NCERT Class 10 English Chapter 5 The Hundred Dresses – I & II
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 5 The Hundred Dresses
The Hundred Dresses – I
Oral Comprehension Check
Page 65
Question 1.
Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why?
Answer:
Wanda Petronski used to sit on the corner most benches, lost in her world, where rough boys usually sat. She was a very poor, shy and quiet girl and did not want to mess with others so she preferred to sit in isolation.
Question 2.
Where does Wanda live? What kind of a place do you think it is?
Answer:
Wanda lives upon Boggins Heights, where poor people live. It is not a developed area and is covered with mud. There are no proper roads or streets and it is a kind of slum.
Question 3.
When and Why do Peggy and Maddie notice Wanda’s absence?
Answer:
Wanda didn’t come to school on Monday and Tuesday but nobody noticed her absence as she did not have friends in the class. When Peggy and Maddie waited for Wanda to make fun of her after the school was off, they noticed that she was absent, otherwise nobody bothered about her there.
Question 4.
What do you think “to have fun with her” means?
Answer:
“To have fun with her ” means to laugh at her as it is human tendency to make fun of others imperfections which are mostly about the appearance. Here in the story, Wanda is a source of amusement or pleasure because of her shy nature and her hundred dresses.
Page 67
Question 5.
In what way was Wanda different from the other children?
Answer:
Wanda Petronski was a polish girl whose parents had settled down in America. She was a source of fun because of her last name which made her different from others, because Americans did not have such names and it was difficult to pronounce.
She came to school alone and her feet were covered with mud. She preferred to sit alone in the last in the class. She had only one blue dress which was faded but claimed of having a hundred dresses. These qualities make her different from other children.
Question 6.
Did Wanda have a hundred dresses? Why do you think she said she did?
Answer:
Wanda was teased everyday by her classmates after school
hours. They used to make fun of her dress and her name. One day tired of all the teasing and taunting, she claimed of having a hundred dresses and sixty pairs of shoes, but nobody believed her.
She was a determined girl and had a great amount of self-confidence. For her number of dresses were not important but the inner talent which had the real value.
Question 7.
Why is Maddie embarrassed by the questions Peggy asks Wanda? Is she also like Wanda, or is she different?
Answer:
Maddie is embarrassed by the questions Peggy asks Wanda because she is also poor and understands the mental condition of Wanda. She also wears dresses handed down by rich family. Though, she is an American but she has the same mind-set as Wanda and doesn’t want anyone to tease Wanda because of her dress or her name.
Page 70
Question 8.
Why didn’t Maddie ask Peggy to stop teasing Wanda? What was she afraid of?
Answer:
Maddie didn’t ask Peggy to stop teasing Wanda because Peggy was the most popular girl in the school. She was a nice girl but when it came to Wanda she behaved differently, otherwise she helped everyone in trouble. Though, she wants Peggy to stop teasing Wanda, she didn’t ask her to do so as she was afraid of being the next target of such taunts and teasings.
Question 9.
Who did Maddie think would win the drawing contest? Why?
Answer:
Maddie always believed that Peggy would win the drawing contest as she was good in drawing and everybody in the school loved her. She had a good image and impression on her teachers and classmates. No other girl in the class could draw as well as her. So, Peggy definitely had very good chances of winning the drawing contest according to Maddie.
Question 10.
Who won the drawing contest? What had the winner drawn?
Answer:
Among the boys, Jack Beggles and among the girls, Wanda
Petronski won the drawing contest. To show her determination she did not attend the school for two days and had drawn a • hundred sketches of dresses of different colours.. Each of them was capable to win the contest individually.
Wanda had drawn all the dresses which she had claimed to have had in the class. Everybody was very impressed with her drawing skill and clapped for her.
Thinking about the Text
Page 70
Question 11.
How is Wanda seen as different by the other girls? How do they treat her?
Answer:
Wanda is a polish girl who has setded in America with her parents. She lived in Boggin’s Height. She came to school in same faded blue dress everyday with her feet always covered with mud. Her last name is quite funny and difficult to pronounce for her classmates. Her appearance was not perfect to be in a higher class so all the students made fun of her and teased her after the school hours. After being teased over her tolerance she ) claimed to have had a hundred dresses in her closet.
