What kind of soldiers comprised the regiment posted on the hills?

Why did the other soldiers take the tall soldier’s news with a pinch of salt? What does this show about him?

Young men enlisted their names in the army because

i. There was a law of conscription in their country.
ii. They hated the enemy from across the borders.
iii. War was glorified and romanticized.

The young soldiers were disappointed at the army camp because

i. There seemed to be no fight or action there.
ii. They had to wait for the enemy to attack.
iii. They were not given adequate ammunition.

The young soldier’s mother did not talk of his coming back since

i. She did not want him to desert the army and return.
ii. She was not too sure that he would survive the battle.
iii. It no longer mattered to her whether he returned or not.

The young man’s regiment was pitted against

i. Their own countrymen who had gone against the government.
ii. An enemy country that wanted to take control of their country.
iii. The army of a country they wanted to take control of.

As the hillsides changed from brown to green, the army awakened and began to tremble with eagerness at the talk of battle.

a. What does ‘changing brown to green’ mean?
b. Why did the army begin to feel excitement and eagerness?
c. What had they been doing all these days?

I don’t know what else to tell you, Henry, except that you must never avoid your duty, child. If a time comes when you have to be killed or kill, Henry, don’t think of anything except what’s right.

a. Who is Henry?
b. Who is advising him?
c. Where would Henry be going?
d. What do these words show about the speaker?

And he? He was merely a part of a vast blue display.

a. Who is being talked about here?
b. What does ‘a vast blue display’ mean/refer to?
c. Who was this vast display meant for?

“Did you ever think you might run yourself, Jim?” the youth asked. On completing the sentence, he laughed as if he had meant it as a joke. What do these lines reveal about Henry?

Do you think Henry’s desire to join the army stemmed from patriotism or from a boyish quest for adventure and glory? Explain with reference to the lesson.

A portion of the world’s history that had disappeared forever. These words refer to the bloody wars leading to death and destruction. Do you think the sentences expressed a fact or an opinion? Discuss.

Wars are glorified to encourage and inspire young men to join the army. Do you think all the young foot soldiers who fight on order and lay down their lives feel the same confidence and courage? Discuss with reference to the story.

Fill in the blanks with suitable adjectives/adverbs from the brackets.
The flood waters rose ................................. (steady/steadily). Our homes were now little pools of water in which most of our things were floating ................................. (haphazard/haphazardly). The water rose and soon was knee- ................................. (high/highly). We knew it was time to leave when our house was ................................. (near/nearly) submerged in the flood water. We made a crude raft ................................. (hasty/hastily), placed our still dry ................................. (essential/essentially) belonging and started our journey towards comparatively dry areas. A helicopter flew above us and we ................................. (desperate/desperately) tried to catch the attention of the soldiers inside. By the time we were rescued our area was ................................. (total/totally) under water.

Adverbs also describe adjectives and other adverbs. Select two words from the boxes to complete each sentence. Make the necessary changes.
                        Adverbs                                                                               Adjectives
nearly           remarkably         totally                   funny                    damaged             choking
absolutely   somewhat           impossibly           strong                   sturdy                   faded
        fairly      slightly                                                                  necessary            easy

1. It is .................................   ................................. that you take your vaccination against malaria before you to go the jungles.

2. Many buildings on the islands of Andamans were .............................   .............................. during the tsunami.

3. Aditi is ..............................  .............................. . However hard I try not to laugh, I burst out laughing at her jokes.

4. Yesterday Aditi crackled a joke at the dining table and I ............................   ............................ laughing over it.

5. This wall is .............................  ............................. . It will be difficult to knock it down when we rebuild the house.

6. I think I’ll get a new sports T-short. The old one is .............................   ............................. . I can’t wear it for our matches.

7. The furniture that you get in this shop is ............................   ............................  . Mine have lasted many years without any damage.

8. The Economics test paper was quite difficult. Only the last question was ............................  .......................... . The rest were tough.

The shop outside the school has begun to stock cigarettes. You are concerned that some students may experiment with smoking. Write a letter of complaint to your Principal suggesting that the shopkeeper be requested not to keep cigarettes in his shop.

“She gave him hundreds of reasons why he was more important on the farm than on the field of battle.”

a. What could be some reasons the mother gave for her son staying on the farmland?
b. How does this statement reflect the mother’s fear of losing her son?

What does the setting and era of the novel reveal about the societal and cultural values of the time, particularly focusing on the romanticization of war?