Tolerance, My English Reader, Class VIII, DAV Board, The Best Solutions – Section – B

Section – B

B.1. Look into a thesaurus and find out the antonyms of ‘tolerance’ Antonyms of ‘tolerance’

Answer – Antonyms of – Tolerance

1. Intolerance
2. Bigotry
3. Prejudice
4. Bias
5. Narrow-mindedness
6. Discrimination
7. Impatience
8. Hatred
9. Fanaticism

Here is the list of words, with ✔ next to the ones associated with ‘tolerance’:

• ✔ mercy
• ✘ arrogance
• ✔ patience
• ✘ irritability
• ✔ forbearance
• ✘ hatred
• ✔ sensitivity
• ✘ jealousy
• ✘ touchiness
• ✔ open-mindedness

B.2. Summary (English)

“The Cold Within” by James Patrick Kinney is a powerful poem that highlights the destructive power of intolerance, prejudice, and selfishness. Six strangers are trapped together in a bitterly cold place. Each person holds a stick of wood that could be used to keep a dying fire alive, which would save their lives.

However, each person refuses to contribute their log due to personal prejudices:

• One withholds her log because a man is black.
• Another holds back because of religious differences.
• The poor man resents the rich.
• The rich man fears helping the poor.
• The black man seeks revenge on the white.
• The last man is selfish and only helps those who help him.

In the end, they all die, not from the cold outside, but from the “cold within”—their lack of compassion, love, and tolerance. The poem serves as a deep metaphor for society’s self-destruction caused by hatred and narrow-mindedness.

हिंदी में सारांश

“The Cold Within” कविता समाज में फैलती असहिष्णुता और स्वार्थ की भावना को दर्शाती है। इसमें छह अनजान लोग ठंड से घिरे हुए हैं, और हर किसी के पास आग को जलाए रखने के लिए लकड़ी है। परंतु वे सभी अपनी लकड़ी देने से मना कर देते हैं, क्योंकि वे एक-दूसरे से रंग, धर्म, जाति, अमीरी-गरीबी आदि के आधार पर द्वेष और पूर्वाग्रह रखते हैं।

• एक महिला ने लकड़ी नहीं दी क्योंकि सामने वाला व्यक्ति काले रंग का था।
• दूसरा व्यक्ति दूसरे धर्म के कारण मदद नहीं करता।
• गरीब व्यक्ति अमीरों से नफरत करता है।
• अमीर व्यक्ति गरीबों को तुच्छ समझता है।
• काले व्यक्ति के मन में गोरे लोगों के लिए बदले की भावना है।
• आखिरी व्यक्ति बहुत स्वार्थी है और सिर्फ उन्हें ही मदद करता है जो उसे मदद करते हैं।

अंततः सभी की मौत हो जाती है, लेकिन वे बाहर की ठंड से नहीं, बल्कि अपने अंदर की ठंड—अर्थात् नफरत, असहिष्णुता, और स्वार्थ से मरते हैं।

Word Meanings (English–Hindi Table)

MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

1. Why did the first woman not give her log?
   a) She was cold
   b) She didn’t have one
   c) She saw someone was black ✅
   d) She didn’t believe in sharing
2. What was the poor man’s reason for not giving his log?
   a) He was asleep
   b) He hated the rich ✅
   c) He was afraid
   d) He had no log
3. How did the rich man think about the poor?
   a) As lazy and undeserving ✅
   b) As hard-working
   c) As equals
   d) As friends
4. What is the main message of the poem?
   a) Sharing is good
   b) Winter is dangerous
   c) Intolerance and selfishness can destroy society ✅
   d) Wealth protects people
5. What ultimately caused their death?
   a) The fire went out
   b) Wild animals
   c) Starvation
   d) Their inner coldness and intolerance ✅

Short Questions and Answers

1. Q: What does “The Cold Within” symbolize?
   A: It symbolizes the lack of humanity, prejudice, and self-centeredness that leads to self-destruction.
2. Q: Why did none of the six people share their stick?
   A: Each person withheld their stick due to personal biases—racism, classism, religious intolerance, revenge, and selfishness.
3. Q: What is the irony in the poem?
   A: The irony is that they all had the means to survive (a stick of wood) but died due to inner hatred, not the actual cold.
4. Q: What is the poet trying to warn us about?
   A: The poet warns that prejudice, intolerance, and selfishness can destroy humanity if we don’t learn to live together.
5. Q: What is meant by “the cold within”?
   A: It refers to emotional coldness—hatred, indifference, and lack of compassion—that resides in people’s hearts.

B.3. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, complete the following summary by filling the blanks with one word only.

Six people got trapped in severe cold. The fire in front of them was dying. Each of the six people had a log of wood which could keep them warm.

The first woman did not give her log as she noticed a black person sitting next to her. She could not tolerate her log being used to warm a black person.

The second person, too, held back his log as he saw a man of another religion in the group. He did not want his piece of log to warm him.

