TVIS VELAMMAL VIDYALAYA, PONNERI

UNIT: 1 THE BESTCHRISTMAS PRESENT IN

THE WORLD
- Michael Morpurgo
I. Author Note:
Sir Michael Andrew Bridge
Morpurgo, (born Michael Andrew Bridge; 5 October
1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright,
and librettist who is known best for children's
novels such as War Horse (1982)
In The Best Christmas Present in the
World, War author revisits the trenches to tell the
haunting story of Christmas 1914 when soldiers on
both sides put down their weapons in honour of
Christmas Day.
II. Word Web:

SWAP
BARTER
To make an To Exchange
exchange things for
money

Exchange DICKER
COMMUTATION
To argue to
Change of bargain
Punishment to
a lesser one TRADE OFF
Giving up one
in the return of
another
III. Frame the sentences:
1. He swapped his cup cake for a candy bar.
2. Those things are given in exchange in bartering
3. He appealed for a commutation of his death sentence
to life imprisonment
4. I tried to dicker for a discounted price
5. I get up early and trade off sleep for exercise.

IV. Synonyms:
1. veneer - Facade
2. trenches - Gutter
3. clumsily - awkwardly
4. restore - renew
5. shallow - depthless
6. frosty - chilly
7. sausage - banger
8. out stretched - expand
9. orchestra - band
10. dumped - landfill

V.Antonyms
1. shallow x deep
2. clumsily x gracefully
3. lopsided x straight
4. terrible x light / moderate
5. muddle x orderliness
6. curiosity x incuriosity
7. generously x miserly
8. rousing x unexciting
9. good will x malevolence
10. tenderly x tough

VI. Answer the following:

Q1 :What did the author find in a junk shop?
The author found a roll – top desk for sale in a junk
shop. It was made of Oak wood, but it was in a very bad
condition.
Q2 :What did he find in a secret drawer? Who do you
think had put it in there?
The author found a small black tin box in the secret
box. It had a letter in it, I think the owner of the roll – top
desk might have put it there.
Q3 :Who had written the letter, to whom, and when?
John Macpherson, a captain in the British army had
written the letter to his wife Connie Macpherson on 26
December, 1914.
Q4 :Why was the letter written--what was the wonderful
thing that had happened?
The letter was written in order to convey a wonderful
event that had happened on Christmas day. The two armies,
the British and the German who were fighting against each
other celebrated Christmas together.
Q5 :What jobs did Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson have
when they were not soldiers?
Before joining the army, Hans wolf played the cello in
an orchestra and Jim was a teacher.
Q6 :Had Hans Wolf ever been to Dorset? Why did he say
he knew it?
No, Hans had never been to Dorset. He had only read
about Dorset in Hardy’s novel ‘Far from the Madding
Crowd’.
Q7 :Do you think Jim Macpherson came back from the
war? How do you know this?
No, Jim Macpherson did not come back home from
the war. During the Christmas celebration the British and
the German soldiers played football. The match was won by
the Germans. This perhaps indicates that the Germans
might have also won the war.
Q8 :How old was Mrs Macpherson now? Where was she?
Mrs. Macpherson was hundred and one years old.
She was in a nursing home in Burlington House.
Q9: Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?
Connie Macpherson thought that the visitor was her
husband, Jim.
Q10 :For how long do you think Connie had kept Jim's
letter? Give reasons for your answer.
 Connie had kept Jim’s letter for a long time till
January 25 1915. The letter was dated December 26, 1914.
Q11 :Which sentence in the text shows that the visitor
did not try to hide his identity?
The sentence which shows that the visitor did not try
to hide his identity is, 'I explained about the desk, about
how I had found it, but I don't think she was listening.'
Q12 :Why do you think the desk had been sold, and
when?
The desk must have been sold when Connie’s house
had burnt fire. The table had been damaged by fire.
Q13 :Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports
are good ways of resolving conflicts? Do you agree?
Jim and Hans thought that games or sports are good
ways of resolving conflicts because nobody dies in matches.
No children are orphaned and no wives become widows. Yes,
I agree with them.
Q14 :Do you think the soldiers of the two armies are
like each other, or different from each other? Find
evidence form the story to support your answer.
Yes I think, the soldiers of the two armies were like
eachother. Both the troops celebrated Christmas with each
other. They shared each other's food. All of them were
enjoying, together. They even talked about the books they
liked.. They also played football for which both Hans and
Jim cheered, everyone. They also exchanged carols at night.
They also had the same view that wars only bring death and
destruction. All these instances show that the soldiers of the
two armies were similar to each other.
Q15 :Mention the various ways in which the British and
the German soldiers become friends and find things in
common at Christmas.
The British and the German troops celebrated
Christmas. They enjoyed and shared each other's food
together. Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson shared their
similar taste for the cake. They talked about Bathsheba,
Gabriel Oak, Sergeant Troy and Dorset. They even talked
about the books they liked. Both the troops played football
for which both Hans and Jim cheered and clapped hands
they also exchanged carols at night. In this way, they
celebrated Christmas together, finding a lot in common
between them.
Q16 :What is Connie's Christmas present? Why is it "the
best Christmas present in the world"?
Connie’s Christmas present is the presence of Jim. It
is the best Christmas present in the world because Connie
read the letter several times that Jim would be beside her
for the next Christmas this thought was strong in her that
she mistook the author as Jim and Jim had kept his
promise to be with her.
VII. Summary of the Lesson:
The Best Christmas Present in the World is a
touching story by Michael Morpurgo. The narrator buys an
old desk and finds in it a letter written by an English soldier
Jim Macpherson to his wife Connie whom the narrator goes
to meet and hand over the letter.
The letter has a touchy account of how the English soldiers
and German soldiers wished each other 'Happy Christmas",
celebrated the festival with real Christmas spirit where
there was no place for conflict, hatred, and violence. The
letter was written on 26 December 1914 and Jim wrote in
his letter that he would be back by the next Christmas as
the incident between the two armies showed how soldiers
from both sides wanted peace.
The narrator could not sleep the whole night, it was
Christmas Eve, as he had intruded in someone's privacy by
reading the letter. In the morning he went to the address
mentioned in the letter, finds the house in shatters due to
fire, asked a neighbour and reached where Connie was.
Connie was 101 years and she mistook the narrator as Jim
and talked about her happiness on Jim's arrival. It was the
best Christmas present for her in the world.
TVIS VELAMMAL VIDYALAYA, PONNERI
UNIT: 1 THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT IN THE WORLD
CLASS: 8 TOPIC SHEET –1 SUB: ENGLISH
I. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1. Name the war and the year between British and
Germans.
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

