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Question
Read the passage given below:
| (1) | Seagulls, as you know, never falter, never stall. To stall in the air is for them a disgrace and a dishonour. But Jonathan Livingston Seagull, unashamed, stretching his wings again in that trembling hard curve – slowing, slowing, and stalling once more –was no ordinary bird. Most gulls don't bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight – how to get from shore to food and back again. For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight. More than anything else, Jonathan Livingston Seagull loved to fly. |
| (2) | This kind of thinking, he found, is not the way to make oneself popular with other birds. Even his parents were dismayed as Jonathan spent the whole day alone, making hundreds of low-level gliders, experimenting. "Why, Jon, why?" his mother asked. "Why is it so hard to be like the rest of the flock, Jon? Why can't you leave low flying to the pelicans, the albatross? Why don't you eat? Son, you're bone and feathers!" "I don't mind being bone and feathers, Mom. I just want to know what I can do in the air and what I can't, that's all. I just want to know." "See here Jonathan," said his father, not unkindly. "Winter isn't far away. Boats will be few, and the surface fish will be swimming deep. If you must study, then study food, and how to get it. This flying business is all very well, but you can't eat a glide, you know. Don't you forget that the reason you fly is to eat?" |
| (3) | Jonathan nodded obediently. For the next few days, he tried to behave like the other gulls; he really tried, screeching and fighting with the flock around the piers and fishing boats, diving on scraps of fish and bread. But he couldn't make it work. It wasn't long before Jonathan Gull was off by himself again, far out at sea, hungry, happy, learning. The subject was speed and in a week's practice he learned more about speed than the fastest gull alive. Time after time it happened. Careful as he was, working at the very peak of his ability, he lost control at a high speed. The key, he thought at last, dripping wet, must be to hold the wings still at high speeds – to flap up to fifty and then hold the wings still. |
| (4) | From two thousand feet he tried again, rolling into his dive, beak straight down, wings full out and stable from the moment he passed fifty miles per hour. It took tremendous strength, but it worked. In ten seconds he had blurred ninety miles per hour. Jonathan had set a world speed record for seagulls! But victory was short-lived. The instant he began his pullout, the instant he changed the angle of his wings, he snapped into the same uncontrollable disaster, and at ninety miles per hour, it hit him like dynamite. Jonathan Seagull exploded in midair and smashed down into a brick-hard sea. As he sank low in the water, a strange hollow voice sounded within him. There's no way around it. I am a seagull. I am limited by my nature. If I were meant to learn so much about flying, I'd have charts for brains. If I were meant to fly at speed, I'd have a falcon's short wings. Short wings. A falcon's short wings! That's the answer! What a fool I've been! All I need is a tiny little wing, all I need is to fold most of my wings and just fly on the tips along. Short wings! |
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below:
- Complete the sentence by choosing an appropriate option: (1)
Majority of seagulls fly only short distances as ______.- they are more interested in food than flight
- they don't have energy
- they are not meant to fly low
- food is not available at high speed
- Why were Jonathan Livingston's parents' dismayed? (1)
- Give two reasons for Jonathan's unconventional behaviour. (1)
(Clue: think about Jonathan's point of view.) - Select the option that conveys the opposite of 'glory' from the words used in paragraph 1. (1)
- disgrace
- dishonour
- learning
- unashamed
- The writer would not agree with the given statements based on paragraph 2, EXCEPT (1)
- Jonathan could not fly but only glide.
- Jonathan wanted to be popular with other birds.
- Jonathan realised that even the albatross flew at high altitudes.
- The reason seagulls flew was to find food.
- Jonathan was different, from other seagulls. Based on your understanding of paragraph 2, list what Jonathan wanted to know. (1)
- What was the mother's concern about Jonathan? (1)
- Complete the given sentence with an appropriate inference with respect to the following: (1)
Father reminds Jonathan that he 'can't eat a glide' in order to ______. - It, wasn't long before Jonathan Gull was off by himself again, far out at sea. Which trait of Jonathan does this statement reveal? (1)
- practical bird
- persistent learner
- lonely and sad
- carefree and irresponsible
- Was it fair to fly like a falcon when he was just a seagull? Why does he say so? (1)
Solution
- Majority of seagulls fly only short distances as they are more interested in food than flight.
- Jonathan Livingston's parents were concerned since he had spent the entire day alone and had glided at a low level without eating.
- The two reasons for Jonathan's unconventional behaviour are:
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull loved to fly.
- He wanted to know what he could do in the air and what he couldn't.
- disgrace
- The reason seagulls flew was to find food.
- Jonathan wanted to know what he could and couldn't do in the air.
- Mother was concerned about Jonathan's low-flying practice and inadequate nourishment.
- Father reminds Jonathan that he 'can't eat a glide' in order to tell him that he had to learn how to get food.
- persistent learner
- No, it was not fair for Jonathan to fly like a falcon when he was only a seagull. since of his physical constraints, he could not soar as quickly as a falcon does since his wings were too long.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
A1. Guess
Select the correct alternatives from the boxes : (2)
(1) The Olympic Games were originally held in honour of:
(a) The Priests (b) The Greeks
(c) The Spartans (d) Zeus
(2) The Olympics were held after every …………..
(a) Year (b) Four years
(c) Three years (d) Two years
(3) All came to know of Olympia from the:
(a) Olympics (b) Spartans
(c) Syracusans (d) Athenians
(4) Altis was the name of a :
(a) God (b) Race
(c) Festival (d) Enclosure
Olympia, the original site of Olympic Games in ancient Greece is situated in a quiet, beautiful valley. The old ruins are shaded by evergreen oaks, pines and poplars, as well as olive trees. Olympia was never a city but a sacred ground occupied by temples and dwellings for the priests. At the centre was the enclosure known as Altis, dedicated to Zeus, the god of gods. It was in honour of Zeus that the quadrennial festival and the games were held.
The fame of Olympia rests largely upon Olympic Games. They were a great national festival of the entire Greek race. During the week of the festival the Athenians, the Spartans, the Syracusans and other groups, all forgot their narrow identities. They regarded an Olympic victory as the highest honour. The simple reward of a twig of wild olive immortalized the victor and his family.
The Olympic Games were held regularly in peace and in war at an interval of four years for over a thousand years from 776 B.C. till 393 A.D. Originally, men who spoke Greek as their mother tongue were allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. No married women were allowed to be present. The athletic programme was varied by the presence of historians, orators and writers. After each event a herald announced the victor's name and handed him a palm. On the last day the successful competitors were each given a garland of wild olive.
A2. Select
Select the word each from the circle which mean the following: (2)
(1) Occurring at the interval of four years
(2) Wreckage
(3) Take part in a game
(4) One who wins.
A3. Complete :
Complete the table and frame your sentence with anyone word : (2)
| Noun | Adjective | Verb |
| beautiful |
A4. (i) The old ruins are, shaded by evergreen oaks, pines and .poplars as well as olive trees.
(Insert not only ……. but also and rewrite). (1)
(ii) No married women were allowed to be present. (Remove 'No' and rewrite the sentence without changing its meaning) (1)
A5. Personal response
How are the winners in Olympics rewarded today? (2)
AI. Who said to whom
(i) "Is he going to live, sir?"
(ii) "______ the struggle is too hard at the end ______.”
The doctor said to himself, "If my word can save his life, he shall not die.
The will be damned." He called, "Gopal, listen." This was the first time he was going to do a piece of acting before a patient, simulate a feeling and conceal his Judgement. He stooped over the patient and said, with deliberate emphasis, "Don't worry about the will now. You are going to live. Your heart is absolutely sound."
A new glow suffused the patient's face as he heard it. Be asked in a tone of relief,
"Do you say so? If it comes from your lips it must be true............ . "
The doctor said, "Quite right. You are improving ever second. Sleep in peace. You must not exert yourself on any account. You must sleep very soundly.
I will see you in the morning." The patient looked at him gratefully for a moment and then closed his eyes. The doctor picked up his bag and went out, shutting the door softly behind him.
On his way home he stopped for a moment at his hospital, called out his assistant and said, "That Lawley Extension case. You might expect the collapse any second now. Go there with a tube of .....................................'in hand, and give it in case the struggle is too hard at the end. Hurry up.”
Next morning he was back at Lawley Extension at ten. From his car he made a dash for the sick bed. The patient was awake and looked very well. The assistant reported satisfactory pulse. The doctor put his tube to his heart, listened for a while and told the sick man's wife, "Don't look so unhappy, lady. Your husband will live to be a ninety.’’ When they were going back to the hospital, the assistant sitting beside him in the car asked, "Is he going to live, sir?"
"I will bet on it. He will live to be ninety. He has turned at corner. How he has survived this attack will be a puzzle to me all my life," replied the doctor.
A2. Web
Complete the web:
A3. Personal Response
What is your opinion about the doctor and his behaviour?
Nicholas chorier is not your usual photographer. He is a kite aerial photographer. He uses a kite to hoist his camera into the skies and clicks photographs while the camera dangles precariously mid – air.
As a teenager, Nicholas had two passions – photography and kite flying. During’ a trip to India to make a photo report on kite making, he learnt about this unique style of photography. Fascinated, he literally tied his two hobbies together for a living.
Nicholas learnt to make a strong modelled on the Japanese kites, Rokkaku that could endure harsh winds. A novice in his chosen field, he then set out to train himself. Today he is one of the most well – known aerial photographers in the world.
The technique is to tie a cradle containing the photography equipment to the string of the kite and then fly it, thus launching the camera into air. From the ground, Nicholas manipulates the angles of the camera with a remote. An air – to – ground video link enables him to see the view from the kite’s vantage point. Once satisfied with the frame, he clicks a picture.
However, the job does have its pitfalls too. Once, his kite disappeared in the Yamuna river, with his expensive camera in tow.
He is especially fond of India, having made a couple of trips and taken many spectacular photos. “India is too vast and beautiful a country to be captured through the lenses in one life” he says.
He recently released a book, Kite’s Eye View: India between Earth and sky. Though it includes photographs of oft takes sites like the Taj Mahal, it shows them from a totally different perspective.
(1) What were Nicholas’s two passions?
(2) How does Nicholas take aerial photographs?
(3) What is ‘Rokkaku’?
(4)
(a) Pick out words from the passage which mean :
(i) To tolerate
(ii) Costly
(b) Nicholas has two passions. [Start the sentence with ‘Nicholas was …….using the adjective form of passion]
(a) India is too vast a country to be captured through the lenses. [Remove too ………. And rewrite] (b) Nicholas learnt to make strong kites. [Rewrite using past perfect tense]
(6) What risks do aerial photographers face?
The hopping kangaroo is a familiar sight in every snapshot relating to Australia. Members of the kangaroo family can be as small as a rat or as big as a man. Kangaroos are found mainly in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. Kangaroos, which are big-footed marsupials that evolved in Australia, use their short front legs like arms. The man-sized kangaroos of Australia are capable of speeding up to 88 km/hr for short distances, their means of locomotion being their powerful hind legs, which carry them over the ground in jumps of 9 m or more at a time.
Weighing around 70 kg, they have an average lifespan of around six to eight years and a maximum lifetime of 20 years. When bothered by predators, kangaroos often head for the water, standing submerged to the chest and attempting to drown the attacker by holding him under water. Another defensive technique is to get their back to a tree and kick at their adversary with their clawed hind feet, sometimes with sufficient force to kill a man. Normally shy animals, they alert other kangaroos to danger by beating on the ground with their hind feet. This loud alarm signal carries over a long distance.
The tail is important for kangaroos. It holds them in balance and supports them when they sit or fight against other kangaroos. The kangaroo uses its short legs as arms. With them it scratches itself, cleans its fur and holds branches when it eats leaves. Kangaroos are marsupials and the females carry newborns in a pouch in front of their abdomens. The babies are born small and climb up into safety of the pouch. There, for the next 225 days or so, they eat, sleep and grow. Once they reach full development, they leave the pouch. A young kangaroo that leaves the pouch is called a ‘joey’. To keep from getting too hot, the kangaroos take naps in the afternoon and do most of their grazing at night. But the best stay-cool secret of these creatures is the spit bath! Kangaroos drool and lick saliva all over their faces and bodies to cool down.
On the basis of your reading of the above passage, complete the following sentences with appropriate words/phrases:
(a) When followed by predators, kangaroos submerge ____________ and _________________.
(b) The powerful hind legs help kangaroos to __________________.
(c) Kangaroos are mainly found in Australia and are ____________________.
(d) They use their front legs to ___________________.
(e) Kangaroos warn others of danger by _______________________.
(f) The secret of kangaroos to stay cool is ______________________.
