CBSE Class 12 English Going Places A R Barton Assignment Set C

Question. While Sophie waited for Danny, she realized that
(a) Danny would come
(b) Danny would not come
(c) she was hungry
(d) she was thirsty

Answer: B

Question. When Sophie told her father that Danny had met her and told her that he was going to buy a shop, father
(a) called her a liar
(b) asked her if it was another of her wild stories
(c) disbelieved her outright
(d) asked Geoff to verify facts

Answer: B

Question. Why does Sophie feel jealous of her brother?
(a) Because he keeps silent
(b) Because he is a mechanic
(c) Because he reveals his secret
(d) Because of inability to reach unknown areas of his mind

Answer: D

Question. What are the literary devices used in the lesson?
(a) Metaphorical expressions and slangs
(b) Similes
(c) Irony
(d) None

Answer: A

Question. After describing Danny’s appearance, Sophie chose not to tell Geoff about
(a) Danny’s qualification
(b) Danny’s address
(c) his teeth
(d) his car

Answer: C

Question. According to Sophie, the place she had chosen to meet Danny was
(a) a hidden alley
(b) a perfect place
(c) behind the walls
(d) near the trees

Answer: B

Question. Danny Casey was a player in the football team of
(a) Ireland
(b) Finland
(c) England
(d) Denmark

Answer: A

Question. Sophie told Geoff that Danny was unable to sign an autograph for her because
(a) his secretary did not allow it
(b) he didn’t have paper or pen
(c) he said he’d do it later
(d) he was in a hurry to go home

Answer: B

Question. What was Sophie’s father keen to buy if she ever came into money?
(a) A luxury car
(b) A decent house
(c) A yacht
(d) A shop

Answer: B

Question. What does Geoff’s silence symbolise in Sophie’s view?
(a) distant places
(b) his vague personality
(c) his jovial nature
(d) wandering of his mind to distant places

Answer: D

Question. What is the sub theme of the story?
(a) Relationships- family and friends
(b) Friends
(c) Family members
(d) Adolescents

Answer: A

Question. Sophie’s dreams and disappointments present her_________ .
(a) imagination and nothing in reality
(b) nature
(c) personality
(d) future

Answer: A

Question. What did Sophie tell Geoff one day that made him look surprised?
(a) She had seen a ghost
(b) She had met her principal
(c) She had got a job
(d) She had met Danny Casey

Answer: D

Question. ‘I wish he was an Englishman’. These words were spoken with reference to
(a) Geoff
(b) Derek
(c) Danny Casey
(d) a passenger in the bus

Answer: D

Question. Outside the pub, Sophie saw something. It was
(a) her dad’s bicycle
(b) her brother’s car
(c) her mother’s motorcycle
(d) Derek’s tricycle

Answer: A

Question. Why is Sophie attracted to Danny?
(a) Because he is a heroic footballer
(b) Because he earns well
(c) Because he plays football
(d) Because he is smart

Answer: A

Question. What kind of person is Sophie’s father ?
(a) kind hearted
(b) a loving and caring
(c) hard core realistic
(d) carefree

Answer: C

Question. Geoff never took Sophie out with him because he thought she was
(a) immature
(b) badly behaved
(c) too young
(d) too restless

Answer: C

Question. The match on Saturday was witnessed by
(a) the whole family
(b) only father and Sophie
(c) Geoff alone
(d) Sophie, father, Derek and Geoff

Answer: D

Question. Why is Jansie not able to support Sophie’s view?
(a) Because he is a happy go lucky man
(b) Because his imagination is poor
(c) Because he is unable to believe
(d) Because he is a realistic and believes in practicality

Answer: D

Read the extracts given below and attempt the questions that follow:

