Gujarat Board GSEB Class 10 English Textbook Solutions First Flight Chapter 6 The Hundred Dresses – II Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.

Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 6 The Hundred Dresses – II

GSEB Class 10 English The Hundred Dresses – II Text Book Questions and Answers

Oral Comprehension Check (Textbook Page No. 74)

Question 1.
What did Mr Petronski’s letter say?
Answer:
Mr Petronski was shifting to a bigger city. As bigger cities had more cosmopolitan population, so, there were lesser chances of getting funny glances from others. He was not happy with the treatment his children were gettingfin the school.

As people of cities get to see and interact with people from a wider geographies and ethnicities so they become more resilient at dealing with them.

Question 2.
Is Miss Mason angry with the class, or is she unhappy and upset ?
Answer:
Miss Mason seems to be upset rather than angry. She hopes that all the misbehaviour was part of normal childhood pranks. She ’hopes that kids will derive a lesson from Wanda’s episode.

Her calm manners of reading the letter and reprimanding the students tells that she is upset and wants and hopes the kids would mend their ways.

Question 3.
How does Maddie feel after listening to the note from Wanda’s father ?
Answer:
Maddie feels let down by herself. She feels that her behaviour was of a coward. There is an old saying that to tolerate injustices on others is also like being a part of the injustice.
Maddie feels that instead of being a mute spectator she should have protested the mental torture of Wanda.

Question 4.
What does Maddie want to do?
Answer:
Maddie wants to meet Wanda to show her true feelings towards Wanda. She wants to say sorry and to convey that all was part of childhood prank and people really love Wanda.

(Textbook Page No. 76)
Question 5.
What excuses does Peggy think up for her behaviour ? Why ?
Answer:
Peggy thinks that she was the person who gave inspiration for Wanda’s wonderful sdrawings. Had she not asked questions about number of dresses Wanda had, Wanda could not have got good ideas and made beautiful drawings.

There can be two views on Peggy’s real feelings. First view can be of a stubborn child who refuses to accept her mistakes. And another view can be accepting the mistake deep inside s but for fear of being subjected to fun not accepting the mistake openly.

Question 6.
What are Maddie’s thoughts as they go to Boggins Haights ?
Answer:
Maddie is feeling bad about Wanda and herself. She is feeling very sad for not even getting a chance to say sorry to Wanda.

Question 7.
Why does Wanda’s house remind Maddie of Wanda’s blue dress ?
Answer:
Wanda’s blue dress was old, faded but used to be neat and clean. Similarly her house was small and makeshift but clean. Wanda was a poor girl but she was sober and was probably more mature than other kids of her age. May be her hardships had taught her great lessons in the life which is evident in the way she used to keep her dress or her house.

Question 8.
What does Maddie think hard about ? What important decision does she come to ?
Answer:
Wanda thinks hard about not letting injustice happen to anyone. She makes vow that she would protest if anybody misbehaves with anybody. She won’t be a mute spectator the way she did earlier.
In a way the episode of Wanda’s family leaving that city works as major change agent for Maddie’s personality.

(Textbook Page No. 79)
Question 9.
What did the girls write to Wanda ?
Answer:
The girls planned to write their true feelings but ended up writing a formal letter. Most of us have this inbuilt ability of fear of truth. We don’t want to show our shortcomings to the world. Every time we talk about ourselves we talk about positives only. It takes lots of courage to talk about our negative aspects. To develop this level of courage requires many years. But those who learn to admit mistakes learn to take lessons from their mistakes.

Question 10.
Did they get a reply? Who was more anxious for a reply, Peggy or Maddie ? How do you know ?
Answer:
They got the reply. Maddie seems to be more anxious. The way Maddie rues the fact of not getting a enhance to say sorry to Wanda gives one clue. Another clue to this is the fact that she was the first person to notice her face on Wanda’s drawing. Had she been as arrogant as Peggy she would not have noticed her face on the drawing.