(g) They use their tails to _________________________.
(h) Before becoming ‘joeys’, the young ones stay in the ______________ and ________________.
The Perfect Dog
In the summer of 1967, when I was ten years old, my father caved into my persistent pleas and took me to get my own dog. Together we drove in the family station wagon far into the Michigan countryside to a farm run by a rough-hewn woman and her ancient mother. The farm produced just one commodity—dogs. Dogs of every imaginable size and shape and age and temperament. They had only two things in common: each was a mongrel of unknown and distinct ancestry, and each was free to a good home.
I quickly decided the older dogs were somebody else’s charity case. I immediately raced to the puppy cage. “You want to pick one that’s not timid,” my father coached. “Try rattling the cage and see which ones aren’t afraid.”
I grabbed the chain-link gate and yanked on it with a loud clang. The dozen or so puppies reeled backward, collapsing on top of one another in a squiggling heap of fur. Just one remained. He was gold with a white blaze on his chest, and he charged at the gate, yapping fearlessly. He jumped up and excitedly licked my fingers through the fencing. It was love at first sight.
I brought him home in a cardboard box and named him Shaun. He was one of those dogs that give dogs a good name. He effortlessly mastered every command I taught him and was naturally well-behaved. I could drop a crust on the floor and he would not touch it until I gave the okay.
Relatives would visit for the weekend and returned home determined to buy a dog of their own, so impressed were they with Shaun – or “Saint Shaun”, as I came to call him. Born with the curse of an uncertain lineage, he was one of the tens of thousands of unwanted dogs in America. Yet by some stroke of almost providential good fortune, he became wanted. He came into my life and I into his – and in the process, he gave me the childhood every kid deserves.
The love affair lasted fourteen years, and by the time he died I was no longer the little boy who had brought him home on that summer day. I was a man, out of college and working across the state in my first real job. Saint Shaun had stayed behind when I moved on. It was where he belonged. My parents, by then retired, called to break the news to me. My mother would later tell me, “In fifty years of marriage, I’ve only seen your father cry twice. The first time was when we lost Mary Ann” – my sister, who was still-born. “The second time was the day Shaun died.”
Saint Shaun of my childhood. He was a perfect dog. At least that’s how I will always remember him. It was Shaun who set the standard by which I would judge all other dogs to come.
(Marley and Me by John Grogan)
1.1 Based on your reading of the passage, complete the following statements.
(a) The dog farm was run by ________________________________.
(b) The author did not want an old dog because ______________________________.
(c) He fell in love with the dog the moment the latter _______________________.
(d) Shaun became so obedient that he ______________________ until the author allowed him.
(e) After visiting them, their relatives wanted ________________________.
(f) When Shaun died even _______________________.
1.2 Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following.
(a) urgent requests (para 1)
(b) falling (para 3)
He holds him with his skinny hand,
“There was a ship,” quoth he.
i. Who does ‘He’ refer to in the above extract?
ii. What do we know about the speaker’s feelings?
iii. Why is his hand called ‘skinny’?
Q1 Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
1. Too many parents these days can't say no, As a result, they find themselves raising 'children' who respond greedily to the advertisements aimed right at them. Even getting what they want doesn't satisfy some kids; they only want more. Now, a growing number of psychologists, educators, and parents think it's time to stop the madness and start teaching kids about what's really important: values like hard work, contentment, honesty, and compassion. The struggle to set limits has never been tougher ‒ and the stakes have never been higher. One recent study of adults who were overindulged as children paints a discouraging picture of their future: when given too much too soon, they grow up to be adults who have difficulty coping with life's disappointments. They also have a distorted sense of entitlement that gets in the way of success in the workplace and in relationships.
2. Psychologists say that parents who overindulge their kids set them up to be more vulnerable to future anxiety and depression. Today's parents themselves raised on values of thrift and self-sacrifice, grew up in a culture where no was a household word. Today's kids want much more, partly because there is so much more to want. The oldest members of this generation were born in the late 1980s, just as PCs and video games were making their assault on the family room. They think of MP3 players and flat-screen TV as essential utilities, and they have developed strategies to get them. One survey of teenagers found that when they crave something new, most expect to ask nine times before their parents give in. By every measure, parents are shelling out record amounts. In the heat of this buying blitz, even parents who desperately need to say no find themselves reaching for their credit cards.
3. Today's parents aren't equipped to deal with the problem. Many of them, raised in the 1960s and '70s, swore they'd act differently from their parents and have closer relationships with their own children. Many even wear the same designer clothes as their kids and listen to the same music. And they work more hours; at the end of a long week, it's tempting to buy peace with 'yes' and not mar precious family time with conflict. Anxiety about the future is another factor. How do well-intentioned parents say no to all the sports gear and arts and language lessons they believe will help their kids thrive in an increasingly competitive world? Experts agree: too much love won't spoil a child. Too few limits will.
4. What parents need to find, is a balance between the advantages of an affluent society and the critical life lessons that come from waiting, saving, and working hard to achieve goals. That search for balance has to start early. Children need limits on their behaviour because they feel better and more secure when they live within a secure structure. Older children learn self-control by watching how others, especially parents act. Learning how to overcome challenges is essential to becoming a successful adult. Few parents ask kids to do chores. They think their kids are already overburdened by social and academic pressures. Every individual can be of service to others, and life has meaning beyond one's own immediate happiness. That means parents eager to teach values have to take a long, hard look at their own.
(a) Answer the following:
- What values do parents and teachers want children to learn?
- What are the results of giving the children too much too soon?
- Why do today's children want more?
- What is the balance which the parents need to have in today's world?
- What is the necessity to set limits for children?
(b) Pick out words from the passage that mean the same as the following:
- a feeling of satisfaction (para 1)
- valuable (para 3)
- important (para 4)
Read the following passage carefully:
Gandhiji As a Fund Raiser
Gandhiji was an incurable and irrestible fund raiser. He found special relish in getting jewellery from women. Ranibala of Burdwan was ten years old. One day she was playing with Gandhiji. He explained to her that her bangles were too heavy for her delicate little wrists. She removed the bangles and gave them away to Gandhiji.
He used to talk jokingly to small girls and created distaste for ornaments and created a desire in them to part with the jewellery for the sake of the poor. He motivated them to donate their jewellery for social usage.
Kasturbai didn’t appreciate this habit of Gandhiji. Once she stated calmly, ‘You don’t wear jewels, it is easy for you to get around the boys. But what about our daughters-in-law ? They would surely want them.
“Well!” Gandhiji put in mildly, "our children are young and when they grow up they will not surely choose wives who are found of wearing jewellery.” Kasturbai was very upset with the answer.
Gandhiji was determined to keep the jewels to raise community fund. He was of the opinion that a public worker should accept no costly gifts. He believed that he should not own anything costly, whether given or earned. Kasturbai was a female with a desire to adorn. But Gandhiji moved towards renunciation and donated every penny earned in South Africa to the trustees for the service of South African Indians.
2.1 Answer the questions given below:
(ii) untreatable
(iii) disagreeable
(iv) unbeatable
(ii) emboldened
(iii) incited
(iv) softened
(ii) furious
(iii) confused
(iv) distressed
(ii) disagreement
(iii) opposition
(iv) termination
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
These meadows aren't worth much to me. They only come to five dessiatins, and are worth perhaps 300 roubles, but I can't stand unfairness. Say what you will, I can't stand unfairness.
(a) Who speaks the above lines and to whom?
(b) How much are the meadows worth?
(c) Find a word in the extract the means 'not based on what is just.'
Read the passage given below :
Kausani is situated at a height of 6,075 feet in the Central Himalayas. It is an unusally attractive little town. It covers just about 5.2 sq. kms. It lies to the north of Almora in Uttarakhand's picturesque kumaon region.
Kausani provides the 300-km wide breathtaking view of the Himalayas. It is the most striking aspect of the place. Snow-capped peaks are spread in a stately row. They stare at you in silvery white majesty. The most famous peak on view is Nanda Devi, the second highest mountain in India. It is situated at a height of 25.645 feet and 36 miles away as the crow files. The other famous peaks on view are choukhamba (23,420 feet) and Trishul (23,360 feet). Then there are also Nilkanth, Nandaghunti, Nandaghat and Nandakot. On a clear day, the blue of the sky makes a splendid background to these peaks. At sunrise and at sunset, when the colour changes to a golden orange, the scene gets etched in your memory.
When Gandhiji visited this place in 1929, its scenic beauty held him spellbound. He named it the 'Switzerland of Indian'. He prolonged his two-day stay to fourteen days, making time to write a book, 'Anashakti Yoga'. The place where he was staying was originally a guest-house of the tea estate. It was renamed 'Anashakti Ashram' after the book.
Kausani is the birthplace of Sumitranandan Pant, India's poet laureate. Its natural surroundings inspired many of his poems. Its tea gardens mingle with dense pine forests and fruit orchards. The area is also host to many fairs and religious caremonies. If Uttaranchal is the abode of gods, Kausani is God's own backyard. There is no traffic, no one is in a hurry. If serenity could be put on a canvas, the picture would resemble Kausani.
On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following questions :
(a) Where is Kausani situated ?
(b) What is the most striking aspect of Kausani ?
(c) Which is the most famous peak on view from Kausani ?
(d) How did Kausani influence Sumitranandan Pant ?
(e) When does the view of peaks become so memorable ?
(f) How can we say that Gandhiji was greatly charmed by the natural beauty of Kausani ?
(g) What makes Kausani a calm and quiet place ?
(h) Why, do you think, is Kausani known as 'God' s own backyard' ?
Read the passage given below:
Keeping cities clean is essential for keeping their residents healthy. Our health depends not just on personal hygiene and nutrition, but critically also on how clean we keep our cities and their surroundings. The spread of dengue and chikungunya are intimately linked to the deteriorating state of public health conditions in our cities.
The good news is that waste management to keep cities clean is now getting attention through the Swachh Bharat Mission. However, much of the attention begins and stops with the brooms and the dustbins, extending at most to the collection and transportation of the mixed waste to some distant or not so distant place, preferably out of sight.
The challenge of processing and treating the different streams of solid waste, and safe disposal of the residuals in scientific landfills, has received much less attention in municipal solid waste management than is expected from a health point of view.
One of the problems is that instead of focusing on waste management for health, we have got sidetracked into "waste for energy". If only we were to begin by not mixing the biodegradable component of solid waste (close to 60 percent of the total) in our cities with the dry waste, and instead use this stream of waste for compositing and producing a gas called methane.
City compost from biodegradable waste provides an alternative to farmyard manure (like cow-dung). It provides an opportunity to simultaneously clean up our cities and help improve agricultural productivity and quality of the soil. Organic manure or compost plays a very important role as a supplement to chemical fertilisers in enriching the nutrient-deficient soils. City compost can be the new player in the field.
Benefits of compost on the farm are well-known. The water holding capacity of the soil which uses compost helps with drought-proofing, and the requirement of less water per crop is a welcome feature for a water-stressed future. By making the soil porous, use of compost also makes roots stronger and resistant to pests and decay. Farmers using compost, therefore, need less quantity of pesticides. There is also evidence to suggest that horticulture corps grown with compost have better flavour, size, colour and shelf-life.
City compost has the additional advantage of being weed-free unlike farmyard manure which brings with it the seeds of undigested grasses and requires a substantial additional labour cost for weeding as the crops grow. City compost is also rich in organic carbon, and our soils are short in this.
Farmers clearly recognize the value of city compost. If city waste was composted before making it available to the farmers for applying to the soil, cities would be cleaned up and the fields around them would be much more productive.
Quite apart from cleaning up the cities of biodegradable waste, this would be a major and sustainable contribution to improving the health of our soil without further damage by excessive chemical inputs. What a marvellous change from waste to health!
The good news is that some states are regularly laying plastic roads. Plastic roads will not only withstand future monsoon damage but will also solve a city's problem of disposing of non-recyclable plastic. It is clear that if the mountains of waste from our cities were to be recycled into road construction material, it would tackle the problem of managing waste while freeing up scarce land.
(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognisable abbreviations wherever necessary (minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate title to it.
(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. Thackeray reached Kittur along with a small British army force and a few of his officers. He thought that the very presence of the British on the outskirts of Kittur would terrorise the rulers and people of Kittur and that they would lay down their arms. He was quite confident that he would be able to crush the revolt in no time. He ordered that tents be erected on the eastern side for the fighting forces and a little away on the western slopes tents be put up for the family members of the officers who had accompanied them. During the afternoon and evening of 20thOctober, the British soldiers were busy making arrangements for these camps.
