The News — Questions and Answers
The News — Questions and Answers
1. Central Theme / Main Idea / What the Poem Is About
Questions
1. What is the central theme of the poem “The News”? [JSE-2025]
2. What does the poet want to say through the poem “The News”?
3. What is “The News” mentioned in the poem about?
4. What is the main idea of the poem “The News”?
5. What is the main theme of the poem “The News”?
6. What is the news about in the poem “The News”?
7. What is the poem “The News” about?
Common Answer
The poem is about two unusual shoes and what happens to them in different kinds of weather. The poet presents these funny events like news and makes the poem humorous and enjoyable.
2. Why the Shoes Are Called Incredible / Extraordinary
Questions
1. In the poem “The News”, why did the news describe the shoes as incredible?
2. What are the two incredible things mentioned in the poem “The News”?
3. In the poem “The News”, why did the two ordinary shoes become extraordinary?
4. In the poem “The News”, how were the pair of shoes?
Common Answer
The shoes are called incredible because many strange and impossible things happen to them. Their unusual actions in different kinds of weather make them seem extraordinary.
3. Shoes in Different Kinds of Weather
Questions
1. In the poem “The News”, what happens to the shoes in different types of weather?
2. According to the poem “The News”, describe what the incredible shoes do in different kinds of weather.
3. How many weather conditions have been mentioned in the poem “The News”? Write them down.
Common Answer
The shoes behave differently in rain, snow, drizzle, breeze, storm and fog. They do funny and unusual things in each kind of weather.
4. Shoes in a Storm
Questions
1. How do the shoes feel in a storm in the poem “The News”?
2. What do the shoes do in a storm in “The News”?
3. What does “They got warm in a storm” mean in “The News”?
Common Answer
In a storm, the shoes get warm. This is funny and unusual because we normally expect a storm to make things cold or wet.
5. Shoes in Fog
Questions
1. How do the shoes react when the weather is foggy in the poem “The News”?
2. What does the phrase “They go soggy in fog” show about the shoes in “The News”?
3. What happens to shoes in foggy weather in the poem “The News”?
4. What happens to the shoes in fog in “The News”?
Common Answer
In foggy weather, the shoes become soggy or wet. This is one of the funny things that happen to the incredible shoes.
6. Shoes in Rain
Questions
1. What happens in “The News” when it rains?
2. What happens to the shoes when it rains in the poem “The News”?
3. What happens to the shoes when it rains according to the poem “The News”?
Common Answer
When it rains, the shoes walk down the drains. This strange action makes the poem funny and imaginative.
7. Frost
Questions
1. What happens to the shoes when there comes a frost in the poem “The News”?
2. According to the poem “The News”, what happened during the terrible frost?
Common Answer
A terrible frost comes at the end of the poem. After the frost comes, the two incredible shoes get lost.
8. The Shoes Getting Lost
Questions
1. What does “They got lost” mean in “The News”?
2. In the poem “The News”, how did the pair of shoes get lost?
Common Answer
“They got lost” means that the two shoes disappeared and could not be found. They got lost after the terrible frost.
9. Sadness of the News
Question
1. According to the poem “The News”, explain why the news about the shoes was sad.
Common Answer
The news was sad because the two incredible shoes finally got lost. After all their funny activities, they disappeared and could not be found.
10. Satire, Humour and Language
Questions
1. What elements of satire do you find in the poem “The News”?
2. What is the effect of using simple language in “The News”?
3. How does “The News” make us think about weather?
4. In the poem “The News”, how does the poet portray children’s reactions to the news?
Common Answer
The poet uses simple language, rhyme and funny ideas to make the poem enjoyable. The strange actions of ordinary shoes create humour and make readers think about weather in a playful way.
11. Symbolism
Question
1. What do the shoes symbolize in the poem “The News”?
Common Answer
The shoes may represent ordinary things made special by imagination. The poet shows that even simple things can become funny and interesting through imagination.
12. Repetition
Question
1. How often did the poet use “Two incredible shoes” in the poem “The News”?
Common Answer
The poet repeats the words “Two incredible shoes” several times in the poem. The repetition gives the poem rhythm and makes the main idea easy to remember.
13. Poet
Question
1. Who is the writer of the poem “The News”?
Common Answer
The poem “The News” was written by Michael Rosen.
How to Study
Many questions above have the same or almost the same meaning.
- Read all the questions in one section carefully.
- Notice the main idea shared by the questions.
- Learn and understand the Common Answer.
- Use the Common Answer for any similar question in that section.
- Make a small change only when a question asks for a specific detail.
- Do not memorize every question and answer separately.
- Understand the main idea and use it for similar questions.