NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 9 – The Great Stone Face I

Question 1:

Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

1. The Great Stone Face stood near where Ernest and his mother lived. ______

2. One would clearly distinguish the features of the Stone Face only from a distance. ______

3. Ernest loved his mother and helped her in her work. ______

4. Though not very rich, Gathergold was a skilful merchant. ______

5. Gathergold died in poverty and neglect. ______

6. The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Ernest should not fear the general. ______

ANSWER:

1. False

The Great Stone Face stood miles away from where Ernest and his mother lived.

2. True

3. True

4. False

Gathergold was very rich.

5. True

6. False

The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Earnest should not lose heart, but believe that the man whose face resembled the Great Stone Face would come.

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Question 1:

(i) What was the Great Stone Face?

(ii) What did young Ernest wish when he gazed at it?

ANSWER:

(i) The Great Stone Face was a work of nature. It was formed on the perpendicular side of a mountain by some immense rocks that had been thrown together so that when viewed at a proper distance, they resembled the features of a human face.

(ii) Gazing at the Great Stone Face, young Ernest wished that it could speak because it looked so very kindly that he thought its voice must be pleasant. He also said that if he ever saw a man with such a face, he would love him very much.

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Question 2:

What was the story attributed to the Stone Face?

ANSWER:

The story that was attributed to the Stone Face was that at some future day, a child would be born near there, and he would be destined to become the greatest and noblest person of his time. His face, in manhood, would bear an exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face.

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Question 3:

What gave the people of the valley the idea that the prophecy was about to come true for the first time?

ANSWER:

The people got the idea that the prophecy was about to come true from a rumour that went throughout the valley. The rumour was that the great man, who was to bear a resemblance to the Great Stone Face, had appeared at last. Many years before, a young man named Gathergold had left the valley and settled at a distant seaport. He had set up as a shopkeeper and being sharp in business matters, had become so rich that it would have taken him a hundred years only to count his wealth. In time, he thought of his native valley, and decided to go back there and end his days where he had been born. The people believed that this was the prophesied man.

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Question 4:

(i) Did Ernest see in Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face?

(ii) Who did he confide in and how was he proved right?

ANSWER:

(i) No, Ernest did not see in Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face.

(ii) He confided in the Great Stone Face. When everybody else believed that Gathergold resembled the Stone Face, he turned away from the wrinkled shrewdness of that unpleasant face and gazed up the valley, where the Stone Face seemed to say “He will come! Fear not, Ernest; the man will come!” He was proved right when later Gathergold died and was buried. His wealth, which was the body and spirit of his existence, had disappeared before his death. Since the time he lost his gold, it had been generally agreed that there was no likeness between him and the majestic face upon the mountain.

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Question 5:

(i) What made people believe General Blood-and-Thunder was their man?

(ii) Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face. What did he conclude?

ANSWER:

(i) The people believed that General Blood-and-Thunder was their man because he had become a soldier many years before. After a great deal of hard fighting, he became a famous commander. He had lately expressed a desire to return to his native valley as he was old and tired. Preparations of welcoming him were made. It was being said that at last, the likeness of the Great Stone Face had actually appeared. When they saw him, they could see the resemblance and were sure that he was the man as they believed he was the greatest man of that or any other age beyond a doubt.

(ii) When Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face, he concluded that there was no resemblance. If there was such a likeness as the crowd proclaimed, then Ernest could not recognise it.

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Question 1:

Write the noun forms of the following words by adding -ness or -ity to them appropriately. Check the spelling of the new words.

(i)	lofty ______________	(vi)	enormous ______________
(ii)	able ______________	(vii)	pleasant ______________
(iii)	happy ______________	(viii)	dense ______________
(iv)	near ______________	(ix)	great ______________
(v)	noble ______________	(x)	stable ______________

ANSWER:

(i)	lofty loftiness	(vi)	enormous enormity
(ii)	able ability	(vii)	pleasant pleasantness
(iii)	happy happiness	(viii)	dense density
(iv)	near nearness	(ix)	great greatness
(v)	noble nobility	(x)	stable stability

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Question 2:

Add -ly to each of the following adjectives, then use them to fill in the blanks.

perfect

near

kind

pleasant

eager

(i) Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were _______ waiting for you.

(ii) _________ write your name and address in capital letters.

(iii) I was _________ surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.

(iv) It is _________ believable that I am not responsible for this mess.

(v) He fell over the step and _________ broke his arm.

ANSWER:

(i) Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were eagerly waiting for you.

(ii) Kindly write your name and address in capital letters.

(iii) I was pleasantly surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.

(iv) It is perfectly believable that I am not responsible for this mess.

(v) He fell over the step and nearly broke his arm.

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Question 3:

Complete each sentence below using the appropriate forms of the verbs in brackets.

(i) I _________ (phone) you when I _________ (get) home from school.

(ii) Hurry up! Madam _________ (be) annoyed if we _________ (be) late.

(iii) If it _________ (rain) today, we _________ (not) go to the play.

(iv) When you _________ (see) Mandal again, you _________ (not/recognise) him. He is growing a beard.

(v) We are off today. We _________ (write) to you after we _________ (be) back.

ANSWER:

(i) I will phone you when I will get home from school.

(ii) Hurry up! Madam will be annoyed if we are late.

(iii) If it rains today, we will not go to the play.

(iv) When you see Mandal again, you will not recognize him. He is growing a beard.

(v) We are off today. We will write to you after we are back.