The Hundred Dresses-II

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By– El Bsor Ester

IMPORTANT PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow :

PASSAGE 1

While the class was circling the room, the monitor from the principal’s office brought Miss Mason a note. Miss Mason read it several times and studied it thoughtfully for a while. Then, she clapped her hands.

“Attention, class. Everyone-back to their seat.”

When the shuffling of feet had stopped and the room was still and quiet, Miss Mason said, “I have a letter from Wanda’s father that I want to read to you.”

Miss Mason stood there a moment and the silence in the room grew tense and expectant. The teacher adjusted her glasses slowly and deliberately. Her manner indicated that what was coming—this letter from Wanda’s father—was a matter of great importance. Everybody listened closely as Miss Mason read the brief note.

[H.B.S.E. March, 2017 (Set-B))

Word-meanings: Circling = moving around (आसपास घूमना); shuffling = making south nd of feet while walking (चलते समय पैरों की आवाज़ करना)-, tense = serious (गंभीर); deliberately = knowingly (जान-बूझकर); brief = short (संक्षिप्त)

Questions :

(a) What happened when the class was circling the room?

(b) Why did Miss Mason read the letter of Wanda’s father several times?

(c) What happened when she said that she wanted to read the letter to the class?

(d) How did Miss Mason treat the letter of Wanda’s father?

(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‘showed’.

Answers :

(a) The monitor from the principal’s office came and brought a note to Miss Mason.

(b) She read it several times because it had important things about the class.

(d) She treated the letter as something very important.

(e) ‘indicated’.

PASSAGE 2

A deep silence met the reading of this letter. Miss Mason took off her glasses, blew on them and wiped them on her soft white handkerchief. Then she put them on again and looked at the class. When she spoke her voice was very low.

“I am sure that none of the boys and girls in Room Thirteen would purposely and deliberately hurt anyone’s feelings because his or her name happened to be a long, unfamiliar one. I prefer to think that what was said was said in thoughtlessness. I know that all of you feel the way I do, that this is a very unfortunate thing to have happened—unfortunate and sad, both. And I want you all to think about it.”

Word-meanings: Unfamiliar = unacquainted (अपरीक्षित); thoughtlessness = without thinking (बिना सोचे): unfortunate = unlucky (अभागा) I

Questions :

(a) What happened when Miss Mason read the letter?

(b) How did Miss Mason behave after reading the letter?

(c) What did Miss Mason say about the hurting of anyone’s feelings?

(d) What advice did she give to the class?

(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‘injure’.

Answers :

(a) There was a deep silence in the class.

(b) She took off her glasses, blew on them and wiped them on her handkerchief.

(d) She advised the class to think about the incident deeply.

(e) ‘hurt’.

PASSAGE 3

The first period was a study period. Maddie tried to prepare her lessons, but she could not put her mind on her work. She had a very sick feeling in, the bottom of her stomach. True, she had not enjoyed listening to Peggy ask Wanda how many dresses she had in her closet, but she had said nothing. She had stood by silently, and that was just as bad as what Peggy had done. Worse, She was a coward. At least Peggy hadn’t ‘considered they were being mean but she, Maddie, had thought they were doing wrong. She could put herself la Wanda’s shoes.

Word-meanings: Closet = almirah (अलमारी); coward = lacking courage (कायर); mean = with bad mentality (कमीना); stole a glance = looked secretly (चुपके से देखना) I

Questions :

(a) Why Maddie had a sick feeling at the bottom of her stomach?

(b) What had Maddie not enjoyed?

(c) What did Maddie think about Peggy’s making fun of Wanda?

(d) What did Maddie think about Wanda?

(e) Find a phrase from the passage which means ‘lacking courage’.

Answers :

(a) Maddie could not put her mind on her work because she felt bad that Peggy had been mocking at Wanda.

(b) She had not enjoyed Peggy’s asking Wanda about her dresses.

