BBC Compacta Class 8 Solutions - Classroom Assignment- 1

Read the following poem carefully.

ASMILE

1.     Smiling is infectious,

         You catch it like the flu,

         When someone smiled at me today,

         I started smiling too.

2.     I passed around the corner,

         And someone saw my grin,

         When he smiled I realized,

         I'd passed it on to him.

3.    I thought about that smile,

        Then realized its worth,

        A single smile,just like mine,

        Could travel round the earth.

4.    So, if you feel a smile begin,

        Don't leave it undetected.

        Let's start an epidemic quick,

        And get the world infected.

                                                           Anonymous

1. Complete the following statements as briefly as possible. 

( a) People catch smiles just like they ............................................. .

Ans:  People catch smiles just like they catch the flu.

(b) The poet's smile was triggered when .......................... .

Ans: The poet's smile was triggered when someone smiled at him.

(c) The poet realized that he had passed on his smile to another person when .............. .

Ans: The poet realized that he had passed on his smile to another person when that person smiled.

(d) The poet wants the whole world to ..............

Ans: The poet wants the whole world to start an epidemic of smiles.

2. Column A of the table below contains some expressions from the poem. Match them with their most appropriate meanings given in Column B by drawing lines. Remember, there is one meaning that does not match with any of the expressions. 

Ans:  Match the expressions from the poem to their possible meanings:

(a) "Smiling is infectious" matches with "One person's smile causes another person to smile."

(b) "Someone saw my grin" matches with "My smile was noticed by someone."

(c) "Don't leave it undetected" matches with "Let's start a 'Smile please!' movement." (though this is a creative interpretation)

(d) "Start an epidemic quick" matches with "Let's make the world sick of our smiles." (again, a creative interpretation)

Tick(./) the correct option for each of the following statements. ( a) Which of the following quotes on smile BEST summarises the main idea of the poem? 

(a) Which of the following quotes on smile BEST summarises the main idea of the poem?

(i) Option 1

(ii) Option 2

(iii) Option 3

(iv) Option 4

Option 1: MOST SMILES ARE STARTED BY ANOTHER SMILE.

(b) Which of the following options gives the correct rhyme scheme of the poem?

(i) abab

(ii) abcb

(iii) aabb 

(iv) abba

Option iii: aabb

(c) Which of the following emojis represents a 'grin'?

Ans: Option ii: Emoji 2 (with the broad smile and showing teeth)

Q4: Would you smile back to somebody who smiles to you? Say 'Yes' or 'No'. Give reasons, using information from the poem, to support your opinion.

Ans:  Yes, based on the poem, I would smile back because a smile is presented as something positive and contagious, like a ripple effect that can be passed from person to person and has the potential to travel around the world. Smiling back contributes to this chain of happiness and positivity, potentially making many more people smile.