Important Questions for English Honeydew Chapter 1 - The Best Christmas Present in the World CBSE Class 8 PDF

A. Very Short Answer Questions                                                                                1 Mark

Word-Meaning from the given chapter-

i. Roll-top

Ans: flexible

ii. Clumsily

Ans: poorly coordinated actions

iii. Brute force

Ans: extreme application or use of force

iv. Lopsided

Ans: either side of an object being asymmetrical

2. What did the author spot in Bridport?

Ans: A junk shop was spotted by the author in Bridport.

3. What did the author see in Bridport?

Ans: A nineteenth-century roll-top desk made from oak was noticed by the author in Bridport.

4. What did he buy in the junk shop in Bridport?

Ans: The roll-top desk was burnt and disintegrated into several pieces but he still got it along with another table with a clumsy leg.

5. What did the author do with the desk?

Ans: Since the desk was in bad condition, the author tried to renovate it on Christmas Eve. He started by pulling out the drawers and removing the roll-top. 

B. Short Answer Questions                                                                                          2 Marks

1. Was the author able to open all the drawers? What did he find when he opened all the drawers? 

Ans: He tried pulling out all the drawers gradually but the last drawer was struck and he had to forcibly pull it out. On opening the drawer, he discovered a small black tin box and a sello-taped piece of lined notepaper.

2. What did the paper read?  How did the author feel about opening the box?

Ans: The paper stated the letter to be Jim’s last and instructed the reader to bury it with her when the time comes. He felt bad for opening such a personal letter, which his curiosity provoked him to do.

3. What did the author find inside the tin box?

Ans: An envelope with a letter was present inside the tin box. The addressee was mentioned as Mrs Jim Macpherson who lived on 12 Chopper Beeches, Bridport, Dorset and was dated as 26 December 1914.

4. Who was Connie? Why did the writer of the letter mention he was happy?

Ans: Connie was the addressee and the letter writer’s wife. The writer of the letter was excited to tell her about a playful event that happened while he was serving at the war and wanted to share that through the letter.

5. Who wrote the letter? What occasion has he mentioned in the letter?

Ans: Jim wrote the letter. He wrote about a wonderful Christmas celebration he and his friends had with the German forces.

C. Short Answer Questions                                                                                            3 Marks

1. What did Jim tell about someone looking from the trenches?

Ans: There was someone who was waving a flag from the trenches, opposite them. As they approached closer the people on the other side exchanged greetings for the festive season.

2. What was the man in grey greatcoat doing? Did people follow his words?

Ans: A white flag was waved by the man in the grey coat and then someone followed instructing not to shoot. The instruction was followed but then when Fritz came upon the parapet, Jim instructed the men to keep their heads lowered since he felt it was a trick.

3. What were the Germans doing? Who was their officer?

Ans: The Germans invited everyone to join down to celebrate Christmas with them. They brought schnapps and sausages with them to enjoy the Christmas morning, amidst the war. Little Private Morris was the first man to ask them to join the little celebration they had prepared. All the men, dressed in their respective grey and khaki uniforms made peace by celebrating Christmas in between the war.

4. What did the Fritz officer tell Captain Jim Macpherson?

Ans: Captain Jim Macpherson was approached by a Fritz officer when everyone was busy enjoying the Christmas celebrations. He outstretched his hand and told him that he was “Hans Wolf” and played cello in an orchestra in Dusseldorf. Jim also exchanged the greeting and told him that he taught school kids in Dorset, located in west England. 

5. How did Hans Wolf know about Dorset

Ans: The two officers talked over rum ration and sausages while discussing details about various things. Hans Wolf knew about Dorset very well from the schoolbooks he read in England and various English texts he came across. He also shared details about his favourite book and writer.

D. Long Answer Questions                                                                                       5 Marks

1. What are the two armies in the letter mentioned? What do they do on Christmas?

Ans: Tommy and Fritz are the two armies mentioned in the letter by Jim. On Christmas, both the armies set aside the rivalry and celebrated the occasion together. They shared their drinks, sausages, cake and exchanged instances from their lives. They also played football and Fritz won among the teams. The enemies turned into friends on one fine Christmas morning and proved that boundaries are just political constructs.

2. “I think that is what every soldier wants, on both sides,” who are these lines said by and to whom, and why?

Ans: Hans Wolf, the officer of Fritz said these lines to Jim Macpherson, the officer of Tommy. As the celebration ended and all the food was consumed, Jim spoke to Hans about his wish. Everyone wished that the war would end soon so that they could meet their families again and that was what every soldier wished on either side. Hans also stated that he was grateful for this time shared and would never forget it.

3. What did the author decide after reading the complete letter? What happened next?

Ans: The author was filled with guilt and remorse after he read the letter. He realized it must be very dear to the reader and he must go and return it to the person to whom it belonged. The owner of the letter, Mrs Macpherson lived in Bridport, miles away from his home. When reached her home it was all burned down to ashes and an old man, who was her, informed him that she was a bit crazy and was shifted to the other side of the town in a nursing hospital.

4. Why was the house burnt out? Where was Mrs Macpherson?

Ans: The house caught fire when Mrs Macpherson was in it. The exact cause of the fire was not known but everyone guessed it was because of the candles that she used instead of electricity. She felt it would cost her more to use electricity. She was rescued from the fire safely by the firefighters and later shifted to the other side of the town in a nursing home named Burlington House at Dorchester Road.

5. What did the matron tell the author about Mrs Macpherson? What was Mrs Macpherson doing when the author found her in the nursing home?