2. Where did the author go and what did he buy?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

3. What did he do with the roll – top – desk?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

4. “ I should like to be able to tell you that we began it.

But the truth, I’m ashamed to say.” Why did the

speaker say this and when?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

5. Why were the greatcoat men waving the white flag?

_____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
6. Why did they shout not to shoot?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
7. Who are Fritz and Tommy in the story?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
8. What did the German call out & how did the English
respond to it?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
9. Why did Macpherson ask his soldiers to keep their
heads down in to the trenches? When the unarmed
German soldiers were coming to them?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

TVIS VELAMMAL VIDYALAYA, PONNERI

UNIT: 1 THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT IN THE WORLD

CLASS: 8 TOPIC SHEET – 2 SUB: ENGLISH

I. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. How did the German officer meet Macpherson?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

2. ‘I think that is what every soldier wants, on both

sides.’ Who is the speaker and why did he say this?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

3. How did Hans Wolf part Jim Macpherson?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

4. How did the author reach Mrs.Jim Macpherson?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

HOTS:
1. You are Micheal. Justify your act for not
revealing your identity to Connie.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
______________________________________________

2. If you were in the war front how would you

celebrate your Christmas?
_________________________________________________
______________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

Activity: 1 Pg.No:16 ; Q.No-7

Do you think the title of this story is suitable for it? Can
you think of any other title(s)?

Activity: 2 Pg.No:18 ; Act.No-2

Find these phrasal verbs in the story. Write down the
sentences in which they occur. Consult a dictionary and
write down the meaning that you think matches the
meaning of the phrasal verb in the sentence.
burn out light up look on run out keep out
Activity: 3 Pg.No:20 ; Writing - 1
Writing
Imagine that you are Jim. You have returned to your town
after the war. In your dairy record how you feel about the
changes you see and the events that occur in your town.
You cloud begin like this.
25 December, 1919
It’s Christmas today, but the town looks…………

Activity: 4 Pg.No:20 ; Writing – 1a

Suppose you are the visitor. You are in a dilemma. You
don’t know whether to disclose your identity and
disappoint the old lady or let her believe that her dear Jim
has come back. Write a letter to a friend highlighting your
anxiety, fears and feelings.

Activity: 5 Page No.17 – (ii)

Activity: 6 Page No.18 – (iii)
Activity: 7 Page No.19 – (4)
Activity: 8 Page No.19 – (1.Speaking)
Activity: 9 Page No.19 – (2.Speaking)
Activity: 10 Page No.20 – (2.Writing)