On the basis of your understanding of the above passage complete the statements given below with the help of options that follow:
(ii) army officer
(iii) adviser to Rani of Kittur
(iv) treasury officer
(ii) enjoy life in tents
(iii) stay in the palace
(iv) give company to officers
(c) Why did Thackeray come to Kittur?
(d) Why did the Kittur officials refuse to give the desired assurance to Thackeray?
(e) What happened to the Horse Artillery?
(f) How do we know that the Rani was a noble queen?
(g) How in your opinion would the British women have felt after meeting the Rani?
(h) Why did the Rani refuse to meet Thackeray?
(i) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following :
ii. aggressive/refusing to obey (para 2)
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
The most alarming of man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea with lethal materials. This pollution is for the most part irrevocable; the chain of evil it initiates is for the most part irreversible. In this contamination of the environment, chemicals are the sinister partners of radiation in changing the very nature of the world; radiation released through nuclear explosions into the air, comes to the earth in rain, lodges into the soil, enters the grass or corn, or wheat grown there and reaches the bones of a human being, there to remain until his death. Similarly, chemicals sprayed on crops lie long in soil, entering living organisms, passing from one to another in a chain of poisoning and death. Or they pass by underground streams until they emerge and combine into new forms that kill vegetation, sicken cattle, and harm those who drink from once pure wells.
It took hundreds of millions of years to produce the life that now inhabits the earth and reached a stage of adjustment and balance with its surroundings. The environment contained elements that were hostile as well as supporting. Even within the light of the sun, there were short wave radiations with power to injure. Given time, life has adjusted and a balance reached. For time is the essential ingredient, but in the modern world is no time.
The rapidity of change and the speed with which new situations are created follow the heedless pace of man rather than the deliberate pace of nature. Radiation is no longer the bombardment of cosmic rays; it is now the unnatural creation of man’s tampering with the atom. The chemicals to which life is asked to make adjustments are no longer merely calcium and silica and copper and all the rest of the minerals washed out of the rocks and carried in the rivers to the sea; they are the synthetic creations of man’s inventive mind, brewed in his laboratories, and having no counterparts in nature.
(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary-minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply a title to it.
(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
The most alarming of man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea with lethal materials. This pollution is for the most part irrevocable; the chain of evil it initiates is for the most part irreversible. In this contamination of the environment, chemicals are the sinister partners of radiation in changing the very nature of the world; radiation released through nuclear explosions into the air, comes to the earth in rain, lodges into the soil, enters the grass or corn, or wheat grown there and reaches the bones of a human being, there to remain until his death. Similarly, chemicals sprayed on crops lie long in soil, entering living organisms, passing from one to another in a chain of poisoning and death. Or they pass by underground streams until they emerge and combine into new forms that kill vegetation, sicken cattle, and harm those who drink from once pure wells.
It took hundreds of millions of years to produce the life that now inhabits the earth and reached a stage of adjustment and balance with its surroundings. The environment contained elements that were hostile as well as supporting. Even within the light of the sun, there were short wave radiations with power to injure. Given time, life has adjusted and a balance reached. For time is the essential ingredient, but in the modern world is no time.
The rapidity of change and the speed with which new situations are created follow the heedless pace of man rather than the deliberate pace of nature. Radiation is no longer the bombardment of cosmic rays; it is now the unnatural creation of man’s tampering with the atom. The chemicals to which life is asked to make adjustments are no longer merely calcium and silica and copper and all the rest of the minerals washed out of the rocks and carried in the rivers to the sea; they are the synthetic creations of man’s inventive mind, brewed in his laboratories, and having no counterparts in nature.
(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary-minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply a title to it.
(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.
Read the passage given below :
1. To ensure its perpetuity, the ground is well held by the panther both in space and in time. It enjoys a much wider distribution over the globe than its bigger cousins and procreates sufficiently profusely to ensure its continuity for all time to come.
(ii) in the branches of the trees
(iii) behind the tree trunks
(iv) at its heels
(ii) trains its cubs
(iii) watches the progress of the mother
(iv) is impulsive and impatient
Answer the following questions briefly :
(ii) came down / fell (para 7)
Read the passage given below :
It is surprising that sometimes we don't listen to what people say to us. We hear them, but we don't listen to them. I was curious to know how hearing is different from listening. I had thought both were synonyms, but gradually, I realised there is a big difference between the two words.
Hearing is a physical phenomenon. Whenever somebody speaks, the sound waves generated reach you, and you definitely hear whatever is said to you. However, even if you hear something, it doesn't always mean that you actually understand whatever is being said. Paying attention to whatever you hear means you are really listening. Consciously using your mind to understand whatever is being said is listening.
Diving deeper, I found that listening is not only hearing with attention, but is much more than that. Listening is hearing with full attention, and applying our mind. Most of the time, we listen to someone, but our minds are full of needles chatter and there doesn't seem to be enough space to accommodate what is being spoken.
We come with a lot of prejudices and preconceived notions about the speaker or the the subject on which he is talking. We pretend to listen to the speaker, but deep inside, we sit in judgement and are dying to pronounce right or wrong, true or false, yes or no. Sometimes, we even come prepared with a negative mindset of proving the speaker wrong. Even if the speaker says nothing harmful, we are ready pounce on him with our own version of things.
What we should ideally do is listen first with full awareness. Once, we have done that, we can decide whether we want to make a judgement or not. Once we do that, communication will be perfect and our interpersonal relationship will become so much better. Listening well doesn't mean one has to say the right thing at the right moment. In fact, sometimes if words are left unspoken, there is a feeling of tension and negativity. Therefore, it is better to speak out your mind, but do so with awareness after listening to the speaker with full concentration.
Let's look at this in another way. When you really listen, you imbibe not only what is being spoken, but you also understand what is not spoken as well. Most of the time we don't really listen even to people who really matter to us. That's how misunderstandings grow among families, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters.
(A) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it, using heading and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary − minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate title to it.
(B) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
The Jahangir Art Gallery, the State Bank of lndia building and the canteen close by which offered affordable fare, the amazing street fare, bhelpuri and vadapav. The joy of reading Bombay Times with its page 3 people one would never meet but who seemed like old friends. The Strand bookstore where one could browse for hours. And just when a book was longingly but firmly put down from nowhere, Mr Shanbagh would materialise magically at one's elbow with a special price. Not to forget the joys of trawling the booklined pavements at Fountain, where one could watch the world go by. And wherever I chose to go, there was always my friend, the sea, oh. I loved her, in all her moods, but especially in the monsoon when violent and enraged she splattered Worli seaface with walls of sea spray. My friends are lost, some passed away, some moved away, there were many whose names I never found out, though we took the train together, or met in the lift, every day.
Like every migrant, I promise myself, someday I will return. I may, perhaps, return sometime, but even so, I know, "that one cannot step into the same river twice." You seduced me steadily, o Mumbai, with your glamour and bright lights. City of dreams, tinsel town. I pay tribute to you. Today, I say good-bye with a heavy heart.
(1) What does this extract focus on?
(2) Which mood of the sea did the writer like the most?
(3) How would the writer spend her free time?
( 4) According to you, how can you make your locality clean and beautiful?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) She splattered Worli seaface with walls of sea spray.
(Rewrite it using the Simple Present tense.)
(ii) I never found out their names though we took the train together
(Make it a Compound Sentence.)
(iii) I promise myself, someday I will return.
(Rewrite it using the modal auxiliary 'must'.)
(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean -
(i) courageously
(ii) attracted
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
But even in a poverty-free world where every man and woman would earn enough to take care of themselves and their family, there would still be situations of temporary poverty due to a sudden catastrophe or misfortune, a bankruptcy or business downturn leading to failure, or some personal disease or disaster.
A poverty-free world might see a whole group of families, locations, or even regions devastated by some shared disasters, such as floods, tire, cyclones, riots, earthquakes or
other disasters. But such temporary problems could be taken care of by the market mechanism through insurance and other self-paying programmes, assisted of course by social-consciousness-driven enterprises.
There would always remain differences in lifestyle between people at the bottom of society and those at the top income levels. Yet that difference would be the difference between the middle-class and luxury class, just as on trains in Europe today you have only first-class and second-class carriages, whereas in the nineteenth century there were third- class and even fourth-class carriages - sometimes with no windows and just hay strewn on the floor.
Can we really create a poverty-free world? A world without third-class or fourth-class citizens, a world without a hungry, illiterate, barefoot under-class?
(1) What is the extract about?
(2) How will the poverty-free world take care of natural disasters?
(3) According to the writer, what would, 'the world without poverty' be like?
(4) What can we do to help the poor in our society?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
(i) Temporary problems could be taken care of by market mechanisms.
(Rewrite the sentence beginning with 'Market mechanism ........ ')
(ii) In the nineteenth century, there were third-class carriages.
(Form a Wh-question to get the underlined part as an answer.)
(iii) There would still be situations of temporary poverty.
(Rewrite it using 'can'.)
( 6) What do the following words in the extract mean -
(i) devastated
(ii) hay
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below :
One day, I saw the tree was being cut. I rushed to the site and begged the tree cutters to spare the trunk as it wast the home of many a parrot. But I was laughed at and the tree fell with a great thud. I ran to the top end to see two just hatched chicks thrown out of their nest and smashed to death. I looked into all the nests and saw smashed eggs in two of them and one little chick in the other one. Fortunately, the little one survived the fall. I brought it home. The chick can be identified as a parrot only by the shape and colour of its beak. No feathers had come out. 1 carefully fed it with milk and within two weeks it began to eat bananas; and two months later, it started to fly and I let him fly away. But he would not fly long. He used to liner on the coconut trees in our compound and when I reached home from school, he would fly down and land on my head!
I would show him my finger and he would jump on to it from my head and drink the milk I offered him in a little plate. By putting the sharp end of the upper beak stationaty in the plate, he would drink the milk by moving his tongue and lower beak to and fro. Then he would fly on to my shoulder and eat paddy from mypahn.
(1) What is the extract about? (1)
(2) Describe how did the boy save the life of a chick ? (2)
(3) What was the parrot's daily routine at the author's home? (2)
(4) Do you think, we have deprived the birds of their natural habitats? What are its effects? (2)
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) I rushed to the site. (Rewrite the sentence using 'used to'.) (1)
(ii) The tree was being cut. (Rewrite it beginning with 'They .... .' (1)
(iii) I looked into all the nests and saw smashed eggs in two of them. (Rewrite the sentence using the word 'when'. (1)
(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean -
(i) neatly (1/2)
(ii) stay for longer (1/2)
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
Now, as I stood on the shore of that desolate Highland loch
I raised my voice in a surge of self-justification : ''By Heavens!
This is my opportunity. Gastric ulcer or no gastric ulcer, I will
write a novel.'' Before I could change 1ny mind I walked straight to the village and bot1ght myself two dozen penny exercise books.
Upstairs in my cold, clean bedroom was a scrubbed deal table and a very hard chair. Next morning, I found myself in this chair, facing a new exercise book open upon the table, slowly' becoming aware that, short of dog-Lati11 prescriptions, I had never composed a significant phrase in all my life. It was a discot1raging thought as I picked 11p my pen and gazed out of the window. Never mind, I would begin. Three hours later Mrs. Angus, the farmer's wife, called me to dinner. The page was still blank.
As I went dow-n to m:y milk and junket-they call this "curds'' in Tarbert - I felt a dreadful fool. I felt like the wretched poet in Daudet's Jack whose im1nortal masterpiece never progressed beyond its stillborn opening phrase : ''In a remote valley of Pyrenees ..... ". I recollected, rather gri111ly, the sharp advice with which my old schoolmaster had goaded me to action. ''Get it down!'' he had said. ''If it ~tops in your head it will always be nothing.
Get it down.'' And so, after lunch, I went upstairs and began to get it down.
(1) What is the main idea of the extract? (1)
(2) Why did the narrator buy two dozen penny exercise books? (2)
(3) How was the narrator unprepared for writing his novel? (2)
(4) Write in brief about what you will do in your forthcoming vacation. (2)
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
(i) I stood on the shore of that desolate Highland loch.
(Rewrite it using 'used to'.) (1)
(ii) I went down to my milk and junket.
(Rewrite it in the Past Perfect Tense.) (1)
(iii) I walked straight to the village and bought myself
two dozen penny exercise books. (Make it simple). (1)
(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean:
(i) chance (1/2)
(ii) lake (1/2)
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
We commemorate so many special days such as Republic Day, Independence Day, Mother's Day and so on. Well, here is one day that deserves not only a commemoration but our total dedication - Earth Day, 22 April. At Sanctuary, we live our lives like every day is Earth Day, but we all believe that it would be, fantastic to remind our relatives, friends, neighbours, teachers, and elders on this day that protecting Mother Earth can end up making us both happy and safe.