(d) She thought that she would find out Wanda and feel sorry before her.

(e) ‘coward’.

PASSAGE 4

“I think that’s where the Petronskis live,” said Maddie, pointing to a little white house. Wisps of old grass stuck up here and there along the pathway like thin kittens. The house and its sparse little yard looked shabby but clean. It reminded Maddie of Wanda’s one dress, her faded blue cotton dress, shabby but clean.

There was not a sign of life about the house. Peggy knocked firmly on the door, but there was no answer. She and Maddie went around to the backyard and knocked there. Still, there was no answer.

There was no doubt about it. The Petronskis were gone. How could they ever make amends?

They turned slowly and made their way back down the hill.

Word-meanings: Wisps = pieces (टुकड़े); kittens = young ones of cats (बिल्ली के बच्चे); sparse = not dense (पतला); shabby = simple and cheap (सादा एवं सस्ता) I

Questions :

(a) Why did Maddie and Peggy go to Wanda’s house?

(b) How did Wanda’s house look?

(c) What did Wanda’s house remind Maddie of?

(d) Were Maddie and Peggy able to meet Wanda?

(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‘young ones of cats’.

Answers:

(a) They went to Wanda’s house to test sorry what they had done to Wanda.

(b) Wanda’s house looked shabby but clean.

(d) No, they were not able to meet her as Wanda’s family had already moved to another city.

(e) ‘kittens’.

PASSAGE 5

Maddie turned this idea carefully over in her head, for if there were anything in it she would not have to feel so bad. But that night she could not get to sleep. She thought about Wanda and her faded blue dress and the little house she had lived in. And she thought of the glowing picture those hundred dresses made—all lined up in the classroom. At last Maddie sat up in bed and pressed her forehead tight in her hands and really thought. This was the hardest thinking she had ever done. After a long, long time, she reached an important conclusion.

She was never going to stand by and say nothing again.

If she ever heard anybody picking on someone because they were funny looking or because they had strange names, she’d speak up. Even if it meant losing Peggy’s friendship. She had no way of making things right with Wanda, but from now on she would never make anybody else that unhappy again.

Word-meanings : Faded = insipid (फीका); glowing = beautiful (सुंदर); conclusion = result (निष्कर्ष); picking on someone = teasing someone (किसी को तंग करना) I

Questions :

(a) Maddie could not sleep that night. What did she think about?

(b) What did Maddie do at last?

(c) What was the hardest thing she had ever done?

(d) What decision did Maddie take that night?

(e) Find a phrase from the passage which means ‘teasing someone’.

Answers :

(a) She thought Wanda and her faded blue dress and her little house.

(b) She sat up in bed and pressed her forehead tight in her hands and really thought about the matter.

(d) She decided that from now onwards she would not make anybody unhappy again.

(e) ‘picking on someone’.

PASSAGE 6

On Saturday Maddie spent the afternoon with Peggy. They were writing a letter to Wanda Petronski. It was just a friendly letter telling about the contest and telling Wanda she had won. They told her how pretty her drawings were. And they asked her if she liked where she was living and if she liked her new teacher. They had meant to say they were sorry, but it ended up with their just writing a friendly letter, the kind they would have written to any good friend, and they signed it with lots of X for love. They mailed the letter to Boggins Heights, writing ‘Please Forward’ on the envelope:

Days passed and there was no answer, but the letter did not come back, so maybe Wanda had received it. Perhaps she was so hurt and angry she was not going to answer. You could not blame her.

Word-meanings : Contest = competition (मुकाबला); mailed = sent by post (डाक से भेजना); maybe =perhaps (शायद); blame = censure (दोष लगाना) I

Questions :

(a) To whom were Maddie and Peggy writing a letter?

(b) What did they write to Wanda about her drawings?

(c) What had they meant to write in the letter?

(d)Did Maddie and Peggy get a reply to their letter?

(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‘beautiful’.

