12th Std English Guide Unit 5.3 Solution

12th English : All Summer in a Day

12th Standard English Book Unit 5.3 All Summer in a Day Book Back Answers

Unit 5.3 > All Summer in a Day

Warm up

a) What makes the earth the one and only living planet?

Availability of oxygen, proper gravitational pull and presence of water are the main reasons that make the earth the one and only living planet.

b) Name a few things that make the earth a unique planet.

rivers	animals	birds	trees
sun light	rain	ozone layer	season

c. Do you enjoy watching movies? What type of movies do you like to watch? Here are the pictures of a few blockbuster movies.

Classify the movies based on the following categories: Historical/Comedy/ Horror/ Cartoon/ Science Fiction

v Lion King – cartoon
v Mr. Bean – comedy
v Gravity – science fiction
v Pearl Harbour – war movie
v IT – horror movie

Discuss:

Gravity is a science fiction movie. Which aspect of the movie is real science? Which aspect of the movie is fictional?

Dr. Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first space mission, performs a set of hardware upgrades on the Hubble. During a spacewalk, Mission Control in Houston warns about a Russian missile on a different satellite. They order the crew to return to the earth immediately. This is real science.

High-speed debris strikes the Hubble tearing Stone from the Shuttle and leaving her tumbling through space. The events leading to her miraculous escape are fictional.

Glossary

weeds – unwanted wild plants
peering – looking
concussion – confusion for a short time
tidal waves – large ocean waves
slackening – gradually slowing down
shove – rough push
Ohio – a mid western state of the US
patterning – regular
clutch – hold tightly
savagely – aggressively
whispered – spoke in a very quiet and low voice
predict – anticipate
surged – moved suddenly
slammed – banged
muffled – muted
avalanche – snow slide
repercussions – unwelcomed effects
tremble/tremor – shake
spell – magical situation
tumultuously – disruptively
octopi – plural of octopus
resilient – recover from difficult conditions
squinted – looked
solemn – serious

1. Based on your understanding of the story, answer the following questions in a sentence or two.

a) What do children get ready for at the beginning of the story?

At the beginning of the story the children get ready to see the sun.

b) How is life in the planet Venus described?

It had been raining for seven years. A thousand forests had been crushed under the rain and grown up a thousand times to be crushed again.

c) Who is Margot? How is she different from the rest of the children?

Margot is a girl from U.S. She is thin and her face is pale like snow.

d) What does Margot like the most – the sun or the rain?

Margot likes the rain most.

e) What was Margot waiting for? Why did William say that it was a joke?

Margot was waiting for the sun. As she said that it was the day predicted by the scientists about the arrival of the sun, William did not believe her and called it a joke.

f) Why does Margot wish to return to the earth?

Margot is different from other children and they keep her away. So she wishes to return to the earth.

g) Why did the children lock Margot in a closet?

The children did not like Margot who was different from them. They did not like her to join them to see the sun.

h) Margot could recall what the sun looked like while the other children could not. Why?

Margot was in U.S. and she had seen the sun but the other children were just two years old when the sun last came out. They had forgotten the colour and the heat of it.

i) How long did the sun shine on Venus?

The sun shone on Venus for an hour.

j) Why did one of the girls wail?

A rain drop fell on her palm and she was afraid that the sun would soon disappear.

2. Based on your understanding of the story, answer the following in three or four sentences.

a) What is the significance of the particular day described in the story “All Summer in a Day”?

The sun had appeared seven years ago in Venus. So the children longed to see the sun. That day, the teacher asked them to get ready to see the sun.

b) What happens to Margot while the teacher is out of the classroom?

Margot is teased by William, who pushes her. The boys ask her to get away as they hate her pale snow face, her silence and her thinness. They do not accept her to play any game with them.

c) How did Margot describe the sun to others?

She describes the sun as a penny. She says that it is like a fire in the stove.

d) How did the children react when the sun came out after seven years?

The children rushed our shouting happily. They were running and they were turning their faces up to the sky and were feeling the sun on their cheeks. They were taking off their jackets letting the sun burn their arms.

e) Why did William and the other children bully Margot?

They hated her pale snow face, her waiting silence, her thinness and her possible future. She would play no games with them. She was different from them. So William and other children bullied her.

f) What were their feelings towards Margot at the end of the story? Page 176

They took pity on her as they had denied her joys of watching the sun and playing in the sunlight. They felt sorry for the act of locking her in the room.

g) What does the title of the story convey?

The title of the story ‘All Summer in a Day’ highlights the significance of the presence of the sun in a day in Venus. This is because the sun appears after a gap of seven years. The entire summer is condensed to a day when the sun appears.