Will you do something this Earth Day? Here's a handy list of things you can do-
(1) Cut Consumption: Consume as little as possible on Earth Day. This 'is a day·when you ca!l Refuse (to buy new things), Repair and Reuse (old stuff), Recycle (what you cannot reuse), Reject (stuff that is toxic or dangerous to the environment) and Renew (your purpose and resolve to protect the planet).
(2) Cut Energy: (a) Ditch the old incandescent bulbs and shift to CFLs or LEDs (Google both to find out more). (b) Walk or use public transport, try not to use private cars to save fuel. Carpool. Cut down on trips. Use Skype· instead of traveling for meetings. (c) Switch off unnecessary gadgets. (don't just use the remote .... walk to the mains!).
(3) Cut Waste: Start a waste segregation system in your building, school or neighbourhood. Compost organic waste, sell what you can to the raddi-wallah and give him a small token of.. appreciation also for he is protecting your world. Collect unused papers from old notebooks and make new ones from them.
(4) Cut out plastic: Speak to at least five shopkeepers in your area and tell them you and your friends will only use their shops if they move away from wasteful plastic packaging, particularly thin plastic bags.
(1) What do you understand from this extract?
(2) What steps can we take to keep our environment clean?
(3) Why should we commemorate Earth Day?
(4) What is your opinion regarding shifting to CFLs or LEDs?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) Earth Day deserves a commemoration and our total dedication.
(Use 'not only - but also'.)
(ii) Start a Waste Segregation System in your building.
(Rewrite it beginning with 'Let'.)
(iii) You can sell waste to the raddi-wallah and give him a
small token of appreciation.
(Replace the modal auxiliary by another showing 'obligation'.)
(6) What do the following words in the extract mean?
(i) resolve
(ii) toxic
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
Questions :
(2) What sort of patients did the doctor have?
(3) What were the reasons for the doctor's indigestion?
(4) “A doctor should have a pleasing personality and good manners.” Do you agree? Explain.
(ii) unsewn
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
So what is a city? It's a dense amalgamation of buildings and people. A city must provide equity and also be sustainable. As an architect who has been closely connected with Delhi and its planning, my wish list is more about the direction we need to take so that future generations don 't end up living in chaotic dysfunctional cities.
The first requirement for a city is a pragmatic plan. Many of our cities such.as Delhi and Bhubaneswar and even Port Blair in the Andamans have reasonably good master plans. Many also have City Development Plans which have been made an essential requirement to draw funds. from the government's Urban Renewal Programme (JNNURM). But they should be updated frequently based on the changing needs of its people.
And let's not forget its citizens - they need to be more pro-actively involved when evolving master plans. But often, there's lack of planning and inadequate implementation systems. This applies to all essential components of a city-streets, public transport system, traffic management, affordable housing, cars and parking, drainage. water supply, sewerage, and garbage. Any deficiency in these will lead to poor quality cities that won't be able to handle the pressure of increased population and changing needs.
The second require1nent of a good city is good social infrastructure such as parks and places for leisure such as rivers and seafronts. It needs to preserve and protect its heritage. We are a nation with a rich diversity in culture, arts, and crafts.
Questions:
(1) What issue is raised in the above extract?
(2) What are the requirements for a good city?
(3) Why is it necessary to update our city development plan?
(4) Do you think unplanned cities make the life of its people
miserable? How?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) A city must provide equity and also be sustainable.
(Rewrite the sentence using 'not only ...... but also'.)
(ii) Many of our cities have good master plans.
(Frame a Wh-question to get the underlined part as its answer.)
(iii) It needs to preserve and protect its heritage.
(Identify the tense used in the sentence.)
(6) Find out from the extract the words which mean:
(i) practical
(ii) blend
Read the following passage and do the activities.
In the early days of farming, people did not understand how plants obtained essential nutrients. It so happened that wood ash, fish remains and slaughterhouse waste were thrown on vacant land just to get rid of them. Then, people started to notice that the grass, bushes and shrubs on this vacant land began to grow very well. They reasoned that if their farmland were similarly treated, the growth of their crops would also improve. People gradually began to realize that the nutrients required by plants came from the soil and that the amount of nutrients could be increased by the application of such organic remains to the soil. Thus started the manuring process in farming.
The practice of manuring has been practised as early since the seventeenth century. However, the importance of manuring was not properly understood until scientists began to study the nutritional needs of plants and gave birth to fertilizers. Thus, gradually, the use of fertilizers became accepted by farmers.
There are many types of manure and fertilizer currently being used. Manure is a substance derived from animals and plants. The most important advantage of using manure is the fact that they not only supply a wide range of plant
nutrients, but also improve the structure of the soil. It cements together the soil particles to form soil crumbs. The crumb structure is a desirable condition of cultivated soil. The addition of manure to soil will increase the inorganic and humus content which helps to prevent soil erosion and loss of plant nutrients when it rains. The common manure used in farming consists of farmyard manure, compost, blood meal, bone meal and fish meal.
Unlike manure, fertilizers are inorganic substances which do not improve the structure of the soil. They only supply extra amounts of nutrients to the growing plants when applied to the soil. The commercial fertilizers commonly used today
can be classified into three major categories; namely, nitrogen (N), phosphate and potash fertilizers.
Besides knowing the type of fertilizer to use, a farmer also needs to know when to apply the fertilizer and how to apply it. The fertilizer should be applied at the time when the plants need a particular nutrient most. The time and method
of application will determine how profitably the fertilizers have been used in farming. Fertilizers which have not been properly applied cannot be absorbed in large quantities by plant roots. These fertilizers may be washed away by rain
or they may kill the plants. This would mean a definite financial loss for the farmer.
(A1) Choose the correct option and rewrite the sentences.
(a) What did the people not understand in the early days of farming ? (1/2)
(i) how farming is done
(ii) how plants obtained essential nutrients
(iii) how grass, shrubs and bushes grow.
(b) What is manure ? (1/2)
(i) a substance derived from animals and plants.
(ii) the soil particles to form soil crumbs.
(iii) a combination of nitrogen, phosphate and potash.
(c) When should fertilizers be applied ? (1/2)
(i) When the plants get dried.
(ii) When the plants need a particular nutrient most.
(iii) In the early days of farming.
(d) What determines the profitability of the fertilizers ? (1/2)
(i) grass, bushes and shrubs
(ii) nitrogen, phosphate and potash.
(iii) The time and method of application.
(A2) How did the process of adding manure to the soil begin? (2)
(A3) Find out similar words from the passage. (2)
(i) necessary (ii) comprise
(iii) step by step (iv) ascertain
(A4)
(i) They supply extra amount of nutrients to the growing plants (Begin the sentence with ‘Extra amount of.......... ’.)(1)
(ii) It cements together the soil particles to form soil crumbs.
(Choose the correct option to name the tense.)(1)
(i) Simple present tense
(ii) Simple past tense
(iii) Simple future tense
(A5) ‘Agriculture plays important role in Indian economy’. Explain. (2)
(B) Read the passage given in Q. 4 (A) and write the summary of it. Suggest a suitable title to your summary. (5)
Read the following passage and do the activities.
The Delhi Metro is a metro system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Bahadurgarh, Ballabhgarh, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Noida in the National Capital Region of India. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited
(DMRC), a State-owned company with equal equity participation from the Government of India and the Government of Delhi, built and operates the Delhi
Metro. It is the second oldest metro in India after the Kolkata Metro.
The Delhi Metro is the largest and busiest metro in India, and the world’s 9th longest metro system in length and 16th largest in ridership. A member of CoMET, the network consists of eight colour-coded regular lines, with a total
length of 317 kilometres, serving 231 stations including 6 on Airport Express line and interchange stations. The system has a mix of underground, at-grade, and elevated stations using both broad-gauge and standard-gauge. DMRC operates over 2,700 trips daily. In the financial year 2016–17, the Delhi Metro had an average daily ridership of 2.76 million passengers and served 100 crore (1.0 billion) riders.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation was certified by the United Nations in 2011 as the first metro rail and rail-based system in the world to get “carbon credits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions” and helping in reducing pollution levels in the city by 630,000 tonnes every year. Planning for the metro started in 1984 when the Delhi Development Authority and the Urban Arts Commission came up with a proposal for developing a multi-modal transport system for the city. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was incorporated in May 1995, construction started in 1998, and the first section, on the Red Line, opened in 2002. The development of the network was divided into phases, Phase I containing 3 lines was completed by 2006, and Phase II in 2011. Phase III is scheduled to be mostly complete by 2018.
(A1) Name the following.
(a) The Government authority which built and operates the Delhi Metro -
(b) The first and the oldest Metro in India -
(c) The satellite cities nearby Delhi -
(d) The largest and busiest metro in India -
(A2) The salient features of Delhi Metro are -
(A3) Find out antonyms from the passage for the following.
(i) shortest ´ (ii) increasing ´
(iii) irregular ´ (iv) ended ´
(A4) The Delhi Metro is the largest and busiest metro in India.
(Complete the following sentences with the help of the given sentence.)
(i) No other metro................................
(ii) The Delhi Metro is larger.......................
(A5) “Transportation is the backbone of Indian economy’’ - Elaborate
(B) Read the passage given in Q. 4 (A) and write the summary of it. Suggest a suitable title to your summary.
Read the following extract and complete the note given below :
The small village of Somnathpur contains an extraordinary temple, built around 1268 A.D by the Hoyasalas of Karnataka - one of the most prolific temple builders. Belur and Helebid are among their better-known works. While these suffered during the invasion of the 14th century, the Somnathpur temple stands more or less intact in near-original condition. The small temple captivates with the beauty and vitality of its detailed sculpture, covering almost every inch of the walls, pillars and even ceilings. It has three Shikhars and stands on a star-shaped raised platform with 24 edges. The outer walls have a profusion of detailed carvings: the entire surface run over by carved plaques of stone: There were vertical panels covered by exquisite figures of God and Goddesses, with many incarnations being depicted. There were nymphs too some carrying an ear of maize, a symbol of plenty and prosperity. The elaborate ornamentation, very characteristic of Hoyasala sculptures was a remarkable feature. On closer look and it is worth it-the series of friezes on the outer walls revealed intricately carved caparisored elephants, charging horsemen, stylized flowers and warriors.
Somnathpur Temple
(1) Location : ___________
(2) Year : 1268 A.D.
(3) Built by : ___________
(4) Captivates with : ___________
(5) Structural features :
(i) Three Shikhars
(ii) Star-shaped platform with 24 edges
(iii) Outer wall carvings, ___________
charging horsemen, __________ and warriors.
(iv) Nymphs-symbol of ___________
Read the extract and do the activities that follow :
‘Your father was my enemy,’ said Frederick. ‘I would have been better pleased by your brave deed if you had told me of another father?’
‘I am proud to be Sir Rowland's son,’ answered Orlando angrily,’ and I would not change my place to be the heir of this dukedom.’
The Duke and his lords went away, leaving Orlando alone with Rosalind and Celia. Celia was angry with her father for speaking so unkindly to Orlando. ‘Would I have done this in my father’s place?’ she said to Rosalind.
‘My father loved Sir Rowland as much as his own soul,’ Rosalind said to Celia, ‘and all the world agreed with him. If I had known that his young man was Sir Rowland’s son I should have begged him with tears not to take so great a risk.’
‘Let us go and speak to Orlando,’ said gentle Celia. ‘I am ashamed of my father’s rude and angry words.’
The two girls went up to Orilando and praised him for his bravery. Rosalind took a gold chain from her neck and gave it to him. ‘I would like to give you more’, she said, ‘but I am not rich.’ Then she and Celia went away.
Orlando, however, could not forget them. He had already fallen in love with the fair Rosalind, but he could not stay at the Duke’s palace. His friends warned him that Frederick was angry and jealous of him. They told Orlando to leave the dukedom, because the Duke meant to do him harm.
A1. Match -
Match the characters and their attributes:
| A | B | ||
| i. | Celia | a. | fair |
| ii. | Orlando | b. | rude and unkind |
| iii. | Frederick | c. | gentle |
| iv. | Rosalind | d. | brave |
A2. Write an imaginary paragraph:
Write an imaginary paragraph in about 50 words in continuation with the given extract.
(A) Read the extract and do the activities that follows :
“Pluck the flowers off”, said the other boy and the daisy trembled for fear, for to be pulled off meant death
to it; and it wished so much to live, as it was to go with the square of turf into the poor captive lark’s cage.
