Class eleven and twelve || Unit one: Education and Life || Lesson 3 Children in School || English first paper || Bangla meaning, mcq, short questions and summary || textbook page 14,15 & 16

The Headmaster || Class eleven and twelve || Unit one: Education and Life || Lesson 3 Children in School || English first paper || Bangla meaning, mcq, short questions and summary || textbook page 17,18 & 19

The Headmaster

When Mother and Totto-chan went in, the man in the office got up from his chair. His hair was thin on top and he had a few teeth missing, but his face was a healthy colour. Although he wasn't very tall, he had solid shoulders and arms and was neatly dressed in a rather shabby black three-piece suit.

With a hasty bow, Totto-chan asked him spiritedly "What are you, a schoolmaster or a stationmaster?"

Mother was embarrassed, but before she had time to explain. he laughed and replied, "I'm the head-master of this school."

Totto-chan was delighted. "Oh, I'm so glad," she said, "because I want to ask you a favour. I'd like to come to your school."

The headmaster offered her a chair and turned to Mother. "You may go home now. I want to talk to Totto-chan."

Totto-chan had a moment's uneasiness, but somehow felt she would get along all right with this man. "Well, then, I'll leave her with you," Mother said bravely, and shut the door behind her as she went out.

The headmaster drew over a chair and put it facing Totto- chan, and when they were both sitting down close together, he said, "Now then, tell me all about yourself. Tell me anything at all you want to talk about."

"Anything I like?" Totto-chan had expected him to ask questions she would have to answer. When he said she could talk about anything she wanted, she was so happy she began straight away. It was all a bit higgledy-piggledy, but she talked for all she was worth. She told the headmaster how fast the train went that they had come on; how she had asked the ticket collector but he wouldn't let her keep her ticket; how pretty her homeroom teacher was at the other school; about the swallows' nest; about their brown dog. Rocky, who could do all sorts of tricks, how she used to go snip- snip with the scissors inside her mouth at kindergarten and the teacher said she mustn't do that because she might cut her tongue off, but she did it anyway; how she always blew her nose because Mother scolded her if it was runny, what a good swimmer Daddy was, and how he could dive as well. She went on and on. The headmaster would laugh, nod, and say, "And then?" And Totto-chan was so happy she kept right on talking. But finally she ran out of things to say. She sat with her mouth closed trying hard to think of something.

"Haven't you anything more you can tell me?" asked the headmaster.

What a shame to stop now, Totto-chan thought. It was such a wonderful chance. Wasn't there anything else she could talk about, she wondered, racking her brains? Then she had an idea.

She could tell him about the dress she was wearing that day. Mother made most of her dresses, but this one came from a shop. Her clothes were always torn when she came home in the late afternoon. Some of the rips were quite bad. Mother never knew how they got that way. Even her white cotton panties were sometimes in shreds. She explained to the headmaster that they got torn when she crossed other people's gardens by crawling under their fences, and when she burrowed under the barbed wire around vacant lots. So this morning, she said, when she was getting dressed to come here, all the nice dresses Mother had made were torn so she had to wear one Mother had bought. It had small dark red and gray checks and was made of jersey, and it wasn't bad, but Mother thought the red flowers embroidered on the collar were in bad taste. "Mother doesn't like the collar," said Totto-chan, holding it up for the headmaster to see.

After that, she could think of nothing more to say no matter how hard she tried. It made her rather sad. But just then the headmaster got up, placed his large, warm hand on her head, and said, "Well, now you're a pupil of this school."

Those were his very words. And at that moment Totto-chan felt she had met someone she really liked for the very first time in her life. You see, up till then, no one had ever listened to her for so long. And all that time the headmaster hadn't yawned once or looked bored, but seemed just as interested in what she had to say as she was.

