Chapter 9 – The Earth

The Earth

Check out the topics covered in Chapter before you start your preparation. Improve your grammar skills with the help of Bihar Board Class 12 English Chapter 9 The Earth pdf links. The solutions for Bihar State Board Class 12 English Textbook are prepared by the English experts. So, if you follow Bihar Board Class 12 English Textbook Solutions you can cover all the topics in Chapter 9 The Earth. This helps to improve your communication skills.

Objective Type Questions and Answers

1. Benjy was a…………..
(a) an evil-minded person
(b) a simple-minded person
(c) an insane person
(d) a short-tempered man
Answer:
(d) a short-tempered man

2. Benjy left school at the age of…..
(a) Ten years
(b) Sixteen years
(c) Twenty years
(d) Fourteen years
Answer:
(b) Sixteen years

3. Johnson had in his possession.
(a) a house
(b) a big farm
(c) a poultry farm
(d) a plough, a cart, tools, a bony brown mare
Answer:
(d) a plough, a cart, tools, a bony brown mare

4. When Benjy was 21, his father handed him
(a) a land
(b) a factory
(c) passbook
(d) a big house
Answer:
(c) passbook

5. For many years Benjy’s father had been
(a) a local preacher
(b) a school teacher
(c) a lawyer
(d) a village-doctor
Answer:
(a) a local preacher

Very Short Type Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What did Johnson do on the doctor’s advice?
Answer:
Johnson engaged Benjy in keeping hen for poultry farming.

Question 2.
What was Benjy’s performance in keeping hens?
Answer:
At first, Benjy kept ten or a dozen hens and soon he became a prominent poultry owner.

Question 3.
What did Johnson do with the money from the eggs?
Answer:
Johnson opened an account in the bank and put the money in it.

Question 4.
What did Johnson do with the pass-book?
Answer:
When Benjy was twenty-one years old his father and mother got the passbook from the bank and handed over to him.

Question 5.
What was the difference between Beny’s hen and his parents Land?
Answer:
There was only one difference between Benjy’s hens and his parent’s land. The hens belonged to Benjy, but the land had never belonged to his parents.

Textual Questions and Answers

A. Work in small groups and discuss the following
Question 1.
How is your family important to you?
Answer:
My family is most important to me. I owe my very existence to my family. It feeds me, clothes me, sends me to school. It gives me love and protection. It cares for me.

Question 2.
What are the responsibilities of the parents towards their children?
Answer:
Parents look after their children. They meet all their basic needs as best they can. They protect them from diseases, heat, and cold. They try to make them good and noble, and able to support themselves.

Question 3.
What are the responsibilities of the children towards their parents?
Answer:
Children should obey their parents and help them in their daily lives. When the children grow up and parents grow old, they should take care of them in every possible way.

B. 1.1. Complete the following sentences on the basis of the unit you have just studied
(a) A simple-minded person is………….. and………….
(b) Johnson was more interested in…………
(c) Johnson’s possessions included………….
(d) Benjy’s simplicity second gradually to have become………..
Answer:
(a) insane, imbecile, not right in the head
(b) his son
(c) the four-acre plot, a plow, a two-wheeled cart, tools, and a bony mare
(d) a kind of cunningness.

B. 1.2. Read the following sentences and write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements
(i) Johnson was a hard-working man.
(ii) Johnson was interested in preaching.
(iii) Johnson had an insane son.
(iv) Benjy hated his hens.
Answer:
(i) F, (ii) T, (iii) F, (iv) F

B.1.3. Answer the following questions briefly
Question. 1.
Who is a tenant farmer?
Answer:
A tenant farmer is a farmer who rents a farm for a certain period.

Question 2.
What did the doctor advise Benjy’s parents to ensure his mental growth?
Answer:
The doctor advised Beny’s parents to give him something to do, some occupation, which would help his development.

Question 3.
What did Benjy understand about a hen?
Answer:
Benjy understood that a hen existed for the purpose of laying eggs.

Question 4.
What did Benjy understand about the business of hens?
Answer:
Benjy understood about the business of hens that eggs could be sold to callers and money could be kept in a basin.

