Hello students, in the previous post, you have read about the Summary and Word Meaning of Chapter 1 A Different Kind of School of Melody English Book VI for students of JKBOSE in detail. Today, in this post I am providing you with A Different Kind of School Class 6 Explanation and Question Answers, Working with Language. Let’s get started with this post:
A Different Kind of School Class 6 Explanation and Question Answers
Introduction
“A Different Kind of School” is the story of a school where the children were taught to live in a brotherly way and help each other. The author visited the school of Miss Beam one day to learn more about the method of teaching-learning that was followed there.
A Different Kind of School Line by Line Explanation
I had heard a great deal about Miss Beam’s school, but not till last week did the chance come to visit it.
Explanation: The narrator had heard a lot about Miss Beam’s school, but he had not visited the school and the previous week he got a chance to visit the school.
When I arrived, there was no one in sight but a girl of about twelve. Her eyes were covered with a bandage meant she had a blindfold on her eyes and she was being led carefully between the flowerbeds by a little boy, who was about four years younger. She stopped, and it looked like she asked him who had come. He seemed to be describing me to her. Then they passed on.
Explanation: After reaching the school the narrator found no one there except a girl who was about twelve years old. The eyes of the girl were covered with a bandage and a four years old boy was guiding her between flowerbeds. She stopped as if to ask about my arrival. It looked like the boy explained the narrator’s details to her and then they continued walking.
Miss Beam was all that I had expected middle-aged, full of authority, yet kind and understanding. Her hair was beginning to turn grey, and she had the kind of plump figure that is likely to be comforting to a homesick child. I asked her some questions about her teaching methods, which I had heard were simple.
Explanation: The personality of Miss Beam was the same as expected by the narrator. She was a middle-aged, dominating yet simple, kind and understanding woman. Her hair was turning grey and she was fat and her figure probably was trying to make a homesick child feel comfortable. The narrator questioned Miss Beam about the teaching methods used in the school.
No more than is needed to help them to learn how to do things simple spelling, adding, subtracting, multiplying and writing. The rest is done by reading to them and by interesting talks, during which they have to sit still and keep their hands quiet. There are practically no other lessons.
Explanation: Miss Beam replied that they simply help the children to learn simple spelling, adding, subtracting, multiplying and writing skills. The rest of the learning was done by reading to them and conducting interesting talks, during which they were supposed to sit silently without moving. Except for this, there were actually no other lessons.
The real aim of this school is not so much to teach thought as to teach thoughtfulness kindness to others and being responsible citizens. Look out of the window a minute, will you?
Explanation: Miss beam further added that the real aim of the school was to teach thoughtfulness and kindness towards others. She said that they wanted to make children concerned towards others and be a responsible citizen in future. She asked the narrator to look out of the window.
I went to the window which overlooked a large garden and a playground at the back. What do you see? Miss Beam asked.
Explanation: The narrator went to the window and saw a large garden and a playground. Miss Beam asked him what he saw from the window.
I see some very beautiful grounds, I said, and a lot of jolly children. It pains me, though, to see that they are not all so healthy and active-looking. When I came in, I saw one poor little girl being led about. She has some trouble with her eyes. Now I can see two more with the same difficulty. And there is a girl with a crutch watching the others at play. She seems to be a hopeless cripple.
Explanation: The narrator told Miss Beam that he saw beautiful ground and a lot of happy children. The narrator however was sad that all the children were not healthy and fit. When he entered the school, he saw a girl having some problem with her eyes and a boy was guiding her. And now he saw two more children have the same problem and he also saw a girl with crutches in her hand and was watching other children play. She perhaps was not able to walk.
Miss Beam laughed. Oh, no she said. She’s not really lame. This is only her lame day. The others are not blind either. It is only their blind day. I must have looked very surprised, for she laughed again.
Explanation: Miss Beam laughed at the narrator’s answers and told him that all these children were perfectly healthy and fit and were just acting to be lame and blind for the day because it was their lame day or blind. The narrator was surprised at her answer and she laughed again at the narrator’s reaction.
This is a very important part of our system. To make our children appreciate and understand misfortune, we make them share in misfortune too. Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day. During the blind day, their eyes are bandaged absolutely and they are on their honour not to peep.
The bandage is put on overnight so they wake blind. This means that they need help with everything. Other children are given the duty of helping them and leading them about. They all learn so much this way both the blind and the helpers.
