Here are the answers to the questions based on the story "The Best Christmas Present in the World":

1. For how long do you think Connie had kept Jim’s letter? Give reasons for your      answer.
       Connie had likely kept Jim’s letter for nearly a century, since it was      dated December 26, 1914, and she was 101 years old when the narrator found      it. The letter was precious to her, as indicated by her note on the tin      box, “To be buried with me when the time comes,” suggesting she had kept      it as a treasured memory for most of her life.

2. Why do you think the desk had been sold, and when?
       The desk was likely sold after the fire at Connie's house, as the story      mentions that the house was a "burned-out shell." The condition      of the desk—scorched and water-damaged—suggests it was sold after the      fire, which had likely occurred in recent years, given Connie’s age and      her move to the nursing home.

3. Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving      conflicts? Do you agree?
       Jim and Hans believed that games, such as football, are peaceful and bring      people together without the violence of war. Jim points out that no one      dies or becomes a widow from a game. This contrasts with the devastation      caused by war. I agree with their sentiment, as sports can foster      camaraderie, mutual respect, and understanding between opposing sides,      providing a peaceful alternative to conflict.

4. Do you think the soldiers of the two armies are like each other, or different      from each other? Find evidence from the story to support your answer.
       The soldiers of the two armies are portrayed as more alike than different.      Evidence from the story includes the shared Christmas celebration, where      both British and German soldiers exchange food, drinks, and stories. They      play football, sing carols together, and express a mutual desire for the      war to end. Both sides are shown to be human, longing for peace and      familial connection, despite the war.

5. Mention the various ways in which the British and the German soldiers become      friends and find things in common at Christmas.
       The soldiers become friends by:

• Exchanging       Christmas greetings and sharing food (schnapps, sausage, and Christmas       cake).

• Talking       about literature (Thomas Hardy) and personal lives (Hans Wolf’s family       and Jim’s home in Dorset).

• Playing       football together and laughing over the outcome of the game.

• Singing       carols and exchanging sentiments of goodwill. These activities show their       shared humanity, despite being on opposing sides of the war.

1. What  is Connie’s Christmas present? Why is it “the best Christmas present in      the world”?
       Connie's Christmas present is the return of Jim's letter, which she had      believed lost. To her, it represents the fulfillment of her long-held hope      that Jim would come home for Christmas. In her confused state, she      believes that the narrator is Jim, which brings her immense joy. The      letter and the memory of Jim are “the best Christmas present in the world”      because they reconnect her with her lost love.

2. Do you think the title of this story is suitable for it? Can you think of any      other title(s)?
       The title is suitable as it reflects the emotional significance of the      letter to Connie. It is a reminder of her beloved Jim and the peaceful      Christmas shared by soldiers during the war. Another suitable title could      be A Christmas Truce or Jim's Last Letter, as both emphasize      the key moments of the story: the Christmas truce between the soldiers and      the letter that plays a central role in Connie's life.