10 short questions with answers, suitable for 2-3 marks each, covering "The Best Christmas Present in the World" and "The Ant and the Cricket" from CBSE Class 8 English:

The Best Christmas Present in the World

1.Question: What was the "best Christmas present in the world" according to the narrator? Answer: The "best Christmas present in the world" was the letter from Jim Macpherson to his wife Connie, which the narrator found in the secret drawer of the old roll-top desk and later delivered to her.

2.Question: Who was Jim Macpherson, and where was he when he wrote the letter? Answer: Jim Macpherson was a captain in the English army. He was on the Western Front in France during World War I when he wrote the letter on December 26, 1914.

3.Question: What surprising event happened on the battlefield on Christmas Day? Answer: The surprising event was a temporary ceasefire between the British and German soldiers. They came out of their trenches, exchanged greetings, shared food and drinks, and even played football.

4.Question: Why did the narrator go to Bridport? What did he find there? Answer: The narrator went to Bridport to find Mrs. Connie Macpherson and deliver Jim's letter. He found an old woman, almost a hundred and one years old, living in a nursing home.

5.Question: How did Connie react when the narrator gave her the letter? Why did she react this way? Answer: Connie's eyes lit up with recognition, and she thought the narrator was Jim. She had been expecting him and believed his letter was his Christmas present. She reacted this way because she deeply loved and missed her husband.

The Ant and the Cricket

6.Question: Describe the character of the cricket in the poem. Answer: The cricket is portrayed as carefree, foolish, and short sighted. He spends the summer singing and enjoying himself without planning for the future winter.

7.Question: What did the ant do during the summer, and why? Answer: The ant worked hard throughout the summer, storing away food for the winter. It did this because it knew that winter would be a time when finding food would be difficult.

8.Question: What did the cricket ask the ant for when winter arrived? What was the ant's response? Answer: When winter arrived and the cricket had nothing to eat, he asked the ant for shelter and food. The ant refused, asking what the cricket had done during the warm weather.

9. Question: What is the moral of the poem "The Ant and the Cricket"? Answer: The moral of the poem is to be responsible and plan for the future. It highlights the importance of hard work and not neglecting future needs for present pleasures.

10. Question: The last two lines of the poem are considered a fable. What does the poet mean by this? Answer: The poet suggests that while the story is about an ant and a cricket, it holds a deeper meaning applicable to humans as well. Some people behave like the cricket, neglecting their responsibilities and facing the consequences later.