My Own True Family Additional questions and answers

Ch 4 – My Own True Family Additional questions and answers

Content Structure

Additional questions and answers
- A. Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)
- B. Fill in the blanks
- C. True or false
- D. Questions and Answers
Grammar
- A. Change into indirect speech
- B. Change the bold word into a Noun, Adjective, verb or adverb

Additional questions and answers

A. Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs) [1 mark each]

1. Who did the poet meet in the forest?
(a) Man
(b) Young woman
(c) Old woman
(d) Small child

Ans: (c) Old woman

2. The poet was looking for a stag – Here ‘Stag’ means
(a) Cow
(b) Female deer
(c) Male deer
(d) Bullock

Ans: (c) Male deer

3. Where did the poet have the dream?
(a) On the grass
(b) At home
(c) Under the boughs
(d) At school

Ans: (c) Under the boughs

4. Who is the poet of the “My Own True Family”?
(a) John Keats
(b) William Shakespeare
(c) William Tevoy
(d) Ted Hughes

Ans: (d) Ted Hughes

5. Which word does the poet use to describe the woman’s laugh?
(a) Creep
(b) Cackle
(c) Tackle
(d) Seek

Ans: (b) Cackle

6. ‘I began to quake’ – Here ‘I’ stands for
(a) The trees
(b) The old woman
(c) The child
(d) The stag

Ans: (c) The child

7. What is the color of the oak bark?
(a) Black
(b) Brown
(c) Green
(d) White

Ans: (a) Black

8. How many times did the child wake up?
(a) Three
(b) One
(c) Two
(d) Four

Ans: (c) Two

9. The oaks where you were born but never ___________
(a) Grew
(b) Grass
(c) Gross
(d) Gold

Ans: (a) Grew

10. What changed the poet’s mind?
(a) The dream
(b) The stag
(c) The people
(d) All of the above

Ans: (a) The dream

11. What did the old woman carry?
(a) A box
(b) A bag and stick
(c) A flower
(d) A book

Ans: (b) A bag and stick

12. What do trees stand for in the poem?
(a) Wealth
(b) Wisdom and nature
(c) Magic
(d) Fun

Ans: (b) Wisdom and nature

13. What did children do to the trees?
(a) Climbed them
(b) Decorated them
(c) Tore their leaves
(d) Ignored them

Ans: (c) Tore their leaves

14. What did the poet understand by the end of the poem?
(a) Trees feel pain
(b) Trees have a life
(c) Protect the trees
(d) All of the above

Ans: (d) All of the above

15. What made the poet change his behavior?
(a) The woman’s magic
(b) A vision of the trees’ pain
(c) A warning from the stag
(d) His parents’ advice

Ans: (b) A vision of the trees’ pain

B. Fill in the blanks [1 mark each]

1. The trees made the boy make a __________. (plan/drawing/promise)
Ans: The trees made the boy make a promise.

2. Unless you swear, the _________ (brown/green/black) oak bark will wrinkle over _________ (you/she/them).
Ans: Unless you swear, the black oak bark will wrinkle over you.

3. “You do not blink an eye” suggests that human beings are __________ (indifferent/caring/aggresive)
Ans: “You do not blink an eye” suggests that human beings are indifferent.

4. The children tore off _________ (fresh/dried/dead) leaves from the trees.
Ans: The children tore off fresh leaves from the trees.

5. The old woman appeared to be ________ (unmindful/unsteady/unfortunate).
Ans: The old woman appeared to be unsteady.

6. The poet explores the theme of the internal relationship between human beings and _____________ (modern life/old woman/nature).
Ans: The poet explores the theme of the internal relationship between human beings and nature.

7. The “snake” in the poem shows ______ (a dream/nature’s power/a real snake)
Ans: The “snake” in the poem shows nature’s power.

8. Surrounded by a staring ____ (tree/train/tribe) and me tied to a stake.
Ans: Surrounded by a staring tribe and me tied to a stake.

9. The child met a ________ (young/angry/mysterious) woman.
Ans: The child met a mysterious woman.

10. You did not blink an __________ (ear/eye/horse).
Ans: You do not blink an eye.

C. True or false [1 mark each]

1. The “staring tribe” means the oak trees. (True)
S/S: The “staring tribe” refers to the oak trees, which are watching and silently judging the child.