Question 11.
How did the girls know that Wanda liked them even though they had teased her ?
Answer:
An act of making a portrait requires lots of observation of the face. Until and unless an artist likes a subject, it will not be motivating enough for the artist. The way Wanda made everyone’s faces on drawings shows she liked them in spite of being teased by them.

Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
Why do you think Wanda’s family moved to a different city ? Do you think life there was going to be different for their family ?
Answer:
Wanda’s family had had enough of differential treatment from the people of that city. Hence, they decided to move to a different and bigger city. The statement, “Plenty of funny names in the big city” indicates towards certain characters of big cities. Most of the big cities are cosmopolitan in composition. People in such, circumstances are usually attuned to seeing people from all regions and races. They usually have a better sense of cross cultural sensibilities which normally is absent in people in small cities. It can be hoped that life would be better s in the new environment.

Question 2.
Maddie thought her silence was as bad as Peggy’s teasing. Was she right ?
Answer:
It is often said that turning a blind eye to a crime is worse than committing a crime. By being a mute spectator of Peggy’s teasing, Maddie was indirectly encouraging it. Hence, she was right in thinking that her silence was s as bad as Peggy’s teasing.

Question 3.
Peggy says, “I never thought she had the sense to know we were making fun s of her anyway. I thought she was too dumb. And gee, look how she can draw!” What led Peggy to believe that Wanda was dumb ? Did ; she change her opinion later ?
Answer:
Wanda’s unusual behaviour led Peggy to believe that Wanda was dumb. Wanda never reacted to all the pranks and misbehaviour which she had to ^suffer everyday. She was quite stoic while suffering all that. Her expressionless face may have led Peggy to think that Wanda did not understand anything. After the drawing confest, Peggy appears to be in a denial mode. But after seeing her own face in one of Wanda’s s drawings; she appears to have changed her perception about Wanda.

Question 4.
What important decision did Maddie s make ? Why did she have to think hard to do so ? (August 20)
Answer:
Maddie realized that she was a coward and it was not good to be a coward. Earlier, she was torn between her loyalty to Peggy and her sense of right and wrong. But after the Petronski’s decision to leave the town, she mustered the courage to fight for justice instead of suffering the ignominy of being at mute spectator of racial discrimination.

Question 5.
Why do you think Wanda gave Maddie and Peggy the drawings of the dresses ? Why are they surprised ? (March 20)
Answer:
It can be assumed that Wanda may have developed some inclination towards Maddie and Peggy. While suffering the humiliation of the dresses game; she must have closely observed these two girls. She may have planned to give a parting gift to these two girls to teach them an important lesson of life, i.e., of respect for individuals.

Question 6.
Do you think Wanda really thought the girls were teasing her ? Why or Why not ?
Answer:
Wanda appears to be smart enough to. understand what was going on around her. But she was mentally conditioned to withstand such incidents, because she must had had been through pains which are associated with migration.

Thinking about Language

Question 1.
Here are thirty adjectives describing human qualities. Discuss them with your partner and put them in the two word webs (given below) according to whether you think they show positive or negative qualities. You can consult a dictionary if you are not sure of the meanings of some of the words. You may also add to the list the positive or negative ‘pair’ of a given word.

(kind, sarcastic, courteous, arrogant, insipid, timid, placid, cruel, haughty, proud, zealous, intrepid, sensitive, compassionate, introverted, stolid, cheerful, contented, thoughtless, vain, friendly, unforgiving, fashionable, generous, talented, lonely, determined, creative, miserable, complacent)
Answer:

Question 2.
What adjectives can we use to describe Peggy, Wanda and Maddie ? You can choose adjectives from the list above. You can also add some of your own.
(1) Peggy ………………
(2) Wanda ……………
(3) Maddie ………………
Answer:
(1) Peggy : sarcastic, cheerful, contented
(2) Wanda : kind, timid, introverted, generous, talented, lonely, creative
(3) Maddie : kind, timid, sensitive, miserable

Question 3.
Find the sentences in the story with the following phrasal verbs:
lined up,
thought up,
took off,
stood by
Answer:
(1) lined up – And she thought of the glowing picture those hundred dresses made – all lined up in the classroom.
(2) thought up’- Peggy, who had thought up this game, and Maddie, her inseparable friend, were always the last to leave.
(3) took off – Miss Mason took off her glasses, blew on them and wiped them on her soft white handkerchief.
(4) stood by – She had stood by silently, and that was just as bad as what Peggy had done.

