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Solutions to

Me ‘n’ MineEnglish

COMMUNICATIVEPULLOUT WORKSHEETS

FOR CLASS IXSecond Term

By

Dr. M.M. Sharma M.A., Ph.D.

New Saraswati House (India) Pvt. Ltd.EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS

Second Floor, M.G.M. Tower, 19, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110002Ph: 43556600 • Fax: 43556688

E-mail: [email protected]: www.saraswatihouse.com

Branches• Ahmedabad: (079) 22160722 • Bengaluru: (080) 26619880 • Chennai: (044) 24346531• Dehradun: 09837452852 • Guwahati: (0361) 2457198 • Hyderabad: (040) 42615566• Jaipur: (0141) 4006022 • Jalandhar: (0181) 4642600 • Kochi: (0484) 3925288• Kolkata:(033) 22842222 • Lucknow: (0522) 4062517 • Mumbai: (022) 26874022• Patna: (0612) 2570403 • Ranchi: (0651) 2210300

Based onCCE

- 2 -

CONTENTS

SECTION A – READING Unseen Passages Worksheets 1 to 12 ......................... 03–07 Formative Assessment Comprehension, Spellcheck, Adjective

Hunt Worksheet 13 ........................................ 07SECTION B – WRITING & GRAMMAR

Diary Entry Worksheets 14 to 16 ............................. 08 Article Writing Worksheets 17 to 19 ........................ 09-10 Short Story Worksheets 20 to 22 ........................ 10-12 Formative Assessment Worksheet 23 to 29 ......................... 12-16 Grammar Filling Blanks with Suitable Words Worksheets 30 to 31 ............................. 16 Editing-Detecting & Correcting Errors Worksheets 32 to 33 ............................. 17 Omission: Supplying Missing Word Worksheets 34 to 35 ........................ 17-18 Sentence Reordering Worksheets 36 to 37 ........................ 18-19 Sentence Transformation Worksheet 38 ........................................ 19 Formative Assessment Worksheet 39-48 ............................. 19-21SECTION C – LITERATURE TEXT-BOOK AND LONG READING TEXT Fiction

The Man Who Knew Too Much Worksheets 49 to 52 ........................ 22-24

Formative Assessment Worksheet 53 ................................... 24-25 Keeping It From Harold Worksheets 54 to 57 ........................ 25-28 Formative Assessment Worksheet 58 ................................... 28-29 Bestseller Worksheets 59 to 62 ........................ 29-32 Formative Assessment Worksheet 63 ................................... 32-33 Poetry

The Seven Ages Worksheets 64 to 68 ........................ 33-36 Formative Assessment Worksheet 69 ........................................ 37 Oh, I Wish I’d Looked After Me Teeth Worksheet 70-71 ............................. 37-39 Formative Assessment Worksheet 72 ........................................ 39 Song Of The Rain Worksheets 73 to 74 ........................ 40-41 Formative Assessment Worksheet 75 ................................... 41-42 Drama

The Bishop’s Candlestick Worksheets 76 to 81 ........................ 42-46 Formative Assessment Worksheet 82 ........................................ 47 Long Reading Texts

Gulliver’s Travels Worksheets 83 to 88 ........................ 48-50 Three Men In A Boat Worksheets 89 to 94 ........................ 50-52Problem Solving Assessment Worksheets 95 to 98 ............................. 52• 5 PRACTICE PAPERS .................... 53-72

3OITULOS N ST E R M2ND

READINGA

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS

UNSEEN PASSAGES

WORKSHEET–1

1. 1. She had bargained with the grocer, the vegetable man and the butcher for one or two pennies each.

2. Della had saved every penny so that she could buy a gift for her husband Jim on Christmas eve. 3. She flopped down on the couch and cried a lot. 4. It shows that Della loved her husband Jim beyond measure and wanted to give him a

unique gift he is worthy of. 5. It means to breathe air in through your nose (sniff) in a way that makes a sound, especially

when you are crying. 2. 1. The passage is written about the father of nation–Mahatma Gandhiji. 2. Though he was intensely religious, yet no narrow religious or national bonds confined his

spirit. He believed in the essential unity of man. 3. His dominating passion of truth and morality was his greatest power. 4. Belief in the service of the poor and the oppressed, strictly following truth and respect

for humanity is the lesson taught to the mankind. 5. It means ‘unchangeable’, that which can never be changed.

WORKSHEET–2

1. 1. As rupee-coins are cumbersome due to weight and it takes much time to count them, the Government allow to pay in paper notes.

2. Both have equal value of ‘100’ rupees. 3. Because metals are the best form of money and it would be impossible to print just the

right amount of paper money that would keep prices at their proper natural level. 4. As the supply of money increases, its purchasing value goes down and prices of everything

increases. 5. The word ‘abolished’ means to officially end something like law, rule or something of use.

2. 1. As worship elevates and liberates the human spirit and mind, man worship the force of nature. 2. Science is inclined toward reason and rationality and takes recourse to progress and

well-being of mankind. 3. To educate, enlighten and raise the human spirit and to develop his mind. 4. Both are supportive to each other but employ different methods of enquiry. 5. Mocked

WORKSHEET–3

1. 1. He describes Guru Gobind Singh as a saint, a soldier, a benefactor to India, a thinker as well as a man of action.

2. He believed in doing and setting example rather than saying precept. 3. It is called ‘Dasam Granth’ which bears testimony to his powers as a poet. 4. He eradicated caste system and freed his followers from superstitious beliefs. 5. ‘Testimony’ means something used as a proof to validate the truth of a fact or an object.

4 E N G L SI H IX–MO M UC N I AC T I V E

2. 1. It is money through which we can purchase all necessary comforts and amenities of life. 2. Man becomes confident, capable, courageous and creditworthy if he has wealth. 3. No, one cannot purchase inner satisfaction and lost youthfulness through money. 4. Those who use money wisely to live a modest life and use it for the common good are the

masters of money. 5. Amenities are basic features that makes living comfortable in a place.

WORKSHEET–4

1. 1. Preparedness for war to maintain peace is strange as well as paradoxical. 2. In order to safeguard from the attacks of other neighbouring countries, a peace loving

nation has to be ready for the war. 3. China attacked India in 1962 as it knew that India was never equipped for facing a war. 4. The removal of cause of war, discontent and disparities among neighbouring countries

could lead to the real peace. 5. Sovereignty means absolute power and authority to rule over a territory.

2. 1. Nelson ordered his men two times to cease firing on the redoubtable. From the same ship a ball was fired at him and brought about his death.

2. The ‘mizzen-top’ is the platform round the lower part of the mast nearest to the stern. 3. Nelson was certain that it would be impossible to save his life. He, therfore, insisted that

the surgeon should leave him and attend to others. 4. His patriotism, humanity and powers of endurance are revealed by this passage. 5. It means ‘thinking that the men in the ship had surrendered.

WORKSHEET–5

1. 1. It is famous for dense mangroves located here in East Sunderbans. 2. An initiative of WWF, this school has over 600 students. 3. The magnificent Royal Bengal Tiger. 4. People of this place depend either on wood smuggling or on prawn seed collection. 5. It means ‘to illegally hunt birds, animals or fish’ without legal permission.

2. 1. We have become so much dependent on machines, that it looks as if we become their servant. 2. As our life has become completely dependent on machines for smallest work, we cannot

do without them if it get damaged, so their use has become a curse than a blessing. 3. Civilization meant thinking freely, making life good for ourselves as well as for others

and maintaining justice in the society. 4. Man has more time, more energy, less to fear and less to fight against, all because of the

machines we use today. 5. ‘Stern masters’ means fastidious people who are hard to please, who are very strict in nature.

WORKSHEET–6

1. 1. Dr. Holmes introduced the term but Dr. W.T.C. Morton became the ‘Father of Anaesthesia’ who demonstrated it first.

2. Chloroform produces rapid heart beats (cardiac arrhythmias) and leads to heart collapse and death.

3. If the patient had previous operations, any major illness or allergies, he should tell it to the anaesthesiologist before getting operated.

4. He should normally fast on the day of his operation. 5. It means ‘a person who is injured in an accident’ or a ‘victim’ of some major accident that

causes physical injuries.2. 1. A library adds much to the interest of life by spreading knowledge through books.

2. He has never studied in any university. He read several books from various libraries to gain knowledge.


3. Our country suffers from the curse of illiteracy and the evil of little learning and knowledge. 4. Libraries contain books of the past and the present, about the dead and the living; these

books are a great storehouse of accumulated knowledge and wisdom of ages. 5. It means ‘to attract somebody’. Here, a library attracts the time of its readers by way of

interesting books which it contains.

WORKSHEET–7

1. 1. The programme is called Integrated Approach as it integrates breathing, asanas, pranayama, meditation and devotion in the umbrella of Yoga.

2. The disturbance in the energy level leads to chronic pain. 3. Yoga asanas suits any type of body and treats all types of ailments, thus are superior to

common drugs. 4. Asanas calm our body, pranayama inhibit random energy flows and meditation cultivates

and relaxes our mind. 5. It means ‘considering the whole system, rather than a part or individual parts.’

2. 1. Miss Joan stayed in Kashmir for three months. 2. In the temptation to touch her, he forgot himself and dropped a coffee cup on her. 3. She could not have explained something to her attendant which she wanted to express. 4. She gave her attendant a ten rupee note in order to express her gratitude for the kindness

and service offered by her attendant during her stay in Kashmir. There seems no feeling of friendship in it.

5. It means ‘influencing someone’s behaviour.

WORKSHEET–8

1. 1. It is called population explosion. 2. Problem of hunger, overcrowding and environmental pollution could be the problem caused

due to population explosion. 3. Rapid developments in modern medicine have conquered many diseases and decreased

the death rate. 4. China is the most populous country followed by India. 5. ‘Alarming’ means causing worry and fear. 2. 1. The women in the past worked either as house maids or as labourers.

2. Women are working in the field of administration, journalism, besides teaching and medicine. 3. Because women are, by nature, perfectly suitable for these professions and also lot of

respect is attached to these professions. 4. Since women are endowed with qualities like patience, sympathy, understanding, sincerity,

they are considered as successful administrators.5. ‘To reckon with’ somebody means to treat somebody or something as a serious opponent

or cause of trouble.

WORKSHEET–9

1. 1. The leaves of this plant are used in worship and also have medicinal properties to cure many ailments.

2. As Tulsi leaves have unique property of curbing thirst, a couple of leaves under the tongue lessen the thirst of the weary travellers.

3. The juice of Tulsi leaves is used in treatment of bronchitis and gastric disorders. 4. Basil tea made with fresh or dried leaves, brings about a mild perspiration and helps in

reducing fever as well. 5. ‘Soothing’ means giving relaxation and calmness to body and mind.

2. 1. If we lack discipline, we cannot face external threats and also influence our children in ill manner.


2. The stars and planets have their own fixed paths in which they move without collision with each other.

3. Our great teachers, Rishis and Yogis were disciplined in the past. 4. They are more punctual, law-abiding, regular and hard working, and are thus much

prosperous than we Indians. 5. ‘A cat and a dog life’ means to live, with others in a hostile manner, often fighting with

them over trifles.

WORKSHEET–10

1. 1. She loves nature and is most concerned for environmental protection. 2. Environmental degradation leads to diminishing resources which causes conflict between

two nations. 3. The eviction of thousands of persons from forests. 4. Because their traditional methods of catching fish in the sea are seen as environmentally bad. 5. Alienate means to desert someone from his group to which he belongs, to make someone

feel alone and separated.2. 1. Knowing what to do and in what manner at correct time assures one’s success.

2. Knowledge gives one power to utilise the resources in the right direction. 3. Countries deployed satellites and spy aircrafts to get the secret information of other countries. 4. Reading is the key to knowledge building. 5. It means moral and social behaviour acceptable to other people.

WORKSHEET–11

1. 1. The individual does not respond even if he is pierced with a pin in the state of unconsciousness.

2. Stupor and Coma respectively. 3. Coma is the state where lid of the unconscious person can be opened. 4. Direct injury to the brain caused by a blow on the head or a fall from a height, etc. may

result in concussion. 5. It means a temporary loss of sight or memory or both.

2. 1. It provides not only a change from regular text, but also a deep insight into life and human character.

2. It widens our outlook, broadens our sympathies and enlarges our mental horizon. 3. Novels, diaries, poems, plays, magazines, journals, etc. 4. A man who reads too much loses the pleasure of life in pursuing the pleasures of reading. 5. It means to make someone familiar with something.

WORKSHEET–12

1. 1. Author said that as others are strangers to us and neither we know them, nor have they harmed us, so we should not breed a prejudice against them.

2. Contempt implies a victory over and pleasure in the ill of others, it means getting happy on other’s failings.

3. Always remember that there are other people in the world besides yourself, who are equal or better than you.

4. This is the letter from a father to his son who is living in the boarding school. 5. It means a feeling of anger or unhappiness about something that you think is unfair.

2. 1. One can recognise neem tree by its distinctive, curved leaves and annual profusion of star-shaped sweet scented flowers.

2. People make use of neem leaves for the following purposes: (a) They are eaten on New year’s day to ward off sickness during the coming year. (b) Some people festoon fresh leaves across their houses when there is an epidemic of chickenpox

or to keep evil spirits away when there is a birth or death.


(c) Dried leaves put in drawers or cupboards keep out moths and cockroaches. (d) The leaves are used in poultice form for healing wounds. 3. The oil taken out from neem fruit or seed is used to treat leprosy, skin diseases, and rheumatism. 4. Leaves (tender or dried), yellow fruit, seed, bark, gum, timber (wood). 5. festoon.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

COMPREHENSION, SPELLCHECK, ADJECTIVE HUNT

WORKSHEET–13

1.1 Try yourself.

1.2 (a) Fiftieth anniversary—defi nite numeral adjective (b) Portentous events—descriptive adjective (showing quality) (c) Transformative development—descriptive adjective (showing quality) (d) A few mutterings—indefi nite numeral adjective (e) Commercial aircraft—descriptive adjective (f) Dental repairs—descriptive adjective (g) Worldwide communications—descriptive adjective (h) Powerful pointers—descriptive adjective (i) Glorifi ed parlour trick—qualitative adjective

(j) Nuclear fusion—qualitative adjective

2.1 Incorrect word Correct word Incorrect word Correct word

josteling jostling predikt predict accross across companys companies beleive believe prospectes prospects intensifi de intensifi ed oportunities opportunities menufecturing manufacturing prosperty prosperity aceleration acceleration

2.2 Diffi cult word Meaning

Jostling (here) to compete strongly and forcefully with other people for something

Predict to say what will happen in future Transparent (here) allowing you to see the truth easily Prospects the chances of being successful Opportunities possibilities/chances Aspirations strong desires to have something to do Prosperity the state of being successful, especially fi nancially Intensifi ed increased in degree or strength Acceleration an increase in how fast something happens Manufacturing making/producing goods


WRITING & GRAMMARB


DIARY ENTRY

WORKSHEET–14

1. Friday 25 March 20XX O! What an exciting match it was! I was thrilled to watch the encounter between the two

teams ranked as No. 1 and No. 2 in ICC rankings. My heartbeat increased as I watched Ricky Ponting scoring a hundred and Virender Sehwag making a quick exit. The brilliance of Sachin, painstaking efforts of Gautam and steady onslaught of Yuvi and Raina saw India through. It was a game worth watching.

2. Monday 15 July 20XX How wonderful the week of summer camp was! We had so many activities to keep ourselves

engaged in and no books or notebooks to burden our minds. The tension free atmosphere rejuvenated my soul and filled me with fresh energy, excitement and cheerfulness. I made new friends and learnt many new skills.

WORKSHEET–15

1. Tuesday 15 July 20XX I was shocked to see the six-year-old boy fighting with the waves while going down. I at once

realised that his life was in danger. A divine power inspired me to act. Without caring for the consequences, I dived into the river, swam to the boy and saved him. I felt elated that I had done a noble job in the service of humanity.

2. Sunday 15 July 20XX How amazing the white dome of the Taj appeared in the soft light of the full moon. The

peace and silence that prevailed all round lent it serenity. I felt as if I had been transported in the presence of the royal couple and allowed a peep in their private chambers. My visit filled me with excitement, joy and relief.

WORKSHEET–16

1. Tuesday 25 November 20XX My visit was an eye-opener. I was amazed at the grand success made by our country in the

field of textile technology. Sophisticated machines for complicated designs and patterns filled me with wonder. I realised that tailoring had become an art. I felt bewildered and amused like Alice in Wonderland. I felt glad that India had made a headway in this sphere.

2. Friday 15 November 20XX My visit to the local civil hospital was a pleasant experience. I was stunned by the excellent

maintenance of the hospital. Everything from corridors to beds and bath rooms was neat and clean. I felt impressed by the courteous, co-operative and helpful attitude of the staff. I couldn’t help admiring their spirit of dedication and sacrifice to the cause of removing suffering.


ARTICLE WRITING

WORKSHEET–17

1. The report in the newspaper regarding video games, internet, cellphones, iPods and other high tech gears attract the youth very much. They tend to purchase such gadgets and use them frequently. This tendency among youth is quite alarming as it hampers their studies. These gadgets are quite distracting and unless one is very cautious in using these gadgets, one slips out completely. No doubt such advancements in science and technology keep us abreast in the social circles but a judicious use of technology will certainly do good to the young people.

2. The survey regarding the level of education in our country is really shocking which reveals the abysmal levels of learning in our schools. In a country like India 30% children do not attend schools, and in some states percentage of girl’s education is below national average. People are really not aware of the importance of education which is essential for a developed country. An all out effort on the part of government and NGOs is the need of the hour. For this a large infrastructure is required at accessible places to attract the children to get education. Disparity among social groups too exists. Education for all should be the motto of our government and serious efforts are required to achieve the goal.

WORKSHEET–18

1. DRIVING INDIA CRAZY

Driving is no more a pleasure on Indian roads. Death stalks on the roads of major metros of India. Ironically, the capital of India has the dubious distinction of causing maximum deaths on its roads. About two thousand people lost their lives in accidents on the roads of Delhi. Bangalore and Chennai are gradually catching up with Delhi. 490 people in Bombay, 223 in Ahmedabad and 148 people died in road accidents in Kochi. Many persons may not be as lucky as Sehshadri who has survived more than 25 major accidents. The major cause of so many road accidents is the lack of road culture in India. People don’t follow the rules of the road. Rash and drunken drivers are the merchants of death. Drinking and driving has become the culture of the roads in India. The condition of roads are far from satisfactory. Pits and potholes cause many accidents. Haste and overtaking ultimately result in accidents and deaths. Better roads with adequate road signs and warnings are the need of the hour.

2. OVERPOPULATION AND UNHEALTHY CONDITIONS Overpopulation is the major threat that the nation is facing today. If we can’t put a hold on

our bursting population, India will overtake China within thirty years. It will become the most populous country in the world. The population explosion has made a mockery of all our plans, developments and achievements. More and more people bring more and more poverty and miseries. The growing population is degrading the environment and the living standards of the people.


India has crossed a billion mark several years ago. We produce an Australia every year. More people means more mouths to feed. How will India feed its ever increasing population? People are increasing but the arable land, forests and natural resources are shrinking fast. And what about the health services? The less said the better. It will become increasingly difficult to provide ideal health services to so many people. Forests and green belts are disappearing. The environment and the ecology is being systematically destroyed. Providing shelters to so many people is a huge problem. Extremely unhealthy and unhygienic conditions prevail in all the metros of India.

The Government must find out ways and means to control the rising population. China has imposed the one child system with wonderful success. They have freezed the population. Why can’t India? Anyone having more than one child must be heavily taxed. Those who cross the limit must be debarred from the public services. The family planning programme must be implemented in its true spirit.

WORKSHEET–19

1. Drug addiction is a very serious problem among youth. They start early out of curiosity and become addicts within no time. There is no single reason for this malaise. It starts with getting pleasure or getting over boredom. They soon show signs of depression and they become moody. They lose interest in sports and their daily routine is affected. Their appetite too is severely marred. They show tamper tantrums quite often. Strike drug before it strangle you.

2. Truancy and bunking classes is a serious problem among the students of senior classes. They spend their time loitering here and there during school hours. The causes are many such as: homework not done; fear of punishment, unprepared for class test; fear of failure and above all uninteresting subject and dislike for teachers. It is hightime that they be counselled properly. Their problems should be tackled by sympathetic understanding. They should be subject to reward and punishment. Only then this problem can be tackled properly.

SHORT STORY

WORKSHEET–20

1. Humayun a surprise visit to his camp while he was sleeping in his camp. All his troops too were drowned in deep sleep. Sher Shah attacked Humayun at night. The surprised Humayun along with his troops escaped somehow. While crossing the bridge, Humayun’s horse fell into the river. Humayun struggled to get out of deep waters. A water carrier happened to see this and jumped with his water bag to save Humayun. He put Humayun on his water bag and thus saved his life. A grateful Humayun asked the water carrier what he could do for him. The water carrier asked to make him king for 3 hours as he wanted to experience the king’s life. When Humayun reached Delhi he made the water carrier king for three hours. Water carrier issued leather coins bearing his name on the coins.

2. king was worried and so summoned all the doctors of his realm to diagnose the disease and cure him. They tried every medicine but to no avail. Zubaid did not get well. Many months passed by but the condition of Zubaid got worse, Darius lost all hopes to see his son recuperate. He thought that Zubaid’s end was near. He started giving alms to poor in the hope of his revival. At last Darius walked around Zubaid’s bed seven times and prayed to God for saving his only child by uttering, “save my son and take my life instead.” Gradually, as the days followed, Zubaid showed signs of recovery and finally he got well. But the condition of Darius deteriorated day by day and he died soon after.


WORKSHEET–21

1. which was besides a river. A crocodile, who lived in the river happened to sun bathe below the mango tree. Gradually they became intimate friends. The monkey, used to give crocodile ripe mangoes for crocodile’s family every day. The wife of crocodile was a wicked one. She wanted to eat the monkey itself. Crocodile did not approve of his wife’s intentions. But his wife was adamant. At last crocodile succumbed to her request and agreed to bring the monkey for lunch. To bring monkey home, the crocodile carried him on his back. In midstream, the crocodile told the monkey of his wife’s intention. The wise monkey reprimanded the crocodile that the crocodile should have told him earlier as his heart was hanging on the tree. For this crocodile had to go back to the tree to fetch the heart. When crocodile reached the bank of the river, the monkey climbed on the tree saying how a fool the crocodile was, as the heart was inside monkey’s body. Thus a great friendship ended abruptly.

