Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers All Summer in a Day

Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers All Summer in a Day

Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers

All Summer in a Day Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What is the significance of the title of the story “All Summer in a Day ?” Is the title appropriate ?
Answer:
“All Summer in a Day” is a fanciful story written by Ray Douglas Bradbury. Bradbury is known for his science fiction, horror and mystery stories. The present story is also a curious mixture of mystery, suspense and horror. The setting of the story is the planet Venus where it keeps on raining for years together. Sunshine occurs only once in seven years. The scene of the story is set in a school where the teachers and children await the appearance of the sun with great curiosity. One sunny day is equal to an earthly summer on this planet. Hence, the title is quite appropriate.

Question 2.
What is the majority difference between Margot and other children on the planet Venus ?
Answer:
Margot was like a stranger in her class. She had come to this planet (Venus) only five years ago from Earth. She still remembered the sun and the sky and how they looked when she was only four years old in the city of Ohio. The other children in the school had been on Venus all their lives and they had been only two years old when last the sun come out on Venus. Since they were small at that time, they had now forgotten the colour and heat of the sun and how it looked. When Margot told them that the sun was like a penny or like fire in the stove, nobody was ready to believe her. They thought that she was lying.

Question 3.
Why did the other children dislike Margot ?
Answer:
Margot was a maladjusted girl on the planet, Venus. She stood alone in her class. She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years. The continuous rain on the Venus had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair. She resembled an old photograph dusted from an album. Her voice had become ghostly. She stood separate from all other school mates. She was scared of water. All other children at the school knew that she was different and kept their distance from her. Her biggest crime was that she had come to the Venus only five years ago from Earth. She still remembered the sun and the way it was. She also remembered the colour of the sky and the way it was when she came from the U.S. (Ohio) at the age of four. The other children had been on Venus all their lives. They had been only two years old when last the sun come out and had long since forgotten the colour and heat of the sun. They had always seen rain falling around them since their early consciousness. For them Margot was a kind of alien. That is why they treated her as an outsider who did not belong there.

Question 4.
What were the reason of big and little consequence because of which the other children hated Margot ?
Answer:
Margot was like an alien for the other school children. They thought her to be ‘different’. All kinds of rumours were spreading about Margot. For example, it was rumoured that her father and mother were taking her back to Earth next year. Even Margot wanted that she should go back to Earth, though it would mean the loss of thousands of dollars to her family. Moreover, they thought of Margot as a liar who often talked about the penny-like shape of the sun and also its fire. They could never believe in anything like the sun. They hated her pale snow face, her waiting silence, her thinness and her possible future.

Question 5.
Why did the children lock Margot in a closet ?
Answer:
Margot had seen the sun as a four- year old girl when she was in Ohio. She knew the colour and heat of the sun and remembered it even after coming to Venus. The other children were all nine years old and had completely forgotten about the sun that had risen seven years ago on Venus. For them the sun did not exist. But now the news had come from scientists that the sun would again rise for a day (after seven long years of raining). Though the children were all excited about the coming event, none of them liked Margot for talking about it so authentically. One of the boys said, “Let’s put her in a closet before the teacher comes !” Then they all surged about her, caught her up and pushed her into a closet and locked the door. The teacher had no knowledge of this mischief.

Question 6.
What happened when the sun finally came out ?
Answer:
The rain slackened slowly and came to a stop. It was followed by a disturbed violence which seemed like a tornado, a hurricane or volcanic erruption. Then everything went silent as if the world had ground to a standstill. The silence was so overwhelming that one felt as if one had gone deaf. The children put their hands to their ears. Then, all of a sudden, the sun came out. It was flaming bronze in colour and it looked very large. The sky was blazing blue and the whole jungle seemed to burn with sunlight. It was incredible.

The children felt as if they had been released from a spell. They rushed out, yelling into the springtime (which comes only once in 7 years). The teachers warned them not to go too far. The children had only two hours to remain outside. But the children seemed to go out of control. They were running and turning their faces up to the sky. They were feeling the sun on their cheeks like a warm iron. They were letting the sun bum .their arms after taking off their jackets.

Question 7.
How did the children behave when the sun came out ? How did they feel ?
Answer:
The light of the sun was a new phenomenon for the children. They had never experienced it before. They turned their faces up to the sky and they could feel the sun on their cheeks like a warm iron. They took off their jackets and let the sun burn their arms. One of the children remarked that the real sunlight was much better than the sun lamps. The children stood in the great jungle that covered Venus. The jungle looked like a nest of octopi, clustering up great arms of flesh like weed, wavering, flowering in this brief spring.

Question 8.
What kind of games did the children play on the jungle mattress ?
Answer:
The children lay down on the jungle mattress and heard it high and squeak under their pressure. They ran among the trees, slipping, falling and pushing each other. They played games like hide-and-seek and tag. Most of all, they squinted at the sun until tears ran down their faces. This shows excited they were at seeing the sun for the first time in these seven years. They breathed the fresh air and listened to the silence. They wildly escaped from their ‘caves’ and ran around in circles making a lot of noise.