2. The poet wants us to ignore the message. (False)
S/S: The poet warns us to care for nature and plant more trees.

3. The poet saw the dream at nighttime in his bed. (False)
S/S: The poet saw the dream while he was under the oak trees.

4. People hurt nature without noticing the pain. (True)
S/S: The trees say that people cut them and “don’t even blink an eye.”

5. People caring for the oak trees.(False)
S/S: People chopped down the oak trees.

6. The poet began to cackle and the child began to quake. (False)
S/S: It was the old woman who began to cackle, and the child began to quake in fear.

7. The old woman did not understand the trees’ pain.(False)
S/S: It was the poet who felt the trees’ pain and made a promise to care for them.

D. Questions and Answers [2 marks each]

1. What did the child promise?
Ans: The child promised the trees that he would care for them and plant more. He said that whenever he saw an oak tree fall, he would plant two more and also promised to protect all plants from drying up.

2. What does the poem describe?
Ans: The poem describes a young child’s magical experience in the oak forest.

3. What does the poem focus on?
Ans: The poem “My Own True Family” by “Ted Hughes” focuses on the need to protect our natural environment for the well-being of humankind. The poet highlights the importance of trees and warns people.

4. Why did the poet use the words “black” and “wrinkle”?
Ans: The poet uses the words “black” and “wrinkle” to show the age and dryness of the oak trees, reflecting people’s carelessness. Trees are an important part of our world but they have become dry which is a negative and destructive sign for the future.

5. Why did the child feel changed after the dream?
Ans: The boy felt emotional after the dream because the oak trees spoke of people’s selfishness and carelessness which caused the trees to suffer and harmed the world. Trees have a natural life like humans and also feel pain.

6. What did the staring tribe say?
Ans: “Staring” means looking closely and “tribe” refers to a group of trees. The “staring tribe” is the oak trees watching people seriously like judges. They told the child they were his true family but no one cared for them.

7. “Now you are going to die” – explain this line according to the poet.
Ans: According to the poet Ted Hughes, we should not chop down or tear up oak trees, as they are our true family. Instead, we must promise to protect them.

8. “And root you among the oaks” – what is the significance of the word “root”?
Ans: The word “root” symbolizes the child’s strong connection to nature and his responsibility to protect it. It shows the beginning of a deep bond and promise to care for the oak trees.

9. What is the warning message in the poem?
Ans: Trees play an important role in our environment but humans do not care for them and destroy them daily to meet their own needs. Even young children tear off fresh leaves for fun, so the trees warn people to protect and plant them; otherwise, the world will be destroyed, and people will dry up and die like rootless oak trees.

10. How did the child’s walk change?
Ans: A deep and meaningful dream changed the child’s walk. After returning to the human world his body looked human but his mind was connected to the trees because he felt guilty and emotional after hearing the trees pain.

Grammar

A. Change following sentences into indirect speech [1 mark each]

1. He said to me, “Leave the room.”
Ans: He ordered me to leave the room.

2. “Where are you?” I asked her.
Ans: I asked her where she was.

3. Father said to me, “Do not tell a lie.”
Ans: Father advised me not to tell a lie.

4. He said, “Let us go for a walk.”
Ans: He proposed that they should go for a walk.

5. Rahul said, “Was there anybody in?”
Ans: Rahul asked if there had been anybody in.

6. I said, “What a fool I am!”
Ans: I exclaimed that I was a great fool.

7. They said, “We will play now.”
Ans: They said that they would play then.

8. He said to me, “I have no friends here.”
Ans: He told me that he had no friends there.

9. He said, “What good news!”
Ans: He exclaimed that it was very good news.

10. She said, ” Can you drive?”
Ans: She asked whether I could drive.

B. Change the bold word into a Noun, Adjective, Verb or Adverb [1 mark each]

Form changed	Sentences	Answers
Noun	He did it carefully.	He did it with care.
Adverb	He comes here every day.	He comes here daily.
Adverb	He is regular in his work.	He works regularly.
Verb	She gave a rude reply.	She replied rudely.
Verb	He sent an invitation for dinner.	He invited me to dinner.
Adjective	They differ from each other.	They are different from each other.
Adjective	This is an act of nobility.	This is a noble act.
Noun	Habit dies hard.	It is hard for a habit to die.
Noun	She is affectionate to me.	She has affection for me.
Adjective	He appears to be honest.	It is apparent that he is honest.