NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 2: Children at Work (It So Happened)

Comprehensive Check

1. Velu stood on the platform but he felt "as if he was still on a moving train". Why? 

Ans: Velu sat on the Kanyakumari Express and ran away from his home to Chennai. His legs were wobbly and shaky after he travelled to Chennai on a train and still felt shaky as if he was still on the train when he stood at the station. The effect of the train journey stayed on him for some time.

2. What made him feel miserable? 

Ans: Velu was fed up with his drunkard father and hence chose to run away from home. He ran away from home around two days ago and had not eaten anything except some peanuts and a piece of jaggery. He didn't know anything about the new city which made him anxious.

3. (i) Velu travelled without a ticket. Why?

Ans: Velu’s drunk father used to snatch away all his earnings. This irritated him and he left for home and sat on a train to Chennai. Since he had no money, he had to travel without a ticket.

(ii) How did he escape the ticket collector's attention?

Ans: He was sitting on the floor in the unreserved compartment. He was lucky because the ticket collector didn't come to the unreserved compartment.

4. Why had Velu run away from home?

Ans: Velu and his sisters had to work to fill their stomachs since they were poor. But their father was a drunkard and would beat the kids up in the evening and snatch away all the money. Velu got irritated by his life and decided to run away from the home to Chennai.

5. Why did he decide to follow the 'strange' girl?

Ans: Velu came to Chennai after running away from his home but he had no idea about the place. He had no idea about where to go, what to do and was hungry after two days of the journey. He felt it was better and safer to follow the ‘strange girl’ since she had an idea about the place.

6. Can Velu read Tamil and English? How do you know?

Ans: Velu failed to read the signboards in English but he was able to read the Tamil sign, Central Jail. He could only read Tamil.

7. “If you are not careful, you will soon be counting bars there,” the girl said.

(i) What is she referring to?

Ans: The girl referred to the Central Jail.

(ii) What does she mean when she says “If you are not careful...”? (She says something a little later which means the same. Find that sentence.)

Ans: The girl asked Velu not to indulge in something stupid or else he would get caught by the police officers and will be thrown into jail.

8. (i) Where did the girl lead Velu to?

Ans: The girl guided Velu to the back of a wedding hall. They were sure to find enough food to feed themselves because they were starving. 

(ii) What did they get to eat?

Ans: The girl could manage to get only one banana while Velu got a banana and a vada to eat.

9. What work did she do? Think of a one-word Ans. 

Ans: Rag-picking

10. (i) What material are the 'strange' huts made out of?

Ans: The ‘strange huts’ were made for bare shelter and were made from tyres, bricks, wood, metal sheet and plastic.

(ii) Why does Velu find them strange?

Ans: Velu belonged to a village in Southern India where the houses were made of palm leaves and mud instead of metal sheets, tyres, wood, plastic, and bricks in Chennai. They were fragile and looked like they would collapse anytime. He never saw a slum area in his life where people survived with the bare minimum.

11. What sort of things did Jaya and children like her collect and what did they do with those things?

Ans: Paper, glass, and plastic were some of the things that Jaya and children like her collected. These items were taken and sold to Jam Bazaar Jaggu, who would sell them to a factory.   

12. Is Velu happy or unhappy to find work? Give a reason for your Ans.

Ans: In his village, Velu would weed out the farm and take the cows out for grazing as a job. He didn't expect that he would have to dig garbage bins to feed himself in the city. But he decided to continue doing the work till the time he finds a better job.

Exercise

1. Is Velu a smart boy? Which instances in the text show that he is or isn't?

Ans: At the age of twelve Velu decided to leave his village because he was irritated by his drunkard father. I believe his decision was not wise enough but he was courageous to take the step. He took a train to Chennai and followed a girl who knew the city well. He knew how to read Tamil. It was difficult for him to adjust to his present conditions at first and he refused to eat the banana from the bin but eventually submitted to his circumstances. He found the place strange and planned to stick to his present job till the time he finds a better one in the city to sustain himself.

2. Do you think Jaya is a brave and sensitive child with a sense of humour? Find instances of her courage, kind nature and humour in the text.

Ans: Jaya was a girl of Vedu’s age who lived and sustained herself in the big city without any help. She was a ragpicker and knew her way around the city. She knew the places that were dangerous for them and places where they could find food easily. Velu was an unknown boy she met at the station. Though she didn't have enough to sustain herself she still helped Velu in the best possible ways. She was funny too. When she dragged him to help him cross the road she said, “What do you think you're doing? Grazing cows? If you stand around in the middle of the road like that, you'll be chutney.”

3. What one throws away as waste may be valuable to others. Do you find this sentence meaningful in the context of this story? How?

Ans: We throw away things that are not useful for us but those items might help someone to survive and sustain themselves. The vivid picture of the slum sketched in the story proves the same. The huts were basically made out of scrap but were enough to provide shelter. The kids would collect items such as plastic bottles and leftovers and then sell them to earn money. Waste comes disguised in the form of blessings and sustenance for them.

Benefits of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Supplementary Chapter 2

• NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Supplementary Chapter 2 provides detailed explanations of key events and characters, enhancing comprehension.

• The solutions to Class 8 English Supplementary Chapter 2 Question Answers help improve language skills with definitions and usage of difficult words from the chapter.

• NCERT Solutions to Class 8 English Chapter 2 supplementary encourages critical thinking through thought-provoking questions and answers about the story's themes.

• The Class 8 English Supplementary Chapter 2 Question Answers are tailored to the curriculum and exam pattern, aiding effective preparation with accurate answers.

• The Class 8 English Supplementary Chapter 2 Highlights important life lessons on resilience and hope, fostering personal growth and empathy.

• The Class 8 English Supplementary Chapter 2 PDF Question Answers are FREE to download for easy and quick access whenever and wherever needed.

Other Study Material for CBSE Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter 2

Conclusion

The Class 8 Supplementary Chapter 2, Children at Work tells the story of Velu, who runs away from home due to constant abuse from his drunkard father. Soon he reaches the capital city of Madras where he roams around looking for food and shelter. He befriends a young ragpicker girl who teaches him the ways of life for poor children in this giant city. The NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Supplementary Chapter 2 Question Answers are provided by Vedantu, FREE of cost, for download in PDF Format. Students can refer to these solutions and step into the examination hall with confidence, ready to ace that examination.

Chapter-wise NCERT Solutions Class 8 English

The Class 8 English Supplementary book, “It So Happened” is a great reader that spans various topics and genres covered across many disciplines through its interesting chapters. You can find expert-compiled NCERT Solutions to all chapters from the Class 8 English It So Happened textbook in the table given below:

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