1. Now I have become sad, she thought. And it is a hard burden to carry, this sadness.
Sitting here waiting and knowing he will not come I
can see the future and how I will have to live with this burden.
They of course will doubt me, as they always doubted me,
but I will have to hold up my head remembering how it was.
Already I envisage the slow walk home,
and Geoff’s disappointed face when I tell him,
“He didn’t come, that Danny.” And then he’ll fly out
and slam the door. “But we know how it was,” I shall tell myself,
“Danny and me.” It is a hard thing, this sadness.
She climbed the crumbling steps to the street.
Outside the pub she passed her father’s bicycle propped against the wall, and was glad.
He would not be there when she got home.
“Excuse me, but aren’t you Danny Casey?”
Coming through the arcade she pictured him again outside Royce’s.
He turns, reddening slightly. “Yes, that’s right.”
“I watch you every week, with my dad and my brothers.
We think you’re great.”

Questions

(i) What is the burden that Sophie has to carry?
(a) Cheated by Danny Casey.
(b) Her failure to meet Jansie.
(c) Her failure to open a boutique
(d) Her sadness that nobody will believe what she says.

Answer: D

(ii) What is the burden she will have to carry in the future?
(a) The day would always remind her of her daydreams of Danny Casey.
(b) Danny Casey had deceived her by not coming.
(c) Her father would yell at her.
(d) The disappointment that Geoff would face.

Answer: A

(iii) Why was she happy to see her father’s bicycle outside the pub?
Answer: She was glad that her father was not there when she said Danny Casey had not come

(iv) Where did she ever see Danny Casey in person?
(a) In the arcade.
(b) Under the elm tree.
(c) On Saturday when she went to see him play.
(d) In the garden on the eastern side of the lake.

Answer: C

(v) Why was ‘waiting’ such a burden for Sophie?
(a) Because she was feeling exhausted.
(b) Because she knew Danny would not come.
(c) Because she had forgotten to inform Danny.
(d) Because she did not have a watch to keep track of the time.

Answer: B

(vi) What made Sophic lie to her brother Geoff about meeting Danny?
(a) To attract his attention .
(b) To see whether he could catch her lie.
(c) To tease him
(d) To prove her superiority to him.

Answer: A

2. “She thinks money grows on trees, don’t she,
Dad?’ said little Derek, hanging on the back of his father’s chair.
Their mother sighed. Sophie watched her back stooped over the sink and
wondered at the incongruity of the delicate bow which fastened her apron strings.
The delicateseeming bow and the crooked back.
The evening had already blacked in the windows and the
small room was steamy from the stove and
cluttered with the heavy-breathing man in his
vest at the table and the dirty washing piled up in the corner.
Sophie felt a tightening in her throat.
She went to look for her brother Geoff.

Questions

(i) Choose the correct option about Sophie’s parents based on the extract given above.
(a) Sophie’s parents’ marriage was an example of harmony and affection.
(b) Sophie’s relationship with her parents was warm and friendly.
(c) Sophie’s mother was subdued while her father was detached.
(d) Sophie and her brother didn’t like to stay with their parents.

Answer: C

(ii) Choose the option that supports the contention coming through Derek’s dialogue, “She thinks money grows on trees, don’t she, Dad?”.
(a) Derek thought his sister to be unreasonable at times.
(b) Derek had no faith in Sophie’s abilities to open a boutique.
(c) Derek thought of his sister as someone who was not realistic.
(d) Derek was not at all happy about Sophie’s habit of day dreaming.

Answer: C

(iii) It could be inferred that Sophie’s mother was fatigued and burdened. Choose the option listing the elements that form the basis of this inference.
(1) Her sigh (2) Her delicate bow
(3) Her apron’s strings (4) Her crooked back
(a) 1, 2
(b) 3, 4
(c) 2, 3
(d) 1, 4

Answer: D

(iv) “Sophie felt a tightening in her throat.” Pick the option that lists Sophie’s feelings in this context.
(1) Anxious (2) Annoyed
(3) Uneasy (4) Terrified
(a) Options 1 & 3 (b) Options 2 & 3
(c) Options 1 & 4 (d) Options 2 & 4

Answer: C

(v) Which of the following sentences have used the word ‘incongruity’ incorrectly?
(a) She smiled at the incongruity of the question
(b) She was oblivious to the incongruity between her words and her actions.
(c) The incongruity of her situation struck her deeply
(d) It is a matter of incongruity that she swims so fast.

