Std Ix English Notes 511h5u

UNIT 1 THE BEST ADVICE I EVER HAD

C1. Based on your reading of the lesson, answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option: 1. Mrs. Vijaylakshmi resented her galling position. The ‘galling position’ referred to here is a. The death of her husband b. Her position as a widow without a son c. She and her daughters not being entitled to any share of the family property d. The hatred of her family Ans. (c) 2. According to Gandhiji, Mrs. Vijaylaxmi could cleanse the bitterness of her heart by a. Making peace with her relatives b. Going out of the country for some time c. Asking excuse from her relatives d. Fighting for her rights Ans. (a ) 3. Mrs. Vijaylakshmi said, “I thought of the counsel that had calmed me so many times’. The counseling referred to here is a. Never to hate anyone b. No one can harm you but yourself c. Treating others in the same way d. Not to be revengeful Ans. (b )

C2. Discuss the answers for the following questions with your partner and then write them in your notebook. 1. Why was Mrs. Vijaylakshmi Pandit in anguish? Ans. Mrs. Vijaylakshmi Pandit was in anguish because when her husband had died and she was mourning, she came to know that as per the Indian law she would not get her share of family property. She also felt that she had no individual existence. 2. In paragraph 3, Mrs. Pandit speaks about ‘antiquated law’. What is referred to as antiquated law? Ans. A widow without a son, was not entitled to any share of the family property is referred to as ‘antiquated law’. 3. Why was Mrs. Pandit going to America according to Gandhiji? Ans. According to Gandhiji, she was going to America because she was unhappy and wanted to escape. 4. What did Gandhiji want Mrs. Pandit to do before going abroad? What was Mrs. Pandit’s response to that? Ans. Gandhiji wanted Mrs. Pandit to cleanse her heart and make peace with her family before going to America. Though she refused at first, later she talked to her in laws. 5. How did Gandhiji make Mrs. Pandit meet her relatives? Ans. Gandhiji advised her to cleanse her heart before going to America. After some days of severe struggle she decided to telephone her brother-in-law and said that she would like to see him and the family before going to America. 6. “Must you inflict further injury on yourself”. a. What is the injury referred to here?

Ans. The injury referred to here is if she goes without making peace with her relations, the hard feeling will remain in her heart, she will never have peace in a new country. 7. Why did Mrs. Pandit not meet her relatives in the beginning before she left for America? Ans. Mrs. Pandit did not meet her relatives in the beginning before she left for America because her relatives took advantage of an outworn law to create a difficult and humiliating situation for her. 8. What was the effect of Gandhiji’s advice when Mrs. Pandit later left her relatives? Ans. Gandhiji advised Mrs. Pandit to meet her in laws. She went and spent few minutes with them and explained of her plans and asked for their good wishes. This small gesture was the beginning of a significant change in her life. 9. “I lifted the debate back to where it belonged”. What was the debate about? Ans. The debate was about the treatment of people of Indian origin in South Africa. The opponents of India made personal attacks which were harmful to India’s and Mrs. Pandit prestige. Initially Mrs. Pandit struck back with same kind of personal attacks. But soon she realized the debate diverted from the original issue. Then on Mrs. Pandit refrained from personal attacks and concentrated on the original issue. The opponents were forced to follow her. Thus Mrs. Pandit lifted the debate to where it belonged. 10. Mrs. Pandit recollected the advice of Gandhiji often. What was the advice? Ans. The advice was, ‘No one can harm you but yourself’. The bitterness in our heart causes us injury unless we check it. If we correct ourselves and approach others with forgiving heart many problems will vanish.

11. After visiting her relatives, Mrs. Pandit commented, “I felt as if a great burden had been lifted and I was free to be myself”. Have you experienced such a situation or a feeling in your life? Discuss. Ans. once when playing with my cousing at their peace, I inadvertently broke his drum which his father had brought only the previous day. Afraid that my uncle would scold or even hit me. I did not bring it to his notice. After a couple of days, I decided to tell him about the incident so that I would l not live in constant fear of him. To my surprise he did not scold me but only asked me to be careful when playing with toys. 12. What do you infer about the relationship between Mrs. Pandit and Gandhiji from reading this lesson? Ans. The relationship between Mrs. Pandit and Gandhiji was that of a father and daughter. He observed her and advised to help her overcome the situation before starting a new life. 13. Describe the state of mind of the cook referred to in the lesson. Ans. The cook must have wanted to taste some of the alcohol meant for the guests. But he could not control his urge and must have binged.

C3.. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow: 1. “Yet in law we women were still recognized only through our relationship to men”. (a ) Why does the speaker say so? Ans. The speaker says speaker says so because Indian society is a male dominated society. (b) What is the mood of the speaker while speaking the above words?

Ans. The mood of the speaker while speaking the above words is anger and bitterness. 2. “No one can harm you except yourself”. (a) Identify the speaker. Ans. The speaker is Gandhiji. (b) Who is the speaker addressing? Ans. The speaker is addressing Mrs. Vijaylaxmi Pandit. (c) What does the speaker mean by the above words? Ans. We are responsible for our happiness and sorrows. 3. “I struck back with the same weapon” (a) Who is the ‘I’ and who did the speaker strike back? Ans. The ‘I’ is Mrs. Vijaylakshmi Pandit. She struck back at her opponents. (b) What was the weapon used by the speaker? Ans. Harsh things (words) was the weapon. (c) What was the need to strike back? Ans. The opponents made personal attacks harmful to India’s prestige and her.

C4 Discuss the answers for the following questions in a group of 3 or 4 and then present your answers before the other groups: 1. Mrs. Pandit had to face a lot of humiliating situations in her life. Give a brief of the situations and comment on them. Ans. Mrs. Pandit had faced many humiliating situations. (a) The family property was not shared with her. As a widow without a son, she was not entitled to any share of the family property nor were her two

daughters. She had bitterness towards the of her family who took advantage of the antiquated law. She ed through a period of anguish and her belief in humanity was at a low ebb. (b) When she was in New York, as the leader of The Indian delegation to the United Nations: India complained regarding the treatment of people of Indian origin in South Africa. Harsh things were exchanged and his opponents made personal attacks. She struck back with the same sharp weapons. (c) As a host: Mrs. Pandit ‘s guests, the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Lady Eden arrived for dinner and everything was planned meticulously. But everything fell apart as the cook was drunk. She negotiated this situation quite intelligently. 2. Comment on the title of the lesson with respect to Mrs. Pandit’s experience in different situations in her life. Ans. ‘The best advice I ever had’ is an Ans. ‘The best advice I ever had’ is an article by Mrs. Vijaylakshmi Pandit. She went through many hard and humiliating situations in her life. When already mourning her husband’s death, she felt further humiliated when she came to know that the Indian law is not helpful to her. The family share was not given to her, considering her as a widow with two daughters. She had bitterness towards her family . When she met Gandhiji, he made her realize the situation and advised her to overcome it. He pointed out the importance of making peace with others. Forgiving others is the only way to keep us in peace. His advice gradually changed her life. After hearing the advice of Gandhiji she phoned her brother-in-law. Her visit had brought a feeling of relief to everyone. She had applied the advice of Gandhiji when she was involved in heated arguments in a conference held at the United Nations. Also when the Prime Minister and Lady Eden had come for dinner, she was in a difficult situation which she solved peacefully. 3. From a reading of lesson, write a note on Mrs. Pandit’s accomplishments and her contributions to India.

Ans. Mrs. Vijaylaxmi Pandit after a personal loss, came up in life to become the first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly. She was also the High Commissioner for India in the United Kingdom. Apart from high posts, she was also an example for many women to overcome the difficulties and make a name in the male dominated society. 4. 1. “Means are as important as the end” said Gandhiji. Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer. Ans. “Means are as important as the end”, said Gandhiji. I agree with Gandhiji in this regard. We can justify this through the life history of Mrs. Pandit. She quite skillfully exercised this in her entire life and became a successfully in the history of India. She went on to resolve international as well as domestic issues. Our thoughts are our actions. Every problem has its solution and try to find it peacefully. We need to keep the spirit of perseverance and determination and positive attitude in our every walk of life to become a good and successful people. 5. Assume yourself to be a social activist. Write an article suggesting ways and means of removing gender discriminations that still exist in our society. You can discuss in groups and write down the article. Ans. God has created both men and women equally. Women have all rights as men. All have equal freedom to enjoy their lives. Let us see the ways and causes for the circumstances. Our Indian society is known for male domination. Before independence women did not participate in all activities. The reason is women are meant to be physically weak. After marriage a male child is expected. To remove the discrimination, we should educate all female children. Equal seats should be reserved in all forms of elections. Equal job opportunity should be given. Anti Dowry Act should be executed. Health and nutrition care must be provided. They should be given equal opportunity in every part of society. I.

Complete the words beginning with ‘re…’ which mean the phrases given against each of them. 1. Make a decision - resolution

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

State that one is unwilling to do something – reluctant Take revenge or hit back – retribution Feel bitter about – repercussion Connected with, concerning – regarding A feeling of reassurance and relaxation after stress is over – recreation Latest, fresh – renew Keep, preserve – refrigerate

II. Work in pairs and change the following verbs into nouns. 1. Perform – performance 2. Continue – continuity 3. React – reaction 4. Realize – realization 5. Treat – treatment 6. Observe – observation 7. Express – expression 8. Involve – involvement 9. Agitate – agitation 10.Interact – interaction 11.Confront – confrontation 12.Explain - explanation 13.Enter – entry 14.Allow - allowance 15.Achieve - achievement 16.Enroll - enrollment 17.it – ission 18.Free – freedom 19.Social - society 20.Bore- boredom 21.Stupid – stupidity 22.Judge - judgment 23. Clever - cleverness 24.Friend – friendship 25.Mother – motherhood

III.

Combine the following pairs of sentences by changing the adjective to a noun. 1. Rajesh is a very amiable person. It has endeared him to his colleagues. Ans. Rajesh’s amiability has endeared him to his colleagues. 2. The actor was famous. It got him many endorsements. Ans. The fame of being an actor got him many endorsements. 3. The young businessman was extravagant. It led to his downfall. Ans. The extravagance of the young businessmen led to his downfall. 4. James was silent during the enquiry. It did not help the police in bringing the culprit to book. Ans. James silence during the enquiry did not help the police in bringing the culprit to book. 5. The bomb exploded. This shattered the window panes. Ans. Due to the bomb explosion, the window panes were shattered.

I.

THE GRASS IS REALLY LIKE ME Answer the following:

1. What does the poet mean by the phrase ‘raise his head? Ans. The phrase ‘raise its head’ means when women raise their voice for freedom and agitate for it, like the grass under the feet, trying to grow up. 2. Explain the phrase ‘unfurl underfoot to fulfil itself’? Ans. The grass wet from the moisture has to open new leaves and grow in order to fulfill its purpose. 3. Refer to lines 4 and 5. Are they contrasting? which one do you think is the poet referring? Ans. Line 4 and t which refers to the feeling of emotions are contrasting. The sense of shame is insufferable, but her inability to retaliate keeps her silent. But internally her heart must be burning with emotions for equality and raise her head. 4. The poet is associating herself with the grass. Why? When she says ‘me’ is she referring to just herself or the entire woman folk? Ans. The poet is associating herself with the grass because she feels that the condition of women and the grass are same. When she says ‘me’ she is referring the entire women folk.