Answers :

(a)They were writing a letter to Wanda.

(b) They wrote to her saying that her drawings were pretty.

(d) No, they did not receive a reply to their letter.

(e) ‘pretty’.

PASSAGES FOR PRACTICE (UNSOLVED)

PASSAGE 7

Weeks went by and still, Wanda did not answer. Peggy had begun to forget the whole business, and Maddie put herself to sleep at night making speeches about Wanda, defending her from great crowds of girls who were trying to tease her with, “How many dresses have you got ?” And before Wanda could press her lips together in a tight line, the way she did before answering, Maddie would cry out, “Stop!” Then everybody would feel ashamed of the way she used to feel.

Now it was Christmas time and there was snow on the ground. Christmas bells and a small tree decorated the classroom. On the last day of school before the holidays, the teacher showed the class a letter she had received that morning.

Word-meanings : Defending = protecting (रक्षा करना); tease = to trouble someone (किसी को चिड़ाना); decorated = (here) beautiful (सुंदर)

Questions :

(a) What had Peggy begun to think of Wanda?

(b) How did Maddie try to put her to sleep?

(c) How was the class decorated at Christmas time?

(d) What did the teacher show the class?

(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‘protecting’.

PASSAGE 8

She went home and she pinned her drawing over a torn place in the pink-flowered wallpaper in the bedroom. The shabby room came alive from the brilliance of the colours. Maddie sat down on her bed and looked at the drawing. She had stood by and said nothing, but Wanda had been nice to her, anyway.

Tears blurred her eyes and she gazed for a long time at the picture. Then hastily she rubbed her eyes and studied it intently. The colours in the dress were so vivid that she had scarcely noticed the face and head of the drawing. But it looked like her, Maddie! It really looked like her own mouth. Why it really looked like her own self! Wanda had really drawn this for her. Excitedly, she ran over to Peggy’s.

Word-meanings : Brilliancy = brightness (चमक); blurred = unclear (धुँधला); gazed = looked intently , (ध्यान से देखा); vivid = clear (स्पष्ट) I

Questions :

(a) What was the effect of Wanda’s drawing on Maddie’s room?

(b) What did Maddie do after pinning the drawing?

(c) What did Maddie find when she looked at the drawing intently?

(d) Why did she run over to Peggy’s house?

(e) Find a word from the passage which means ‘made dim’.

Passage-9: (Page 73)

Word-Meaning: Moment—instant, Silence—quietness, Tense—worry, Expectant —full of hope, Adjusted—managed, Deliberately—intentionally, Indicated—pointed out, Listened—heard, Brief—short,

Questions:

(a) Why did silence in the room grew tense and expectant?

(b) What did Miss Mason’s manners indicate?

(d) How did the students behave in the class when the letter was read to them?

Answers:

(a) The silence in the room grew tense and expectant as a letter had come from Wanda’s father.

(b) Miss Mason’s manners indicated that there was something unpleasant in the letter.

(d) The students listened closely and attentively as Miss Mason read the letter to them.

Passage-10: (Pages 73 & 74)

“I am sure that none of the boys and girls in Room Thirteen would purposely and deliberately hurt anyone’s feelings because his or her name happened to be a long, unfamiliar one.” “I prefer to think that what was said in thoughtlessness. I know that all of you feel the way I do, that this is a very unfortunate thing to have happened—unfortunate and sad, both. And I want you all to think about it.”

Word-Meaning: Deliberately—done in a way that was planned, Feelings—internal thoughts, Happened–took place, Unfamiliar—unknown, Prefer—to choose something rather than something else, Thoughtlessness–not thinking about what other people want, Unfortunate—unlucky

Questions:

(a) What was Miss Mason’s opinion of the boys and girls of Room Thirteen?

(b) Why were Wanda’s feelings hurt?

(d) What did she think about the incident that happened to her?