Question 4.
Colours are used to describe feelings, moods and emotions. Match the following ‘colour expressions’ with a suggested paraphrase:

Answer:

GSEB Class 10 English A Letter to God Additional Important Questions and Answers

Read the following passages and select the most appropriate answers for the questions given below them:

Question 1.
The first period was a study period. Maddie tried to prepare her lessons, but she could not put her mind on her work. She had a very sick feeling in the bottom of her stomach. True, she had not enjoyed listening to Peggy ask Wanda how many dresses she had in her closet, but she had said nothing. She had stood by silently, and that was just as bad as what Peggy had done. Worse. She was a coward. At least, Peggy hadn’t considered they were being mean but she, Maddie, had thought they were doing wrong. She could put herself in Wanda’s shoes.

Goodness ! Wasn’t there anything she could do ? If only she could tell Wanda she hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings. She turned around and stole a glance at Peggy, but Peggy did not look up. She seemed to be studying hard. Well, whether Peggy felt badly or not, she, Maddie, had to do something. She had to find Wanda Petronski. Maybe she had not yet moved away. Maybe Peggy would climb the Heights with her, and they would tell Wanda she had won the contest, that they thought she was smart and the hundred dresses were beautiful.

1. What sick feeling did Maddie have?
A. That Wanda was absent in the school that day.
B. That her closest friend, Peggy could not win the prize.
C. That Peggy had asked Wanda how many dresses she had in her closet.
D. That Peggy had left her friendship.
Answer:
C. That Peggy had asked Wanda how many dresses she had in her closet.

2. Give another expression for ‘She could put herself in Wanda’s shoes’.
A. She could have been in place of Wanda.
B. She could behave like Wanda.
C. She could do what Wanda could.
D. She could forgive Wanda.
Answer:
A. She could have been in place of Wanda.

3. According to Maddie, what was desirable on the part of Peggy to do ?
A. Peggy could have made friends with Wanda,
B. Peggy could have apologised to Wanda.
C. Peggy could have told Wanda she hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings.
D. Peggy could have supported Wanda in her subjects of interest.
Answer:
C. Peggy could have told Wanda she hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings.

4. Maddie wanted to find Wanda to …………………..
A. tell her that she had won the drawing competition.
B. tell her that her hundred dresses wefe beautiful.
C. Tell her that she was smart.
D. All of these three.
Answer:
D. All of these three.

Question 2.
Maddie could say nothing. All she hoped was that they would find Wanda. She wanted to tell her that they were sorry they had picked on her, and how wonderful the whole school thought she was, and please, not to move away and everybody would be nice. She and Peggy would fight anybody who was not nice.

The two girls hurried on. They hoped to get to thf top of the hill before dark.

“I think that’s where the Petronskis live,” said Maddie, pointing to a little white house. Wisps of old grass stuck up here and there along the pathway like thin kittens. The house and its sparse little yard looked shabby but clean. It reminded Maddie of Wanda’s one dress, her faded blue cotton dress, shabby but clean.

1. The meaning of the phrase ‘picked on’ is:
A.‘collected’
B.‘harassed unfairly’
C.‘treated amicably’
D.‘quarrelled with’
Answer:
B.‘harassed unfairly’

2. ‘The two girls hurried on’. Where to?
A. The top of the hill
B. Boggins Heights
C. Their school
D. Both A and B
Answer:
D. Both A and B

3. ‘The sparse little yard’ reminded Maddie of …………………
A. their teacher.
B. Wanda’s blue cotton dress.
C. Peggy’s paintings.
D. Wanda’s drawings.
Answer:
B. Wanda’s blue cotton dress.