Explanation: Miss Beam explained that this was a very important part of their system. This was done to make their children appreciate, accept and understand misfortune without difficulty. In each term, every child has one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day. On a blind day, the eyes of the child are bandaged and they do not have to peep through the bandage. The eyes of the child were bandaged overnight so that they woke up blind. The child needs help for everything on that day and other children were assigned the duty of helping them and guiding them. In this way, both the blind and the helping children learn a lot of things.
There is no misery about it, Miss Beam continued. Everyone is very kind, and it is really something of a game. Before the day is over, though, even the most thoughtless child realizes what misfortune is.
Explanation: Miss Beam further said that there was no shame in this and all the children are very kind. This is a type of game and it is done to make the children realize their misfortunes and how to deal with them.
The blind day is, of course, really the worst, but some of the children tell me that the dumb day is the most difficult. We cannot bandage the children’s mouths, so they really have to exercise their willpower. Come into the garden and see for yourself how the children feel about it.
Explanation: Miss Beam said that the blind day was the most difficult day in the game, but there are children who told her that the dumb day was the most difficult day because it tests their willpower as the mouths of the children cannot be bandaged. She invited the narrator to the garden and ask the children how they felt about this exercise.
Miss Beam led me to one of the bandaged girls. Here a gentleman comes to talk to you, said Miss Beam, and left us.
Explanation: Miss Beam took him to a bandaged girl. She introduced him and left them for the talk.
“Don’t you ever peep?” I asked the girl. “Oh, no” she exclaimed. “That would be cheating! But I had no idea it was so awful to be blind. You can’t see a thing. You feel you are going to be hit by something every moment. It’s such a relief just to sit down.
Explanation: The narrator asked the girl if she tried to look through the bandage anytime in the day. The girl replied anxiously that it would be cheating. She further said that before this experience she had no idea of how blind people feel. You cannot see anything and there is fear of something hitting you at every step. It is comfortable to sit down and relax.
“Are your helpers kind to you?” I asked. “Fairly. But they are not as careful as I shall be when it is my turn. Those that have been blind already are the best helpers. It’s perfectly ghastly not to see. I wish you’d try.” “Shall I lead you anywhere?” I asked.
Explanation: The narrator asked the child if the helpers were kind to them. The girl replied that they were kind but they were not so careful as they haven’t experienced a blind day. She said that she would be a better helper during her turn. According to her, those who have experienced a blind day can be the best helpers. The experience of not seeing anything is horrifying and she wished the narrator to give it a try. Then, the narrator asked her if she could help her to go anywhere.
Oh, yes,” she said. “Let’s go for a little walk. Only you must tell me about things. I shall be so glad when today is over. The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this. Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess. Having an arm tied up is a bit more troublesome because you can’t eat without help and things like that. I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day” at least not much. But being blind is so frightening. My headaches all the time just from worrying that get hurt. Where are we now?”
Explanation: She suggested going for a walk. She also asked him to tell him about things during the walk. She said that she would be so happy after her blind day will be over. She further said that even the bad days would be half as worse than the blind day. In her opinion, a lame day is fun where you can have a leg tied up and jump with the support of a crutch. Having an arm tied up was a bit difficult as you cannot eat without help and so on. She said that she would not mind being deaf for a day but being blind actually is actually so terrifying. It troubles her mind with the fear that she would get hurt. She asked the narrator about their location at that time.
“In the playground,” I said. “We’re walking towards the house. Miss Beam is walking up and down the garden with a tall girl.”
“What is the girl wearing?” my little friend asked.
“A blue cotton skirt and a pink blouse.”
“I think it’s Millie?” she said. “What colour is her hair?”
“Very light,” I said.
“Yes, that’s Millie. She’s the Head Girl.”
“There’s an old man tying up roses,” I said.
“Yes, that’s Peter. He’s the gardener. He’s hundreds of years old!”
“And here comes a girl with curly red hair. She’s on crutches.”
“That’s Anita,” she said.
Explanation: The narrator told her that they were in the playground and were walking towards the house. Miss beam was walking up and down the garden with a tall girl. The little girl asked the narrator about the dress and colour of the hair of the tall girl. He explained to her the details of the dress: a blue cotton skirt and a pink blouse. She further enquired about the colour of her hair. And knowing the light colour of her hair, she guessed her to be Millie- the Head Girl. The narrator told her that an old man was tying up roses. She said that it was Peter. He was a gardener and was of 100 years of age. Then the narrator told her about the girl having curly red hair and she was on crutches. She told the narrator she was Anita.
And so we walked on. Gradually I discovered that I was ten times more thoughtful than I ever thought I could be. I also realized that if I had to describe people and things to someone else, it made them more interesting to me. When I finally had to leave, I told Miss Beam that I was very sorry to go.
