The chapter named "A Helpless Situation" revolves around a specific pattern of letters that Mark Twain, the narrator, receives periodically. This letter was an unusual piece of correspondence, a type which never changed its substance but still managed to astonish............
A helpless Situation - New Oxford Modern English - Class 8 - English
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Back Exercises - A helpless Situation | New Oxford Modern English | Literature | English | Class 8
Use the pairs of words below in sentences of your own. The words need not be placed together, but can occur in different parts of the same sentence.
A | B |
---|---|
examine | influence |
gratitude | attention |
presumed | favour |
influence | prefer |
reflection | desire |
mentioned | acquainted |
a. I need to examine the data carefully before drawing any conclusions.
b. I expressed my gratitude to her for her attention to detail.
c. He presumed that his presence would be enough to win her favor.
d. Her older sister's taste in music had a great influence on her own preferences.
e. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn't help but feel a deep desire for change.
f. During the conversation, she mentioned that she was already acquainted with the guest speaker.
Match the opposites in A and B. If in doubt, use a dictionary.
A | B |
---|---|
conceal | thanklessness |
generous | delayed |
gratitude | prudent |
determination | competent |
incapable | divulge |
foolish | disinterest |
premature | mean |
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Sign up nowThere are eight books below. Unfortunately, some of the letters of the names of either the authors or the titles are missing. Can you write the missing letters? You may have to do a little research first.
Pr…….a……..P….. jane Austen | T……..J………B………. Rudyard Kipling | T……S…….A…… Joseph Conrad. | Dracula B…….S……… |
T…….W…….o…….t……. W……. H.G. Wells | S…….a…….F……. R.K. Narayan | J…….a…….t…….G……. Roald Dahl | Wind in the Willows P……. K…….G……. |
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Sign up nowNow try and write the following in reported speech. Remember that there are a number of ways in which the sentences could be written.
a. ‘I---I think not,’ said Mr H.
b. ‘I believe I do not know,’ replied Mr C.
c. ‘Yes, I---I knew her uncle,’ claimed Mr C.
d. ‘I appeal to you to grant me this favor,’ wrote the woman.
e. Mr H asked, ‘How do her books strike you?’
f. ‘Recent?’ asked Mr. H. ‘When was all this?’
g. ‘What a basis to judge a book upon!’ exclaimed Mr H.
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Sign up nowFind suitable noun clauses to complete the following. Say whether the noun clauses are the subject, object, object of a preposition or complement.
a. ………………………………………………………………………………………………. was true.
b. We could not think ………………………………………………………………………………
c. It is very easy to remember …………………………………………………………………
d. Looking up, I saw ………………………………………………………………………………..
e. The teacher never told them ………………………………………………………………
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Sign up nowWrite five sentences of your own using noun clauses beginning with:
a. what
b. whether
c. whatever
d. why
e. that
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Sign up nowBack Questions - A helpless Situation | New Oxford Modern English | Literature | English | Class 8
Why does the author think it will be fine to print the letter from the woman?
The author believes it will be fine to print the letter from the woman because the writer of the letter is presumably dead, given the letter is very old. He also intends to conceal her name and address to further protect her identity. The author also mentions that if her soul lives on (her "shade"), he is confident it would not disapprove.
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What does Uncle Simmons remember very well?
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Sign up nowHow old was the woman when she wrote to Mark Twain?
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Sign up nowWhat reason does the woman give the author for giving such a long introduction?
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Sign up nowWhat specific requests does the woman make in her letter?
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Sign up nowHow do we know that Mark Twain thought the letter was absurd?
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Sign up nowWhich people, according to Mark Twain, are likely to have ‘influence’?
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Sign up nowBriefly, what two important things does Mr H want to find out from Mark Twain?
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Sign up nowHow does Mr H draw his meeting with Mark Twain to a conclusion?
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Sign up nowWhat might the woman have said in her letter to Mark Twain that would have made a greater impact on him? Study the letter and suggest general improvements she could have made.
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Sign up nowMark Twain describes people who write letters requiring help and those who do not. Which characteristics distinguish one type from the other?