5. Do you think the ‘lawnmowers’ are the same in the case of the grass and the poet? Ans. In the case of the grass the lawn mower cuts down all the grass, but in the case of the poetess the dominating society suppressed all her (womens’) efforts to come up. So even though literal meanings are different, their nature of work is the same in both the cases. 6. Pick out the line from which the poet shifts the attention from ‘grass’ to ‘woman’. Who is the ‘you’ in line 11? Ans. The poet shifts the attention from ‘grass’ to woman in line 11 and 12. The ‘you’ in line no.11 refers to readers (or oppressors).

7. What does the phrase ‘scorching defeat’ refer to? What does the poet mean by the words ‘grafted on to the earth’? Ans. The phrase ‘scorching defeat’ refers to painful burning result of the courage shown by the women. The poetess means that the defeated are suppressed down as the grass is cut and thrown down. 8. What is the poet trying to tell us in the lines 18 and 19? Ans. The poet is trying to tell us in the lines 18 and 19 that the defeat make the way for the bigger or the stronger. The defeated grass, is cut and fallen on the ground. The remaining straw makes way for the stronger machine. Similarly the women, who remain recessive make way for the dominant society. 9. ‘But neither the earth’s nor woman’s desire to manifest life dies’ Explain the meaning of the above two lines. Ans. The earth’s desire is to make the seedling grow. That is why even after repeated grafting, the grass grows. In the same way woman’s desire to express or unfurl is in suppressable. The dominant society may curb it repeatedly but her desire will ‘raise the head’ again. II. Appreciation A. Read the poem silently and choose words from the bubble that describe the mood of the poet. Give reasons: 1. Tranquil – peaceful (she was not peaceful enough) 2. Resentful – feeling bitter (She feels bitter about the condition of the women) 3. Pensive - think deeply 4. Contended – to be sadly 5. Wistful – think safety 6. Dejected – unhappy 7. Repulsive – feeling disgusting/dislike A2. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Look at these phrases that are associated with certain ideas: Unfurl underfoot – try to free itself Fulfill itself – try to progress Scorching sense of shame- shameful defeat Heat of emotions – insult out grow Scorching defeat – embarrassed

6. Raise its head – be proud 7. Make way for the mighty – out shine A3. Discuss the answers for the following: 1. The poet says “The grass is also like me”, how does she bring out this relationship in the second stanza? Ans. The poetess compares herself to the grass in the poem. As the grass is cut or grafted it grows again (unfurl). The woman’s feelings and emotions which are suppressed by the dominant section of the society raises up again. 2. Explain the ironical ideas used by the poet in the last stanza. How do you analyze them? Ans. Those who cannot bear the immediate defeat of their courage are grafted on to the earth. They belong to the earth and they pave the way for even mighty problem. 3. The poet has used some unusual words and phrases to evoke images in the reader’s mind. Such a poetic device is called imagery. Pick out such phrases from the poem. Ans. Unfurl underfoot – the poet means the grass that spreads over the earth surface raise its head. The grass grows out it will be shown the act if progress.

MAURITIUS ANSWER THE FOLLOWING: C1.

Read the lesson silently and answer the following questions:

1. Where is Mauritius? Ans. Mauritius is a tiny speck of an island situated below the Equator on the twentieth parallel some 4,500 k.m south west of Mumbai. 2. Name the people of different origins found in Mauritius? Ans. The people of different origins found in Mauritius are African, Chinese, Biharis, Dutch, Persians, Tamils, Arabs, French and English. 3. Who are referred to as the ‘buccaneering trinity’ of those days? Why are they so called? Ans. The ‘buccaneering trinity’ are the Dutch, the French and the English who constantly waged battle for the possession of the island for its spices and sugar. They are called so as their interest in Mauritius was piratical in nature. 4. List out some very musical but unpronounceable names as found by the author.

Ans. The musical but unpronounceable names found by the author are Touarux, Beau Bassin, Quarter Bornes, Curepipe, Rose-Belle and so on. These names are from French language. 5. What are the ‘flora and fauna’ found in Mauritius? Ans. The flora found in Mauritius are the trees which are short and gnarled in the interior of jungles just like overgrown bonsai. The fauna are the bat, monkey, deer, giant tortoises of Aldabra variety.

6. How is nature cruel to the people of Mauritius? Ans. Nature is very cruel to the people of Mauritius. When the King cyclone struck them, it churned the country for two days, relentlessly flattening everything that stood smashing windows and doors, tearing up the rooftops, uprooting the trees and bringing them down on buildings. Generally such cyclone strikes Mauritius once every 15 years. 7. Name some aquatic creatures sighted by the author. Ans. Sea shells, crabs, shapeless ugly creatures crawling in the dark depths and a school of fish-coloured bright lemon yellow with black bars. Fishes with hideous spikes all over their body, fishes with long tails, fishes with battered faces are found. II. Answer the following: 1. Why was it difficult for the author to locate Mauritius in his Atlas? Ans. The world atlas which the author had was very old and contained many little dots and specks. These dots were the products of cockroaches and may be due to weather too, but nothing to do with geography. So Mauritius which is a tiny island could not be easily located by the author in his atlas.

2. What is the reason for the people of different countries to settle in Mauritius? Ans. The reason for the people of different countries to settle in Mauritius was for its spices and sugar or just for the strategic position on the maritime route to the East, conveniently placed. 3. How does the author explain the absence of protocol amon government officials and ministers? Ans. The cabinet ministers and others in big positions do not act as if they were born to the grace. They are all just like ordinary people. They are unassuming, accessible, communicative and without protective shield of hangers on and security men to repel casual approaches. 4. Give the description of mountains as given by the author. Ans. The blue mountains ring the islands, a volcanic happening of geological ages. These mountains do not have the traditional monotonous pyramidal shapes. Their outlines are freakish and whimsical with unexpected sweeps and have perpendicular drops and pin-pointed peaks. 5. How are the people of Mauritius fighting against the cruel jaws of nature? Ans. Mauritius is prone to cyclonic storms and it is an annual feature. Big ones occur once in 15 years and leave a trail of destruction. People are used to cyclones and have learnt to live them. King cyclone a massive cyclone had stuck Mauritius on February 6, 1975 leaving vast areas flattened. The island has recovered from the devastation. Trees are planted in congested areas. Tall buil dings came up, plate glass picture windows are fixed and rooftops are put up with an eye on elegance.

6. What would be the future of Mauritius as opined by the author? Ans. The Government is eager to have foreign entrepreneurs start their industries here. With industrial growth, the living space will shrink. Cars and trucks will increase. Their roads will have to be widened to take the load. The price of land will go up and flats will appear. Cost of living, pollution, unemployment, slums, taxation, controls will appear, the author opined.

C3. Compare and contrast the arriving and departing experience of the author during his flight. Does it suggest to you anything?

Ans. The author’s experience on his arriving journey to Mauritius was exciting. He was curious to see the sight below the flying aircraft. The blush grey steel sheet like ocean, acres and acres of cloud, in between the appearance of shapes of land structures resembling the legendary historical structures of ancient countries. During his return flight the author could not see those scenes as it was dark. But he could imagine the future Mauritius in a changed situation. Industrialization with wider roads, tall buildings, pollution, unemployment, slums etc. He hopes that enlightened people will guide the growth of Mauritius with same simplicity and marvel.

AFRICA C1. Read the poem silently and answer the following after discussing your response with your partner. 1. How does the poet come to know about the history of Africa? Ans. The poet comes to know about the history of Africa from his grand mother’s song. 2. The poet did not spend much of his life in Africa. Pick out the line/lines that express this feeling. Ans. “Africa of proud warriors in ancestral Savannahs” Africa of whom my grandmother sings”. These lines express the feeling that the poet didn’t spend much of his life in Africa. 3. Despite staying away from Africa for quite sometime, how does he describe Africa?

Ans. The poet was staying away from Africa for quite sometime, he describes that ‘Africa is my Africa”. It had proud warriors in ancestral savannahs along the banks of the river. 4. 5. Read lines from five to ten. What do you describe? Ans. In lines from five to ten, the poet describes the characteristics of African slavery. The work of the people spreads all over the country. They shed sweat as blood. They had no peace under the slavery. 6. ‘Red Scars’ what does this phrase refer to? Ans. ‘Red Scars’ describes about the wounds and injury they got out of their slavery.

7. Pick out the lines that talk about the humiliation suffered by the Africans. Ans. “Is this you this back that is bent”. This back that breaks under the weight of humiliation”. These lines talk about the humiliation suffered by the Africans. 8. “That tree there is splendid loneliness”? Explain this phrase with reference with reference to the feeling of the poet about his country. Ans. The poet expresses that the freedom struggle is still going on in a majestic way. 9. That grows again patiently obstinately and its fruit gradually acquires the bitter task of liberty. a. What does that refer to? Ans. That refers to the tree b. How does it grow?

Ans. It grows politely, strongly and never changing his mind. c. What does ‘bitter taste of liberty’ refer to? Ans. ‘I’ refers to that is not fully achieved. C3. Work in pair s and complete the summary of the poem given below. Use the expressions given in the box. (distance, part of him, descent, never known, beautiful black blood, angry and accuracy, for the benefit, exploited, loves his country, blood and sweat, as slaves, colonialists)

The poet continues to say that he has never known Africa, but despite, the distance he cannot deny how much it is a part of him. The phrase beautiful black blood which flows in his veins describes his African descent and shows how much he loves his country and its people. The next verses are as slaves as he stresses that it is the blood and sweat of his people which is irrigating the fields for the benefit of other people. Here he is pointing a finger at the colonialists who exploited the black people and used them as slaves to profit from their hard labour.

A2. Read the lines of the poem given in column ‘A’ and fill in column ‘B’ that depict the mood of the poet. One example is given for you. Lines of the poem 1. I have never known you, But your blood flows in My veins

mood/feeling Patriotism

2. Is this you this back that angry and accusory Is bent this back that Breaks under the weight Of humiliation 3. But a grave voice answers appreciation Me Impetous son that tree Young and strong 4. In splendid loneliness amidst appreciation White and faded flowers. That its wealth Is Africa, your Africa and its victory Gradually acquires. The bitter Taste of liberty

The goat and the stars Answer the following questions: 1. What makes the boy look funny? Ans. He wore large brown tros. There was always mud on his boots and there were times when he did not smell very sweet. 2. Where are the goats kept? Ans. The goats are kept in the pigsty. 3. What did the boy do while grazing the goats. Ans. The boy grazed the goats every morning and brought them back to the pigsty again before darkness fell. He treated the goats like friends. 4. What first made the man and his wife became aware of the smell of the goat and the kid?

Ans. During the service the clergyman mentioned about the gifts of frankincense and myrrh given to child Jesus by the three wise-men. At this moment the man and his wife became aware of the smell coming from the boy and the goat which they mistook for the scent of frankincense and myrrh. 5. Why was the boy troubled by the absence of snow on the ground? Ans. He had for a long time believed that at Christmas there must be snow on the ground and smell bells ringing and a moving star. But now there was no snow on the ground. There were no bells ringing. He felt disappointed. 6. Explain the message written on the notice board. Ans. The message was to motivate the people to donate and give gifts generously to help the needy. It said no gift is greater or small. Each gift is important by itself. It is the feeling or heart behind it which is valuable. The greatest gift is to offer yourself to the service of God.