“No, let it stay,” said the other boy, “it looks so pretty.” And so it stayed, and was brought into the lark’s cage. The poor bird was lamenting its lost liberty, and beating its wings against the wires; and the little daisy could not speak or utter a consoling word, much as it would liked to do so. So the forenoon passed. “I have no water,” said the captive lark, “they have all gone out and forgotten to give me anything to drink. My throat is dry and burning. I feel as if I had fire and ice within me and the air is so oppressive. Alas! I must die, and part with the warm sunshine, the fresh green meadows, and all the beauty that God has created.” And it thrust its beak into the piece of grass, to refresh itself a little. Then it noticed the little daisy, and nodded to it, and kissed it with its beak and said : “You must also fade in here, poor little flower. You and the piece of grass are all they have given me in exchange for the whole world, which I enjoyed outside. Each little blade of grass shall be a green tree for me, each of your white petals a fragrant flower. Alas! You only
remind me of what I have lost .
A1. True / False -
State whether the following statements are true or false :
(i) The boys had kept water in the cage for the lark.
(ii) The daisy had a desire to console the poor lark.
(iii) The lark was reminded of its lost liberty.
(iv) The daisy did not want to go into the lark’s cage.
A2. Write an imaginary ending :
Write an imaginary paragraph in about 50 words to give a different ending to the above extract.
Read the extract and do the activities that follow:
My mother was still managing Green's, even though its days were numbered. The day after my return I joined her in the small office, where she sat behind her over-large desk, telephone on her right and the latest paperback western before her, ready to be taken up when noting much was happening – which was fairly often. My mother enjoyed reading westerns-particularly Luke Short, Max Brand, and Clarence E Mulfordmuch in the same way that I enjoyed detective fiction. Both genres were freely available in cheap collins ‘White Circle’, edition published during and just after the War.
We discussed the affair of the skeleton in the cupboard, but as there was no longer any mystery about it, there was nothing for me to investigate. However, armed with the key to the store room, I went down to the basement on my own and made a thorough search of all the old furniture, on the offchance that another skeleton moght tumble out of a cupboard or be found jammed into a drawer or trunk. I did find some old tennis rackets, back numbers of Punch, a cracked china chamber-pot, some old postcards of Darjeeling and Simla, and a framed photograph of King Edward the Seventh. I took the copies of ‘Punch’ to my room and read the reviews of all the plays that had been running in London between 1926 and 1930, thus becoming an authority on the theatre in England of that period.
A1. True/False
State whether the following statements are true or false:
(i) The narrator found one skeleton jammed into a drawer
(ii) The narrator did not like to read detective fiction
(iii) The narrator's mother was managing the Green's hotel
(iv) The narrator wanted to be an authority on the English theatre of that period
A2. Write a gist :
Write a gist of the above given extract in about 50 words.
Read the following passage and do the given activities :
A1. Fill up the blanks with virtues of dogs : (2)
(1) __________
(2) __________
(3) __________
(4) __________
| Human and dogs are inseparable for thousands of years and they are dependent on each other for protection and survival. Relationship between humans and dogs is often characterized by strong emotional bonds which run both way. Dogs are very popular as pets and companions. Dog is the ‘Man’s Best Friend’ and a family member. The dog is one of the most loyal, faithful and devotee animal. In earlier days dogs were kept mainly for hunting and guarding; now they are kept for companionship, protection and showmanship. There are millions of people all over the world who are dog lovers Puppies need more attention at the, early age. As much as possible try many methods of socialization, such as playing with them, taking them for walk, expose them to crowds, make them to obey the orders etc. |
A2. Methods of socialization of puppies are : (2)
(1) …......................
(2) …......................
(3) …......................
(4) …......................
A3. Cross out the odd man : (2)
(i) Inseparable, dependent, protection, popular.
(ii) Hunting. guarding, playing, petting.
(iii) Earlier, human, relationship, family
(iv) Often, mainly, now, emotional
A4.
(1) There are millions of people all over the world. (1)
(Pick out the determiners and write them)
(2) Puppies need more attention. (1)
(Rewrite the sentence without changing its meaning beginning with : Puppies don’t ….....)
A5. Should we ban keeping pets ? Justify. (2)
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
But being named an 'AdarshGaon' is far from easy. Villages had to give a proposal after which a committee headed by Mr. Pawar inspected the villages. "The Villages had to show dedication in the struggle to fight mediocrity. They had to follow all the conditions of becoming an 'AdarshGaon'. We chose villages with a revolutionary spark, "Mr. Pawar says.
Villages need to follow strict rules. The process begins with effective water management through the watershed technique and water auditing. taking responsibility for the village's natural resources-planting trees and stopping grazing. contributing labour for the village work, and then expanding to bring about behavioral changes in the people for harboring social change. Hiware Bazaar is free of any kind of addiction and there are no liquor or tobacco shops in the village. Vasectomy has been made compulsory, as is the pre-marital HIV test.
The 'AdarshGaon' model prides itself on being based on the joint decisions made by the Gram Sabha, where all the villagers are present. Even while selecting the new villages under the scheme, Mr. Pawar made sure that the decision to become an ideal village was taken by the entire village together.
The greatest victory for Hiware Bazaar so far has been the reverse migration that the village has witnessed since 1989. As many as 93 families have come back to the village," from the slums in Mumbai and Pune," Mr. Pawar says.
Questions:
(1) What features of 'Adarsh Gaon' are given in this extract?
(2) What is the procedure for selecting 'Adarsh Gaon'?
(3) What is the greatest victory for Hiware Bazaar?
(4) Do you think all villages in Maharashtra should follow the ideals of Hiware Bazaar? why?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
i. Mr. Pawar inspected the villages.
(Rewrite it using the noun form of the word underlined.)
ii. Vasectomy has been made compulsory by the villagers.
(Rewrite it beginning with-"The villagers........".)
iii. There are no liquor or tobacco shops in the village.
(Rewrite it using 'neither......nor'.)
(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean:
(i) causing a great change
(ii) the quality of being average
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
To read a lot is essential. It is stupid not to venture outside the examination 'set books' or the textbooks you have chosen for intensive study. Read as many books in English as you can., not as a duty but for pleasure. Do not close the most difficult books you find, with the idea of listing and learning as many new words as possible. choose what is likely to interest you and be sure in advance, that it is not too hard. You should not have to be constantly looking up new words in the dictionary, for that deadens interest and checks real learning. Lookup a word here and there, but as a general policy try to push ahead. guessing what words mean from the context. It is extensive and not intensive reading that normally helps you to get interested in extra reading and thereby improve your English. You should enjoy the feeling which extensive reading gives. As you read, you will become more and more familiar with words and sentence patterns you already know, understanding them better and better as you meet them in more and more contexts, some of which may differ only slightly from others.
Some people say that we cannot learn to speak a language better with the help of a book. To believe that the spoken language and written language are quite different things. This is not so.
Questions:
(1) What does the author tell us about the importance of reading English?
(2) What different steps are suggested to improve reading?
(3) What do some people say about learning the spoken form of a language?
(4) What will you do to improve your English?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
i. To read a lot is essential.
(Rewrite using gerund form of the words underlined.)
ii. Some people say that we cannot learn to speak a language better with the help of a book.
(Rewrite it using 'be able to'.)
iii. It is extensive.
(Make it a Rhetorical question.)
(6) You should not have to be constantly looking up new words in the dictionary, for that deadens interest and checks real learning.
The underlined word here means:
(i) develops
(ii) deprives of
(iii) creates
(B) Write a summary of the above extract with the help of the outline given below and suggest a suitable title.
Read a lot --- outside the textbooks --- for pleasure --- avoid difficult books ---read interesting ones --- avoid dictionary --- guess meanings --- extensive and not intensive reading --- different opinions.
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below :
Reuben arrived at the factory. The sack buyer was about to lock up.
"Mister! Please don't close up yet." The man turned and saw Reuben, dirty and sweat-stained.
"Come back tomorrow, boy."
"Please, Mister. I have to sell the sacks now-please." The man heard a tremor in Reuben's voice and could tell he was close to tears.
"Why do you need this money so badly?"
"It's a secret."
The man took the sacks, reached into his pocket and put four nickels into Reuben's hand. Reuben murmured a quiet thank-you and ran home.
Then, clutching the tin can, he headed for the store.
"I have the money" he solemnly told the owner, pouring his coins onto the counter.
The man went to the window and retrieved Reuben's treasure. He wiped the dust off and gently wrapped it in brown paper. Then he placed the parcel in Reuben's hands.
Racing home, Reuben burst through the front door. His mother was scrubbing the kitchen range. "Here Mum!Here!" Reuben exclaimed as he ran to her side. He placed a small box in her work-roughened hand.
She unwrapped it carefully, to save the paper. A blue-velvet jewel box appeared. Dora lifted the did, tears beginning to blur her vision.
In gold tettering on a small, almond-shaped brooch was the word 'Mother'
It was Mother's Day, 1946
Dora had never received such a gift; she had no finery except her wedding ring. Speechless, she smiled radiantly and gathered her son into her arms.
(1) Why did Reuben insist on the sack buyer to buy his sacks that day only?
(2) How did the mother react when Reuben gave her the gift?
(3) In what way was Reuben's gift special to his mother?
(4) What do you plan to do on Mother's Day?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) I have to sell the sacks.
(Rewrite it replacing the underlined part with the modal auxiliary showing 'compulsion'.)
(ii) She smiled radiantly and gathered her son into her arms. (Use 'As soon as'.)
(iii) She unwrapped it carefully.
(Rewrite the sentences using the noun form of the underlined word.)
(6) Find out the words/phrases from the extract which mean:
(i) showing joy (ii) got back
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
Researchers recently announced the earth could actually withstand up to 200,000 times the current population. They arrived at this figure by calculating the amount of heat a human body emits, and only at 1.3 million billion would the earth be too hot to be habitable. And though it would feel like being in a can of sardines if that figure were ever reached, the earth is capable of comfortably sustaining a population several times the current 6.5 billion.
In fact, fertility is actually on the decline worldwide. Though the population has grown, the rate of growth has fallen sharply. Twenty years ago, the UN projected that the population would reach 11.16 billion in 2050, today they say it will reach only 9.3 billion. Moreover, the human population will stabilize at about 11.5 billion. While this figure is almost twice the current one, it is hardly claustrophobic.
True, the demands on resources are heavy even now, but this is more due to the manner in which these resources are being used. In fact, figures show that a bigger population does not amount to greater consumption. Over 20% of the world's people in the highest-income countries account for 86% of total private consumption expenditure - the poorest 20% a tiny 1.3%. With just 5% of the world's population, the US consumes about 40% of the world's resources. Would you say the US is overpopulated?
Concerns on the scarcity of food are equally baseless. In fact, global food production has actually kept up with population growth.
(1) What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
(2) What is the relationship between the population and the available resources?
(3) Why do the researchers claim that the earth is capable of sustaining a bigger population?
(4) What, according to you, are the problems caused by the increasing population?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) The earth would be too hot to be habitable. (Remove 'too'.)
(ii) Though the population has grown, the rate of growth has fallen sharply. (Rewrite it using 'but')
(iii) Moreover, the human population will stabilize at about 11.5 billion. (Make it 'less definite'.)
(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean :
(i) natural capacity to produce (ii) shortage
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on ecological processes, biodiversity, and cycles adapted to local conditions. Organic farmers ensure soil fertility with the help of crop rotation, compost, and other biologically-induced soil amendments. A healthy soil structure increases and insects and there is no need to depend on synthetic fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, plant growth regulators, livestock feed additives and genetically modified organisms, all of which are extremely harmful to the plants as well as human beings who consume them.
According to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements: "Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation, and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and good quality of life for all involved.... ." In India,
the Green Revolution, which was water-intensive and involved a heavy dose of chemical fertilizers, has not been a boon. Many farmers have seen the effects of chemical farming - soil erosion and loss of soil nutrients, loss of nutrition in food, and human diseases resulting from the chemicals that seep into the water table.
But organic farming is often hard for the farmers who have to invest considerable time, energy and resources to regenerate the soil and reestablish the delicate balance between soil, water, air, animals and plants. further, the lack of support on maintaining such a balance makes the products more expensive, putting the burden on consumers who choose to eat healthy.
(1) What does the first paragraph focus on?
(2) Why was the Green Revolution not a boon for Indian farmers?
(3) How is organic farming advantageous to farmers?
(4) What agricultural problems, according to you, do farmers face?
(5)
Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
(i) Organic farmers ensure soil fertility with the help of crop rotation.
