Students can find the best My English Book 8th Standard Question Answer and 8th Class English Chapter 1.1 Be the Best Question Answer Warming Up English Workshop Answers Pdf for exam preparation.
Std 8 English Chapter 1.1 Be the Best Question Answer Pdf
8th Class English Chapter 1.1 Be the Best Questions and Answers
Introductory Activities
• In spoken English, we often use contracted forms as:
Answer:
| Full form | Contracted form |
| I am busy. | I’m busy. |
| They are tired. | They’re tired. |
| He is not coming. | He isn’t coming. (OR) He’s not coming. |
| You will like it. | You’ll like it. |
| She will not like it. | She won’t like it. |
| We had been for a trip. | We’d been for a trip. |
| It must not happen again. | It mustn’t happen again. |
| That would be fine. | That’d be fine. |
| Do you not like it? | Don’t you like it? |
• Fill in the gaps in the table below.
Answer:
| Contracted form | Full form |
| Let’s | Let us |
| Shan’t | Shall not |
| They’ve | They have |
| Weren’t | Were not |
| We’re | We are |
| Can’t | Cannot |
| Where’s | Where is |
| What’re | What are |
| There’s | There is |
Chit – Chat
Question 1.
Have you got a prize in any competition?
Answer:
Yes, I have. In my school, I have participated in many competitions, such as drawing, poetry recitation, sports, etc. I have won prizes a few times. However, there were also times when despite performing well, bit did not win any prize.
Question 2.
How did you feel at that time?
Answer:
I used to be overjoyed when I won prizes, but upset when I did not win any, in spite of doing well.
Question 3.
Have you ever failed in your efforts?
Answer:
Answer:
Yes, there were times when I did not win as I had not prepared well for the competition. For example, I had taken part in the running race last year, but had not practised before the Sports Day. Hence, I couldn’t run as fast as the others. Eventually, I lost the race that day, due to lack of efforts on my part.
Question 4.
Do you think we should accept success as well as failure?
Answer:
Yes, Success and failure are two sides of the same coin. Though we must put all our efforts to win, we must also take failure with a smile and learn from it. This will help us perform better the next time.
Question 5.
What will be your reaction if you are not selected in a team?
Answer:
If I have practised hard and still don’t get selected in a team, I would be hurt. But I would try to learn something from it. I would cheer for the ones who are selected and wish them luck. Also, I would not give up. I would use the time to better my skills and perform well the next time so that I too would be selected in the team.
[Note: The above answers are for reference. Students are expected to attempt the above activity on their own.]
8th English 1.1 Be the Best Warming Up Answers
Question 1.
A. Read aloud the following sets of words.
(a) river, stream, sea, ocean
(b) hill, stone, mountain, rock
(c) plant, sapling, tree, seed
(d) child, adult, baby, youth
Answer:
(a) river, stream, sea, ocean
(b) hill, stone, mountain, rock
(c) plant, sapling, tree, seed
(d) child, adult, baby, youth
B. Rearrange each of the above sets of words according to the increasing order of their size / growth.
(a) ……………..
Answer:
stream, river, sea, ocean
(b) ……….
Answer:
stone, rock, hill, mountain
(c) ……….
Answer:
seed, sapling, plant, tree
(d) ……….
Answer:
baby, child, youth, adult
Question 2.
In your pre-primary classes, you must have learnt the story of ‘The Lion and the Mouse.’ Read it in English and fill in the gaps using the words given in the box:
A lion was sleeping in a ……… . A mouse started playing on him. The lion got up ….. . He caught the mouse and was ready to ……. it.
The …… begged the lion to leave it and said that someday it would ….. the lion. The lion ….. and let it go.
One day the lion was ……. in a net set up by hunters. He …. loudly as he tried too hard to escape.
The mouse …… the lion and came. It ……. up the net with its sharp teeth and set the lion …… .
(help, angrily, caught, forest, mouse, kill, roared, free, chewed, heard, laughed)
Moral of the story : ………………
Answer:
A lion was sleeping in a forest. A mouse started playing on him. The lion got up angrily. He caught the mouse and was ready to kill it.
