The Treasure Within

AP/ NCERT Solutions Grade 8 Supplementary Reader
Chapter 4 The Treasure Within

Comprehension Check (Page 28)

1. What did Hafeez Contractor have nightmares about?

Hafeez Contractor would often get continuous nightmares about appearing for a Mathematics examination where he did not know anything.

2. What did the Principal say to him, which influenced him deeply?

The Principal told Hafeez that his mother used to work extremely hard to bring him up and paid all his fees on time, despite his father’s absence. Further, he also mentioned that Hafeez was a good student. He could score good grades with a little effort towards his studies. He motivated the young boy to rise to the occasion and study hard and also sideline his sports activities for the time being.

3. “… that year I did not step out onto the field.” What was he busy doing that year?

Hafeez, a skilled sportsman, was the senior champion in school for years. However, influenced by his Principal to focus on SSC studies, he stopped playing cricket that year, dedicating his time to eating, praying, and studying for exams.

4. (i) What “distraction” did Hafeez Contractor create one day?

Hafeez was always interested in playing funny pranks. One day, he created a distraction by playing chor police for one full hour at school.

(ii) Would you have liked to participate in the “distraction” had you been with him?

Yes, I would have loved to participate in such a “distraction”, as it is kind of a break from the regular routine work.

Comprehension Check (Page 32)

1. Hafeez Contractor wanted to join the police force. Why didn’t he?

Hafeez Contractor was interested in joining the police force, but his mother did not accept the prospect. Instead, she told him to complete his graduation first. Soon after that, he joined Jaihind College in Bombay.

2. In the architect’s office, Hafeez Contractor was advised to drop everything and join architecture. Why?

In an architect's office, Hafeez Contractor corrected a window drawing, explaining it wouldn't open. The artist disagreed but later realized the mistake. Impressed, Hafeez's cousin's husband asked him to nurture Hafeez's talent, urging him to join architecture.

3. (i) What was Mrs Gupta’s advice to Hafeez Contractor?

Mrs Gupta was one of Hafeez’s school teachers in the second or third standard, who saw his beautiful sketches in school and had advised him that he should grow up to become an architect someday.

(ii) What made her advise him so?

She would often tell him that he was useless in everything else except the beautiful sketches that he drew. Due to this reason, she felt he should nurture his hidden talent and grow up to become an architect.

4. How did he help fellow students who had lost a button?

When his fellow students lost a button while playing or fighting, they would often come running to him and he would help them by cutting a button from chalk by using an ordinary blade.

5. Which rules did he break as a schoolboy?

At school, Hafeez often broke rules, copying in exams, wandering without purpose, playing pranks and jokes, joining gang fights, and creating distractions with chor police games during study hours. His mischievous ways were known to all.

6. (i) What is Hafeez Contractor’s definition of mathematics?

According to Hafeez Contractor, Mathematics is a mix of putting design, construction, psychology and sociology together and making a sketch by combining all these elements together.

(ii) How would you want to define mathematics? Do you like the subject?

 In my opinion, I would define Mathematics as an interesting subject for those who enjoy solving arithmetical calculations and problems. But it turns out to be a nightmare for those who don’t enjoy playing with numbers and calculations.

Exercise (Page 32)

Answer the following questions.

1.It is likely that someone who is original and intelligent does not do very well at school. Should such a learner be called a failure? If not, why not?

Being smart and original, even if not excelling in school, doesn't make one a failure in life. Everyone has unique strengths. Ms. Bela Raja and Mr. Hafeez Contractor highlight that academic brightness alone doesn't determine success. People should nurture their talents, as seen in Hafeez's artistic abilities, and be encouraged to showcase them.

2. Who, in your view, is an ‘unusual’ learner?

In my opinion, an unusual learner is one who is a genius in his/her own right. This means that a person who is bright and intelligent and has a hidden talent or skill needs to polish it from every angle.

3. What can schools do to draw out the best in unusual learners? Suggest whatever seems reasonable to you.

To help unique learners thrive, schools should avoid comparing or labeling them based only on academics. Instead of mechanical teaching methods, they should recognize and encourage each child's hidden talents, guiding them to enhance their abilities in all areas.