Answer: D

(vi) Why did Sophie go to look for her brother?
Answer: Sophie went to look for her brother because the scene of her mother working hard and her father looking coarse and dirty bothered her.

3. On Saturday they made their weekly pilgrimage to watch United.
Sophie and her father and little Derek went down near the goal — Geoff,
as always, went with his mates higher up.
United won two-nil and Casey drove in the second goal,
a blend of innocence and Irish genius,
going round the two big defenders on the edge of the penalty
area, with her father screaming for him to pass,
and beating the hesitant goalkeeper from a dozen yards.
Sophie glowed with pride. Afterwards Geoff was ecstatic.

Questions

(i) Their visit to the match was like a ‘weekly pilgrimage’ refers to
(a) strong bond as a family.
(b) love for a fixed routine.
(c) similar feelings of devotion.
(d) excitement for the match.

Answer: C

(ii) Based on the following statements, choose the correct option.
Assertion: “Geoff, as always, went with his mates higher up.”
Reason 1: Geoff was not very close to his family and lived in his own world.
Reason 2: Geoff was rude and indifferent towards everyone around him and didn’t care about anyone at all.
(a) Reason 1 and Reason 2 both can be inferred from the assertion.
(b) Reason 1 can be inferred but Reason 2 cannot be inferred from the assertion.
(c) Reason 1 cannot be inferred but Reason 2 can be inferred.
(d) Reason 1 and Reason 2 both cannot be inferred.

Answer: B

(iii) ‘Sophie glowed with pride.’ Her pride is the result of
(a) belonging to a region where everyone thought of Danny as a hero.
(b) watching her father cheer and support Danny.
(c) The information she gathered from her brother, about Danny.
(d) being an avid fan and her sense of closeness with Danny.

Answer: D

(v) What game did Sophie and her family go to watch?
Answer: Sophie and her family went to watch football match.

(vi) The fact that her brother Geoff chose to sit with his friends made Sophie feel–
(a) relieved
(b) happy
(c) thoughtful
(d) sad

Answer: D

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. “He don’t believe you—though he’d like to.” Who says so, about whom and in what context?
Answer: Geoff says so to Sophie about their father. He reacted sharply to her account of meeting Danny Casey. Geoff said that she had met him in the arcade and then told him how it had been. Their father said aggressively that she was going to talk herself into a load of trouble. Sophie asked Geoff to confirm that it was true. It was then that Geoff uttered these remarks.

Question. Why was the visit of Sophie’s father and his family to watch United ‘their weekly pilgrimage’ ?
Answer: Sophie’s father was a keen footfall fan. He took great interest in the career of Danny Casey, the Irish prodigy. Geoff, too was interested in football. Sophie considered Danny Casey her personal hero. She always dreamt of him. Casey was playing for United. The family visited the stadium regularly to watch him. So the family’s visit was like a religious or holy weekly ritual—a pilgrimage.

Question. Did Geoff keep his promise? How do you know? Or Why did Sophie say “Damn that Geoff, this was a Geoff thing not a Jansie thing.”
Answer: Sophie had told Geoff about her meeting with Danny Casey and asked him to promise that he would tell no one. It was a secret between the two—something special just between them. Geoff did not keep his promise. He told Jansie’s brother Frank about it. Sophie cursed Geoff, as it was his doing, not Jansie’s.

Question. Why did Sophie choose to walk by the canal? What did she do there?
Answer: Sophie walked by the canal along a sheltered path. It was far away from the noise and crowd of the city. It was a place where she had often played when she was a child. There was a wooden bench beneath a solitary elm tree. Lovers sometimes came there. That was the most suitable place where she could dream of her hero Danny Casey.