THE COLLECTORS Comprehension:

C1. Read the play silently with your friend. Find and discuss the answer for the following questions: 1. Why was the group looking for a shelter? Ans. The group was looking for a shelter because it was raining hard. 2. How far was the village from the place they were in? Ans. The village was three miles from the place they were in. 3. Why did Mr. Hunt hesitate to seek shelter in the house? Ans. Mr. Hunt hesitated to seek shelter in the house because it was a lonely place to choose for a house. He ed that there wasn’t any house when he had come in the summer. 4. Name the occupants of the house. Ans. The occupants of the house were Mr. and Mrs.Brown. 5. On what pretext did the occupants of the house separate the teachers from the children? Ans. Mr. Brown said that there wasn’t enough place for everyone to sit in one room and Mr.Brown made the teachers sit in the sitting room. 6. What seemed unnatural in the house to the children? Ans. They couldn’t hear any sound of wind. They just hear their voice in the sitting room. They found no washing up machine, no plates, no pots and pans. There was nothing at all in the fridge and the lights were not turning on.

7. What was unnatural with fingers on both hands? Ans. Mrs. Brown had seven fingers on both hands.

8. What did the children find in the larger cupboard? Ans. The children found dials, digital readouts, coloured lights and mass of other electronic equipment in the cupboard. 9. When Pete went to Mr. Hunt, Mr. Hunt was not moving and was staring blank because a. He was thinking b. He was drugged c. He was meditating Ans. When Pete went to Mr. Hunt, Mr. Hunt was not moving and was staring blank because he was drugged. 10.When Pete went to Mr. Hunt, Pete heard the Browns talking to each other but could not understand what they were saying. Why? Ans. The children could not understand the Browns talking to each other because they were not human and were talking alien language. 11. Why did Pete prevent the other children from taking the drink? Ans. Pete prevented the other children from taking the drink because if they had that drink, they would be drugged. 12. Where were the aliens taking the children? Ans. the aliens were taking the children to their home planet. 13.Why were the aliens collecting the creatures from other planets? Ans. The aliens were collecting the creatures from other planets for experiments and scientific study. 14. Where was the control of the back-door located? Ans. the control of the back door was located in the cupboard.

15. After sending all the others out of the spaceship, how did Pete and Glenn manage to escape from the aliens? Ans. With the help of Mrs. Brown he pressed the yellow light and opened the door. Glenn and Pete dashed for the back door and disappeared through it. 16.What circumstance forced the party to take shelter in the spaceship? Ans. The party was completely wet due to downpour. They were dripping wet. 17.List the things that made the children feel uncomfortable in the kitchen? Ans. a. The kitchen is like a hospital. b. No, plates no pots and pans. c. The cupboard is quite empty. d. The empty fridge. 18. Why couldn’t the children escape either through the back door or the window? Ans. The children couldn’t escape either through the back door or the window because both were burglar proof locks. 19.List the following: a. Things that were in the kitchen: Empty cupboard and fridge which was not working. b. Unusual features of the brown: Mr. and Mrs. Brown had seven fingers both in their hands, their eyes were all one colour, they didn’t have any blacksort –of- centers. c. Language used by the Browns: Alien language d. Different ways children tried to get out of the house: The children tried to open the back door, tried to smash open the window with a stick. Finally they got out by threatening Mrs. Brown.

20. What suspicion did the children have about the Browns and their ‘house’? What convincing reasons did Mrs. Brown come up with?

Ans. The kitchen seemed to be hospital. There was no washing up machine, no pans nor pots. The cupboard was empty and there was nothing at all in the fridge. Mrs. Brown said that they had just moved in and hadn’t time to sort things out that was why this place looks deserted. VI. Look at the following describing words and phrases. Group them under words or phrases describing the place and describing the Browns. Word describing the place 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Terribly quite Weird Cold Deserted Empty

words describing the Browns 1. aliens 2. Had seven fingers 3. Spoke strange language 4. Weird like a vampire 5. Eyes had no centre 6. strange

b. Write a sentence for each word: 1. drenched: To make some one something completely wet: She was completely drenched by the time she got home. 2. dripping: make it fall in drips: There was water dripping from the ceiling 3. drizzling: light rain: It is drizzling since morning. 4. foggy: Thick cloud just above the ground or to not know anything about something: I haven’t the foggiest idea what you are talking about. 5. humid: a hot and humid climate: Even though it rained the humidity is high. 6. misty: full of or covered with mist: If the weather is misty there is a cloud of small drops of water in the air. 7. soaked: completely wet: My shirt was soaked. 8. sodden: soaked through: Your shoes are sodden.

THE VILLAGE SCHOOL MASTER COMPREHENSION: C1. Based on the reading of the poem find answer to the questions and write them in your note book. 1. Where was the school located? Ans. The school was located in a village near the school master’s mansion. 2. How did the children react to the school master’s jokes? Ans. The children laughed with counterfeited glee and thoroughly enjoyed every morning. 3. How could the children find the morning disaster? Ans. The children could find the morning disaster in the school master’s face. 4. The school master was a. kind b. severe c. kind as well as severe Ans. The school master was kind as well as severe 5. Which of the following is not true of the village school master? Ans. He could write poems and songs is not true of the village school master. 6. What puzzled the villagers? Ans. The enormous knowledge and skills of the school master were wonders for the villagers. They were puzzled that how such a small head carried such vastness. 7. Why does Oliver Goldsmith say that the blossom’d furze was unprofitably gay?

Ans. Oliver Goldsmith says that the blossom’d furze was unprofitably gay because the lush grass spread out over there in nature, not used for commercial profits. C2. Answer the following questions: 1. What is the children’s view of the teacher? Ans. The children’s view of the teacher is he was severe and stern. 2. Why did the villagers respect the school master? Ans. The villagers respected the school master because he knew almost everything and could predict what would happen next day. 3. What impression does the poem give you of the (a) qualities and (b) abilities of the village school master? (a) The qualities of the school master are severe, strict and kind. (b) The abilities of the school master are writing, cipher, measuring and arguing. 4. Pick out the words that convey the different emotions of the poet. Ans. Gazing rustics, thundering, glee, strict, kind and severe 5. Describe the skills of the village school master at which made the people wonder? Ans. The village school master was certainly able to write and code the messages. He could measure the land, and even forecast about tides and winds. He could predict future. These qualities and skill of the school master made the people wonder. 6. Can you identify the mood of the speaker? How would you consider this poem a serious one or a humorous one? Justify your answer. Ans. The mood of the speaker is to teach the value and bringing about the significance of the skills and qualities of a school master. It is not a humorous one but a serious one. When the villagers started checking the skills of the school master, he proved that he owned.

C3. Answer the following: 1. Would you consider the village school master as an ideal teacher in the present context? Ans. I would consider the village school master as an ideal teacher in the present context. He owned many skills. I think the village school master indeed shows the all his talents and skills in order to be the quality of a teacher. A teacher should be a learned person and possess mastery over many things so that everyone can gain something from him.

THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY COMPREHENSION: C1. Discuss in pairs and find answers for the following questions 1. Read paragraph 2. There are few lines which say about the grandmother’s features. Pick out those lines and write them. Ans. She had always been short and fat and slightly bent. Her face was a crisis cross of wrinkles running from everywhere t everywhere. She could never have been pretty, but she was always beautiful. 2. “……she used to get me ready for school”, How did grandmother get the author ready to the school? Ans. She used to wake the author up in the morning and get him ready for school. She would fetch his wooden slate which she had already washed and

plastered with yellow chalk, a tiny earthen ink-pot and red pen tied them all in a bundle and hand it to him. After a breakfast of thick stale chapatti with little butter and sugar spread on it, she left for school. 3. 4. Why did the grandmother accompany the author? Ans. The grandmother accompanied the author to the school because the school was attached to the temple. She would sit there to tell her prayers and read scriptures. 5. “That was a “turning – point” in our friendship. What was the “turning – point”? Ans. When the authors parents were settled in the city they called the author and grandmother to go there. That was the turning point. Though the author and grandmother shared the same room, she did not go with him to the school. She gradually remained away from his activities and him.

6. What made the grandmother unhappy? Why? Ans. In the village, the temple priest used to teach alphabets and prayers. That was ‘schooling’ according to the grandmother. But in the city school the author had to learn modern education with English, science, mathematics etc. When he came back from school she would ask him about the lessons. But she understood very less of it. As there was no teaching about God and scriptures she felt unhappy. C2. In groups, discuss the answers for the following questions and present the before the class. 1. “The thought was almost revolting” what is “the thought” referred to? Why does the author use the word ‘revolting’ to describe the thought?

Ans. The thought refers to the concept of grandmother being ‘young and pretty’. He had seen her for the last twenty years ‘same, old, wrinkled’. He couldn’t imagine her in any younger condition. If anybody told him to imagine her as young, it be totally opposite of his perception of ‘grandmother’. So he says the thought itself in ‘revolting’.

2. How did the grandmother help the author as a boy during his school days? Ans. Kushwant Singh’s grandmother used to wake him up in the morning and get him ready for school. She would fetch his wooden slate which she had already washed and plastered with yellow chalk, a tiny earthen ink-pot and a red pen tied them all in a bundle and handed it to him. She accompanied him to the school. 3. Describe the relation between (animals/birds) – dogs and sparrows and the grandmother. Ans. when the author Khushwanth Singh and his grandmother had affectionately treated the street dogs. When they returned home from the ‘temple –school’ she used to feed them with the pieces of chapatis. Later, in the city when the author was engrossed in his higher studies she used to spend some time feeding the birds like sparrows. They had become very friendly with her sitting and perching on her shoulders and head with all their chirpings. When the grandmother died thousands of sparrows sat around the corpse without any chirping, all in silence. They did not touch the corns which the author’s mother had spilled for them. They flew away quietly when the dead body was carried off and never came to their house again. 4. Describe the three stages of relationship between the author and his grandmother (before he went abroad). Ans. The author-Khuswanth Singh had good relationship with his grandmother – at different levels. When he was young, his parents had left him with grandmother in the village. They were bonded cordially. She used to do every work for him like bathing him, preparing his food. She used to keep his slate, books and inkpot and even she went along with him to school. She taught him prayers too. But when they shifted to city, he began to learn in English school. She did not understand it and did not go with him to school. She said prayers by himself.

Later when he went to university – the author had separate room to study and sleep. Thus the relationship between the author and grandmother went on decreasing. 5. Grandmother and prayer were inseparable. Find instances from the lesson to justify their observation. Ans. Prayer was part of life of the Grandmother. All the time she had the rosary in her hand, fingers kept telling the beads and lips muttering prayer. From morning till evening she did her work or some work for the grandson – but did it with prayers. She went along with the grandson to the ‘templeschool’ sat in the temple reading scriptures till the school bell rang. When the author grew up, went to higher school and university, she spent her time spinning al time her prayers in her lips. When she fell ill also - she prayed - and did it till her last breath. 6. ‘She thumped the sagging skins of the dilapidated drum’. Has the description of the drum anything to do with the grandmother? Explain. Ans. The old grandmother became more and more secluded from the family bonds as the years ed. She did not show any emotional changes when the grandson went abroad she must have sensed the end. That must have made her to gather the neighbouring women and sing for the last with them playing the drums. The ‘ragging skins’ and dilapidated dream’ symbolize the odl body of hers, the song ‘home coming of warrior’ indicate the return of the soul of death of mortal life. 7. Did the grandmother predict her death? How? Ans. Yes, she predicted her death. As she fell ill, she thought differently. She told the family that her end was near. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads. 8. How did the sparrows react with her earlier in her life and later after her death? Ans. The grandmother sat in the verandah breaking the bread into little bits, hundreds of little birds collected round her creating a veritable bedlam chirping. After her death thousands of sparrows sat scattered on the floor. There was no chirping. The sparrows took no notice of the bread put by others. When they carried grandmother’s corpse off, they flew away quietly. 9. What picture of the grandmother do you get from the lesson? Ans. From the lesson, we can picturize the grandmother as an old woman with wrinkled old body which is bent a little. On her face - we can imagine a serene, calm look – with love for not only mankind but also for animals and birds. A pious person she was, so the dignity of satisfied content life could be her life style. VI. In the lesson the word ‘tell’ has been used under different contexts to mean different. Now match the usage of the word ‘tell’ with its meaning as used in the lesson. The use of the word ‘tell’

The word

Its meaning

1. Her fingers were busy telling the beads Of her rosary counting while reciting 2. I would tell her English words Give information to something 3. She told us that her end was near be sure. 4. At her age no one could tell Make something known to someone in spoken or written words

TIGER C1. Get into pairs/groups and discuss the answer toe the following questions: 1. What does the phrase ‘burning bright’ mean? Ans. The phrase ‘burning bright’ means ‘feeling emotion’, flourishing in life. 2. What is not burning bright? Ans. The tiger’s emotions, desires and anger is not seen in the forest. 3. What is the ‘plight’ referred to in the poem? Ans. The ‘plight’ is referred as the bad and difficult situation of the tiger. 4. According to the poet, what are we not able to understand?

