Questions Answers

1. Based on your understanding of the story, answer the following questions in a sentence or two.

a)        What do children get ready for at the beginning of the story?

At the beginning of the story, Children get ready for a look at the sun.

b)       How is life in the planet Venus described?

The planet is covered with thick jungles and unruly weeds, perpetually caught in a cycle of growth and destruction. Humans live underground in a network of tunnels, eagerly awaiting the very brief summer.

c)        Who is Margot? How is she different from the rest of the children?

Margot is one of the students of a school in the planet Venus. Unlike most of the children, she has arrived from earth recently.

d)       What does Margot like the most - the sun or the rain?

Margot likes the sun the most.

e)        What was Margot waiting for? Why did William say that it was a joke?

Margot was waiting for seeing the sun. Because the scientists had predicted that on that particular day the sun would shine for a short while. William did not want her to see the sun. He said that it was a joke.

f)         Why does Margot wish to return to the earth?

Margot does not like rain. She remembers the warmth and brightness of the sun on Earth where it could be seen every day. So she wishes to return to earth.

g)        Why did the children lock Margot in a closet?

The sun would shine after seven years. The children knew Margot loved the sun and had waited to see it. As they hated her, they did not want her to see the sun. So they locked her in the closet.

h)       Margot could recall what the sun looked like while the other children could not. Why?

The other children were unable to remember the sun. They had seen the sun seven years ago, when they were two years old. So they could not recall the sun. Unlike most of the children, Margot has arrived from earth more recently. So she knew about the sun very well.

i)          How long did the Sun shine on Venus?

The sun shone every seven years for just two hours on Venus.

j)          Why did one of the girls wail?

As the girl saw a rain drop at her palm, she knew it was going to rain and the sun was going to vanish. So she wailed.

2. Based on your understanding of the story, answer the following in three or four sentences.

a)        What is the significance of the particular day described in the story “All summer in a day”?

There is no sun for the past seven years in the planet Venus. The scientists had predicted that on that particular day the sun would shine for a short while.

b)       What happens to Margot while the teacher is out of the classroom?

One boy begins to yell at Margot on the day that the sun comes out. The other children joined with him and teased Margot. Then they pushed Margot into a closet and locked her inside.

c)        How did Margot describe the sun to others?

She had written that the sun was like a flower that bloomed only for an hour. And also she described the sun as a penny or a fire in the stove.

d)       How did the children react when the sun came out after seven years?

When the sun came out, the children were ecstatic. They squinted at the sun. They removed their jackets to feel the rays upon their arms. They ran among the trees. They slipped and fell. They pushed each other. They played hide-and-seek and tag. They ran for an hour and did not stop running.

e)        Why did William and the other children bully Margot?

The children in Margot’s class bullied her because they were envious of her knowledge and memory of the sun. For the other children, the biggest crime of Margot was that she remembered many things about the sun. They were angered by her descriptions of the sun.

f)         What were their feelings towards Margot at the end of the story?

The kids knew that they had done something wrong to Margot. They proceeded very slowly when freeing Margot. It suggested that they knew what they were wrong. They were not happy, joyful, skipping, or shouting because of a fun day in the sun. The moment was diminished because of their hateful actions toward their class mate.

g)        What does the title of the story convey?

The story “All Summer in a Day” is set on the planet Venus. It is a rainy planet, and the sun only comes out for only one day every seven years. Here summer is a symbol of hot emotions. The kids reveal their hot emotions to their classmate on the day. And also summer in the planet Venus is only one day. Thus the title conveys both the season and the mindset of the kids.

3. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of about 100–150 words each.

a)        What is the conflict between Margot and the other children in the story, “All Summer in a day”?

