A Fighter's Lines

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1.A soldier/veteran soldier
Who do you think the persona is?
Who does the persona represent?
Who is the persona in the poem?
2.Fought for the countrys independence.
What has the persona done for his country?
What did he fight for?
3. From stanza 1,give one phrase that show that the person is not a young
person?
Old and worn.
4.What disturbs the persona now?/From stanza 2, what does the persona worry
about?
The spread of deceit./corruption/dishonesty
5.What kind of tone do you sense from the first two stanzas?
Frustration.It is because he is disable to fight for his country.
6.Describe what the poet means by the last two lines in stanza 2?
-He voices out the problem encountered by the younger generation nowadays.He
implies how the modern generations deceives each other and how the deceit is
spread day by day and it obviously bothers him.
- After years of independence, the persona sees that the people are trying to
destroy themselves by engulfing into the world full of lies/deceits.
7. What does the word history in line 4 refer to?
The fight for independence
8. Why does the persona feel helpless?
He is old, weak, has lost all his strength, crippled and wheel-chair bound.He
cannot do much to free his country from new challenges.He still cares for the
country but unable to fight as he used to do.
9. What does the phrase a wall refers to?
-In order to fight for our freedom, first we have to be united, erect a wall of
people regardless of our races or religions and fight for the sake of our nations
harmony
-united population.
10. Who is referred to by the pronoun you in the last line?

The young generation/the present generation/the young people/the present

youths/the youths of today/the heirs of our country
11. What message is the poet trying to spread? Explain.
-He urges the new generation to speak out their opinions and fight for their
freedom and justice.
-We must defend our independence after the hardships that our late warriors had
been through as they sacrificed themselves to grant us the peace that we are
able to enjoy now.With all of our efforts,we must work hard to retain it.
12. Why do you think the persona says that he has lost all his strength?
The persona once had become a soldier and he had suffered a lot to free the
country from invaders. During that time, they fought with all of their will and as
the consequences now he is wheelchair bound due to the loss of energy and he
is now old enough to only be able to sit on the wheelchair while monologues
13. What do you think happened to those who fought for independence?
There were many sufferings and some of them died in the fight for
independence.
14. Who is the persona addressing in stanza 3 and 4? Why do you think he does
this?
The persona is addressing the young generation. He urges the new generation
to speak out their opinions and fight for their freedom and justice.
15. What is the persona contribution to his country?
He fought for the countrys independence.
16. Why does the persona say he can see and cannot do much?
He is old, weak, has lost all his strength, crippled and wheel-chair bound
17. What does the phrase a wall of people represent?
In order to fight for our freedom, first we have to be united, erect a wall of
people regardless of our races or religions and fight for the sake of our nations
harmony
18. What did the present or younger generation inherit from their forefathers?
The spirit to fight for freedom and justice.
19. State two things that the present or young generation must do in order to
defend the country threats.
1. Be united -We must defend our country from threats
2. Be patriotic- we must have patriotic feelings as this creates positive
implications in the future
20. State two ways to show your appreciation to those who sacrifices for your
country independence.