Totto-chan hadn't learned how to tell time yet, but it did seem like a rather long time. If she had been able to, she would have been astonished, and even more grateful to the headmaster. For, you see, Mother and Totto-chan arrived at the school at eight, and when she had finished talking and the headmaster had told her she was a pupil of the school, he looked at his pocket watch and said, "Ah, it's time for lunch." So the headmaster must have listened to Totto-chan for four solid hours!

Neither before nor since did any grown-up listen to Totto-chan for as long as that. And, besides, it would have amazed Mother and her homeroom teacher to think that a seven-year-old child could find enough to talk about for four hours nonstop.

Totto-chan had no idea then, of course, that she had been expelled and that people were at their wit's end to know what to do. Having a naturally sunny disposition and being a bit absent-minded gave her an air of innocence. But deep down she felt she was considered different from other children and slightly strange. The headmaster, however, made her feel safe and warm and happy. She wanted to stay with him forever.

That's how Totto-chan felt about Headmaster Sosaku Kobayashi that first day. And. luckily, the head-master felt the same about her.

Word	Bangla Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Headmaster	প্রধান শিক্ষক	Principal, Director	Student, Pupil
Embarrassed	বিব্রত	Ashamed, Humiliated	Confident, Composed
Delighted	আনন্দিত	Happy, Joyful	Sad, Disappointed
Uneasiness	অস্বস্তি	Discomfort, Restlessness	Comfort, Ease
Spiritedly	উচ্ছ্বাসভরে	Energetically, Lively	Lazily, Indifferently
Solid	শক্ত	Firm, Strong	Fragile, Weak
Shabby	জীর্ণ	Worn-out, Ragged	Neat, New
Astonished	বিস্মিত	Amazed, Surprised	Unimpressed, Bored
Talkative	কথা বলার প্রবণতা	Chatty, Communicative	Silent, Reserved
Expelled	বহিষ্কৃত	Removed, Dismissed	Admitted, Accepted
Ripped	ছেঁড়া	Torn, Damaged	Intact, Whole
Embroidered	সূচিকর্ম করা	Decorated, Ornate	Plain, Simple
Vacant	খালি	Empty, Unoccupied	Occupied, Filled
Grateful	কৃতজ্ঞ	Thankful, Appreciative	Ungrateful, Unthankful
Astonished	অবাক	Stunned, Shocked	Unimpressed, Indifferent
Naturally	স্বাভাবিকভাবে	Innately, Normally	Artificially, Abnormally
Innocence	নিষ্কলুষতা	Purity, Naivety	Guilt, Corruption
Disposition	প্রকৃতি	Nature, Temperament	Unwillingness, Incompatibility
Strange	অদ্ভুত	Unusual, Odd	Common, Normal
Cheerful	প্রফুল্ল	Happy, Jovial	Depressed, Sad
Patient	ধৈর্যশীল	Tolerant, Calm	Impatient, Hasty
Interest	আগ্রহ	Curiosity, Attention	Indifference, Apathy
Conversation	কথোপকথন	Dialogue, Discussion	Silence, Quiet
Nostalgia	নস্টালজিয়া, স্মৃতিকাতরতা	Longing, Remembrance	Forgetfulness, Indifference
Listen	শোনা	Hear, Attend	Ignore, Overlook
Warm	উষ্ণ	Cozy, Friendly	Cold, Aloof
Hasty	তাড়াহুড়ো করা	Quick, Impulsive	Slow, Thoughtful
Whisper	ফিসফিস	Murmur, Mutter	Shout, Yell
Embarrass	লজ্জা দেওয়া	Humiliate, Abash	Praise, Comfort
Discover	আবিষ্কার	Find, Detect	Lose, Overlook

হেডমাস্টার
যখন মা এবং টোটো-চ্যান ভিতরে গেলেন, অফিসে থাকা মানুষটি তার চেয়ারে থেকে উঠে দাঁড়ালেন। তার মাথার ওপর চুল কম ছিল এবং কিছু দাঁতও হারিয়ে গিয়েছিল, কিন্তু তার মুখ ছিল স্বাস্থ্যকর রঙের। যদিও তিনি খুব লম্বা ছিলেন না, তার মজবুত কাঁধ এবং বাহু ছিল এবং বেশ সুরত করে পরা একটি কিছুটা পুরনো কালো থ্রি-পিস স্যুট পরেছিলেন।

টোটো-চ্যান তাড়াহুড়ো করে এক দণ্ডে তার কাছে গিয়ে বলল, "আপনি কি স্কুলমাস্টার না স্টেশনমাস্টার?"

