Class 8 English Chapter 1 Practice Question Answers - The Best Christmas Present in the World

Q1: 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.

Q2: What did the author see in Bridport?
Ans: A nineteenth-century roll-top desk made from oak was noticed by the author in Bridport.

Q3: Write the 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

Q4: 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.

Q5: What did the author spot in Bridport?
Ans: A junk shop was spotted by the author in Bridport.

Q6: 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.

Q7: 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.

Q8: 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.

Q9: 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.

Q10: 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.

Q11: 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.

Q12: 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.

Q13: 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.

Q14: 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.

Q15: 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.

Q16: 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.

Q17: 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.

Q18: 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.

Q19: 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.

Q20: “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.