B.2.1. Complete the following sentences on the basis of the unit you have just studied
(a) Benjy left school at the age of………..
(b) By then Benjy had……….. hens.
(c) Benjy knew about segregating breeds of hens through…………..
(d) Johnson believed that the earth designed and created by God would……….
(e) When Benjy was 21, his father handed him………..
Answer:
(a) fourteen, (b) forty on fifty, (c) a paper, (d) take care of itself, (e) the passbook

B.2.2. Answer the following questions briefly
Question 1.
What silent belief did Benjy’s parents cherish about their lands?
Answer:
Benjy’s parents cherished a silent belief that the land would one day outgrow its poverty by itself.

Question 2.
Why had their land not yielded much?
Answer:
The land had not yielded much because they did not work hard. They had put more value on faith than hard work.

Question 3.
How did Benjy’s parents feel when he silently put the passbook in his pocket?
Answer:
Their feelings were hurt. They felt a mixture of disappointment, fear, pride, and pain.

Question 4.
What had Benjy’s parents expected when they handed him the passbook?
Answer:
They expected Benjy to thank them for the gift, and a word of willingness that they should share The money they had helped to save.

Question 5.
What did Benjy want to do with the money?
Answer:
With the money, Benjy wanted to buy a piece of laid next to theirs.

B.3.1. Complete the following sentences on the basis of the unit you have just studied
(a) The only difference between Benjy’s hens and his parents land was that
(b) Benjy wanted to buy his parents’ land to
(c) It was possible to gauge Benjy’s progress by
(d) Benjy’s parents did not like Florence because
Answer:
(a) the hens belonged to Benjy but the land had never belonged to his parents
(b) put up more incubator houses on it
(c) the new chicken houses covering his father’s former land, and by the fact that he now employed people to help him
(d) she had ugly legs and a mouth that would not keep shut.

B.3.2. Answer the following questions briefly
Question 1.
Who had Johnson rented their land from?
Answer:
Johnson had rented their land from Sanders.

Question 2.
What information did Sanders give them that made them happy? Ans. Sanders told them that their son Benjy was buying their land.

Question 3.
Who was Florence?
Answer:
Florence was one of Benjy’s employees.

Question 4.
Why did Benjy want to marry Florence?
Answer:
Benjy wanted to marry her because he hoped she would help him with the hens.

B.4.1. Complete the following sentences on the basis of the unit you have just studied
(a) When Benjy asked his parents to vacate the front bedroom, they
(b) Benjy asked parents to go somewhere else because of him.
(c) Benjy’s parents did not speak when their son drove them down into the town because
Answer:
(a) vacated it and moved into the back
(b) had bought the house and he wanted it
(c) they believed that he was not right in his head.

B. 4.2. Read the following sentences and write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements
(i) With the arrival of Florence as Benjy’s wife, the house was filled with happiness.
(ii) Benjy and his wife lived in one part of the house and his parents in the other.
(iii) Benjy paid utmost attention to his aging parents.
Answer:
(i) F, (ii) T, (iii) F.

C. 1. Long Answer Questions

Q. 1. Did Benjy treat his parents justly? What would you do if you were Benjy?
Answer:
No, Benjy treated his parents most heartlessly and unjustly. They made every sacrifice for him. They gave him hens, built coops on their land, and helped him save as much money as they had never had. But Benjy was never grateful to them. They forgave him because they had always believed he was not right in his mind. But at the end, Benjy drove them out of the house and left them to look after themselves. He showed no emotions and no affection. He never for a moment thought how the old parents would live. If I were Benjy, I would treat my parents with respect. I would have been thankful to them for their love, care and help. I would have never driven them out of the house. If there was not enough accommodation in the house. I would have added two or three more rooms to it. But I would have never made them leave the house where they had lived for the last forty years.

Question 2.
On how many occasions were Benjy’s parents disappointed with Benjy’s behavior? Describe each occasion briefly in your own words.
Answer:
The parents were disappointed with Beny’s behavior at least on five different occasions. At first, the parents were disappointed with Benjy’s behavior when they gave him the passbook. They had saved a lot of money for him. They expected Benjy to say a word of gratitude, and willingness to share the money with them. But Benjy opened the passbook, looked at the balance, and put it in his pocket, The parents were hurt by this kind of behavior. Secondly, they were disappointed when Benjy was going to buy their land from Sanders. They asked Benjy what he was going to do with the land. Benjy simply told them that he was going to put more incubator houses on it.