The mouse begged the lion to leave it and said that someday it would help the lion. The lion laughed and let it go.
One day the lion was caught in a net set up by hunters. He roared loudly as he tried too hard to escape.
The mouse heard the lion and came. It chewed up the net with its sharp teeth and set the lion free.
Moral of the story: Being kind and helpful is a great virtue.
[Note: Some Wh-questions in the text have been modified to suit the activity-based format and are marked with a symbol.]
• What is the main difference between a pine tree and a scrub?
Answer:
The main difference between a pine tree and a scrub is that the pine tree is tall and grows on the hills whereas the scrub is short arid grows in the valleys by the side of the rill.
• What do people like to see along the high way?
Answer:
People like to see a bit of grass along the highway.
• What is the message given at the end?
Answer:
The poem conveys a powerful message that irrespective of our differences and limitations, we need to be the best at whatever we do.
1.1 Be the Best English Workshop Answers Pdf
Question 1.
Read the words / names given below. Put the big-sized / bigger ones in the big circle and the smaller ones in the small circle.
(muskie, tree, pine, lake, bass, bush, highway, scrub, rill, sun, star, trail)
Answer:
Question 2.
Form groups of four. Read each stanza in the poem turn by turn.
Answer:
[Students are expected to attempt the above activity on their own with proper stress and intonation.]
Question 3.
Find and write the pairs of rhyming words from the poem.
(a) ……….
(b) ………
(c) ………
Answer:
(a) hill – rill
(b) be – tree
(c) make – lake
Question 4.
Complete the following with appropriate words/ phrases from the poem.
(First one is done for you.)
(1) If you can’t be a pine, be a scrub.
Answer:
If you can’t be a pine, be a scrub.
(2) If you can’t be a tree, ……..
Answer:
If you can’t be a tree, be a bush.
(3) ……, be a bass.
Answer:
If you can’t be a muskie, be a bass,
(4) If you can’t be a captain …….
Answer:
If you can’t be a captain, be the crew.
(5) …….., be a trail.
Answer:
If you can’t be a highway, be a trail.
(6) If you can’t be the sun, ……..
Answer:
If you can’t be the sun, be a star.
Question 5.
Write whether the following are true or false :
(1) All must be the Captains of the teams. ………
Answer:
False. All cannot be the Captains of teams.
(2) A bit of grass can make the highway happier. ……..
Answer:
True
(3) We win or fail depending upon size or position. ………
Answer:
False. We don’t win or fail depending upon our size or position.
(4) A scrub is found at the top of the hill. ……….
Answer:
False. A scrub is found in the valley by the side of the rill.
(5) If your work is not important, don’t do it. ……….
Answer:
False. Even if your work is not important, do it to the best of your ability.
(6) Whatever job you have, do your best. ………..
Answer:
True
Question 6.
Write an appreciation of the poem with the help of the points given below.
(1) The title of the poem is …………..
Answer:
The title of the poem is Be the Best.
(2) The poem is written by ………..
Answer:
The poem is written by Douglas Malloch.
(3) The poem has ……. stanzas. Each stanza has lines. ……….
Answer:
The poem has four stanzas. Each stanza has lines four .
(4) The lines that rhyme in each stanza, are ………
Answer:
The lines that rhyme in each stanza, are first and third, second and fourth.
(5) The poet compares big things with ……..
Answer:
The poet compares big things with smaller things.
(6) ……… is a repeated expression in the poem.
Answer:
If you can’t be is a repeated expression in the poem.
(7) The line — I shall always remember is ………..
Answer:
The line – I shall always remember is Be the best of whatever you are!
Question 7.
Read the given extract from the poem ‘Little Drops of Water ‘ by Julia Fletcher Carney. Learn it up. Set it to a tune and enjoy singing it. You may ask your teacher to help you.
Answer:
[Students are expected to attempt the above activity on their own.]
Chapter 1.1 Be the Best Question Answer Extra Questions
Simple Factual
Question 1.
Name the following.
i. The tree that grows on top of the hill.
ii. What one must be, if one cannot be.a tree.