Ans. According to the poet, we are not able to understand the importance of tigers in nature. He feels that we don’t understand the environmental balance. 5. How was the tiger in the forest according to the poet? Ans. The tiger in the forest was like a king, other animals were afraid of him. His thunderous roar made the animals to tremble in fear. The monkeys screamed and birds chirped and flew away. But all these things happened in the past. 6. Where is Gecko hunting? Ans. Gecko on the wall is hunting insects on his hide. 7. How did the tiger rule the forest? Ans. The tiger ruled the forest as a king. C2. Answer the following questions: 1. ‘Their souls were sick, killing tigers”. a. Whose souls were sick? Ans. The human souls were sick. b. Why are their souls described as sick? Ans. Their souls are described as sick because they are killing the tigers for their skin or bones. c. Why were the tigers killed? Ans. The powder of the tiger’s bone powder will be used to heal some sick man. The tiger’s skin is used as a wall-decorative. So, the tigers were killed. 2. ‘Once jungles trembled at the tiger’s roar. a. At whose roar did the jungles tremble? Ans. The jungles trembled at the tiger’s roar. b. Why do they no longer tremble?

Ans. Because the tigers are very few now. c. Who is responsible for the tiger’s fate? Ans. Man is responsible for the tiger’s fate. C3. Answer the following: 1. What is the poet’s view about killing animals? Is he condemning the killers or in appreciation of them? Ans. The poet is condemning the killers. He does not like killing animals. The poet makes us feel and understand the difficulties of the life of the animals. The poet describes the significance of protecting the endangered species. People cruelly kill the animals. People kill animals for their recreation and financial advantages. 2. How can you protect the tigers from extinction? Ans. Tigers are endangered animals. We should protect them. Hunting tigers should be banned. We should spread awareness to safeguard tigers. The law should be made even strict by the government to protect wildlife. Tiger reserves should be increased.

A QUESTION OF SPACE C3. Read the lesson and share your responses before answering the following questions in three or four sentences: 1. Vikrant’s mother was harping on the importance of the year. What was she anxious about Vikrant? Ans. Vikrant’s mother was anxious that Vikrant should be ready himself to cope with the intensely competitive environment that had to be scaled for getting ission to a prestigious medical college. She shows her concern to mould the career of her son. 2. Anuj had spun into Vikrant’s life like a ‘new universe’. Why did Vikrant feel so? How did it happen? Ans. Anuj was a friend of Vikrant. He was not just a person with dynamic ideas on photography, on the connectedness between human beings and all other living species. He gave new ideas to Vikrant for self analysis-particularly the body language of the self and how to control expressions and feelings. 3. “The identity of Vikrant with Anuj created tension between Vikrant and his parents. How did it happen? Ans. Vikrant’s class grades had dropped. He had begun skipping group tuitions even extra school classes designed for the weekends. As only child, a tension grew between Vikrant and his parents, so did his identity with Anuj. 4. Vikrant said, “Medicine is considered …… gives prestige”. Is this thought prejudicial? Do you agree with this opinion?

Ans. To say that Medicine is the noblest of all professions or prestigious is only prejudicial. This is only a false notion. There are so many doctors who lost respect due to ignoble activities. Instead, every profession is noble and prestigious if one takes it with total commitment to be the best in the field, to the utmost satisfaction of the s. 5. What was the reply of Anuj when Vikrant asked him how his suggestions would help him? Ans. When Vikrant asked him how would his suggestion help him. Anuj replied that it would help him to witness his reactions as if they were happening to someone else. Which observing his body and its reactions he also had to distance himself from them. This distance will help him to see first, then control his reactions. 6. When did Vikrant start his self observation? What did he observe? Ans. Once when Vikrant was having a talk with his father, he noticed that his mouth was dry, his head tight at the temples, his body slightly hunched. Vikrant noticed that his father’s last remark sent a strong wave of heat through his otherwise weary body, galvanizing him to leave the room without another word. 7. How did Vikrant’s father try to convince him to tuitions for medical entrance? Ans. According to Vikrant’s father tuitions for medical entrances are not just tuition. They coach him for a career, for a highly competitive exam. One wrong answer could make all the difference. It would be better if he turned his attention to investigating a coaching centre, rather than spend time with junkies and irrelevant things. 8. What are the last two steps of self observation suggested by Anuj to Vikrant? Ans. Anuj suggested last two steps of self observation to Vikrant. The first one is:

The moment an active feeling comes which he thinks should be controlled make an note of it but don’t express it. The second one is: Expressing and emotion opposite to what you feel and can be done only if you are agitated, you observe this but choose to express calm or warmth instead of coldness. 9. ‘He did this with awareness that it was the right thing for him to do’. What does ‘awareness’ refer to here? Ans. Vikrant enrolled for classes at a coaching centre for medical entrance test. This he did with awareness about his future career. Now he is capable of deciding for himself. He could analyse his interests and come to a conclusion about what he has to do for his prosperity. 10.The word ‘Space’ in the title of the lesson has significant reference. Comment on the title. Ans. Space in the title of this lesson has significant role. Generally the interests and ideas of parents, friends and society get filled into the brain of the growing by and aptitudes. The space here refers to that room or opportunity for one’s own interests. C4. Read the following extracts from the lesson carefully and explain each of them with reference to the context: 1. “Hey! What’s up? You look grim”. Ans. This sentence is chosen from the lesson ‘A question of space” by Neera Kashyap. The sentence is told by Anuj near the jogging track. He looked quite dull and depressed as his parents spoke about his decreasing academic performance. He was feeling like a bird in the cage which wished to be free in the blue sky. Seeing his condition Anuj asked the above question. 2. “But tell me, how do you react to pressure?”

Ans. This sentence is an extract from the lesson ‘A Question of space’ by Neera Kashyap. When Vikrant asked Anuj if his parents put pressure onhim to become a photo journalist. Anuj said no. But for Vikrant it seemed to be that the pressure is worse for children of doctors because medicine is considered the noblest among professions and gives prestige. So he asked Anuj how does he react to such pressure. 3. “Sure… why not? Actually our range of expression is quite limited”. Ans. This sentence is selected from the lesson “A Question of space’ by Neera Kashyap. This is said by Anuj to Vikrant. When Vikrant asked Anuj why he is not observing his body when he is feeling happy or excited or adventurous and only when he is under pressure. Anuj replied as aboce. Anuj continued that when one gets his full range, he will become aware of all his habitual expressions. 4. “If you still have not found out, when do you intend to enroll?” Ans. The above sentence is chosen from the lesson ‘A Question of space’ by Neera Kashyap. When Vikrant’s father asked whether he had found out which was the most suitable coaching centre for his medical entrance test, he said no. Then his father asked if he still had not found out, when did he intend to find and enroll. 5. “You cannot really change anything till things are ready for change”. Ans. This sentence is taken from the lesson ‘A Question of space’ by Neera Kashyap.. When things did not seem to change with Vikrant’s parents who he realized would continue treating him like a child so long as he just chafed and reacted. Noting Vikrant’s discouragement one evening Anuj advised him. “You cannot really change anything till things are ready for change. Just do your part”. Answer the following: 1. Compare and contrast the characters Vikrant and Anuj. Who would you like to be Anuj or Vikrant? Justify your answer. Ans. Vikram and Anuj are from reputed families. Vikrant is a student of class X whereas Anuj is grown up person, working as a photojournalist. Vikrant was

getting worried and depressed due to his parents pressure all the time to study more – keeping in view of Class XII examination and medical entrance examination. Anuj had chosen studied opted to concentrate on photography as per his liking. He was able to analyse his own feelings and expressions to handle the pressure. Vikrant gets influenced by Anuj’s guidance and experience. 2. After following the advice of Anuj, we observed a change in the attitude and behavior of Vikrant. Trace the chain of those changes. Ans. Anuj advised Vikrant about self observation. He started to notice his own body behavioural changes. Vikrant knew the conflicts were not getting him anywhere. It was not as if he felt medicine was all wrong for him. He did not want to be bulldozed into working three shifts a day, six days a week. He felt he needed time to pursue his own interests and pleasures, especially after his meeting Anuj. Vikrant tried to practice emotions he had not experienced. At first these were of joy, spontaneity and excitement. When he felt more neutral, he practiced a wide range. His experiments with self observation helped him see a whole range of his body reactions, the effects that different emotions had on the body and how the mind got involved with these. 3. What is the role played by Anuj in this lesson? What message does the author convey to the reader through his character? Ans. After meeting with Anuj, Vikrant felt he needed time to pursue his own interests and pleasures, Anuj had played the role of a counselor guiding a part of Vikrant’s life. He also spoke to him on various issues like the beginnings of life, the places he composed a photograph, self observation. He also advised not to worry too much about the change and you cannot really change anything till things are ready for change. Thus the author says that a positive approach to things or events can alter the situations. Self observation helps one to control his own feelings and expressions. 4. Assume yourself to be Vikrant. Write a letter to a friend discussing the ways in which you transformed yourself. Ans. Hi dear friend,

How are you? I got good news for you that recently I have experienced a great change in my life. A friend of mine named Anuj came to my life. He taught me that I need to pursue my own interests and pleasures. He added more on the beginning of life with the places he travelled to. He taught how to self evaluate our emotions. At first these are of joy, spontaneity, excitement. When I felt more neutral, I practiced joy, scorn each with its accompanying posture and gestures. My experiments with self observation helped me to see a whole range of my body reactions, the effect and how the mind got involved with these. The two more steps I practiced the moment of active feeling could be controlled and how to express calm or warmth instead of coldness. I hope you can also use these steps to transform yourself. With love, Vikrant.

V2 Match the words in column A (they are words related to professions and the one who does it) with the corresponding meaning given in column B. You can use a dictionary to your answers. A 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Stevedore Chauffeur Geology Juggler Anthropologist

6. Audi 7. Curator

B a. One who studies rocks and soils b. one who loads and unload ships c. one who drives a car for someone else d. one who drives a car for someone else e. one who performs tricks with the hands to Amuse others f. one who studies human development g. one who examines the financial records of a company

V3 Phrasal verbs: A. Compare the following sentences with a phrasal verb that includes one of the particles and one of the verbs given below.