Question. Why did Sophie long for her brother’s affection?
Answer: Geoff was not very talkative. He was an introvert. Sophie thought that Geoff had access to the world where she had not got even a chance to visit. She wanted to be the part of her brother’s world. That is why she longed for his affection.

Question. Sophie is caught between the world she lives in the world she wants to live in. Elucidate.
Answer: Sophie’s reality was one of poverty, drudgery and untidiness which hurt her aesthetic sensibilities. By nature she was artistic, enjoyed the finer things of life and aspired for a glamorous life as an actress or a boutique owner. Both these professions were far away her reality.

Question. Why do you think, does Goeff tell Sophie the following? (i) “Casey must have strings of girls.” (ii) “As if he’d ever show up.”
Answer: Geoff knows that Sophie is still very young and immature. She is crazy after Danny Casey, the Irish wonder-boy. He tries to convince Sophie that a celebrity like Casey must have a large number of girls running after him. She says that he doesn’t have any. He will give her autograph next week if she cares to meet him next week. Geoff is not convinced. He doubts if he would ever show up.

Question. What promise does Sophie want Geoff to make and why? Or Why does Sophie say: “Promise you’ll tell no one” and “Promise, Geoff–Dad’d murder me.”
Answer: Sophie wants to confide in Geoff what happened during her meeting with Danny Casey. Before telling him the details, she wants him to promise that he would tell no one about her meeting and the next ‘date’. She is afraid of her father’s anger. She fears he would murder her. Geoff assures her that she is quite safe. Their father does not believe such wild stories.

Question. What did Sophie want to keep a secret from her father and why? How did Jansie react to this disclosure?
Answer: Sophie told Jansie that she wanted to keep her meeting with Casey a secret. There would be a row if her father knew it. Jansie thought that he would be pleased. Sophie told Jansie what a misery her father was. Moreover, she did not want crowd of people asking him about Danny Casey and her. She feared that he would murder her. Her mother felt upset whenever there was a row. Jansie assured Sophie that she could trust her to keep the secret.

Question. “Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind.” Do you agree? Give reasons in support of your answer.
Answer: I fully agree with the observation. Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind. she is a hero-worshipper. The Irish prodigy is her hero. She imagines her meeting with him. Her day-dreaming makes her sad and despondent. The idea that Casey will not come at all is quite painful to her. Thus, her dreams and disappointments are products of her mind only. They have nothing to do with reality.

Question. Evaluate the two different perspectives to life that Jansie and Sophie represent.
Answer: Sophie represents or symbolizes the world of the dreamer someone who believes in happy endongs and finds it difficult to come to terms with the reality of her life. She refuses to accept her poverty stricken life at home but dares to dream of a future as an actress or boutique designer. Jansie on the other hand is a realist. She is practical and knows the harsh realities of her life. She is resigned to her fate & accepts her future working at the biscuit factory. A life of hard mechanical labour devoid of any pleasure or creativity.

Question. Who was Danny Casey? How did the members of Sophie’s family react towards him?
Answer: Danny Casey was a young Irish football player. He played for the United. The Irish prodigy could easily dodge the defenders and score goals. Sophie’s father was a football fan. He admired old heroes like Tom Finney and young wonder boy Casey. Geoff had a large poster of United first team squad on his bed room wall. There were three coloured photographs of Casey in the row below it. Every Saturday they went to watch United play.

Question. How did Jansie react at Sophie’s story of her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer: Jansie was a classmate and friend of Sophie. She lived in the same neighbourhood. She knew Sophie quite well. She was also aware of Sophie’s habit of dreaming. On learning of her meeting with Danny Casey, her first reaction was of disbelief. “You never did”, exclaimed Jansie. But when Sophie told her about her request for autograph, Jansie softened a little and said, “Jesus, I wish I’d have been there.”