Answer:
i. pine
ii. bush
Complex Factual
Question 2.
State whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the False statements.
i. A scrub is found at the top of the hill.
ii. A bit of grass can make the highway happier.
Answer:
i. False. A scrub is found in the valley by the side of the rill.
ii. True
Vocabulary/Poetic Devices
Question 3.
Pick out and explain two examples of Alliteration from the extract.
Answer:
i. “And some highway happier make;”
Here, the sound of the letter ‘h’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
ii. “But the liveliest bass in the lake!”
Here, the sound of the letter ‘b’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
Question 4.
Identify and explain the Figures of Speech in the following lines from the extract.
i. “If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill,”
Answer:
a. Metaphor – The word ‘pine’ is indirectly compared to greater achievements of life.
ii. “Be a scrub in the valley – but be”
Answer:
a. Alliteration – Here the sound of the letter ‘b’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
b. Metaphor – The word ‘scrub’ is indirectly compared to the lesser important things in life.
c. Repetition – The word ‘be’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
iii. “The best little scrub by the side of the rill;”
Answer:
a. Alliteration – Here, the sound of the letter ‘b’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
iv. “Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.”
Answer:
a. Alliteration – Here the sound of the letter ‘b’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
b. Antithesis – Two opposite words ‘bush’ and ‘tree’ have been placed in the same line.
c. Metaphor – The ‘tree’ has been indirectly compared to the larger things in life, whereas, the ‘bush’ is indirectly compared to the lesser important things in life.
v. “If you can’t be a bush be a bit of the grass,”
Answer:
a. Alliteration – Here the sound of the letter ‘b’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
b. Metaphor – The ‘bush’ is indirectly compared to things that give more happiness whereas the ‘grass’ is used to indirectly refer to things that give small pleasures.
c. Repetition – The word ‘be’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
vi. “If you can’t be a muskie, then just be a bass-”
Answer:
a. Alliteration – Here the sound of the letter ‘b’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
b. Metaphor – The ‘muskie’ indirectly represents uncommon and rare things that people do, whereas the ‘bass’ represents common day to day things in life.
c. Repetition – The word ‘be’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
Question 5.
Give the rhyming words in the extract.
Answer:
i. crew – do
ii. here – near
iii. trail-fail
iv. star-are
Question 6.
Give two examples of Repetition from the extract.
Answer:
i. “If you can’t be a highway then just be a trail,”
ii. “If you can’t be the sun, be a star;”
The word ‘be’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
Question 7.
Identify and explain the Figures of Speech in the following lines from the extract.
i. “We can’t all be captains, we’ve got to be crew,”
Answer:
a. Alliteration – Here the sound of the letters ‘w’ and ‘c’ have been repeated for poetic effect.
b. Antithesis – Opposite words like ‘captains’ and ‘crew’ have been used in the same line for creating an effect of drama in the poem.
c. Metaphor – The word ‘captain’ indirectly refers to.the important positions that people hold in life whereas the word ‘crew’ represents the ordinary positions that people hold in life.
d. Repetition – The word ‘be’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
ii. “There’s big work to do, and there’s lesser to do,”
Ans:
a. Antithesis – Opposite ideas like ‘big’ and ‘lesser’ have been used in the same line for creating an effect of drama in the poem.
b. Repetition – The word ‘be’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
iii. “It isn’t by size that you win or you fail
Answer:
a. Antithesis – Opposite ideas like ‘win’ and ‘fail’ have been used in the same line for creating an effect of drama in the poem.
b. Repetition – The word ‘you’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
iv. “Be the best of whatever you are!”
Answer:
a. Alliteration – Here the sound of the letter ‘b’ has been repeated for poetic effect.
Appreciation of the Poem
Question 8.
The theme of the poem is …………………………….
Answer:
The theme of the poem is Whatever we do, we should do it to the best of our abilities.
Question 9.
The rhyme scheme of the poem is …………..
Answer:
The rhyme scheme of the poem is abab.
Question 10.
The figures of speech in the poem are ……………..
