1. The story by Anton Chekhov narrates the hardships of the main character ‘Vanka‘. Prepare a brief character sketch of Vanka.
Vanka
Vanka is an orphan boy. He has no father and mother. He has only one relative. That is his grandfather. He is Konstantin Makarich. He sent Vanka to Moscow as an apprentice of a shoemaker. He is treated like a dog. He is constantly beaten and poorly fed.
He is very wise, so he selects the Christmas eve to write a letter to his grandfather and post it when the master and mistress have gone to church. He is an obedient child. He obeys even the orders of the other apprentices. He is very loving and kind - hearted too.
2. Prepare a profile of Anton Chekhov using the hints given below.
Born : 1860
Famous as : Major Russian play - wright, One of the masters of modern short story.
Nature of works : Explore the entire range of human spirit, provoke the readers to ask questions.
Popularly known as : outstanding representative of the late 19th century.
Famous works : Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, The Lady with the Dog.
Died : 1904
Anton Chekhov was born on January 29, 1860 in Russia. He was a famous Russian playwright, short story writer and physician. He is popularly known as the outstanding representative of the late 19th century. Chekhov, through his works, has tried to explore the entire range of human spirit. It was his particular style to provoke his readers to ask questions. His major works are ‘Three Sisters’, ‘The Cherry Orchard’ and ‘The Lady with the Dog’. He died in 1904.
3. Read the following conversation and complete the sentences below.
Alyakhin : What are you doing?
Vanka : I am writing a letter.
Alyakhin asked Vanka ................
Vanka replied that ...........
Answers: Alyakhin asked Vanka what he was doing.
Vanka replied that he was writing a letter.
4. Read the passage from the story ‘Vanka’ and answer the questions that follow:
Nine-year-old Vanka Zhukov, who had been apprenticed three months above to Alyakhin the shoemaker, did not go to bed on Christmas eve. He waited till his master and mistress and the senior apprentices had gone to church, and then took from the cupboard a bottle of ink and a pen with a rusty nib, spread out a crumpled sheet of paper, and was all ready to write. Before tracing the first letter, he glanced several times anxiously at the door and window, peered at the dark icon, with shelves holding cobbler’s lasts stretching on either side of it, and gave a quivering sigh. The paper lay on the bench, and Vanka knelt on the floor at the bench.
a. How long has Vanka been with Alyakhin?
b. Why didn’t Vanka go to bed on Christmas eve?
c. What arrangements did Vanka make to write the letter?
d. ‘...he glanced several times anxiously at the door and window...’ Why did Vanka look at the door anxiously?
e. Pick out a word from the passage that means ‘a block of wood shaped like a foot’.
Answers:
a. Three months
b. He wanted to write a letter to his grandfather.
c. He waited till his master and mistress and the senior apprentices had gone to church, took from the cupboard a bottle of ink and a pen with a rusty nib, spread out a crumpled sheet of paper.
d. To make sure that no one was watching him.
e. Last
5. Read the following passage and use the phrasal verbs given in brackets to fill in the blanks.
Oh! I have ______a______ hope of a peaceful life. All my attempts to ______b______ Alyakhin are in vain. He is cruel and has no sympathy for me. My grandfather doesn’t reply to my letter. I tried to ____c____ my anguish and misery to him in the letter. But I don’t know why he is reluctant to reply. I hope somehow I will ______d_______ the crisis.
(put up with, get away, get over,
give up, put across)
Answers:
a. given up
b. put up with
c. put across
d. get over
6. Vanka suffered a lot at his master’s house. He was ill-treated by the master, mistress and even by his fellow apprentices. Write a letter to Vanka consoling him.
House name
Place
Date
My dear Vanka,
I came to know that you are ill-treated a lot by Alyakhin. I don’t know how to console you. I am also a child like you, but I am loved by all. I am very sad when I think about your present situation. I will report the case to the childline authorities tomorrow itself. They will rescue you. We shall pray to God to make our attempt a success. Let’s hope for the best. With prayers.