“Ah!” she replied, then there is something in my system after all.”
Explanation: They continued to move on. Over time narrator realized that he became more thoughtful and sensitive toward the issues of disability. He feels that describing things to people made these things more interesting for him. He did not want to leave the place, but he had to go. Miss Beam proudly said that the system of her school was so special and unique that the visitors also feel so.
WORKING WITH THE TEXT
A) Put these sentences, from the story, in the right order and write them out in a paragraph. (Don’t refer to the text. Check your memory).
- I shall be so glad when today is over.
- Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess.
- I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day — at least not much.
- But being blind is so frightening.
- Only you must tell me about things.
- Let’s go for a little walk.
- The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this.
Ans. Let’s go for a little walk. Only you must tell me about things. I shall be so glad when today is over. The other bad days can’t be half as bad as this. Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess. I don’t think I’ll mind being deaf for a day — at least not much. But being blind is so frightening.
B. Answer the following questions:
1. Why do you think the writer visited Miss Beam’s school?
Ans. The writer had heard a lot about Miss Beam’s school so he visited the school to find out how that school was different from the other schools.
2. What was the ‘game’ that every child in the school had to play?
Ans. Every child in the school had one blind day, one lame day, one injured day, one deaf day and one dumb day during each term. This was the game that every child in the school had to play. It helps children to have experience of their misfortunes.
3. “Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day…” Complete the line. Which day was the hardest? Why was it the hardest?
Ans. Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day, one deaf day, one injured day and one dumb day.
The blind day was the hardest day. It was so because the eyes of the child were covered with a bandage and she could not see anything. The child admitted that she felt that she was going to be hit by something every moment.
4. What was the purpose of these special days?
Ans. The purpose of these special days was to make children understand the problems of disabled persons and help them. This made children appreciate and understand misfortunes.
LANGUAGE WORK
A. Match the words and phrases with their meanings in the box below:
- homesick ________________
- practically ________________
- it pains me ________________
- jolly ________________
- thoughtless ________________
- crutch ________________
- misfortune ________________
- ghastly ________________
| T shaped support for a lame person fitting under the armpit, it hurts me, frightful, happy, almost or very nearly, intense feeling of returning home after being away from it, bad luck, not very caring |
Ans.
- homesick intense feeling of returning home after being away from it
- practically almost or very nearly
- it pains me it hurts me
- jolly happy
- thoughtless not very caring
- crutch T shaped support for a lame person fitting under the armpit
- misfortune bad luck
- ghastly frightful
B. Write these lines in order from the story
1. I had heard a great deal about Miss Beam’s school.
Ans. The writer had heard a lot about Miss Beam’s school.
2. Miss Beam was all that I had expected — middle-aged, full of authority.
Ans. The writer had found Miss Beam the same as he had expected — middle-aged and full of authority.
3. I went to the window which overlooked a large garden.
Ans. The writer went to the window and saw a large garden from there
4. “We cannot bandage the children’s mouths, so they really have to exercise their willpower.”
Ans. Miss Beam told the writer that they could not bandage children’s mouths, so they have to make use of their willpower on a dumb day.
C. 1. Given below is a page from a dictionary. Look at it carefully and;
(i) find a word which means the same as ‘ghastly’. Write down the word and its two meanings.
Ans. Terrible means causing fear, dreadful, frightening.
(ii) find a word meaning a part of the school year.
Ans. A part of the school year means term
(iii) find a word that means examination.
Ans. Test is a word that means examination.
2. Now make lists of;
(a) all the words on the page (plus any more that you can think of) that begin with terr-.
Ans. Terrible, terror, terrify, territory, terrace, terrain, territorial,
(b) five words that may follow the last word on the page, that.
Ans. thatch, thaw, the, theatre, thee, theft
(c) write down your own meaning of the word ‘thank’. Then write down the meaning given in the dictionary.
Ans. Thank- word of gratitude (self-meaning)
Thank-to show gratefulness to someone for some kind act.
D. A poem for you to read
All but blind
In his chambered hole
Gropes for worms
The four-clawed Mole.
All but blind
In the evening sky
The hooded Bat
Twirls softly by.
All but blind
In the burning day
The Barn Owl blunders
On her way.
And blind as are
These three to me,
So, blind to Someone
I must be.
(Walter de la Mare)
That’s all about A Different Kind of School Class 6 Question Answers for Melody English Class 6. Hope it has helped. Do share your views about this post in the comments section.
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