2. A woman brought her child to a saint to request him to cure child who was fond of too much sweets. The child used to get very upset if he was not provided sweets of his liking. Alarmed at this, the woman was desperate to check this tendency in her child. She asked the saint to persuade her child to stop eating sweets. The saint asked the woman to come after a week with her child. Disappointed and confused the mother took the child away and returned the next week. Upon seeing that they had returned, the saint asked the child to stop eating sweets. To her dismay, the woman found that the boy did not eat sweets from then on. She went to ask the saint that he could have asked the child to stop eating sweets then when she visited him the previous week. The saint replied that in the earlier week he himself used to eat sweets, so how could he ask the child to stop eating sweets.Moral: Example is better than Precept.

WORKSHEET–22

1. THE OLD MAN, THE YOUNG BOY AND THE DONKEY Once there was an old man and a young boy who were travelling with a donkey. The young

man was leading the donkey and the old man was riding on the donkey. When they passed through a small village, some of the towns people yelled abuse, ‘Look at this old man taking advantage of this poor young boy! What a rascal!‘ After they had passed through the village, the old man said, ‘We had better swap over, otherwise they will abuse us in the next village.’ So then they swapped with the old man leading and the young boy riding. But in the next village also they got criticised, ‘Look at this selfish boy, taking advantage of his grandfather. He should let the old man ride on the donkey.’ So then they both got off and led the donkey, but in the next village the people yelled out, ‘Look at these two stupid people! They have a donkey, but they are choosing to walk instead!’ Then the old man concluded, ‘Actually, it doesn’t matter what you do, people will always be critical.’

2. THE MONKEY KING AND THE OGRE In a lake there once lived a horrible ogre. His face was black, his belly blue, and his hands

and feet were red. He had great tusks for teeth. Whenever any animal came to drink water, the ogre suddenly came out of the lake, seized him, and drew him down by force.

Once a troop of monkeys came to the lake, led by their king. The monkeys were all thirsty. But the monkey king, who was very observant, noted that the footprints of various animals led to the lake but none led away from it. He was suspicious and worried. He gave strict orders that no one was to drink water from the lake until he gave the word. So the monkeys now waited by the waters of the lake, impatient, thirsty. Their discipline was good, however, and the monkey king’s orders were scrupulously followed.

Hours passed. Everything was still and hushed. It was a tussle of wills between the monkey king and the unknown monster whose existence the former had assumed. It was the ogre


who gave way first. Unable to restrain his greed, he popped up from the center of the lake and said in a stentorian voice, ‘Why do you not drink? I am the guardian of these waters. I tell you that the water is pure, refreshing, cool, and sweet. Drink, my friends, drink.’

‘No, my good fellow,’ replied the king, ‘your wished will not be fulfilled in the way that you want.’

‘What do you mean?’ queried the ogre. ‘You won’t be able to catch us. We will drink the water of the lake and yet not fall into your

clutches.’ ‘How will you do that?’ bellowed the ogre, amused in spite of himself at the monkey king’s

audacity. ‘You will see,’ replied the monkey king. The monkeys then plucked reeds from the marshes

and drank the water through the reeds. Thus was the ogre frustrated.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS

DEVELOPING WRITING SKILLS

WORKSHEET–23

1. TAKING CARE OF PETS ON DIWALIDear friends!

The bursting of loud crackers on Diwali frightens the pets and the scared animals start behaving strangely. In order to check the consequent problems to the pet owners, it is advisable to follow the following guidelines.

Bursting loud crackers is to be avoided near the pets. The radio/TV should be switched on to camoufl age the noise of crackers. You can comfort your pet by staying close to it. If the pet is restless, give it sedatives to help it sleep. Smaller pets like birds and rabbits need extra care. They should be fed early and their cage should be covered with a dark cloth so that they sleep quietly. Cracker waste is to be disposed of carefully. It must be kept out of reach of animals. In case some pet is injured, it must be taken to a vet for immediate treatment. The pets give you love and affection. They demand care, compassion and love.

2. NUISANCE OF STREET DOGSDevelop the following value points:

stray dogs—fi lthy, hungry, uncared for loiter around—obstruct free movement bark loudly—young children scared—sleep disturbed roads and streets—fi lthy and unclean request: round up the stray dogs let some animal lover NGO take care of them

GROUP DISCUSSION

WORKSHEET–24

1. TV WATCHING CAN BE HARMFUL FOR STUDENTSFor the motionIn my opinion, TV viewing has really harmed the children. Excess of TV viewing causes


physical, emotional and intellectual setbacks. Due to weak eyesight, many children have to wear spectacles. They fi nd it diffi cult to study or do homework as TV leaves no time for either of these. The students tend to develop anxiety, tension and fear. Some of them begin telling lies or playing truants to cover their inability.

Children have an impressionable mind. They catch wrong impressions/habits quite easily. TV programmes present a make-believe world which is entirely different from the real world. Life is not so easy as depicted on the screen. Confrontation with real life causes frustration and disillusionment.

The most harmful effect of TV viewing is the exposure of young minds to violence. It harms proper human development. We fi nd many adolescent youths taking to crimes, forgeries and dacoities following what they see on screen.

I, therefore, wholeheartedly support the motion.

Against the motionMy knowledgeable friend has given weighty arguments to prove that TV viewing is really harmful for children. TV viewing may harm the eyesight, but only if it is watched in a wrong way. If TV is viewed at a proper distance and in suffi cient light, it has no adverse effect on the eyesight.

Secondly, TV viewing does not disturb the homework. The time allotted to TV viewing and the selection of programmes should be given proper care. TV programmes can provide knowledge, entertainment and inspiration. Young children can be helped to think freely. Their latent faculties can be developed.

Thirdly, TV viewing provides a wholesome educative entertainment. It widens the faculties of understanding, fellow feeling, cooperation and mutual love. Violence is not depicted every time on TV. It is the environment at home and in society which is responsible for spreading violence and social evils. So why blame TV. I, therefore, oppose the motion. I assert that TV viewing is not at all harmful.

2. Develop the following value points: Education system in India—examination-oriented—focus on content rather than skills—more

bookish than practical—does not confront learners with real-life situations—pressure of examination—peer pressure—expectation of parents—different boards—different standards of evaluation—no uniformity in syllabi/evaluation

BUDDING ARTISTS AND POETS

WORKSHEET–25

1.1 For self-attempt.

1.2 For self-attempt. 2. MYSTERY UNRAVELLED Far away from the village, there was a deserted house at the foot of the hills. Mystery

surrounded this vast dilapidated structure and people were scared to visit this secluded house even in broad daylight. It was enveloped in mystery. Many supernatural myths had got intertwined and it was labelled a haunted house. No human being was visible, nor could the sound of any activity be heard. Yet, at night there was light in the building. People had their own assumptions. The elders dismissed most of them as frivolous. They called it an optical illusion. Young boys thought otherwise. The apparent calm seemed deceptive to them. They decided to fi nd the reality. During daytime, they studied the paths and location of doors. At


night, they took torches, sticks and toyguns. Covered in black cloaks and with masks of tigers on their faces, they entered the building. Cautiously and stealthily, they examined every nook and corner. Then they peeped downstairs. They were surprised to see a group of persons working silently. The boys contacted the SHO of the Police Station and informed him about their suspicion. They took the precaution of locking the door from outside. Reality came as a rude shock. The persons there were printing fake currency. Some of them were packing drugs in small packets. The police rounded off the suspects. The mystery of the deserted house was unravelled.

FIND THE SOLUTION

WORKSHEET–26

1. Solution will depend on responses to questions that follow the conversation. One such solution is given below.Asha will embrace Vibhuti and try to calm her down. She knows full well that force doesn’t work in such circumstances. Reasons have no appeal when one feels emotionally hurt. Gifts and sweets may soften a kid but not a youngster in teens. Hence the only solution is emotional approach. She should behave like a friend or a sister and persuade her gradually.

2. ...if she would accompany her to school in the evening. Asha consulted her engagement diary and exclaimed that she had an important meeting of Ladies Club the next day followed by dinner. Vibhuti told her mother that her presence was so inspiring for her. She pleaded/asked if she couldn’t postpone her meeting for once. Very affectionately Asha told her to be reasonable. She explained that she was the chairperson. If she didn’t go, there would be a mess. Vibhuti suggested that she could ring some of her close friends and brief them on the points she wanted to be sorted out. Asha yielded a little and said that she had a point there, but...Vibhuti cut short her reasoning by saying that she should not make any lame excuses then. She reminded her that last year too neither she nor (her) daddy had come to her school. She said that other students had been escorted by their parents, so even their rank bad performances had been applauded. Since no one had clapped for her, she felt as if she had been an orphan. Asha exclaimed with regret that she was sorry. She promised that next time she would certainly... .

This infuriated Vibhuti who exclaimed that there would be no next time. For her it was now or never.

3. I was in Class IX. My First Semester Exam was to begin the next day. The fi rst paper was of Maths. I dreaded studying Maths. Preparation for the examination put me at my wit’s ends. I kept staring at the syllabus and the ceiling. I found myself completely at sea. Now I remembered my parents’ advice. They had told me to read carefully, study solved examples and attempt the practice questions. In case I felt any diffi culty, I could consult them or my classmates or teacher. I felt shy of doing so. The result was that my problems and ignorance kept on compounding and here I was—a completely lost person. My mother was the fi rst one to realise my predicament. She soothed my fears and asked me to have courage. Then came my father. He was sweeter than ever. He advised me to forget my fear of Maths. Perhaps the dislike for it was the root cause. He advised me to go through the solved examples and learn to proceed stepwise. He kept sitting there. I did as he told me. Now I found the subject easy and interesting. Next day, I did well in my exam.


QUIZ, WRITE-UP

WORKSHEET–27

1. (a) (iii) Sharad Purnima (b) (ii) Durga Puja (c) (i) Karva Chauth (d) (ii) Lord Krishna (e) (iii) winter (f) (ii) peak (g) (i) spring (h) (iii) universal brotherhood and love

2. Most of the Indian festivals are connected with either the seasons or important personalities. The seasonal festivals remind us of the march of nature. The Hindu New Year begins with the Chaitra (spring) Navaratra. Then comes Baisakhi when wheat ripens in northern India and the farmers celebrate it as a festival of joy and fulfi lment. Rakhi and Bhai Duj strengthen the bond of love between brother and sister. Dussehra marks the victory of good over evil. Diwali, the festival of lights, teaches us to dispel ignorance (and darkness) by the light of knowledge. The other festivals such as Ramnavami, Krishna Janamashtami, Buddha Jayanti or Guru Nanak Day remind us of the ideals and teachings of these great spiritual leaders.

3. In our area the festivals of Guga Peer, Bhairon and Sheetla Mata are celebrated by the people of all religions. Guga is worshipped after Janamashthami while Bhairon is worshipped after spring Navaratras. The offerings are simple—parched rice/gram and jaggery. ‘Sheetla Mata’ is worshipped on Mondays/Tuesdays after the spring Navaratras. It is said that the intensity of dedication and not the richness of offerings is the criterion for blessings. The devotees lead simple, pure and dedicated lives. They believe in love, fellow feeling, cooperation and help.

CONVERSATION

WORKSHEET–28

1.1 (a) Polluted water is killing more people globally than all forms of violence, including war and terror.

(b) Children are the worst sufferers. More than 3 million people die across the world every year due to waterborne disease. 1.2 millions of them are children. One child dies every 20 seconds.

(c) Waste water is likely to be one of the biggest dangers to environment. Waste water is a cocktail of fertiliser run off and sewage disposal.

(d) Only 30 per cent waste water is treated in India. It has a child malnourishment rate of 46 per cent. Drinking water in one-third of India’s 600 districts has a high fl ouride content. The result is that 65 million people are suffering from fl urosis. This causes crippling problems.

(e) More than one lakh people die of waterborne diseases in India every year. (f) Two million tonnes of water is spilled into sewage system everyday. It generates two billion

litres of polluted water everyday. (g) These districts do not have a system of early detection of ill-effects of contaminated water.

By the time the disease is detected, it is too late for cure. (h) World population is likely to double in next 40 years. (i) Things are changing at a slow pace. (j) It is about one billion tonnes.


DEVELOPING LISTENING SKILLS

WORKSHEET–29

1. oasis 2. (c) scorchingly

3. A camel ride 4. the camel and their riders quenched their thirst here after diffi cult journey in dry desert. 5. Through the travellers. 6. (d) the various ‘havelis’ 7. Patwon ki Haveli. 8. sand dunes 9. True 10. False

GRAMMAR


FILLING BLANKS WITH SUITABLE WORDS

WORKSHEET–30

1. (a) 2. her (b) 2. on (c) 3. examining (d) 1. in (e) 4. told (f) 3. for2. (a) 2. that (b) 3. fairly (c) 1. benefi t

(d) 4. of (e) 3. by (f) 3. considered3. (a) 3. to (b) 3. in (c) 2. was

(d) 3. from (e) 2. his (f) 1. and4. (a) 4. during (b) 4. Often (c) 2. is

(d) 3. off (e) 3. with (f) 3. Once

WORKSHEET–31

1. (a) 3. tallest (b) 1. explain (c) 2. its (d) 3. much (e) 2. to (f) 3. on 2. (a) 3. with (b) 2. was (c) 4. which (d) 2. made (e) 4. off (f) 2. towards 3. (a) 1. at (b) 3. where (c) 4. suffering (d) 2. of (e) 2. have (f) 3. since 4. (a) 4. covered (b) 3. had (c) 2. and (d) 2. out (e) 1. breathe (f) 4. their


EDITING: DETECTING & CORRECTING ERRORS

WORKSHEET–32

1. (a) rushing rushed (b) difference different (c) sometimes sometime (d) comes came

(e) her him (f) which who (g) was had (h) stealed stolen 2. (a) we us (b) And But (c) teacher teachers (d) appreciate appreciated

(e) basic basically (f) wondered wonder (g) for with (h) concern concerned 3. (a) estimates estimated (b) fi nd found (c) in on (d) which who

(e) is are (f) in of (g) say says (h) on by 4. (a) me I (b) happens happen (c) girl girls (d) balances balancing

(e) sits sit (f) on (second one) after (g) eye eyes (h) the them

WORKSHEET–33

1. (a) taking take (b) which who (c) in from (d) in on

(e) driver drivers (f) punish punished (g) invited invite (h) the their

2. (a) for but (b) in to (c) a the (d) or and

(e) on of (f) a an(g) over out (h) for of

3. (a) or and (b) with in (c) years year (d) in of

(e) reward rewards (f) In At(g) had have (h) by in

4. (a) much many (b) with of (c) its the (d) be is

(e) and but (f) unless until(g) a the (h) is was

OMISSION: SUPPLYING MISSING WORD

WORKSHEET–34

1. (a) suggesting a genetic (b) such as what (c) level of physical (d) change your genetic


(e) habits and levels (f) how to choose (g) low on fat (h) have been linked

2. (a) phase of our (b) reading a recent (c) advertisement about a (d) freedom to women

(e) children with their (f) made the world(g) civilization that opened (h) avenues for our

3. (a) fl ights across varying (b) enough for that (c) it takes several (d) for every time

(e) rhythm and energy (f) means one requires (g) to the normal (h) lag are fatigue

4. (a) products are appearing (b) products have made (c) is one such (d) which has found

(e) bags a day (f) used for packing(g) used as carry-bags (h) pointed to the

WORKSHEET–35

1. (a) pockets of intense (b) window to the (c) M 82 was triggered (d) and the tremendous

(e) hurricane that is (f) miles an hour(g) travels in two (h) scene will help

2. (a) parents and a (b) be an oversimplifi cation (c) one in 10 (d) It has been

(e) enough to need (f) say they feel(g) because of the (h) girls are twice

3. (a) just to look (b) pasted on boards (c) Technology has now (d) students and parents

(e) looking up the (f) on their mobile(g) results of the CBSE (h) be as they

4. (a) generation is of (b) interest to economists (c) year, the world (d) years of age

(e) accounts for twenty (f) one in three (g) of the childhood (h) claims more than

SENTENCE REORDERING

WORKSHEET–36

1. (a) The stars twinkle in the night sky. (b) This could reveal the size of the universe.

(c) Scientists say that the fl ecking of the stars indicates distance. 2. (a) It has a long forked tail on the back, a sheen and wings. (b) It has a blue band with dark red beneath it at it’s throat.

(c) Often swallows are seen skimming over a pond or an open space. 3. (a) This is because such themes are timeless. (b) Animal stories have been a favourite with all age groups.


(c) The young like very humanised animal stories. 4. (a) This is the refrain children hear during their holidays. (b) In summer things are worse since one cannot play in the sun.

(c) The children are condemned to rest indoors with a lot of time on their hands.

WORKSHEET–37

1. (a) Coir is taken out from the coconut husk. (b) Coir fi bre is resistant to water and mild dew.

(c) Coir fl oor coverings are made by craftsman. 2. (a) He had a noble wife and they were happy. (b) The people of the kingdom were also happy.

(c) The royal couple paid attention to all the needs of their subjects. 3. (a) The doctor fi rst makes a diagnosis of an illness. (b) He or she then decides what kind of treatment is needed.

(c) Many illnesses can be treated with a course of drugs. 4. (a) What is it about prayers that attracts so many people to it? (b) Prayers offer a lot of hope and peace of mind.

(c) They give you the faith to believe that anything can happen.

SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION

WORKSHEET–38

1. 1. Spare the rod and spoil the child. 2. She is very lazy, so she can not succeed. 3. I believe him to be a rich man. 2. 1. What a pleasant day! 2. I wish that I were a bird. 3. He is so proud that he can not beg. 3. 1. Was a great risk run by her? 2. What is wanted by you. 3. May this book be taken by me? 4. 1. He is so dull that he can not understand it. 2. The food is too rotten to eat. 3. Gita does not sing well. 5. 1. Agra is not so large as Lucknow. 2. The rose is not fairer than the bride. 3. Bhoomi is the most beautiful girl in the class.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS

VERB FORMS

WORKSHEET–39

1. (a) is (b) are (c) take (d) gets (e) wants (f) becomes


2. (a) has acquired (b) fi lls (c) add (d) is (e) blare (f) impairs 3. (a) (iii) waiting (b) (iv) standing (c) (iii) was (d) (ii) looked (e) (iii) saw (f) (i) hear 4. (a) (ii) saw (b) (i) striking (c) (iii) coming (d) (ii) fell (e) (i) gathered (f) (iii) took

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

WORKSHEET–40

1. (a) Divya had upset the old man with her remarks. (b) A student treats work as his duty. (c) Examinations are a challenge to the students. 2. (a) A strong breeze was blowing through the fi r-trees. (b) A good student takes part in all the student activities of the school. (c) Students work till late at night for the preparation of the examination. 3. (a) Young animals cannot take care of themselves. (b) An ideal student is quite regular and punctual. (c) Examinations test the ability of students. 4. (a) 2. Did you sleep well last night? (b) 4. Are the joints aching as well? (c) 3. roll up your shirt sleeve, please?

CONNECTORS

WORKSHEET–41

1. (a) but (b) When (c) which (d) and (e) so (f) who 2. (a) but (b) and (c) and (d) yet (e) but (f) and 3. (a) (iii) as (b) (iii) so (c) (ii) as (d) (ii) But (e) (ii) As (f) (iii) and

DETERMINERS

WORKSHEET–42

1. (a) The (b) X (c) many (d) the (e) the (f) the 2. (a) other (b) some (c) the (d) a (e) the (f) the 3. (a) an (b) the (c) a (d) many (e) the (f) an 4. (a) (i) a (b) (ii) your (c) (ii) the (d) (i) the (e) (i) a (f) (iii) the

PRONOUNS

WORKSHEET–43

1. (a) he (b) himself (c) I (d) my (e) one (f) we 2. (a) my (b) who (c) he (d) us (e) one (f) Some 3. (a) my (b) mine (c) Some (d) their (e) myself (f) who 4. (a) (ii) your (b) (iv) which (c) (i) This (d) (i) which (e) (iii) They (f) (ii) some


PREPOSITIONS

WORKSHEET–44

1. (a) to (b) at (c) in (d) for (e) of (f) to 2. (a) since (b) in (c) of (d) in (e) of (f) at 3. (a) for (b) for (c) of (d) to (e) to (f) of 4. (a) (ii) for (b) (iii) for (c) (i) in (d) (ii) at (e) (ii) into (f) (iii) on 5. (a) (iii) to (b) (i) in (c) (iii) of (d) (i) of (e) (i) for (f) (iii) in

CLAUSES

WORKSHEET–45

1. (a) if (b) when (c) unless (d) as (e) although (f) so that 2. (a) which (b) who (c) which (d) why (e) which (f) that 3. (a) 3. when we are going (b) 2. where we can relax and enjoy (c) 4. What you say 4. (a) 3. how I can prepare it (b) 2. what type you want to prepare (c) 4. when you are going to prepare it

MODALS

WORKSHEET–46

1. (a) should (b) could (c) must (d) will (e) should (f) will 2. (a) can (b) must (c) should (d) must (e) can (f) must 3. (a) must (b) Will (c) must (d) will (e) should (f) should 4. (a) can (b) would (c) could (d) can (e) could (f) need

PASSIVE VOICE

WORKSHEET–47

1. (a) 4. were given (b) 3. were counted (c) 3. was handed over 2. (a) 3. was hit (b) 4. was taken (c) 1. was operated 3. 1. (d) will be replaced 2. (b) are suspected 3. (c) were attacked

NARRATION

WORKSHEET–48

1. (a) 4. what she would like to have (b) 2. that she wanted a saree (c) 3. which saree she liked 2. (a) 4. how he was getting on with his studies (b) 2. that he was doing fi ne (c) 3. how many students there were 3. (a) 3. how he was feeling then (b) 4. if he had slept well the previous night (c) 2. to take the yellow tablet



THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (Fiction)

WORKSHEET–49

1. 1. Private Quelch was a soldier without rank. 2. Private Quelch was lanky, stooping and frowning. 3. Private Quelch was nicknamed as ‘Professor’ because of his knowledge. 2. (a) A nickname is an informal, often humorous, name for a person that is connected with their

real name, their personality or appearance, or with something they have done. Another nickname for Private Quelch would be Mr Know-all.

(b) Private Quelch had long thin limbs and moved in an awkward way. His shoulders were bent forward. He put on a pair of glasses with a frame made of material that looked like horn. His eyes seemed to frown through the glasses. Thus he looked like a ‘Professor’.

(c) The dark, sundried appearance of the Sergeant suggests that he was a strict disciplinarian. He had got tanned by serving in the tropical areas. He demanded full attention and disliked interruptions.

(d) After the lecture, the Sergeant put many questions to the Professor. But he knew all answerssuchastechnicaldefinitions,thepartsoftherifle, itsuseandcare.Hiscorrectanswers increased his glory further.