মা বিব্রত হয়ে গেলেন, কিন্তু ব্যাখ্যা দেওয়ার আগেই তিনি হাসলেন এবং উত্তর দিলেন, "আমি এই স্কুলের হেডমাস্টার।"

টোটো-চ্যান খুব খুশি হয়ে বলল, "ও, আমি খুব খুশি, কারণ আমি আপনাকে একটা অনুরোধ করতে চাই। আমি আপনার স্কুলে আসতে চাই।"

হেডমাস্টার তাকে একটি চেয়ার দেওয়ার প্রস্তাব দিলেন এবং মায়ের দিকে ফিরে বললেন, "আপনি এখন বাড়ি চলে যেতে পারেন। আমি টোটো-চ্যানের সাথে কথা বলতে চাই।"

টোটো-চ্যান কিছুটা অস্থির হয়ে গেল, কিন্তু somehow মনে হলো যে সে এই ব্যক্তির সাথে ঠিকঠাক মিশে যাবে। "তাহলে, আমি তাকে আপনার কাছে ছেড়ে যাচ্ছি," মা সাহস করে বললেন, এবং দরজা বন্ধ করে বের হয়ে গেলেন।

হেডমাস্টার একটি চেয়ার টেনে এনে সেটি টোটো-চ্যানের দিকে রেখে, তাদের দুজনকে কাছাকাছি বসিয়ে বললেন, "তাহলে, আমাকে তোমার সম্পর্কে সব কিছু বলো। যেটা বলো, সেটা বলো।"

"যেটা আমার পছন্দ?" টোটো-চ্যান মনে করেছিল যে তাকে প্রশ্নের উত্তর দিতে হবে। কিন্তু যখন হেডমাস্টার বললেন যে সে যেকোনো কিছু বলতে পারে, তখন সে খুব খুশি হয়ে তৎক্ষণাৎ শুরু করে দিল। কথাগুলো কিছুটা এলোমেলো হলেও সে তার মনের কথা বলে যাচ্ছিল। সে হেডমাস্টারকে বলল কীভাবে তারা ট্রেনে এসেছিল, কীভাবে সে টিকিট কালেক্টরকে জিজ্ঞেস করেছিল কিন্তু সে তাকে টিকিট রাখতে দেয়নি, তার পুরনো স্কুলের গৃহশিক্ষিকা কেমন সুন্দর ছিল, মাটির ছাদে সেবার বাচ্চার বাসা ছিল, তাদের ব্রাউন কুকুর রকি যেটি নানা ধরনের কসরত করতে পারত, সে কি করে প্রিস্কুলে থাকাকালীন নিজের মুখে কাঁচি নিয়ে স্নিপ-স্নিপ করত এবং শিক্ষিকা বলেছিল যে তাকে সেটা করা উচিত না, কেননা এতে তার জিভ কাটা যেতে পারে, তবে সে সেটাও করত, কীভাবে মা তাকে নাক মুছতে বলত, আর যদি তা না করতো, তবে মা তাকে ধমকাতো, বাবা কীভাবে খুব ভালো সাঁতার কাটতেন, আর তিনি ডাইভিংও করতে পারতেন। সে অবিরত কথা বলতে থাকে। হেডমাস্টার হাসতেন, মাথা ঝুঁকিয়ে বলতেন, "এবং তারপর?" টোটো-চ্যান এত খুশি ছিল যে সে কথা বলতে থাকল। কিন্তু অবশেষে তার আর বলার কিছু থাকলো না। সে চুপ হয়ে বসে থাকল, কঠিনভাবে কিছু ভাবতে চেষ্টা করছিল।