Question 12.
How does Wanda feel about the dresses game? Why does she say that she has a hundred dresses?
Answer:
Wanda feels very embarrassed but remains silent in the class. She doesn’t talk to anyone and sits on the back bench with rough boys so that nobody can give attention to her. She is deeply hurt but never complains about it. To avoid their taunts and humiliation, Wanda says that she has a hundred dresses and sixty pairs of matching shoes in her closet. Later on, she draws all of them on paper for the drawing competition.
Question 13.
Why does Maddie stand by and does not do anything? How is she different from Peggy? or (was Peggy’s friendship important to Maddie? Why? Which lines in the text tell you this?)
Answer:
Peggy is the most popular girl in the class and Maddie is her closest friend. Though, Maddie is poor, Peggy never teases her as she does with Wanda so Maddie is afraid of losing her friendship. That’s why, she does not risk to annoy Peggy and prefers to be silent. The line, “Peggy was the best-liked girl in the whole room. Peggy could not possibly do anything that was really wrong” illustrates this.
Question 14.
What does Miss Mason think of Wanda’s drawings? What do the children think of them? How do you know?
Answer:
Miss Mason is very impressed with Wanda’s drawings. She considers them really beautiful and worthy of winning individually. The children are also impressed by the drawing skills of Wanda that they all applaud and whistle when she wins among the girls.
Thinking about Language
Page 71
Question 1.
Combine the following to make sentences.
1. This is the bus (what kind of bus?). It goes to Agra, (use which or that).
2. I would like to buy, (a) shirt (which shirt?) (The) shirt is in the shop window, (use which or that)
3. You must break your fast at a particular time (when?). You see the moon in the sky. (use when)
4. Find a word (what kind of word?). It begins with the letter Z, (use which or that)
5. Now find a person (what kind of person ?) His or her name begins with the letter Z. (use whose)
6. Then go to a place (what place?). There are no people whose name begins with Z in that place, (use where)
Answers:
1. This is the bus that goes to Agra.
2. I would like to buy a shirt that is in the shop window.
3. You must break your fast at a particular time when you see the moon in the sky.
4. Find a word that begins with letter Z.
5. Now find a person whose name begins with letter Z.
6. Then go to a place where there are no people whose name begins with letter Z.
Question 2.
The Narrative Voice Here are two other sentences from the story. Can you say whose point of view the italicised words express?
1. But on Wednesday, Peggy and Maddie, who sat down in front with other children who got good marks and who didn’t track in a whole lot of mud, did notice that Wanda wasn’t there.
2. Wanda Petronski. Most of the children in room thirteen didn’t have names like that. They had names easy to say, like Thomas, Smith or Allen.
Answer:
1. The italicised words express the point of view of Peggy and Maddie.
2. These italicised words express the point of view of other children of Wandas’ class excluding Peggy and Maddie.
Question 3.
Other such adverbs are apparently, evidently, surprisingly, possibly, hopefully, incredibly, luckily. Use these words appropriately in the blanks in the sentences below. (You may use a word more than once and more than one word may be appropriate for a given blank.)
1. ____, he finished his work on time.
2. ____, it will not rain on the day of the match.
3. ____, he had been stealing money from his
employer.
4. Television is ____ to blame for the increase in violence in society,
5. The children will ____ learn from their mistakes.
6. I can’t ____ lend you that much money.
7. The thief had ____ been watching the house for many days.
8. The thief ____ escaped by bribing the jailor.
9. ____no one had suggested this before.
10. The water was ____hot.
Answers:
1. Surprisingly
2. Hopefully
3. Possibly
4. evidendy
5. hopefully
6. possibly
7. apparendy
8. luckily
9. Incredibly
10. incredibly
The Hundred Dresses – II
Oral Comprehension Check
Page 74
Question 1.
What did Mr Petronski’s letter say?
Answer:
Mr Petronski’s letter was to inform the principal and Miss Mason that Wanda would not come to school as she was fed up of being bullied in the school. They were going to shift to a bigger place where nobody would make fun of their last name.