4. This passage shows ……………..
A. Self-realization.
B. Repentance.
C. Newly emerged sympathy.
D. All these three
Answer:
D. All these three

Question 3.
“I hope so,” said Maddie sadly. She felt sad because she knew she would never see the little tight-lipped Polish girl again and couldn’t ever really make things right between them.

She went home and she pinned her drawing over a torn* place in the pink-flowered wallpaper in the bedroom. The shabby room came alive from the brilliancy of the colours. Maddie sat down on her bed and looked at the drawing. She had stood by and said nothing, but Wanda had been nice to her, anyway.

Tears blurred her eyes and she gazed for a long time at the picture. Then hastily she rubbed her eyes and studied it intently. The colours in the dress were so vivid that she had scarcely
noticed the face and head of the drawing. But it looked like her, Maddie! It really looked like her own mouth. Why it really looked like her own self! Wanda had really drawn this for her.
Excitedly, she ran over to Peggy’s.

1. Maddie felt sad because ……………..
A. she had lost the contest.
B. Peggy had broken up friendship with her.
C. she thought she would never see Wanda again.
D. None of these three
Answer:
C. she thought she would never see Wanda again.

2. ……………… made Maddie’s shabby room came alive.
A. The pink-flowered wallpaper
B. The brilliant colours of the drawing
C. The sweet memory of the Polish girl
D. Peggy’s presence in the room
Answer:
B. The brilliant colours of the drawing

3. What made Maddie bring tears in her eyes ?
A. The picture
B. The remembrance of Wanda
C. The remembrance of Peggy
D. Her own failure in losing the contest
Answer:
B. The remembrance of Wanda

4. How was the picture a dedication from Wanda to Maddie?
A. The drawing had colours that Maddie liked most.
B. The drawing was of Maddie herself.
C. Nobody had painted such a nice painting so far.
D. The picture had won the first prize.
Answer:
B. The drawing was of Maddie herself.

Answer the following questions in three to four sentences each:

Question 1.
State the reason behind the letter of Mr Jan Petronski, Wanda’s father.
Answer:
Mr Jan Petronski, Wanda’s father wrote the letter because- he was upset to know about what all his daughter had to go through because of her strange name.

Question 2.
What do you think about Wanda’s action of not coming to school anymore ?.
Answer:
Wanda never replied to anyone against their misbehaviour. But due to insult she tjced, she decided not to come to school anymore. It was very mature of her age to teach them lesson without any argument.

Question 3.
What impression do you form of Wanda Petronski on the basis of reading the lesson ‘The Hundred Dresses’ ?
OR
What kind of a girl was Wanda Petronski ?
Answer:
Wanda Petronski was a Polish girl who was very simple. She used to keep herself calm and silent in every condition and never reacted when Peggy teased her and took it lightly. She always replied everyone with a smile. She even giftecf’her drawings to Peggy and Maddie which showed her innocent and loving behaviour.

Question 4.
Why did Maddie rush to Peggy’s house while gazing at the drawing?
Answer:
Maddie rushed to Peggy’s house while gazing at the drawing because she had seen her face in the drawing and wanted to confirm about Peggy for the same.

Question 5.
Why did Peggy and Maddie assume that Wanda had received their letter ?
Answer:
Peggy and Maddie assumed that Wanda had received their letter because in her letter to Miss Mason, Wanda requested her to gift her drawings to both of them.

Question 6.
Why did Maddie have sleepless nights ?
Answer:
Maddie had sleepless nights because she was very upset about what all had happened and couldn’t amend her behaviour towards Wanda as she had shifted to some other city.

Question 7.
What did the children of room thirteen do on the Christmas eve ?
Answer:
The children of room thirteen decorated their room with great love and affection. They decorated it with Christmas bells and a Christmas tree.

Question 8.
Why was there no reply of the letter written to Wanda by the girls ?
Answer:
The girls, Maddie and Peggy,, didn’t receive any reply from Wanda either because of her anger towards them or’ because they wrote the address of her old house in Boggins Heights and not of her new house.

