Class 8 English Question Answers - The Great Stone Face-I (Old Syllabus)

Comprehension Check (Page 125) 

Write 'True' or 'False' against each of the following statements. 

1. The Great Stone Face stood near where Ernest and his mother lived. ______
2. One would clearly distinguish the features of the Stone Face only from a distance. ______
3. Ernest loved his mother and helped her in her work. ______
4. Though not very rich, Gathergold was a skillful merchant. ______
5. Gathergold died in poverty and neglect. ______
6. The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Ernest should not fear the general. ______
Ans.
1. The Great Stone Face stood near where Ernest and his mother lived: False
2. One would clearly distinguish the features of the Stone Face only from a distance: True
3. Ernest loved his mother and helped her in her work: True
4. Though not very rich, Gathergold was a skillful merchant: False
5. Gathergold died in poverty and neglect: True
6. The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Ernest should not fear the general: False

Working with the Text (Page 126)

Answer the following questions.

Q.1. (i) What was the Great Stone Face?
Ans. The Great Stone Face was a work of nature. It was formed on the perpendicular side of a mountain by some gigantic rocks. These rocks were clustered together in such a position that when viewed from a certain distance, they resembled the features of a human face. However, the spectator lost the outline of the enormous face when he approached too close to the gigantic rock. He could see only a heap of enormous rocks that were piled one upon another. On the contrary, the Great Stone Face seemed positively to be alive when viewed from a distance. Most people dwelling in that place strongly believed that the valley owed much of its fertility to the gentle face that was continually smiling over it.

(ii) What did Young Ernest wish when he gazed at it?
Ans. Whenever Ernest gazed at the Great Stone Face, he felt it was smiling to him. The young boy wished it could talk to him because he felt that if it looks so very kindly, then its voice must indeed be pleasant. He said that if ever he sees a man with a similar face, he would love him very much.

Q.2. What was the story attributed to the Stone Face?
Ans. The story attributed to the Stone Face was that someday in future, a child would be born in the valley. He would be destined to become the greatest and noblest person of his time and that his face in manhood would bear an exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face.

Q.3. What gave the people of the valley the idea that the prophecy was about to come true for the first time?
Ans. A rumour was doing the rounds throughout the valley that the great man who was supposed to bear a resemblance to the Great Stone Face had finally appeared. A young man named Gathergold had left the valley and settled at a distant seaport. He had grown to be a wealthy merchant by the time he grew old. He decided to return to his native valley and live his last few days where he had been born. It was believed that he had a close resemblance to the Great Stone Face and the prophecy was about to come true for the first time.

Q.4. (i) Did Ernest see in Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face?
Ans. No, Ernest did not see the likeness of the Stone Face in Gathergold. He could not see the kindness or truthfulness in Gathergold’s face as it was missing in his unpleasant face due to his wrinkled shrewdness.
(ii) Who did he confide in and how was he proved right?
Ans. Ernest confided and poured out his heart to the Great Stone Face that Gathergold did not have the likeness of the Stone Face at all. By the time he died, his wealth and money had disappeared and he died in poverty and neglect.

Q.5. (i) What made people believe General Blood-and-Thunder was their man?
Ans. General Blood-and-Thunder was another son of the valley who went to become a soldier and rose to the position of a famous Commander. He desperately longed to return to his valley. The inhabitants, old neighbours and friends in the valley felt that he bore the likeness of the Great Stone Face. This made people in the valley believe that General Blood-and-Thunder was their man who would fulfill the prophecy.
(ii) Ernest compared the man's face with the Stone Face. What did he conclude?
Ans. When Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face, he could not find any similarity between them. His heart assured him that the General Blood-and-Thunder was not the right person for whom they were eagerly awaiting. From this, Ernest concluded that the greatest and noblest man of his time who would bear the resemblance of the Great Stone Face was yet to come.

Working with Language

Q.1. Look at the following words.
like — likeness
punctual — punctuality
The words on the left are adjectives and those on the right are their noun forms.
Write the noun forms of the following words by adding ‑ness or ‑ity to them appropriately. Check the spelling of the new words.
(i) lofty ______________ (vi) enormous ______________
(ii) able ______________ (vii) pleasant ______________
(iii) happy ______________ (viii) dense ______________
(iv) near ______________ (ix) great ______________
(v) noble ______________ (x) stable ______________
Ans.
(i) lofty loftiness (vi) enormous enormity 
(ii) able ability (vii) pleasant pleasantness
(iii) happy happiness (viii) dense density
(iv) near nearness (ix) great greatness
(v) noble nobility (x) stable stability

Q.2. Add‑ly to each of the following adjectives, then use them to fill in the blanks.

(i) Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were _______ waiting for you.
(ii) _________ write your name and address in capital letters.
(iii) I was _________ surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.
(iv) It is _________ believable that I am not responsible for this mess.
(v) He fell over the step and _________ broke his arm.
Ans.
(i) Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were eagerly waiting for you.
(ii) Kindly write your name and address in capital letters.
(iii) I was pleasantly surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.
(iv) It is perfectly believable that I am not responsible for this mess.
(v) He fell over the step and nearly broke his arm.

Q.3. Complete each sentence below using the appropriate forms of the verbs in brackets. 
(i) I _________ (phone) you when I _________ (get) home from school.
(ii) Hurry up! Madam _________ (be) annoyed if we _________ (be) late.
(iii) If it _________ (rain) today, we _________ (not) go to the play.
(iv) When you _________ (see) Mandal again, you _________ (not/recognise) him. He is growing a beard.
(v) We are off today. We _________ (write) to you after we _________ (be) back.
Ans.
(i) I shall phone you when I will get home from school.
(ii) Hurry up! Madam will be annoyed if we are late.
(iii) If it rains today, we shall not go to the play.
(iv) When you see Mandal again, you will not recognise him. He is growing a beard.
(v) We are off today. We shall write to you after we are back.

Speaking and Writing (Page 127) 

Q.1. Imagine you are Ernest. Narrate the story that his mother told him.
Begin like this: My mother and I were sitting at the door of our cottage. We were looking at the Great Stone Face. I asked her if she had ever seen anyone who looked like the Stone Face. Then she told me this story.
Ans. She had heard that story from her own Mother that someday a child would be born resembling the Stone Face. In manhood, he would become the greatest and noblest person of his time.

Q.2. Imagine you are Gathergold. Write briefly the incident of your return to the valley.
Begin like this: My name is Gathergold. I left the valley of the Great Stone Face fifty years ago. I am now going back home. Will the people of the valley welcome me? Do they know that I am very rich?
Ans. I drove to my native village in a horse-drawn carriage. The people mistook me for the Great Stone Face. They welcomed me and shouted, “Sure enough, the old prophecy is true and the great man has arrived at last”.