(Rewrite the beginning of the sentences with 'Soil fertility'.)
(ii) A healthy soil structure increases its ability to hold water. (Frame a 'Wh-question' to get the underlined part as its answer.)
(iii) Chemical fertilizers are extremely harmful to the plants as well as human beings.
(Rewrite the sentence using 'not only..... but also'.)
(6)
Find out the words from the extract which mean:
(i) leak slowly (ii) substance added to improve something.
Read the first activity, read the extract and then do all the activities:
A1. Correct the following statements with the help of the facts from the extract :
(1) Everybody in every part of the globe would have access to administration and social care services because he or she would not be able to afford them.
(2) We would avoid boom and bust cycles and be able to surmount natural disaster with great ease.
|
To me, a world without poverty means that every person would have the ability to take care of his or her own basic life needs. In such a world, nobody would die of hunger or suffer from malnutrition. This is a goal world leaders have been calling for decades, but have never set out any way of achieving it. Today 40,000 children die each day around the world from hunger-related diseases. In a poverty-free world, no children would die of such causes. Everybody in every part of the globe would have access to education and health-care services because he or she would be able to afford them. Unlike today, the state would not be required to provide free or subsidized health-care or schooling. All state organizations created to provide free or subsidized services for the poor would no longer be required and welfare agencies, or the national welfare department. No free schools, no free hospital care, no begging in the streets. State-run safety-net programmers would have no rationale for existence because no one would live on charity anymore. State-run social security programmers, income-support programmes would be unnecessary. Social structures in a poverty-free world would, of course, be quite different from those that exist in a poverty-ridden world. But nobody would be at the mercy of anyone else, and that is what would make all the difference between a world without poverty and one riddled with it. Finally, a poverty-free world would be economically much Stronger and far more stable than the world today. one-fifth of the world's inhabitants who today live a life of extreme poverty would become income earners and income spenders. They would generate extra demand in the market to make the world economy grow. They would bring their creativity and innovations into the market-place to increase the world's productive capacity. Since nobody would ever become poor, except on a temporary and limited basis, the economy would probably not go through extreme swings. We would avoid boom-and-bust cycles and be able to surmount man-made disasters with greater ease. |
A2.
Complete the following statement :
The situation in the world without poverty would be different, because -
(1) the state need not ___________
(2) nobody __________
A3. Find out :
Find and write in the blank boxes :
One-fifth of the world's inhabitants today live a life of extreme poverty. How would they economically Stand in a poverty-free world?
| They would be income earners and income spenders |
A4. Vocabulary :
Find out the words from the extract that mean the following :
(1) calamity (2) overcome
(3) bringing new ideas (4) financially
A5. Personal Response :
Suggest at least four solutions to overcome the problems of increasing poverty.
A6. Grammar :
Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(1) Nobody would die of hunger or suffer from malnutrition.
(Remove the negative and rewrite.)
(2) Everybody in every part of the globe would have accessed education and health-care services.
(Rewrite the above sentences beginning with 'Education'.)
A Read the first activity, read the extract and then do all the activities :
A1. Complete :
Complete the following sentences :
(1) The two organizations that conducted the research to develop a smartphone-based optical bio-sensor are _______ and __________ .
(2) The _________ and _________ methods were used in the research instead of the differential method.
|
Urea is a major product of nitrogen metabolism in humans. It is eliminated from the body mainly by the kidneys through urine. Urea levels in body fluids, such as blood and saliva, rise drastically under certain kidney dysfunctions. Heart failure, hypovolemic shock, gastrointestinal bleeding, and severe infections can also lead to a rise. Thus urea in blood and saliva provides key information on renal function and helps diagnose various disorders. Most methods for estimating urea in body fluids are based on colorimetry. These methods are time-consuming and involve painful blood extraction. Collecting saliva is non-evasive and research has correlated salivary and blood urea levels. Recently scientists from the IIT-D and the AIIMS, New Delhi successfully developed a smartphone-based optical biosensor to detect urea in saliva. To fabricate the sensor, they directly immobilised the urease enzyme with a pH indicator on a filter paper-based strip. As a response to the urea on saliva, the paper strip changes colour. The red, green and blue levels help measure urea concentration. The scientists used the slope method, sensor response change per unit time, instead of the differential method, the difference in sensor response between two-time intervals, to increase sensitivity and eliminate interference by variations in ambient light. The team clinically validated spiked saliva samples and samples from healthy volunteers. The smartphone application with paper strip can even be operated by non-professional with limited training. This saves time and cost spent on bulky spectroscopic procedures. The report can revolutionise the medical screening of large populations. And such mass screening of diseases would boost national health. |
A2. Complete the following sentence using the correct alternatives from those given below :
Two objectives to conduct the research are ___________ .
(i) The colorimetry method used to estimate urea in body fluids consumes more time.
(ii) Information obtained from the presence of urea in blood and saliva is not helpful to diagnose various diseases.
(iii) Collecting samples of saliva is a non-invasive procedure.
(iv) Blood extraction is the easiest and less painful exercise.
A3. Write two benefits of the smartphone-based optical biosensor.
A4. Find out similar-meaning words from the extract for the following words :
(1) specimen (2) extremely (3) focus (4) remove
A5. Personal Response :
'Research revolutionises the lifestyle of people in all spheres of life'-
Do you agree? Explain with an example in about 25 words.
A6. Grammar :
Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(1) These methods are time consuming and painful.
(Rewrite the sentence using 'as well as'.)
(2) The smartphone application with paper-strip can be operated.
(Begin the sentence with 'They ___ .)
(B) Summerise the above extract with the help of the points given and suggest a suitable title::
Research by the organisations - methods adopted - reasons for the research - advantages.
Read the extract and do the activities that follow :
When Rosalind heard about Orlando's wound and saw the handkerchief stained with his blood, she also fainted; and later she told Oliver that she was really Rosalind, and loved Orlando dearly. Oliver had already fallen in love with gentle Celia, and he persuaded the two girls to accompany him to Duke Senior's court. Rosalind, however, wanted to play one more trick as Ganymede, so she made Oliver promise not to tell anyone that the young shepherd boy and his sister Aliena were really Rosalind and Celia.
And so Aliena and Ganymede were introduced to the old Duke, and he did not recognize his daughter, although he remarked on Ganymede's likeness to Rosalind.
Then the "shepherd boy" told Orlando and the Duke that he could find Rosalind and would bring her to them, making the Duke promise that he would allow his daughter to marry Orlando. she and Celia ran quickly to the shepherd's cottage, changed into their own clothes and removed the brown stains from their faces. Then they returned to the Duke, where they were welcomed with great rejoicing.
'To you, I give myself, for I am yours,' Rosalind said to the Duke, her father. Then she turned to Orlando and said: 'To you, I give myself, for I am yours.'
Rosalind and Orlando were married at once in the forest and on the same day Oliver who was no longer selfish and wicked, married Celia. Just as they were going to be married, a messenger came to ask Duke Senior to go back to his dukedom. Celia's father, Duke Frederick, had mended his wicked ways and asked his brother to return.
A1. True/False :
Choose the true statements from those given below and write them down :
(i) Rosalind played the role of a shepherd boy Ganymede.
(ii) Senior Duke recognised his daughter, Celia.
(iii) Oliver married Rosalind.
(iv) Duke Frederick had mended his wicked ways.
A2. Convert into a dialogue :
Convert the above extract into a dialogue form.
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below :
But being named an 'AdarshGaon · is far from easy. Villages had to give a proposal after Which a committee headed by Mr. Pawar inspected the villages. "The villages had to show dedication in the struggle to fight mediocrity. They had to follow all the conditions of becoming an 'AdarshGaon '. We chose villages with a revolutionary spark." Mr. Pawar says.
Villages need to follow strict rules. The process begins with effective water managc1nent through the watershed technique and Water auditing. taking responsibility for the village's natural resources -phmting trees and stopping grazing, contributing labour for the village Work, and then expanding to bring about behavioral changes in the people for harbouring social change. Hiware Bazaar is free of any kind of addiction and there are no liquor or tobacco shops in the village. Vasectomy has been made co1npulsory. as is the pre-marital HIV test.
The 'AdarshGaon · n1odcl prides itself of being based on the joint decisions made by the (Gram Sabha, Where all the villagers are present. Even while selecting the new villages under the scheme, Mr. Pawar made sure that the decision to become an ideal village was taken by the entire village together.
The greatest victory for Hiware Bazaar so far has been the reverse migration that the village has witnessed since 1989. As many as 93 families have come back to the village, "from the slums in Mumbai and Pune." Mr. Pawar says.
(1) What features of 'AdarshGaon' are given in this extract?
(2) What is the procedure for selecting 'AdarshGaon'?
(3) What is the greatest victory for Hiware Bazaar?
(4) Do you think all villages in Maharashtra should follow the ideals of Hiware Bazaar? Why?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the Ways instructed :
(i) Mr. Pawar inspected the villages.
(Rewrite it using the noun form of the word underlined.)
(ii) Vasectomy has been made compulsory by the villagers.
(Rewrite it beginning with -"The villagers ........ ".)
(iii) There are no liquor or tobacco shops in the village.
(Rewrite it using 'neither ........ nor'.)
(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean :
(i) causing a great change
(ii) the quality of being average
Read the passage given below :
Success
Everybody wants to succeed in life. For some, success means achieving whatever they desire or dream. For many, it is the name, fame, and social position. Whatever be the meaning of success, it is a success that makes a man popular.
All great men have been successful. They are remembered for their great achievements. But it is certain that success comes to those who are sincere, hardworking, loyal, and committed to their goals.
Success has been man's greatest motivation. It is very important for all. Success has a great effect on life. It brings pleasure and pride. It gives a sense of fulfillment. It means all-around development. Everybody hopes to be successful in life. But success smiles on those who have a proper approach, planning, vision, and stamina. A proper and timely application of all these things is bound to bear fruit. One cannot be successful without cultivating these certain basic things in life. It is very difficult to set out on a journey without knowing one's goals and purposes. The clarity of the objective is a must to succeed in life. A focused approach with proper planning is certain to bring success. Indecision and insincerity are big obstacles on the path to success.
One should have the capability, capacity, and resources to turn one's dreams into reality. Mere desire cannot bring you success. The desire should be weighed against factors like capability and resources. This is the basic requirement of success. The next important thing is the eagerness, seriousness, and the urge to be successful. It is the driving force that decides success. It is the first step on the ladder of success.
One needs to pursue one's goals with all one's sincerity and passion. One should always be in high spirits. Lack of such spirit leads to an inferiority complex which is a big obstruction on the path to success. Time is also a deciding factor. Only the punctual and committed have succeeded in life. The lives of great men are examples of this. They had all these qualities in plenty which helped them rise to the peak of success.
Hard labor is one of the basic requirements of success. There is no substitute for hard labor. It alone can take one to the peak of success. Every success has a ratio of five percent inspiration and ninety-five percent perspiration. It is patience, persistence, and perseverance which play a decisive role in achieving success. Failures are the pillars of success as they are our stepping-stones and we must get up and start again and be motivated.
2.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words each:
(a) To whom does success come certainly?
(b) What are the basic things in life we need to achieve success?
(c) What did great men have in plenty to rise to the peak of success? Give any two examples
(d) What is the one basic requirement of success?
(e) Explain: "Failures are pillars of success."
2.2 On the basis of your reading of the passage, fill in any two of the following blanks with appropriate words/phrase :
(a) ________________ plays a decisive role in achieving success.
(b) Goals have to be pursued with ________________ and ________________
(c) Ratio of success is ________________ inspiration.
2.3 Find out the words from the passage that mean the same as the following :
(a) endurance (para 2)
(b) obstruction (para 4)
(c) motivation (para 5)
Read the following passage carefully.
1. Few guessed that this quiet, parentless girl growing up in New York City would one day become the First Lady of the United States. Even fewer thought she would become an author and lecturer and a woman much admired and loved by people throughout the world.
2. Born Anna Eleanor Roosevelt in 1884 to wealthy, but troubled parents who both died while she was young, Roosevelt was cared for by her grandmother and sent to school in England. In 1905, she married her distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She and her husband had six children. Although they were wealthy, her life was not easy and she suffered several personal tragedies. Her second son died when he was a baby. In 1921, her strong athletic husband was stricken with polio, which left him physically disabled for life.
3. Eleanor Roosevelt was a remarkable woman who had great intelligence and tremendous strength of character. She never let things get her down. She nursed her husband back to good health and encouraged him to remain in politics. She then helped him to become Governor of New York, and in 1933, President of the United States.