Question 9.
What did Peggy say to Maddie when they did not find her at Boggins Heights ?
Answer:
Peggy told Maddie that Wanda had won because of her teasing that inspired her to draw such beautiful dresses otherwise, she would not have been able to win the contest.

Answer the following questions in five to six sentences each:

Question 1.
What did Maddie and Peggy write in the letter to Wanda ? What happened to it ? How did Maddie behave even though Peggy had begun to forget the whole business ?
Answer:
Peggy and Maddie wrote a friendly letter to Wanda. Rather than being sorry they asked her about her new school, new teacher. They told her about the result of drawing contest which she had won and that her drawings were very beautiful. They meant to say sorry indirectly. They signed it with lot of X’s for love and didn’t say anything to tease her. But they did not get any reply from her. After sometime Peggy had begun to forget the whole business. But Maddie was surrounded by the thoughts of Wanda and everything that happened to Wanda. She felt guilty and decided not to be silent anymore so that other might not feel ashamed like her.

Question 2.
Give a character sketch of Wanda Petronski.
Answer:
Wanda Petronski a Polish girl has shifted to America with her parents and younger brother. She is very kind and simple-hearted; she never behaves badly with anyone. She feels disturbed when Peggy teases her. But she replies confidently and courageously to what Peggy says to her. She wears the same blue faded dress everyday but she never complains about anything. She is very talented and has a good hand at drawing. She also wins the drawing and colouring contest and thus shows her creative side.

She is forgiving and generous as she forgives Peggy and Maddie by gifting them two of her drawings in which she draws their faces.
So, it can be said that she is a mature, sensible and loving girl who cares about^ everyone.

Question 3.
How can you say that Maddie is an emotional girl ? Compare and contrast Maddie and Peggy.
Answer:
By a close reading of the lesson it can be said that Maddie is an emotional girl. Being a close friend of Peggy she remains by her side when Peggy teases Wanda but she feels bad for her. She decides to write a note to Peggy to stop teasing Wanda but tears it as she doesn’t want to be the next target of fun. In the end she decides to stand against anyone who teases others even if she has to lose her friend, which shows her emotional attribute.

As compared to Maddie, Peggy is an arrogant girl. She teases Wanda by asking her about dresses, but she is not cruel as she helps children from bullies and cries when she sees an animal being hurt. But she tries’to make l fun of Wanda everytime and defends herself. So, both the girls have different personalities and attributes which can be directed by their-actions.

Grammar

Question 1.
Rectify the errors in each of the following lines as shown in the example:
Answer:
Wanda does not sit there because she was ruff and noisy. Contradictory, she was very quiet
and rarely said something at all. And nobody had never heard her laugh out loud.
Example:

(2)
Answer:
The next day it drizzled. Maddie and Peggy hurrying to school under Peggy’s umbrella. Usually, on a day like this, they didn’t wait on Wanda Petronski in the corner of Oliver Street.
Example:

Turn the following into Indirect Speech:

“Wanda, How many dresses did you say you i have hanging up in your closet ?” Peggy ; asked.

“A hundred,” Wanda would say.

“A hundred!” exclaimed all the little girls ‘ incredulously.

“Yeah, a hundred, all lined up,” said Wanda.
Answer:
Peggy asked Wanda how many dresses she had said she had hanging up in her , closet. Wanda would say that she had a hundred dresses hanging up in her closet, All the little girls incredulously exclaimed that she had a hundred dresses in her closet. Wanda replied affirmatively that she really had a hundred dresses all
lined up in’her closet.