Ans: The author discovered on reaching the nursing home that Mrs Macpherson was a secluded individual and preferred time alone. She was a bit confused about things and was never visited by anyone. She would surely be delighted to meet someone. When the author visited her, she was sitting in a wheelchair, with her hands resting on her lap. She had a peaceful demeanour and her hair were tied into a bun and her eyes were looking out at the garden.

Class 8 The Best Christmas Present in The World

Summary and Explanation

The theme of the story “The best Christmas present in the world” depicts friendship and shows how love finds its way home. The story begins with the narrator wanting to buy a roll-top desk. So, he went to a jun shop in Bridport where he found a roll-top desk. 

The narrator picked up the roll-top desk and noticed that it was old and broken but it was made up of oak. The narrator found it cheaper than the other desks which he had seen before. Though the des was not in good shape, in spite of that the narrator bought it hoping he could fix it. After purchasing the desk, the narrator started fixing it during Christmas eve. The table was of the 19th century and was made up of oak.

He removed the damaged covers and noticed that the drawers were severely damaged due to continuous exposure to fire and water. He could open the upper desks easily but found it very difficult to open the last desk so he had to apply brute force. 

On opening the tin box he found an envelope. The address on the envelope read Mrs. Tim Macherson, 12 Copper beeches, Bridport, Dorset. The narrator took out the letter and the date was mentioned as “December 26, 1914”. When he opened the desk, he found a tin box. The tin box was cello taped and the top had a piece of lined notepaper, on which it was written in shaky handwriting, “Tim’s last letter, received January 25, 1915. To be buried with me when the time comes”.

Out of curiosity, the narrator started reading the letter. It was written by Tim Macpherson, the captain of the English army to his wife Connie. In the letter, he had narrated a beautiful incident that occurred on the battlefield.

It was Christmas day when the incident occurred. The English and the German army were at war with each other. Both the armies were in their trenches. Suddenly, the captain saw a person waving a white flag from the German’s side. The German soldiers from the other side wished Merry Christmas to the English soldiers. All the English soldiers did the same. 

All of a sudden, they saw a German soldier approaching them. It was a matter of concern for captain Macpherson. He thought it was a trick to kill them all but after closely observing, he found that the German soldiers brought canned meat and wine.

It was a moment of joy and happiness as the soldiers from both sides started hugging and wishing each other. Hans Wolf was the German captain and he shook hands with Macpherson. Wolf told him that he was from Dusseldorf and he used to play cello in an Orchestra. Macpherson was surprised to see a German was speaking English fluently. He replied by saying that he was from Dorset and he was a school teacher. 

The conversation continued and Hans Wolf told that he loves reading and Thomas Hardy was his favourite writer. Macpherson offered him the cake which was sent by his wife, Connie.

The soldiers from both sides had the best time celebrating Christmas. Next, they played football together. After the match, everyone enjoyed the food and drinks. When the time came, they parted back to their respective trenches. 

Later that night soldiers from both sides sang carols for a while and then there was silence. He wrote that these memories were the best and they were the treasure of his lifetime. He wrote in the letter that he hopes the war ends soon. 

After reading the letter, the narrator wanted to return the letter so he decided to drive to Bridport immediately. The narrator started searching for Mrs. Macpherson. He asked for the address from the boy on the streets and went there. On reaching, he saw that the house was completely burnt. Mrs. Macpherson was 101 years old and she was inside the house at the time of the fire. The author came to know that Mrs. Macpherson is in a nursing home. 

On reaching the nursing home, he asked the authorities about Mrs. Macpherson and they guided him to her. He saw an old lady sitting in a wheelchair and her hands were folded in her laps. The narrator returned the tin box to her and wished her Merry Christmas. 

She saw the box with letters and smiled. She became emotional and had tears in her eyes. She asked the narrator to sit beside her and read all the letters present in the box. She further thanked him and said that she had received the best Christmas gift ever. 

After reading the explanation, students can go through Class 8 English Chapter 1 important questions PDF provided by Vedantu and attempt to answer the questions. In case of doubts regarding the chapter, students can reach out to us as we offer a free consultation for doubt clarification.

Benefits of Vedantu’s Class 8 The Best Christmas Present in The World Important Questions PDF

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• The questions have been framed as per the pattern of the CBSE exam and the latest syllabus. The experts have consulted previous years’ questions and analysed the chapter well while setting the questions.

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CBSE Class 8 English Honeydew Important Questions

• Chapter 2 - The Tsunami

• Chapter 3 - Glimpses of the Past

• Chapter 4 - Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory

• Chapter 5 - The Summit Within

• Chapter 6 - This is Jody’s Fawn

• Chapter 7 - A Visit to Cambridge

• Chapter 8 - A Short Monsoon Diary

• Chapter 9 - The Great Stone Face - 1

• Chapter 9 - The Great Stone Face - 2

Give your preparation the right acceleration and boost with Vedantu’s Important Question on Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 1 The Best Christmas Present in the World. Know what type of questions you can be asked in the exam and how to address them with these expert-solved important questions. Enhance your performance and fetch high marks with the right preparation strategy. Download the PDF today!

Conclusion

The story of the best Christmas present in the world highlights the importance of love and kindness. The first half of the story shows how two armies of the different sides instead of hating each other decide to celebrate Christmas together like brothers. The first half of the story conveys a message that war can only destroy the world but a small gesture of kindness can save the world. 

The second half of the story highlights the importance of kindness. When the narrator decided to return the tin box full of letters to Mrs, Macpherson, he did it to see the smile on her face when she got her late husband’s last letters. This shows how a small act of kindness and empathy can make a person’s day.