Old Man River
Dorothy Deming
Answer the following In-Text questions:
1. What were the girls doing in the living room?
Amy and Rose were knitting. Betty was looking at pictures in the magazine.
2. Why was mother not able to come home?
Mother was not able to come home as the bridges on the way to the house were under water.
3. How did Jim want the girls to ‘get organised’?
Betty should keep ready her flashlight, candles, lamps or lanterns. Rose should fill the tubs and pails with fresh water.
4. Which two important things did Jim want the girls to do to avoid getting scared?
They should remember how they came out safely from a school fire earlier. They should not show their fear before others. By doing so they could avoid getting scared.
5. Where did Jim want the girls to climb up? How was it going to help them?
The girls should climb up the attic. From there they can climb onto the roof.
6. Who went to get Sara? Where was she?
Jim went to get Sara. She was on the playhouse porch.
7. What were the important objects that the girls and Jim try to move to the attic? Why?
Water, food, candles, lanterns, lamps, flashlights and the first-aid-kit were the most important objects. When the floods rise there will be a shortage for safe fresh water and food. There will be no power supply. They may need medicines from the first-aid-kit. So they tried to move these things to the attic.
8. Who came to rescue the children?
Tom, Peters and Miss Marsh came to rescue the children.
9. What happened to Sara?
Sara had fallen off the step ladder. She had broken her right leg just below the knee.
10. Who is Miss Marsh? How does she help Sara?
Miss Marsh is the Red Cross nurse. She gives a pain killer to Sara to reduce the pain.
12. Who were taken in the boat? Who were left behind?
Rose, Betty and Sara were taken in the boat and Amy and Jim were left behind.
13. How does Red Cross help the children?
Red Cross helped the children from the danger of flood.
A. Based on your understanding of the play, choose the correct answer and fill in the blanks.
1. The radio announced that the river was above the flood stage
a. the river was above the flood stage.
b. the Burnet Dam had given way.
c. there will be a cloud burst.
d. there will be a cyclone.
2. Mother couldn’t get home from Mrs. Brant’s because the bridges between home and the town were under water.
a. it was raining heavily.
b. the bridges between home and the town were under water.
c. there was an emergency at Mrs. Brant’s house.
d. she had broken her leg.
3. The Burnett Dam gave away as it rained heavily and the snow was melting.
a. it rained for days.
b. the dam was weak.
c. it rained heavily and the snow was melting.
d. the maintenance was poor.
4. There was no power because the power house was out of commission.
a. the power house was out of commission.
b. the power house was flooded.
c. the dam gave away.
d. there was fire.
5. Why did they splint up Sara’s leg with pillows? She had broken her leg below the knee.
a. She was unconscious out of fear.
b. She had broken her leg below the knee.
c. She was too lazy to walk.
d. She was making a fuss.
B. Based on your reading, answer the following in two or three sentences each.
1. Why did Jim run from school?
There was a cloudburst. The river was in floods. So Jim ran from school.
2. Where was Amy’s mother?
Amy’s mother was in Mrs. Brant’s house.
3. Why did Amy ask Betty to fill in the water tubs?
Amy asked Betty to fill in the water tubs because the town water supply might cut off any time.
4. According to Jim, what are the two things that a person should remember in times of emergency?
According to Jim, in times of emergency we must not let others see how scared we are. We should keep things like water, food, blankets, coats and lights together in one place.
5. Why is Jim climbing on the roof?
Jim is climbing on the roof to signal others to get some help.
6. Who were there in the living room? What were they doing?
Amy, Rose and Betty were there in the living room. Amy and Rose were knitting. Betty was looking at pictures in the magazine.
7. Why were they going to sleep in the attic?
The level of flood water was rising. The floor there would be under water by morning. So they were going to sleep in the attic.
8. Who came in the boat?
Mr. Peters and Miss Marsh came in the boat.
9.Who is the founder of the Junior Red Cross?
Jean Henry Dunant is the founder of the Junior Red Cross.
C. Match the following by drawing a line across column A and B.
| 1. Amy | to Chicago on business (10) |
| 2. Betty | dentist (9) |
| 3. Rose | flash light (2) |
| 4. Sara | nurse (6) |
| 5. Jim | blankets (1) |
| 6. Penny Marsh | Mrs. Brant’s(8) |
| 7. Mr. Peters | fractured leg (4) |
| 8. Mother | tubs and pails (3) |
| 9. Dick | Junior Red Cross (5) |
| 10. Dad | rescues the children (7) |
D. Based on your understanding of the text, answer the following in about three to four sentences each.
1. Describe the ‘home alone’ experience of the children.
The children comforted each other. They gathered all the necessary things. They were ready to overcome the disaster.
2. Elaborate the rescue operation undertaken by Mr. Peter.
Mr. Peter came in a boat with Miss. Marsh. He rescued the children. He took Sara to the hospital.
3. How did Jim prove himself as a good rescuer in the flood situation?
Jim listed out the necessary things and asked the girls to collect them. He rescued Sara from the playhouse porch.