Answers:

(a) Miss Mason thought that none of the boys and girls would purposely and deliberately hurt anyone’s feelings because his or her name is a long and unfamiliar one.

(b) Wanda Petronski’s feelings were hurt as she was embarrassed by uncomfortable questions about her dresses were asked by girls like Peggy.

(d) It was really an unfortunate and sad thing that could have happened.

Passage-11: (Page 74)

Goodness! Wasn’t there anything she could do? If only she could tell Wanda she hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings. She turned around and stole a glance at Peggy, but Peggy did not look up. She seemed to be studying hard. Well, whether Peggy felt bad or not, she, Maddie, had to do something. She had to find Wanda Petronski. Maybe she had not yet moved away. Maybe Peggy would climb the Heights with her, and they would tell Wanda she had won the contest, that they thought she was smart and a hundred dresses were beautiful.

Word-Meaning: Glance—have a cursory look, Seem—appear to, Studying—busy in studies, Contest—a competition in which people try to win,

Questions:

(a) What did Maddie think she could do?

(b) What was Peggy doing at the moment?

(d) What reason brought her to Wanda?

Answers:

(a) Maddie thought that she could tell Wanda that she hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings.

(b) Peggy was lost in her studies.

(d) She wanted to tell Wanda that she had won the contest. She was smart and her hundred dresses were beautiful.

Passage-12: (Page 75)

“Well, at least,” said Peggy gruffly, “I never did call her a foreigner or make fun of her name. I never thought she had the sense to know we were making fun of her anyway. I thought she was too dumb. And gee, look at how she can draw!”

Word-Meaning: Gruffly—roughly, Foreigner—a person from any other country, Dumb—innocent,

Questions:

(a) How did Peggy speak?

(b) What excuse did she make?

(d) How did she react to Wanda’s drawings?

Answers:

(a) Peggy spoke gruffly to defend herself.

(b) Peggy said that she never called Wanda Petronski a foreigner or made fun of her.

(d) Peggy confessed that Wanda’s drawings were beautiful.

Passage-13: (Page 75)

Maddie could say nothing. All she hoped was that they would find Wanda. She wanted to tell her that they were sorry they had picked on her, and how wonderful the whole school thought she was. and please, not to move away and everybody would be nice. She and Peggy would fight anybody who was not nice.

Word-Meaning: Wonderful—amazing, Fight—quarrel, Nice—good,

Questions:

(a) Why did Maddie try to please Peggy?

(b) What did Maddie hope?

(d) What decision did Maddie take?

Answers:

(a) Maddie didn’t say anything because she didn’t want to annoy her closest friend and benefactor, Peggy.

(b) Maddie hoped that she would find out Wanda Petronski at Boggins Heights.

(d) Maddie wanted to say that Wanda was a nice girl and she should not move away as they would fight anybody who was not nice to her.

Passage-14: (Page 76)

“Well, anyway,” said Peggy, “she’s gone now, so what can we do? Besides, when I was asking her about all her dresses, she probably was getting good ideas for her drawings. She might not even have won the contest, otherwise.”

Word-Meaning: Besides—in addition to, Probably—perhaps, Otherwise—if not,

Questions:

(a) How was Peggy different from Maddie?

(b) How did she react to Wanda’s going away?

(d) How was Wanda an intelligent girl?

Answers:

(a) Peggy was not much agitated as Maddie was, at Wanda’s going away to a new big town.

(b) Peggy is indifferent and is not as deeply agitated at Wanda’s going away to the big town as Maddie was.

(d) Wanda Petronski was talented enough to draw a hundred designs even without Peggy’s questionings.

Passage–15: (Page 76)

Maddie turned this idea carefully over in her head, for if there were anything in it she would not have to feel so badly. But that night she could not get to sleep. She thought about Wanda and her faded blue dress and the little house she had lived in. And she thought of the glowing picture those hundred dresses made—all lined up in the classroom. At last Maddie sat up in bed and pressed her forehead tight in her hands and really thought. This was the hardest thinking she had ever done. After a long, long time, she reached an important conclusion.

