UP Board Solutions Class 8 English Chapter 12 Three Questions

Exercise (अभ्यास)

Comprehension Questions

1. Answer the following questions:

Question a. What were the king's three questions?
Answer: The king's three questions were: What is the correct time to begin anything? Which people should he listen to? And what is the most important thing for him to do? These questions bothered him greatly.
In simple words: The king wanted to know the best time to start things, who he should trust, and what was most important to do.

🎯 Exam Tip: When listing multiple questions, ensure each one is clearly separated, often using bullet points or numbered lists in your answer.

Question b. Why did the king want to know the answers to these questions?
Answer: The king believed that if he knew the answers to these three questions, he would never fail in anything he tried to achieve. He thought this knowledge would make him an unbeatable ruler.
In simple words: The king thought knowing these answers would stop him from ever failing.

🎯 Exam Tip: For "why" questions, always explain the motivation or reason behind the character's actions.

Question c. Did the wise men win the reward? If not why?
Answer: No, none of the wise men won the reward because the king was not satisfied with any of their answers. They all gave different solutions, and none truly convinced him. The king was looking for clear, helpful advice that he did not receive.
In simple words: No, because the king did not like any of their answers.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always give a clear "yes" or "no" answer first, then provide the full explanation with a "because" clause.

Question d. How did the king help the hermit?
Answer: The king helped the hermit by taking the spade from him and starting to dig the ground himself, as the hermit was old and tired. This act showed humility and a willingness to assist others.
In simple words: The king took the shovel from the tired hermit and dug the ground for him.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the specific action taken by the character when describing how they helped.

Question e. Who wounded the bearded man?
Answer: The king's bodyguards had wounded the bearded man when he came out of hiding to attack the king. The bodyguards were protecting the king, so they hurt the man.
In simple words: The king's bodyguards hurt the bearded man.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the specific individuals or group responsible for the action in your answer.

Question f. Who was the bearded man? How did the king and the hermit help the wounded man?
Answer: The bearded man was the king's enemy who had wanted to kill the king because the king had killed his brother and taken his property. Both the king and the hermit helped him; the king dressed his wounds and gave him fresh water, while the hermit helped take him inside the hut to rest. Their combined efforts saved the man's life.
In simple words: The bearded man was the king's enemy who wanted to kill him. The king cleaned his wounds and the hermit helped him rest inside the hut.

🎯 Exam Tip: When a question has multiple parts, address each part clearly in your answer for full marks.

Question g. What did the bearded man promise to do for the king?
Answer: The bearded man promised that if he lived, he would serve the king as his most loyal and faithful servant. He felt very grateful to the king for saving his life.
In simple words: The bearded man promised to be the king's most loyal servant if he lived.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use strong vocabulary like "loyal" and "faithful" to describe promises and relationships accurately.

Question h. Which is the most important time, the most important person and the most important thing to do?
Answer: The hermit taught the king that the most important time is 'Now,' because it is the only time we have power to act. The most important person is the one you are with at this moment, as you never know what the future holds. The most important thing to do is to be kind and do good to that person, as that is why we are sent into the world. These three lessons are crucial for a happy life.
In simple words: The most important time is 'now'. The most important person is the one you are with. The most important thing to do is to treat that person well.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always make sure to answer all parts of a multi-part question explicitly, defining each element asked for.

2. Who said these lines and to whom:
Answer:
• "Let me take the spade and dig for you." - The King to the Hermit
• "Here comes someone running." - The Hermit to the King
• "Forgive me." - The Bearded Man to the King
In simple words: This question asks who spoke each sentence and to whom. The answers show which person said each phrase and who they were talking to in the story.

🎯 Exam Tip: When identifying speakers, always provide both the speaker and the listener for a complete answer.

Word Power

1. Fill in the blanks with the opposites of the words given in the brackets:
Answer:
1. I am not an enemy of yours. (friend)
2. The old woman was too weak to walk. (strong)
3. He is a very faithful servant of mine. (master)
4. I have warned him for the last time. (first)
5. You should remember these rules of grammar. (forget)
6. They are going to reward him for his bravery. (punish)
In simple words: This exercise is about finding the opposite word for the one given in brackets and putting it in the blank space. For example, the opposite of "friend" is "enemy."

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to the context of the sentence to choose the most appropriate opposite word.

2. Instead of saying 'light of the moon', we can say 'moonlight which is a compound word. Give compound words for each of the following:
Answer:
1. The time to go to bed: night
2. The shine of the sun: sunshine
3. Cloth of the table: tablecloth
4. Room for a class: classroom
5. Work to be done at home: homework
6. The pot for flowers: flowerpot
In simple words: A compound word is made when two smaller words are joined together to make a new word. For example, "moon" and "light" combine to make "moonlight."

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that some compound words are written as one word, some as two words, and some with a hyphen. In this case, they are single words.

Language Practice

1. Combine each pair of sentences, using 'ing' phrase. One has been done for you: Example – The girls saw the teacher. They stopped talking. Seeing the teacher, the girls stopped talking
Answer:
1. Carrying his blind parents, Shravana went from place to place.
2. Seeking permission from her mother, she went to the party.
3. Seeing the policeman, the robbers ran away.
4. Concentrating on the target, Sheena shot the arrow.
5. Looking at the painting, the teacher praised it.
In simple words: To combine sentences with an "ing" phrase, find the action that happens first and change its verb into an "-ing" form to connect it to the second action. This makes the sentences shorter and smoother.

🎯 Exam Tip: Ensure the "ing" phrase clearly refers to the subject of the main clause to avoid confusion.

2. Write the questions to which the words underlined are the answers:
Answer:
1. Indu reached home at 4:00 p.m..
When did Indu reach home?
2. He became successful by working hard
How did he become successful?
3. They want to sell their old car.
What do they want to sell?
4. Meetu's parents are going to the museum.
Where are Meetu's parents going?
In simple words: For each statement, you need to think of a question that would have the underlined part of the sentence as its answer. This usually involves using "who," "what," "when," "where," or "how."

🎯 Exam Tip: Use appropriate question words (who, what, when, where, why, how) to form questions that directly elicit the underlined information.

Activity

Question. To forgive others, you should have some qualities. Put a tick (✔) against those that would let you forgive. Put a cross (X) against those that would not let you forgive:
Answer:
• anger (X)
• sympathy (✔)
• compassion (✔)
• selfishness (X)
• kindness (✔)
• consideration (✔)
• trust (✔)
• love (✔)
In simple words: This activity helps us think about what qualities help us forgive people and what qualities make it harder. Good qualities like kindness help us forgive, while bad qualities like anger stop us.

🎯 Exam Tip: Reflect on the emotional impact of each quality to correctly identify whether it promotes or hinders forgiveness.