"আর কিছু বলার নেই?" হেডমাস্টার জিজ্ঞেস করলেন।

টোটো-চ্যান মনে করল, এখনই থামলে দুঃখ হবে। এটা তো দুর্দান্ত সুযোগ। কিছু বলার ছিল কি না, সে চিন্তা করতে লাগল। তারপর তার মাথায় একটা চিন্তা এল।

সে হেডমাস্টারকে তার পরনের পোশাকের কথা বলতে পারত। মা প্রায় সব পোশাক নিজেই বানাতেন, কিন্তু এই পোশাকটি দোকান থেকে কিনেছিল। তার পোশাকগুলো প্রায়ই ছিঁড়ে যেত, বিশেষ করে যখন সে বিকালে বাড়ি ফিরত। কিছু রেডিও খুবই খারাপভাবে ছিঁড়ে যেত। মা কখনোই জানতেন না কীভাবে এমনটা ঘটত। এমনকি তার সাদা কটন প্যান্টিও মাঝে মাঝে ফেটে যেত। সে হেডমাস্টারকে বুঝিয়ে বলল যে এই পোশাকগুলো ছিঁড়ে যেত যখন সে অন্য people's গার্ডেনগুলো অতিক্রম করে তাদের বেড়া দিয়ে গড়িয়ে যেত, এবং খালি জায়গাগুলোর চারপাশের বার্বড তারের নীচ দিয়ে উঁচু হয়ে যেত। তো, আজ সকালে যখন সে পোশাক পরতে যাচ্ছিল, তখন মা যা ভালো ভালো পোশাক বানিয়েছিলেন, সব ছিঁড়ে গিয়েছিল, তাই তাকে একটি দোকান থেকে কেনা পোশাক পরতে হলো। সেটিতে ছোট গা dark লাল এবং সাদার শেডে চেক ছিল এবং এটা খারাপ ছিল না, তবে মা বলেছিলেন যে কলারের লাল ফুলের কাজটি খারাপ। "মা কলারটা পছন্দ করেন না," বলল টোটো-চ্যান, হেডমাস্টারের সামনে কলারটা তুলে ধরতে।

তারপর সে আর কিছু বলার পারল না, যতই চেষ্টা করুক না কেন। এটাই তাকে কিছুটা দুঃখী করেছিল। কিন্তু ঠিক তখনই হেডমাস্টার উঠে দাঁড়িয়ে তার মাথায় বড়, উষ্ণ হাত রেখে বললেন, "তাহলে, এখন তুমি এই স্কুলের ছাত্রী।"

এগুলো ছিল তার সঠিক শব্দ। এবং সেই মুহূর্তে টোটো-চ্যান অনুভব করল যে সে জীবনে প্রথমবারের মতো এমন কাউকে পেয়েছে, যাকে সে সত্যিই পছন্দ করে। আপনি দেখুন, এর আগে কেউ তার কথা এতক্ষণ শুনেনি। এবং হেডমাস্টার সেই সময় একবারও হাই তুলেনি বা বিরক্ত হয়নি, কিন্তু মনে হচ্ছিল তিনি তার কথায় পুরোপুরি আগ্রহী ছিলেন যেমন টোটো-চ্যান ছিল।

টোটো-চ্যান তখন সময় বলতে পারত না, কিন্তু তার মনে হয়েছিল এটা বেশ একটা দীর্ঘ সময় ছিল। যদি সে সময় দেখতে পারত, তবে সে বিস্মিত হত এবং আরও বেশি কৃতজ্ঞ হতো হেডমাস্টারের কাছে। কারণ, আপনি জানেন, মা এবং টোটো-চ্যান স্কুলে পৌঁছেছিল আটটার সময়, এবং যখন সে কথা বলা শেষ করেছিল এবং হেডমাস্টার বললেন যে সে স্কুলের ছাত্রী, তখন তিনি তার পকেট ওয়াচ দেখে বললেন, "আহ, এখন লাঞ্চের সময়।" সুতরাং, হেডমাস্টার টোটো-চ্যানের কথা চার ঘণ্টা একটানা শুনেছিলেন!

