Literature in English
Chapter 1 The Railway Children – by Edith Nesbitt
Learning Resources Grade: IV
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Edith Nesbit was a late 19th-century British writer and poet.
She has written numerous books for children, which were
published as E. Nesbit. Her most popular works include The
Treasure Seekers, The Story of the Amulet and The Enchanted
Castle. The Railway Children was published as a book in
1906.
A) New words:
1. adversities 11. envelope
2. comfortable 12. tunnel
3. countryside 13. rescue
4. horrible 14. message
5. supper 15. knocked
6. medicine 16. jealous
7. magazines 17. passengers
8. documents 18. personality
9. thief 19. suitcases
10.patient 20. lessons
B) Word meanings:
1. adversities: difficult situations
2. countryside: places away from city or town; calm and peaceful parts of a place
3. horrible: very bad
4. supper: an evening meal
5. explore: to go to a new place and know more about it
6. sign: an action used to tell or convey an information
7. magazines: a collection of essays, articles, stories, or poems, published at regular
intervals
8. tunnel: an underground passage
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9. jealous: to be unhappy at others’ success
C) Make sentences with the following words:
1. adversities- Madhu stayed strong despite the adversities she faced.
2. supper- We had a delicious homemade supper after a long day at work.
3. rescue- The firefighter went to rescue the trapped kitten.
D) Answer the following questions with reference to the context:
1."Let's write him a letter. We can give it to him at the station." The children sat down and
wrote a letter. They made a big sign that said:
"WE MUST TALK TO YOU AT THE STATION!"
a. To whom did the children write the letter?
Ans. The children wrote the letter to the old gentleman on the train.
b. Why did the children want to talk to the old gentleman on the train?
Ans. The children wanted to talk to the old gentleman because they needed help. They
hoped he could give them money to buy medicine for their sick mother.
c. What did the children do to make sure the old gentleman would notice them?
Ans. The children made a big sign that said "WE MUST TALK TO YOU AT THE
STATION!" to make sure the old gentleman would notice them when his train stopped.
d. What does the old gentleman do when he sees the sign?
Ans. When the old gentleman sees the sign, he walks towards the children to see what
they need. He takes the time to stop and meet them showing his willingness to help without
hesitation.
e. Why was it important for the children to meet the old gentleman at the station?
Ans. It was important for the children to meet the old gentleman at the station to tell him
about their mother who was sick. They wanted to explain their problem in person so that
he could understand how serious it was.
f. How did the old gentleman help the children after reading their letter?
Ans. After reading their letter, the old gentleman helped the children by sending medicine,
flowers for their mother and chocolates for the children. He also left a note to explain that
he was sending the items as a friend without expecting anything in return.
2. "We saw you go into the tunnel but you didn’t come out.” We’ve come to rescue you!"
said Peter proudly. “Come on! We’ll carry you to our house.”
a. Who are the ‘we’ and ‘you’ referred to?
Ans. The ‘we’ refers to Peter and his siblings, Phyllis and Bobby, and the ‘you’ refers to
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Jim, the boy they found injured in the tunnel.
b. What was the condition of the boy they rescued?
Ans. The boy they rescued, had a broken leg and was unable to walk.
c. Why did Peter feel proud when he said, "We’ve come to rescue you"?
Ans. Peter felt proud because he and his siblings, Phyllis and Bobby, had noticed Jim’s
absence and took action to help him.
d. How did the children show kindness towards Jim?
Ans. The children showed their kindness towards Jim by carrying him to their house so
he could get the care he needed.
E) Answer the following questions:
a. Where did the children move to? How did they spend their time there?
Ans. The children moved to the countryside. They took lessons from their mother at home
and spent the rest of their time exploring the fields and rivers.
b. Why was the children’s father put to prison?
Ans. The children’s father was put to prison as someone at the government office was
jealous of him and hence put secret papers in the father’s desk. He told everyone that their
father had stolen them.
c. How did Jim’s grandfather help the children’s father?
Ans. Jim's grandfather told Bobbie that their father was innocent and had been wrongly
accused of stealing secret papers. He promised to use his connections to help clear their
father's name and get him released from the prison.
F) Synonyms:
1. accused- blamed 4. explore- investigate
2. important- significant 5. rescue- save
3. adversities- hardships 6. secret- confidential
G) Antonyms:
1. comfortable- uncomfortable 4. enough insufficient
2. important- unimportant 5. rescue- harm
3. hope- despair 6. broken- unbroken