1. Join in the Armed Forces Day celebration

2. Write appreciation cards/poems
21. Do you think bribery is destroying our country? Suggest two ways to curb
bribery.
Yes, I do. Firstly, we can hold a campaign to stop bribery. Secondly, we can put
up posters, banners and flyers on the harmful effects of bribery.
22. Which phrase indicates that the persona is helpless?
from the wheelchair of the rest of my days
23. What appeal does the persona make? Why do you think he makes that
appeal?
He urges the new generation to speak out their opinions and fight for their
freedom. He wants us to be united, regardless of our races or religions and fight
for the sake of our nations harmony.
24. Which line in the poem suggests that the persona is too weary to fight?
I, body and energy crushed
25. What does the persona mean by the net of deceit spread everywhere disturb
me?
The persona sees that the people are trying to destroy themselves by engulfing
into the world full of lies/deceits.
26. What does the persona mean by the net of deceit spread everywhere disturb
me?
The persona sees that the people are trying to destroy themselves by engulfing
into the world full of lies/deceits.
27. Do you agree that these times are too big a challenge for the persona? Why
do you say so?
Yes, I agree. He says that there is nothing much he can do as he cannot control
peoples mind as how he once did holding guns to destroy invaders. This is
shown in the Stanza 2.
28. Do you think protecting your country independence is important? How would
you protect your country independence?
Yes. I would fight for justice and freedom and lies, corruption and dishonesty.
29. Do you love your country? How would you tell other people that you love
your country?
Yes. The people must be united and fight for justice and freedom.
30.If the persona were your grandfather,would you do as he asks in the poem?
Give reasons to justify your choice.
Yes.I want to make sure the countrys independence will be preserved.

31.Identify which phrase that indicate the persona is weak.

1.Lost all my strength
2.Body and energy crushed.
32.Suggest two ways how we can show our gratitude to the independence
fighters.
1.Armed Forces Day
2.Military Award
33.State one personification that found in the poem.
The phrase crippled years.It personifies the years as human who is disable in
some way.
34.As a member of the young generations that the persona addressed in the
poem,how would you reply to him?
-I would thank the persona for his sacrifices for the country.
-I would him that I will stand up and continue his fight for the independence of
the country.

NOVEL:THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

QUESTIONS
Question
1.Based on the novel you have read, write about an interesting character. Give
reasons and examples to support your answer.
I read the novel, "The Railway Children" by Edith Nesbit. In this novel, I find
that Bobbie is a very interesting character.
I find her interesting because, she is a brave girl. This is shown when there
was a landslide. Half of the hillside crashed down onto the railway line. The train
was in danger. The children used the girls red petticoat to make six flags to warn
the train. The train came down the track too fast. Bobbie ran onto the railway
line waving two flags. The train stopped twenty metres away from Bobbie. Here,
it is very clear that Bobbie is a brave girl and I am sure not many children her
age would do this.
She is an interesting character because she is very loving. This is shown when
Mother was ill. The children did not have money to buy the things listed by the
doctor. Bobbie and her siblings got help. She loved her mother very much and
got all the things in the doctors list for her mother with the help of the old
gentleman. The old gentleman gave all the things in the list and some extra
things.
Bobbie has many good qualities and that is why I find her interesting. We
should make her our role model.

2. Thoughtfulness is the key to happiness. Based on the novel you have learnt,
describe an event that shows thoughtfulness.
I read the novel, "The Railway Children" by Edith Nesbitt. In this novel, there
are many events which show thoughtfulness. One of them is when the children
asked to have cakes on Thursday.
They wanted to make a birthday tea for Perks. Peter wanted to ask everybody
in the village to help them give Perks a nice birthday. On Thursday, the children
went around to collect presents the people had promised. At three oclock, the
children took the presents and the pram to Perks house. When Perks came home
and saw the pram and the presents, he was angry. He thought people would
laugh at him for being poor and needing their things. Bobbie explained that the
people wanted to give him the presents because they liked him. Perks calmed
down. He was glad that his neighbours thought so kindly of him. By being
thoughtful, the children had made Perks happy.
In this event, Bobbie and her siblings had made Mrs Ransome happy. They
found out that Mrs Ransome was not happy because no one remembered her
birthday and she did not want to join them and give Perks a birthday present.
The next day, Bobbie and Phyllis gave Mrs. Ransome roses and a handkerchief
for her birthday. Old Mrs Ransome thanked them for the roses. She gave them
apples for Perks. By being thoughtful, the children had made a lot of people
happy and this definitely proves that 'thoughtfulness is the key to happiness.
3. Based on the novel you have read, write about an interesting event. Give
reasons for your choice.
I studied the novel ' "The Railway Children " by Edith Nesbit. An event which I
find interesting is when Bobbie and her siblings saved the train.
One day, the children took a walk along the top of the hill beside the railway
line. Suddenly, they heard a noise and saw half the hillside crashed down onto
the railway line below. The children realised that the 11.29 a.m train was in
danger. They used the girls red petticoat to make six flags to warn the train.
The train came down the track too fast. Bobbie was afraid that it would not see
them. She ran onto the line waving two flags. The train stopped just twenty
metres away from Bobbie.
I find this event interesting because the children have shown their bravery to
save the train. They were not afraid instead they were willing to risk their lives to
save the train and the passengers in it. Bobbie was brave enough to run onto the
track when she realized the train would not stop. This act should be praised.
Another reason is their team work. They worked together to save the train;
tore the girls' red petticoat and made six flags to warn the train. Here, I could see
that they cooperated to accomplish their mission, that was to save the train.
This interesting event makes the story more interesting. Reading about the
children's courage and the adventure they went through is definitely exciting.
4. Based on the novel you have read, write about a character you dislike. Give
reasons and examples from the novel to support your choice.

