The Treasure Within: 8 Class English ‘It So Happened’ Ch 4

The Treasure Within 8th Class NCERT CBSE English ‘It So Happened’ Chapter 4

Question: How does Hafeez give to his client the kind of structure he wants?

Answer: Hafeez is good at drawing the design of a house on the spot. He looks at the client’s face and the way he talks to know what his taste would be like. Then he sketches on the spot and gives it to his client in the office.

Question: Do you agree with Hafeez that learning disabilities do not go hand in hand with gifted?

Answer: There is a general belief that the genius usually do not shine in studies. Those who always stand first or second do very ordinary jobs later on. Personality and skills ultimately decide the careers of boys.

Question: What did Hafeez contractor have nightmares about?

Answer: Hafeez Contractor got nightmares about appearing for a mathematics examination in which he did not know anything.

Question: What did the Principal say to him, which influenced him deeply?

Answer: When Hafeez was in the eleventh standard, his Principal said to him that he had been seeing him since day one. He was a good student. However, he had never studied. The principal told him that so far he had taken care of him, but from then on he was by himself. He mentioned how Hafeez’s mother had worked extremely hard to bring him up and had paid all his fees for all those years. However, he had only played games. He thus told Hafeez to rise to the occasion and study. These words influenced Hafeez in a deep manner.

Question: “… that year I did not step out onto the field.” What was he busy doing that year?

Answer: He was busy studying that year. He went for prayers, and just ate and studied.

Question:

1. What “distraction” did Hafeez Contractor create one day?
2. Would you have liked to participate in the “distraction” had you been with him?

Answer:

1. Hafeez mentions how one day he did not want to study. Thus, he decided to create a “distraction”, and for one whole hour, he played ‘chor-police’ with his classmates.
2. I would have avoided such distraction for fear of the teacher. Moreover, it was completely a wastage of time.

Question: Is it likely that someone who is original and intelligent does not do very well at school? Should such a learner be called a failure? If not, why not?

Answer: It is likely that someone who is original and intelligent does not do very well at school. Such a learner should not be called a failure as everyone has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Those who are academically brilliant do well in other fields. Hafeez Contractor was not a very good student. However, he had the talent for construction, and he is now one of the leading architects. Each individual has his or her own individual talents, which may or may not be visible in the academic report. That is why students should be encouraged to showcase their talents, and work on them. They should not be called failures.

Question: Who, in your view, is an ‘unusual’ learner?

Answer: This question requires you to use your own perspective as well as your analytical skills. The answer to the question would vary from one person to another. It is suggested that you read the text carefully and try attempting it on your own.

Question: What can schools do to draw out the best in unusual learners? Suggest whatever seems reasonable to you.

Answer: This question requires you to use your own perspective as well as your analytical skills. The answer to the question would vary from one person to another. It is suggested that you read the text carefully and try attempting it on your own.

Question: Hafeez Contractor wanted to join the police force. Why didn’t he?

Answer: Hefeez Contractor did not join the police force because his mother told him not to. His mother told him to do his graduation.

Question: In the architect’s office, Hafeez Contractor was advised to drop everything and join architecture. Why?

Answer: When Hafeez Contractor was in the architect‘s office, he saw somebody drawing a window detail. He told him that his drawing was wrong, and that the window he had drawn would not open. Later, it was found that the drawing was indeed wrong. Seeing this, his cousin’s husband asked him to draw a few specific things, which he immediately did. He then asked him to design a house and he completed this task as well. His potential for architecture was clearly visible from these incidents. Thus, he was told to drop everything and join architecture.

Question:

1. What was Mrs Gupta’s advice to Hafeez contractor?
2. What made her advise him so?

Answer:

1. Mrs. Gupta, who was Hafeez Contractor’s teacher in the second and third grades, advised him to become an architect when he grew up.
2. She always said to him that he was quite useless in everything, except for his sketches, which were always very good. Therefore, she advised him to take up architecture.

Question: How did he help fellow students who had lost a button?

Answer: When his fellow students lost a button, he helped them by cutting a button from chalk, by using a blade.

Question: Which rules did he break as a school boy?

Answer: As a school boy, he was more interested in things other than academics. If it started raining outside, he would think of the flowing water, and how to build a dam to block it. He thought about the flow of water within the dam, and how much of water the dam would be able to hold. He was interested only in games, running around, and playing jokes and pranks on others. He copied in class during exams. He used to get hold of the examination paper that had been prepared, and study it as he could not remember things that had been taught to him in class.

Question:

1. What is Hafeez contractor’s definition of mathematics?
2. How would you want to define mathematics? Do you like the subject?

Answer:

1. He said that putting design, construction, psychology and sociology together, and making a sketch from all that is ‘mathematics‘.
2. Mathematics is the best branch of science, but it is a bit difficult to be good in this subject. However, I like this subject.

Question: What does the title of the lesson ‘The Treasure Within’ mean and highlight?

Answer: The Treasure Within’ refers to the hidden talent of every child who has his own style of learning and area of interest. Not every topper in the academics becomes an achiever in life. Every child can achieve greatness in his area of interest.

Question: Who is Hafeez Contractor? What does he tell about himself to his interviewer? How does he find his calling?

Answer: Hafeez Contractor is a leading architect in India at present. In this interview he traces the story of his childhood and schooldays. He had little interest in studies. He passed the annual examinations by copying. He used to be a good sportsman. But his cousin’s husband once noted his hidden talent and told him to become an architect.

Question: Mr. Hafeez at school was more interested in other things than his books. How does he support this statement?

Answer: At school he used to be interested in games and playing jokes. He was a good sportsman, the cricket captain. He used to copy in class during exam times. Maths was a terror for him. Though he did badly in school, he was good at designing. This skill helped

Question: How did the Principal’s words influence Hafeez Contractor?

Answer: The Principal was a sensible man. He had been seeing Hafeez from day one. He thought it as his duty to guard him on right time. So, when Hafeez approached his eleventh standard, he called him and told him that he was a good student but he never studied. He had lost his father and his poor mother had worked hard to bring him up and pay his fees. It was the time now to rise to the occasion and study. These words of the Principal influenced Hafeez deeply. He forgot games that year and studied day and night. As a result, he got a second class, 50 per cent in his SSC. His Principal was very happy because he had got 50 per cent on his own.