His parents have hurt once again because they expected him to say something different. Perhaps some plan for them to use it. They were once again disappointed when he decided to marry Florence. They asked him where he would live and without a moment’s hesitation, he said he would live here. He asked them to vacate the front bedroom because he wanted it. They were no’ only disappointed, but even frightened of Benjy when he told them to leave the house. For the last time, they were disappointed when Benjy drove them into the town and said, “You’ll be better by yourselves in lodgings.” His words were without emotion. The parents were stupefied with grief.

Question 3.
‘Looks are deceptive.’ How does this apply to Benjy?
Answer:
As a child, Benjy looked not only innocent but simple-minded. He had large loose limbs, thick soft fair hair on his face and blue eyes. All-day long there was a smile on his face. His parents believed that he was not like other children. In their opinion, he lacked normal intelligence. His brain needed proper development. But in fact, Benjy proved to be the most cunning person. He was selfish and cruel. He had no love for his parents. He did not feel grateful. The climax was reached when he drove out his parents who had sacrificed every think for him. Indeed his simple and innocent looks were deceptive. They hid his cunningness behind them.

Question 4.
What is the role of Florence in this story? How did she affect Benjy’s life?
Answer:
Florence was one of Benjy’s employees. She helped him in cleaning the chicken houses. She was not good looking. She had thick short legs and hanging lips. Benjy fell in love with her. So far he had been interested only in hens. This was a turning point in his life. Beny decided to marry her despite his parents’ disapproval. He wanted her because she could help him with the hens. After Florence moved in as Benjy’s wife, there was an uneasiness in the house. Her relations with Benjy’s mother were sour. They did not like each other.

Benjy’s mother felt she was taking him away from her. There were quarrels. At first, Beny’s parents had to vacate their bedroom for Benjy and Florence. Later they lived in separate portions of the house. Finally, Benjy told his parents, rather in a rage, to leave the house and move to lodgings in the town. It was the final break between their relations. Florence must have played her role in this breaking up. But Benjy too was a heartless person. Florence was also like him. They joined together to drive out the old parents.

Question. 5
Johnson himself was responsible for his tragedy or troubles. Do you agree with this? Give reasons.
Answer:
Johnson and his wife loved Benjy to a fault. From the beginning, they had believed that Benjy was a simple-minded and simple-hearted child. They took the doctor’s advice and helped Benjy to keep hens. They saved every penny for Benjy. They kept it in the bank. When Benjy was 21, they gave the passbook to him. He accepted it without showing any gratitude.

He was selfish. But Johnson and his wife always forgave him because they believed that Benjy was not in his right mind. At last, Benjy drove them out of the house. Johnson was at fault. Firstly, he was lazy and never tried to get a better yield from his land. Secondly, he saved no money for a rainy day. Thirdly, he never learned any lesson from Benjy selfish behavior. Had he been a little wiser, he would not have suffered in his old age.

Question 6.
How is a simple-minded man defined in the story? Do you agree with this definition?
Answer:
In the story, Benjy is described as a simple-minded person. He had large loose limbs and fair hair on his face. He had blue eyes and had a smile on his face. His parents believed that he was simple-minded and simple-hearted only because he looked different from others. I don’t agree with this definition because Benjy was not an idiot. He was not insane or imbecile. When he went to school he learned reading and writing and counting like other children. Of course, he was selfish and did not like to play with other children. He paid all his attention to his hens. He built a profitable business. When his parents told him that they were saving money for him, he understood everything. In fact, to consider a person simple headed just by his looks is erroneous. A simple-headed person can never be selfish.

Questions 7.
Sketch the character of Johnson.
Answer:
Johnson was a tenant farmer. He had a four-acre plot, a plough, a mare, a cart, and tools. But he loved talking more than working on his farm. He was also a local preacher and on Sundays, he liked to talk to village congregations. He would even stand at the back-door, over his field gate, in the road outside the house to talk to people. He believed that God, who has created this earth, would also take care of it. He had a faith that somehow the land would recover from its poverty. He was content with what little he got out of the land. Johnson loved his only son Benjy. He believed Benjy was simple-headed. He helped Benjy. He made several sacrifices for him. He was time and again disappointed by Benjy’s selfish behavior. But he never learned his lesson. He always forgave him, thinking that Benjy was not in his right mind. In the end, Johnson suffered because of his foolish faith and laziness. Though he arouses our sympathy, we also feel he got what he deserved.

