Chapter 5: Quality

Working with the Text

Answer the following questions :

Question 1:

What was the author’s opinion about Mr. Gessler as a bootmaker ?

Answer:

Author’s opinion about Mr. Gessler as a shoemaker was very high. He considered boot making as an art. The boots made by him never failed to fit. They were the best in make and finish. He would always use the best possible leather.

Question 2:

Why did the author visit the shop so infrequently ?

Answer:

The quality of the shoes made by Mr. Gessler was super. His shoes were very durable. They lasted for a much longer period. Moreover, the author would place order for many pairs together. That is why he visited the shop not so frequently.

Question 3:

What was the effect on Mr. Gessler of the author’s remark about a certain pair of boots?

Answer:

Once the author complained to Mr. Gessler about a certain pair of shoes made by him. In response, Mr. Gessler looked at him without replying. He lowered his eyes as if he was hunting the memory of those boots. He turned grave. He was rather stunned to hear a complaint about shoes made by him. He asked the author to send them back. He will look at them.

Question 4:

What was Mr. Gessler’s complaint against “big firms”?

Answer:

Gessler complained that ‘big firms’ had no self-respect. They did not care for quality. They get business by advertisement and not by work. The big firms snatched business from the persons like Gessler who loved boot-making.

Question 5:

Why did the author order so many pairs of boots ? Did he really need them ?

Answer:

The author would place order for so many pairs of shoes out of sympathy. He knew that Gessler had grown weak and old. He was starving. So, he just wanted to help the poor shoemaker. I don’t think he really needed so many pairs of boots.

Working with Language

Question 1:

Study the following phrases and their meanings. Use them appropriately to complete the sentences that follow.

look after: take care of

look down on : disapprove or regard as inferior .

look in (on someone): make a short visit

look into : investigate

look out : be careful

look up : improve

look up to : admire

(i) After a very long spell of heat, the weather is …………. at ļast.

(ii) We have no right to ……………… people who do small jobs.

(iii) Nitin has always …………….. his uncle, who is a self-made man.

(iv) The police are ……………….. the matter thoroughly.

(v) If you want to go out, I will …………….. the children for you.

(vi) I promise to …………….. on your brother when I visit Lucknow next.

(vii) ………………. when you are crossing the main road.

Answer:

(i) looking up

(ii) look down on

(iii) looked up to

(iv) looking into

(v) look after

(vi) look in

(vii) look out

Question 2:

Read the following sets of words loudly and clearly,

cot – coat

cost – coast

tossed – toast

got – goat

rot – rote

blot – bloat

knot – note

Answer:

Read out these sets of words loudly and clearly under the supervision of your teacher.
For instance, you will come to know how to pronounce ‘cot’ and ‘coat.

Question 3:

Each of the following words contains the sound ‘sh’ (as in shine) in the beginning or in the middle or at the end. First speak out all the words clearly.. Then arrange the words in three groups in the table below.

Answer:

Question 4:

In each of the following words ‘ch’ represents the same consonant sound as in ‘chair’. The words on the left have this sound initially. Those on the right have it finally. Speak each word clearly.

choose – bench

child – march

cheese – peach

chair – wretch

charming – research

Underline the letters representing this sound in each of the following words.

(i) feature.

(ii) archery

(iii) picture

(iv) reaching

(v) nature

(vi) matches

(vii) riches

(viii) batch

(ix) church

Answer:

Pronounce each word clearly and correctly under the able guidance of your teacher.

The sound in each of the following words has been underlined :

(i) feature

(ii) archery

(iii) picture

(iv) reaching

(v) nature

(vi) matches

(vii) riches

(viii) batch

(ix) church

Speaking

Question 1:

Do you think Mr. Gessler was a failure as a bootmaker or as a competitive businessman ?

Answer:

There is no doubt that Mr. Gessler was a perfect bootmaker and the best in London. He was like an artist who did not know the tacts of promoting the business. But shoes made by him were the best in quality and they lasted much longer. But as a businessman, he was not at all successful. He would insist to make shoes by himself alone. So he took longer time to deliver the shoes. As a result of it, he lost his old clients. He was not advertising to attract new customers. Thus he failed as a competitive businessman.

Question 2:

What is the significance of the title ? To whom or to what does it refer?

