?

Ans. Achilles was very fond of strawberries, so to find him any way they should make him greedy for his favourite fruit so that they could easily find him.

c. Where did the family finally find Achilles? What had happened to him?

Ans. Finally, the family found Achilles in the well, the wall of which had long since disintegrated. He had fallen into the well and was quite dead.

Q9. There are many instances of humour in the story. Pick out any two of them.

Ans. The story has many humourous instances. Eating of grapes by Achilles and running of juice from his mouth is humourous. Searching down the path of sunbathing person and sleeping on a belly is a humourous instance in the story.

LANGUAGE WORK

Make anagrams using the following words with the help of the clues given in the table below:

Word                          Anagram                    Meaning

Looped                       Poodle                         an intelligent breed of dog.

Schoolmaster             The Classroom            where lessons are taught.

Listen                          Silent                           making no sound.

Married                      Admirera                     fan.

Rabies                         Serbiaa                        country in Southeast Europe.

Real fun                     Funeral                       performed after someone’s death.

Retain                         Retinaa                        part of the human eye.

Charm                        March                          movement of soldiers.

GRAMMER WORK

(i) Some of the following sentences are incorrect. Correct them.

1) We get a lot of English home works.         Ans. We got a lot of homework.

2) I’ve got some sands in my shoe.                 Ans. I’ve got some sand in my shoe.

3) Did you hear the news about Sara?            Ans. Did you hear news about Sara?

4) We need more chairs in this room.             Ans. We need more chairs in this room.

5) Can I have some more pasta?                     Ans. Can I have some more pasta?

6) He carried my luggage to the taxi.            Ans. He carried my luggage to the taxi.

(ii) Insert ‘a’ or ‘an’ wherever necessary.

1. Why are you taking an umbrella? It isn’t raining.

2. I had soup and a bread roll for lunch.

3. It was a good idea to have a party.

4. She’s looking for a job in Jammu.

5. I often go to her for an advice.

(iii) Fill in the gaps with a noun from the words given using a/an/the wherever necessary.

Chair, Suitcase, Fly, Rice, Furniture, day, whether, accidents, luggage.

1. There’s a fly in my soup.

2. I have to buy some furniture for my new house.

3. I haven’t got much luggage with me. Just this bag

4. It’s a sunny day today.

5. There weren’t any accidents on the roads yesterday.

(iv) Which of the underlined words in the parts of these sentences is correct?

1. Hurry up? We haven’t got many / a lot of time.                 Ans. a lot of

2. I don’t eat much / many chocolates.                                   Ans. many

3. I didn’t take much / many photographs.                             Ans. many

4. I don’t listen too much / many classical music.                  Ans. much

Let’s Talk

Discuss in groups what you can do to take care of animals. Each group should select a particular animal and talk about the ways of caring for it.

Answer:

Group Discussion: Taking Care of Animals

Selected Animal: Dog

Ways to Take Care of a Dog:

1.     Provide Nutritious Food and Clean Water:
Dogs need a healthy diet and access to fresh water every day to stay strong and active.

2.     Give Shelter and Warmth:
A dog should have a clean, safe, and warm place to sleep, especially during cold or rainy weather.

3.     Regular Exercise:
Dogs need regular walks and playtime to stay physically and mentally fit.

4.     Vaccination and Vet Check-ups:
Regular visits to the vet and timely vaccinations keep dogs free from diseases.

5.     Grooming and Cleanliness:
Dogs should be bathed and brushed regularly to keep their fur clean and to prevent ticks or infections.

6.     Love and Attention:
Dogs are emotional animals. They need affection and care to feel safe and happy.

Other groups can choose animals like cats, cows, birds, or rabbits and list similar care points.

 

Let’s Write

Write a paragraph (100 - 150 words) on any pet animal you like.

Answer:

My Favourite Pet Animal – Cat

I love cats because they are cute, calm, and intelligent animals. My pet cat’s name is Misha. She has soft white fur, bright green eyes, and a long fluffy tail. She enjoys sitting near the window and watching birds. Misha is very playful and often runs around the house chasing balls or strings. She is also very clean and spends a lot of time grooming herself. Every morning, she waits for me at the door when I leave for school and welcomes me warmly when I return. I feed her milk and cat food, and she loves eating fish. At night, she curls up beside me and sleeps peacefully. Having Misha as my pet brings me joy and comfort. She is not just a pet; she is a part of my family. I feel very lucky to have her.