STD: VIII

SUB: ENGLISH
LS 3: THE WORLD-RENOWNED NOSE

COMPREHENSION (Page 49)

1. Answer the following questions.
a. No. The author doesn’t give us any reason. He simply asks the
question: ‘Who knows?’ He explains that history informs us that the
twenty-fourth year of a person’s life has significance, but gives us no
reasons or examples.
b. The man was dismissed because of his nose; the reason was that the
people living in the house where he worked could not find any peace or
quiet because people came visiting day and night to see the man’s
nose. Photographer’s pestered them. News reporters became a
nuisance. A number of things were pilfered from the house.
c. The fortunate result of keeping people out was that people began to
bribe their way in, and the man’s income grew. He was no longer poor.
d. The Government tried a confidence trick. The Government awarded
him the title ‘Chief among the long-nosed ones’ and gave him a medal.
In other words they were trying to buy him onto their side.
e. Rumours were spread by the people of one party about the long-
nosed one to discredit him to the effect that his nose was not real and
was made of rubber. The other party testified about the reality of his
nose. Each party gained the support of one of his secretaries. So there
was confusion in the minds of the people. The rumours were spread to
gain his affiliation to one party or another; they used him in the battle
of government and opposition.
f. The doctors proved that the nose was genuine by blocking the
nostrils of the long-nosed one; he immediately opened his mouth wide.
Another doctor took a needle and punctured the tip of his nose. To his
amazement a drop of blood appeared at the tip of the nose. The
doctors gave their verdict, ‘The nose is genuine.’
g. I think that the film titled, ‘The Human Submarine’, might be about
how the long-nosed man used his nose as a periscope. Thus vast
audiences were attracted by the technicolour feature film.
h. Newspapers published his comments on important world events. If
nothing was said about an event by the long-nosed one it was
considered insignificant. He made his comments on virtually everything
like painting, the watch trade, the soul, publishing-houses, life after
death, and hunting. The story is a satire and the author wants to convey
the idea that someone can be catapulted into power and become
famous for something as trivial as a nose. We see in society today, how
film stars and sports personalities become politicians and make
pronouncements on every aspect of society simply because they are
good at acting or sports.
i. (same as ans. e) Rumours were spread by the people of one party
about the long-nosed one to discredit him to the effect that his nose
was not real and was made of rubber. The other party testified about
the reality of his nose. Each party gained the support of one of his
secretaries. So there was confusion in the minds of the people. The
rumours were spread to gain his affiliation to one party or another;
they used him in the battle of government and opposition.
j. The story is a satire in the way that anyone can be catapulted into
power and become famous for something as trivial as a nose. Fame
gives a person power to comment on everything, even though he may
not be qualified enough to do so. It deals with ridicule and sarcasm. The
author is making fun of the way in which we make heroes out of
various people from different walks of life.

2. What do you understand by the following?

a. His daily routine was confined to these activities.
 limited/ restricted
b. Expectant years slip by and the trees bear fruit.
 Here the years are described as ‘hopeful’ which pass by and result in
new and progressive things that take place in our lives.
c. Conspiracies were hatched.
 Many plots and schemes were planned.
d. United Front
 A joining of forces with a common aim, objective or ‘front’.
3. Answer the following questions with reference to context.
a. Students of history need hardly be told this.
i. That the twenty-fourth year had significance in many great lives.
ii. The owner of that world-renowned nose had completed twenty-four
years of age, when the story began. No one knew him before that. It
was then that he grew his nose and became world-renowned.

b. As the dismissed cook sat starving in his lowly hut, he was

convinced of one thing: his nose had acquired great publicity!
i. No. He did not know why he was dismissed from work and nobody
came to explain this to him.
ii. Initially he lost his job due to his nose as people living in the house
where he worked could not find any peace or quiet because people
came visiting day and night to see the man’s nose.
iii. As people came from distant lands to see his long nose, but no one
asked about his welfare, until he got so fed up that he told his mother
to get rid of those people. People began to bribe his mother to see his
nose. In the long run his income grew and he became a millionaire in six
years. [He acted in films; poets wrote poems about his noble qualities;
biographies of him were written; he had two secretaries; and
newspapers published his comments.]

c. As this shouting and revelry ended, the President thought of

another gimmick.
i. A gimmick is a public stunt; a scheme that attracts public attention
but works in a concealed way.
ii. He was awarded the title ‘Chief among the long-nosed ones’ and
given a medal by the President. Instead of shaking hands, the President
tweaked the tip of the long nose which was filmed and shown in all
theatres.
iii. The newspapers reported everything that the long-nosed-one said or
did; they got him to comment about a wide range of subjects. They did
this because everyone was curious about the man, and thus their
papers would sell.
WORKING WITH WORDS (Pages 50–51)
1. Change the following nouns to adjectives using the suffixes:
-ful, -y, -ish, -ous.
a. painful b. clayey c. spacious d. sleepy
e. desirous f. scandalous g. famous h. meaningful
i. lawful j. boyish k. hopeful l. youthful
m. careful n. girlish o. childish p. poisonous
q. doughy r. fanciful s. dirty t. springy

2. Comment on the terms below:

a. an authorized, registered news reporter (Someone who is not
accredited would be called freelance/independent)
b. significant moment
c. a fellow member of a group a soldier, political party member)
d. devious plans were discussed and set in motion
e. twist or pull something sharply
f. to give answer to a claim made by someone else
g. a huge mass of people
h. a piece of trickery intended to achieve a result by dishonesty

THE APOSTROPHE
a. We spoke to his father who is in his nineties. (correct)
b. In the ‘forties India gained her Independence.
c. In ‘92 Kapil scored five 50s.
d. The MLAs who attended the meeting in ‘86 stayed in the five DIGs’
houses.
e. All the PM’s/PMs’ speeches at the conference were recorded and
filmed.
LEARNING ABOUT LANGUAGE (Pages 51–53)
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
2. Change the following into reported speech.
a. She hoped he/she/they didn’t mind.
b. The man asked her where she had been.
c. Prakash told the boy that if he never tried a new thing how would he
know what it was like.
d. When they returned home, Mohan told his wife he did not know
whether they had seen the film.
e. Jasbir asked his father in a hushed voice whether he had any idea at
all of what was going on.
f. The father told Jasbir he didn’t know what was happening but they
were finding out.
g. The boy exclaimed with wonder the old woman that she had actually
paid for the house with all that gold and all those diamonds.
h. Maya protested that it would disappear in a flash.
3. Turn the following sentences into direct speech.
a. ‘What has the long- nosed one to say about this?’ asked the people.
b. ‘Why should I join party and parties?’ the long-nosed one asked in his
own tongue.
c. Why should I join any party?’ the long-nosed one asked.
d. You (the people) must be disciplined!’ blared forth the loud-
speakers.
e. ‘The nose is not made of rubber,’ the doctors declared unanimously.
SAY IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY!
4. Change the italicized phrases by completing the sentences
with the cue words. (Pupils will write their own sentences)
Examples: a. The people wanted to know what the long-nosed one’s
response was.
b. This is where his life is headed towards.
c. The long-nosed one said that good things lay ahead.