English Summary

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The Story of My Life Summary Chapter 12

Helen describes a winter spent in a New England village and her first experiences of a snow storm.

This chapter describes a winter spent in a New England village and Helen’s first experiences of a snow storm. New England’s frozen lakes and vast snow fields were a new experience for her and she describes her pleasure in entering the treasures of the snow.

She describes the landscape following the snow storm as a waste of snow with trees rising out of it. She spent the days sitting around the great fire, along with her family members and shared merry tales. Helen describes how she felt the dazzling sunlight after three days of snow. She also describes the fun she had tobogganing and describes the experience as ‘divine’.

The Story of My Life Summary Chapter 12 Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What surprised Helen about the trees in winter?
Answer:
Helen was surprised to discover that the trees and branches had no leaves in winter; there were no birds on them and their nests were all empty.

Question 2.
Why did Helen rush out of doors even though there were signs of an impending snowstorm?
Answer:
Helen rushed out to feel the tiny snowflakes as they fell from the sky, in spite of dangers of an impending snowstorm.

Question 3.
How did the family spend their time during the snowstorm?
Answer:
During the snowstorm, Helen and her family sat around a fire and enjoyed themselves, sharing merry stories with one another.

Question 4.
Why does Helen say that the pine trees outside had no smell?
Answer:
Helen described the pine trees outside her home to be bereft of any smell because they were covered with snow.

Question 5.
How was Helen able to feel the light in spite of her blindness?
Answer:
The sunrays on the snow-covered trees and branches shone dazzlingly bright, and everything sparkled like diamonds. Helen could feel the brightness in spite of her blindness.

Question 6.
What does Helen mean when she says that she could not feel the earth under her feet?
Answer:
The snow was so thick that Helen could not feel the ground beneath it.

Question 7.
What did Helen enjoy about tobogganing?
Answer:
Helen enjoyed being shoved off a slope and plunging through drifts, swooping down upon the lake as if she were flying.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

The Story of My Life Summary Chapter 11

Helen describes several experiences in this chapter like her outing to the summer cottage in the mountains, campfire evening, hunting expeditions. She talks about her pony, Black Beauty.

In this chapter, Helen describes the rich experience she had and how her mind blossomed upon reaching home. She describes the outing to Fem Quarry, the family cottage in the mountains. She elaborately describes the ferns, the great oaks and the splendid Evergreens that surrounded Fem Quarry. She also describes their pretty cottage situated on top of the mountain among the oaks and pines.

She mentions the visitors at the campfire every evening, and the hunting expeditions the men went on. She talks of the barbecues and describes her pony, Black Beauty. Her happiest hours were spent on his back. She enjoyed gathering Persimmons and nuts, and hearing the rail go by. She also recounts the adventure she had when she, Miss Sullivan and her little sister, Mildred got lost.

The Story of My Life Summary Chapter 11 Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Where did the family spend their autumn months?
Answer:
The family spent the autumn at their summer cottage on a mountain, 14 miles from Tuscumbia, called Fern Quarry.

Question 2.
How did the family spend the evenings?
Answer:
In the evenings, the family along with visitors sat by a campfire where the men played cards and spent time talking about their success at hunting.

Question 3.
Why was there such excitement and movement in the mornings?
Answer:
In the mornings, all the visitors who had arrived the night before got ready to go off on a hunting spree amid great excitement and much preparation.

Question 4.
What was ironic about these hunting expeditions?
Answer:
The irony was that though the men boasted about all the animals they had killed and made all kinds of preparation for the hunting expedition, they usually returned without any success.

Question 5.
Who was Black Beauty? Why was it so named?
Answer:
Black Beauty was a pony that Helen rode sometimes. Helen had named it after the horse in the book Black ’ Beauty, as it had the same glossy black coat with a white star on its forehead as described in the book.

Question 6.
What made Helen gather the persimmons?
Answer:
Though Helen did not eat the persimmons, she loved the fragrance and enjoyed looking for them in the leaves and grass.

Question 7.
What does Helen mean by the word “nutting”?
Answer:
By “nutting”, Helen refers to looking for nuts like chestnuts, hickory nuts and walnuts.

Question 8.
Why were Miss Sullivan and the girls forced to walk over the trestle?
Answer:
Since Miss Sullivan, Helen and her sister lost their way in the woods and had been wandering for hours, it was too late for them to take any other way and they had to cross over the trestle, as it was a short way home.

Question 9.
Why did they find the cottage empty on their return?
Answer:
Miss Sullivan, along with the two girls found the cottage empty on return because everyone was out looking for them.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

The Story of My Life Summary Chapter 10

Helen talks about her vacation at Brewster and her first experiences of the sea. She also learnt a lesson that it was not kind to force creatures of nature to live away from their habitat.

This chapter describes Helen’s vacation at Brewster and her first experience of the sea. It talks about her excitement and terror of the sea. Her encounter with sea filled her with an exquisite and quivering joy. But when her foot struck against a rock, she was overcome by fright and frantically searched for something to support her till she was clasped in her teacher’s loving arms.