Particles: down, in, out, up Verbs; turn, come, slow, let, go, drop, grow, warm, plug 1. The dentist says John will have to ___ two teeth… (plug out) 2. Videos are cheaper now. Prices have actually _______ come down) 3. He could play the guitar when he was six. I think he’s going to be a great musician when he ________ (grows up) 4. ___________ ! You are driving much too fast! (slow down) 5. Smoking is not allowed in here. Please _______ that cigarette ___(turn,down) 6. You must be very cold. Sit by the fire and ___ (warm up) 7. There’s someone at the door. Can you _______ them ______ please? (let, in) B. Find the meanings of the following phrasal verbs and use them in sentences of your own using a dictionary. 1. Come across: found by chance- I came across a lovely flower in the forest. 2. Get on: make progress – The new student got on with his new class. 3. Take part: participate – the chief Minister took part in the Janatha Darshan programme. 4. Get away: manage to escape – The thief got away from the police van. 5. Get through: ed – I just got through the examination. 6. Keep out: stay away – Children should keep out from riots. 7. Think over: Please think over your programme and try to visit my house. 8. Take down: write – The teacher instructed the students to take down the important questions. 9. Look into: investigate – The inspector has promised to look into the matter.

THE PENCIL’S STORY

C1. Read the poem silently and answer the following questions: 1. Where does the poet see the pencil? A) in the beginning b) at the end of the poem? Ans. In the beginning lies upon the mantle piece. At the end of the poem the pencil lies in a holder. 2. Why is the pencil’s life described as weary? Ans. The pencil is handled forty times a day. It is cut and sharpened harshly which make it shorter as it grows older. Hence its life is described as weary. 3. When according to the poet is the pencil (a) sad (b) glad? Ans. According to the poet the pencil is sad when someone in deep thought chew’s its end. The pencil is glad when it is useful. 4. What does the poet mean by ‘Wits are rather dull’? Ans. when the pencil is used for sometime, the lead becomes blunt, then the marks made by it are not clear. The words ‘wits are rather dull’ means that expressions are very poor.

5. What makes the poet say that ‘The Pencil’s speech is always dark’ and that it always makes its mark’? Explain. Ans. “The pencil’s speech is always dark” – means that the lead colour of HB pencil is black and when some one writes with it, the writing is always in dark colour. Wherever the pencil tip is touched it makes a mark: it is meant for that.

6. Make a list of rhyming words found in the poem. B – See Friend – end

play - day

Ought – short

life - knife

Dark – mark

things - kings

Older – holder

about - out

t – point

missed - list

7. Read the lines from 5 to 8. Who might he “Tommy” according to the poet? How old would he be? Ans. According to the poet Tommy might be the youngest family member. He might the youngest family member. He might be around five to six years because his handwriting is mentioned as a ‘crawl’ and the pictures he draws are of various themes which small children usually. C2. Fill in the columns after carefully reading the poem: Person in the poem 1. Tommy

The various purposes the pencil is used by them To draw all sorts of things

2. Father 3. Mother

To keep score when playing To write a washing list

Appreciation 1. Can the pencils journey from the mantle piece the holder be compared to the journey of life of all human beings? Ans. The pencil’s journey is very much similar to the journey of life of human beings. People are born, they grow, undergo both joy and sorrow in their journey, work for living, grow weary from over work, grow old and feeble and finally away, put in a coffin. 2. Pick out the lines from the poem in which you find example for personification. I scrawl when Tommy has me and draw all sort of things. I write a lovely letter when miss Phyllis is about. If I make mistakes If I slip never am allowed to grow up as I ought I’m getting shorter every day I ache in evenly t My speech is always dark For when I’m meditating When my last few hours have come

EARTHQUAKE Answer the following: 1. How long did the earthquake last? What was the effect? Ans. The earthquake lasted less than five minutes. Its epicenter was in a valley near Garhwal. Six hundred and two villages were destroyed. It brought the centuries old mountains crashing, reduced the villages to rubble, to snuff out hundreds of lives. 2. Describe the boy’s family. Ans. The boy’s father had died after an illness fourteen months before the earthquake. He lived with his mother who took care of the family, his grandmother, brother, Nilu, aged ten and a sister, Bhuli aged two. They lived in a two storeyed stone house built by his great grandfather. 3. How did the army help the people? Ans. The army blasted the rocks and cleared the way for army rescue teams. The soldiers began to clear the debris and set up a makeshift camp. The soldiers handed over the bodies to the surviving relatives. They had done all they could.

4. Did Brij return to Panipat? Why? Ans. Brij returned to Panipat, opened a teashop and continued to serve tea free of cost, to tired travellers, thereby thanking the army officer in spirit, who had helped him. 5. How could Brij start his own tea-shop? Where was it? Ans. Brij worked in a road side dhaba outside Panipat and had saved most of his earning. He quit the job and returned to Garhwal and with a little help, he started his shop there. He was at peace.

ALL STORIES ARE ANANSI’S C1. Read the questions given below and discuss the answers to them with your friends. 1. Who owned the stories in the beginning? Ans. In the beginning Nyame the Sky God owned the stories. 2. Who wanted to own them later? Ans. Anansi the spider wanted to own them later. 3. The price to be paid were three things. They were Mmoboro, the hornets, Onini the python and Osebo the leopard. 4. Did Anansi agree to pay the price? Ans. Yes, Anansi agreed to pay the price. 5. Why did Anansi pour water on himself and over the hornets?

Ans. Anansi poured water on himself and over the hornets because he wanted to make them believe that it was raining. 6. What did Anansi capture in the hornets? Ans. Anansi captured Mmoboro the hornets in the gourd through a small hole. 7. What dispute did the spider have with his wife? Ans. Anansi’s wife felt that the Python Onini was not long and short and weak than a bamboo pole. Anansi disagreed with this and it led to the dispute. 8. What suggestion did Onini give to find out the truth about his length? Ans. Onini suggested that to measure him against the length of the bamboo pole to find out the truth about his length. 9. Why did Anansi tie Onini at one end of pole? Ans. Anansi tied Onini at one end of pole because when Onini stretched at one end he was getting shorter at the other end. 10. Where and why did Anansi dig a pit? Ans. Anansi dug a deep pit in the forest to capture the leopard Osebo. 11. Why did Anansi bend a tall green tree over the pit? Ans. Anansi bent a tall green tree towards the ground over the pit in order to pull out Osebo from the pit. 12. Why did the Sky God offer Anansi all the stories? Ans. Anansi was offered all the stories by Sky God – Nyame because he had brought Mmoboro – the hornets, Onini the Python and Osebo the leopard to Nyame. 13.Why should anyone acknowledge before telling a story?

Ans. Anyone should acknowledge before telling a story because all stories and tales now belong to Anansi. C2. Answer the following questions: 1. Describe how Anansi captured the hornets for the sky God? Ans. Anansi first cut a gourd from a vine and made a small hole in it. He took a large calabash and filled it with water. He went to the tree where the hornets lived. He poured some of the water over himself, so that he was dripping. He threw some water over the hornets making them all wet. Then he put the calabash on his head, as though to protect himself from a storm and called out to the hornets and asked them, why they were staying in the rain. He told them to go into the gourd through the small hole. When the last of them had gone in, Anansi plugged the hole with a ball of grass. He took the gourd full of hornets to Nyame, the sky of God. 2. Explain how the Python got trapped? Ans. Anansi went to the forest and cut a long bamboo pole and some strong vines. Then he walked toward the house of Onini, the Python talking to himself that his wife was stupid to say that Onini is shorter and weaker than that bamboo. Hearing this Onini offered to be measured against the bamboo to solve the dispute. Anansi laid the pole on the ground and the python came and stretched himself out beside it. Anansi told that the Python was a little short. When the python stretched at the head he was shorter at the tail and vice-versa. So with his consent Anansi tied Onini’s head and tail firmly to the poll. He wrapped the vine around Onini until he was unable move. 3. What method did the spider Kwaku Anansi adopt to get the leopard as a price demanded for the ownership of all tales and stories of the world? Ans. Anansi went into the forest and dug a deep pit where the leopard was accustomed to walk. He covered it with small branches and leaves and put dust on it, so that it was impossible to tell where the pit was. Osebo came prowling in the black night, he stepped into the trap and fell to the bottom. Next morning

Anansi went to the pit and saw the leopard there. Osebo asked help from Anansi. He bent a tall tree towards the ground, so that its top was over the pit and he tied it that way. Then he tied a rope to the tree and dropped the other end of it into the pit. Anansi asked Osebo to tie the rope to his tail, who did as told. Next he took his knife and cut the other rope, the one that held the tree bowed to the ground. The tree straightened up with a snap, pulling Osebo out of the hole and he hung in the air upside down. Anansi killed him and took his body to Nyame – The sky God. C.3 Read the following statement carefully and in pairs discuss the points you and in pairs discuss the points you would like to include in your justification. Elaborate each point. “With wisdom and knowledge one can achieve the impossible”. Justify the statement with reference to Kwaku Anansi, the spider. Ans. Kwaku Anansi ,the spider wanted to be the owner of all stories in the world. He went to Nyame, the Sky God to purchase the stories. Nyame said that he was willing to sell the stories, but the price was very high. Rich and powerful families were not able to pay. The Sky God then asked three things as price; Mmoboro, the hornets, Onini – the Python and Osebo, the leopard. Anansi agreed. Though he did not have the physical strength to defeat them, he used his wisdom and great knowledge and achieved the impossible. He made the hornets get into the gourd, tied the Python to the pole and he tied the leopard to the tree using his wisdom and knowledge. Thus he was able to achieve what the great warriors and chiefs were not able to do it. Language acitivities: Vocabulary VI. Use the following words in sentences of your own: a. Yearn: Subhash Chandra Bose yearned for the freedom for the country. b. Plug: The machine operator plugged his ears with cotton balls before he started the high sounding machine.

c. Accustomed : My mother-in-law is accustomed to go to the temple everyday. d. Onward: The onward journey was peaceful. e. Acknowledge: The students acknowledge their lack of preparedness. f. Measure: The milkman measured the quantity of milk before giving. V2. Which of the following expressions do you think are appropriate: Choose the right one: a. b. c. d. e.

A shining star/a glittering star A busy traffic/a heavy traffic A stomach ache/a stomach pain Backside the house/behind the house A severe fever/ a high fever

G1. Here are some sentences from the lesson. Can you supply a suitable question tag to each one of them, choosing from the box given below: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

I can do it, ………..? (Can’t I) I should first have Mmoboro…………? (shouldn’t I) I will bring them, …………….? (won’t I) Osebo you are half foolish ……………? (aren’t you) My wife is stupid, …………..?(isn’t she) I give them more respect, …………….?(don’t I) My opinion was not good as my wife’s, ……………..?(wasn’t)

S1. Write a sentence for each of the following situation ‘making a polite request’ (Could you please ………., I’d appreciate …… may I have ……. Please) 1. Asking for a glass of water: Please give me a glass of water. 2. Asking for a ticket to Delhi. Could you please give me a ticket to Delhi? 3. Asking for the exam time-table. May I have the exam time-table please?

4. Asking for a bottle of pickle at the dining table. May I have an ice cream please? 5. Asking your grandma to tell a story. Could you please tell me a story grandma?

THE BOLD PEDLAR AND ROBIN HOOD C1. Read the poem silently and answer the following questions: 1. How was the pedlar travelling? Ans. The pedlar put his pack all on his back and trudged across the grassy land. 2. Who did the pedlar meet on the road? Ans. The pedlar met Robin Hood and his faithful follower Little John on the road. 3. What did the pedlar have in his pack? Ans. The pedlar had several suits of bright green silk and two or three silken bow-strings. 4. What did Little John want from the pedlar?