এর আগে বা পরে, কোনো বড়রা কখনোই টোটো-চ্যানের কথা এতটা সময় ধরে শোনেনি। এবং, তাছাড়া, মা এবং তার গৃহশিক্ষিকা অবাক হতো যে সাত বছরের একটি শিশু চার ঘণ্টা একটানা কথা বলতে পারে।

তখন টোটো-চ্যান জানত না, অবশ্যই, যে তাকে বের করে দেওয়া হয়েছিল এবং মানুষরা তাদের মাথার মধ্যে কিছু ভাবছিলেন কী করা উচিত। তার স্বাভাবিকভাবে হাসিখুশি মনোভাব এবং কিছুটা ভুলে থাকার প্রবণতা তাকে নির্দোষ মনে করিয়ে দিত। তবে গভীরভাবে সে অনুভব করত যে তাকে অন্য শিশুদের থেকে আলাদা এবং কিছুটা অদ্ভুত মনে করা হয়। তবে হেডমাস্টার তাকে নিরাপদ, উষ্ণ এবং সুখী অনুভব করিয়েছিলেন। সে চাইল যে সে সারাজীবন হেডমাস্টারের সঙ্গে থাকুক।

এভাবেই টোটো-চ্যান হেডমাস্টার সোসাকু কোবায়াশিকে প্রথম দিনে অনুভব করেছিল। এবং সৌভাগ্যক্রমে, হেডমাস্টারও ঠিক একই রকম অনুভব করেছিলেন।

Multiple-choice Questions (MCQs) .

1. Why did Totto-chan think the headmaster might be a stationmaster?

a) Because he was wearing a uniform
b) Because the school had trains as classrooms
c) Because he collected tickets
d) Because her mother said so
Answer: b) Because the school had trains as classrooms

2. What was the headmaster wearing when Totto-chan met him?

a) A school uniform
b) A black three-piece suit
c) A brown coat
d) A striped suit
Answer: b) A black three-piece suit

3. How did Totto-chan greet the headmaster?

a) With a smile
b) By shaking hands
c) With a hasty bow
d) By saying hello
Answer: c) With a hasty bow

4. What did Totto-chan ask the headmaster as soon as she met him?

a) "Can I study here?"
b) "Are you a stationmaster?"
c) "How many trains are here?"
d) "What does Tomoe mean?"
Answer: b) "Are you a stationmaster?"

5. How did the headmaster react to Totto-chan's question?

a) He was confused
b) He laughed and replied
c) He ignored her
d) He scolded her
Answer: b) He laughed and replied

6. What did Totto-chan ask the headmaster for?

a) A train ride
b) A new dress
c) Permission to join the school
d) A tour of the classrooms
Answer: c) Permission to join the school

7. What did the headmaster ask Totto-chan to do?

a) Sing a song
b) Tell him all about herself
c) Write her name
d) Count numbers
Answer: b) Tell him all about herself

8. What did Totto-chan talk about during her conversation with the headmaster?

a) Her previous school
b) The train they came on
c) Her dog Rocky
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above

9. Why did Totto-chan talk about scissors?

a) She used to play with them in kindergarten
b) She loved crafting
c) She had injured herself with scissors
d) Her mother gave her scissors
Answer: a) She used to play with them in kindergarten

10. Why were Totto-chan's dresses often torn?

a) She played rough games
b) She crawled under fences and barbed wire
c) She fell down frequently
d) She didn’t take care of her clothes
Answer: b) She crawled under fences and barbed wire

11. What was special about Totto-chan’s dress that day?

a) It was torn
b) It was made by her mother
c) It had red flowers embroidered on the collar
d) It was too big for her
Answer: c) It had red flowers embroidered on the collar