Margot is nine years old. She is one of the students of a school in the planet Venus. Unlike most of the children, she has arrived from the earth recently. On Earth, apparently, the sun still comes out everyday. In Venus, Margot desperately misses the Sun. She wants to go back to Earth. And also she does not get along with the other Children. The children in Margot’s class bully her because they are envious of her knowledge and memory of the sun. For the other children, the biggest crime of Margot is that she remembers many things about the sun. They are angered by her descriptions of the sun. One boy begins to yell at Margot on the day that the sun briefly shines on the Venus for an hour. The others join in and tease her. They push Margot into a closet and lock her inside. When the sun vanishes and the rain starts again, the children release Margot. These are the conflicts between Margot and the other children in the story.

b)       How do the children react to the long awaited event in the story?

Except Margot, the children had seen the sun seven years ago, when they were two years old. They cannot recall the sun. They bully Margot because they are envious of her knowledge and memory of the sun. They push Margot into a closet and lock her inside. When the sun comes out, the children are ecstatic. They squint at the sun. They remove their jackets to feel the rays upon their arms. They run among the trees, they slip and fall, they push each other, and they play hide-and-seek and tag. They run for an hour and do not stop running. When the sun vanishes and the rain starts, the kids know that they have done something wrong to Margot. They proceed very slowly when freeing Margot. It suggests that they know what they did is wrong. They are not happy,, joyful, skipping, or shouting because of a fun day in the sun. The moment is diminished because of their hateful actions toward their class mate.

c)        The sun brought about a positive change in the attitude of the children. Illustrate the statement.

A group of kids living on Venus are waiting for the sun to come out. One boy begins to yell at Margot who has come from the earth recently. They push her into a closet and lock her inside. When the sun. comes out, the children are ecstatic. They squint at the sun. They remove their jackets to feel the rays upon their arms. They run among the trees, they slip and fall, they push each other, and they play hide-and-seek and tag. They run for an hour and do not stop running. When the sun vanishes and the rain starts, the kids know that they have done something wrong to Margot. They proceed very slowly when freeing Margot. It suggests that they know what they did is wrong. They are not happy, joyful, skipping, or shouting because of a fun day in the sun. The moment is diminished because of their hateful actions toward their class mate. They regret what they have done to Margot. They understand that they have been terrible bullies. Thus the sun brought about a positive change in the attitude of the children.

d)       Did the children regret having locked Margot in a closet? Answer citing relevantly from the story.

A group of kids living on Venus are waiting for the sun to come out. One boy begins to yell at Margot who has come from the earth recently. They push her into a closet and lock her inside. When the sun comes out, the children are ecstatic. They squint at the sun. They remove their jackets to feel the rays upon their arms. They run among the trees, they slip and fall, they push each other, and they play hide-and-seek and tag. They run for an hour and do not stop running. When the sun vanishes and the rain starts, the kids know that they have done something wrong to Margot. They proceed very slowly when freeing Margot. It suggests that they know what they did is wrong. They are not happy, joyful, skipping, or shouting because of a fun day in the sun. The moment is diminished because of their hateful actions toward their class mate. They regret what they have done to Margot.

4. Based on your understanding of the story, complete the story map.

Middle:

• A girl named Margot has come from the Earth and remembers the sun.

• The children are angry because she has seen the sun and they haven't seen.

Beginning:

• A group of children are living on the Venus

• It rains always there

• The sun only comes out for one day every seven years.

End:

• The children locked her in a closet.

• She missed seeing the sun

• The children regret for what they have done.

Title: 

All summary in a day

Author:

Ray Bradbury

Setting:

A real planet Venus

Character:

• Margot

• Children

• William

• the rocket men and women.

Find out and encircle the following words in the word grid. (The words have been placed horizontally, vertically, diagonally and even back to front)

Now read the sentences below. Complete them appropriately with the words you identified from the grid.

·           The scientists predicted that the Sun would come out on Venus that day after seven years.

·           The children are getting ready for the anticipated event.

·           The children discriminated Margot as she remembered the Sun.

·           William and other children have bullied her and locked her in a closet.

·           When the Sun comes out, the children feel the sun.

·           The Sun faded behind a stir of mist. Again it started raining on Venus.

·           The children are reminded of Margot and unlock the door and let her out.

ESSAY

• Introduction

• Life on the planet Venus

• Margot in the Venus

• Conflict with the children

• Arrival of the Sun

• Conclusion