Sally’s Shoes (Graeme King)

About the passage

A.  Read to understand

 Answer these questions.

      1.   Why did Sally have to wear remedial shoes?

      Ans. Sally had to wear her remedial shoes to correct her deformed ankle.

      2.   Why did she hate the remedial footwear?

      Ans. She hated the remedial foot wear because they were big, bulky, with big, thick soles and bulky heels. Also, other children make fun of her shoes.

      3.   What prevented Sally from going straight into the gym?

      Ans. The thought that other children will pass insulting remark about her remedial shoes prevented her from going straight into the gym.

      4.   What was the cause of the disbelief of other children?

      Ans. Corey’s complement to Sally about her shoes and her walk was the cause of the disbelief of the children.

      5.   What change did Sally notice around her the next day at school?

      Ans. Sally noticed that four other girls were wearing cloggy shoes like her and were chatting to her and asking her advice about clothes and shoes, and treating her like a friend.

      6.   How did Sally express her gratitude to those who researched remedial cures?

      Ans. Sally expressed her gratitude to those who researched remedial cures by giving a lot of money to charities, especially those that researched remedial cures for deformities.

B.  Read to infer

1.   Choose the correct words to fill in the blanks.

      a)   Sally stood at the door of the second gym, steeling herself to absorb the jibes of the other children. She was quite anxious. (relaxed/anxious)

      b)   She wouldn’t feel bad about something that wasn’t her fault! This shows that she was courageous. (regretful/courageous)

      c)   The song finished and in the silence, she felt everyday staring at her. This made her feel self-conscious. (self-conscious/proud)

      d)   She let herself move along with the music. She felt quite comfortable. (helpless/comfortable)

      e)   When she got to school on Monday, four other girls wore cloggy shoes. She felt pleased by this. (pleased/humiliated)

2.   Tick ( ) the option that gives the meaning of the last line of the passage.

      a)   Success depends on knowing something nobody knows.

      b)   Success is to be able to spend your life in your own way.

      c)   Success depends on your confidence and not on what you wear.

      d)   Success is to go from one failure to another without losing enthusiasm.

3.   Here are some sentences that show what the other children thought about Sally before and after the class party. Write B before and A for after in the boxes.

      a)   Anything that is different is good. A

      b)   Anything that is different is bad. B

      c)   It is hard to respect someone who is different. B

      d)   We are all similar and we are all different. A

C.  Discuss

1.   Discuss the challenges Sally would have had to overcome in her life.

Ans. The challenges that Sally had overcome in her life were:

    1. She had no friends.

    2. She had to face the insulting remarks by other children.

    3. She had to wear her remedial shoes because of her deformed ankle.

    However, with hard work and strong willpower, she became a successful fashion designer and aided many people through charities.

2.   What, according to you, brought about a change in the attitude of the other children towards Sally?

Ans. According to me, Corey’s complement to Sally about her shoes and her walk and Sally’s will power to face the challenges of the life changed the attitude of the other children towards Sally

3.   Do you think Corey was the right choice to be the Head Boy? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans. I think Corey was the right choice to be the head boy because instead of making fun of Sally, he walked towards her and complimented her. He also asked her for dance and proved to be a perfect role model for others.