Answer:
The figures of speech in the poem are Metaphor, Alliteration, Repetition, Antithesis.
Be the Best Glossary
| Word | Meaning |
| crew (n) | sailors who work on a ship (जहाजावर काम करणारे खलाशी) |
| lesser (adj) | unimportant (कमी महत्त्वाचे) |
| liveliest (adj) | full of energy (उत्साहाने भारलेले) |
| muskie and bass (n) | names of fish (माशांची नावे) |
| pine (n) | an evergreen tree with needle like leaves and cone shaped appearance (शंकूसारखा दिसणारा एक सूचिपर्णी सदाहरित वृक्ष, देवदार) |
| rill (n) | a stream (ओहोळ, लहान ओढा) |
| scrub (n) | here, an area covered with small, low plants (येथे, लहान झाडाझुडपांनी व्यापलेला भाग) |
| trail (n) | a narrow path (पाऊलवाट) |
| valley (n) | an extended depression between mountain ranges with a stream or river flowing through it (दरी) |
Be the Best Paraphrase
The poem ‘Be The Best’ is an inspirational poem by Malloch Douglas. The poet says that the key to happiness is being the best at anything we do. Through different examples from nature, the poet firmly tells the reader that, where you are and what you do is not for you to decide. What is in our hands is to do the work we are given and do it to the best of our abilities. All of us can never hold top positions in life, some of us would have to do work that others feel is less important. Still, we must do it well and make a difference wherever we are. The poet very simply ends the poem by telling the reader that no job is less important, what really matters is the contribution and hard work we put towards doing something and succeeding at it.
Be the Best भावार्थ
‘Be the Best’ ही कविता डग्लस मॅलॉक (Douglas Malloch) यांची प्रेरणादायी कविता आहे. या कवितेत कवीने असे सांगितले आहे, की जर तुम्हांला डोंगरावरील देवदार वृक्ष बनता आले नाही,
तर तुम्ही ओढ्याच्या काठावर पसरलेले झुडूप बना आणि तेही बनता आले नाही तर महामार्गाच्या बाजूला असलेले गवत बना आणि लोकांना आनंद दया.’ यापुढे कवी म्हणतो, की ‘जर तुम्हांला muskie मासा बनता आले नाही, तर तलावातील जिवंत bass मासे बना.’ यातून कवीला असा संदेश दयायचा आहे, की कोणतेही काम एकनिष्ठेने आणि मन लावून केलं तरच आपले जीवन आनंदी होईल.
त्यापुढे कवी म्हणतो, आपल्यातील प्रत्येकजण जहाजाचे कप्तान होऊ शकत नाहीत; परंतु आपण प्रत्येकजण जहाजावरील खलाशी बनून आपले काम उत्तम करूच शकतो. म्हणजेच, आपल्यातील प्रत्येकजण सर्वोच्च स्थानी पोहोचू शकणार नाही. काहींना असेही काम करावे लागेल जे इतरांच्या दृष्टीने कमी महत्त्वाचेही असेल; परंतु आपण आपले काम उत्तमपणे करून आपले वेगळेपण दाखवून दिले पाहिजे.
यापुढे कवी ओळीतून मांडतो, की जर तुम्हांला महामार्ग बनता आले नाही, तर लहानशी पायवाट बना. सूर्य बनता येत नसेल तर तारे बना; कारण तुमचे यश-अपयश तुम्ही कोण आहात ठरत नाही; तर तुम्ही जे काम करत आहात ते उत्तमपणाने करण्यासाठी घेतलेले परिश्रम खऱ्या अर्थाने महत्त्वाचे असतात.
कवी निसर्गातील उदाहरणे देऊन ठामपणे सांगत आहे, की तुम्ही कोण आहात? आणि तुम्ही काय करत आहात? हे ठरवणे तुमच्या हातात नाही; परंतु आपण आपले काम उत्तम क्षमतेने पूर्ण करणे हे महत्त्वाचे आहे; कारण कोणतेही काम कमी दर्जाचे नसते; तर कामाचा दर्जा हा त्याच्या उत्कृष्ठतेवर अवलंबून असतो.