Question 8.
Sketch the character of Benjy.
Answer:
Benjy is the central figure in die story. As a child, he had thick fair hair on his face. He would smile all day long. His father believed he was simple-headed. But there was a kind of cunningness behind his innocent-looking blue eyes. His selfishness and cunningness came to light as he grew older. Benjy’s only interest was in his hens. He knew that hens were useful because they lay eggs that could be sold for money. So he learned more and more about hens. He built separate coops for them. He sold eggs in the town.

Later he made his hen-houses as modem as he could. He bought land and expanded his business. He was a shrewd businessman who employed several people and supplied thousands of eggs every day. Benjy had no emotions. Affection, kindness, and gratitude were unknown to him. His parents gave him a file passbook. He simply looked at the amount. His old parents had no place in his scheme of things. He had no compunction when he told them to move to the town and live in lodgings. Benjy fell in love with Florence. There were hardly any emotions involved. He did not care for intelligence or beauty. He married her only because he felt she could help him in his business.

C. 2. Group Discussion.

1. Your expectations of your parents/guardians.
Answer:

• I expect that my parents should give me good food good clothes and good education. If I fall sick or ill, they should look after me and get the best treatment for me.
• I expect that they should give me freedom and do not ask me ‘where I have been
• They should know that I am almost an adult now. They should give me sufficient pocket money.
• They should not hinder me from going on trips and excursions with my friends.
• They do not object to my friendship with any boy or girl.
• They should let me have a mobile phone and do not interface in my personal life.

2. Causes and effects of communication gap.
Answer:
Hints:

• Human beings are endowed with the faculty of speech.
• Speech is meant for communication. But sometimes there is a communication gap.
• The other person does not rightly understand us.
• Sometimes it is due to prejudice or preconceived notions.
• Remarks or messages are wrongly interpreted.
• This leads to breaking up of friendships.
• This may lead to bitter hostilities.

C.3. Composition

1. Write a short essay in about 150 words on ‘an ideal family’.
Answer:
Love and sacrifice are the basis of an ideal family. It an ideal family all members love one another and are willing to make and sacrifice for one another. In India, a joint family used to be and still is, an ideal family. There are young and old, men. and women. They live together. The income of the family is pooled. Each one gets according to his/her needs. The children are looked after by all the daughters-in-law. Old women and men are respected. Their experience is of great help to the younger members. In turn, there is no problem with looking after the old. The senior members are served by grandsons and granddaughters. The family traditions are duly maintained. Guests are entertained. Members share many of their things and avoid duplicacy. Thus they live economically and happily.

2. Write a paragraph in about 100 words on the ‘duties of children towards their parents’
Answer:
Parents do their best to bring up children. In turn, children are expected to do their duties towards their parents. All religions, and all societies expect this. Especially when parents grew old and weak, they need the help of their children. So the children should take care of them. The first and foremost need of the old parents is love and company. They often feel lonely and depressed. So the children and grandchildren should find time to spend with them. They should never let them feel ignored and unwanted. Then they should be given food that they like and can digest. If they are unwell, they should be given medical aid immediately. They should be given clean clothes to wear. Parents do not expect much. If they get love and care they are happy. ‘

D. WORD STUDY
D.1. Dictionary Use

Ex. Correct the spelling of the following words

Ex. 2. Lookup a dictionary and write two meanings of the following words—the one in which it is used in the lesson and the other which is more common.

D. 2. Word-formation

Make nouns from the following verbs Ans. suggest

D. 3. Word-meaning 

Ex. 1. Find from the lesson words the meanings of which have been given in Column-A. The last part of each word is given in Column-B

D. 4. Phrases

Ex. 1. Read the lesson carefully and find out the sentences in which the following phrases have been used. Then use these phrases in sentences of your own.
Answer:
grow up: Helen Keller was deaf and blind but she grew up into a great writer.
come from: These fine mangoes come from our garden, cut off: Floods have cut off many villages from the rest of the state, by the time: By the time she returned home, the children had gone to sleep.
take care of: Parents take care of their children.
for a long time: For a long time people waited for help, but no help came.
look at: I looked at the painting with admiration.

E. Grammar

Find at least ten conjunctions which have been used in the story and use them in sentences of your own:
Answer:
after: She came home after the sun had set. until: He did not go until he learned the secret,
because: We walked home because there was no bus. if: We shall not go out if it rains, as if: He behaved as if he were insane.
although: Although he had wealth, he did not help his brother, as: As I am ill, I cannot take part in games.
so that: He married Florence so that she could help him with the hens.
as well as: She was ugly as well as stupid.
but: He looked simple-minded but he was very shrewd.