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

Q1: Who was Jim Macpherson?
Ans: Jim Macpherson was a school teacher from Dorset, located in the west of England.

Q2: Describe briefly Christmas morning as mentioned in the letter sent by Jim to Connie.
Ans: According to Jim's letter, Christmas morning was crisp and quiet, with a beautiful and charming atmosphere. It was a cold and frosty day, perfectly fitting for a Christmas morning.

Q3: What did the author find in a secret drawer? Who do you think had put it there?
Ans: In a secret drawer, the author found a small black tin box. It was likely put there by Jim's wife, Mrs. Macpherson, and it contained an envelope with her name and address.

Q4: Describe the condition of the roll-top box. From where did the author find the roll-top box?
Ans: The roll-top box was made of oak and was in very bad condition. It had scorch marks down one side, and one leg was clumsily mended. The author found the roll-top box in a junk shop in Bridport.

Q5: What did the author find in a junk shop?
Ans: The author found a badly damaged 19th-century roll-top desk made of oak in a junk shop. It was in poor condition, with a broken roll-top, scorch marks, and a clumsily mended leg.

Q6: Why did the author buy the roll-top box even though it was in bad condition?
Ans: The author bought the roll-top box in bad condition because it was inexpensive, and he believed he could restore it by working on it.

Q7: What did Hans and Jim talk about when they were sharing rum and sausage?
Ans: They talked about their favorite book, "Far from the Madding Crowd," discussing the characters Bathsheba, Gabriel Oak, Sergeant Troy, and Dorset.

Q8: Why were the people at the nursing home surprised to see the visitor?
Ans: The people at the nursing home were surprised because Mrs. Macpherson had no family, and visitors were a rare occurrence for her.

Q9: Who was Hans Wolf?
Ans: Hans Wolf was an officer serving alongside Fritz. He was from Dusseldorf and played the cello in the orchestra.

Q10: What was written on the tin box?
Ans: The tin box had the inscription: "Jim’s last letter, received January 25, 1915."

Q11: What did the author do after reading the letter?
Ans: After reading the letter, the author went to Bridport and inquired about the address from where the shopkeeper acquired the roll-top box.

Q12: Who won the match?
Ans: Fritz's side won the football match.

Q13: Why was the letter so special?
Ans: The letter was special because it was written by Jim to his wife, Connie. It provided insight into the conditions of war and the longing for peace and love, highlighting the emotions of soldiers.

Q14: Where was Mrs. Macpherson living, and why?
Ans: Mrs. Macpherson was living in a nursing home called Burlington House in Dorchesten. Her house had caught fire, resulting in her moving to the nursing home after sustaining injuries.

Q15: What did the author find in the secret drawer?
Ans: In the secret drawer, the author found a tin box that was cello-taped to the top. Inside the tin box, there was a piece of lined notepaper.

Q16: What did Mrs. Macpherson think about the visitor?
Ans: Mrs. Macpherson believed that the visitor was her husband, Mr. Macpherson, and she thought he had returned home by Christmas.

Q17: How do wars usually end, and how should they end and why?
Ans: Wars usually end with bloodshed, loss of property, and casualties. However, the story suggests that wars should end differently, with something like a football match, as no one dies in a football match, and it doesn't leave behind orphans and widows.

Q18: Who had written the letter, to whom, and when?
Ans: Jim Macpherson had written the letter to his wife, Connie Macpherson, on December 26, 1914.

Q19: What was inside the tin box?
Ans: Inside the tin box, there was an envelope with the address: "Mrs. Jim Macpherson, 12 Copper Beeches, Bridport Dorset." The author also found a letter dated December 26, 1914, written in pencil.

Q20: Character sketch of Mrs. Macpherson.
Ans: Mrs. Macpherson was a charming, hundred-and-one-year-old woman with white silver hair and wrinkles. She preferred using candles over electricity due to cost concerns.