Questions and Answers of The Best Christmas Present in The World
Welcome to Smart English Notes, where we’re passionate about supporting students and educators on their learning journeys. In this post, we’ll be exploring ‘The Best Christmas Present in the World,’ a chapter from the Class 8 Honeydew English curriculum. Specifically, we’ll be delving into the various questions and answers that arise throughout the story, offering valuable insights and analysis.
As students immerse themselves in this heartwarming tale, they’ll encounter a range of themes and ideas that are sure to spark thought-provoking discussions and critical thinking. From examining the impact of war on individuals and society to exploring the power of friendship and compassion, ‘The Best Christmas Present in the World’ offers a rich tapestry of ideas for students to explore and reflect upon.
Whether you’re a teacher seeking classroom materials or a student looking to deepen your understanding of this timeless tale, our comprehensive guide to the questions and answers in ‘The Best Christmas Present in the World’ is here to help. So let’s journey together into the world of Class 8 Honeydew English and discover the magic of this unforgettable story.
Read Also: Summary of The Best Christmas Present in the World
Model Questions and Answers
1. What did the author find in the small black tin box? Answer in the context of The Best Christmas Present in the World.
Answer: In the story “The Best Christmas Present in the World,” the author found a small black tin box that contained a letter written by a soldier named Jim Macpherson during World War I.
2. Who, of the two armies, took the initiative for celebrating the Christmas together? How did they begin it?
Answer: The initiative for celebrating Christmas together was taken by the German soldiers, who began by singing carols and placing candles on their trenches. The British soldiers then responded with their own singing, leading to an unofficial truce between the two sides.
3. How old was Mrs. Macpherson now? Where was she? Answer in the context of The Best Christmas Present in the World.
Answer: Macpherson was currently 101 years old. He was residing in the Burlington House nursing home
4. What was Jim’s mood while writing the letter? Why?
Answer: Jim’s mood while writing the letter is reflective and melancholic. He is remembering the truce during Christmas and contemplating the futility of war.
The story implies that the soldiers on both sides did not want the war, as evidenced by their willingness to lay down their arms and celebrate Christmas together. However, this is not explicitly stated.
Textual Questions and Answers
Q. 1. What did the author find in the junk shop?
Ans. The author found a very old 19th-century roll-top desk made of oak in a junk shop, which was in poor condition and broken into several pieces and was sold at a cheap price.
Q. 2. What did he find in a secret drawer? Who do you think had put it in there?
Ans. In the secret drawer of the roll-top desk, the author found a small tin box. Jim’s wife Mrs Macpherson had placed it there as the envelope read “Jim’s last letter received January 25, 1915, to be buried with me when the time comes.”
Q. 3. Who had written the letter, to whom, and when?
Ans. Jim Macpherson had written the letter to his wife Connie Macpherson while fighting against the German forces. The letter was dated December 26th, 1914.
Q. 4. Why was the letter written? What was the wonderful thing that had happened?
Ans. The letter was written to describe a wonderful incident that occurred on Christmas day of 1914. The German and British armies, who were fighting against each other, celebrated Christmas together. They ate, drank, and even played a football match. Ultimately, when they parted, they did so with heavy hearts. This shows that festivals are above all personal enmity.
Q.5. What is Connie’s Christmas present? Why is it ‘the best Christmas present’ in the world?
Ans. When the narrator came to return Connie’s letter and her box, she mistook him for her husband Jim, due to memory loss and old age. She thought that Jim had come back home for Christmas. That delusion was Connie’s Christmas present.
It was the best Christmas present in the world for her because Jim had written in the letter that he would come home on Christmas. She had read that letter several times every day to feel that he was near her. Now that he was finally there with her, she was extremely happy.
Q.6 Do you think the title of this story is suitable for it?
Ans. It was Christmas when the narrator went to see Mrs Macpherson. He went to return her husband’s letter to her. The letter was precious to her, but even more precious was her allusion that the narrator was her husband Jim, whom she believed had returned as promised on a Christmas day. This was the best Christmas present in the world for her.
Q. 7. What jobs did Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson have when they were not soldiers?
Ans. Before joining the army, Hans Wolf played the Cello in an orchestra, and Jim Macpherson was a school teacher in Dorset.
Q. 8. Had Hans Wolf ever been to Dorset? Why did he say he knew it?
Ans. No, Hans Wolf had never been to Dorset. He had read English books, and Thomas Hardy was his favourite author. Hardy’s novel “Far From The Madding Crowd” describes Dorset. So Hans Wolf knew about it.
Q. 9. Do you think Jim Macpherson came back from the war? How do you know this?
Ans. No, Jim Macpherson never returned from the war. His wife Connie knew about his death, which is why she kept the letter in a tin box and wrote that it was Jim’s last letter.
Q. 10. Why did the author go to Bridport?
Ans. The author went to Bridport in search of Mrs Jim Macpherson to return her important letter.
Q. 11. How old was Mrs Macpherson now? Where was she?
Ans. Mrs Macpherson was now one hundred and one years old. She was in the conservatory of a nursing home in Burlington house on Dorchester road, on the other side of town.
Q.12. Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?
Ans. Connie Macpherson thought that her visitor was her husband Jim Macpherson.
Q.13. Which sentence in the text shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity? Ans. The sentence in the text, “I explained about the desk, about how I found it, but I don’t think she was listening,” shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity.
Additional Short Questions/Answers
Q. 1. Why did the author buy the roll-top desk even though it was in bad condition?
Ans. The author bought the roll-top desk despite its poor condition because the cost was very low, and he could restore it by working on it.
Q. 2. Describe briefly the Christmas morning on behalf of the letter sent by Jim to Connie. Ans. Jim described Christmas morning as “a crisp and quiet all about, as beautiful a morning as I’ve ever seen, as cold and frosty as a Christmas morning should be.”
Q. 3. Why was Jim’s letter so special?
Ans. The letter was special because it was written to Connie, Jim’s wife, in which he had explained the war and life at home. This letter also shows that every soldier wants peace and love.
Q. 4. Write a character sketch of Mrs Connie Macpherson.
Ans. Mrs Connie Macpherson was an old lady with silver-white hair pinned into a wispy bun and wrinkles on her skin. She used candles instead of electricity as she thought electricity was too expensive.