Word-Meaning: Carefully—attentively, Faded—colour lightened due to over washing, Glowing—shining, Lined up—in a queue, Pressed—forced, Really—in fact, Conclusion—a judgment reached by reasoning,

Questions:

(a) How did Maddie behave that night?

(b) What things came to her mind that night?

(d) What important conclusion did she reach?

Answers:

(a) Maddie was mentally upset and couldn’t sleep that night.

(b) That night Maddie thought about Wanda and her faded blue dress and the little hong& lived in.

(d) She reached an important conclusion that she would not stand by and speak up against injustice.

Passage-16: (Page 76)

She was never going to stand by and say nothing again. If she ever heard anybody picking on someone because they were funny looking or because they had strange names, she’d speak up. Even if it meant losing Peggy’s friendship. She had no way of making things right with Wanda, but from now on she would never make anybody else that unhappy again.

Word-Meaning: Funny—that makes you smile, Strange—unknown, Unhappy—sad,

Questions:

(a) What important conclusion did Maddie make?

(b) What did she finally decide to do?

(d) Why were both girls helpless before Wanda?

Answers:

(a) Maddie made an important conclusion that she would not tolerate injustice. She would speak up against it.

(b) She would speak up if she found anybody picking on someone.

(d) They had no way of making things right with Wanda.

Passage-17: (Page 77)

Weeks went by and still, Wanda did not answer. Peggy had begun to forget the whole business, and Maddie put herself to sleep at night making speeches about Wanda, defending her from great crowds of girls who were trying to tease her with, “How many dresses have you got?” And before Wanda could press her lips together in a tight line, the way she did before answering, Maddie would cry out, “Stop!” Then everybody would feel ashamed of the way she used to feel.

Word-Meaning: Defending—protecting, Crowds—groups of people, Tight—fastened, Ashamed—to feel shy,

Questions:

(a) What problem confronted Peggy and Maddie?

(b) What unusual nature of Peggy is shown above?

(d) What would she do if someone was trying to tease Wanda Petronski?

Answers:

(a) Several weeks passed, but they got no reply from Wanda Petronski.

(b) Peggy had begun to forget the whole business about Wanda Petronski.

(d) Maddie would cry out “Stop!” and everybody would feel ashamed.

Passage-18: (Page 78)

“Boy!” said Peggy, “this shows she really likes us. It shows she got our letter and this is her way of saying that everything’s right and that’s that.” “I hope so,” said Maddie sadly. She felt sad because she knew she would never see the little tight-lipped Polish girl again and couldn’t ever really make things right between them.

Word-Meaning: Tight-tipped.—dont, Polish-a native of Poland,

Questions:

(a) What secret did Peggy come to know about Wanda?

(b) How did the doubt between them get cleared?

(c)Why was Maddie sad?

(d) How did she remember Wanda?

Answers:

(a) Peggy said that Wanda’s reply showed that she really loved them.

(b) Wanda’s reply revealed that everything was all right between them.

(d) She remembered Wanda as a little tight-lipped Polish girl.

passage-19: (Page 79)

“Yes, she must have,” agreed Maddie, and she blinked away the tears that came every time she thought of Wanda standing alone in that sunny spot in the schoolyard, looking stolidly over at the group of laughing girls after she had walked off, after she had said, “Sure, a hundred of them, all lined up.”

Word-Meaning: Blinked—winked away, Alone—lonely, Spot—place, talked—moved,

Questions:

(a) What secret did Maddie reveal to Peggy?

(b) Where did she imagine Wanda’s presence in the school?

(d) What was the usual reaction of Wanda to teasing?

Answers:

(a) Maddie agreed with Peggy that Wanda must have really liked them.

(b) She would see Wanda standing alone in the schoolyard.

(d) Wanda replied that she had a hundred dresses, all lined up.