Question. The story is written in a manner that it makes it difficult to point out clearly if Sophie met Danny Casey or not. Suggest possible reasons for such writing.
Answer: The fact that Sophie goes to sit on the bench and wait for Danny’s arrival makes it difficult to point but clearly whether Sophie met Danny Casey or not. On the other hand her description of the supposed meeting with Danny is so vivid that one is fooled into believing that she might have actually met him.

Question. According to you, should Sophie have continued to dream, or should she have stuck to the path that had already been chosen for her? Justify your choice in detail.
Answer: In my opinion one can only change their circumstances if they retain their ability to dream. Sophie did the right thing by holding on to her dreams and not accepting a life of drudgery at the biscuit factory only by holding on to one’s dream, one can find ways of fulfilling them. Creativity, innovation and resourcefulness all come into play if we are passionate about living our dreams

Question. How did Sophie react as she kept sitting for hours, waiting for Danny Casey and imagining his coming?
Answer: At first Sophie was optimistic. She imagined him coming out of the shadows. When time had elapsed, pangs of doubt stirred inside her. She became sad and despondent. Danny would not come there at all. She feared that people would laugh at the story of her meeting with Casey.

Question. Where did Sophie meet Casey and what transpired between them?
Answer: Sophie met Danny Casey in the arcade. It was she who spoke first and asked if he was Casey. He looked surprised. He was certainly Danny Casey as he had the Irish accent. She had already heard him on television. She asked him for an autograph for little Derek. But neither of them had any paper or pen. Before going he promised to give his autograph if she cared to meet him next week.

Question. Sophie is a typical adolescent hero–worshipper who carries her fantasising too far. Comment.
Answer: Sophie is a dreamer and an escapist. She is also a hero-worshipper. Danny Casey, the wonderful Irish football player was her hero. She indulged in wishful thinking and dreams of meeting him. Her imagined meeting gave her immense pleasure. But the pangs of not meeting him made her sad and despondent.

Question. “Sophie felt a tightening in her throat. She went to look for her brother Geoff.” In the light of his quote, discuss the relationship Sophie shared with Geoff.
Answer: Geoff was someone Sophie looked up to and respected unlike her father who she seemed to despise. Sophie appears to be a girl with a strong sense of aesthetics and she find it difficult to reconcile with her untidy and coarse father. She shares a bond with her mother and sympathizes with her lack of cheer or happiness in a life filled with household drudgery. Only Geoff who was handsome and an enigma to her seemed like someone she wanted to communicate with and share her true feelings with.

Question. Why did Sophie not want Jansie to know anything about her meeting with Danny Casey?
Answer: Sophie knew that Jansie was ‘nosey’. She was very inquisitive by nature. She took special interest in knowing new things about others. Sophie did not trust Jansie as she could not keep a secret. She could spread the rumour in the whole neighbourhood.

Question. How did Sophie react as she kept sitting for hours, waiting for Danny Casey and imagining his coming?
Answer: At first Sophie was optimistic. She imagined him coming out of the shadows. When time had elapsed, pangs of doubt stirred inside her. She became sad and despondent. Danny would not come there at all. She feared that people would laugh at the story of her meeting with Casey.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. The world we are living in is replete with hypocrites and ditchers. It becomes difficult for us to confide our secrets to someone. But it is important to have someone you can confide in. Discuss the topic taking ideas from the following expressions:
“Sophie glared at the ground. Damn that Geoff, this was a Geoff thing not a Jansie thing. It was meant to be something special just between them. Something secret. It wasn’t a Jansie kind of thing at all.”
Answer: Man is a social animal. He has to interact with the fellow human beings to give vent to his emotional grievances and sentimental grudges. He needs a person, a friend to confide in his secrets. This dog eat dog world has numerous people who seem to be trustworthy. But they are pretenders, hypocrites and opportunists. A person who leads a lonely life never feels happy and contented. His life becomes a hell. Expression of thoughts lightens the human soul. It is a matter of fact that there is dearth of true friends. People do not believe in one another. Material prosperity and unhealthy competition have eroded trust. Our forefathers worked together, lived together and earned their livelihood together. In the modern world lack of trust has created nuclear families. The concept of joint family was based on the principles of trust, honesty and brotherhood. These virtues have no significance in the present age. Trust gives us strength and courage to overcome the obstacles coming in the life. It is said that a friend in need is a friend indeed. We must have someone with us whom we can tell our secrets and reveal the truth. There should be a person who could objectively listen to our candid confessions.

