Class 8 English — Chapter 2: Children at work

What you'll learn

• ▸Velu's Escape from Home
• ▸Culture Shock: Village vs. City Life
• ▸Character Analysis: Jaya the Ragpicker
• ▸Survival on the Streets
• ▸The Social Issue of Child Labor
• ▸The Occupation of Ragpicking
• ▸The Urban Setting of Chennai
• ▸Velu's Character Development

Chapter Summary

--- PAGE 1 --- 0850CH02 2 Children at work Before you read There are many reasons why children have to work. Some help their family make a livelihood. Others, who run away from unhappy homes, need to support themselves. Children who have to work can't go to school and play like other children of their age. I * Velu, an eleven-year old boy, runs away from home. * He wanders around for hours before getting on a train to Chennai without a ticket. * Tired and hungry, he doesn't know where to go when a stranger at the station shouts a word of welcome. WHEN the Kanyakumari Express pulled in at Chennai Central, it took Velu some time to get off. When he finally stood on the platform, his legs felt wobbly, as if he was still on a moving train. “Oy, out of the way!” A porter went by with a loaded trolley. Velu jumped aside. He sat on a bench on the platform, putting his small bundle down. In all his eleven years, he had never seen so many people, except once a year at…

Practice Questions from this Chapter

Tap "Get Solution" on any question to ask our AI tutor.

1. Explain child labor simply. Get Solution →
2. Describe a street child's day. Get Solution →
3. Suggest ways to reduce food waste. Get Solution →
4. What is the name of the eleven-year-old boy who runs away from home? Get Solution →
5. What did Velu eat during the two days he was on his own before meeting Jaya? Get Solution →
6. What three items did Velu carry in his small bundle? Get Solution →
7. What was the girl Velu met at the station doing when he first saw her? Get Solution →
8. Why did Velu run away from his home in the village? Get Solution →

Did you know?

• 💡 Child chimney sweeps were common in London until the 1800s.
• 💡 Around one-third of all food produced globally is wasted or lost.
• 💡 More than half of the world's population now lives in cities.
• 💡 Humans can survive for about three weeks without food.
• 💡 A single plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to decompose.

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