Ans. Little John wanted one half of the pack from the pedlar. 5. What did the pedlar boldly claim? Ans. The pedlar boldly claimed that nobody can ask or take half of his pack and said that if they could defeat him in a duel and they can take the entire lot. 6. How did the pedlar protect his pack? Ans. The pedlar pulled off his pack and put it below his knee and stood against it. 7. Why did Little John request the pedlar to stop fighting? Ans. Little John requested the pedlar to stop because he was too tired to fight. 8. What challenge did Robin Hood put before little John? Ans. Robin Hood challenged Little John saying that he could defeat both the pedlar and him. 9. Who won the second fight? Ans. The pedlar won the second fight. 10.What was the pedlar’s identity? Ans. The pedlar’s identity was Gamble God of the gay green woods.

C2. Discuss the following questions in groups and answer: 1. Who were Robin Hood and Little John? Why did they attack the pedlar? Ans. Robin Hood and Little John were two troublesome men. They attacked the pedlar because he did not give them one half of his pack. 2. Describe the struggle between a. The pedlar and Little John and the outcome

Ans. The pedlar did not agree to give one half of the pack. So he protected his pack by pulling off and put it a little below his knee. Little John drew his sword and fought with the pedlar. They fought until they both were tired. The outcome of the fight was Little John cried and prayed to him to stop fighting. b. The pedlar and Robin Hood and the outcome Ans. When Little John asked Robin Hood to fight with the pedlar. Robin Hood arrogantly said that he could defeat both the pedlar and Little John. Then he drew his sword, fought with the pedlar till the blood flowed from both of them in streams. Robin Hood couldn’t defeat the pedlar and he requested him to stop fighting. 3. Robin Hood calls the pedlar his cousin. How is the fact revealed? Ans. When the pedlar revealed that he was Gamble Gold of the gay green woods and travelled far beyond the sea for killing a man in his father’s land and was forced to flee his country. Robin Hood realized that he was his mother’s own sister’s son. They both were cousins. 4. Little John and Robin Hood lose to the pedlar. Yet the ballad ends on a happy note. Give reason. Ans. Both little John, the follower and Robin Hood, the master get defeated in this combat with the pedlar. Though lost in the fight. Robin Hood shows humility asking pedlar’s identity. When the pedlar asks their identity he discloses his identity. Robin hood says they are near cousins because their mothers are sisters. Thus the ballad ends on a happy note. C3. Answer the following: 1. Little John and Robin Hood are chivalrous men. How do they take their defeat? Was it right to do so? Why? Ans. Little John and Robin Hood were brave and chivalrous men. They challenged the pedlar for a duel, who was boldly selling his packs. Both of them get defeated by the pedlar in turn. Instead of getting upset, they ired the pedlar for his

prowe. This shows their chivalrous nature. It is the right thing do because a person who is braver and stronger deserves to be respected and appreciated. This is the characteristic of a chivalrous person. 2. If Robin Hood and Little John had not shown humility , how do you think the ballad would have ended? Ans. If Robin Hood and Little John had not shown humility at their defeat they would have been killed by the pedlar. Instead of merry friendship and happy ending, the story would have ended in a tragedy with the death of Robin Hood and Little John. 3. The pedlar stands for integrity. Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer. Ans. The pedlar did not get scared seeing Robin Hood and Little John and did not give up his wares when they demanded. Instead he challenged them to a duel. He did not accept defeat, but fought them bravely and overpowered them. When he was asked to reveal his identity, he told them the true story. He said that he was from Greenwoods and he was forced to flee because he had killed a man who had ventured into his father’s land. This reveals that he stands for integrity.

ON SAYING PLEASE A. Answer the following questions in a word, phrase or a sentence: 1. Why was the enger thrown out of the lift? Ans. the enger did not say “Top please” but just said “Top”. The lift operator felt insulted and threw him out. 2. What would happen if we were given the liberty to box people’s ears? Ans. If we were given liberty to box people’s ears, our fists would never be idle and the gutters of the city would run with blood all day. 3. What can the law not compel us to do? Ans. The law cannot compel us to say ‘please’ ears, or use a polite tone while speaking to others.

4. What according to the author, is the difference between physical pain and pain of the wound caused of the self respect? Ans. The physical pain es away soon but the pain of a wound to our self respect or our vanity may poison a whole day. 5. What is the first and the most important requirement of civility? Ans. The first requirement of civility is that we should acknowledge a service. 6. What did the ‘polite conductor’ do for the author? Ans. When the author boarded on a bus and found that he was utterly penniless he told the conductor that he would go back. The conductor said, “that’s all right” and issued him a ticket cheerfully. 7. Who had trampled on the author’s sensitive toe? Ans. His friend, the conductor trampled on the author’s sensitive toe. 8. a. b. c. d.

The polite conductor to Left blind man at the bus exit. Told Bill to take him across the road. Told Bill, the driver, to wait and took him, himself, across the road. Forced him out of the bus.

Ans. Forced him out of the bus. 9. Why was there a very fine weather on the polite conductor’s bus always? Ans. There was always a very fine weather on the polite conductor’s bus because his own civility, polite speech and good humour infected his engers. 10.What according to the people is the cause for the dampening of the everyday civilities? Ans. The everyday civilities diminish or dampen due to the war of ego between the people. The harmonious atmosphere is spoiled by the rudeness of an egoist person.

11.Civilities can be got back in our day to day life by ……… a. evoking the law

b. being more civil

c. Paying rudeness

d. by punishing an uncivil person

Ans. b. being more civil C2. Discuss the following questions in a group and answer: 1. Can law enforce civility? Why? Ans. No, law cannot enforce civility. The law can be enforced only when there is physical violence. But the law cannot enforce or compel one to say ‘please’ or ‘thank you’. The law does not consider the hurting of our feelings as a case of compensation. The law does not have any compensation for moral and the intellectual damage. The law cannot become the guardian of our private manners.

2. How does bad temper affect one’s life? Ans. Bad manners are infectious. Bad manners do more to poison the stream of the general life than all the crimes in the calendar. When a man gets insulted by someone, he es it on to someone else below his social standing and in the same manner, it keeps ing from one to another and the world gets infected with ill humours. 3. Discuss the importance and effects of good manners. Ans. Good manners are also infectious. Just like the sunny weather brightens up people’s spirits, good behavior or manners also brighten up the day. If we are civil, humorous towards others, we will get the same response from others. 4. List out the instances in which the polite conductor showed his civil behavior. Do you approve of his behavior? Why? Ans. Once the author had forgotten his wallet and got into the bus. The conductor instead of asking him get down, gave him the ticket asking him to pay

the next time he saw him. Another day, the author’s toe was trampled by the conductor but he apologized vey politely. The author noticed that the conductor was very helpful to both the old and the young alike. The author greatly appreciated of the conductor towards the blind man. He told the driver Bill to wait and took the blind man himself across the road. His behaviour made everyone cheerful and his gaiety was not a wasteful luxury but a sound investment. 5. How could the lift man take a polite and effective revenge? Suggest a way to do so? Ans. The lift man could take a polite and effective revenge instead of getting upset and sending the man out of the lift if he had treated the gentleman who was not civil, with elaborate politeness. He would have had the victory not only over the rude man but over himself and that is the victory that counts.

C3. Answer the following: 1. It is easy to be civil at all times. Do you agree? Why? Ans. It is quite difficult to be civil all the times because people all around the world, have different behaviour. One is expected to be polite and good mannered. One can practice to be civil because what we think will we become. Therefore we must always try to become more civilized. If we are civil it makes others civil too. The polite man may lose material advantage but gains spiritual victory. It is easy to be civil if one has determination and patience. 2. Suggest some ways to encourage people to adopt civil behaviour. Ans. a. We need to have a smile on our face. b. If someone is uncivil, we need not respond in the same manner. We should be civil. c. Help others. Be flexible.

d. Make good friendship. e. Being civil makes us human. f. Being civil does not require any monetary expenditure.

GEOGRAPHY LESSON C1. Read the poem silently and answer the questions: 1. What did the poet see from the jet? Ans. The poet saw the earth from the jet as reduced to the scale six inches to a mile. He saw the ground had looked haphazard, unplanned and without style. 2. The words haphazard and unplanned are used to describe a. The scale b. the sky c. the jet d. the cities Ans. d. the cities 3. From high above the earth, ow did the cities appear to the poet? Ans. From high above the earth, the poet saw that cities were developed in unplanned manner. The cities appeared where rivers ran and human population was thicker in the valleys.

4. From a higher altitude what lesson could the poet learn about the cities? Ans. From a higher altitude the poet could learn that man had started to settle near river banks and valleys as the man was attracted to both land and water. 5. According to the poet, what was in greater proportion on earth? Ans. According to the poet greater portion of the earth is covered by the sea. This he observed from the jet at a height more than six miles. 6. According to the poet, what do men of earth do? Ans. According to the poet, the men on earth hate each other. Man builds walls across cities, develops hatred between groups of people and kills others. C2. Discuss the following questions: 1. From above, the city looked haphazard and unplanned. Why do you think the city looked so? Ans. The city looked haphazard and unplanned without style. People constructed buildings, buses, houses, shops and offices as they liked without planning of the city. 2. Geographically what is the importance of rivers and railways? Explain their importance with reference to the second stanza of the poem? Ans. Man started living near the river banks to cultivate crops. Valleys are used for grazing the animals. The civilization began from the river valleys because water and vegetation nourished them. 3. The last stanza shows the degradation of human nature. Do you agree with this view? Justify. Ans. Human population is divided on the basis of caste, language, race sex education, money, religion etc. Man has found causes to hate each other and to kill others. This nature builds walls across cities. This has led to degradation.

C3. Ponder over the following questions and express your views in the answer: 1. The picture of the earth zooms out in the poet’s mind and against that back ground we see human nature. Bring out the contrast between the earth and human nature. Ans. the earth is giving everything to human race without receiving anything from them. The earth which zooms out in the poet’s mind is of one huge land mass appears smaller and smaller as he goes away from it and looks like a round ball. Geographically walls and boundaries are constructed as man encroached a part of the land and he became selfish. This selfishness grew at greater speed and that built barriers of greater height among people, created hatred that resulted in wars. 2. Imagine planet Earth having only water and no land. Do you think man would still draw boundaries and wage wars? Discuss with your friends. Ans. It is difficult to create boundaries on water. It will not be physically possible for him to claim a certain part of water as his own. But due to man’s thinking process, he might still wage wars and treat others with hatred and spite.

THE STORY TELLER ANSWER THE FOLLOWING: 1. Who were the occupants of the carriage? Ans. The occupants of the carriage were a small girl and a smaller girl and small boy. Their aunt sat in one corner and opposite to her sat a bachelor. 2. What questions haunted Cyril, when he saw sheep in the field? Ans. When Cyril saw sheep in the field he asked ‘why the sheep were being driven out of that field to another, why is the grass in the other field better’. 3. What made the aunt decide that the bachelor was a hard and unsympathetic man? Ans. During their journey in the railway carriage the three small children got bored and restless. Their innumerable questions with ‘why’ could not be answered by their aunt. Seeing the distractions by the children and unsuccessful

effort of the aunt, the bachelor’s frown was changing to a scowl. Seeing this, the aunt decided that the bachelor was a hard and unsympathetic man. 4. Who saved the little girl in the aunt’s story? Ans. The little girl was saved from a mad bull by a number of rescuers who ired her moral character. 5. Name the little girl I the bachelor’s story. Ans. The name of the little girl in the bachelor’s story was Bertha. 6. What remark of the bachelor’s story created a wave of reaction in favour of the story? Ans. The word ‘horrible’ in connection with goodness was a novelty that commended itself. It seemed to introduce a ring of truth that was absent from the aunt’s tales of infant life. 7. How did the prince of the country come to know about Bertha? Ans. The prince of the country came to know about Bertha from everybody who talked about her goodness. 8. How did the prince of the country honour Bertha? Ans. The prince of the country allowed Bertha to walk in his park once a week which was outside the town. It was an honour to her because no children were allowed in it. 9. Why was it a great honour for Bertha being allowed into the Prince’s park? Ans. It was a great honour for Bertha being allowed into the Prince’s park because no children were allowed into the park. 10. When did Bertha begin to wish that she had never been allowed into the park?