Question. Compare and contrast Sophie and Jansie highlighting their temperament and aspirations.
Answer: Sophie and Jansie are class-fellows and friends. They belong to lower middle class families. Both of them are earmarked for biscuit factory. Jansie’s feet are firmly planted on the ground. But Sophie is totally blind to the harsh realities of life. She dreams of big and beautiful things. She wants to have a boutique. She thinks of becoming an actress as there is lot of money in this profession. If need be, she can also be a fashion designer. In short, she loves to be grand and sophisticated. All her dreams are beyond her reach and resources. Jansie advises her to be sensible, but she remains a romantic dreamer.
Sophie and Jansie differ in thinking and temperament. Sophie is lost in her dream world. She shares her secret with only one person. It is her elder brother Geoff. Jansie is ‘nosy’. She takes interests in learning new things about others. She can spread the story in the whole neighbourhood. So, Sophie doesn’t want to share secrets with her.
Sophie is an incurable dreamer and escapist. She is a hero-worshipper. She adores the young Irish footballer Danny Casey. She develops a fascination for her. She becomes sad and helpless but she doesn’t become wiser. She remains a dreamer. Jansie is practical and realist. She has no such unrealistic dreams.

Question. The unrealistic dreams determine negativity and failure. Childhood dreams sometimes dishearten and disappoint the people. Write an article on the topic, “Horrors of Unrealistic Dreams” taking ideas from the following lines:
“For some while, waiting, she imagined his coming. She watched along the canal, seeing him come out of the shadows, imagining her own consequent excitement.”
Answer: Horrors of Unrealistic Dreams People harbour fierce and uncontrollable desires. The search for a better life is one of the most basic desires of human beings. But they substantially deviate from the path of righteousness when they feel that their unquenchable desires can never be fulfilled. They found themselves in the depths of depression. The mortals should use their wisdom to set realistic goals. Imagination is thrice away from reality. Undoubtedly, the human race is governed by its imagination. But it is also a harsh reality of life that ‘He who has imagination without learning has wings but no feet.’ One should not forget that there is a difference between real life and reel life. The happenings of dreams cannot take place in this physical world. Those who ignore the present situation while setting their goals repent later. Man has to identify his talent and potential to materialise his goals. One should have thorough knowledge of one’s interests and outlook.

Question. What impression do you form of Sophie on reading the story ‘Going Places’?
                                    Or
Sophie has her own dreams and disappointments, but they are all her creations—the creations of her own mind.
Justify the statement.
Answer: Sophie is a young school girl. She dreams of big and beautiful things. Some of these are beyond her reach or her means. Her ambitions have no relation with the harsh realities of life. She thinks of having a boutique. She wants to have the most amazing shop this city has ever seen. Then she entertains the idea of being an actress ‘There’s real money in that.’ Actresses do not work full time. So she would run the boutique as a side business. If need be, she can be a fashion designer. She doesn’t realise that her family is not rich enough and her dreams can’t be fulfilled.
Sophie develops a romantic fascination for Danny Casey. He is a young Irish football player and the hero of her dreams. She indulges in hero worship. She tells a story that she met Casey. Her father calls it another of her “wild stories”. Even Geoff does not believe her. He tries to caution her. Casey is a celebrity. Many girls run after him. But Sophie ignores him.
She is an incurable dreamer. She has seen Casey only once, but all the time she thinks of him. She sits alone and waits for his arrival. She becomes sad and despondent when Casey does not come. She suffers because of her dreams. These dreams and disappointments are all the creations of her mind.