The poor man present there hated the idea of his log providing any warmth to the rich. Similarly, the rich man kept aloof and only thought of keeping his wealth safe from the poor.

The black man’s face was full of revenge against the white man and so he did not put his log in the fire.

The last man in the group believed in helping only those who gave him something in return. So, he too kept his log with himself.

The next day all the six people were found dead with their logs held tightly in their hands. Their intolerance and hatred for each other had cost them their lives. It was not the cold that had killed them. Rather, it was the coldness in their hearts that had taken their lives.

B.4. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, complete the statements given below.

(a) The man next to the woman ‘could not bring himself to give the fire his stick.’ What does ‘could not bring himself’ mean?
It means he was unwilling or emotionally unable to act, due to his prejudice or hatred.

(b) “The poor man gave his coat a hitch” means
He adjusted or pulled his coat closer to himself, indicating his unwillingness to share his log with the rich.

(c) The black man wanted to take revenge on
the white man.

(d) The poet calls the group ‘forlorn’ because
they were hopeless, miserable, and filled with hatred, cut off from compassion and humanity.

(e) ‘Human sin’ in the last stanza refers to
the selfishness, prejudice, hatred, and intolerance in people’s hearts.

(f) ‘Cold without’ refers to
the severe physical cold outside in the environment.

(g) ‘Cold within’ refers to
the lack of warmth in their hearts — such as love, compassion, tolerance, and humanity.

B.5. HOTS

Discuss with your friends – Could the six people have avoided their tragic death? If yes, how? Write your answer in the space provided below.

I think these people could have escaped their tragic end if only
they had overcome their prejudices, hatred, and selfishness. Each one of them had a log of wood that could have kept the fire burning and saved everyone from freezing to death. But instead of using their logs to help one another, they let discrimination based on race, religion, class, and personal interest cloud their judgment. If they had shown compassion, cooperation, and tolerance, they would have survived together. Their death was not caused by the cold outside, but by the coldness in their hearts.

B.6. Life Skills

(a) Switch on Your Introspection Mode

Tolerance is the most desirable virtue in the pluralistic society of today. But, being tolerant is not easy. Recall any three separate incidents when you had a fiery exchange of words with your parents, friends and siblings.

Incident 1: Parents

I had a heated argument with my parents when they asked me to reduce my screen time. I felt they were being too strict and not understanding my point of view.

Incident – 2: Friends

A misunderstanding over a group project led to a fight with my friend. We both accused each other of not doing enough work.

Incident – 3: Sibling

My younger sibling used my things without asking. I shouted at them and we ended up fighting for the rest of the day.

(b) Do you think you could have handled the situations better?

Write the desirable qualities that could have helped you in handling the situations in a better way.

(Hint: kindness, empathy, respect, etc.)

Yes, I believe I could have handled them more calmly and respectfully. Below are the qualities that could have helped:

Incident 1: Parents

Desirable qualities – Patience, respect, understanding
I should have listened to their concerns and explained my needs politely.

Incident 2: Friends

Desirable qualities – Team spirit, empathy, communication
I should have calmly discussed the misunderstanding and tried to see my friend’s perspective.

Incident 3: Sibling

Desirable qualities – Kindness, tolerance, self-control
Instead of shouting, I could have explained why it bothered me and set boundaries nicely.

B.7. Read the newspaper clipping given below.

Teenager Stabs Friends for Not Allowing Him to Share Notes

August 20, New Delhi: A 14 year-old boy stabbed his friend with a paper cutter for not having allowed him to share his notes. Growing intolerance among teenagers has become a cause of concern for parents.

Imagine yourself to be Rachna. You feel concerned about growing intolerance amongst teenagers. Write a letter to the editor of a daily newspaper highlighting the importance of tolerance in daily life.

Rachna Sharma
123, Green Park
New Delhi – 110016
August 21, 20XX

The Editor
The Times of India
New Delhi

Subject: Rising Intolerance Among Teenagers – A Call for Awareness and Action

Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my deep concern over the increasing intolerance among teenagers, as highlighted in your recent news report about a 14-year-old boy stabbing his friend for not sharing notes. This shocking incident is a clear reflection of the growing impatience and inability to manage emotions among today’s youth.

Tolerance is an essential virtue in any civilised society. It allows individuals to live together peacefully, respect differing opinions, and resolve conflicts calmly. Unfortunately, in our fast-paced and competitive world, values like patience, empathy, and understanding are slowly fading. Teenagers today are often under immense academic and social pressure, which makes them vulnerable to reacting aggressively to small provocations.

It is crucial that families, schools, and communities work together to teach children the value of tolerance from an early age. Emotional education should be included in school curriculums, and parents should model respectful and calm behaviour at home.

Let us remember that a tolerant society begins with tolerant individuals. If we want to build a safe and inclusive future, we must act now to instil these values in our young generation.

Thank you for your time and attention to this critical issue.

Yours sincerely,
Rachna Sharma