3. Private Quelch was intelligent. He had an ambition to get commission in the army. So he studied intelligently. He impressed his fellow soldiers with his exact knowledge. He had theconfidenceandaudacitytointerrupttheinstructorsandsupplythecorrectinformation.Naturally, it must have been annoying and embarrassing to the instructors. Their subsequent efforts to pin him down with uncomfortable and searching questions, failed to yield the desired result. The Professor’s correct answers enhanced his glory and made him popular with his fellowsoldiers.Thefirstexampleisthatofasergeantgivingalessonin‘musketry’.PrivateQuelch gave the exact muzzle velocity. The second example is that of Corporal Turnbull’s talk on ‘grenade’. The Professor gave the exact number of fragments. When the Corporal askedPrivateQuelchtodeliverthelecture,hetookthechallengeandgaveafinelectureongrenade.

WORKSHEET–50

1. 1. The fellow soldiers had a certain respect for Private Quelch because he had exact knowledge on every subject/topic.

2. The fellow soldiers begin to fear him because he would keep on lecturing in his droning and merciless voice.

3. The Professor scarcely noticed the clumsy sarcasms and practical jokes directed at him because he was too busy working for his stripe.

2. (a) By “intelligent reading” the Professor meant reading with proper understanding. The reading was focused and concentrated on the details of the object/topic being studied.

LITERATURE TEXTBOOK ANDLONG READING TEXTC


(b) TheProfessorhadhighambitions.Hewantedtobecomeanarmyofficer.Butbeforegettingthe commission, he wanted to get a stripe and become a soldier.

(c) (i) He borrowed training manuals and stayed up late at nights reading them. He put pressure on the instructors with repeated questions.

(ii) He behaved like a disciplined soldier. (a) He drilled with enthusiasm (b) He was tireless after a thirty mile route march (c) His model salute at the pay table (d) The Professorwould publicly correct themistake of his fellow soldier.Hewould flaunt

his superiorknowledge.Whenothers listenedsilently to theOfficerof theDay’spraise,the Professor would thank him and try to flatter him. In short, his attitude exhibitedsuperiority and dominance.

3. PrivateQuelchannoyedhissuperiorofficersbysupplyingthefactsthattheyhadmissed.Forexample, he pointed out to the Sergeant that the muzzle velocity of a bullet is two thousand, four hundred and forty feet per second. Similarly, he injected the remarks of Corporal Turnbull who said that the outside of a grenade is divided up into a large number of fragments to assist segmentation. He pointed out that a grenade had forty-four segments. The Corporal frowned and the fellow soldiers were all thunder-struck. The Professor then pointed out thathehadnotstartedoffwiththefivecharacteristicsofthegrenade.TheCorporalwassoannoyed that he asked the Professor to give a lecture on grenade. Private Quelch did so and it further annoyed the Corporal. He expressed his displeasure by nominating Private Quelch for cookhouse duties. Since he flaunted his superior knowledge before his colleagues andcorrected their mistakes publicly, they felt annoyed. Lack of restraint on his part was the mainreasonforhisfailuretowintheadmirationofhissuperiorofficersorhiscolleagues.

WORKSHEET–51

1. 1. The author and his friend Trower were talking about the expression of self-conscious innocence on the face of Private Quelch.

2. The three cooks were standing against the wall as if at bay because peeling potatoes had wasted their vitamin value.

3. The author and his friend Trower fled from the scene as they could not stand PrivateQuelch exhibiting his knowledge.

2. (a) No, his day-to-day practices did not take him closer to his goal. Rather, these earned the displeasureandannoyance ofhis senior officers.Exhibition of toomuchknowledgeandinterruptingtheinstructorscausedhimtobeconfinedtopermanentcookhouseduties.

(b) Private Quelch pointed out that there were forty-four segments in the outside of a grenade. PrivateQuelchirritatedtheCorporalbyaskingifheshouldn’thavestartedoffwiththefivecharacteristics of the grenade. Thirdly, when the angry Corporal asked Quelch to deliver the lecture, he did not apologise. He remained unashamed and delivered the lecture.

(c) Idon’tthinkPrivateQuelchlearntalessonwhenhewaschosenforcookhouseduties.Hestood rigidly to attention. He stared straight in front of him. He had an expression of self-conscious innocence on his face. He did not understand that he was being punished.

3. Private Quelch is the hero of this novel. He impressed his fellow soldiers with his exact knowledge.Hehadtheconfidenceandaudacityto interruptthe instructorsandsupplythecorrect informations. Naturally, it must have been embarrassing to the instructors.

One summer afternoon Corporal Turnbull was addressing the squad on hand grenades. He said that the hand grenade was divided up into a large number of fragments to assist segmentation. Private Quelch at once added that these segments were forty four. This shocked Corporal so much that his face changed colours. He tossed the hand grenade to Private Quelch and asked him to give that lecture. Private Quelch did so and it further annoyed the corporal. He


expressedhisdispleasurebynominatingPrivateQuelchforcookhouseduties.IdonotthinkPrivate Quelch learnt a lesson in his cookhouse duties. He did not learn any lesson even from itandcontinuedsermonisingandfaultfinding.“...Ineedtoonlydrawyourattentiontothesheer waste of vitamin values...”

WORKSHEET–52

1. 1. Wednesday 24 March 20XX Oh!Whatahardandgruellingdayitwas!IhadthemortificationtofaceaCorporalwho

wouldnotliketobetrifledwith.LittledidIknowthenthatmylittlehelpintheformofsupplying themissing number of segments—forty-four—will earnme his wrath. Inmyinnocence I pointed out that he had not started off with the five characteristics of thegrenade.PerhapsIhadignitedthefuse!AdarkflushstainedthetanofCorporal’s face.He asked me to give that lecture and tossed the grenade to me.

Unaquaintedwith armydiscipline and theharm thatmight ensuedue to ahurt ego, IdidasIwascommanded.However,hisdispleasurewassoonevidentasheassignedmepermanent cookhouse duties.

Thecooksseemtobeequally ignorantaboutthescientificmethodofcooking food.Theyboiledpotatoes, thusdestroyingwhatevervitaminstheyhad.Ihadtopointouttothemthattheirmethodwasmostunscientificandunhygienic.

They listened to me silently, but it is yet to be seen how far they carry out my instructions. Hope they’ll improve.

2. The Sergeant became quite jealous of Private Quelch. When Sergeant saw that Private Quelchknewtoomuchhebecameenragedwithhim.InordertohumiliatePrivateQuelch,Sergeantputallquestionstohim.Itishumannaturetofeelenviousofapersonwhoknowtoomuch.Iagreetotheassumptionthatmuchknowledgesometimesprovedetrimentalto one’s being. It is amply demonstrated as the story unfolds later on. Private Quelchwas subjected to harsh punishment by his superiors. It is rarely found that superiorsacknowledge the intelligenceofapersonwho isbelowhis rankandfile.PrivateQuelchshould have realised this early so that he could achieve his goal diplomatically.


ANALYSIS: The Man Who Knew Too Much (Fiction)

WORKSHEET–53

1. Hints: • Mr Raman dressed in three-piece suit—hat on head—polished shoes— cane in hand • car applies brakes—mud splashed—clothes spoiled—face smeared

•hotwordsexchanged—abusivelanguage—fisticuffs—blows • clothes torn—shreds—body exposed—‘show-off’ ends in disaster

2. (a) twothousand,fourhundredandforty-fivefeet(b) his horrible heartiness. ‘What about a song chaps?’—not greeted politely(c) was a model to behold. He would swing his skinny arms and march to the canteen like a

guardsman(d) North American Harvard Trainer—harsh engine note—high tip speed of the airscrew(e) Forty-foursegments—fivecharacteristicsofgrenades(f) abominablyunscientificandunhygienicmethodofpeelingpotatoes—thesheerwasteofvitamins


3. (a) Private Quelch was nicknamed Professor because of his appearance.(b) One could hammer nails into Corporal Turnbull without his noticing it as he was a strong

and sturdy man.(c) TheauthorandhisfriendTrowerfledfromthescenebecausetheycouldnotstandPrivate

Quelch exhibiting his knowledge.

4. (a) Positive traits Instances from the story (i) love for reading borrowed training manuals—read them

(ii) dedicated to aim to get a commission—to get a stripe (iii) hard worker drilled with enthusiasm (iv) respectful salutedofficer

Negative traits Instances from the story

(i) habit of interrupting “2445 feet per second” Muzzle Velocity—45 segments of grenade

(ii) horrible heartiness after 30 miles march—“What about a song, chaps?” (iii) superior/condescending “Letmeshowyoufellow”or“No,you’llruinyourrifle,

that way, old man.” (iv) habit of sermonising lectured on every aspect of human knowledge—publicly

corrected mistakes of others

(b) Classroom activity.

ACTIVITIES1. Private Quelch was a unique personality. He had joined the training depot with an ambition to

getacommissioninthearmy.Inpursuitofhisaimheworkedhard,drilledwithenthusiasm,saluted his officers respectfully and gained asmuch knowledge as possible by reading theborrowedtrainingmanuals intelligently.Atfirsthebecameahero intheeyesofhis fellowsoldiers. He badgered the instructors with questions. He interrupted them by asking questions or reminding them what they had missed. His correct answers and exact knowledge impressed fellow soldiers but annoyed the instructors. Gradually his habit of sermonising, showing off superiority, condescending attitude and horrible heartiness annoyed his colleagues as well. He was assigned permanent cookhouse duties as a punishment. But he did not learn any lessonevenfromitandcontinuedsermonisingandfaultfinding.

2. For self-attempt.


KEEPING IT FROM HAROLD (Fiction)

WORKSHEET–54

1. 1. Harold displayed signs of goodness and intelligence in childhood. 2. Mrs Bramble wanted to hide the real profession of Mr Bill Bramble from Harold. 3. The senior curate of the parish addressed Mr Bill Bramble nervously. 2. (a) Mrs Bramble used to refer to herself in the third person as ‘mother’. Harold disliked it. He

was no longer a baby but a young man of ten who had won spelling and dictation prizes. A slight frown appeared on his otherwise smooth forehead.


(b) Harold’s father Bill Bramble was a professional boxer. He was known in London as “Young Porky.”Inthosedaysthesemenofwrathi.e. boxers who spilled blood in the ring, were not considered respectable. Secondly, Harold was a model of perfection. So it was necessary to keep Bill’s profession a secret from Harold.

(c) He said that the child should be named John if it was a boy and Marie, if it was a girl. He had selected these names after two celebrities. Mr John L. Sullivan was an American boxing legend. He was world heavyweight boxing champion from 1882 to 1892. Miss Marie Lloyd was a renowned Music hall artist.

(d) Mr Bramble was a square-jawed man of thirty-one. He had an irregularly-shaped nose. He weighed eight stone four i.e. 116 pounds. He was a ‘man of wrath’ only in the ring. Otherwise he was quite respectable and sober.

3. EsteemedChairperson,respectedteachersanddearfriends! TodayIstandbeforeyoutodefendthemotionthatviolent,physicalsportssuchasboxing,kick

boxing and wrestling should be banned. These games with blood spurting out of nose, broken jaw, blood-stained tooth protruding present a gory sight which create a nauseating feeling in a sensitive person. Scenes of bloodshed, arm twisting, bone breaking, punching, jabbing and pounding may thrill the animal instincts of man and make them revert to uncivilized brutes whopridethemselvesovertheirphysicalmightandenjoypinningtheadversarytothefloor.Thesevaliantfightscreateanegativeimpactonyoungmindswhoresorttofisticuffsattheslightest provocation. Aren’t these games leading us to the primeval state when violence prevailed and might was right? Such games provoke the sensitive young minds to adopt the path of violence which leads them to lawlessness and crime. They became a law unto themselves but a danger to the society and nations. Aren’t we inciting our youth to use their muscles more than brains or hearts?

I,therefore,wholeheartedlylendmysupporttothemotionandassertemphaticallythatallviolent physical sports resulting in bloodshed or physical injury should be banned.

Thank you

WORKSHEET–55

1. 1. The spectacled child considered to take a nice walk. 2. He arranged his books in readiness for his return because he had to study them again. 3. The manner in which Harold closed the front door shows his polite, calm and sensible behaviour. 2. (a) Children are usually fond of games and merriment. But Harold was very devoted to books.

He was well behaved. You could call him a model of goodness, intelligence and polished behaviour. He was serious and altogether admirable.

(b) Harold’s perfection made it necessary to conceal the facts of his father’s profession from him. They had to resort to a series of evasions and even deliberate falsehoods. They were loversoftruthanddislikedtellinglies.Buttheysacrificedtruthforhissake.

(c) Mr Bramble was a professional boxer. Before the coming of Harold, he had been proud of being a professional boxer. He had the ability to hit his adversary hard. He had a sense of self-satisfaction at his performance. His ‘left hook’ had won the approval of his admirers and the press.

(d) Harold had run to intellect whereas his father had run to muscle. He had learned to read and write with amazing quickness. He sang in the choir. He had already won a prize for spelling and dictation. He wore black hat with a stiff square top. He was told that his father was a commercial traveller, and he accepted it.

3. Her husband, Bill Bramble was a professional boxer, but they had to hide this fact from their sonHarold,whohaddistinguishedhimselfinacademics.AweeklaterBillwouldfighthislastfight—thetwentyroundcontestwithMurphy,theAmericanboxerattheNationalSportingClub. After that he would retire from active work. He would try for a job as instructor at one


of the big schools or colleges. He had a splendid record for respectability and sobriety. He possessed all the other qualities that Headmasters demanded in boxing coaches and trainers. Several of his friends had obtained similar posts. They described the job as extremely soft. Then Mr and Mrs Bramble will not have to hide the reality of the profession of Harold’s father from Harold. She hoped that all her anxiety about future would come to an end after a week.

WORKSHEET–56

1. 1. Harold felt that he was deprived of the respect that his classmates would give him as they did not know his father was the famous boxer, ‘Young Porky’.

2. ForHarolditwasrottentokeepawaytherealprofessionofhisfatherfromhim. 3. Itshowsthefutilityoftheirattemptstohidereality. 2. (a) MrsBramblewasupset because of purely financial loss. IfBill beatMurphy, hewould

getfivehundredpound.Ifhelost,hewouldgetahundredandtwenty.Nowhewon’tgetanythingashehadwithdrawnfromthefight.

(b) JerryFisherwasatrainerwithwhomBillBramblewastrainingattheWhiteHartforthecontest with American Murphy. Now Bill had decided at the eleventh hour to withdraw from the contest. Jerry told Bill that he was off his head. He should think of the purse, the rewards, publicity and the hard work he had put in for preparation.

(c) ItwasJerryFisher,thetrainer,whorevealedthetruthtoHarold.HewasannoyedatBill’sdecision to back out of the contest. He told Harold that his father was not a commercial traveller, but a boxer of eight-stone-four category. He was famous as ‘Young Porky’.

(d) (i) Haroldhadstakedtwobobs(shillings).HehadenteredintoabetwithDickySaundersthat Jimmy Murphy wouldn’t last ten rounds. Now he would lose his two bobs.

(ii) If his father had told him that hewas ‘YoungPorky’, hewould have told so to hisclassmates. Then they would have respected him instead of calling him ‘Goggles’.

3. These lines are spoken by major Percy Stokes to his nephew Harold when he comes to know about the real profession of his father, Bill. Harold gets shocked and complains that he is not told the true identity of his father.

Harold’s father, in the story was a professional boxer and known as ‘Young Porky’. There was no one in London whom he could not overcome in a twenty-round contest. He did not want Harold to know that his father was a boxer—man of wrath. Since boxing was not considered a respectable profession in polite and educated circles of society, Bill and his wife had become imbued with the necessity of keeping it from Harold.

The development in the later part of the story shows that it was not a right decision. The kids atHarold’sschool tookkeen interest insportsmenandboxers. Ifhisschoolmatesknewhisfather was Young Porky, they would have respected Harold and not nicknamed him “Goggles”. “Pa, can’t you give me a picture of yourself boxing?” This line clearly suggests that Harold was proud of his father being a boxer. All this lead Bill to change his decision and he goes toWhiteHartwithhistrainer,JerryFishertoprepareforthenextfixture.

WORKSHEET–57

1. 1. Bill Bramble had kept it secret from Harold that he was a professional boxer. He did not wanttoinjuretheyounglad’sfeelingsandself-estimate.NowhisfightwithJimmyMurphyhadbeenfixed forMonday.All thepaperswill carry thenewsandhisphotograph.Billdid not want Harold to know that he was ‘Young Porky’, so he decided to withdraw from the contest.

WhenJerryFisher, the trainer ofBill, disclosed the true identity ofBill toHarold, theyoung scholar was shocked. He expressed his anger that his father had not told him about his true identity. He felt hurt and cheated. Then he said that his classmates would have


respected him if they had known he was the son of famous ‘Young Porky’. He called the whole thing ‘rotten’. He told his father that he had entered into a bet with his schoolmate DickySaundersthatJimmyMurphywouldn’tlasttenrounds.Hewouldlosehisbetandhis father would lose his reputation. Well, if he beats Jimmy Murphy, he will get a next chance with Sid Sampson for the Lonsdale belt. He also explains why he will be allowed to do so.

Hedisapprovesofhisfather’sdecisionofchuckingupthefight.Hecallsitrottenandasks:“What do you want to do it for?” He says that it’s the silliest idea. Harold further shocked theeldersbysayingthatallhisclassmateswerekeenonthefight.Hehadmadeastudyof boxing since he was a child. He asked his father to beat Jimmy Murphy in the act of boxing. Then chaps won’t call him ‘Goggles’.

SinceBillhadcancelledthefightbecauseofHarold,nowhedecidedtofightforhissake.So he followed the trainer silently to the White Hart.

2. AsHaroldwasanexceptionallywonderfulchild,Bramblecouplewerereadytosacrificethetruth though they were themselves lovers of truth. So they hid the truth and told Harold thathisfatherwasatravellingsalesman.EventheseniorcuratoroftheParishwantedBillBramble to conceal it from Harold. Major Percy Stokes, the brother of Mrs Bramble also held this view. Though this decision pricked their conscience they came to the conclusion thathidingthetruthwouldhelptheirsoninhisacademicpursuits.Inordertohidethetruth they had to resort to all sorts of precaution—to subvert the truth. Since boxing was not considered a respectable profession in polite and educated circles of society, Bill and his wife had become imbued with the necessity of keeping it from Harold.

3. Harold’s father Mr Bill Bramble was a professional boxer and proud of being one. He was known as ‘Young Porkey’ and was a contender for championship in the eight stone four weight category. There was no one in London whom he could not overcome in a twenty-round contest. He did not want Harold to know that his father was a boxer and so he decided to change his profession. He was not right in his decision because concealing the truth proves quite detrimental to young mind in future. Bill Bramble was such a renowned boxerthatHaroldwascertaintoknowaboutthisfactinfuture.Itwouldcomeasashockto him. As the development in the later part of the story shows that Harold complains that he was not told the true identity of his father.


APPRECIATION OF THE STORY: Keeping It ... (Fiction)

WORKSHEET–58

1. Harold is alone with his mother in their home. Mrs Bramble is amazed to think that she has brought such a prodigy as Harold into the world. Mrs Bramble resumes work of darning the sock. Major Percy and Bill come to the house. MrsBrambleisinformedthatBillhaddecidednottofight. Bill tells his wife that he is doing it for Harold. JerryFishertriestoconvinceBilltoreconsider. Harold comes to know that his father is a boxer. Harold wants to know what will happen to the money he had bet on Murphy losing. Thecorrectsequenceis:9,8,1,7,3,4,2,6


2. (i) Chandelier (ii) decorous (iii) prodigy (iv) behaviour (v) deliberate (vi) distasteful (vii) profession (viii) persuasive (ix) philanthropists (x) furtive (xi) acquaintances (xii) quailed (xiii) comported (xiv) insinuated (xv) propitiatory (xvi) vouchsafed3. Ithinkthedecisionwaswrong.Parentsaretherolemodelsforchildren.Theyimitatetheir

elders and try to emulate. Hiding the truth may sometimes have bitter consequences. Harold shouldhavebeentakenintoconfidence.Thetruthcouldhavebeenrevealedtohimgentlyandjudiciously.ItwouldnothavecausedsuchaviolentshockasHaroldfacedwhenJerryFishersaid everything bluntly.

4. ThelightesttotheheaviestweightcategoriesinBoxingareasunder: 1. Flyweight 2. Bantamweight 3. Featherweight 4. Lightweight 5.Welterweight

6. Middleweight 7.Heavyweight


BESTSELLER (Fiction)

WORKSHEET–59

1. 1. Topics such as rain, prosperity, health, residence and destination were discussed by them. 2. The narrator considers himself lucky because Pescud did not discuss politics with him. 3. His tone is sarcastic because John was not particularly good-looking. 2. (a) Most of his co-passengers were ladies. They had put on brown-silk dresses. These were

tight on shoulders and hips and had lace insertion and dotted veils. The men looked to be in some business or the other and going to some destination or the other.

(b) The passenger of chair No. 9 was John A. Pescud of Pittsburgh. He was the travelling salesman for a plate glass company. He had a small, black, bald-spotted head. He was a smallmanwithawidesmile.Hesuddenlyhurledabook to thefloorbetweenhis chairand the window.

(c) Pescud felt that the American bestsellers were not realistic because men generally married girls from a similar background. They depicted rich American hero falling in love with a royalprincessfromEuropeandfollowinghertoherestate.Hebeatsthebodyguardsanddoes fencing boots. He calls these love stories rank on-the-level.

(d) Since his last meeting with the author, John had his salary raised twice. He also got a commission. He had bought a neat slice of real estate. Next year he was to get some shares of thefirm’s stock.Hewasdoingwell.Hehad foundhis soulmate, JessieAllyn,and married her.

3. A MODERN ROMANCE The age of romance is not dead. Love recognises no geographical boundaries. The courtship

andmarriage of Pescud of Pittsburgh and JessieAllyn ofElmcroft illustrates it. Eighteenmonths ago Pescud saw Jessie reading a book in the train. Pescud instantly got attracted to her. She changed cars at Cincinnati and took a sleeper to Louisville. There she bought another ticketandwenton throughShelbyville,FrankfordandLexington.Pescud followedherbutfounditdifficulttokeeppace.AtlastJessiearrivedatVirginia.Shewaswelcomedat the station by her father. They went to a mansion on the top of the hill. Pescud went to thevillagetofindaboutthemansion.HecametoknowaboutColonelAllyn.TwodayslaterhemetJessiealoneandspoketoherforthefirsttime.Afterbriefconversationhetoldhereverything about himself and why he was following her. He told her that he wanted to get


acquainted with her and get her to like him. They learnt each other’s name. She told him that her father might not approve her meeting him. The next morning John met Jessie’s father. Afterinitialnervousness,JohnfacedtheColonelconfidentlyanddisclosedthepurposeofvisitand sought his permission to win the love of the lady. The interview lasted two hours. They related anecdotes and humorous occurrences. Two evenings later John got a chance to meet Jessiealone.Theygotmarriedayearago.HebuiltahouseintheEastEndandtheColonelalso lives with them.