Question 2.
Is Miss Mason angry with the class, or is she unhappy and upset?
Answer:
Miss Mason seems to be unhappy and upset rather than angry because she had never expected such a behaviour from the students. She wants everyone to think about it and asks them not to do look down anyone in the class.
Question 3.
How does Maddie feel after listening to the note from Wanda’s father?
Answer:
Maddie feels sorry and ashamed for the behaviour although she herself did not make fun of Wanda. She never tried to stop Peggy to do so and remained a silent spectator. She feels as a coward.
Question 4.
What does Maddie want to do?
Answer:
Maddie wants to amend her behaviour towards Wanda. She wants to meet her to apologise. She decides to find Wanda at her house at Boggins Heights. She also wanted to convey that all was meant in good humour and people really love her.
Page 76
Question 5.
What excuses does Peggy think of giving in justification of her behaviour? Why?
Answer:
Peggy tries to defend herself by saying that her
behaviour towards Wanda inspired her to explore her drawing skills as she sketches a hundred dresses and that makes her win the drawing contest.
Question 6.
What are Maddie’s thoughts as they go to Boggins Heights?
Answer:
Maddie was feeling ashamed and apologetic for being a silent spectator while Peggy humiliated Wanda. She was feeling upset and distraught for Wanda and herself. She was also repenting for not stopping Peggy for behaving badly with Wanda.
Question 7.
Why does Wanda’s house remind Maddie of Wanda’s blue dress?
Answer:
Wanda’s house was sparse, old and laded but neat and clean like her blue dress that she wore everyday to school. Thus, Maddie was reminded of the same old blue dress.
Question 8.
What does Maddie think hard about ? What important decision does she come to?
Answer:
Maddie thinks about not to be mute spectator anymore that she had been in case of Wanda. She promised herself about not letting any injustice happen to anyone even if she would have to lose a friend in this.
Page 79
Question 9.
What did the girls write in the letter?
Answer:
Maddie and Peggy wrote a friendly letter to Wanda. They wanted to apologise for their behaviour but they ended up asking her whether she liked her new school and teacher. They informed her about her sketches winning the drawing competition. They praised her drawing skills and also told how much other students liked her art. The letter was just a usual letter one may write to a good friend.
Question 10.
Did Maddie and Peggy get a reply? Who was more anxious for a reply? How do you know?
Answer:
No, they didn’t get a reply from Wanda. Maddie was more anxious for a reply than Peggy because she was very upset and feeling sad for Wanda. She had assumed that Wanda was deeply hurt so she was not replying and blamed herself for everything. Maddie used to have sleepless nights and saw frightful dreams about Wanda.
Question 11.
How did the girls know that Wanda liked them even though they had teased her?
Answer:
Both Maddie and Peggy realised that Wanda liked them although they had teased her because she had gifted them her two beautiful dresses, a green one with red trimmings to Peggy and the blue one to Maddie. She had even drawn their faces in the painting of the dresses they got.
Thinking about the Text
(Page 79,80)
Question 1.
Why do you think Wanda’s family moved to a different city? Do you think life there was going to be different for their family?
Answer:
Wanda’s family moved to a different city due to the racist and insulting behaviour of students towards Wanda and her brother. They were teased by other students for their funny name and blue dress. Life there in a different city was going to be different because people there did not have such a narrow mind and would not tease them because of their name or status.
Question 2.
Maddie thought her silence was as bad as Peggy’s teasing. Was she right ?
Answer:
Yes, Maddie thought that her silence was as bad as Peggy’s teasing because it is often said that turning a blind eye to a crime is worse than committing a crime. So by being silent she indirectly encouraged Peggy to do so.
Question 3.
Peggy says, “I never thought she had sense to know we were making fun of her anyway. I thought she was too dumb. And gee, look how she can draw!”What led Peggy to believe that Wanda was dumb ? Did she change her opinion later ?