Ans. When Bertha saw that the wolf had started chasing her, she began to wish that she had never been allowed into the park. 11.The wolf located Bertha while she was hiding in the bushes by a. Sniffing around b. The clinking sound of the medals c. Her spotlessly white and clean pinafore. Ans. b) The wolf located Bertha while she was hiding in the bushes by the clinking sound of the medals.

12.What was the aunt’s reaction to the Bachelor’s story? Ans. The aunt did not agree that the bachelor’s story was proper to tell to young children. He had undermined the effect of years of careful teaching. C2. Answer in a few lines: 1. How did the Bachelor describe: a. The pigs in the park: The bachelor said that there were lots of little pigs running all over the place. They were black with white faces, white with black spots, black all over, grey with white patches and some were white all over. They had eaten all the flowers. b. The fish in the park: There were ponds with gold and blue and green fish in them. c. The wolf in the park: The wolf which came prowling into the park was enormous. It was mud colour all over, with a black tongue and pale grey eyes that gleaned with unspeakable ferocity. 2. What qualities of Bertha earned her three medals? Ans. Bertha won several medals for goodness. She earned a medal for obedience another medal for punctuality and a third for good behavior. 3. Give reasons for:

a. The absence of sheep in the prince’s park: There were no sheep in the prince’s park because his mother had a dream once that her son would either be killed by a sheep or else by a clock falling on him. b. The absence of flowers in the prince’s park: There were no flowers in the Prince’s park are because the pigs had eaten them all. c. Bertha feeling sorry for the absence of flower in the prince’s park: Bertha had promised her aunts that she would not pick any of the kind prince’s flowers and she had meant to keep her promise. Therefore it made her feel silly to find there were no flowers to pick. 4. What are the two different thoughts of Bertha on her being extraordinarily good when she was in the prince’s park? Ans. Bertha was happy about being extra ordinarily good because she was the only girl who was permitted to get into the prince’s park and take a walk once in a week. But later when she saw a wolf stealing towards her, she was nervous and felt she shouldn’t have entered the prince’s park. She felt bad for being extra ordinarily good. C3. Answer the following: 1. How did the metals earn respect for Bertha as well as cause her death? Ans. Bertha was an extremely well behaved girl and won medals for obedience., punctuality and good behavior which are pinned on her dress everyday. Everyday people talked about her dress and the prince of the country got to hear about it and allowed her to walk once a week in his park. This was the special respect for her. Once when she was in the park, Bertha saw a wolf stealing towards her. She hid herself behind a bush. Being unable to trace her the wolf tried to go in search of a pigling. But when Bertha’s medals clinked as she trembled, the wolf turned in to the bush, pounced on her and had a meal. 2. The aunt the bachelor’s story a most improper one. Do you agree with her? Give reasons.

Ans. I don’t agree with her. A proper story need not end happily everytime. The bachelor’s story had the qualities of good story like raising curiosity at every moment, taking unpredicted turns and ending with a climax that catches listeners. 3. What elements in the bachelor’s story appealed to the children? Ans. The girls indeed liked the story. They opined that the story began badly and it had a beautiful ending with immense decisions. The bigger of the girls said that it was the most beautiful story that she ever heard. 4. How would have the story ended if Bertha had not pinned the medals on her pinafore? Ans. if Bertha had pinned the medals on her pinafore, the wolf would not have heard the sound of the medals, clinking. The wolf would not have noticed her hiding behind the bushes. V2. Which of the following expressions is correct? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

A flock of birds/a flight of birds. A swarm of insects/a colony of insects. A herd of goats/a flock of goats A troupe of actors/ a company of actors. A wad of bank notes/a roll of bank notes A pack of cards/ a deck of cards A team of experts/ a of experts A bunch of grapes/ a cluster of grapes

Match the words in column ‘A’ with their meaning in column “B’ A 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

B

Banish a. expel Humble b. modest Domiciles c. the place where a person lived Foul-smelling d. striking Predator e. an animal that hunts, kills and eats other animals

6. Flip

f. turn quickly

Ans. 1 – a, 2 – b, 3 –c, 4- d, 5 - e, 6 -f

ETHICS C1. Read the poem silently and answer the following questions: 1. What question did the teacher used to ask every time? Ans. The teacher used to ask if there were a fire in a museum which would you save, a Rembrandt painting or an old woman who hadn’t left any years to live. 2. Were the children able to answer the question correctly? Ans. No, the children were not able to answer the question correctly. 3. a. b. c.

The children responded to question _______________ By debating on the question enthusiastically Half – heartedly By giving different answers at different time

Ans. (b) half – heartedly 4. Where is the speaker working when the speaker narrates this incident? Ans. The speaker is working in a museum when she narrate the incident. 5. What had the speaker realized after many years? Ans. The speaker realized that woman and painting and season are almost one. Ethics and moral values can be only learned from experience and maturity.

C2 1. Pick out the expression in the poem that indicates the question did not interest the children. Ans. The expression ‘half – heartedly’ indicates that the question did not interest the children.

2 a. b. c.

The children were ‘restless’ on hard chairs’ because ______________ they were eager to answer the question immediately They were unable to understand the ethics dilemma The hardness of the chair affected their calmness

Ans. (b) they were unable to understand the ethics dilemma 3. a. b. c.

The images ‘half – heartedly’ and ‘half imagined’ could mean. The children perceived the idea of ethical responsibility very faintly The ethical dilemma was beyond their understanding and experience Children could not understand the gravity of the question

Ans. (b) the ethical dilemma was beyond their understand and experience C3. Discuss with your friends if the poem is only about a lesson of ethics learnt in school or if it offers something higher than this Ans . The poem begins with the memory of an ethics class the poet herself attended. The question in case of a fire which is worth saving a famous painting or an old woman is beyond the comprehension of children who answered differently in each time. A mature person who understands the ethical values only will be able to answer such question. But the poem carries a higher message. It is not just a lesson to be learnt in school. It is a question of human values. As the time es the old piece of art and the veterans in the

society do not drow much of the attention of the children. They understand the value of both only in the later half of their life. C4. List a few ‘ethics’ you have to follow in the situations given below: a. Place of work: We should be sincere and kind towards others and coworkers. Never speak ill about the company. b. Place of learning (a school/class): We should be obedient, disciplined and attentive in the class. We should be hard working, punctual and no teasing or hurting the classmates. c. Place of worship: We should maintain silence and peace, cleanliness and sanctity. d. Place of living: We should respect the elder, parents and maintain cordial relationship with everyone, who are living with us.

AN ASTROLOGER’S DAY I. Answer the following 1. What articles did the astrologer carry? Ans. The astrologer carried a dozen cowries’, shells, a square piece of clothe with obscure mystic charts on it, a note book and bundle of Palmyra writing. 2. What were the different names given by the nuts vendor for his business? Ans. Bombay ice cream, Delhi almond and Raja’s Delicacy were the different names given by the nuts vendor for his business. 3. What kind of life would the astrologer have in his own village? Ans. If the astrologer had stayed back in his own village he would have carried on the work of his ancestors that is tilling the land, marrying and growing old in his cornfield and ancestral home. 4. How much did the astrologer charge for his new clients? Ans. The astrologer charged three paisa per question for his new clients. 5. Why did the astrologer remain silent for at least ten minutes, initially? Ans. The astrologer silently listened to his clients for first ten minutes. This provided him sufficient information to answer to the clients questions. 6. What was the signal for the astrologer to bundle up? Ans. The nuts vendor blew out his lamp and rose to go home. This was the signal for the astrologer to bundle up.

7. How much did the astrologer demand from his new client to answer the question? Ans. At first the astrologer demanded five rupees. Then they agreed at eight annas to answer the questions. 8. What did the astrologer ask Guru Nayak to do? Ans. The astrologer asked Guru Nayak to return to his village immediately and never travel southwards again. II. Answer the following: 1. Why did the astrologer have no light of his own for his business? Ans. The astrologer was satisfied with whatever light was available from shop lights, a couple of hissing gaslights, some naked flares stuck on the poles. In fact the astrologer did not want to be in light. He just wanted to read the face of the clients. He did not want the clients to read his face because actually he did not know anything about astrology. 2. Why did the astrologer close his business when the nuts vendor blew out his face? Ans. When the nuts vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home. It was a signal for the astrologer to bundle up too, since it left him in darkness except for a little shaft of green light which strayed in form somewhere and touched the ground before him. 3. How efficient was astrologer in his business? Ans. He had a working analysis of mankind’s troubles, marriage, money and the tangles of humanities. Long practice had sharpened his perception. Within five minutes, he understood what was wrong. He would silently listen to them for first ten minutes which provided him sufficient information to answer their questions.

He would make some statements which would be true for all in general. But the person in stress will be convinced and impressed easily. 4. ”When shall I get him?” a. Who was this question asked to? Ans. This question was asked to the astrologer. b. Who does “I’ refer to? Ans. ‘I’ refers to Guru Nayak whose palm the astrologer was reading. c. Why does the speaker want to get him? Ans. The speaker wants to get him to take revenge. 5. “You look worried. What is wrong?” a. Who is the speaker? Ans. The speaker is the astrologer’s wife. b. Who does ‘you’ refer to? Ans. “You’ refers to the astrologer. c. Why was he worried? Ans. He was worried because he saw the man whom he thought he had killed. III. Answer the following: 1. Why did the astrologer run away from his village? Ans. The astrologer as a youngster was very silly. He drank, gambled and quarreled with other people. Once, under the spell of alcohol he had fought with a man stabbed and pushed him down a well, thus tried to kill him. He had thought that the man died and ran away from his village to escape punishment. 2. In the story do you think the astrologer should be punished for his crime?

Ans. Yes, I think the astrologer should be punished for crime because he tried to kill that man. 3. Describe how the astrologer felt at the end of the story. Ans. When he was young, he used to think and quarrel with people. He had attacked a man and stabbed him and left him to die. He ran away from his village and settled in a town in the guise of an astrologer. So when he came to know that the man was not dead, he felt that a great load had gone from him and felt relieved. 4. Describe the fate and change in the story. Ans. Fate played a decisive role in the story. The astrologer as a youngster, while he was drunk fought with a man, stabbed him, pushed him into a well and left him thinking that he was dead. But, the game of the fate was that, some erby saved him. Then the youngster ran away from the village to a distant town and lived in the disguise of an astrologer. Fate again brought the man to the astrologer, he challenged the astrologer to tell if he would succeed in his search. The astrologer identified the person, told all his bad incidents and cautioned him to go back to the village, not to come to south again for his good fate. 5. Does this story make you think that all astrologers are false? Write about it? Ans. This story is about a person who has taken astrology as a mask to protect himself and earn a living. After running away from home he had taken it as a disguise. He doesn’t have any basic knowledge of astrology. He is only skilled in reading people’s problems and giving some advice to console them. But that doesn’t mean that all astrologers are false. There are many astrologers who have taken it as profession after a deep study for many years. 6. How has R.K Narayan portrayed the attractive appearance of the astrologer? Ans. The astrologer had a very imposing appearance. His forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion and his eyes sparked with a sharp,

abnormal glean which was really an outcome of a continued searching look for customers. Match the phrases with their meanings and use them in sentences of your own: a. On of – owing to The school will remain closed on 14.11.2013 on of Thulasi festival. b. To bear with – to put up with We have to bear with intolerable difficulties. c. In the midst of – in the middle of We saw a beautiful flower in the middle of a park. d. To be accustomed to – to get used to The students have to be accustomed to life skills. e. To take a new turn – to begin a new course My son’s life took a new turn yesterday. f. Bereft of – deprived of Bereft of her husband, the wife fell down unconsciously. Goodbye party for Miss Pushpa T.S I. Answer the following: 1. What do you think is the ‘Occasion’ for the poem? Ans. The occasion for the poem is a send off party to Miss Pushpa T.S who is going abroad. 2. What impression do you get about Miss Pushpa after reading the poem?or what kind of a person do you think Miss Pushpa is? Ans. Miss Pushpa is from well-to-do family. She is well known for her external and internal beauty. She is always cheerful pleasant looking, hard working and popular among people. 3. Write in 2 or 3 sentences about Miss Pushpa’s family.