12. Why did Totto-chan’s mother not like the dress?

a) It didn’t fit well
b) It was torn
c) She disliked the embroidered collar
d) It was too bright
Answer: c) She disliked the embroidered collar

13. How long did the headmaster listen to Totto-chan?

a) Two hours
b) Three hours
c) Four hours
d) Five hours
Answer: c) Four hours

14. How did Totto-chan feel about the headmaster after their conversation?

a) She found him boring
b) She felt safe and happy with him
c) She was scared of him
d) She felt he was strict
Answer: b) She felt safe and happy with him

15. What did the headmaster say after Totto-chan finished talking?

a) "You are very talkative."
b) "Tell me more."
c) "Now you're a pupil of this school."
d) "You should study more."
Answer: c) "Now you're a pupil of this school."

16. What time did Totto-chan and her mother arrive at the school?

a) 7:00 AM
b) 8:00 AM
c) 9:00 AM
d) 10:00 AM
Answer: b) 8:00 AM

17. What did the headmaster do after declaring Totto-chan a pupil?

a) Gave her a gift
b) Placed his hand on her head
c) Wrote her name down
d) Called her mother back
Answer: b) Placed his hand on her head

18. What was unusual about the classrooms at the school?

a) They were in old railroad cars
b) They were made of glass
c) They had no desks
d) They were outdoors
Answer: a) They were in old railroad cars

19. What kind of dog did Totto-chan have?

a) A black dog
b) A brown dog
c) A spotted dog
d) A white dog
Answer: b) A brown dog

20. What was the dog’s name?

a) Lucky
b) Rocky
c) Spot
d) Max
Answer: b) Rocky

21. What did the headmaster use to check the time?

a) A wall clock
b) A wristwatch
c) A pocket watch
d) A sundial
Answer: c) A pocket watch

22. How did the headmaster respond while Totto-chan talked?

a) He yawned occasionally
b) He laughed and nodded
c) He seemed distracted
d) He asked her to stop
Answer: b) He laughed and nodded

23. How did Totto-chan feel about talking to the headmaster?

a) Nervous
b) Extremely happy
c) Annoyed
d) Confused
Answer: b) Extremely happy

24. Why did Totto-chan think she had run out of things to say?

a) She was shy
b) She didn’t know the headmaster well
c) She felt she had said everything
d) She didn’t want to talk anymore
Answer: c) She felt she had said everything

25. Why did Totto-chan feel special after meeting the headmaster?

a) He gave her a gift
b) He listened to her for a long time
c) He praised her intelligence
d) He let her play outside
Answer: b) He listened to her for a long time

26. What emotion did Totto-chan feel deep down before joining the school?

a) Sadness
b) She felt slightly strange and different
c) Fear
d) Excitement
Answer: b) She felt slightly strange and different

27. What was the headmaster's name?

a) Sosaku Kobayashi
b) Hiroshi Tanaka
c) Kazuo Ishiguro
d) Shigeru Mizuki
Answer: a) Sosaku Kobayashi

28. What time was it when their conversation ended?

a) Breakfast time
b) Lunch time
c) Evening
d) Mid-morning
Answer: b) Lunch time

29. How did Totto-chan describe her kindergarten teacher?

a) Strict
b) Pretty
c) Funny
d) Kind
Answer: b) Pretty

30. What did Totto-chan’s mother think of her talking for four hours?

a) Surprised she had so much to say
b) Embarrassed
c) Proud of her daughter
d) Uninterested
Answer: a) Surprised she had so much to say

31. What was Totto-chan’s father’s special skill?

a) Swimming and diving
b) Playing basketball
c) Cooking
d) Gardening
Answer: a) Swimming and diving

32. How did the headmaster make Totto-chan feel?

a) Uncomfortable
b) Safe and warm
c) Intimidated
d) Scared
Answer: b) Safe and warm