I studied the novel, "The Railway Children" by Edith Nesbit. The character I
dislike is Mother.
Mother has many positive qualities a mother should have but , I dislike some
of her actions toward the children. One example is when she fell ill. The doctor
listed out all the things needed for her to get well. They did not have the money
to buy all the things listed. The children asked the old gentleman to help them
get the things on the doctor's list. That evening, Perks delivered a large box to
the children's house. It was given by the old gentleman. Inside the box were all
the things in the list with some extra things. Mother recovered and the children
told her about what they had done. However, she was very angry with them. I
think this is unfair to the children. They did what they could so that Mother get
well and I think what they did is not wrong and should be praised by Mother.
I also dislike Mother because she did not tell the children what had really
happened to Father. She kept it a secret. On the evening of Peter's birthday, two
men came and took their father away. Mother was upset. She tried to comfort
the children but did not tell them what had happened. They moved to the
country and began a new life there. The children had no idea what really
happened. They always thought of their father but did not talk about it as they
were afraid it would upset Mother. I disagree with Mother for keeping it a secret. I
feel that the children have the right to know what happen to their father.
Although they are still young to understand, they should know the real story
about their father so that they are mentally prepared to face the change in their
life.
Although Mother had her own reason for doing the things she had done;
scolded the children when they seek the old gentleman's help and did not tell the
children about what happened to their father, I think that she was being unfair to
the children.
5. Choose an event in the novel that portrays the hardship faced by the main
character. With close reference to the text, discuss how she / he tackles the
problem
I studied the novel, "The Railway Children " by Edith Nesbit. In this
novel,Roberta or Bobbie and her siblings lived with their parents in London. One
day, two strangers came and took their father away.After this sudden event, they
had to move to a small house in the country. Their life changed and they had to
face a lot of hardships.
Bobbie, the eldest child in the family and the main character in this novel
directly felt the hardship. An event that portrays the hardship faced by Bobbie is
when Mother fell ill. Peter fetched the doctor and before the doctor left, he listed
the things needed for Mother. They did not have the money to buy all the things
listed. Bobbie loved her mother very much and had to think of a way to
overcome the problem. She and her siblings wrote a message on a white sheet
for the old gentleman on the 9.15 train. It told him to look out for something at
the station. Phyllis gave the old gentleman a letter. The letter explained what
happened to Mother and asked the old gentleman for help to get the things on
the doctor's list. That evening, Perks delivered a large box to the house, Inside
the box were all the things on the doctor's list and some other extra things.
Bobbie finally got all the things in the doctors list for her mother with the help of

the old gentleman. Two weeks later, Bobbie and her siblings wrote a message on
a white sheet telling the old gentleman that Mother was getting better.
This event shows how Bobbie, the eldest child in the family tackled the
problem. Although Bobbie was still a child, she had a lot of good qualities which
other children at her age do not possess.