3. Answer in a paragraph of about 150 words the following questions.

a) What is the conflict between Margot and the other children in the story, “All Summer in a day”?

Margot from US – remembers the sun – the sun appeared two years back – others forgot the sun – others said Margot is lying – others hate Margot – different from others – so conflict

Margot has come from US to Venus. She remembers the sun and the way the sun was and the sky was when she was four in Ohio. Bur the other children were only two years old when the sun last appeared. They have totally forgotten the colour and the heat of it. Margot remembers and recalls that is like a penny. But the other children cry that it is not so. Margot says that the sun is like a fire in a stove. But the children cry that she is lying and she does not remember. But she remembers it very well. The children hate her pale snow face, her waiting silence, her thinness and her possible future. She would play no game with them. She is different from the other children. Hence there is a conflict between Margot and the other children.

Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.

b) How do the children react to the long awaited event in the story?

children thrilled seeing the sun – rush out of the class – turn up to sky – feel the sun on the cheeks – allow the sun to burn their body – run among the trees – slip and fall – play hide and seek – look at everything wildly – ran non-stop

The children are just thrilled seeing the sun comes out. They rush out of the classroom shouting happily. They run and turn their faces up to the sky. They feel the sun on their cheeks like a warm iron. They take off their jackets and allow the sun to burn their arms. They lie out on the jungle mattresses with laughter. They run among the trees, slip and fall. They push each other and play hide and seek. They squint at the sun until tears roll down their faces. They put their hands up to the yellowness and the amazing blueness. They keep on listening in silence. They look at everything wildly like the animals that escaped from their caves. They keep on running and shouting in circles. They run for an hour non-stop.

Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.

c) The sun brought about a positive change in the attitude of the children. Illustrate.

children anxious to see the sun – seven years ago – locked Margot – rushed out to see the sun – ran here and there – the sun faded – returned to classroom – remember Margot was in the closet – they were serious – realised their unkindness – unlocked the door – change in the attitude

The children were anxious to see the sun that had appeared seven years ago. They locked Margot one of their classmates in a room. The moment the sun appeared they rushed out happily. They kept on running and turning their faces up to the sky. They were taking off their jacket and letting the sun burn their arms. Their innocence came to the fore. When the sun faded, they returned to the classroom. Giving a little cry, one of the girls said that Margot was still in the closet where they had locked her. All the children stood as if one had driven them into the floor. They glanced out at the world that was then raining steadily. They could not meet each other’s glances. Their faces were pale. They looked serious. They looked at their hands and feet, their faces down. They gradually realised their unkind act and repented in their heart. They walked over to the closet. They unlocked the door slowly and let Margot out. Indeed, the sun brought out a positive change in the attitude of the children.

If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.

d) Did the children regret having locked Margot in a closet? Answer citing relevantly from the story.

regretted – the sun faded – returned to classroom – Margot in the closet – very serious – realised their unkindness – unlocked the closet – Marot came out – felt sorry – a classmate did not get the chance to see the sun

Yes, the children regretted having locked Margot in a closet. When the sun faded, they returned to the classroom. Giving a little cry, one of the girls said that Margot was still in the closet where they had locked her. All the children stood as if one had driven them into the floor. They glanced out at the world that was then raining steadily. They could not meet each other’s glances. Their faces were pale. They looked serious. They looked at their hands and feet, their faces down. They gradually realised their unkind act and repented in their heart. They walked over to the closet. They unlocked the door slowly and let Margot out. They regretted that they had denied their classmate the rarest opportunity to see the sun and play with them.

A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition.

4. Based on your understanding of the story, complete the story map.

Find out and encircle the following words in the word grid. (The words have been placed horizontally, vertically, diagonally and even back to front)

fades	predict	discriminate	locks	reminded
anticipated		experience	unlock	recall

Now read the sentences below. Complete them appropriately with the words you identified from the grid.

1. The scientists_________ that the Sun would come out on Venus that day after seven years.

Ans ; predicted

2. The children are getting ready for the _________event.

Ans ; anticipated

3. The children _______Margot as she _____the Sun.

Ans ; discriminated, recalled

4. William and other children have bullied her and ______her in a closet.

Ans ; locked

5. When the Sun comes out, the children _________the Sun.

Ans ; experience

6. The Sun ______behind a stir of mist. Again it started raining on Venus.

Ans ; faded

7. The children are ______ of Margot and ________the door and let her out.

Ans ; reminded, unlock

Speaking

Pair Work.

Ray Bradbury’s “All Summer in a Day” is a piece of science fiction. Discuss plots of similar stories with your partner and share your ideas with the class.