The chapter also mentions her first encounter with the Horse-shoe Crab, which she wanted to take home. However, the crab escaped, teaching her that it is not kind to force dumb creatures to live away from their habitat.

The Story of My Life Summary Chapter 10 Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why was Helen so excited about her vacation?
Answer:
Helen’s vacation at Brewster was her first encounter with the sea. She had read about it and had developed a deep desire to touch the sea and feel its roar. She was very excited when she learnt that they were going to the seaside.

Question 2.
What terrified Helen about the sea?
Answer:
The rush of waves which tossed her from one place to another as they carried her away from the shore terrified Helen. For a moment she could not feel the earth undej her feet and she became panic-stricken.

Question 3.
What surprised Helen about the horseshoe crab?
Answer:
Helen had never seen or felt a creature like the crab and was surprised to learn that it carried its house on its back.

Question 4.
What lesson did Helen learn after the crab disappeared?
Answer:
Helen learnt that it was unkind to force dumb creatures to live away from their habitat; it was best to let creatures be in their own element.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

The Story of My Life Summary Chapter 9

Helen talks about her visit to Boston with her teacher and mother and how her doll Nancy got ruined. She talks about her visit to Perkins institute for the Blind and how she was inspired by the positive attitude of the institution. She met Mr William Endicott and his daughter.

This chapter talks of Helen’s trip to Boston with her mother and teacher. It reveals the change in her behaviour from her previous journey by train. Better behaved as compared to her previous train ride, she preferred to sit quietly beside her teacher. Miss Sullivan described the world outside the train by writing on Helen’s hand.

At Boston, Helen once again visited the Perkins Institution for the blind, and met other blind children. Unfortunately, her doll Nancy was ruined over there as the laundress at the Perkins Institution had secretly given it a bath, hoping to clean her, but the doll lost its shape and became a ‘formless heap of cotton’.

Helen was deeply influenced by the positive attitude at the Institution. She also went to Bunker Hall where she received her first lessons in history. Helen also talks of Mr William Endicott and his daughter, who took great care of her.

The Story of My Life Summary Chapter 9 Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How was Helen’s train journey with her teacher different from her earlier one?
Answer:
Helen was extremely well behaved and sat quietly by the side of her teacher, eagerly listening to her description of the world outside the train window. This was in contrast to her earlier journey when she had been undisciplined, restless and required constant attention.

Question 2.
How did Nancy the doll change into a “formless heap of cotton”?
Answer:
The laundress at the Perkins Institution tried to give Nancy, Helen’s doll, a bath. It was reduced to a “formless heap of cotton” after being laundered.

Question 3.
What delighted Helen at the Institution?
Answer:
Helen was delighted to meet other children who could not see and was deeply impressed by their positive spirit.

Question 4.
Why was Helen taken to Bunker Hall?
Answer:
Helen received her first lessons in history at Bunker Hall. She was extremely excited to climb the monument, built in memory of the soldiers from the past, who had fought here.

Question 5.
Why did Helen cry during the steamboat ride?
Answer:
Helen mistook the sound of the rumble of the steamboat to be thunder. She began to cry, worried that they would not be able to have their picnic outdoors if it rained.

Question 6.
Who does Helen think of when she calls Boston the “city of kind hearts”?
Answer:
Helen refers to Mr William Endicott, who along with his daughter, took great care of Helen when she stayed at their farm in Boston.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

The Story of My Life Summary Chapter 8

Helen talks about the Christmas day full of surprises and the highlight of the day was the time she spent with the school children. She describes how she took care of Little Tim, the canary and her sorrow after its death.

This chapter describes how Helen enjoyed celebrating Christmas with her teacher. Helen had fun preparing surprises for everybody along with Miss Sullivan. The game of guessing which they played taught Helen more about the use of language.
It was a day foil of surprises, the highlight being the time spent with school children on Christmas Eve.

Helen had been invited to the school by the Tuscumbia schoolchildren to celebrate Christmas with them. There was a gift for each child by the tree and Helen was allowed to distribute them. Helen was delighted to hand the presents to the children. On Christmas day, she found surprises not just in the stockings but all around the house.

The chapter also talks of Helen’s joy at receiving a canary as a gift from her teacher, and how she took care of ‘Little Tim’, the canary bird. The chapter ends by describing her sorrow at its death.

The Story of My Life Summary Chapter 8 Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What was the most’exciting aspect of Christmas for Helen?
Answer:
With the help of her teacher, Helen had prepared surprises for her family members. This proved to be the most exciting part of celebrating Christmas. Also, she was excited about trying to guess what gifts the others were going to give her. Spending Christmas Eve with the Tuscumbia school children was another thrilling episode for her, especially as she was allowed to hand the gifts to all the children.

Question 2.
Who or what was Little Tim?
Answer:
Little Tim was a pet canary gifted to Helen by her teacher Miss Sullivan.

Question 3.
How did Helen take care of her pet?
Answer:
Helen would prepare its bath, clean its cage, fill its cups with fresh seed and water and hang a spray of chickweed in its swing.

Question 4.
Why did the bird not respond to Helen when she opened its cage one morning?
Answer:
The canary was eaten by a cat when Helen had gone to fetch water for its bath and had left the cage open.