Question. Who was Danny Casey? How was he adored by the family of Sophie, and specially by Sophie and her father?
Answer: Danny Casey was an Irish Prodigy. He was a wonderboy of football. He had won the hearts of his countless fans. He played for United. Sophie’s family was obsessed with the Irish genius. Sophie’s father compared young Danny Casey to another great football player Tom Finney. He wished that Casey might be that good someday. He knew there were a lot of distractions for a youngster in the game those days. He wished that Casey would keep his head on his shoulders. Geoff remarked that he was with the best team in the country. He hoped that Casey would prove even a better player than Tom Finney. Geoff considered him the best. His father thought that he was too young for the first team. The fact was that with his exceptional ability he was playing for the first eleven.
On Saturday, Sophie’s family made their weekly pilgrimage to the stadium to watch United play their match. They watched their hero Danny Casey in action. He was running, going round the two big defenders. Then he was on the edge of the penalty area. Sophie’s father was screaming for him to pass. They saw him beating the hesitant goal keeper from a dozen yards. He scored the second goal. United won two-nil. Sophie glowed with pride. Geoff was ecstatic. Someone wished he were an Englishman. Little Derek declared that Ireland would win the world cup. Their father went to the pub to celebrate.
Sophie adored Danny Casey. She had a romantic fascination for the Irish prodigy. Her young heart throbbed for her hero. She imagined Casey coming to her. She would sit under an elm tree, waiting for Casey and dreaming of him. She realised that he would not come. This made her sad and dejected. Sophie became a victim of her own dreams and disappointments.

Question. “Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.” The attitude of parents shape the child’s perception. Write an article on effective parenting taking ideas from the following lines:
“Sophie’s father was scooping shepherd’s pie into his mouth as hard as he could go, his plump face still grimy and seat—marked from the day… outside the pub she passed her father’s bicycle propped against the wall, and was glad”
Answer: Effective Parenting Taking care of children requires infinite patience, great tolerance and profound wisdom. Children are emotional and delicate creatures. They should not be treated as things. People scold children frequently. Consequently, they become rude and arrogant. Those who thrash the tiny tots tend to forget that children intend to explore the mystery of physical objects. All the things available at home make the children curious. Their insatiable curiosity gets stimulated and stirred when they get freedom to touch them. Their spontaneity must not be hindered. Parents should encourage children to create new things. They should develop their interest in various activities so as to make their lives colourful. Their questions asked out of innocence should be answered thoughtfully. It is a universally accepted fact that children learn by imitating others. Parents should never argue with each other in presence of their children. They should treat the children in an affectionate way. They should play the role of a friend, teacher, councilor and parents.

Question. Describe the bond between Geoff and Sophie in spite of differences in their temperament and thinking.
Answer: Geoff was Sophie’s elder brother. He was three years out of school. He was an apprentice mechanic. He travelled to his work each day to the far side of the city. He was almost grown up now. He spoke very little. Sophie was jealous of Geoff’s silence. He was quiet and didn’t make new friends easily. He thought that Sophie was too young and immature. Geoff was mature enough to understand his limitations and those of his family. He never dreamt of big and beautiful things.
In spite of difference in their temperaments, there was a close bond between the two. Geoff was always the first to share Sophie’s secrets. He knew that Sophie’s story of meeting with Danny Casey was not true. Still he listened to her. Sophie confided in him. Her secret was something special just between them. It was not meant for nosey Jansie who would spread it in the whole neighbourhood. Geoff tried to persuade Sophie. He warned her that Danny Casey was a celebrity. He must have many girls like her running after him. Sophie told him that Casey would give her an autograph if she cared to meet him next week. Geoff did not believe “he’d ever show up.” Thus, he acted like an elder brother.
Geoff and Sophie share a common trait. It is their fascination for the Irish prodigy, Danny Casey. But they differ in their thinking. Like his father, Geoff wished Casey to be a great footballer one day. Sophie had romantic fascination for Casey. It was something else other than football.