Answer:
Wanda never replied to Peggy ‘s misbehaviour and pranks that she faced everyday. So, her neutral face and unusual behaviour led Peggy to think that Wanda was dumb. Wanda even described the hundred dresses she said about though she wore the same old faded blue dress everyday. But later Peggy’ changed her opinion after having a look on Wanda’s sketches and her gesture of gifting her a beautiful drawing from her collection.
Question 4.
What important decision did Maddie make? Why did she have to think hard to do so ?
Answer:
Maddie decided to go to Wanda’s house with Peggy to apologise and amend for all that had happened but Wanda had left her house with her family. She felt bad because she thought of herself as a coward who did not stop Peggy to insult Wanda. So, she decided to raise voice against injustice and bullying. She was firm of not being a mute spectator anymore.
Question 5.
Why do you think Wanda gave Maddie and Peggy the drawings of the dresses ? Why are they surprised ?
Answer:
When Maddie and Peggy wrote a letter to Wanda, she might have understood their feelings behind their letter and during the dresses game, she had observed both of them. So she requested Miss Mason to give two of her drawings to them and had taught them a lesson of life. Maddie and Peggy were surprised as she gifted them the drawings with their faces.
Question 6.
Do you think Wanda really thought the girls were teasing her ? Why or why not ?
Answer:
Wanda was aware of the misbehaviour of the girls who teased her everyday “but she remained calm. To keep them mum she fabricated a story of having a hundred dresses and sixty pairs of matching shoes in her closet. She taught them a lesson of life by the drawings of the hundred beautiful dresses she claimed to have.
Thinking about Language
(Page 80,81)
Question 2.
What adjectives can we use to describe Peggy, Wanda and Maddie? You can choose adjectives from the list above. You can also add some of your own.
1. Peggy ____
2. Wanda ____
3. Maddie ____
Answer:
1. Peggy Sarcastic, thoughtless, zealous, unforgiving arrogant, cruel, haughty, proud, vain
2. Wanda Kind, courteous, introverted, talented, lonely, determined, complacent, contented, generous, friendly, intrepid, sensitive, compassionate, creative.
3. Maddie Insipid, timid, placid, stolid
Question 3.
Find the sentences in the story with the following phrasal verbs.
lined up, thought up, took off, stood by
Answer:
1. Lined up She thought of the glowing picture of those hundred dresses all lined up in the classroom.
2. Thought up Peggy who had thought up this game and Maddie her inseparable friend, were always ‘the last to leave.
3. Took off Miss Mason took off her glasses, blew on them and wiped them on her soft white handkerchief.
4. Stood by She had stood by silently and that was just as bad as what Peggy had done.
Question 4.
Colours are used to describe feelings, moods and emotions. Match the following ‘colour expressions’ with a suggested paraphrase.
1. The Monday morning blues : feel embarrassed /angry /ashamed
2. Go red in the face : feel very sick, as if about to vomit
3. Look green : sadness or depression after a weekened of fun
4. The red carpet : the sign or permission to begin an action
5. Blue-blooded : a sign of surrender or acceptance of defeat; a wish to stop fighting
6. A green belt : in an unlawful act; while doing something wrong
7. A blackguard : a photographic print of building plans; a detailed plan or scheme
8. A grey area : land around a town or city where construction is prohibited by law
9. A white flag : an area of a subject or a situation where matters are not very clear
10. A blue print : a dishonest person with no sense of right or wrong
11. Red-handed : a special welcome
12. The green light : of noble birth or from a royal family
Answer:
1. The Monday morning blues : sadness or depression after a weekend of fun
2. To go red in the face : feel embarrassed /angry/ashamed
3. Look green : feel very sick, as if about to vomit
4. The red carpet : a special welcome
5. Blue – blooded : of noble birth or from a royal family
6. A green belt : land around a town or city where construction is prohibited by law
7. Black guard : a dishonest person with no sense of right or wrong
8. A grey area : an area of a subject or a situation where matters are not very clear.
9. A white flag : a sign of surrender or acceptance of defeat; a wish to stop fighting
10. A blue print : a photographic print of building plans; a detailed clan or scheme
11. Red-handed : in an unlawful act; while doing something wrong
12. The green light : the sign of permission to begin an action