4. Briefly narrate the happenings of the play in Scene II.
a. How did Amy manage the situation at home?
Amy got her father’s valuable books, mothers jewel case and lantern. When Sara fell down from the ladder she helped her.
b. How did the Marsh save the children?
Miss Marsh consoled Sara. She bandaged Sara’s leg and saved the other children too by a boat.
E. Using a dictionary, find out the synonyms and the antonyms of the words given below. One has been done for you.
| Word | Parts of Speech | Synonym | Antonym |
| Hard | Adjective | Difficult | Easy |
| Flood | Noun | Deluge | Drought |
| Interrupt | Verb | Stop, interfere | Continue |
| Scared | Adjective | Afraid | Comforted |
| Irritation | Noun | Annoyance | Ease |
| Organize | Verb | Arrange | Disorganize |
| Serious | Adjective | Harmful | Trivial |
| Snappy | Adjective | Smart, agreeable | Stupid |
| Emergency | Noun | Crisis | Unimportance |
| Rescue | Verb | Save | Abandon |
K. Given below are some qualities that the characters in the play displayed during the floods for survival. Identify and write the character with the qualities.
| Sl.No. | Quality | Character |
| 1. | anxiety | Jim |
| 2. | serious | Amy |
| 3. | fun | Rose, Sara |
| 4. | sober | Jim |
| 5. | excitement | Sara |
| 6. | scared | Amy |
| 7. | frightened | Rose |
| 8. | shudder | Amy |
| 9. | hopeful | Betty |
| 10. | horror | Rose |
| 11. | enjoyment | Sara |
| 12 | terrified | Amy |
| 13. | levelheaded | Jim, Mr. Peters |
| 14. | scornful | Betty |
| 15. | hysterical | Sara |
Grammar
A. Identify the dependent clauses or phrases in the following sentences and underline them.
1. Texting on his phone, the man swerved into a ditch. Phrases
2. It isn’t necessary to cram all night if you have studied a little each day. Dependent clauses
3. We climbed up the hill to enjoy the view. Phrases
4. I enjoy painting during my holidays.Phrases
5. Whether he attends the party or not, I have decided to go. Dependent clauses
6. I will stop playing the drums when you go to sleep. Dependent clauses
B. Complete the following sentences using appropriate prepositional phrases.
1. I would like to order coffee__________tea.
a) instead of b) instead from c) instead to
2. ____________ the rains, we went out.
a) In spite of b) In spite c) In spite on
3. ___________ fire, break the glass to escape.
a) In case of b) In case c) In case with
4. I am standing here_______ my friends.
a) in behalf of b) on behalf of c) on behalf
5. We solved the problem _______ a new device developed by our engineers.
a) by means of b) by means c) by means to
6. _______ we are impressed with their performance.
a) In general b) On general c) In generally
C. Look at the action words in bold. Identify whether they are either finite or non-finite verb.
| They want to try a new approach. | Non-finite verb |
| Trying is easy. | Non-finite verb |
| Having tried everything, he gave up. | Non-finite verb |
| All I can do is try. | Non-finite verb |
| If she tried, she would succeed. | Finite verb |
F. Now, work in pairs and help Dinesh and Divya complete the exercise given below.
1. Write the gerund/infinitive form of the verbs in the blanks.
1. The astronauts managed to complete (complete) their training in record time.
2. They learned how to survive (survive) in space without gravity.
3. The best astronaut almost quit trying (try) to learn the complex information.
4. Their mission appeared to be (be) in jeopardy.
5. Then Marina encouraged him by saying, “It’s no good quiting (quit) the project right at the end.”
6. Being an astronaut will enable you to achieve (achieve) great success in life.
7. If you give up studying (study) now, our mission will be scrubbed.
8. Think of your fellow astronauts who wouldn’t hesitate to help (help) you in time of trouble.
9. We astronauts must keep on preparing (prepare) for our space launch.
10. Some say it’s no use travelling (travel) to distant planets, because it takes too long.
11. But we really want to visit (visit) other planets and find out if life exists on them.
12. Can you imagine walking (walk) up to a Martian and shaking hands and saying (say), “Hello, how are you? “
13. We really look forward to meeting (meet) alien creatures and finding (find) out what they are really like.
14. Many scientists have warned us not to take (take) this dangerous journey, but we are not discouraged.
15. Travelling to far away planets involves risking (risk) our lives for the thrill of discovery.
16. However we won’t delay blasting (blast) off into space.
17. Would you like to accompany (accompany) us on our journey if you could?
18. During our training we have got used to being (be) weightless and living (live) under difficult conditions.
19. Scientists admit to being (be) intensely curious about life on other planets.
20. I’m sure they would also enjoy travelling (travel) with our crew.
21. We told them to come (come) with us on our trip, but some of them think it is a waste of time searching (search) for life that doesn’t exist.
22. We have been taught how to endure (endure) hardships during our training and now we can’t afford to waste (waste) money.
WINDOWS WISDOM 