Answer:

The title of the story Quality’ refers to the superb quality of the boots made by his bootmaker Mister Gessler. Mr. Gessler was a superb craftsman and an artist. He made shoes that fitted well and lasted long. His starvation and poverty never affected the quality of his shoes. Even the last pairs of boots sent to the author were perfect in shape and finish. Mr. Gessler had only one aim : to make shoes of the best possible quality. Quality was everything for him. I think he sacrificed his life for the sake of quality. Thus the title ‘Quality’ is the best keeping in view the main theme of the story.

Question 3:

• Notice the way Mr. Gessler speaks English. His English is influenced by his mother tongue. He speaks English with an accent.
• When Mr. Gessler speaks, p,t,k, sound like b,dig. Can you say these words as Mr Gessler would say them ?

It comes and never stops. Does it bother me ? Not at all. Ask my brother, please.

Answer:

Mr. Gessler is a German. So, the way he pronounced English word is influenced by his mother tougue, i.e, German. That is why he speaks English with an accent, which is not British but is German. -. If I would have to say these sentences as Mr. Gessler would have said, I will say these as under :

(i) It komes and never stops. Does it bodder me? Asg my brodder, please.

Question 4:

Speak to five adults in your neighbourhood. Ask them the following questions

(in any language they are comfortable in). Then come back and share your findings with the class.

(i) Do they buy their provisions packed in plastic packets at a big store, or loose, from a smaller store near their house?

(ii) Where do they buy their footwear? Do they buy branded footwear, or footwear made locally? What reasons do they have for their preference?

(iii) Do they buy ready-made clothes, or buy cloth and get their clothes stitched by a tailor ? Which do they think is better?

Answer:

Class-room activity. Firstly, you should ask them the questions in whichever language they are comfortable in. You will find different answers according to the tastes of the people you interview. Then you share your findings with other members of the class.

Question 5:

Look at the picture. (See pic in textbook page-81) .

Let pairs of students talk to each other about leaving the country. One student repeats Ajit’s statement. The other gives a reason for not agreeing with Ajit. The sentence openings given below should be used…

(i) If I leave this country, I’ll miss…

(ii) There are some things which you can get only here, for example

(iii) There are some special days I’ll miss, particularly ….

(iv) Most of all I’ll miss…because …..

(v) I think it’s impossible for me to leave my country because

(vi) How can you leave your own country except when ……….?

(vii) Depends on one’s intention. I can’t leave for good because

(viii) May be for a couple of years ….

Answer:

For self-attempt. However a brief answer is given below:

(i) If I leave this country, I’ll miss my family, my friends and my environment.

(ii) There are some things which you can get only here, for example good servants, and leisure.

(iii) There are some special days I’ll miss, particularly the Diwali, and Holi festival.

(įv) Most of all I’ll miss my parents because I am very much attached to them.

(v) I think it’s impossible for me to leave my country because my roots are deep rooted here.

(vi) How can you leave your own country except when you are asked to leave your country ?

(vii) Depends on one’s intention. I can’t leave for good because I can’t afford to live without my parents.

(viii) May be for a couple of years I may think of going abroad provided I must return to my country.

Writing

Question 1:

Based on the following points write a story.

• Your aunt has gone to her mother’s house.
• Your uncle does his cooking.
• He is absent-minded.
• He puts vegetables on the stove.
• He begins to clean his bicycle outside.
• The neighbour calls out saying something is burning.
• Your uncle rushes to the kitchen.
• To save vegetables, he puts some oil on them.
• Unfortunately, it’s machine oil, not cooking oil.
• What do you think happens to the vegetables?

Begin like this:

Last month my aunt decided to visit her parents….

Answer:

For self-attempt. However, a brief story is given below:

Last month my aunt decided to visit her parents. As she had to go at once, she was not able to do any cooking. My uncle can cook but he is quite absent-minded. He put vegetables on the stove and went out to clean his bicycle. The neighbours smelled something burning and told my uncle so. My uncle rushed to the kitchen. Being confused, my uncle put some oil on the vegetables. However, by mistake he had used machine oil and not cooking oil. The vegetables smell terribly bad. The vegetables had been spoilt and foul smell had spread all over the house.