WORKSHEET–60

1. 1. The difference in their stations is pointed out because the heroine is a royal princess travelling under a false name.

2. The novelist devotes three pages to America’s uncrowned sovereigns because they are wealthy,fashionablydressedandgoodfighters.

3. Pescud felt that bestsellers were not realistic as men generally married girls from a similar background.

2. (a) He believed that their plate-glass was the most important commodity in the world. He called the Cambria Steel Works the best company. He believed that a man ought to be decent and law abiding when he was in his hometown.

(b) First,thebusinesshadpickedupsincethepartyconventions.Second,hewasgoingtogetoffatCoketown.Hehadalreadygivenhimhisaddress.HehadahouseintheEastEnd.

(c) The stories of most of these bestsellers were similar to his own romance and courtship. The only difference was that he was not an American swell, though he was a well off salesman. The similarity robbed these novels of surprise and anticipation which could sustain interest and arouse eagerness/curiosity.

(d) Apart from the high flown, flattering language, the novel was inconsistent in scenesandcharacters. Itgaveaccountof the travel inpursuitof the lady love.Secondly,plainbusinessmen do not match with aristocracy high above them. Chicago business carrying swords and freeing royalty from traitors also seemed unrealistic.

3. At first JohnA.Pescud impressesus as a successful andwell off travelling salesman of areputed plate-glass company. He is not particularly good-looking. He is a small man with a wide smile. His eye seems to be focussed on the companion’s face. He has a small, black bald-spotted head. He had a simple philosophy of behaviour. When a man is in his town, he ought to be decent and law abiding. He is critical of the American bestsellers as they do notdepictreality.TherichAmericansfallinlovewithEuropeanprincessesandcourtthem.Pescud fails to notice the contradiction between what he says and does. He is a hypocrite in this sense. He says that in real life men generally married girls from a similar background. ButthedescriptionofhisownloveaffairwiththegirlofabeltedEarlsoundssimilartothelove affair of the American protagonists narrated in the bestsellers. His language is no less flowery. Consider, for example, his first impression of his wife. For him she is “the finestlooking girl” he’d “ever laid eyes on. Nothing spectacular...but just the sort you want for keeps.” His success in profession, love and life makes him a happy-go-lucky person.

WORKSHEET–61

1. 1. Thenarratorpickedupthebestsellerandset itcarefullyonthefloorofthecarbecausehe wanted to save it from rain.

2. He implies that human beings are essentially the same everywhere. 3. John A. Pescud wanted to get Petunias for Jessie. 2. (a) She said theAllynshad lived inElmscroftahundredyears.Theywereaproud family.

Theirmansionhadfiftyrooms.Ithadalotofpillars,porchesandbalconies.Theceilings


in the reception-rooms and the ball-room were twenty-eight feet high. Her father was the descendantofabeltedEarl.

(b) ForthefirstninesecondsJohnfeltconfusedandnervous.Hedevelopedcoldfeet.Hewasgoing to talk about plate-glass. Then he gathered courage and told him everything about why he came there, his salary and prospects and his little code of living.

(c) John got off at Coketown. He wanted to collect some of the cuttings or blossoms or Petunia for Jessie. She liked them and used to raise them in the old Virginia home. The author toldhimthathewouldnotsellmuchplate-glassthere.Itwasafarawayplace.

3. ‘Best seller’ is one of the most popular stories of O. Henry. He is a famous writer of short stories depictingAmericanculture.InthisshortstoryJohnA.Pescudistheheroandatravellingsalesman for a plate-glass company—the Cambria Steel Works. He is really a hypocrite, does just the opposite of what he says.

He claims that men generally married girls from a similar background. But Jessie, the girl he marries, is from an altogether different background. She belongs to a rich family...mansion...fiftyrooms...pillars...porches...balconies....ceilingsinthereceptionroomsandtheballroomaretwenty eight feet high...clearly suggests that Jessie is a wealthy girl, not belonging to the same singing society that he did.

Inbestsellershereadsromance...“chicago-whofallsinlovewitharoyalprincessfromEurope”but in his real life he says, “No romance-nothing like that!” and says that the realities of life should form an important feature of the best-sellers.

Inshort,hesays“whenpeopleinreallifemarry,theygenerallyhuntupsomebodyintheirown station,” but marries and woes a girl after knowing that his father colonel Allyn is the ownerofthatbigwhitehouseonthehill,“ThebiggestmanandfinestqualityinVirginia”

All these suggest that he was a hypocrite.

WORKSHEET–62

1. 1. ‘Irony’referstotheuseofwordstoconveyameaningthatistheoppositeoftheirliteralmeaning. The title itself is ironic. Bestseller refers to a book which is bought by large number of people. Pescud throws the novel ‘The Rose Lady and Trevelyan’ aside after reading a few pages. The narrator admits that he hasn’t read a bestseller for a long time, but his ideas about them are similar to Pescud’s. These present the hero and heroine in unusual and different social set-up, yet get them infatuated.

Pescud makes a tall claim: “When people in real life marry, they generally hunt upsomebody in their own station. A fellow usually picks out a girl who went to the same high school and belonged to the same singing society that he did.” This statement proves ironic when we apply it to Pescud’s own life. Jessie Allyn is the daughter of a colonel, who isadescendantofabeltedEarl.Sheisaperfectstrangertohimandbelongstoentirelydifferent social milieu and station.

ThenameTrevelyanisalsoironic.Itsuggestsaneternaltraveller.Pescud,thesalesmanisalso a traveller. He meets his lady-love during his travelling. He comes across the narrator on a rail-car and he travels to a ragged hillside in search of petunias for his lady-love.

2. Thereisclear-cutdisparitybetweenwhatJohnA.Pescudthinksanddoes.Forexample,he says, “When people in real life marry, they generally hunt up somebody in their own station. A fellow usually picks out a girl who went to the same high school and belonged to the same singing society that he did. There is a clear-cut irony in his remarks. What he does in real life is just the opposite of what he claims to be the attitude of people in general.

Pescud sees a girl, Jessie reading a book in the train and gets instantly attracted to her. Jessie takes a sleeper to Louisville and follows her when she arrives at Virginia. He makes enquiries about the mansion she enters. She tells him that her father may not approve of


their meeting as they belong to different social set-ups and stations. Pescud meets Jessie’s father and tells him the whole truth. The old man is impressed and permits him to see the girl. Pescud wins her affection and gets married a year later.

EventhisbriefaccountofPescud’s loveaffairshowsthathismodern-dayromance isnoless thrilling and full of turns and twists than the romance of the rich Americans who pursueEuropeanprincesses.Thehotpursuitandhide-and-seekofJessieandPescud isnotlessthrillingandromanticthanthoseofHindifilmheroesandheroineschasingeachother round a tree or tank or fountain. But certainly this romance is miles away from the harsh realities of life. Perhaps too much familiarity is not congenial to the glamourised romance.

3. AtfirstJohnA.Pescud impressesusasasuccessfulandwelloff travellingsalesmanofa reputed plate-glass company. He is not particularly good-looking. He is a small man with a wide smile. His eye seems to be focussed on the companion’s face. He has a small, black bald-spotted head. He has a simple philosophy of behaviour. When a man is in his town, he ought to be decent and law-abiding. He is critical of the American bestsellers as theydonotdepictreality.TherichAmericansfall inlovewithEuropeanprincessesandcourt them. Pescud fails to notice the contradiction between what he says and does. He is a hypocrite in this sense. He says that in real life men generally married girls from a similarbackground.ButthedescriptionofhisownloveaffairwiththegirlofabeltedEarlsounds similar to the love affair of the American protagonists narrated in the bestsellers. Hislanguageisnolessflowery.Consider,forexample,hisfirstimpressionofhiswife.Forhimsheis“thefinestlookinggirl”he’d“everlaideyeson.Nothingspectacular...but justthe sort you want for keeps.” His success in profession, love and life makes him a happy-go-lucky person.


ANALYSING TEXT: Bestseller (Fiction)

WORKSHEET–63

1. (a) The tone of the narrator was sarcastic because John was not particularly good-looking. (b) Pescud felt that bestsellers were not realistic because men generally married girls from

a similar background. (c) He was doing very well at his job. (d) That human beings are essentially the same everywhere is what the narrator wants to convey.2. Mr John A. Pescud was the travelling salesman for a plate-glass company—the Cambria Steel

Works.Hewasasmallmanwithawidesmile,andaneyethatseemedtobefixeduponthatlittle red spot on the end of his head.He had a small, black, bald-spotted head. In short,John was not particularly good-looking. He was an old acquaintance of the narrator. He had a precise philosophy on behaviour. According to him when a man is in his hometown, he ought to be decent and law-abiding. He was doing well in his profession. He had his salary raised twice in the last two years. He also got commission. He had bought a neat slice of real estate. Hehopedtogetsomesharesofthestockofthefirmnextyear.Hemethisfuturewifeabouteighteenmonthsago.Hisfirst impressionwasthatshewasthefinest-lookinggirlhe’dlaideyes on.Hequalifiedhis statementby saying that shewasnot spectacularbut of the sortthat one would like to keep forever.


3. (a) Literally “Bestseller”meansaworkthatsellsthebest.Itspopularityisduetothenumberone slot in the list of works that are in demand most. Pescud’s observations about the novel “The Rose Lady and Trevelyan” are quite amusing. According to sales, it was one of the bestselling novels of that time. Pescud’s remark revealed the irony. All these bestsellers were alike in theme and treatment. The hero, an American wealthy person of upper class and fashionably dressed, falls in lovewith a royal princess fromEurope and inspite ofthe difference in their station on life wooes her and marries. These novels contain a lot of conversation between the lovers. The hero is physically strong, a great fencer and a man of courage. But these kind of love stories are rank-on-the level.

(b) Pescud’s actions do not match his words. He claims that men generally married girls from similar background. However he falls in love with a total stranger and, being love struck, follows her to her hometown, just like the heroes of the American bestsellers. Socially, she is superior to him, yet he falls in love with her, tells her everything, proposes to her and wins her love.

(c) The name Trevelyan suggests an eternal traveller in a van. The American hero is a globe-trotter.Hefollowshislady-lovetostrangeplacesinthecontinent.Inthissenseheisnota traveller like Pescud, who is a travelling salesman. Trevelyan travels to win his love. The travel is not commercial or professional, it is undertaken in search of the soulmate.


THE SEVEN AGES (Poem)

WORKSHEET–64

1. 1. The student life is described in these lines. 2. Complaining in an annoying/unpleasant voice is the meaning of whining. 3. Creeping means crawling/moving with body close to ground. 2. (a) The schoolboy has a shining face in the morning. Perhaps it has been scrubbed clean by

his mother. He carries a bag of books and moves to school unwillingly. The two phrases showinghisunwillingnessare:

(i) whining schoolboy. (ii) creeping like snail unwillingly. (b) The lover sighs like a furnace because he is frustrated in love. (c) Shakespeare describes the infant in unpleasant terms. His attitude is to strike a general

truthabouttheinfants.Infantsgenerallycryandvomitinthenurse’sarm.Thehumaninfant is the weakest of all the infants of the other species. He has to be carried in arms and protected for over a year. The poet is also mocking those who sing praises of infants and call them ‘Cherubims’ or ‘images of God’.

(d) Theplayersenactadramaonthestageofatheatre.Eachplayer isassignedadefiniterole and his/her entrance and exits are well-marked. The world is only the stage of human drama and men and women play different roles assigned to them. Birth is the entrance while death marks the exit. One plays different roles as one grows up. We retire from the stage. Then the drama of life is over.

3. First Option Themaincharacteristicsofasoldier’slifeare: 1. He is full of strange oaths. He has picked them from the countries he has travelled in. 2. He is bearded like the leopard. He doesn’t look handsome.


3. He is jealous in matters concerning his honour. 4. He is short-tempered and picks up quarrels quickly. 5. He is ready to risk danger or death to uphold his self-respect. He is very conscious of his fair name, high fame, honour and glory. The reputation earned by

thesoldier’ssacrificeistransitorylikeabubble.Facingacannon’smouthinvitessuredeath,but it provides honour and glory to the brave soldier.Second Option

The Justice or Judge is a mature person in his middle age. He has severe eyes and a beard offashionablecut.Helookswell-dressed.Hisfatroundbellyindicateshisloveforfood.Itisfilledwithfatmalechickens.Hequotesmanysayingsandexamplestoshowhiswisdom.Hecites these examples and sayings while hearing and deciding cases.

Shakespeare seems to have a dig at the Judges of his time. He directs our attention to their fairroundbelly linedwithgoodcapon.It issaidthattheJudgesofthaterausedtoacceptbribes—baskets of chicks and capons—and were known as ‘basket judges’. Though specimens of corrupt judges may be found in modern times as well, this generalisation is too harsh a comment on judiciary.

WORKSHEET–65

1. 1. The fourth stage of human life is described in the above lines. 2. The phrase ‘bubble reputation’ refers to transitory fame. 3. Cannon means an old type of large heavy gun. 2. (a) Themaincharacteristicsofasoldierare: (i) He is full of strange oaths. (ii) He is bearded like the leopard. (iii) He is jealous in matters concerning honour. (iv) He is quick in quarrel.

(b) Bubble reputation is a short-lived or transitory fame. A soldier can risk danger or death toupholdhisself-respect.Facingacannon’smouthinvitessuredeath,butitalsoprovideshonour and glory to the brave soldier.

(c) Shakespeare begins the poem with a metaphor. He calls human life the stage of a drama. Human beings are the players/characters in this drama. They live in this world through various stages.

Most of the people pass through these seven stages. However, only a few persons make somesignificant impacton theworld.Theextendedmeaningof thephrase ‘oneman inhis time’ is ‘one man during the course of his life.’

(d) Thepoetfindssomefaults/defectsineverystageoflife.Hedoesnotsayanythingpositiveor favourable because the speaker of these lines, Jacques is a melancholic and pessimistic person.Hefindsnothinggoodorworthwhileinlife.Soheiscriticalofeverystageoflifehe describes.

3. ‘The Seven Ages’ is a great poem written by the greatest dramatist of all time—William Shakespeare. He beautifully compares man’s life with seven different periods. The world is rightly called a stage. Actors come onto it, play their part and go out. Likewise human beings are born and ‘act’ variously in their living here for 60-80 years.

The seven important parts are child, student, lover/soldier, family man head of a family and finally,oldman.Manasaninfantcriesandvomitsinthelapofthenurse.Soonhebecomesa school-going child goes to school like a snail. He has a shining morning face and bag on his shoulders. He goes to school unwillingly.

Next role is the role of a lover. Adolescence is the age of complete change physically and mentally. He is in love. He sighs like a furnace when he is frustrated in love. He makes very sad ballad to his mistress’ eyebrow.


Thenextstage isofasoldier.He is fullofbraveryandcourage.Heisreadytofightawarfor a bubble-like reputation. He is sudden and quick in quarrel.

Inhisfifthstage,manbehavesasajustice.“Infairroundbelly”andbeardofformalcuthedoes not want anybody disobey him. He thinks himself to be full of wisdom.

Insixthstage,hewearsspectaclesonhisnose.Hisdressesgetlooseandhelooksfunny.Hespeaksinastrangevoice.Inthislaststageorseventhstageheisamereoblivion.Nobodyloves him. He himself hates life because of no teeth, no eyesight, no taste and almost nothing to enjoy with. He waits for his death. His end comes.

WORKSHEET–66

1. 1. The ‘Justice’ is a middle-aged person. 2. Lineheremeansfilledwith. 3. Itmeansgeneraltruthsaboutlife.2. (a) The judges in Shakespeare’s time were well-fed, well-dressed and well-versed in wise

sayings and maxims. A Justice had severe eyes and a beard of fashionable cut. His fat roundbellyindicateshisloveforfood.Itisfilledwithfatmalechickens.

(b) He quotes many sayings and examples to show his wisdom. He is a judge. He cites these examples and sayings while hearing and deciding cases.

(c) He directs our attention to their fair round belly lined with good capon. The judges then used to accept bribes–baskets of chicks and capons–and were known as ‘basket judges’.

(d) The dejected lover sighs like a furnace. The simile may appear far-fetched, but it drives hometwopoints.First, the lover’s sighsarequite loud—as thesoundof thebellows is.Secondly, they are quite frequent and hot. The poet mocks not only the lover but other poets of his age as well, who used to compose poems praising the various aspects of the beloved’s beautiful face.

3. First Option The old man appears weak and thin. He wears spectacles on his nose. His legs are shrunk and

thin. The trousers of his youth, which he has preserved painstakingly, are quite loose for his emaciated legs. His voice becomes hoarse and rough. He starts piping and whistling because he has lost teeth. He has a soft fold of loose skin that hangs down as a result of illness or oldage.Inhisslippersandloosefittinggarmentshelooksafunnyoldman—apantaloon—acomicfigureinItaliancomedy.

Second Option The last two stages of man’s life represent old age and senility. An old man has shrunken

legs.Hewearsill-fittinggarmentspreservedfromyouth.Heputsonslippers.Helooksveryfunny with spectacles on nose and loose skin folds hanging down. His manly voice breaks and becomes hoarse and rough. His broken teeth produce whistles.

The last stage of man’s life is that of senility or extreme old age. Man becomes extremely old and is at the door of death. He loses control on all the senses. He is toothless and has poor taste.Hiseyesightisquiteweakandfailstorecognisepeople.Heturnsforgetful.Infact,hehas nothing similar to what he used to have during his prime.

WORKSHEET–67

1. 1. The period of life during a man’s sixth age is old age. 2. Itmeansfunnyoldmanwearingslippers. 3. Shrunk shank stands for thin, smaller legs.2. 1. First Option

Inthisstageamanappearsweakandthin.Hewearsspectaclesonhisnose.Hislegsareshrunk and thin. The trousers he wears are very loose for him. He whistles while speaking.


Second OptionMan’svoiceinthisstagebecomeshoarseandrough.Itstartspipingandwhistlingbecausehe has lost teeth.

2. First OptionIn the laststageofhuman life,manbecomesextremelyoldand isat thedoorofdeath.He loses control on all the senses. He looks weak and helpless like a child. He is forgetful. Hehasnoteeth,noeyesightandnotaste.Infact,hehasnothingsimilartowhatheusedto have earlier.Second OptionThestageprecedingthis isofanextremeoldage.In it themanhasshrunkenlegs.Hismanly voice breaks and broken teeth produce whistles. He looks very funny with spectacles on nose and loose skin folds hanging down.

3. Exitsandentrancesarecomparedtothedeathsandbirthsrespectively.Aplayerentersthe stage when his/her role begins. The player makes an exit when the role ends. The birth of a man is his entrance in the world while death marks the exit.

4. Stage Characteristic featuresInfancy crying,beingsick,playing,dependent

Student complaining, smartly dressed

Lover unhappy, moody, temperamental

Soldier (Youth) swearing, quick tempered, ambitious, fearless, decisive, protective

HeadofFamily wise,conciliatory,compromising,responsible,serious,overprotective

Old Age thin, decline in health, weak

Senility no teeth, poor eyesight, poor taste, forgetful

WORKSHEET–68

1. 1. 1. The meaning of oblivion is forgetfulness. 2. Eventfulhistorymeansfullofsignificantincidents. 3. The last scene of man is the door of death.

2. 1. The poetic device used in these lines is metaphor. 2. Players refer to actors and actresses in a play. 3. Parts in line 4 means roles.2. 1. Shakespeare broadly divides human life in seven ages or parts. The characteristics

associatedwitheachageshowthathefindsnothinggoodorworthwhile inanystageoflife.His attitude is cynical.Hefinds faultwith every stage.No, I donot agree entirelywith what he says. Life has many beautiful moments and stages.

2. Theprogressofapersoninlifecanbedepictedbymanycomparisons.Someoftheseare: (i) seasonsinnature: spring,summer,autumn,winter (ii) partsoftheday : dawn,sunrise,morning,noon,afternoon,evening,sunset,night (iii) daysoftheweek : Sunday,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday,Saturday. (iv) trees : sprouting, youngplant,maturity, fruit bearingperiod, old age,

decay, death. Therearemany similaritiesbetween treesandhuman life.So I like the comparison of

stages of life with trees.



DUMB CHARADE: The Seven Ages (Poem)

WORKSHEET–69 1. For self-attempt. 2. For self-attempt. 3. 1. Infancy:innocence,crying “Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms” 2. Student/Boyhood:complaining,curious,inquisitive “...with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school.” 3. Lover:self-conscious,moody “Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad//Made to his mistress’ eyebrow.” 4. Soldier:fearless “Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel Seeking the bubble reputation Eveninthecannon’smouth.” 5. Judge/Head of family:wise,stern,compromising,responsible,conciliatory “Infairroundbellywithcaponlined With eyes severe and beard of formal cut.” 6. Old age:spectacled,leanandthin “...lean and slippered pantaloon, with spectacles on nose and pouch on side.” 7. Senility:toothless,forgetful “...second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”


OH, I WISH I’D LOOKED AFTER ME TEETH (Poem)

WORKSHEET–70

1. 1. The poet had to go to the dentist because she ate a lot of sweets and did not take care of her teeth.

2. She could have avoided it by brushing her teeth with a proper toothbrush. 3. The narrator’s tone in the above lines is one of regret. 2. (a) Duringher childhood and early youth, the poet did not pay any attention to her teeth.

She developed a taste for sweet, sticky food and chewed toffees. She devoted most of her time to eating sweets or sugary things.

(b) The conscience of the speaker pricks her as she has been careless about dental care. She did not look after her teeth properly. She brushed her teeth late at night, but she didn’t think it worth doing as she could devote the same time for eating something she liked.

(c) The poet went to the dentist because she had developed cavities in her teeth. There were gapsthatneededfilling.Someteethhadtobecapped.Shecouldhaveavoidedthepainfulexperience of sitting in the dentist’s chair if she had looked after her teeth properly.


(d) The poet seems to have disregarded her mother’s advice to look after her teeth. She would laugh at her mother’s false teeth as these lay covered with foam in a saucer having water. Ifshehadlistenedtohermother’sadviceorlearntalessonfromherfalseteeth,shewouldhave saved her teeth.