Question 9.
How did it start raining once again and the sun faded off gradually ?
Answer:
One of the girls started wailing when she noticed a single raindrop in her cupped hand. The other children started crying when they looked at it. They understood that their brief summer was over and it would start raining once again. As they looked at the sun, it started fading off gradually behind a stir of mist. A cold wind began to blow and all the children started walking back. Their smiles had vanished. They could hear a boom of thunder and see the flash of lightning coming nearer and nearer. The sky darkened into midnight in a flesh.

Question 10.
How were the children reminded of Margot and why they could not meet each other’s glances ?
Answer:
It had started raining very hard once again. The children knew that the rain would continue everywhere and forever. Suddenly one of the children gave out a little cry “Margot !” When the other children asked her what was wrong, she reminded them that Margot was still in the closet where they had locked her. This dumb founded them all. They could not meet each other’s glances because they felt guilty. It was Margot who had first told them about the sun and its size and colour. But nobody had believed her at that time. Now, everybody had seen the sun face to face and everybody felt that she was right and they were wrong. As soon as they realized their error, they walked down the hall towards the closet. They walked through the sound of storm and thunder and unlocked the door slowly and let Margot out. This is how they discovered the truth. They regained their compassion and consideration for other after spending some time in the light of the sun.

All Summer in a Day Comprehension Passages

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Margot stood alone. She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair. She was an old photograph dusted from an album, whitened away, and if she spoke at all her voice would be a ghost. Now she stood, separate, staring at the rain and the loud wet world beyond the huge glass. “What’re you looking at ?” said William. Margot said nothing. “Speak when you’re spoken to.” He gave her a shove. But she did not move; rather she let herself be moved only by him and nothing else; They edged away from her, they would not look at her. She felt them go away. And this was because she would play no games
with them in the echoing tunnels of the underground city. If they tagged her and ran, she stood blinking after them and did not follow.

(i) How did Margot look ?
Answer: Margot stood alone and looked very weak. It appeared as if she had been lost in the rain for years together.

(ii) Explain : She was an old photograph dusted from an album.
Answer: Margot was in a state of depression. She looked like an old photograph dusted from an album. She spoke like a ghost and her face was pale and white.

(iii) Who was Margot ? What effect did rains have on her ?
Answer: Margot was one of the children who lived on the planet Venus. She was different from the other children because she had lived in ohio until she was five. So she had many memories of the sun, whereas the other children had been on Venus all their lives and they had been only two years old when last the sun came out. So they had forgotten the colour and heat of the sun.
Rains had an adverse effect on Margot. Rains had washed out the blue colour from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair. She had become thin, pale and sad.

(iv) Why did the other children resent Margot ?
Answer: They resented her because she played no games with them in the tunnels of the underground city. If they tagged her and ran, she stood blinking after them and did not follow. When the other children sang songs about happiness and life and games, she did not participate.

(v) When did Margot sing along with the other children ?
Answer: When the other children sang about the sun and the summer, she sang along with them.

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
He gave her a shove. But she did not move, rather she let herself be moved only by him and nothing else. They edged away from her; they would not look at her. She felt them go away.

(i) Who is ‘she’ ? Describe her.
Answer: ‘She’ is Margot. She is very frail girl. She looks as if she has been lost in the rain for years and rain has washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair.

(ii) Where is this story set ? Mention any two ways in which the way of life on their planet differs from life on earth.
Answer: The story is set on the planet Venus. Life on Venus is different from life on this earth. Here it rains for seven years continuously. Secondly, the sun shines for one day.

(iii) To what does she compare the sun ? What does this tell us about her ?
Answer: She compares the sun to a penny. It is like a fire in the stove. It tells us that she has weak memories of the sun. Unlike other children, she has seen the sun.

(iv) Why did the other children not come to her aid when William shoved her ?
Answer: They did not come to her aid because they did not like her. They disliked her because she would not play with them.

(v) How does her behaviour set her apart from the others ? Why do you suppose the other children treat her the way they do ?
Answer: Margot’s behaviour towards other children was not liked by them. If they tagged her and ran, she stood blinking after them. She did not follow them. When they sang songs about happiness and life she did not participate. That is why other children treated her the way they did.

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
They surged about her, caught her up and bore her, protesting, and then pleading, and then crying, back into a tunnel, a room, a closet, where they slammed and locked the door. They stood looking at the door and saw it tremble from her beating and throwing herself against it. They heard her muffled cries. Then, smiling, they turned and went out and back down the tunnel, just as the teacher arrived. “Ready, children ?” she glanced at her watch. “Yes !” said everyone. “Are we all here ?” “Yes !” The rain slacked still more. They crowded to the huge door. The rain stopped.

(i) What was the behaviour of the children towards Margot ?
Answer: The children began to dislike her and taunt her. One of the boys started playing jokes with her.

