NCERT Textbook Exercise Questions (Important only)
Working with the Text

Q.1: What was the author’s opinion about Mr.Gessler as a bootmaker?
Ans: According to the author, Mr.Gessler was the best shoemaker in the city. He was a perfect artist who had the same skill, pride and respect for his trade and as any other artist had.

Q.2: Why did the author visit the shop so frequently?

Ans: The shoes made by Mr.Gessler used to last terribly longer than the usual, therefore, he visited the shop so infrequently.

Q.3: What was the effect on Mr.Gessler of the author’s remark about a certain pair of boots?

Ans: When the author told Mr.Gessler about the creaking of a certain pair of boots, he got surprised and asked him to get the pair back and if he could not do anything with him he would take them off from the author’s bill.

Q.4: What was Mr.Gessler’s complaint against “big firms”?

Ans: Mr.Gessler complained that the big firms do not have self-respect. That they get the business by advertisement and not by work. Due to them the workers like Mr.Gessler were running without job.

Q.5: Why did the author order so many pairs of boots? Did he really need them?

Ans: When the author came to know about the death of Mr.Gessler’s elder brother, he felt with sorrow and grief and, therefore, in order to help him financially he ordered several pairs of boots although he didn’t really need them.

Working with Language

Q.1: Use phrases appropriately to complete the sentences that follow:

(i) After a very long spell of heat, the weather is ______ at last.

(ii) We have no right to _______ people who do small jobs.

(iii) Nitin has always _______ his uncle, who is a self-made man.

(iv) The police are _______ the matter thoroughly.

(v) If you want to go out, I will ____ the children for you.

(vi) I promise to _____ on your brother when I visit Lucknow next.

Ans: (i) look up (ii) look down on (iii) look up to (iv) look into (v) look after (vi) look in (vii) look out.


Q.1: Do you think Mr.Gessler was a failure as a bootmaker or as a competitive businessman?

Ans: Mr.Gessler was certainly a good bootmaker but he used to make a lot time to complete the order and people could not wait so long. Secondly he never advertised his business although, in this competitive world where things sell only by show off. So in spite of being the best shoemaker and having the leather, he was a failure in business means, he was not a competitive businessman.

Q.2: What is the significance of title? To whom or what does it refer?

Ans: The title is apt and significant. ‘Quality’ indicates Mr.Gessler’s character and personality. In today’s competitive world, in business, only those things are sold which are advertised and showed off well rather than their quality and perfection. In the story, Mr.Gessler was the best shoemaker in the sense of quality and perfection but he never advertised his trade and thus failed. This indicates that the people in today’s world believe in what they see and not in the reality.