3. First Option Friday 12March20XX Oh!WhataharrowingtimeIhadsittinginthedentist’schair.Itwasalongandexhausting

sittingwhichdrainedmephysically,emotionallyandmentally. I felt likeanervouswreck.Indespair,Itriedtoshifttheblametoothers.Butconstantregretfilledmywholebeing.MyconscienceprickedmeasIhadbeencarelessandignoreddentalcare.Ithenregardedteethas a device to cut, crush, chew and grindwhatever I put inmymouth. Sweet sticky foodbecamemypriority.Ididn’tbrushmyteethaftermeals.Rather,Iletthesweettasteprevailby chewing toffees, licking lolliesand candies. I enjoyed tiny sweetsaswell as large,hardsweets.Theirsweettastegavemeheavenlybliss.LittledidIknowthenthatIwasinvitingtroubleformyself.Iwaspavingthewayforcavitiesandtoothdecay.HadIbeencareful,Icould have avoided the discomfort of lying in the dentist’s chair and gazing up his nose in despair. Iwould not have to undergo pain andwastage of time andmoney by gettingmydecayedteethdrilledandfilled inafterbeinggivenpainkilling injectionsandanaesthetics.Since I considermyself theculprit, I canonlybecomenostalgicandremembermyyouth. IwishI’dlookedaftermyteeththen.Second Option

Respected Principal, teachers and dear friends! One of the problems that affects the youngsters is lack of awareness of dental hygiene. Young

people do brush their teeth in the morning and some of them do so before going to bed. Well, that’s good!

But, pause for a second! Consider what they put in their mouth all day—candies, ice cream, chocolates, toffees, lollies, chewing gums, gobstoppers, liquorice, sherbet dabs etc. They go on chewing them endlessly. Their preference is sweet sticky food, junk food and oily food.

Anyone who is familiar with the rudiments of dental hygiene would say ‘no’ to the use of these sweets. Young students must scrupulously avoid them as they weaken our gums, harm enamels and create cavities and plaque. Sometimes the teeth are infected and cause a lot of pain.

Inordertoavoidthepainanddiscomfortinfuture,weshouldbevigilantnow.Avoidtakinganythingsweetwhenyouhavebrushedyourteethaftermeals.Incaseyouhaveasweettooth,take an apple or chew some sugarcane. These will satisfy your urge for sweets and cleanse your teeth. Remember to brush your teeth after meals and before going to bed. Regularity in dental hygiene will save you from the painful consequences of ignoring dental care.

Thanks

WORKSHEET–71

1. 1. The poet repents because she was careless towards her teeth. 2. Atthetimeofspeaking,thenarratorhadmorefillingthantooth. 3. Itmeanstochoosenottomakeuseofsomething. 2. First Option The poet developed cavities in her teeth. She chewed toffee, licked lollies, liquorice and

gobstoppers. She gulped tiny sweets called sherbet dabs. The sweet sticky food has caused cavities and decay in her teeth. Since it is the result of her own action, her conscience pricks her.Second Option

The poet sits in the dentist’s chair as he examines her teeth. Sometimes he cures the cavities orcapsthetooththathasdecayedorbecomehollow.Shehastoundergofillingsandinjections.The drilling of her molars makes a whining sound. She has to bear pain and discomfort.


3. ‘Oh, Iwish I’d lookedAfterMeTeeth’ isagreatpoemwrittenby thegreatestwriter–PamAyres. Through her poem she instructs all the readers to take care of their teeth.

The narrator herself is fond of eating sweets, candies, lollypops, peanuts. She brushes her teethbut the result isfillings anddrillin’s.Shehas to go to a dentist for twofillings.Shelistens to his drill making a whining sound while working in her molars.

Now she thinks about her teeth. She repents now when she is undergoing the pain. She thinksabouthermother’s false teeth.Hermotherused towashher teeth “How I laughedat my mother’s false teeth, As they foamed in the waters beneath.” Clearly suggests that she made fun of her mother’s false teeth. But now she understands that we must avoid all the candies, sweets if we want to have healthy teeth and molars. This poem is a reward for those who do not take care of their teeth. We must brush twice a day and eat healthy fruits to make ourselves free from dental problems.


DISCUSSION: Oh, I Wish I’d Looked After Me Teeth (Poem)

WORKSHEET–72

1. Stages in the life of the poet Activities Consequences

(a) Youth eating toffees eating sweet sticky food, cavities, caps, chewing gobstoppers, decay, fi llings, licking lollies, liquorice injections, drillings and sherbet dabs

(b) Adulthood lay in the old dentist’s chair gazing at the dentist in despair

2. (a) The title expresses regret. (b) The conscience of the speaker pricks her as she had been careless. (c) The speaker has paved the way for cavities and decay as she was eating the wrong food

and not brushing. (d) The tone of the narrator is one of regret. 3. These lines convey regret on the part of the poet. She did not devote more time to brushing

her teeth properly and taking care of them as eating seemed more important then. 4. Brush your teeth daily and smile cheerfully. 5. (a) a wink (b) to give (c) whip (d) horse (e) to turn (f) never cease (g) past (h) had sown

JUST THINKThepoethasusedmanylinguisticvariationstomakethepoemmoreenjoyable.Forexample,shehas used ‘me’ instead of ‘my’. This is the way how children usually speak. The word ‘amalgam’ has been misspelt to read as ‘amalgum’. The word ‘gum’ in ‘amalgum’ at once links it with gums andsuggeststhatit issomethingforfillingholesinteeth/gums.Theremovalofharsh ‘g’soundand replacing it by softer nasal sound of ‘in’ adds to themusical effect.Thewords are:willin’,fillin’,sllillin’,brushin’,pokin’,fussin’,drillin’,recokonin’andbeckonin’.



SONG OF THE RAIN (Poem)

WORKSHEET–73

1. 1. The speaker of the poem is raindrops. 2. Ishtaristhegoddessoffertility,love,warandsex. 3. The poetic device used is allusion. 2. (a) Therainisofdivineorigin.Itisdroppedfromheavenbythegods.Itispluckedfromthe

crownofIshtarbythedaughterofDawn.Ishtaristhegoddessoffertility,love,warandsex.SheisthedivinepersonificationoftheplanetVenus.

(b) The rain looks beautiful as it drops from heaven to earth. It seems to be dotted silverthreads dropping from the sky. Another metaphor used to highlight the beauty and shining qualityis“beautifulpearls”.Naturetakesraintodecorateherfieldsandvalleys.

(c) The three words used by the poet to indicate different intensity with which the rain falls are: ‘cry’, ‘humble’ and ‘bow’. The rain makes a loud, harsh sound or cries as it falls on hills.Itbecomesslowandgentleasitfallsontheflowers.Whentherainbendsitselfandflowsonlandallthingsareveryhappyandexcited.

(d) Thepoetusesamythtodescribethe functionofrainasamessenger.Thefieldandthecloudare lovers.Rainactsasamessengerbetweenthetwo.Itsatisfiesthethirstofthefield.Atthesametimeitcurestheailmentofthecloudbyrelievingitofitsexcesswatervapour.

3. First Option Iamrain.Iemergefromtheheartoftheseaandsoarwiththebreeze.Ibecomepartofthe

cloud.Excessofwatervapoursmakethecloudcomplain.Irelievethecloudofitsailmentandarriveintheskyaccompaniedbythesoundofthunder.Iampristineinmygloryandshinelike dotted silver threads dropped fromheaven. I shine like pearls plucked from the crownof the goddess of fertility, love, war and sex. Nature welcomes me with open arms and takes metobeautifyherfieldsandvalleys.WhenIcrythehillslaugh.Irevitalisethegreeneryandfreshen the vegetation. My drops are a life saving elixir to the dry and fading plants. The flowersrejoiceasItouchthemgently.AlltheobjectsofnatureareveryhappyandexcitedasIapproachthem.Ialsoactasalinkbetweenthefieldsandthecloudsandhelpbothofthem.WhenIseeafieldinneed,Idescendandembracetheflowersandthetreesinmanydifferentways.Imakemyexitfromtheearthandleavebehindarainbowintheskyasmysignature.

Second Option Thepoembeginsonanautobiographicalnote.Itseemsasiftherainisgoingtotellitsstory.

Ittracesitsdivinelineageandmentionsthevariousfunctionsitperformsinskyandonearth.Itrisesfromtheseaandultimatelyminglesinthesea.

The rain is a source of joy and bliss to all the objects of nature. Raindrops freshen the vegetation andrevitalisethegreeneryonthehills.Theylookmorebeautifulthanbefore.Inthedesert,it waters the parched land and relieves the thirsty and panting souls in the desert.

Like a stranger it knocks gently on the windows to announce its arrival as a welcome song. Everyonecanhearthesongoftherainbutonlythesensitivecanreallyunderstandwhatitmeans. The poem rises to philosophical height as the rain is called ‘the sigh of the sea’, ‘the laughterof thefield’and ‘the tearsofheaven’.Therain is fullof loveandshowers loveonall.Itsighsdeeplyoutofaffection,laughsheartilyatlightmomentsofthespiritandshedstears at the memories which are endless. The expression of love, affection, laughter and tears raise rain from a simple phenomenon of nature to a philosophical height. It appears as aheavenly being—powerful and yet benign; merciful and gentle and human in its approach.


WORKSHEET–74

1. 1. The‘I’intheabovelinesreferstorain. 2. ‘I’comefromthesea. 3. ‘I’smotherisIshtar. 2. First Option

Thefields are parchedanddry after the summerheat. It seems that they are thirsty andneed water to quench their thirst. The water of the rain performs exactly this function. The cloud thunders to register its complaint. The ailment is caused by the excess of water vapours in it. By discharging them in the form of rain the cloud feels relieved of its ailment.Second OptionEarthlylifehasitsbeginning,middleandendoryoumaycallitbirth,maturityanddeath.The voice of thunder declares the arrival of rain whereas the rainbow proclaims its departure. The earthly life of rain begins at the feet of mad elements and ends under the swift air which causes its death.

3. Song of the rain is written by Kahlil Gibran. The rain is described in the poem as something divineandanattributeofgods.The rainhere ispersonified.Here itdescribes itself likeahuman being.

The rain is divine because it comes from heaven and is the product of nature. This process is like‘thesigh’sincetheraingetsseparatedfromitsmother,thesea.Itsighsatitsbirthandseparation.Thefieldsaredry.Butwhenitrains,theseveryfieldsstartrefreshingthemselves.This ‘refreshing’ or ‘rejuvenation’ is their laughter. Tears of heaven implies raining. Heaven seemstobeweepingandraindropsbecome itsbig tears. Itembraces theflowersandtreeswherevertheygrow.Naturetakesthehelpofraintoadornherfieldsandvalleys.Thus,therain acts like a divine thing to give life to all the objects of nature.

The poet calls rain as earthly life because it follows the cycle of life and death as it is on the earth for all living beings living on it. The rain takes its birth because of various elements available on the earth and it dies when it has served its purpose or is alive because of these elements.

Intheend,rainbidsfarewelltoall‘withlove’.Itisa‘sigh’,‘laughter’,‘tears’yet,itisallbutwith love.


DEVELOPING CREATIVITY: Song of the Rain (Poem)

WORKSHEET–75

1. (a) The rain makes a loud sound when it pours with great intensity on the hills. The rain vitalises the greenery and freshens the vegetation. The hills are full of joy and laugh. The rainsheds itsprideand fallsgentlyonearth.Theplants feel freshandflowers rejoice.When the rain makes its appearance in the form of drops all the objects of nature are very happy and excited because rain is good for them.

(b) Therainsingsajoyoussongasittouchesthewindowgentlywithhersoftfingers.Shemakesthe announcement of her arrival in the form of a welcome song. All can hear the song of the rain but only the sensitive hearts can understand and appreciate what message the rain brings to them.

(c) (i) The rain emerges from the heart of the sea in the form of water vapours and soars with the breezes to the sky. The sadness of the sea at losing a part of herself is expressed


in the form of a sigh. So the rain calls itself ‘the sigh of the sea’. The rain pours over thefieldsandfreshensthetrees,plantsandflowersandbringsthemjoy.Soitisthelaughterofthefield.Astheraintricklesdownfromtheskyitcallsitself‘thetearsofheaven’.

(ii) Theraincanperformadualfunction.Itcanbeapreserveraswellasadestroyer.Asapreserver,ithelpsplants,trees,flowersandcropstogrow.Rainprovideswaterforrivers, canals and dams for irrigation and generation of hydroelectricity. Rain may also causehavoc.Ifitrainscontinuouslyandwithgreatintensity,rainbecomesanagentofflood.Thenitcausesdestructionofmen,cattleandproperty.Cropsaredestroyedand man-made infrastructure collapses. People lose their belongings and are rendered homeless.

(d) Earthlylifeisfinite.Ithasabeginningandanend.Whatpassesinbetweenthetwoi.e.birth and death is the earthly life or existence. The rain is like earthly life in this sense. Itoriginatesintheseaanddropsonearthfromheaven.Thunderdeclaresitsarrivalandtherainbowsignifies itsdeparture. Itstaysonearth for theperiod inbetweenthetwo.The rain has no spiritual existence.

2. (a) IamstandingamidsttheparchedlandsofthedesertofRajasthan.Duringthesummerwe faced hot winds in the hope that rain would provide us relief. But rain has been scanty this year. We keep gazing at the sky and pray to rain to bless us. The clouds come at last. The dry spell is broken. People come out and dance and sing in the rain.

(b) Therainwaterwillbecollectedfordrinkingbywaterharvesting.Itwillbestoredinpoolsforanimalstodrinkandindamsforirrigatingthefields.

(c) Before the arrival of the rain, people will get busy in cleaning rooftops and pipes for water harvesting. They will repair the embankments of pools and dams also. After the rain, variousactivitiesconnectedwithagricultureandcattlefarmingwillbegin.Thefieldswillbe sown with fresh grain. Sheep, goats and cows etc. will be taken out by the shepherds andcowherdstoopenfieldsandpasturestograzethere.

3. Phrasesare: Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness The hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind close bosom-friend of the maturing sun on a half-reaped furrow sound asleep seen thee oft amid thy store thy hook spares the next swath sittingcarelessonagranaryfloor likeagleanerthoudostkeep


THE BISHOP’S CANDLESTICKS (Drama)

WORKSHEET–76

1. 1. The person spoken about is Mere Gringoire, an old and bedridden woman. 2. The tone of the speaker is full of anger and contempt. 3. The speaker is critical of the person because she asks the Bishop to help her with money. 2. (a) It is a coldwinter night. The clock has already struck eleven. Persome isworried and

upset because her brother the Bishop has not come back home yet. Moreover, he hasn’t left any message.

(b) Yes,I thinktheBishopwasright insellingthesaltcellars.Hedidso foranoblecause.Hehelpedapooroldwomanpayherrent.IftheBishophadnotdoneso,shewouldhavebeen ejected out of the cottage and left with no shelter.


(c) TheBishopreturnshomeaftereleveno’clockatnight.Itisacoldandwindynight.Mariehas to go home now. The Bishop is a kind man. He wants to protect Marie from cold. So he gives his comforter to Marie.

(d) The convict looks dangerous. He has a long knife in his hand. He is standing behind the Bishop. His knife is ready to hit the Bishop. He glares at Persome like a wild beast. So Persome is frightened.

3. Theincidentservesaveryusefuldramaticpurpose.IthighlightstheBishop’sgoodness.Heiskind,helpfulandself-sacrificing.Marie,themaid-servanttellsPersomethatthesaltcellarshave been sold to pay the rent of an old lady, Mere Gringoire. Persome is shocked and angry.

The incident contrasts Persome and the Bishop. Persome is selfish; the Bishop is selfless.She is attached to property; he lives for others. He believes in charity to others; for Persome charity begins at home. The contrast helps to highlight the nobility of the kind and generous Bishop.

WORKSHEET–77

1. 1. Persome does not complete the sentence because she was about to utter some derogatory word about the Bishop.

2. Her intention is to condemn the Bishop’s act. She thinks that the old witched befooled him. 3. She is angry because the Bishop has sold the silver salt cellars to help a poor, old woman

pay her rent.2. (a) Persome feels that people pretend to be sick to get sympathy from the Bishop and force

him to visit them, pray for them, comfort and console them and sit with them even on dark chilly nights.

(b) The Bishop wanted to help Mere Gringoire. She was sick and old. She could not pay her rent. The bailiff had threatened to turn her out. So she asked the Bishop for help. The Bishop sold the silver saltcellars to raise money to help Mere Gringoire.

(c) The convict’s wife was ill. He was out of work and had no money to buy food or medicines for her. Since there was no food in the house, he stole to buy her food. He was caught and sent to prison.

(d) The Bishop tells a lie to save the convict. He tells the sergeant that the man is his friend and he has himself given the candlesticks to the man. The sergeant shows disbelief. The Bishop uses his authority and asks the sergeant to release the convict.

3. Persome,theBishop’ssister,isshort-tempered.Sherebukesthemaid.Sheishaughty,selfishand abusive. She calls Marie a nincompoop, and Mere Gringoire an ‘old witch’. She seems an unfeeling lady. She does not like it when the Bishop gives his comforter to Marie. She loves her brother deeply and looks after him. She knows that her brother is innocent like a child. She is worried when he stays out at night. She is attached to property and is pained at the loss of costly articles, furniture and estate. She is timid and feels afraid of the convict. Being materialistic she wants to inform the police when the candlesticks are stolen. However she obeys the Bishop and remains silent. She serves food to the convict at the Bishop’s order.

WORKSHEET–78

1. 1. The attitude of the speaker is threatening. 2. The intention of the speaker is to get some food. 3. The speaker’s opinion about himself is that he can not be befooled easily. 2. (a) The Bishop is kind and sympathetic to the poor and miserable people. He is generous and

innocenttoafault.Heisdeceivedeasilybyavagabondoranoldwoman.Heisfilledwithpity at the suffering in the world.


(b) The silver candlesticks of the Bishop are now the only valuable item left in the house. Persome remarks that some day the Bishop would sell them to pay somebody’s rent. The Bishop appreciates Persome’s concern for the poor and begins to talk about the candlesticks.

(c) Thesecandlestickswereagiftfromhismother.Shewasonherdeath-bed.Itwasapartinggift and served as a token of her memory. They had a sentimental value and hence they were very dear to the Bishop.

(d) The convict was treated very badly. He was chained up like a wild animal. He was lashed like a hound. He was fed with filth. He slept on boards.When he complained he waslashed again.

3. It isaboutmidnight.TheBishop,who isalone inhis room, sitsdown to read.Just thenaconvict enters stealthily. He has a long knife in his hand. He seizes the Bishop from behind and threatens to kill him if he calls out. The Bishop remains calm and asks the man if he can help him. The convict demands food for he hasn’t eaten anything for three days. The kind Bishop takes pity on him and says that he will ask his sister for the keys of the cupboard. Then he will give him food. He gets up to call Persome. The convict stands behind the Bishop with his knife ready. Persome gives him the keys of the cupboard. The Bishop serves the convict bread, cold pie and a bottle of wine.

WORKSHEET–79

1. 1. The speaker is kind. 2. The speaker’s attitude towards others is sympathetic. 3. The speaker feels sad at his own helplessness. 2. (a) Onlya foolishbird iscaughtwithchaff. It failstoseethedifferencebetweengrainand

chaff. The convict tells the Bishop that he sees through his trick. He will call his sister, then arouse the whole household and get him arrested. He will not be deceived by this foolish trick.

(b) The convict calls the prison as ‘hell’ because he has suffered in it much more than in hell. He has been beaten mercilessly. He has been chained up like a wild beast and lashed like a hound. He has lost his identity and soul. His name has been taken away and he hasbeengivenanumber,15729.

(c) No,Idon’tthinkthepunishmentgiventotheconvictwasatalljustified.Hiscrimewasaminor one. On the other hand, the punishment was too harsh and not at all proportionate to the ‘enormity’ of the offence.

(d) The convict is eager to reach Paris because he will be lost there in the crowd of the big city.Hewillnotbeidentifiedorcaughtbythepoliceagain.Hecanbeginanewlifewiththe money obtained by selling the candlesticks.

3. ‘The Bishop’s Candlesticks’ is a very popular play based on the theme that love and kindness can change a man rather than violence. The play is about a convict holding a knife, who breaks into the Bishop’s house. The Bishop treats him with love, sympathy and kindness. The Bishop gives him food to eat, prepares his bed to sleep comfortably. The Bishop hears his story of suffering. But unfortunately the convict or the beast, steals his silver candlesticks and runs away.

He is captured and brought back. He expects to go back to jail, but the Bishop again rewards him by informing the police that they are a gift. The Bishop calls him ‘his friend’ and tells a lie to save him from being sent to prison again. He forgives him and gives him the candlesticks to start a life-renew.

The convict is touched.He says... “but somehow I–I–know you’re good, ...”He realizes hismistake in the end and decides to start a new life and asks the Bishop to bless him. Thus, love and kindness has changed him into a reformed man, a beast to a man again. He learns from the Bishop the lessons of love, kindness, generosity, help, truth and above all sympathy. The act of the Bishop reforms the convict to a belief in the spirit of God that dwells in the heart of every human being.


WORKSHEET–80

1. 1. He is penitent. 2. The attitude of the speaker is respectful towards the listener. 3. The speaker pauses so much because he feels ashamed. 2. (a) The inhuman treatment meted out to the convict in the prison has changed him into a

beast. He has lost all faith in goodness, charity and humanity. He has no hope or faith. He haslosthissoulandfinerfeelings.Heisnolongerahumanbeingbutmerelyanumber.

(b) TheBishopservestheconvictnicely.Heoffershimfoodandabedtosleepon.Initially,the convict hesitates when he thinks of the kind treatment given by Bishop. But his basic nature comes to the fore. He is tempted to steal the candlesticks as he feels that these would help him to start life in a new manner.

(c) The Bishop had heard how the convict had suffered in the hell i.e. the prison. He has seen how the harsh treatment has transformed him into a hardened criminal—a beast. He does not want the criminal to be sent back to Hell again. So he does not inform the police of the theft of the candlesticks.

(d) The Bishop treats the convict with love, sympathy and kindness. He offers him food. He listens to his story of suffering. He feels pity for him. He saves him from being sent to prisonagain.Intheend,hegiveshimthecandlestickstostartanewlife.Theconvict’sheart is touched. The Bishop’s goodness makes him a man again.

3. Jean Valjean Reformatory Paris

18 March 20XX

RespectedFather Youmustbeamazedtoreceivethisletterfromanex-convict.Istillrememberthecoldwinter

nightwhenIenteredyourstudyroomwithalongknifeinmyhandanddemandedfoodlikea hungry beast. Your nobility, divine forgiveness and sympathy awakened my lost soul and whenIleftyou,Iwasacompletelytransformedperson.Themeetingwithyouhasprovedaturningpointinmylife.Ihavesoldthecandlesticksandstartedareformatoryforex-convicts.IhaveputallthemoneyIearnedfrombusinesstorunthisreformatory.

I know frommy experience that an ex-convict has to facemany problems in getting food,shelterandemployment.Hecan’tevendreamofgettingsocialacceptability.Ihavestartedmany trades in the reformatory so that ex-convicts could start with dignity by doing some usefulworkandearningmoneybyhonestmeans.I’llalwaysrememberyourpracticalexampleand practise the various human virtues like mercy, pity, sympathy, fellow feeling, cooperation and tolerance. We have also arranged sermons by religious/ great men on weekends.