4. While her husband was President, she took a great interest in all the affairs of the country. She became her husband's legs and eyes; she visited prisons and hospitals; she went down into mines, up scaffoldings, and into factories. Roosevelt was tireless and daring. During the depression, she travelled all over the country bringing goodwill, reassurance, and help to people without food and jobs. During World War II she visited American soldiers in camps all over the world. The United States had never known a First Lady like her.
5. Roosevelt also kept in touch with the American people through a daily newspaper column called 'My Day'. She broadcast on the radio and delivered lectures, all first for a First Lady.
1.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage answer the following questions: (any eight)
(a) How was Eleanor Roosevelt's personality in contrast to what she became?
(b) Apart from being the First Lady what else did she have to her credit?
(c) What challenges did she face in her personal life but remained unfazed?
(d) Eleanor was a strong woman who helped her husband become the President of America. How?
(e) What does the statement: 'she became her husband's legs and eyes' mean?
(f) What was her special contribution during the depression?
(g) How did she motivate soldiers during World War II?
(h) What did she do for the first time for a First Lady?
(i) What side of her personality is reflected in this passage?
Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow.
1. Overpowering prey is a challenge for creatures that do not have limbs. Some species like Russell's viper inject poison. Some others opt for an alternative non-chemical method – rat snakes, for instance, catch and push their prey against the ground, while pythons use their muscle power to crush their prey to death. But snakes can't be neatly divided into poisonous and non-poisonous categories.
2. Even species listed as non-poisonous aren't completely free of poison. The common Sand Boa, for instance, produces secretions particularly poisonous to birds. So the species doesn't take any chance – it crushes its prey) and injects poison as an extra step.
3. Do vipers need poison powerful enough to kill hundreds of rats with just one drop? After all, they eat only one or two at a time.
4. While hunting animals try their worst to kill most efficiently, their prey uses any trick to avoid becoming a meal, such as developing immunity to poison.) For instance, Californian ground squirrels are resistant to Northern Pacific rattlesnake poison.
5. Competition with prey is not the only thing driving snakes to evolve more and more deadly poison. Snakes also struggle to avoid becoming prey themselves.
6. Some snake killers have partial immunity to poison. Famously, mongooses are highly resistant to cobra poison, and with their speed and agility, kill snakes fearlessly. It would be the death of cobras as a species if they didn't evolve a more deadly poison to stop mongooses.
7. Poison has another important role. It's an extreme meat softener, specific enzymes break up the insides of the prey. Normally, a reptile depends on the sun's warm rays to aid digestion.
8. But I wonder if we cannot use venom in our favour. In remote parts of India, local hospitality often involves leather tough meat. I chew and chew until my jaws ache. If I spit it out or refuse, our hosts would be offended, I swallow like a python stuffing a deer down its throat and hope I don't choke. If only I had poison.
(b) How does Sand Boa kill its prey?
(c) There is a constant tussle between the hunting animal and its prey? Why?
(e) What difficulty does the writer face when he is entertained in the remote parts of India?
2.2 On the basis of your reading of the above passage fill in any two of the following blanks.
b. humans
c. a python
d. prey
b. hardens
c. softens
d. breaks down
iii. Californian squirrels are ______________ rattlesnake poison.
a. afraid of
b. helpless against
c. resistant to
d. indifferent to
a. Liquid substances released from glands (para 2)
c. Particular (para 7)
Read of the following passage and answer the questions:
When I casually mentioned this to a friend, he casually replied that I had better get one in the Tigris marshes, for there they were as common as mosquitoes, and were often tamed by the Arabs. We were going to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect and answer our mail from Europe. At the Consulate-General we found that my friend's mail had arrived but that mine had not.
Questions :
(a) What was 'they'?
(b) Where could the author get 'one'?
(c) Find the exact word from the extract which means 'domesticated.'
(d) What did the author find at the Consulate-General?
Read the passage given below:
During our growing up years we as children were taught both at home and school-to worship the photos and idols of the gods of our respective religions. When we grow a little older, we were to read holy books like The Bhagwad Gita, Bible, and Quran; we were told that there are a lot of life lessons to be learned from these holy books. We were then introduced to stories from our mythologies which taught us about ethics and morality-what is good and what is bad I also learned to be respectful towards my parents who made my life comfortable with their hard work and love and care, and my teachers who guided me to become a good student and a responsible citizen.
Much later in life, I realised that though we learn much from our respective holy books, there is a lot to learn from our surroundings. This realization dawned upon me when I learned to enquire and explore. Everything around us- the sun, the moon, the stars, rain, rivers, stones, rocks, birds, plants, and animals-teach us many valuable life lessons.
No wonder that besides the scriptures in many cultures nature is also worshipped. The message that we get is to save our environment and maintain ecological balance. People are taught to live in harmony with nature and recognize that there is God in all aspects of nature.
Nature is a great teacher. A river never stops flowing. If it finds an obstacle in its way in the form of heavy rock, the river water fights to remove it from its path or finds an alternative path to move ahead. This teaches us to be progressive in life, and keep the fighting spirit alive.
Snakes are worshipped as they eat insects in the field that can hurt our crops, thus protecting the grains for us. In fact, whatever we worship is our helper and makes our lives easy for us. There are many such examples in nature, but we are not ready to learn a lesson, Overcome with greed, we are destroying nature. As a result, we face natural disasters like drought, floods, and landslides. We don't know that nature is angry with us.
However, it is never too late to learn. If we learn to respect nature the quality of our life will improve.
2.1 Answer briefly the following questions:
(a) What are we taught in our childhood and growing up years?
(b) Why should we respect our parents and teachers?
(c) What message do we get when we worship nature?
(d) How does a river face an obstacle that comes in its way?
2.2 Choose meanings of the words given below with the help of options that follow:
(e) guided
(i) answered
(ii) advised
(iii) fought
(iv) polished
(f) explore
(i) search
(ii) frequent
(iii) describe
(iv) request
(g) valuable
(i) proper
(ii) desirable
(iii) available
(iv) useful
(ii) friendship
(iii) discomfort
(iv) honesty
Read the following passage and do the activities.
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November 4, 1851. Dear Brother John Honston, When I came to Charleston day before yesterday, I learned that you were anxious to sell the land where you live, and move to Missouri. I have been thinking of this ever since, and cannot but say such an idea is quite foolish. What can you do in Missouri better than here? Is the land any richer? Can you, there, any more than here, raise com and wheat without work? Will anybody there, any more than here, do your work for you? If you intend to go to work, there is no better place than right where you are; if you do not intend to work, you cannot get along anywhere. Crawling about from place to place can do you no good. You have raised no crop this year. What you really want is to sell the land, get the money and spend it. Part with the land you have and my life upon it-never after will you own a spot big enough to bury you. Half of what you will get for the land, you will spend in moving to Missouri, and the other hall you will eat, drink, wear out and no foot of land will be brought. Now I feel it my duty to have no hand in such a piece of foolery. Now do not misunderstand this letter. I do not write it in any unkindness. I write it in order, if possible, to get you to face the truth which truth is, you are poor and needy because you have idled away your time. Your thousand excuses for not getting along better are all nonsense. They deceive nobody but yourself. To go to work is the only cure for your case. Affectionately, |
A1. Answer the following whether True or False:
- Writer came to Charleston
- Writer is Abraham Lincoln
- Letter is for sister Honston
- No crop was raised
A2. How, according to Lincoln, would his brother spend the money coming from selling the land?
A3.
- Find out two words with prefix from the passage.
- Write two different words on your own by using the same prefix.
A4. Do as directed:
- Rewrite the sentence using 'Not only .......... but also'.
She forgot to wish me on my birthday and did not even apologize. - Change the voice:
The workers built the dome.
A5. Lincoln wishes to have no hand in selling the land Justify.
Read the following passage and do the activities.
A1. Fill in the blanks.
- ______ is the effect of excessive humour.
- ______ and ______ are the qualities of a humorous person.
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You are endowed with certain naughtiness as a child. Keep it alive. Humour will lighten all tough situations. One who has humour can sail through any conflict. Humour is buffer that saves you from humiliation. Humour brings everyone together, while humiliation tears them apart. In a society tom with humiliation and inSult, humour is like a breath of fresh air. Humour should be coupled with care and concern. Humour can keep the spirit high, yet if overdone, it leaves a bad taste. Humour without wisdom is shallow. Humour without sensitivity is satire-it comes back to you with more problems. The wise use humour to bring wisdom and to lighten situations. The intelligent use humour as a sword to insult others. The irresponsible use humour to escape from responsibility. And fools take humour too seriously! How does one cultivate a sense of humour? Humour is not just words, it is the lightness of your being. You do not have to read and repeat jokes. Humour can be cultivated by taking life not too seriously (because you will never come out of it alive), having a sense of belonging with everybody, including those who are not friendly, practising Yoga and meditation, having unshakable faith in the Divine and in the laws of Karma, being in the company of those who live in knowledge and have a sense of humour. |
A2. How does humour help in building harmony in society?
A3. State the meaning of the following:
- Satire
- To be shallow
A4. Add a question tag to the following sentences.
- You are endowed with certain naughtiness as a child.
- Humour can be cultivated by taking life not too seriously.
A5. How do you think can humour help you to develop a better personality?
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
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1. The Higgs boson has been called, or miscalled, the God particle, enabling it to pass into the realm of popular scientific lore, like the discovery of the smallpox vaccine, the structure of DNA, or the theory of relativity. It would be difficult for most people to understand its significance, just as it would be to comprehend the notion of relativity, but such problems are overcome by locating science in personalities as well as cultural and national traditions. The first thing that you and I know about the Higgs boson is that it’s named after Peter Higgs, a physicist at Edinburgh University who made the discovery - although the original insight, in one of those recurrent back stories of science, was Philip Anderson’s. 2. Still, we have Higgs, and Edinburgh, and western civilisation to fall back on. The rest - “the Higgs boson is a hypothetical elementary particle predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics. It belongs to a class of particles known as bosons ...” - we needn’t worry too much about. But maybe we should worry just enough to ask, “What is a boson?” since the word tends to come up as soon as Higgs does. Is it, an ignoramus such myself would ask, akin to an atom or a molecule? It is, in fact, along with the fermion (named after Enrico Fermi), one of the two fundamental classes of subatomic particles. 3. From Bose The word must surely have some European genealogy. In fact, “boson” is derived from Satyendra Nath Bose, an Indian physicist from Kolkata who, in 1924, realised that the statistical method used to analyse most 19th-century work on the thermal behaviour of gases was inadequate. He first sent off a paper on quantum statistics to a British journal, which turned it down. He then sent it to Albert Einstein, who immediately grasped its immense importance, and published it in a German journal. Bose’s innovation came to be known as the Bose-Einstein statistics and became a basis of quantum mechanics. Einstein saw that it had profound implications for physics; that it had opened the way for this subatomic particle, which he named, after his Indian collaborator, “boson.” Still, science and the West are largely synonymous and coeval: they are words that have the same far-reaching meaning. Just as Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec’s paintings digest the Japanese prints they were responding to so we don’t need to be aware of Japanese prints when viewing the post-impressionists, western science is pristine, and bears no mark of what’s outside itself. 4. Other Indian contributions The last Indian scientific discovery that is universally acknowledged is zero. Indians are very strong at maths, and the only modern Indian who’s remotely part of the western mythology of science is Srinivasa Ramanujan, equally well known for his Hindu idiosyncrasies and his agonised stay in Cambridge as he is for his mathematical genius. 5. Indians can be excellent geeks, as demonstrated by the tongue-tied astrophysicist Raj Koothrappalli in the U.S. sitcom Big Bang Theory; but the Nobel prize can only be aspired to by Sheldon Cooper, the super-geek and genius in the series, for whom Raj’s country of origin is a diverting enigma, and miles away from the popular myth of science on which Big Bang Theory is dependent. Bose didn’t get the Nobel Prize; nor did his contemporary and namesake, J.C. Bose, whose contribution to the fashioning of wireless predates Marconi’s. The only Indian scientist to get a Nobel Prize is the physicist C.V. Raman, for his work on a light at Kolkata University. Other Indians have had to become Americans to get the award. 6. Conditions have always been inimical to science in India, from colonial times to the present day; and despite that, its contributions have occasionally been huge. Yet non-western science (an ugly label engendered by the exclusive nature of western popular imagination) is yet to find its Rosalind Franklin, its symbol of paradoxical success. Unlike Franklin, however, scientists were never in a race that they lost; they simply came from another planet. |
Based on your reading of the passage, answer twelve out of fifteen questions that follow:
(a) What is the first thing which the narrator knows about Higgs Boson?