33. What was Totto-chan’s natural disposition?

a) Sad and quiet
b) Sunny and absent-minded
c) Serious and determined
d) Angry and stubborn
Answer: b) Sunny and absent-minded

34. How did the headmaster treat Totto-chan?

a) Like any other student
b) With great patience and interest
c) Strictly and formally
d) Dismissively
Answer: b) With great patience and interest

35. What was unique about Totto-chan’s first day at Tomoe Gakuen?

a) She was immediately made a pupil
b) She got lost in the school
c) She had to pass an exam
d) She didn’t like the school
Answer: a) She was immediately made a pupil

Short Questions and Answer

What was the headmaster like when Totto-chan first met him?
- The headmaster was not very tall, had thin hair and missing teeth, but had a healthy complexion. He was dressed in a shabby black three-piece suit and had solid shoulders and arms.
What did Totto-chan ask the headmaster when she met him?
- Totto-chan asked the headmaster, "What are you, a schoolmaster or a stationmaster?"
What did Totto-chan talk about to the headmaster during their conversation?
- Totto-chan talked about various things, including her train ride, her homeroom teacher, her dog Rocky, and her bad habit of snipping scissors in her mouth at kindergarten.
Why did Totto-chan have to wear a shop-bought dress that day?
- Totto-chan had to wear a shop-bought dress because the dresses her mother made were all torn after playing outside, crawling under fences and barbed wire.
What was the headmaster’s reaction when Totto-chan finished talking?
- The headmaster smiled and placed his hand on her head, telling her, "Well, now you're a pupil of this school."

2. Character and Theme Questions:

How did Totto-chan feel about the headmaster after their conversation?
- Totto-chan felt that the headmaster was someone she really liked for the first time in her life, as he listened to her attentively and with interest.
Why did the headmaster listen to Totto-chan for such a long time?
- The headmaster listened to her for hours because he genuinely cared about what she had to say, without yawning or appearing bored.
What did the headmaster say after listening to Totto-chan for four hours?
- After listening to her, the headmaster looked at his watch and said, "Ah, it's time for lunch," indicating that they had talked for four hours.
How did Totto-chan feel about being accepted into the school?
- Totto-chan felt safe, warm, and happy, and she wanted to stay with the headmaster forever.
What was the significance of the headmaster's actions toward Totto-chan?

The headmaster's attentive listening and kindness made Totto-chan feel important and understood, helping her feel comfortable at the new school.

Why did the headmaster laugh when Totto-chan asked if he was a stationmaster?

The headmaster laughed because Totto-chan’s question was so innocent and amusing, given that she associated the school with trains due to the railroad cars being used as classrooms.

How did Totto-chan's mother react when Totto-chan asked the headmaster her question?

Totto-chan's mother was embarrassed by the question but didn't have time to explain before the headmaster responded.

What did the headmaster do after Totto-chan finished telling her stories?

After Totto-chan finished talking, the headmaster asked if she had anything more to say, and when she couldn’t think of anything, he confirmed her acceptance to the school.

Why was it surprising that Totto-chan could talk for four hours?

It was surprising because a seven-year-old child rarely has enough to talk about for such a long period, and it was unexpected that an adult would listen so patiently.

How did the headmaster make Totto-chan feel different from other adults in her life?

The headmaster made Totto-chan feel unique and understood, unlike other adults who might have found her talkative nature strange or tiring.

Summary of the passage.

In this passage, Totto-chan meets the headmaster of her new school, a man who listens intently to her stories for hours. She feels a connection with him, as he never seems bored or dismissive. Totto-chan shares personal details, including her torn clothes and adventurous habits, feeling comfortable and understood for the first time. The headmaster, Sosaku Kobayashi, appreciates her openness, making her feel safe and valued.The critical theme of this passage emphasizes the importance of genuine listening and acceptance. It highlights how an adult's patience and interest can make a child feel validated, creating a nurturing environment that fosters trust and belonging.

For model The school

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