Recitals from scriptures are held regularly. We would be grateful to you if you could honour us with your visit on the reformatory’s annual

functionon15May20XXandblesstheinmates.Ialwaysseekyourblessings. With abiding gratitude

Yours sincerelyJean Valjean

WORKSHEET–81

I. 1. First Option The play deals with crime and punishment. The aim of punishment should be reformative.

The wrongdoer should be made to realize his guilt and purge him of his evil tendencies. Itshouldmakethecriminalalaw-abidingcitizen.Theharshtreatmentinprisonturned


the convict into a nameless, feelingless, hard-hearted beast who is ready to steal and kill. The Bishop’s goodness softens him a little. Love and sympathy transform the wild beast into a man again. Touched by the kindness of the Bishop, he sobs and seeks his blessings. Thus the play gives the idea that kindness, love and sympathy are far more effective than punishment.

Second Option Respected Principal, teachers and dear friends! I standbefore you to speakagainst themotion that ‘Criminals are wicked and deserve

punishment’. Let us have a brief glimpse of the convict’s life, who is presented as a hardened criminal.He isnotaborn criminal. It is the circumstances thatmakehimacriminal. He is a product of the society he lived in, both in terms of the suffering that led him to stealing a loaf of bread, and the excessive sentence he received as punishment for his crime. He went into prison for stealing money to buy food for his wife. He served the bestpartofhis life inprison.Whenhe left it,hewasfilledwithdespair,hopelessness,bitterness and anger at the injustice of his treatment. He had also become accustomed to doing whatever was necessary to survive and had little thought of dignity and principle.

We should hate the crime and not the criminals. We should analyse the causes which turngentlemenintocriminalsandfindwaysandmeanstorestoretheirconfidenceinlawand other institutions. Various avenues for reformation may be used. Love, pity, mercy, pardonetc. can change theheart of evenahardcore criminal.Remember:Takingone’slife is unpardonable as one can’t give back the other his life.

2. That the Bishop is a kind hearted man is revealed through these lines. He was inclined to go to any extent to help the needy people. He is of the opinion that this world is full of sufferings and one must gear oneself to alleviate the conditions of the poor people. One hastosacrificeall thecomfortstobringsmileonthe facesof theneedypeople.Hewasdevoted to the cause of the almighty and could go to any extent to serve the lord. His approach to life is a humane one.

3. ‘The Bishop’s Candlesticks’ is a very popular play based on the theme that love and kindness can change a man rather than violence. The play is about a convict holding a knife who breaks into the Bishop’s house. The Bishop treats him with love, sympathy and kindness. The Bishop gives him food to eat, prepares his bed to sleep comfortably. The Bishop hears his story of suffering. But unfortunately the convict or the beast, steals his silver candlesticks and runs away.

He is captured and brought back. He expects to go back to jail, but the Bishop again rewards him by informing the police that they are a gift. The Bishop calls him ‘his friend’ and tells a lie to save him from being sent to prison again. He forgives him and gives him the candlesticks to start a life-renew.

The convict is touched.He says...“but somehow I-I-knowyou’regood,...”He realizeshismistake in the end and decides to start a new life and asks the Bishop to bless him. Thus, love and kindness has changed him into a reformed man, a beast to a man again. He learns from the Bishop the lessons of love, kindness, generosity, help, truth and above all sympathy. The act of the Bishop reforms the convict to a belief in the spirit of God that dwells in the heart of every human being.



INTERVIEW, DRAMATISATION: The Bishop’s ... (Drama)

WORKSHEET–82

1. BISHOP’S CANDLESTICKS STAGED NelsonMandelaPublicSchoolstaged the famousplay ‘Bishop’sCandlesticks’ thisweekend. It

was produced and directed by the students of secondary classes. Of course, they sought the guidanceandadviceoftheirteachers.Theteamworkwasfine.Theplaylookedwell-rehearsed.The actors seemed to live the part of the character they were assigned. With minimum props andaccessoriesitwasactionthatfilledthestage.Loudandboldactions,broadgesturesandvoice modulation presented the various emotions and shades of the characters. The contrast between the polished language used by the Bishop and the rough and threatening tone of the convict highlighted their inherent goodness and evil. Persome’s possessiveness and Marie’s timidness were superbly presented.

2. One sample interview is given below:Shobhit : Whydidyourebukethemaidservant,mom?Mother : WhatelsecouldIdo?Shepickedmywatchfromthedressingtable.Shobhit : Howdidyoucometoknowthat?Mother : Ihad to callmy friendat11.30. I lookedatmywrist.Thewatchwasnot there.

Isearchediteverywhere.IenquiredfromChampa,themaidservant.Sheturnedpale.Iaskedhertoreturnit.

Shobhit : Didshehanditovertoyou?Mother : Yes.Butshedidso,onlywhenIthreatenedtoringupthepolice.Shobhit : Whatwouldyoudonow?Mother : I’llnotforgiveheratonce.I’llkeepaneyeonher.I’llretainheronlyifsheshows

improvement and reforms herself.Shobhit : Iagree.Letusgiveheronechance.

3. Developthefollowingvaluepoints: Criminals are hardened beasts having no mercy.

They are past redemption whatever opportunities of reformation they are provided. They have little thought of dignity and principle. They deserve severest punishment so that others may not commit such heinous crimes. The severest physical punishment given to criminals in Gulf countries supports this view.


LONG READING TEXT–NOVEL


GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (Novel)

WORKSHEET–83

1. While sailing on the ship Hopewell towards East Indies with captain William Robinson Gulliver reached Fort St. George. The Captain purchased a sloop (ship) and made Gulliver the master of the sloop. Gulliver was chased by pirates who left him in a small canoe to sail adrift. While wandering on an island, Gulliver saw a fl ying island called Laputa. The fl ying Island was a huge opaque body. People of the island pulled Gulliver with the help of chains and pulleys. Thus Gulliver landed on Laputa.

2. The fl ying Island of Laputa was circular in shape. Its diameter was about four miles and a half and it was three hundred yards thick. This island was governed by a huge loadstone or magnet. The loadstone was held in position by a very strong axle passing through its middle. The fl ying Island could be made to rise and fall or move from one place to another through some adjustments of the loadstone. But the island could not move beyond the extent of the dominion of the king and could not rise up for more than 4 miles.

WORKSHEET–84

1. The Governor of Glubbdubdrib was the most fascinating character in the whole kingdom. The word Glubbdubdrib means the island of magicians. All the members of the tribe were magicians. The governor must know the magic of summoning anyone from the king of the dead and command their services for 24 hours. Gulliver met the governor at his castle and told him about his various voyages and adventures. At the dinner table a number of ghosts served the meals. The Governor asked Gulliver whether he wished to talk to any dead person. Gulliver met several dead persons such as Alexander the great, Hannibal, Caesar, Pompey, Brutus and several other ancient personalities.

2. Luggnaggians were polite and generous people and they too had their share of pride like all eastern countries. They were very courteous to foreigners. Gulliver came across a person who asked him whether he had seen any of their Struldbrugs or immortals. He informed Gulliver that Struldbrugs were born as a matter of chance and were not peculiar to any family. Gulliver’s fi rst reaction was that of elation and excitement. Soon Gulliver learnt that his views regarding the life of a Struldbrug were far from reality. These Struldbrugs were not immune to the effects of ageing and infi rmities of life. With time they lost their health, memory, hair, teeth and could not enjoy life. They only lamented that they could not get eternal rest like other mortals.

WORKSHEET–85

1. The physical evidence that proved that one was a Struldbrug was that sometimes a child was born in a family with a red circular spot in the forehead, directly over the left eyebrow which showed that it would never die. In course of time that spot grew larger and changed its colour. At the age of twelve its colour changed to green, at twenty fi ve it turned into a deep blue; at 45 it grew coal black. These births were rare. The children of Struldbrugs were as mortals as other people.


2. When Gulliver was ditched by the pirates, he landed on an island where he came across strange animals. Their shape was very singular and deformed. Their heads and breasts were covered with a thick hair. They had beards like goats and a long ridge of hair down their backs and the fore parts of their legs and feet. Rest of their bodies was bare. They climbed high trees very easily like squirrels. They had extended claws. The females were not so large as the males. The hair of both sexes was of several colours—brown, red, black, and yellow.

WORKSHEET–86

1. When Sorel Nag offered Gulliver a root and a piece of ass’s fl esh Gulliver turned down them. The master horse asked Gulliver what he would take as food. While they were thus engaged, Gulliver chanced to see a cow passing by. Gulliver pointed to her and expressed his desire to milk her. The mare-servant took Gulliver to a room where milk lay in wooden and earthen vessels. Gulliver drank it. Gulliver asked the master horse to provide him oats. Gulliver made bread with oats by heating it on fi re and rubbing it till the husk came off. He ground and beat them between two stones, made them into a paste or cake and toasted it on fi re and ate it warm with milk.

Sometimes Gulliver caught a rabbit or a bird for his food. He gathered herbs which he boiled and ate as salad with bread. He also made butter and drank whey to survive there.

2. The chief Houyhnhnm was a kind hearted animal who provided food and shelter to Gulliver. He even assisted Gulliver to learn their language along with his children and servants of the house. Chief Houyhnhnm was very curious to know about Gulliver and the country he belonged to. On many occasions he was bewildered to know about the social, political, administrative life of the people of Gulliver’s country. He despised war, intrigue etc. as a means of ruling. To him, the best method was love and compassion among fellow beings.

WORKSHEET–87

1. Gulliver was expelled from the country of Houyhnhnms because he was regarded by them as an Yahoo, and being a member of the race of Yahoos he should not be allowed to live in the company of Houyhnhnms for ever. To Gulliver it came as a shock and he considered death better than the expulsion. Gulliver was impressed by the lives of Houyhnhnms, their honesty and compassion for the fellow beings and therefore he did not want to go among his fellow human beings and his family.

2. Gulliver seems to be highly impressed by the virtues and noble qualities of the Houyhnhnms. They had no place for falsehood, concealment and deception. They were lovers of truth. To him Houyhnhnms represented ‘perfection in nature’. On the other hand Yahoos shared all the vices of the human beings. Houyhnhnms represented the perfection whereas Yahoos represented the degeneration in nature.

The Houyhnhnms were endowed with a general disposition to all virtues. The supremacy of reason was acknowledged. Friendship and benevolence were the two principal virtues among the Houyhnhnms. Hard work, tolerance and cleanliness was emphasised in the upbringing of the race. Gulliver was fascinated by the qualities of Houyhnhnms and did not want to leave them.

WORKSHEET–88

1. When Gulliver reached Lagado, the capital of Balnibarbi he met a person named Munodi for whom he had brought a letter of recommendation from Laputa. Munodi had been governor of Lagado for some years but was removed for insuffi ciency. Munodi informed Gulliver about several futile schemes which were launched by a group of experts who had visited Laputa. Some such schemes were: extraction of sunbeam out of cucumbers; conversion of human excrement to its original food; making houses which began at the roof and working downwards to the foundation; obtaining silk from the webs of spiders. Gulliver found that all those schemes were unachievable. Such projects were bound to fail.


2. The word Glubbdubdrib means a land of magicians. The head of the tribe and its members were all magicians, the governor of Glubbdubdrib could command the services of those whom he summoned. These dead men could serve him for 24 hours. The governor asked Gulliver if he wished to meet any dead person. Gulliver wished to meet Alexander the Great and governor summoned Alexander the Great with the movement of his hand. Gulliver then met many great men of the past such as Hannibal, Brutus, Socrates, Cato and Sir Thomas More. Gulliver thus spent fi ve days in conversing with the ghosts of the dead. He also met many Roman emperors and Aristotle and Homer.


THREE MEN IN A BOAT (Novel)

WORKSHEET–89

1. George recalls a funny incident that took place one morning when he was lodging with Mrs Gippings. His watch had stopped at quarter past eight in the evening. Without knowing this he went to bed. It was still very dark when he woke up in the morning. He panicked when he saw the watch showing the time. He had to reach somewhere at nine o’clock. He fl ung the watch down and jumped out of his bed. He took cold bath and dressed himself. When he saw the watch it pointed to twenty minutes to nine. Perhaps it had started working by the jolt it received.

He was quite bewildered to fi nd Mrs Gippings still not awake. He cursed her and went out. Very few people were in the streets. A policeman asked him what he was doing at this hour. The neighbourhood clock struck three. George checked his watch to fi nd it showing fi ve minutes to nine. The policeman directed him to go to home as it was late night then. George went home but could not resist the temptation of walking out. He was again encountered with policemen who suspected him to be a criminal.

2. Harris boasted of his culinary achievements so much that it was decided that he would prepare scrambled eggs for breakfast. People who had once tasted his scrambled eggs would never care for any other food afterwards. Harris’ description watered the mouths of George and Jerome. They provided Harris the frying pan and all the eggs that were left which were not smashed. Harris on his part struggled to break the eggs into the frying pan. At last he was able to put some half a dozen eggs into the frying pan. To George and Jerome it seemed to be a harassing job. Whenever Harris went near the pan, he burnt himself. Then he would drop everything and dance about the stove. George and Jerome thought that it was a ‘necessary part of the culinary arrangements’.

The result was a failure. What left of the scrambled eggs was a teaspoonful of burnt and unappetizing looking mess. They decided not to attempt it again till they had the right housekeeping aids with them.

WORKSHEET–90

1. The three friends reached Datchet at 10 o’clock at night and wanted to go to bed immediately. They searched for the hotels and inns there. They left a pretty hotel only because there was no honeysuckle about it. They decided to go further to fi nd another hotel. At the second hotel, which had the honeysuckle, Harris did not like the look of a man who was leaning against the door. When they were searching for another hotel, somebody informed them that there were only two hotels in Datchet. Finally, they went to the fi rst hotel but could not get room as it was already full. The second hotel too was full of guests/travellers. They had to go to several places to fi nd accommodation but to no avail. When their search could not bear fruit a


small boy suggested his own house for them to take rest. The boy’s mother provided them hot bacon for supper and tea. Thus after much trouble they could fi nd place to stay at Datchet. They fi nally decided not to fuss over hotel in Datchet in future.

2. The narrator gets thrilling sensation in sailing because it comes as near to fl ying as man has got to yet. The wings of rushing wings seem to bear one onwards. You become a part of the nature. Your heart throb against hers! Her glorious arms stretch around you. It rises you up against her heart. Your spirit gets one with hers; your limbs go light! The voices of air sing to you. Earth seems to be away and clouds seem so close to you above your head.

WORKSHEET–91

1. The Cistercian monks that existed in thirteenth century wore no clothes but rough tunics and cowls. They did not eat fl esh, fi sh or eggs. They lied upon straw and they rose at midnight to mass. They spent their day in labour, reading and prayer and they did not speak. They listened to the voices of nature and waited for a voice from heaven.

2. While the narrator loved cats, Montmorency did not. Montmorency would pounce upon a cat the moment he saw it. The author did not blame Montmorency as it is the habit of a dog to fi ght out a cat. Once a cat darted out from one of the houses and began to cross the road. Montmorency at once gave a cry of joy and he rushed towards the cat. The cat was very ugly looking one. When Montmorency was about to reach her, the cat suddenly sat down and looked him. Montmorency stopped suddenly and looked back at Tom. Montmorency looked apologetically as if he was saying sorry to her. Then cat rose and continued his trod. Montmorency came back to them and sat silently.

WORKSHEET–92

1. The narrator and his friends hated steam launches during the course of river trip. The narrator thought that every rowing man hated steam launches. He wished to strangle it. When they saw any steam launch coming their way, they would sit down with their backs towards it and engrossed in gossip. They showed as if they were unaware of its presence there. The ship launcher would wistle for them and they tend to ignore it. The people at the steam launch would yell at them to get away from its path. They then pretend to hear their shouts and would get nervous and confused and not know how to get the boat out of the way, and the people in the launch would crowd round and instruct them how to get out of its way. They would come in a boat to assist them.

2. When the three friends were sitting in a meadow about ten yards from the water edge, suddenly Harris disappeared. The narrator and George were shocked at this and conjuctured earthquake or heavenly bliss behind this. It so happened that Harris was sitting at the verge of a small gully and the long grass had hid it from sight. When he leaned back he fell into the ditch and disappeared from the scene.

WORKSHEET–93

1. Once on the river journey George suggested that they prepare Irish stew in which the vegetables and the remains of the cold beef and ‘general odds and ends’ could be put. George gathered wood and made a fi re. Harris and Jerome started peeling potatoes. Peeling of potatoes turned out to be a tough job. They scraped the potatoes and could only scrap four of them. Ultimately some other potatoes were put in the stew without peeling. George found half a tin of potted salmon which too was put in the stew.

The advantage of Irish stew is that we can get rid of such a lot of things. A couple of cracked eggs too were put into it to make a thick gravy. Montmorency on his part contributed a dead water rat to be put into the stew. After much discussion water rat was discarded as an ingredient of Irish stew.


2. At Reading they found the river dirty and dismal. The town is a famous old place, dating from the days of King Ethelred. Danes had anchored their warships here. The King Ethelred and his brother Alfred fought and defeated Danes here. It was a place of refuge of Londoners. When plague spread in London, Parliament used to shift to Reading. All the courts were held at Reading after 1625. During the Parliamentary struggle, Reading was besieged by the Earl of Essex and about 25 years after the Prince of Orange routed King James’s army here. Thus Reading came out to be historical town.

WORKSHEET–94

1. When George and the narrator were sitting in a parlour they saw a big trout in a glass case which was fi xed very high up above the chimney-piece. The narrator thought it to be a Cod. Four persons claimed that they had caught it at various period of time. Ultimately the landlord claimed to have caught it. This made George very curious to check it from close quarters as it was a very astonishing trout. George climbed on a chair to get a better view of it. Suddenly the chair slipped and George caught hold of the glass case to save him. The glass case gave way and came down with a crash. The trout was shattered to pieces. The fact was that it was made of plaster of paris and all the persons were boasting about it.

2. The narrator himself was not a good fi sherman by his own estimation. He hoped at one time that he was catching on this subject but old hands advised him to give up the idea of a fi sherman as he could not be any real good at it. They thought that the narrator lacked suffi cient imagination. Their opinion was that the narrator could be anything except a Thames angler. The narrator required more play of fancy, more power of invention that he appeared to possess.


PROBLEM SOLVING ASSESSMENT

WORKSHEET–95

I. 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. b II. 1. c 2. b 3. a 4. b 5. bIII. 1. c 2. d 3. b 4. a 5. d 6. c 7. c

WORKSHEET–96

I. 1. c 2. d 3. a 4. b 5. a II. 1. a 2. b 3. c 4. d 5. bIII. 1. d 2. c 3. a 4. b 5. b 6. b 7. a 8. d 9. c

WORKSHEET–97

I. 1. c 2. d 3. b 4. a 5. c II. 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. aIII. 1. c 2. b 3. a 4. b 5. d 6. c 7. a 8. b

WORKSHEET–98

I. 1. b 2. c 3. a 4. b 5. d II. 1. b 2. c 3. d 4. b 5. aIII. 1. c 2. a 3. b 4. d 5. b 6. c 7. b 8. a


SECTION–A (READING)

1. (a) 1. One hardly enjoys sitting in a train for more than a few hours as train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy.

2. The monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails lures one to fall asleep during a train journey.

3. The narrator feels that long car journeys are even less pleasant because it is quite impossible even to read in such journeys. A greater part of the journey is spent on narrow, bumpy roads which are crowded with traffic. This makes the journey very uncomfortable.

4. A sea journey offers civilized comforts like stretching one’s legs on the spacious decks, playing games, swimming, meeting interesting people and enjoying good food.

5. Disadvantage.

(b) 1. Jumman was overjoyed when he heard that Algu was to be the chief judge because he and Algu were close friends and he believed that Algu would favour him due to their friendship.

2. Algu gave the judgement that the elders were of the opinion that Jumman’s aunt’s property yielded enough profits that monthly expenses could be paid to her. He also added that if Jumman did not agree to it, then the property should be returned to his aunt.

3. Algu did not judge in Jumman’s favour when Jumman was fighting with his aunt over the property. So he became a sworn enemy of Jumman.

4. When Jumman became the chief judge, he suddenly became conscious of the gravity of his position. He understood that he had to hold the balance even, to the right from wrong, to utter nothing which might even remotely be construed as unfair, to disallow his personal feelings to move him even slightly from the path of truth.

5. Conscious

SECTION–B (WRITING & GRAMMAR)

3. Wednesday

February 12, 20XX

9.30 p.m.

Dear Diary

Today I was laid down with high fever. I could not get up as my body was very warm and aching a lot. Mom called papa and he phoned the doctor. Half an hour later the doctor came and gave me some tablets and syrup. Then he told my mom to apply cold water swabs on my forehead to bring down the temperature. Mom constantly checked the temperature with the help of a thermometer. After three hours the temperature of my body became normal.

However I was told to rest. How can a restless boy like me rest for so many hours? But my mother’s strictness prevailed and I had nothing to do other than watching the television. When at eight O’ clock papa returned from office he was glad to see me running about in the house.

PRACTICE PAPER–1


Obviously there were limits to my staying inactive. Oh God! I wish I never fall ill and I always have a day full of activities.

Goodnight. 4. THE SHEPHERD BOY AND THE WOLF Once upon a time there lived a shepherd boy in a village. He used to graze sheep in the fields

outside the village. One day he thought of a mischief. He climbed up a tall tree. Then he began to shout loudly, “Wolf! Wolf! Help! Help!” The villagers heard his cries. They rushed to his help with sticks in their hands. When they reached the spot, they found no wolf. They asked the shepherd boy about the wolf. The boy laughed and said, “There is no wolf. I shouted just for fun.” The villagers felt very angry. They went back.

A few days later, a wolf actually came there. The boy climbed up a tree and cried for help. The villagers heard his cries. But they thought that he was crying just for fun. The wolf killed a good number of his sheep and had a hearty meal. The boy suffered a great loss. He repented his folly but it was too late.

Moral: Once a liar, always a liar.

5. (a) 2. have (b) 2. them (c) 3. out (d) 2. like (e) 1. for (f ) 4. survival 6. (a) for but (b) in to (c) a the (d) or and (e) on of (f ) a an (g) over out (h) for of 7. 1. Spare the rod and spoil the child. 2. She is too lazy to succeed. 3. I believe he is a rich man.

SECTION–C (LITERATURE TEXTBOOK & LONG READING TEXT)

8. 1. The poetic device used in these lines is simile. 2. Whining in line 1 means complaining. 3. The boy moves extremely slow while going to school because he is unwilling to go to school.