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Sign up nowDo you agree or disagree with the view that influential people should be approached for help in personal matters?
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Sign up nowHe got hurt in the old Hal Clayton claim that was abandoned like the others, putting in a blast and not climbing out quick enough, though he scrambled the best he could.
i. Who says these words and to whom?
ii. Who got hurt?
iii. What is a claim?
iv. What happened as a result of him ‘not climbing out quick enough’?
v. What question Is asked about this incident by Mr H later on in the story?
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Sign up nowIt goes to every well-known merchant, and railway official, and manufacturer, and capitalist, …
i. What goes and how does it go?
ii. What pattern does this (it) always follow?
iii. From what type of person would ‘it’ not be sent to people of influence?
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Sign up now‘No, that isn’t all. There are other ties.’
i. Who is speaking and to whom?
ii. What is not all? What has been the topic of discussion?
iii. Which further ties does the speaker go on to describe?
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Sign up nowExtra Questions - A helpless Situation | New Oxford Modern English | Literature | English | Class 8
“The favour I ask I feel assured your generous heart will grant: Give me some advice about a book I have written.”
“The favour I ask I feel assured your generous heart will grant: Give me some advice about a book I have written.”
i. Who is asking for a favour and from whom?
ii. What is the favour being asked?
iii. What does the favour requester intend to do with the advice if granted?
i. The person asking for a favour is a new, unknown author writing to Mr. S.L. Clemens, also known as Mark Twain.
ii. The favour being asked is for advice or support about her book that she has written.
iii. If granted, the favour requester intends to utilize the advice to pitch her book to a publisher. She hopes to potentially publish it on a royalty basis with the help of Mr. Clemens' endorsement.
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“I know the cabin her uncle lived in, in the mines; I knew his partners, too…”
i. Who says these words and to whom?
ii. What significance does knowing the cabin and the uncle’s partners have?
iii. How does this information tie into the overall conversation?
iv. What reaction do these words elicit from the listener?
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Sign up nowHow does Mark Twain justify his scepticism about being able to remember the woman's uncle?
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Sign up nowQuiz - A helpless Situation | New Oxford Modern English | Class 8 Literature | English
Vocabulary - Flashcards - A helpless Situation | New Oxford Modern English | Class 8 Literature | English
About the Author - A helpless Situation | New Oxford Modern English | Class 8 Literature | English
Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. Born on November 30, 1835, he was lauded as the "greatest humorist this country has produced", and is known for his novels “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and its sequel, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” These works are acclaimed as great masterpieces of American literature. Twain's writing style was distinguished by his satire and wit, and his works often reflected his liberal political and social views. Despite facing financial difficulties later in life, Twain's legacy endures through his beloved books. Twain passed away on April 21, 1910, yet his impact on American literature remains as strong as ever.
Summary - A helpless Situation | New Oxford Modern English | Class 8 Literature | English
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Themes - A helpless Situation | New Oxford Modern English | Class 8 Literature | English
1. Helplessness and Expectations:
The title of the chapter itself signifies a sense of helplessness. From the author's perspective, the helplessness of being unable to assist a seemingly earnest plea from a hopeful author forms a major theme. On the other hand, the woman...........
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Unlock now 🔓Plot - A helpless Situation | New Oxford Modern English | Class 8 Literature | English
1. Reception of the Letter:
The story begins with Twain describing a peculiar yet recurring situation where he receives a repeated pattern of letters that leaves him astonished............
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Unlock now 🔓Important Lines - A helpless Situation | New Oxford Modern English | Class 8 Literature | English
1. "Once or twice a year I get a letter of a certain pattern, a pattern that never materially changes, in form and substance, yet I cannot get used to that letter-it always astonishes me."
- This line sets the stage for the explanation of the recurring yet perplexing situation faced by Twain, sparking the interest................
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Unlock now 🔓Vocabulary - A helpless Situation | New Oxford Modern English | Class 8 Literature | English
Append: add as a supplement; attach
I will append the additional information to the report.
Bill of fare: menu; list of dishes offered
The restaurant's bill of fare had a variety of options.
Claim: a piece of land staked out by a miner (and therefore legally claimed)
The miner..............................
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