Short and Long Answer Questions (with Solutions) A Different kind of school | English Class 6 (Honeysuckle) PDF Download

Short Answer Type Questions

Ques 1: Who was Miss Beam?
Ans: Miss Beam was a kind and generous lady and the owner of the school. She was middle-aged, full of authority, yet very understanding. Her hair was grey. Her school taught students how to become responsible citizens and help those who were disabled to help themselves.

Ques 2: What method was adopted to prepare the children for the blind day?
Ans: The children were prepared for the blind day as their eyes were bandaged, and they were advised not to peep through them. The bandage was put on overnight, so they woke up blind and could see nothing.

Ques 3: What did the author point out about the children in the playground?
Ans: The author complained that not all children were healthy and active-looking. Some were blind or lame or crippled.

Ques 4: What was the real aim of Miss Beam’s school?
Ans: The real aim of Miss Beam’s school was not to teach so many subjects to make them thoughtful. They were trained to be kind to others and become responsible citizens. The school aimed at teaching ‘thoughtfulness’.

Ques 5: How did this ‘game’ help the children?
Ans: The ‘game’ of becoming blind, lame, deaf or dumb for a day helped the children to understand the pain of misfortune and the need to help the sufferer.

Ques 6: How has the girl with bandaged eyes impressed him?
Ans: The author was impressed when she told him about the head girl just by asking for details about her hair, height, etc. He was taken aback when she told him about the gardener. She told him about the activities of the gardener without seeing.

Ques 7: How did Miss Beam look like?
Ans: Miss Beam was a middle-aged, authoritative woman. She was kind and understanding. Since she was middle-aged, her hair had started turning grey. She had a motherly, plump figure.

Ques 8: Describe the appearance of Miss Beam.
Ans: Miss Beam was middle-aged, dominating, yet kind. Her hair was turning grey, and she was a little fat.

Ques9: How did the little bandaged girl make the author much more thoughtful than he ever thought?
Ans: The bandaged girl asked the author to describe things to her. The author had to observe places and persons very carefully. He noticed the colour of the hair or skirt. He discovered after a while that he had become thoughtful.

Ques 10: What did Miss Beam tell the author about the game being played among the friends?
Ans: Miss Beam explained to the author that no child was lame, blind or crippled. They were, in fact, being made to understand misfortune. Every child had one blind day, one lame day and one dumb day. They were helped by other children.

Ques 11: What did the author see out of the window?
Ans: The author saw beautiful grounds and a lot of jolly children. Not all the children looked healthy or active. He saw girls with poor eyesight and other problems.

Ques 12: How did the girl explain the ‘bad days’? Why were they bad?
Ans: Amongst the bad days, the day when the arm was tied up was troublesome because you need help eating to do any other work. Being blind on the blind day was also a bad day because the head ached and there was fear of getting hurt all the time.

Ques 13: What was the purpose of these special days?
Ans: The purpose of special days was to teach thoughtfulness, kindness to others, and responsibility to citizens. To make the children appreciate and understand misfortune, they were made to share in misfortune, too.

Ques 14: Who is Millie?
Ans: Millie is the head girl of Miss Beam’s school.

Ques 15: The dumb day is the most difficult day. Why?
Ans: The dumb day is the most difficult day for the children because bandages cannot be put on the children’s mouths, but they have to show their firm willpower to be silent throughout the day without uttering a single word.

Long Answer Type Questions

Ques 1:  What is your opinion about the teaching methods of Miss Beam’s school? Whether they were correct or not? Give reasons to support your answer.
Ans: In my opinion, the teaching methods of Miss Beam’s school were correct and appropriate in showing their sympathy. Each term, every child had one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day in the school. Through this method, the students will undergo pain and suffering, and they will understand the misfortune of disabled persons. These days, children are unable to do anything themselves and need help, and other children are given the duty of helping them. All the children learn many things with this teaching method. This will make them responsible and better citizens for the future.

Ques 2: In what respect was Miss Beam’s school different from others?
Ans: Miss Beam ran a school. But it was very different from others. The children were taught how to spell words, do sums and write. The teacher taught them interesting lessons. But the real aim of the school was to make children sensitive and good citizens, kind and responsible. They were given practical training to develop such a character.

Ques 3: How successful was Miss Beam in inculcating values in her students?
Ans: Miss Beam was known for her efforts to inculcate values in her students. She focused on academics as well. Her students were taught spelling, reading, adding, subtracting, multiplying and writing. They were also educated to be socially responsible citizens. They were given chances to help and coordinate well with each other. The author was impressed with their bond and the fact that they shared responsibilities. He also liked the altitude, zeal and enthusiasm with which Miss Beam was educating her students. In the end, we can say that she had successfully inculcated empathy and companionship among her school students.

Ques 4: What attributes should be a part of the school education system?
Ans: The lesson dealt with the lack of values in the education system prevailing. The emphasis should be laid on the all-round development of a child-be it emotional, social or physical, etc. Policymakers should keep in mind shaping the future of students while framing the syllabus of students. The minds of young learners reciprocate the conditions provided to them. They can realise and relate through real-life experiences. They should be given opportunities to become better citizens.

Ques 5: Which incident made the visitor to the school ten times more thoughtful than ever?
Ans: The narrator had heard a lot about the unique method of teaching in Beam’s school. At first, he saw a blind girl being led out. Then he saw a lame boy. He thought that the students were not at all healthy and active. But soon, he came to know that they were just acting to be blind, lame, crippled etc. Meanwhile, he was asked to lead a blind girl around. The blind girl asked him many questions. And he had to apply his brain to describe people and things. He realised that he had become ten times more thoughtful than ever.