Ans. Miss Pushpa comes from a very high family. Her father was a famous advocate in Bulsar or Surat. 4. Pick out the lines from the poem which reveal or indicate that Miss Pushpa was liked by all? Ans. She is most popular lady with men also and ladies also reveal that Miss Pushpa was liked by all. 5. What traits of Miss Pushpa does the poet appreciate? Ans. The poet appreciates Miss Pushpa for her cheerfulness. He says that she is a sweet person. She does not have any arrogance. She is popular among men and women. She shows good spirit of working. 6. How would you consider the poem? A farewell address or a welcome speech? Justify your answer. Ans. The poem is a farewell address. The speaker and the audience are quite knowledgeable about her character attitude and achievement. In the poem there is a mention that they have assembled there to wish her bon voyage. 7. There are few ‘expressions’ in the poem which are typically Indian. Identify these expressions. Ans. The expressions which are typically Indians are: a. b. c. d.

Departing for foreign You are all knowing Smiling and smiling Very high family

e. f. g. h.

once only I stayed in Surat. with men also and ladies only just now only I will do it that is showing good spirit

8. Would you consider Miss Pushpa as a handsome person? Justify your answer. Ans. Miss Pushpa is a good looking person. The statement ‘what a sweetness is in Miss Pushpa – not only external sweetness but internal sweetness’ tells us that she must be a good looking person.

9. Would you consider this poem as making a gentle fun of the people who cannot speak English properly? Justify your answer. Ans. In this poem the poet is making a gentle fun of the people who cannot speak English properly, he doesn’t mean to hurt anyone. He is trying to show us how Indians have Indianised the English language. English language is not a mother tongue or native language. There is a tendency in people to transliterate the language while speaking.

C2.Imagine you are Miss Pushpa. Prepare a thanks giving speech in response to this speech in the poem. Ans. My dear colleagues and friends, it gives me pleasure to be a part of this send off party. You have recognized my ability, achievement and all my qualities and appreciated it. Thank you very much for wishing me better luck. I have learnt a lot here. Thank you one and all. C3. Explain the following lines with reference to context: 1. Surat? Ah, yes only I stayed in Surat _____________ a. Who does ‘I’ here refer to? Ans. ‘I’ here refer to Pushpa’s colleague. b. Why is the reference of Surat made here? Ans. Miss Pushpa’s father was a renowned advocate from a very high family in Surat. Once the speaker stayed in Surat with family of his/her uncle’s family. c. Is this remark apt in the context? Ans. No, it is not contextual. 2. “Just now only I will do it”. a. Who does ‘’I’ here refer to?

Ans. Here ‘I’ refers to Miss Pushpa b. What does “it” mean here? Ans. Here ‘it’ means any task given to Miss Pushpa for completion. c. What does this show of the ‘I’ referred here? Ans. It shows that Miss Pushpa’s dedication to her work. She does any work given to her quickly and cheerfully. C4. As explained earlier in this poem, the poet is making a gentle fun of the people who cannot speak English properly. Here are a few phrases/lines from the poem. Correct the mistakes wherever necessary and rewrite them. Lines from the poem 1. In two three days 2. You are all knowing 3. External sweetness 4. Internal sweetness 5. Smiling and smiling 6. Very high family 7. I am not ing 8. Once only I stayed in Surat 9. With men also and ladies also 10.Just now only I will do it 11.That us showing good spirit 12.I am always appreciating 13. … anybody is asking 14. ….. always saying yes 15. …… will do summing up

Corrected lines/phrases in two or three days All of you are knowing looks beautiful goodness of heart go on smiling very well-to-do I don’t Only once I stayed in Surat with both men and women I will do it now that shows good spirit I always appreciate anybody asks always say yes will sum up

A Dream of flight I. Answer the following questions: 1. dWhich book took the author into ‘A dream of flight’? Ans. The book “The invention of the Aeroplane’ 1799-1909’ written by Charles H Gibbs Smith took the author into a dream of flight . 2. When did the author find the book? Ans. The author found the book amidst a heap of leather bound volumes in an old book shop two days before. 3. What did the book explain? Ans. The book explained in great detail man’s eternal longing and hope that led to innumerable trials, most of which ended as disasters and subsequent experimentation arising from various inventions used for flight before the advent of ‘Aeroplane’ as we know of it today. 4. How was the bird man dressed to fly? Ans. The bird man had tied himself with bat like wings made from wood and cloth, covered with bird’s feathers. 5. What happened to the bird man when he jumped from the tower? Ans. When the bird man jumped from the tower instead of flying free in the sky like a bird, he tumbled down inverted totally out of control and crashed on the ground and died. 6. Who were the first aerial engers?

Ans. The first aerial engers were a sheep, a hen and a duck. II. Answer the following: 1. Describe the balloon in which first aerial engers flew. Ans. It was a mammoth globular fabric envelope with its bottom open and decorated with colourful motifs. As the sphere was filled with hot air produced by the flames from fire arranged below and heaven from side to side, four persons cut off the ropes which held it down. The crowd watches open mouthed as the spherical balloon started to fly upwards and drifted across the sky. A sheep, hen and a duck placed in the basket of the balloon became the first air engers. 2. How did Otto Lilienthal make an attempt to fly? Ans. Otto Lilienthal prepared a strange craft built from wood and fabric. He brought it out of a shed built atop a big hill. Comprising of two 6m long bat like wings on top of one another with a horizontal and a vertical surface behind, this craft had a ring shaped frame between the wings. Lilienthal stepped inside the frame and with his arms ing the ring , ran forward. Within a few steps, Lilienthal’s craft started floating in the air. Hanging beneath, Lilienthal glided for a long distance and touched down at the bottom of the hill. 3. How has the author describes “Orville Wrights” flight in to the air? Ans. The Wright brothers had invented a two-winged machine which stood on a long wooden rafter and took it to Kitty Hawk dunes in North Carolina. Orville Wright was lying prone in the middle over the bottom wing. A small internal combustion engine by his side turned a pair of two bladed paddle wheels through long bicycle chains. Wilbur Wright freed the rope holding the machine and it surged forward. Moving about 12 miles per hour, it suddenly lifted up and started flying in the air. Answer the following: 1. ‘Man had at last devised a contraption with which he could launch himself from a hill and glide down to the ground’.

a. Who has made this contraption? Ans. Sir George Coyly had made this contraption. b. How did it work? Ans. Sir George Coyly put his carriage chauffeur inside and gave a big push. The vehicle started rolling on its wheels and rushed towards the valley below when it gathered speed and started floating in the air, it touched down on the other side of the valley. 2. List out the persons from the lesson who made brave ‘attempts to fly’? Ans. In 1496 A.D. many men attempted to fly by tying wings on them. But they could not succeed. In 1783 A.D. three animals - a sheep, a hen and a duck were sent in a hot air balloon in . In 1853 A.D. Sir George Coyly built a contraption which floated for sometime before touching down. In 1891 A.D. Otto Lilienthal built a glider successfully. In 1903 A.D. The Wright Brothers built a machine which flew for a while. 3. What does the lesson inspire you to do? Ans. The lesson ‘A Dream of flight’ inspires us to dream of greater things and put efforts in achieving it or making the dream a reality.

PHOTOGRAPH I. Answer the following: 1. How many are there in the photograph? Ans. There are three people, the poet’s mother and poet’s cousins Betty and Dolly in the photograph. 2. How is the poet related to the people in the photograph? Ans. One is poet’s mother and the other two are the poet’s girl cousins. 3. Who was taking the snapshot? Ans. The poet’s uncle was taking the snapshot. 4. Is the mother described in the photo alive?

Ans. No, she is dead. 5. Which aspect of the mother does the poet like very much? Ans. The poet likes the smiling and sweet face of the mother very much.

II. Answer the following: 1. Why does the writer say? “And of this circumstance There is nothing to say at all Its silence silences”. Ans. The writer said this because his mother is no more and he/she does not have words to express to describe the feeling. 2. Does the poet notice any change in the mother after the poet was born? What do you think, could have made the change in the mother’s face, if any was there? Ans. The poet notices the change in the mother’s face after the poet was born. This could have been because of age and ill health as she had lost the sweet face and stopped smiling. 3. Why are the feet described ‘transient feet’. Ans. The ‘feet’ is described with an adjective ‘transient’ here to represent that the impression they make on the sand is quite temporary, they get washed off by the waves. Even if the feet represent the human life, human life is also short one compared the unchanging longevity of the sea. III. Answer the following: 1. What is the mood of the poet? Ans. The mood of the poet is that of sadness. The poet calls the past again and he/she feels sad because his/her mother is no more.

2. Which line in the poem do you like the most? Why? Ans. I like the line ‘there is nothing to say’ at all. It is silence. The poet expresses his mother’s past joyful movements and in these lines he remains silent because his mother is no more. 3. Is there any change in the life of the poet’s mother over the years? What kind of a person, you think, she was. Describe the mother in the poem in your own words. Ans. The poem depicts a change in the poet’s mother’s life. She had a smiling face, a sweet face which indicates that she was happy in her life. But as time ed she changed with responsibilities and worries. She would laugh at the photograph, recalling her past, but her present was, not happy. The ‘transient feet’ indicates that her happiness was also short living one.

BALAI

I. Answer the following: 1. How is Balai related to the writer? Ans. Balai is Tagore’s elder brother’s son. When Tagore’s brother went to England for higher studies, the motherless child was left in the care of Tagore and his wife. 2. What kind of a boy was Balai? Ans. Balai was a sensitive boy and extremely attached to plants. The trees, flowers, sky, rain, grass were living creatures to him and he used to talk to them. He would get upset if anyone broke a branch or plucked a flower or even hit a tree. He was anguished when the grass cutter mowed the grass. 3. What traits in Balai do you ire most?

Ans. Balai was extremely attached to plant and trees. He was hurt when some one broke a branch or plucked a flower or even hit a tree. He was very much upset when the grass cutter came to mow the lawn. This quality towards plant and trees is very irable. 4. Why didn’t Balai want the grass-cutter to cut the plants? Ans. Balai had an emotional attachment with plants and grass. He had watched countless wonders in the grass, small creepers, nameless violet and yellow flowers, tiny in size, here and there, a night shade, whose blue flowers have a little golden dot at the centre, medicinal plants near the fence, a kalmegh here and an anantamul there, neem seeds left by birds, sprouting into plants, spreading on the lawn of grass. So he didn’t want the grass cutter to cut the plants. 5. What do you think is the message in the story? Ans. The message in the story is that every creation of nature is equal and important. The plants also have life and have to be treated with respect.