Children At Work

 AP/ NCERT Solutions Grade 8 Supplementary Reader
Chapter 2 Children At Work

Comprehension Check 

1. Velu stood on the platform but he felt “as if he was still on a moving train.” Why?

Velu felt like he was still on a moving train due to the lingering sensation of motion after getting off the Kanyakumari Express.

2. (i) What made him feel miserable ?

Velu felt miserable because he was in an unfamiliar and crowded place, surrounded by many people, and he was hungry and exhausted after running away from home.

2. (ii) Velu travelled without a ticket. Why ?

Velu travelled without a ticket because he didn't have any money to buy one.

3. How did he escape the ticket collector’s attention ?

Velu escaped the ticket collector's attention because he was in the unreserved compartment where the ticket collector didn't come.

4. Why had Velu run away from home ?

Velu had run away from home because he couldn't bear his father's abuse and mistreatment, especially regarding taking away the money earned by Velu and his sisters and spending it on alcohol.

5. Why did he decide to follow the ‘strange’ girl ?

Velu decided to follow the 'strange' girl because she offered him food, and he didn't know where to go or what to do in the new city. He felt lost and wanted someone who seemed to know their way around.

Comprehension Check

1. Can Velu read Tamil and English? How do you know?

Velu failed to read the signboards in English but he was able to read the Tamil sign, Central Jail. He could only read Tamil.

2. “If you are not careful, you will soon be counting bars there,” the girl said.

(i) What is she referring to?

The girl referred to the Central Jail.

(ii) What does she mean when she says “If you are not careful...”? (She says something a little later which means the same. Find that sentence.)

The girl asked Velu not to indulge in something stupid or else he would get caught by the police officers and will be thrown into jail.

3. (i) Where did the girl lead Velu to?

The girl guided Velu to the back of a wedding hall. They were sure to find enough food to feed themselves because they were starving. 

(ii) What did they get to eat?

The girl could manage to get only one banana while Velu got a banana and a vada to eat.

4. What work did she do? Think of a one-word Ans. 

Rag-picking

Comprehension Check

1. (i) What material are the 'strange' huts made out of?

The ‘strange huts’ were made for bare shelter and were made from tyres, bricks, wood, metal sheet and plastic.

(ii) Why does Velu find them strange?

Velu belonged to a village in Southern India where the houses were made of palm leaves and mud instead of metal sheets, tyres, wood, plastic, and bricks in Chennai. They were fragile and looked like they would collapse anytime. He never saw a slum area in his life where people survived with the bare minimum.

2. What sort of things did Jaya and children like her collect and what did they do with those things?

Paper, glass, and plastic were some of the things that Jaya and children like her collected. These items were taken and sold to Jam Bazaar Jaggu, who would sell them to a factory.  

3. Is Velu happy or unhappy to find work? Give a reason for your Answer.

Velu is unhappy to find work as a ragpicker. He does it to survive but hopes for a better job.

Discuss the following questions in small groups. 

1. Is Velu a smart boy? Which instances in the text show that he is or isn't?

Though it was wrong Velu ran away from home at that young age, he appeared to be resourceful and capable of adapting to new situations. He managed to find food and survive in the city. However, he was unaware of knowledge about certain urban concepts, and  city life.

2. Do you think Jaya is a brave and sensitive child with a sense of humour? Find instances of her courage, kind nature and humour in the text.

Yes, Jaya displays bravery when she stands up for herself and helps Velu, a stranger, by finding him food. Her kind nature is evident when she shares the food she collected with him. Her sense of humor is shown in the way she teases Velu playfully.

3. What one throws away as waste may be valuable to others. Do you find this sentence meaningful in the context of this story? How?

Yes, the sentence is meaningful in the context of the story as Jaya's work as a ragpicker involves collecting items discarded as waste by others, but these items hold value for her as she can sell them to Jam Bazaar Jaggu, demonstrating the concept of one person's waste being another's treasure.