Yours lovingly
Sd/-
Name
Vanka
Vanka is an orphan boy. He has no father and mother. He has only one relative. That is his grandfather. He is Konstantin Makarich. He sent Vanka to Moscow as an apprentice of a shoemaker. He is treated like a dog. He is constantly beaten and poorly fed.
He is very wise, so he selects the Christmas eve to write a letter to his grandfather and post it when the master and mistress have gone to church. He is an obedient child. He obeys even the orders of the other apprentices. He is very loving and kind - hearted too.
2. Prepare a profile of Anton Chekhov using the hints given below.
Born : 1860
Famous as : Major Russian play - wright, One of the masters of modern short story.
Nature of works : Explore the entire range of human spirit, provoke the readers to ask questions.
Popularly known as : outstanding representative of the late 19th century.
Famous works : Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, The Lady with the Dog.
Died : 1904
Anton Chekhov was born on January 29, 1860 in Russia. He was a famous Russian playwright, short story writer and physician. He is popularly known as the outstanding representative of the late 19th century. Chekhov, through his works, has tried to explore the entire range of human spirit. It was his particular style to provoke his readers to ask questions. His major works are ‘Three Sisters’, ‘The Cherry Orchard’ and ‘The Lady with the Dog’. He died in 1904.
3. Read the following conversation and complete the sentences below.
Alyakhin : What are you doing?
Vanka : I am writing a letter.
Alyakhin asked Vanka ................
Vanka replied that ...........
Answers: Alyakhin asked Vanka what he was doing.
Vanka replied that he was writing a letter.
4. Read the passage from the story ‘Vanka’ and answer the questions that follow:
Nine-year-old Vanka Zhukov, who had been apprenticed three months above to Alyakhin the shoemaker, did not go to bed on Christmas eve. He waited till his master and mistress and the senior apprentices had gone to church, and then took from the cupboard a bottle of ink and a pen with a rusty nib, spread out a crumpled sheet of paper, and was all ready to write. Before tracing the first letter, he glanced several times anxiously at the door and window, peered at the dark icon, with shelves holding cobbler’s lasts stretching on either side of it, and gave a quivering sigh. The paper lay on the bench, and Vanka knelt on the floor at the bench.
a. How long has Vanka been with Alyakhin?
b. Why didn’t Vanka go to bed on Christmas eve?
c. What arrangements did Vanka make to write the letter?
d. ‘...he glanced several times anxiously at the door and window...’ Why did Vanka look at the door anxiously?
e. Pick out a word from the passage that means ‘a block of wood shaped like a foot’.
Answers:
a. Three months
b. He wanted to write a letter to his grandfather.
c. He waited till his master and mistress and the senior apprentices had gone to church, took from the cupboard a bottle of ink and a pen with a rusty nib, spread out a crumpled sheet of paper.
d. To make sure that no one was watching him.
e. Last
5. Read the following passage and use the phrasal verbs given in brackets to fill in the blanks.
Oh! I have ______a______ hope of a peaceful life. All my attempts to ______b______ Alyakhin are in vain. He is cruel and has no sympathy for me. My grandfather doesn’t reply to my letter. I tried to ____c____ my anguish and misery to him in the letter. But I don’t know why he is reluctant to reply. I hope somehow I will ______d_______ the crisis.
(put up with, get away, get over,
give up, put across)
Answers:
a. given up
b. put up with
c. put across
d. get over
6. Vanka suffered a lot at his master’s house. He was ill-treated by the master, mistress and even by his fellow apprentices. Write a letter to Vanka consoling him.
House name
Place
Date
My dear Vanka,
I came to know that you are ill-treated a lot by Alyakhin. I don’t know how to console you. I am also a child like you, but I am loved by all. I am very sad when I think about your present situation. I will report the case to the childline authorities tomorrow itself. They will rescue you. We shall pray to God to make our attempt a success. Let’s hope for the best. With prayers.
Yours lovingly
Sd/-
Name
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