MAK LABS — Std 8 English 3.3 The Last Leaf

1Suppose you suffer from a long-term illness (one or two weeks), what should you do and what should you avoid? Fill up the table of Dos and Don'ts.

Dos	Don'ts
(1) Go to a doctor for diagnosis.	(1) Do not panic or self-medicate.
(2) Take medicines strictly on time.	(2) Do not skip or delay your medicines.
(3) Take a suitable diet.	(3) Avoid eating junk, oily or outside food.
(4) Drink plenty of warm fluids and take rest.	(4) Avoid physical stress and exertion.
(5) Rest in a properly ventilated room.	(5) Do not stay in a stuffy or dark room.
(6) Have cheerful thoughts, courage, positive attitude.	(6) Do not lose hope or your patience.

2Make pairs of sentences of your own to point out the different meanings of the following Homographs.

(1) fine:
(a) The weather is very fine today.
(b) I had to pay a fine for parking in the wrong zone.
(2) wave:
(a) The surfer successfully rode a huge wave.
(b) She gave a friendly wave to her friend across the street.
(3) bear:
(a) We saw a large black bear in the forest.
(b) I cannot bear this loud noise anymore.
(4) rose:
(a) He gifted his mother a beautiful red rose.
(b) The sun rose early in the morning.
(5) lead:
(a) The tour guide will lead us to the camp.
(b) Lead is a very heavy and toxic metal.
(6) match:
(a) Our team won the cricket match yesterday.
(b) This shirt does not match my trousers.
(7) second:
(a) Rahul stood second in the running race.
(b) Wait a second, I am coming downstairs.
(8) object:
(a) What is that strange, shiny object in the sky?
(b) I object to this unfair decision made by the committee.

1Read the story and choose the appropriate meanings.

(a) Struggling artists — (ii) artists trying hard to earn a living
(b) Skeleton branches — (iii) bare branches
(c) Wielded the brush — (i) painted skillfully
(d) Palette — (ii) a board used by artists to mix colours
(e) Masterpiece — (iii) an exceptionally beautiful work of art

2Make pairs of sentences to show the difference between the meanings of the following Homographs from the story.

(a) interest:
(i) Sue and Johnsy shared a common interest in art.
(ii) The bank offers a high rate of interest on savings accounts.
(b) well:
(i) The doctor said she has excellent chances of getting well.
(ii) The villagers draw water from a deep well.
(c) left:
(i) Only skeleton branches were left on the ivy vine.
(ii) Take a left turn from the main crossroad.
(d) just:
(i) Johnsy just lay in bed without making a sound.
(ii) The old king was a very fair and just ruler.
(e) mind:
(i) Johnsy had made up her mind that she was going to die.
(ii) Would you mind closing the window for me?

3State the facts about the story.

Main characters: Sue, Johnsy, and Old Behrman.
Problem: Johnsy fell seriously ill with pneumonia and completely lost the will to live, mistakenly believing she would die when the last leaf fell from the ivy vine outside her window.
Attempts made to solve it: Sue looked after her well, tried to cheer her up, offered her broth, and asked Old Behrman to pose as a model so she could earn money for Johnsy's food.
Climax / Turning point: Old Behrman secretly went out into the freezing storm and painted a masterpiece—a realistic ivy leaf—on the brick wall so that the "last leaf" would never fall.
Problem solved: Seeing the last leaf bravely survive the fierce wind and rain, Johnsy realized her mistake, felt it was a sin to want to die, and regained her will to live.
End: Johnsy successfully recovered, but unfortunately, Old Behrman caught severe pneumonia from being out in the wet, freezing weather and died shortly after painting his masterpiece.

4Say whether the following statements are right or wrong.

(a) Sue and Johnsy were very close friends. — Right
(b) Sue was a rich girl. — Wrong
(c) Johnsy was hopeful that she will live. — Wrong
(d) Behrman was a hard - hearted person. — Wrong
(e) The last leaf fell off during the rain. — Wrong (The last leaf, painted by Behrman, never fell.)
(f) Johnsy realised that her thinking was wrong. — Right
(g) Behrman did not know anything about the last leaf on the ivy. — Wrong

5Correct the following statements.

(a) Sue and Johnsy were good neighbours.
Correction: Sue and Johnsy shared a flat and were very close friends.
(b) Johnsy was eager to recover from her illness.
Correction: Johnsy had completely lost the will to live and was not eager to recover.
(c) Sue ignored Johnsy completely.
Correction: Sue looked after Johnsy very well and tried her best to cheer her up.
(d) Behrman was a very heartless person.
Correction: Behrman was a very kind-hearted person who sacrificed his own life to save Johnsy.
(e) The real ivy leaf did not fall off at all.
Correction: The real ivy leaf actually fell off during the fierce wind and rain at night.
(f) The last leaf was a real leaf that survived.
Correction: The last leaf was not real; it was a masterpiece painted by Behrman on the brick wall.

6Read the descriptions of the following from the story and describe any one of them using your own words.

• Old Behrman

Old Behrman was an elderly painter who lived on the ground floor beneath Sue and Johnsy's flat. He was considered a failure in art, as he had wielded the brush for forty years but had never made any real money or painted the "masterpiece" he always talked about. To survive, he earned a little by serving as a model for the young, struggling artists in the colony. Despite his gruff exterior and his anger over Johnsy's foolish imagination, he was deeply compassionate. His ultimate act of bravery and kindness—painting the final leaf in a freezing storm to save a young girl's life—proved that he possessed a golden heart.

7In the following sentences, point out the Main Clause and Subordinate Clause. Encircle the Subordinator.

Sentence	Main Clause	Subordinate Clause	Subordinator
(a) There was a colony, where many struggling artists lived.	There was a colony	where many struggling artists lived	where
(b) Though Sue looked after her well, Johnsy showed no signs of improvement.	Johnsy showed no signs of improvement	Though Sue looked after her well	Though
(c) Sue thought that she had fallen asleep.	Sue thought	that she had fallen asleep	that
(d) Old Behrman was a painter, who lived on the ground floor.	Old Behrman was a painter	who lived on the ground floor	who
(e) Johnsy was sleeping, when the two went upstairs.	Johnsy was sleeping	when the two went upstairs	when
(f) I want to see the last one before it falls.	I want to see the last one	before it falls	before

8Compose an imaginary dialogue between Sue and Johnsy, when they realise about what Behrman had done for Johnsy.

Sue: (Looking out of the window with tears in her eyes) Johnsy... Mr. Behrman died today in the hospital.

Johnsy: (Shocked) What? Oh no! But how, Sue? He was just here a few days ago.

Sue: The sweeper found him helpless in his room, soaking wet and freezing. He caught severe pneumonia. Johnsy, do you know why he was out in that terrible storm?

Johnsy: I don't understand...

Sue: Look closely at that last ivy leaf against the wall, Johnsy. Have you wondered why it never fluttered or moved when the fierce wind blew?

Johnsy: (Staring intently) Wait... it's not a real leaf. It's painted!

Sue: Yes. They found his ladder, scattered brushes, and a palette with green and yellow colours mixed on it. He painted it that terrible night when the real last leaf had fallen. He did it to give you hope.

Johnsy: (Crying softly) He painted it for me? He traded his life so I would find the courage to live. Oh, Sue, I was so foolish and selfish to want to die. He finally painted his masterpiece, didn't he?

Sue: Yes, my dear. His truest, most beautiful masterpiece. It saved your life.

3.3 The Last Leaf

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