Or

1. The Sergeant continued his lecture without enthusiasm because he had been interrupted in his speech.

2. The Sergeant’s questions were directed to the Professor because he wanted to take revenge. 3. The professor’s glory was enhanced because he was quick and correct in his answers. 9. (a) The title of the poem is quite apt. It refers to a problem that most people feel in their

adulthood. The poet is filled with regret while talking about her carelessness about her teeth during her childhood. She paved the way for cavities and tooth decay by eating the wrong food and not brushing properly. There is a linguistic variation in the title. The poet uses ‘me’ instead of ‘my’ to shorten the vowel sound enhance its musical quality.

(b) The rain claims to be of divine origin. The rain comes as dotted silver threads dropped from heaven by the gods. She shines like the beautiful pearls plucked from the crown of Ishtar, the goddess of fertility, love, war and sex by the daughter of Dawn to decorate the gardens. The rain calls herself ‘the tears of heaven’.

(c) Mrs Bramble would always refer to herself in third person while addressing young Harold Bramble. He felt hurt by this way of address because she still considered him a baby. His


pride was hurt because he was a young man of ten who had taken the spelling and dictation prize last term.

(d) No, I do not think the punishment given to the convict was at all justified. His crime was a minor one. On the other hand the punishment was too harsh and not at all proportionate to the ‘enormity’ of the offence.

10. There is clear-cut disparity between what John A. Pescud thinks and does. For example, he says, “When people in real life marry, they generally hunt up somebody in their own station”. A fellow usually picks out a girl who went to the same high school and belonged to the same singing society that he did. There is a clear-cut irony in his remarks. What he does in real life is just the opposite of what he claims to be the attitude of people in general.

Pescud sees a girl, Jessie reading a book in the train and gets instantly attracted to her. Jessie takes a sleeper to Louisville and follows her when she arrives at Virginia. He makes enquiries about the mansion she enters. She tells him that her father may not approve of their meeting as they belong to different social set-ups and stations. Pescud meets Jessie’s father and tells him the whole truth. The old man is impressed and permits him to see the girl. Pescud wins her affection and gets married a year later.

Even this brief account of Pescud’s love-affair shows that his modern-day romance is no less thrilling and full of turns and twists than the romance of the rich Americans who pursue European princesses. The hot pursuit and hide-and-seek of Jessie and Pescud is not less thrilling and romantic than those of Hindi film heroes and heroines chasing each other round a tree or tank or fountain. But certainly this romance is miles away from the harsh realities of life. Perhaps too much familiarity is not congenial to the glamourised romance.

Or

Harold Bramble is a ten-year-old child prodigy. He has defied the laws of heredity by being good at academics. Harold’s father Mr Bill Bramble was a professional boxer and proud of being one. He was known as ‘Young Porky’ and was a contender for championship in the eight stone four weight category. There was no one in London whom he could not overcome in a twenty-round contest. His left hook had won the approval of the newspaper. Before the arrival of Harold he carried a match-box full of press-notices and read them proudly even to casual acquaintances.

The coming of Harold changed all this. Now he showed fear at the sight of his name in print. He did not want Harold to know that his father was a boxer—a man of wrath, who shed blood in the ring. Since boxing was not considered a respectable profession in polite and educated circles of society, Bill and his wife had become imbued with the necessity of keeping it from Harold.

Moreover, Harold was an exceptionally wonderful child. He was showing a bit too much class for him. He showed signs of being an intellectual. Bill and his wife came to regard him as being of a superior order. Harold was ten now and he was told that his father was a travelling salesman. Even the senior curate of the parish wanted Bill Bramble to hide it from Harold. Major Percy Stokes, the brother of Mrs Bramble also held this view.

The development in the later part of the story shows that it was not a right decision. The kids at Harold’s school took keen interest in sportsmen and boxers. They felt proud of knowing them. They followed their fixtures and awaited the outcome. Harold complains that he was not told the true identity of his father. If his schoolmates knew his father was Young Porky, they


would have respected Harold and not nicknamed him “Goggles”. Harold’s comments about the attitude of kids leads Bill to change his decision and he goes to the White Hart with his trainer to prepare for the next fixture.

11. (a) While sailing on the ship Hopewell towards East Indies with Captain William Robinson Gulliver reached Fort St. George. The Captain purchased a sloop (ship) and made Gulliver the master of the sloop. Gulliver was chased by pirates who left him in a small canoe to sail adrift. While wandering on an island, Gulliver saw a flying island called Laputa. The flying Island was a huge opaque body. People of the island pulled Gulliver with the help of chains and pulleys. Thus Gulliver landed on Laputa.

Or

When Gulliver landed on the flying Island he was surrounded with strange looking people. Their heads were all reclined, either to the right or to the left. One of their eyes turned inward, and the other directly up to the zenith. Their garments were adorned with the figures of sun, moons and stars, along with fiddles, flutes, harps, trumpets, guitars, harpsichords and many other instruments of music with which he was not familiar to. The masters were followed by servants called ‘flappers’. These flappers used to strike the mouth or ear of their masters to speak or hear others. Gulliver was surprised to find that the dishes were served in the shape of triangles, rhomboides or cycloids. Music and Mathematics were the principal interests of these people. Their ideas found expression in lines and figures.

(b) George recalls a funny incident that took place one morning when he was lodging with Mrs Gippings. His watch had stopped at quarter past eight in the evening. Without knowing this he went to bed. It was still very dark when he woke up in the morning. He panicked when he saw the watch showing the time. He had to reach somewhere at nine o’clock. He flung the watch down and jumped out of his bed. He took cold bath and dressed himself. When he saw the watch pointed to twenty minutes to nine. Perhaps it had started working by the jolt it received.

He was quite bewildered to find Mrs Gippings still not awake. He cursed her and went out. Very few people were in the streets. A policeman asked him what he was doing at this hour. The neighbourhood clock struck three. George checked his watch to find it showing five minutes to nine. The policeman directed him to go to home as it was late night then. George went home but could not resist the temptation of walking out. He was again encountered with policemen who suspected him to be a criminal.

Or

When the three friends were searching for an accommodation in Datchet and could not find one despite several attempts, they came across a boy in the night who offered his house for their stay. They were tired, hungry and without any hope of getting some accommodation in Datchet. To these friends the boy seemed to be an Angel sent from god in their desperate attempt to find accommodation.

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PRACTICE PAPER–2


1. (a) 1. Man caused the most terrible havoc among the wildlife by shooting, trapping, cutting, and burning the forests, and by stupid introduction of enemies where there were no enemies before.

2. The dodo nested on the ground without any fear because there were no enemies to attack it.

3. The dodo’s extremely tame and confiding nature led it to lose its power of recognising an enemy when it saw one.

4. The animals brought into the island by man led to the extinction of the dodo. The goats ate the undergrowth which provided the dodo with cover; dogs and cats hunted and troubled the dodo; pigs ate their eggs and young ones; the rats ate the remainder of the dodos.

5. troubled.

(b) 1. Madhusudan Dutt

2. The fact that senior government positions were closed to them.

3. Being forfeited of one’s right in one’s land of birth became the rallying point for the Indian intelligentsia.

4. The city has been described as bustling (busy); it had everchanging sights and sounds; the city seemed to change moods ever so often.

5. Demeaning


3. Tuesday Oct 20, 20XX 10.30 p.m.

Dear Diary Today I read a poem called “The Ant and the Cricket” taken from the famous Aesop’s Fables.

Oh! what a beautiful poem it is. It is about a cricket, who used to sing all through the pleasant months of summer and spring. When winter arrived he found that there was no food left in his home. He went to an ant as he was starving. He requested the ant to shelter him from rain and to lend him some food. He said that he would repay it the next day. He added that if the ant did not give him some food, he would die of starvation and sorrow. The ant asked the cricket what he did during the warm weather. To which the cricket replied that he was busy singing all the time as he was very happy. At this the ant advised him to spend the winter also by dancing. Saying so, the ant turned the cricket out of his house.

The poet says that this is not a fable but truth. He goes on to add that some human beings are also like the cricket of this story. I think in real life also we do come across lazy bums, shirkers, excuse makers etc. who just invent excuses to get away from hard work.


Ashim and Nayan, my friends are perfect examples of shirkers. I think, I ought to mail this poem to them. I am sure they would get the message and try to change their attitude.

Goodnight. 4. king was worried and so summoned all the doctors of his realm to diagnose the disease and cure

him. They tried every medicine but to no avail. Zubaid did not get well. Many months passed by but the condition of Zubaid got worse. Darius lost all hopes to see his son recuperate. He thought that Zubaid’s end was near. He started giving alms to poor in the hope of his revival. At last Darius walked around Zubaid’s bed seven times and prayed to God for saving his only child by uttering, “save my son and take my life instead.” Gradually, as the days followed, Zubaid showed signs of recovery and finally he got well. But the condition of Darius deteriorated day by day and he died soon after.

5. (a) 2. our (b) 1. up (c) 4. were (d) 3. after (e) 3. on (f) 1. at 6. (a) explaining explain (b) its they (c) in at (d) short shorter (e) the that (f ) a the (g) on at (h) trees tree 7. (a) It has a long forked tail on the back, a sheen and wings. (b) It has a blue band with dark red beneath it at the throat. (c) Often swallow are seen skimming on a pond.


8. 1. The conscience of the speaker pricks her as she is careless. 2. The tone of the speaker is regret. 3. They refer to sweet food but wrong for teeth.

Or 1. Mere Gringoire sent little Jean to Bishop. 2. She sent Jean to the Bishop as she needed money. She knew that he was a generous person. 3. The Bishop helped her with money by selling his silver saltcellars.

9. (a) The attitude of the poet is to strike a general truth about the infants. It is that infants generally cry and vomit in the nurse’s arm. The human infant is the weakest of all the infants of the other species. He has to be carried in arms and protected for over a year. The poet is also mocking those who sing praises of infants and call them ‘Cherubims’ or ‘images of God’.

(b) Rain decorates the fields and valleys. The hills laugh as rain pours loudly. The flowers rejoice when rain falls slowly. As it drizzles, all this ages are very happy and excited. Rain quenches the thirst of the field and cures the ailment of the cloud. It acts as the messenger of mercy between them. When the rain sees a field in need, it descends and embraces the flowers and trees in a million little ways.

(c) The ambition of Private Quelch was to get a commission i.e. become an army officer. As the first step, he meant to earn a stripe. In pursuit of his ambition he worked hard. He borrowed training manuals and studied them till late at night. He asked the instructors many questions. He was tireless on route marches. His salute at the pay table was a model to behold.

(d) John A. Pescud was travelling salesman in a plate-glass company. He was doing well in his profession. When the narrator asked him if he was getting along all right with the company,


Pescud brightened up and said, “Bully” to indicate he was doing very well at his job. He told the narrator that he had his salary raised twice since he saw him last. He also got a commission. He had bought a neat slice of real estate. Next year the firm was going to give him some shares of stock. So he was on the line of general prosperity.

10. Private Quelch was tall and thin. He stooped a little. He seemed to be frowning through horn-rimmed spectacles. The narrator first met him at the training depot. During the first week of Army life, he got the nickname ‘Professor’. His dress, manners, way of talking—all showed that he deserved this epithet.

He knew too much and could not restrain himself. He must speak and flaunt his knowledge even if it meant annoying the instructor. For example, he corrected the Sergeant who said that the muzzle velocity of a bullet is well over two thousand feet per second. Private Quelch gave the exact speed: ‘Two thousand, four hundred and forty feet per second.”

Similar thing happened when Corporal Turnbull was telling them about a grenade. He said that a grenade was divided up into a large number of fragments to assist segmentation. Private Quelch interrupted the Corporal by saying “Forty-four segments.” This annoyed the Corporal.

His habit of finding fault with others was certainly a negative trait and did more harm than good. He told the Corporal that he should have started by telling them the five characteristics of a grenade. The speaker felt so irritated that he asked Private Quelch to deliver the lecture on grenade.

He would lecture his comrades on every aspect of human knowledge. Each time one of them made a mistake, the Professor would publicly correct him. Whenever anyone of them shone, the Professor would outshine him. He behaved as a superior person showing kindness to talk to inferior ones. At first his comrades had a certain respect for him, but soon they avoided him. They tried to hit back at him with sarcasms and practical jokes. The Professor scarcely noticed all this. He was too busy working for his stripe.

It was his love for flaunting his knowledge and the habit of badgering the instructors with questions that proved to be his ultimate undoing. He was assigned permanent cookhouse duties. There he continued lecturing the cooks. Private Quelch had learnt nothing from his brief stay in the army.

Or

John A. Pescud, the highly successful travelling salesman for a plate-glass company. The story of his fascination for Jessie, their romance and marriage may be summed up as ‘A Modern Romance.’

The fascination for Jessie began about eighteen months ago when John Pescud saw her for the first time. To him she appeared the finest looking girl he had ever seen—the sort of girl one would like to have for ever. She was reading a book and her presence made the world prettier. He kept on looking at her obliquely. She took a sleeper to Louisville. Pescud followed her. He contrived to keep out of her sight as much as he could, but never lost track of her. Ultimately Jessie got off at Virginia. Her father, a tall old man, with a smooth face and white hair came to receive her. Pescud followed them. Then he went to the village to gather information about the mansion and its house.

He came to know that the man was Colonel Allyn. He was the biggest man and finest quality in Virgian. His daughter Jessie had been up to Illinoise to see her aunt, who was ill. On the third day of his stay in the town, Pescud saw Jessie and spoke to her for the first time. She told him that her father was a descendant of belted earls and very proud of it.


Pescud went to meet Jessie’s father the next morning at eleven. For about nine seconds Pescud felt nervous. Then he told him everything plainly as to how he had followed his daughter from Cincinnati to Virginia and what he did it for. He also told him about his salary and prospects. He explained his little code of living too: “To be always decent and right in your hometown”. They kept talking for two hours. Pescud requested the old man to give him a chance to win over the little lady.

They exchanged anecdotes and humorous occurrences. Two evenings later he got a chance to speak to Miss Jessie alone. She told him that he was about to miss the train at Pulaski City. Pescud agreed that he nearly tumbled off as he was jumping on the step. Jessie said that she was afraid he had missed. Then she stepped into the house through one of the big windows.

The courtship lasted six months and then they got married. He built a house in the East End and the Colonel also lives with them. Thus his romance culminated in marriage.

11. (a) When Gulliver visited the Academy, he found that people had been working on various projects there for a considerable period of time. They were all working on strange projects—one was trying to extract sun-beams out of cucumber, another working to reduce human excrement to its original food, one was working on a new method of building houses, another had found a device of ploughing the ground with hogs, one was experimenting with spiders and flies to produce silk of many hues. Every project on which they were working was stranger than the other. Gulliver was of the opinion that though so much time had elapsed no concrete result was visible.

Or The Governor of Glubbdubdrib was the most fascinating character in the whole kingdom.

The word Glubbdubdrib means the island of magicians. All the members of the tribe were magicians. The governor must know the magic of summoning anyone from the king of the dead and command their services for 24 hours. Gulliver met the governor at his castle and told him about his various voyages and adventures. At the dinner table a number of ghosts served the meals. The Governor asked Gulliver whether he wished to talk to any dead person. Gulliver met several dead persons such as Alexander the great, Hannibal, Caesar, Pompey, Brutus and several other ancient personalities.

(b) While the three friends were enjoying the story told by George, it was decided in the evening that they would get up early in the morning to spring into the river to swim. But as the morning dawned, the idea seemed to be less tempting because it was damp and chilly: the wind felt very cold. While George and Harris excused themselves the writer went out to experiment. He himself did not want to take the plunge but considered some compromise. He went to the edge to just throw some water over himself. He went along on to the branch of a tree that dipped down into the water. He altogether gave up the idea of splashing water over himself when he suddenly went into the river with a tremendous splash as the branch of the tree gave way. Harry and George made fun of him.

Or The Cistercian monks that existed in thirteenth century wore no clothes but rough tunics and

cowls. They did not eat flesh, fish or eggs. They lied upon straw and they rose at midnight to mass. They spent their day in labour, reading and prayer and they did not speak. They listened to the voices of nature and waited for a voice from heaven.

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PRACTICE PAPER–3


1. (a) 1. The writer comments that cable TV has come to stay; it has grabbed a prized corner in most urban homes today. It is a symbol of social status, a necessity for keeping in tune with the times. He also adds that although it is slowly wearing off, its fascination still remains. It is no longer a craze, it is a phenomenon, he says.

2. The impact of cable TV on children is too strong to be ignored. Though children fail to progress much with their alphabets, their TV vocabulary has been improving with every passing day.

3. Films, Star Plus serials, Wimbledon on Prime Sports and the latest hot numbers on Music TV (MTV) are the current topics of discussion among children who are increasingly becoming star struck.

4. The cable TV is not meant for kids with impressionable minds and negative discerning powers.

5. coveted (b) 1. Beneath the earth’s thin solid crust lies thousands of kilometres of very hot molten rock

and metal under very high pressure. 2. The crust is made up of great plates that move extremely slowly across the surface of

the earth. 3. The stresses in the crust are released along the faults close to the plate boundaries. 4. Primary waves move like sound waves in the air, like the sound of a moving train. 5. Jolt


3. POLLUTED WATER IN CITY WATER PARK (Leila/Lakshman)

I recall with horror my visit to the Water Park near our city last week. We, a group of thirty boys and girls, visited the Water Park as a part of school excursion. We had made many preparations for playing water games and swimming. Our enthusiasm ebbed away on having a glimpse of the water in the Water Park. It was not clean and had a stale smell. In fact, the smell was so nauseating that we had to step back instantly. We were not going to take things lying down. The crusading spirit of youth came to the forefront. We contacted the keeper of the Water Park and asked for the Visitors’ Book and Complaint Book. We recorded our experiences, observations and suggestions. Turning the pages of the Visitors’ Book, I noticed the remarks and complaints of the visitors in previous years. There has been a tremendous fall in the number of visitors each successive year. From around 5500 in 2004, the number has fallen to less than 3000 in the current year. I am afraid the number will fall further if no urgent remedial steps are taken to improve the quality of water in the Water Park. The authorities must ensure the replacement of unclean and foul smelling water with clean and fresh water. Insecticides in recommended quantity may be used to keep the water germ-free.


Further, no eatables or waste of any type be allowed to be dumped in the Water Park. The fountains, slides and channels must be kept clean. Dirt and filth heaps in the neighbourhood must be removed. It is hoped that these measures will help to keep the water clean, fresh and unpolluted and attract more visitors.

4. Once upon a time there cropped up a dispute between the sun and wind as to who was stronger. They both claimed to be stronger than the other. They saw a traveller on a road and thought of settling dispute through him. They decided that whoever would force the traveller to take off his coat would be declared the winner. Wind blew first and increased its velocity creating coldness. The traveller held to his coat tightly. Now sun started emitting rays, first mildly and later on brightly. The traveller sweated badly and ultimately took off his coat. Sun was declared the winner and the stronger of the two.

5. (a) 1. who (b) 2. in (c) 4. that (d) 1. is (e) 2. as (f ) 3. for 6. (a) on the road (b) skidding while turning (c) brake is applied (d) far better than (e) are therefore fitted (f) could use smooth (g) if they moved (h) have to move 7. (a) Germs of the diseases are spread by some of the healthy carriers. (b) A healthy person may carry germs of typhoid, cholera, dysentery etc. in his body. (c) Such a person usually does not suffer from the disease.


8. 1. The place seemed to light up when Colonel Allyn entered the room. 2. The Colonel’s impressive style brightened up the place. 3. The writer intends to depict the imposing personality of Colonel Allyn.

Or 1. The Bishop speaks these lines to the convict. 2. The convict threatens to drive his knife through the heart of the Bishop if the latter plays false

with him. The Bishop takes pity on the sinner and draws his attention to his soul. 3. The Bishop behaves with the convict in a very polite, kind and affectionate manner.

9. (a) Men and women are merely players in the drama of life. They enter the stage at birth and leave it on their death. They play seven roles on the stage depending upon their age. Each age has certain special characteristics that man follows. Thus he plays the part assigned to him.

(b) Teeth are the great friends of man. They are a boon of nature—a God-given teeth. Good teeth help us to cut, grind and chew the food properly. The saliva mixes with the juice extracted from food and vegetables and helps us to digest the food easily. Good teeth help our intestines. A man without teeth is helpless. He merely swallows food which remains lying in his stomach undigested for a long time. His intestines are overburdened. Thus a tooth is our friend.

(c) Private Quelch’s colleagues were already jealous of him and scared of his knowledge. Some of them used to feel proud of their ability to recognise aircraft. Once they heard a plane flying high overhead. None of them could see it. They heard only its droning sound. Without even looking upward, the Professor announced that it was a North American Harvard Trainer.


It could be identified by the harsh engine note which was due to the high tip speed of the airscrew.

(d) Children are usually fond of games and merriment. But Harold was very devoted to books. He was well behaved. You could call him a model of goodness, intelligence and polished behaviour. He was serious and altogether admirable.

10. 24 May 20XX Thursday 8 pm How happy I feel at the training depot. I have got my uniform, new friends, new instructors

and a new environment. I am confident that I will be able to win a commission in the army but before that I have to get my stripe.

I have started all out efforts to increase my knowledge about the instruments and objects used in military warfare. I can’t resist putting questions to my instructors or adding bit of information to what they have not supplied. For instance, a Sergeant was describing the mechanism of a service rifle to us. He mentioned that the muzzle velocity or the speed at which the bullet left the rifle was well over two thousand feet per second. I interrupted him and added that the exact speed was two thousand, four hundred and forty feet per second. The Sergeant had to admit that it was right. After the lecture he turned his questions again and again to me. I gave correct answers to all of them. I knew all the technical definitions. I had learnt by heart the parts of the rifle, its use and care. The result of this interaction was that it enhanced my glory. The Sergeant asked me if I had had any training before. I replied that I had read carefully and all this was a result of intelligent reading. My colleagues were impressed by my ability, lot of knowledge and guts to put questions to the instructor. I had indeed become a hero in the eyes of my fellow soldiers.

Or

24 May 20XX Thursday 8 pm What an eventful day it was! I had to take a spotaneous but momentous decision. It was to go

back to my old ways by reversing my earlier decision to hide my profession from Harold. Earlier in the day, Mrs Bramble’s brother Major Percy Stokes had persuaded me to withdraw from the twenty round contest with American Murphy at the National Sporting Club. I did all this to maintain Harold’s respectability and sobriety. I had left his training at White Hart. Mrs Jane Bramble was worried about the money he was likely to lose by withdrawing from the contest at the eleventh hour. Mr Jerry Fisher, the trainer also came there. I told Jerry that he had decided to withdraw from the contest for the sake of Harold. If he saw my photo and news in the paper he would die of shame on learning about my violent profession.