(ii) What did the children suddenly decide ?
Answer: Suddenly the children decided to hide Margot in a closet while their teacher was away. Margot resisted but was over-powered and locked in a closet.

(iii) What sound did the children hear ?
Answer: The children looked at the door and saw it tremble from her beating.They heard Margot’s cries from inside the closet.

(iv) Where did the children move ?
Answer: The children went away smiling and moved out of the tunnel.

(v) What happened when the teacher arrived ?
Answer: Just then the teacher appeared on the scene. She asked the children if they were ready. Everyone responded in the positive. The rain stopped and the children were ready to move.

4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The sun faded behind a stir to mist. A wind blew cold around them. They turned and started to walk back toward the underground house, their hands at their sides, their smiles vanishing away. A boom of thunder startled them and like leaves before a new hurricance, they tumbled upon each other and ran. Lightning struck ten miles away, five miles away, a mile, a half mile. The sky darkened into midnight in a flash.They stood in the doorway of the underground for a moment until it was raining hard. Then they closed the door and heard the gigantic sound of the rain falling in tons and avalanches, everywhere and foreover. “Will it be seven more years ?” “Yes Seven.” Then one of them gave a little cry. “Margot !” “What ?” “She’s still in the closet where we locked her.” “Margot.”

(i) Why did the girl hold out her hand to the other children ?
Answer: The girl held out her hand to the other children to show a huge single raindrop in her opened palm.

(ii) Why did the children begin to walk back ? Why did their smile vanish away ?
Answer: The children began to walk back when a few drops of rain fell on their cheeks. Their smile vanished away because the sun faded and a cold wind began to blow.

(iii) Why did the children tumble upon each other and run ?
Answer: A boom of thunder startled the children. So they tumbled upon each other and ran.

(iv) Why did the children stop in the doorway and close the door ? What type of sound did they hear ?
Answer: The children stopped in the doorway and closed the door to escape the rain. They heard the gigantic sound of the rain falling in tons.

(v) Why did one of the children give a cry ? What did the child say ? How did the other children react to her cry ?
Answer: One of the children remembered Margot and cried the name of Margot. She said that Margot was still in the closet where they had locked her. They stood as if someone had driven them, like so many stakes, into the floor. They looked at each other and then looked away.

5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
They glanced out at the world that was raining now and raining and raining steadily. They could not meet each other’s glances. Their faces were solemn and pale. They looked at their hands and feet, their faces down. “Margot.” One of the girls said, “Well….?” No one moved. “Go on,” whispered the girl. They walked slowly down the hall in the sound of cold rain. They turned through the doorway to the room in the sound of the storm and thunder, lightning on their faces, blue and terrible. They walked over to the closet door slowly and stood by it. Behind the closet door was only silence. They unlocked the door, even more slowly, and let Margot out.

(i) Why did the faces of the children become pale and solemn ?
Answer: When it began to rain heavily, one of the girls reminded the other girls about Margot whom they had locked in the closet. They regretted their action. They could not meet each other’s glances. So their faces became pale and solemn.

(ii) Why did they look at their hands and feet, their faces down ?
Answer: When it began to rain heavily, one of the girls reminded the other girls about Margot whom they had locked in the closet. Their faces became solemn and pale. They regretted their action and so they looked at their hands and feet, their faces down.

(iii) Explain “Go on” , whispered the girl.
Answer: When it began to rain heavily, one of the girls reminded the other girls about Margot whom they, had locked in the closet. But no one moved towards the closet to let Margot out. Then one girl asked the others to move on towards the closet and let Margot out.

(iv) What did the children do when they were reminded of Margot ?
Answer: They walked slowly down the hall in the sound of the cold rain and then turned through the doorway to the room in which Margot had been locked. They walked over to the closet door slowly and stood by it.

(v) Where had Margot been hidden ? How did she come out ?
Answer: Margot had been hidden in a closet. The children unlocked the door of the closet and let Margot out.

All Summer in a Day Assignment

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
It had been raining for seven years; thousands upon thousands of days compounded and filled from one end to the other with rain, with the drum and gush of water, with the sweet crystal fall of showers and the concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal waves come over the islands. A thousand forests had been crushed under the rain and grown up a thousand times to be crushed again. And this was the way life was forever on the planet Venus, and this was the schoolroom of the children of the rocket men and women who had come to a raining world to set up civilization and live out their lives.

(i) How long has it been raining on the planet Venus ? What was the effect of the rain on the forest ?
(ii) What was the effect of the storms ?
(iii) What damage was caused to the forests because of rain ?
(iv) Explain : And this was the way life was forever on the planet Venus.
(v) Why had the rocket men and women come to a rainy world ?

2. (a) Bring out the element of mystery, horror and suspense in the story “All Summer in a Day.”
(b) Does the story deal with the darker side of human nature ? If so, how ?
(c) Comment on the ending of the story. Is the ending optimistic ?