Rewrite as directed:
(1) Nobody had ever heard her laugh out loud. (Change the Voice.)
(2) They waited for Wanda to have fun with s her. (Use ‘because’.)
(3) Nobody noticed her absence again. (Turn into Affirmative.)
(4) Peggy was the most popular girl in the s school. (Change the Degree.)
(5) What a story! (Turn into Assertive.)
(6) Peggy was not really cruel. (Turn into Interrogative.)
(7) She cried for hours if she saw an animal mistreated. (Remove ‘if’.)
(8) Peggy was not as poor as Wanda,
(Change the Degree.)
Answer:
(1) She had never been heard laugh out loud by anybody.
(2) They waited for Wanda because they wanted to have fun with her.
(3) Her absence went unnoticed by everybody again. ,
(4) Peggy was more popular than any other girl in the school.
OR
No other girl in the school was so popular as Peggy.
(5) It was really a strange story.
(6) Was Peggy really cruel ?
(7) She cried for hours provided she saw an animal mistreated.
OR
In case she saw an animal mistreated, she cried for hours.
(8) Wanda was poorer than Peggy.

Writing

Question 1.
Look again at the letter which Wanda’s father Writes to Miss Mason, Wanda’s teacher. Mr Petronski is not quite aware how to write a formal letter in English. Can you rewrite it more appropriately ? Discuss the following with your partner before you do so.

The format of a formal letter: How to begin the letter and how to end it; the language of the letter needs to be formal. (Avoid informal words like ‘holler’ and fragments like “No more ask why funny name.”) Write complete sentences.
Answer:
Jan Petronski
3126, Boggins Heights,
Washington, DC 20521-4150
October 16, 2018

Dear Miss Mason,

I hope this letter finds you in the best of your spirits.

My daughter, Wanda, and my son, Jake will not come to your school any more. Now, we are moving away to a big city. You will not have to yell funny names like ‘Pollack’ and so on any more. There are plenty of funny names in the big city, yet it seems strange that you find fun in calling out names of my children. I hope there won’t be anything from our side l now onwards that may bother you.

Wish you all a happy time ahead.

Yours truly,
Jan Petronski

Question 2.
Are you interested in drawing and painting Ritu Kumar, one of India’s best known dress designers, has no formal training in designing. She started by sketching ideas S’ for her own dresses, and getting them stitched S by a tailor.

Ritu’s friends liked her dresses so much that they asked her to design clothes for them, and even paid her for it! Imagine you are going to make a career out of your hobby. What sort of things will you need to learn Write a paragraph or two on this topic after consulting an expert or doing reference work on your chosen area.
Answer:
My Hobby, later converted into my Profession
I am a village boy. I lived in a street where most of the residents were carpenters. One of them was my favourite as worked. very hard and meticulously. I just sat beside him watching his work. I also started working on some wooden logs just for my pleasure. Observing my play-work, the carpenter started giving me some work and under his guidance, I simply developed it as my hobby. I even bunked my school if I got even some trifle assignment from the carpenter to work on. Let me admit that I was not good at my studies, so I pursued s the carpentry sincerely.

There are probably even fewer carpenters around these days than computer repair people. Sure, but my pursuit was a little different. I realised that this occupation can turn lucrative if I have the capability to restore antique furniture. That’s a skill all its own, and by properly restoring an antique piece, you can increase its value considerably. There are even fewer people who can do that. Somehow I realised this secret and now it’s my well- rewarding profession.

Question 3.
Rewrite a part of the story as if Wanda is telling us her own story.
Answer:
I am very much aggrieved and disturbed by the insulting words of my classmates: Peggy and Maddie as both of them leave no stone unturned to look me down. And being a Polish girl having a long name, I feel helpless to revert them in the same coin. Peggy is vain; she teases me by asking about my dress. She asks me how many dresses, shoes, hats, etc. I have. When I reply that I have a 100 dresses and sixty pairs of shoes;-they ask whether all of them are of different colours and designs. Maddie always remains calm and thus supports Peggy in doing so; she lacks courage to state what is sight and what is wrong.

I never react and try to smile at their irritating questions because I know there will be no difference, between me and them if I too turn the table on their side in the same way. Now that my father has come to know what I am going through, he has decided to shift to another city in order to avoid confrontation and racism as such humiliating circumstance’s can neither be tolerated nor can be accepted.