It was precisely at this moment Harold entered. Mr Fisher, who felt he had been badly treated by me, told Harold the truth about me that I was a professional boxer—a fighting man doing my eight-stone-four ringside and known to all as ‘Young Porky’. Harold was shocked to learn that I had decided to quit. He was worried about losing his two shillings bet with Dicky Saunders. He called the act of withdrawal ‘rotten’. He also criticised me for hiding from him that I was ‘Young Porky’. He was delighted to know about me for I was a hero in the eyes of his friends. He was sure that his classmates will no longer tease him with the nickname “Goggles”. He will be able to show off.

Seeing that Harold was proud of me as a boxer, I decided to follow my trainer quietly to the White Hart and try to defeat American Murphy.


11. (a) The physical evidence that proved that one was a Struldbrug was that sometimes a child was born in a family with a red circular spot in the forehead, directly over the left eyebrow which showed that it would never die. In course of time that spot grew larger and changed its colour. At the age of twelve its colour changed to green, at twenty five it turned into a deep blue; at 45 it grew coal black. These births were rare. The children of Struldbrugs were as mortals as other people.

Or Luggnaggians were polite and generous people and they too had their share of pride like all

Eastern countries. They were very courteous to foreigners. Gulliver came across a person who asked him whether he had seen any of their Struldbrugs or immortals. He informed Gulliver that Struldbrugs were born as a matter of chance and were not peculiar to any family. Gulliver’s first reaction was that of elation and excitement. Soon Gulliver learnt that his views regarding the life of a Struldbrug were far from reality. These Struldbrugs were not immune to the effects of ageing and infirmities of life. With time they lost their health, memory, hair, teeth and could not enjoy life. They only lamented that they could not get eternal rest like other mortals.

(b) Harris boasted of his culinary achievements so much that it was decided that he would prepare scrambled eggs for breakfast. People who had once tasted his scrambled eggs would never care for any other food afterwards. Harris’ description watered the mouths of George and Jerome. They provided Harris the frying pan and all the eggs that were left which were not smashed. Harris on his part struggled to break the eggs into the frying pan. At last he was able to put some half a dozen eggs into the frying pan. To George and Jerome it seemed to be a harassing job. Whenever Harris went near the pan, he burnt himself. Then he would drop everything and dance about the stove. George and Jerome thought that it was a ‘necessary part of the culinary arrangements’.

The result was a failure. What left of the scrambled eggs was a teaspoonful of burnt and unappetizing looking mess. They decided not to attempt it again till they had the right housekeeping aids with them.

Or According to the narrator, foxterriers are born with about four times as much original sin

in them as other dogs are. It will take years of patient effort on our part to mend their ways. He went on describing an incident at Haymarket where a foxterrier excited other dogs to fight by biting the fore-leg of a small dog. The foxterrier then attacked a collie and the collie started a contest with the poodle. Then all other dogs started fighting with each other and created a commotion in the Haymarket.

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PRACTICE PAPER–4


1. (a) 1. The true tigers moved southwards in search of more suitable habitats as successive phases of the Ice Age made Northern Asia uninhabitable.

2. Before the advent of the Western civilization, the tiger and the indigenous people coexisted in an atmosphere of mutual harmony and respect. The indigenous people revered the tiger as God and protector of the forest.

3. The demands of industry and increase in population has led to shooting of thousands of tigers and destruction of much of their habitat.

4. The tiger will be extinct if we do not recognise that recent conservation efforts have failed and that the future of the tiger lies in the hands of the people whose land it shares.

5. Uninhabitable. (b) 1. The narrator says that there should be a proper reconciliation between activity and

thought; thought without action is abortion and action without thought is foolishness. 2. The narrator comments that our living is conditioned by a series of automatic actions

from morning till night. 3. Thought and action should be coordinated so that they become more effective and thus

enable one to become happier. 4. The effect of coordination between thinking and actions is that there will be no inner

conflict between a wish to do something and inability to act or between thinking one way and acting in another way.

5. Conflict


3. TRAFFIC JAMS AND ACCIDENTS (by Raj Sinha)

During the last two decades there has been a boom in the automobile industry. This has led to a manifold increase in the number of vehicles in major Indian cities. While the easy availability of vehicles helps comfortable and hassle-free transportation, the multiplicity of vehicles on the roads causes various problems like traffic jams and accidents.

The visual depicts the plight of people caught in traffic jam. This is not an unusual scene in a city like Delhi where the bulging traffic presents a chaotic scene at almost every roundabout and crossroad. In their eagerness to move faster, drivers break rules, jump the red light signals and cause accidents. Everyday we hear of traffic jams and road accidents.

Since the problem is acute it needs urgent and drastic measures. Construction of overbridges will take time but it will ensure freedom from traffic jams. Till then, we can adopt the policy of restraint on the vehicles by permitting even and odd numbered vehicles on alternate days. This will cut the number of vehicles to half. The road users will resent it at first, but they can be persuaded to share vehicles and travel by staff cars or public transport. The Metro trains can also decrease the volume of traffic on the road. Change in the opening and closing time in schools, offices and shops in neighbouring areas and adoption of staggered hours can


help to reduce congestion at peak hours. Last but not the least, a proper traffic sense has to be inculcated among the road users. Most of the accidents and traffic jams are caused by the violation of the rules of the road. The traffic police must be strict with the habitual offenders. The penalties must be harsh. It is hoped that all these measures, if adopted sincerely, can help to curb the problem of traffic jams and accidents.

4. THE HIDDEN TREASURE Once upon a time there was a farmer. He had four sons. All the sons were lazy. They did not

help their father in the fields. They wasted their time in idle talk. This pained the father a lot. He advised them many times to work hard but in vain.

One day the farmer fell seriously ill. He knew that his end was near. He wanted to teach his sons the value of hard work before his death. He called his sons to his bedside. He said, “Dear sons, long long ago my father gave me a box full of gold coins. Due to the fear of robbers, I buried it in the fields. I wish you to dig it out after my death and lead a happy life.”

After a few days, the farmer passed away. The sons went to the fields with spades and pick axes. They dug every inch of the ground, but no treasure was found. A passerby asked them to sow wheat in that area. The sons did so. They reaped a rich harvest that year. They realised that the real treasure was in hard work. This was what their father had wanted them to learn.

Moral: Hard work is the real treasure. OR No pains, no gains. 5. (a) 4. whether (d) 2. in (c) 2. for (d) 1. when (e) 3. which (f) 3. our 6. (a) for but (b) in to (c) a the (d) or and (e) on of (f ) a an (g) over out (h) for of 7. (a) Just use this brand and you can gorge on sweets to your hearts content. (b) No harm will be done as it guards you with its protective ring. (c) Another unique advertisement claims that its action can whiten teeth.


8. 1. Because they play their roles in the drama of life. 2. The poet refers to time as the lifetime. 3. Metaphor is used as the poetic device in line 1.

Or 1. When one of the soldiers was to be assigned a particular duty was the “great moment”. 2. The nature of the duty was not announced because the speaker wanted to create suspense. 3. Most of the soldiers kept glancing at Private Quelch because he stood rigidly to attention

and stared straight in front of him. 9. (a) You can look after your teeth by taking proper care of food. You should eat the right type of

food. Avoid eating candies, toffees and sweet sticky food. These harm the enamel of teeth, weaken germs and create favourable conditions for germs to thrive. Swollen gums, cavities and decay of teeth follow. The best way to look after teeth is to brush the teeth after meals. One should check them thoroughly, consult the dentist and follow his advice.

(b) The rain pours from the heaven and embraces the treetops. The leaves of the trees are the first to get drenched in rain. Then follow the twigs and branches. The stem of the tree gets bathed when it rains in torrents. The roots of the tree get rain water when the earth is wet and drenched with rain. The drops of rain sparkle on the leaves like pearls. They trickle


down like dotted silver threads. Rain freshens up the flowers and fruit of the tree. The leaves are washed and look light green and shining.

(c) Harold came to know that his father was a professional boxer. His reaction was just the opposite of what Harold’s parents and his uncle had expected. They thought that Harold would die of shame and disgrace, but Harold felt delighted. He called it rotten that they had hidden his father’s true identity from him. ‘Young Porky’, that is, his father was a hero in the eyes of his friends. Now he would proudly proclaim it to his classmates. Then they will no longer tease him.

(d) There is a wide disparity between what John A. Pescud says and does. He says that some romantic novels do not deal with reality. They show rich Americans romancing and marrying princesses or girls of higher status. According to Pescud, in real life people marry someone of their social status and someone they have known all their lives.

His own romance and marriage is like the one described in the bestsellers. He sees a girl in a train. He is infatuated. He follows her to her destination, gets introduced to her father, seeks permission to win her over. He gets married to her even though she belongs to higher social status.

10. 25 May 20XX Tuesday 9 pm O! What an eventful day it was. Bill slipped away from the White Hart where he had been

training for the fight on Monday. I knew that it was Percy, his brother-in-law, who was at the root of the mischief. I went to Bill’s house to bring him along. I was beside myself with rage when Bill told him that he wouldn’t fight on Monday. He explained they had been doing it for the sake of Harold. If he knew he was a professional boxer, he would die of shame. Tears appeared in my eyes. I reminded him of the purse, the rich man who will come to see him and what the papers will say. And then Harold entered. He was eager to know what was being said about him. Since I felt I had been badly treated, the desire for revenge took hold of him and I revealed the truth to Harold.

What happened next surprised all of us. Harold was shocked to learn that he was not going to fight Jimmy Murphy. He was not only worried about the bet but also the way things had been kept hidden from him. He was sore that they kept from him that his dad was ‘Young Porky’. His classmates showed off even the autographs of people like Phil Scott. He would have talked to his friends about his pa’s achievements. They regarded “Young Porky” a hero. Then none would make a fun of him and call him ‘Goggles’. Young Harold then related how the boxing contest went on that season—who fought whom and defeated him. He had studied their progress since he was kid. One of his classmates had got a snapshot of Jimmy Wilde and he flaunted it. Harold asked his father for a picture of his in action i.e. boxing.

After hearing what Harold said, I was sure that he had respect for the profession of boxing and admiration for the feats of his father. I suggested to Bill that it would be better for us to go back to the White Hart and resume training again. I was happy that Bill rose and followed me without a word.

Or The play has a fast moving plot and clever characterization. In the beginning of the play, the

convict was a beast. He looked dangerous. He had a long knife in his hand. His knife was ready to hit the Bishop. He glared at Persome like a wild beast. He had entered the Bishop’s room stealthily. He seized the Bishop from behind and threatened to kill him if he called out. He was rude and uncouth to the Bishop and his sister.


The Bishop treated the convict with love, sympathy and kindness. He was given food by the Bishop. Then the Bishop listened to his story of suffering. He felt pity for the man. The Bishop offered him a bed to sleep on. The convict was tempted to steal the silver candlesticks. He was caught by the police and brought back to the Bishop. The Bishop called him a friend and even told a lie to save him from being sent to prison again. He forgave the convict and gave him the candlesticks to start a new life.

The convict’s heart was touched. He felt ashamed. He realized his mistake and felt guilty. He repented for stealing the Bishop’s candlesticks. He decided to start a new life and asked the Bishop to bless him. Thus, he was transformed from a beast to man again.

11. (a) When Sorel Nag offered Gulliver a root and a piece of ass’s flesh Gulliver turned down them. The master horse asked Gulliver what he would take as food. While they were thus engaged, Gulliver chanced to see a cow passing by. Gulliver pointed to her and expressed his desire to milk her. The mare-servant took Gulliver to a room where milk lay in wooden and earthen vessels. Gulliver drank it. Gulliver asked the master horse to provide him oats. Gulliver made bread with oats by heating it on fire and rubbing it till the husk came off. He ground and beat them between two stones, made them into a paste or cake and toasted it on fire and ate it warm with milk.

Sometimes Gulliver caught a rabbit or a bird for his food. He gathered herbs which he boiled and ate as salad with bread. He also made butter and drank whey to survive there.

Or Gulliver seems to be highly impressed by the virtues and noble qualities of the

Houyhnhnms. They had no place for falsehood, concealment and deception. They were lovers of truth. To him Houyhnhnms represented ‘perfection in nature’. On the other hand Yahoos shared all the vices of the human beings. Houyhnhnms represented the perfection whereas Yahoos represented the degeneration in nature.

The Houyhnhnms were endowed with a general disposition to all virtues. The supremacy of reason was acknowledged. Friendship and benevolence were the two principal virtues among the Houyhnhnms. Hard work, tolerance and cleanliness was emphasised in the upbringing of the race. Gulliver was fascinated by the qualities of Houyhnhnms and did not want to leave them.

(b) Once on the river journey George suggested that they prepare Irish stew in which the vegetables and the remains of the cold beef and ‘general odds and ends’ could be put. George gathered wood and made a fire. Harris and Jerome started peeling potatoes. Peeling of potatoes turned out to be a tough job. They scraped the potatoes and could only scrap four of them. Ultimately some other potatoes were put in the stew without peeling. George found half a tin of potted salmon which too was put in the stew. The advantage of Irish stew is that we can get rid of such a lot of things. A couple of cracked eggs too were put into it to make a thick gravy. Montmorency on his part contributed a dead water rat to be put into the stew. After much discussion water rat was discarded as an ingredient of Irish stew.

Or The narrator himself was not a good fisherman by his own estimation. He hoped at one

time that he was catching on this subject but old hands advised him to give up the idea of a fisherman as he could not be any real good at it. They thought that the narrator lacked sufficient imagination. Their opinion was that the narrator could be anything except a Thames angler. The narrator required more play of fancy, more power of invention that he appeared to possess.

qq


PRACTICE PAPER–5


1. (a) 1. Irradiation is the treatment of food with energy from gamma rays, x-rays or electrons for a specific purpose.

2. Irradiation benefits the producer, processor, retailer and consumer. 3. Irradiation in very low doses inhibits re-growth or sprouting in stored potatoes, onions,

garlic. It delays ripening and over-ripening of fruits. It substitutes chemical fumigants used

for controlling insect pests in stored foods like rice, wheat flour, sooji, pulses, gramflour, dry fruits, nuts, spices, dry fish etc.

4. Irradiation in higher doses pasteurises or retards spoilage of meat, poultry, and seafood by killing the bacteria that spoils these foods. It ensures food safety by destroying food-borne pathogenic bacteria.

5. retards (b) 1. The new nation was conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men

are created equal. 2. The people who fought for the new nation gave their lives so that the nation might live. 3. The Gettysburg address was delivered when America was engaged in a great civil war. 4. Lincoln wanted his people to dedicate themselves to the great unfinished task remaining

before them. 5. Vain


3. Monday January 20, 20XX 10 p.m.

Dear Diary Today it was my birthday. I woke up early and started making preparations to decorate the

house. Papa had already bought coloured balloons and buntings. So I started sticking them on the walls in the drawing room. I took my younger brother Rahul’s

help. Papa had already brought a birthday cake and kept it in the fridge last night. Mom began to prepare tasty dishes like chowmein, bread pakoras, pavbhaji, pulao, chole-bhature etc. By four O’ clock all the dishes were ready. Oh what an aroma it was that came out from the kitchen. By five O’ clock my friends started streaming in. My mom served them cold drinks and invited them to a game of tambola. Then there was a game of musical chairs. My friend Ashok won the game and he got a prize for it. Soon papa informed everyone that it was time for dinner. Wow! what a feast it was. We ate with relish. Everyone liked the tasty dishes. Some of my friends suggested we should assemble for a dance and everyone agreed. Everyone danced till eleven at night.

Oh! what a day it was. I enjoyed it fully. Goodnight. 4. MERCURY AND THE WOODCUTTER Once upon a time there lived a woodcutter in a village. He was very poor. He earned his living

by cutting and selling wood. One day as he was cutting down a tree on the bank of a river his


axe accidentally fell into the river. He did not know how to swim. He was too poor to buy a new axe. So he began to weep bitterly.

God Mercury heard him weeping. He appeared before the woodcutter. He asked him why he was weeping. The woodcutter told him the whole story. God Mercury was moved to pity. He dived into the river. A moment later, he brought out an axe made of gold. The woodcutter said that it was not his axe and refused to take it. God Mercury again dived into the water. This time he brought out an axe made of silver. The woodcutter refused to take that one also.

God Mercury dived into the water for the third time. This time he came out with an iron axe. The woodcutter was happy to see his axe. He cried out, “This is my axe! This is my axe!” God Mercury was pleased at his honesty. He gave him his iron axe. He also gave him the other two axes as a reward for his honesty.

Moral: Honesty is the best policy. OR Honesty pays in the long run. 5. (a) 2. the (b) 1. on (c) 3. was (d) 3. in (e) 3. she (f ) 4. former 6. (a) is was (b) at on (c) popular popularise (d) considering considered (e) from since (f) dominating dominated (g) which that (h) meaning means 7. (a) The dinosaurs became very heavy. (b) As a result their legs could not support them on the land. (c) but a fine alternative could be water.


8. 1. The tone of the narrator is one of regret. 2. The speaker was interested in eating sweets during her childhood. 3. It means checking carefully.

Or 1. Speaker’s attitude is sympathetic towards listener. 2. The speaker did not believe in the existence of good because he was ill treated and tortured. 3. The speaker asked for blessings because his evil had been overpowered.

9. (a) The schoolgoing child has a shining face in the morning. Perhaps his mother or nurse has scrubbed it hard to make it glow. He carries a bag of books. He goes to school quite unwillingly. He is creeping like a snail. Two phrases indicate clearly that the boy is not interested in going to school. These are: (i) whining schoolboy (ii) creeping like snail unwillingly.

(b) The ending of the poem ‘Song of the Rain’ is very dramatic. It is a sort of leave-taking. The rain bids us adieu with love. It reminds us of the sighs from the deep sea of affection. It spreads joy and laughter on the fields. So it departs with the laughter from the colourful field of the spirit. The rain falls from the heaven as tears. She reminds us of the tears from the endless heaven of memories.

(c) Gradually, the fellow soldiers were overawed by the capabilities of Private Quelch. He had gathered much information as a result of intelligent reading. He felt cheerful even after a thirty-mile long march. He would publicly correct anyone of us who made mistake. He outshone the rest of soldiers. He recognised the aircraft from its sound and explained the reason of harsh sounds. The other soldiers called themselves “a gang of louts”. Private Quelch was a superior being among them. They began to avoid him.

(d) Pescud felt that the American bestsellers were not realistic because men generally married girls from a similar background. They depicted rich American hero falling in love with a royal princess from Europe and following her to her estate. He beats the bodyguards and does fencing boots. He calls these love stories rank on-the-level.


10. 2167 Knightsborough London

27 May 20XX

Dear Martha What an awful day it was! You know very well what efforts Bill and I had made to hide Bill’s

profession from Harold, as the latter is refined, cultured and of academic taste and his feelings might have been hurt on learning that his father was a professional boxer and indulged in violent sport.

Well, the unexpected happened today. The cat was out of the bag through no fault of mine. Perhaps it was my brother Major Percy Stokes who started the rot. Bill had been training at the White Hart with Mr Jerry Fisher for the fight with Jimmy Murphy on coming Monday. Since Percy had persuaded Bill to withdraw from the contest for Harold’s sake, Mr Jerry Fisher followed them to our residence to demand an explanation from Bill. Finding Percy there, he understood everything. His anger was directed towards Bill as well as Percy. He felt that he had been treated badly. There was a lot of explaining but he did not cool down. When Harold wanted to know what they were saying about him, Mr Jerry Fisher revealed the truth to him. His father was a professional boxer and known in London as “Young Porky”.

Harold behaved in quite unexpected manner. He accused us of hiding the true identity of his father. Harold, it was revealed was a keen admirer of boxing and kept following the important boxers. He expressed his shock and surprise. He asked his father for his photograph in action. The boxer was a hero in the eyes of his friends. So Harold would be respected and not teased by calling him ‘Goggles’.

Bill quietly followed Mr Fisher to the White Hart for training and Percy slipped away. I hope Harold will now feel proud of his father’s profession and I will be saved from hiding the

truth from him. I seek your guidance and advice on how to keep Harold in good humour.

Yours sincerely Jane

Or 20 May 20XX Thursday 9 pm What a tiring journey it was! I boared the south-bound train to Cincinnati, when I saw across

the aisle a young man with a small, black, bald-spotted head looking towards me. I was busy reading a book. I kept on watching his activities. I changed cars at Cincinnati and took a sleeper to Louisville. Then I bought another ticket and went on through Shelbyville, Frankford and Lexington.

The young man kept following me. Though he contrived to keep out of my sight as much as he could, he never lost track of me. When I got off at Virginia about six in the evening, the young man was still there. When I entered our big white house on the hill, he was still watching me from a distance.

Three days later I saw him near our front yard. He made conversation on one pretence or the other and said that he would have gone a thousand miles further. She reminded me how I might have missed the train in Shelbyville station.

Mr John A. Pescud then told me the motive of his coming all the way. He was quite respectful and earnest. He told me everything about him. He said that he wanted to get acquainted with me and try to get me like him.

I smiled and blushed, but my eyes never got mixed up. I never had any one talk like this to me before. I told him that the Allyns were a proud family and my father would not allow a drummer to enter Elmcroft. When he expressed his desire to visit me and talk to me, I told him clearly that I couldn’t do so until we were properly introduced.


Well, Mr Pescud called on father, talked to him for two hours and got his approval to see me. This was the beginning of our courtship.

11. (a) The virtues of friendship and benevolence of Houyhnhnms was universal to the whole race. A stranger too is regarded as the nearest neighbour. The Houyhnhums preserved decency and civility in the highest degrees. Swift wants to convey to the reader that a peaceful existence is the soul of life. One has to love and have regard for the fellow beings. We should not indulge in pride, greed, malice etc. These things hamper the growth of civilization and breed unhappiness to the whole race.

Or The king of Luggnagg was a just, kind, intelligent and hospitable person. He treated

Gulliver with kindness and generosity. He expressed his desire to keep Gulliver in his empire, offering him employment. When Gulliver declined his offer he did not take it otherwise and granted him permission to depart. He gave a letter of recommendation to Gulliver and gifts of four hundred and forty four large pieces of gold and a red diamond.

(b) When the three friends were sitting in a meadow about ten yards from the water edge, suddenly Harris disappeared. The narrator and George were shocked at this and conjuctured earthquake or heavenly bliss behind this. It so happened that Harris was sitting at the verge of a small gully and the long grass had hit it from sight. When he leaned back he fell into the ditch and disappeared from the scene.

Or At Reading they found the river dirty and dismal. The town is a famous old place, dating

from the days of king Ethelred. Danes had anchored their warships here. The king Ethelred and his brother Alfred fought and defeated Danes here. It was a place of refuge of Londoners. When plague spread in London, Parliament used to shift to Reading. All the courts were held at Reading after 1625. During the Parliamentary struggle, Reading was besieged by the Earl of Essex and about 25 years after the Prince of Orange routed king James’s army here. Thus Reading came out to be a historical town.

qq

based on cce solutions to me ‘n’ mine english material/solution_to_mnm-eng...2nd t e r m s o l u...

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