NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Supplementary Chapter 2 Children at Work

Velu stood on the platform but felt as if he was still on a moving train because his legs were still unstable and trembling after the journey to Chennai. The effect of the moving train was still on his mind even after his journey had finished.

Question:
(i) Velu travelled without a ticket. Why?
(ii) How did he escape the ticket collector’s attention?
Answer:
(i) Velu travelled without a ticket because he had run away from his house due to his father who used to snatch his money and as a result he had no money to buy it.
(ii) He escaped the ticket collector’s attention because fortunately the ticket collector did not come to the unreserved compartment.

What sort of things did Jaya and children like her collect and what did they do with those things?
Jaya and children like her used to collect paper, plastic, glass, and other such things. Then they sold these items to Jam Bazaar Jaggu, who sold it to a factory.

Velu felt miserable and tired because he had not eaten anything except some peanuts and a piece of jaggery from the last two days. He had run away from his village two days ago due to his drunkard father and was totally unaware of what to do in such a big city.

Is Velu happy or unhappy to find work? Give a reason for your ans.
Velu was unhappy to find this work because he had never done such a work before. He did not run from his home to dig things out of the garbage bins. The kind of work he had before all this was weeding and taking cows out to graze. But, since this was a new city and he was not aware of anything so he decided to work as a rag picker till he could find a more appropriate job.

Velu ran away from his home because his father, who wasn’t a good man. He used to beat him every day. Velu belonged to a poor family where he and his sister had to work hard to earn money but their drunkard father snatched the money from them and spent it for drinking alcohol.

Is Velu a smart boy? Which instances in the text show that he is or isn’t?
Yes, Velu is a smart boy. He was firm to leave his village and stood up against his father’s behaviour .When he reached Chennai, the girl, who was a rag picker, helped him. In the beginning, he was reluctant to take her help but he was quite smart to understand that he was very hungry and had no idea where to go. So, he decided to take her help.
Moreover, Velu knew how to read Tamil only. When he was offered the banana by her that she had found in the garbage, he did not accept it but as he was very hungry and hadn’t eaten in last two day he changed his mind and ate it. Although he found the place and even the girl very weird but he kept on walking along with her. He tried to know why she used to collect rubbish. He was aware that he was totally new in the city of Chennai and did not know what to do so he decided to adjust with the circumstances and work as a rag picker till the time he found a more appropriate job.

He decided to follow the ‘strange’ girl because he was totally unaware about where to and what to do. Moreover, he was very hungry as he had not eaten anything from last two days.

Comprehensive Check (Page No. 13)
Question:
Can Velu read Tamil and English? How do you know?
Answer:
Velu can was able to read only Tamil and not English. It was clear because he could not read the signboards which were in English. He could read the Tamil sign, Central Jail.

Question:
“If you are not careful, you will soon be counting bars there,” the girl said.
(i) What is she referring to?
(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.)
Answer:
(i) She was referring to the Central Jail.
(ii) When she said “If you are not careful…” to Velu, she meant that he should not do something wrong and get caught by the policemen. She told him to stay away from jail to avoid being caught by police.

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, this story shows that what we throw away as waste may be valuable for others. The empty bottles, paper and items of plastic are thrown out by the people. The rag pickers earn their living by collecting them. Those who stock up rubbish become very rich people for them. The waste is precious and a blessing for them and their life is based upon it.

The Girl led Velu to the back of a wedding hall where there was lot of leftover food. She could make out that Velu was starving and would definitely get there something to eat.

What did they get to eat?
Velu got a banana and a vada to eat, while the girl got only a banana to eat.

What material are the ‘strange’ huts made out of?
The ‘strange’ huts were made out of metal sheets, tyres, bricks, wood, and plastic.

In Velu’s village, the houses were made of mud and palm leaves that is why he found the huts strange. The huts there were made up of different type of things like metal sheet, scrap, plastic etc. and could fall down at point of time. He had never seen such slum areas where huts were made out of anything people could arrange.

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 is a brave and sensitive child with sense of humour. She was of the same age as Velu. She worked as a rag picker and was aware of how to live in the city. Jaya knew the lifestyle of Chennai, which is quite a big city. She knew how and where to find food from. She also knew that one has to be cautious to not get caught by the police.
But Jaya was a very receptive and kind girl as she helped Velu in every possible ways. She gave him a pair of shoes because his feet were burning due to fiery sun on the road.
Jaya also had a hilarious nature because when Velu was sitting at the platform, she asked him if he had come there to become a rich man. When Velu was unable to cross the road, she pulled him to the other side of the road and said “What do you think you are doing? Grazing cows? If you stand around in the middle of the road like that, you’ll become chutney.”