The Christmas Truce

ABS VIDHYAALAYAA MATRIC HR SEC SCHOOL
CLASS: IX WORKSHEET- VII SUB: ENGLISH

UNIT: II The Christmas Truce
I. Fill in the blanks
1. But what a ...............................waiting it has been! Knowing that any moment an
...................................shell might .................................... beside us in the trench, killing
or.................................... several men. And in daylight not daring to lift our heads
above ground, for fear of a....................................................
2. Of course, we hated them when they.......................................... But other times, we
.....................................about them and almost felt we had something in common. And
now it seems they felt the same. Just yesterday morning -
..............................................we had our first...................................... Cold as we were, we
welcomed it, because at least the mud froze solid. Everything was tinged white
with frost while a bright sun shone over everything.
.................................................weather!
3. Across the way, we could make out groups of ....................................starting out of
...............................and coming towards us. Then some of us climbed out too, and in
minutes, there we were in..............................................– over a .........................................and
officers of each side, ...........................................with men we’d been trying to kill just
hours earlier!
4. This carol may not yet be familiar to us in......................................, but John knew it and
translated: “Silent Night, Holy Night.” I’ve never heard........................................– or more
meaningful, in that quiet, clear night, its darkness ...............................by a first – quarter
moon. When the song finished, the men in................................................... Yes, British soldiers
applauded Germans! Then one of our own men............................................and we all joined in.
II. Read the followings passage and answer the questions.
1. But what a terrible waiting it has been! Knowing that any moment an artillery shell
might land and explode beside us in the trench, killing or maiming several men. And in
daylight not daring to lift our heads above ground, for fear of a sniper’s bullet. And the
rain – it has fallen almost daily. Of course, it collects right in our trenches, where we
must bail it out with pots and pans. And with the rain has come mud – a good foot or
deeper. It splatters and cakes everything, and constantly sucks at our boots. One new
recruit got his feet stuck in it, and then his hands too when he tried to get out.
Questions:
1. What was the terrible thing?
2. Who is a sniper?
3. Where does the rain water collect?
4. What splatter and cake everything?
5. Who got his feet stuck in it?

2. Only a couple of our men knew German, but more of the Germans knew English. I
asked one of them why that was so.
“Because many have worked in England!” he said. “Before all this, I was a waiter at the
Hotel Cecil. Perhaps I waited on your table!” “Perhaps you did!” I said, laughing.
Another German had been a porter at Victoria Station. He showed me a picture of his
family back in Munich. It was so lovely, I told him I would like to meet his family
members someday. He happily gave me his family’s address.
Even those who could not converse could still exchange gifts – our tea for their coffee,
our corned meat for their sausage. Badges and buttons from uniforms changed owners,
and one of our boys walked off with a spiked helmet! I myself traded a jack knife for a
leather equipment belt – a fine souvenir to show when I get home.
Questions:
1. Why did more of the Germans knew English?
2. How many British soldiers knew German?
3. Who worked as a waiter?
4. How will he preserve it?
5. Who traded a Jack knife for leather belt?
III. Identify the character or speaker of the following lines.
1. I did the same with enemy soldiers here on the battle fields of France!
2. “Come and see! See what the Germans are doing!”
3. “What is it?”
4. “Christmas trees!”
5. “English, come over!”
6. “You no shoot, we no shoot.”
7. But sentries are to remain on duty, and the rest of you, stay alert.”
8. “Because many have worked in England!”
9. “Perhaps you did!”
10. “That you must ask your emperor.”
11. “Perhaps, my friend. But we must also ask our hearts.”
IV. Choose the correct answer
1. It is a ............................letter to his sister on how all enmity was forgotten as British and
German soldiers celebrated Christmas together.
a. British soldier’s b. Indian soldier’s c. American soldier’s
2. The morning and most of our men are asleep in their...............................
a. home b. school c. dugouts
3. We have mostly stayed in our ...................................and waited.
a. church b. trenches c. hotel
4. Between us lay....................................., bordered on both sides by barbed wire.
a. No Man’s Land b. Man’s Land c. both
5. Tom went to the dugout to rest, and lying on my....................
a. war field b. cot c. office
6. Clusters of ................................were shining all along the German line.
a. stars b. lantern c. tiny lights
7. The Germans had placed ..............................in front of their trenches, lit by candle or
lantern, like beacons of goodwill.
a. Christmas trees b. Mango trees c. Cherry trees.
8. When the song finished, the men in our trenches.........................
a. overwhelmed b. danced c. applauded
9. He climbed out and went to meet the ............................halfway.
a. Germans b. American c. Indian
10. Over a hundred soldiers and officers of each side, shaking .........................with men
we’d been trying to kill just hours earlier!
a. heads b. legs c. hands
V. Mind map
1.
What happened seems Tom would
almost like ...............................believe it
a...................................
Tom did the same with enemy The family sang

soldiers here on the ..................................before the fire
.....................................of France! there in London
There has been little serious

.................................of late
2.
They responded with
In truth, we sounded not .......................................applause of
nearly as good as their own and then began
the................................... another
We heard one of them Britain and Germany

............................. “You no shoot, ...................................across No
we no shoot.” Man’s Land
There in the trenches, we

looked at each other
in.....................................

The Christmas Truce

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Christmas Truce

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ABS VIDHYAALAYAA MATRIC HR SEC SCHOOL

CLASS: IX WORKSHEET- VII SUB: ENGLISH

1. What was the terrible thing?

3. Where does the rain water collect?

4. What splatter and cake everything?

5. Who got his feet stuck in it?

2. How many British soldiers knew German?

3. Who worked as a waiter?

4. How will he preserve it?

5. Who traded a Jack knife for leather belt?

III. Identify the character or speaker of the following lines.

Tom did the same with enemy The family sang

There has been little serious

We heard one of them Britain and Germany

There in the trenches, we

You might also like