(b) What is Bose-Einstein statistics?
(c) How does Sheldon view Raj’s country of origin?
(d) What do Van Gogh’s paintings do to Japanese prints?
(e) Has India always got credit for its merit?
(f) What do Higgs Boson have in common with Smallpox vaccine?
- Both are used in medical radiography.
- Both are part of scientific myth and legends now.
- Both were met with scepticism on their discovery.
- Both fetched their teams a Nobel prize.
(g) Which statement is not true about Boson?
- They were not discovered by Enrico Fermi.
- They constitute one class of subatomic particle.
- It is named after an Indian Physicist.
- It was discovered by Satyendra Nath Bose.
(h) Choose the word which is an apt synonym of the word Ignoramus. (used in para 2)
- Idiot
- Intelligent
- Idealist
- Ingenious
(i) How are esoteric scientific concepts made understandable for people?
- By printing short introductory courses.
- By comparing it with other scientific discoveries.
- By locating science in personalities, social and cultural traditions. iv. By revising the country’s educational structure.
(j) Based on the reading of the passage, which statements are correct about Higgs Boson.
- They are called God’s particle.
- Philip Anderson’s study provided the original insight.
- This concept is easily understood by common people.
- A physicist from Edinburgh University made the discovery.
- It was discovered by Albert Einstein.
- 1, 2 & 3
- 2, 3 & 5
- 1, 4 & 5
- 1, 2 & 4
(k) Which field of Physics was SN Bose working on?
- Quantum Mechanics
- Electromagnetism
- Geophysics
- Acoustic
(l) Which scientist/mathematician out of the following won the Nobel prize?
- J C Bose
- C V Raman
- Srinivasa Ramanujan
- S N Bose
(m) What is Srinivasa Ramanujan known for in popular culture?
- Mathematical genius.
- For formulation of game theory.
- Hindu Idiosyncrasies.
- Troubled stay in Cambridge.
- For devising another explanation for chaos theory.
- 1, 2 & 3
- 1, 3 & 5
- 1, 3 & 4
- 1, 4 & 5
(n) The conclusion of third paragraph highlights that ______.
- Western art grants recognition to all its inspirations.
- Van Gogh painted Japanese prints.
- Western art subsumes all the influences under it.
- Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec are post-impressionist painters.
(o) Why did JC Bose deserve a Nobel?
- He was an Indian physicist.
- He was the only one researching on wireless.
- His research & findings on wireless started before Marconi.
- He acquired American citizenship.
Based on the careful reading of the passage given below, answer any four out of five questions that follow:
|
Climate change and global warming are the biggest threats of the present time and how the world manages to control pollution will define our future. Rising industrialization, urbanization, deforestation etc., are endangering the natural ecosystem. Since 1880, the earth’s temperature has been rising at a rate of 0.14° F (0.08° C) per decade and the rate of increase has doubled since 1981 at 0.32° F (0.18° C) per decade. The 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2015, with 2020 recorded as the second-warmest year as per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). With growing economies, global carbon measurements have been rapidly rising for the last 15 years. As per recent data, in January 2022, carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement stood at 418 parts per million, up around 11% from 378 parts per million recorded since 2007. |
(a) What is the key to defining our future?
- The means employed to control pollution.
- The means employed to control resources.
- The means employed to control state policies.
- The means employed to educate masses.
(b) Which of the following elements are not responsible for endangering natural ecosystem?
- Deforestation
- Inflation
- Industrialization
- Urbanization
(c) According to the passage, economy, and carbon emissions have been ______ to each other for last 15 years.
- Inversely proportionate
- Directly proportionate
- Not related
- Disproportionate
(d) Name the institution responsible for observing and recording earth’s temperature over the years.
- National Organic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- North Organic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Offshore and Atmospheric Administration
(e) Carbon dioxide measurement stood at ______ parts per million in 2007.
- 387
- 378
- 481
- 418
Read the following passage and do the given activities:
A1. Match the columns A with B correctly: (2)
| A | B |
| (i) Rocket programming | (a) IIT (Bombay) |
| (ii) Graduation | (b) ISRO |
| (iii) Masters in Engineering | (c) S. T. Hindu College |
| (iv) Ph.D | (d) IISC |
|
The humble son of a farmer from Sarakkalvilai village in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district, Dr. K. Sivan as Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chairman was leading the Chandrayaan-2 mission to the moon. Sivan studied in a Tamil medium government school. After graduating from S.T. Hindu College in Nagercoil, Sivan completed a Master's in Engineering from IISC in 1982. In 2006, he received Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Bombay. Sivan is the first graduate in his family. His brother and two sisters were unable to complete higher education due to their poverty. "When I was in college, I used to help my father in the field. That was the reason he got me admitted to a college near our house." Sivan told TOI, "Only when I had completed my B.Sc. (Mathematics) with 100% marks his mind changed." Sivan said he had spent his childhood days without a shoe or sandal. I continued wearing a vesti (dhoti) till college. I wore pants for the first time when I entered MIT." He joined ISRO in 1982 and worked on almost all rocket programmes. Before taking charge as an ISRO chairman in January 2018, he was the director, of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) which develops rockets. He is known as ISRO's 'Rocket Man'. |
A2. Answer the following questions in a few words. (One or two words) (2)
- What is Dr. Sivan known as?
- In which subject Dr. Sivan scored 100% marks in B.Sc.?
- When did Dr. Sivan join ISRO?
- In which space centre Dr. Sivan was the director?
A3. Match the word connectors from the passage and use one of the connectors in your own sentence: (2)
| A | B |
| (i) Tamil | (a) School |
| (ii) Government | (b) Medium |
| (c) Centre |
A4. Do as directed: (2)
- Sivan is the first graduate in his family. (Rewrite as a negative sentence)
- His brother and two sister were unable to complete higher education due to their poverty.
(Rewrite the above sentence using 'neither ____nor')
A5. Personal Response: (2)
What inspiration can we draw from Dr. Sivan's success?
Read the following extract and complete the activities given below:
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The government of India is encouraging medical tourism in the country by offering tax benefits and export incentives to the participating hospitals. Medical visas are being cleared quickly without any hassles. With a view to facilitating the growth of medical tourism industry, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare along with the Ministry of Tourism has set up a task force to evaluate the opportunities in the industry. Efforts are being made to standardise procedures and to guide foreign patients to select the hospitals most suited to their needs. Meanwhile, several private hospitals are seeking to take advantage of the booming medical tourism industry and are investing hugely in acquiring equipments and skills. However, medical tourism carries some risks that locally provided medical care does not. Some countries like India, Malaysia and Thailand have very different infectious diseases rarely found in Europe and North America. Exposure to disease without having built-up natural immunity can be a hazard for weak individuals specially with respect to gastrointestinal diseases like Hepatitis A, amoebic dysentery etc., which could slow down the recovery process. Also, medical tourists may be at risk from mosquito-transmitted diseases, influenza and tuberculosis. The quality of post-operative care can also vary dramatically depending on the hospital and the country. Finally, after returning home, a patient has limited contact with their surgeon. This may make it difficult to deal with any complications that may arise later, such as a delayed infection. The concept of medical tourism raises some important questions regarding accessibility, affordability and ethics in medical care. It is unfortunate that a large section of the Indian population has little or no access to private health care. Public health care system is inadequate and lacks proper infrastructure and facilities. One wonders if it is sensible to make provisions for medical tourism in a democratic country like India, which has failed to provide nourishment, sanitation and health care to its masses. |
A1. Complete the web: (2)
A2. Complete the following statements with the help of information provided in the extract: (2)
- Building up natural immunity is must for all because ______.
- The concept of medical tourism can not be much successful in India because _______.
A3. Complete the following table with reference to the statement ‘Medical Tourism is a mixed blessing’: (2)
| Positive aspects of Medical Tourism | Hazard/Nagative aspects of Medical Tourism |
||
| 1. | 1. | ||
| 2. | 2. | ||
A4. ‘We need to promote the concept of Wildlife Tourism in India’. State whether you agree or disagree with the statement. Mention any two arguments. (2)
A5. Language study: (2)
(i) ‘Govt. of India is encouraging medical tourism in the country’. ...(Choose the correct present perfect form of the given statement.)
- Govt. of India is encouraged medical tourism in the country.
- Govt. of India had encouraged medical tourism in the country.
- Govt. of India has been encouraged medical tourism in the country.
- Govt. of India has encouraged medical tourism in the country.
(ii) ‘This may make it difficult to deal with any complication’. ...(Identify the replaced version of the statement using the auxiliary of certainty or definiteness.)
- This can make it difficult to deal with any complication.
- This might make it difficult to deal with any complication.
- This will make it difficult to deal with any complication.
- This have made it difficult to deal with any complication.
A6. Identify the words from the passage with the following meaning: (2)
- growing immensely
- threat
- obtaining
- able to approach/possible to approach
Read the following text.
| (1) | As a high school student, studying poetry can be a rollercoaster ride. This journey is punctuated by moments of profound appreciation for simpler pieces and intermittent frustration with more complex works. Let's be real here -some poems are just plain confusing and no amount of re-reading seems to help decipher the intended meaning. The puzzlement that results from such instances can be both vexing and demotivating. If solving a riddle is what was intended, then playing Sudoku is a better option. One is led to ponder if obscurity was the goal. |
| (2) | Conversely, some pieces resonate with the reader's soul. Stirring feelings of warmth, happiness, and connection to the world. Often, these compositions centre on themes that are universally understood, such as love, nature, or faith. Being able to actually understand what the poet is trying to say can feel like a little victory and is a welcome relief after grappling with more perplexing poetry. |
| (3) | Then there are poems that are emotionally charged; the ones that make the reader curl up in a ball and cry or jump up and down with joy. One is left in awe of the poet's ability to convey emotion through words. Let’s not forget the downright weird poems. These are the ones that defy categorization and leave the reader to their own devices in attempting to interpret meaning. The author's use of figurative language and unconventional imagery can create a sense of bewilderment that is either intriguing or off-putting. Regardless, the reader can appreciate the uniqueness of the work. |
| (4) | Despite the wide range of emotions and reactions that come with studying poetry, it can be a rewarding pursuit. Not only does reading poetry allow one to appreciate the artistic beauty of the written word but also enables one to develop crucial critical thinking and analytical skills. The process of unlocking a poem's meaning can feel like cracking a code or solving a puzzle but the sense of accomplishment derived from mastering a challenging piece can be deeply gratifying. Finally, impressing an English teacher with a well-analysed poem can be a source of pride and validation. |
| (5) | Overall, studying poetry is like a box of mixed chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. But whether it's complex, emotional, simple, or just downright weird, there's always something to be gained from the experience. So, let's applaud all the poets out there, for making us laugh, cry, scratch our heads, and occasionally feel like a genius. |
Answer the following questions based on the passage above.
i. Which of the following statements best describes the author's attitude towards studying poetry? (1)
-
- Finds poetry to be a frustrating and meaningless endeavor.
- Believes that the emotional rollercoaster of studying poetry is not worth the effort.
- Recognizes the challenges of studying poetry but also acknowledges the rewards it offers.
- Feels that poetry is too obscure and abstract for the average person to appreciate.
ii. What is the tone of the writer in the given lines from paragraph (1)? Rationalise your response in about 40 words. (2)
If solving a riddle is what was intended, then playing Sudoku is a better option. One is led to ponder if obscurity was the goal.
iii. Complete the sentence appropriately. (1)
The author's use of vivid imagery in the paragraph (3), such as "curl up in a ball and cry" and "jump up and down with joy", greatly affects the reader because ______.
iv. The passage includes some words that are opposites of each other. From the sets (a) - (e) below, identify two sets of antonyms: (1)
| (a) intriguing and off-putting | (b) deciphering and interpreting |
| (c) appreciate and applaud | (d) simple and challenging |
| (e) emotions and feelings | |
v. Complete the sentence appropriately. (1)
We can say that the author's tone becomes more neutral and objective when discussing weird poems, compared to other types of poetry because ______.
vi. Based on the reading of the passage, examine, in about 40 words, how studying poetry can be like exploring a new city. (2)
vii. What is the message conveyed by Hina's experience, in the following case? (1)
Hina spends hours trying to analyze a poem for her assignment and finally feels a sense of accomplishment and pride, once she understands.
- Only those with natural talent for poetry should engage with it.
- Persistence makes studying poetry a rewarding pursuit.
- Study of poetry is guaranteed to impress others.
- The efforts of studying poetry is inversely proportional to the rewards gained.
viii. State whether the following lines display an example of a simple/complex/ emotionally charged/downright weird, poem. (1)
| The sun rises in the east, A new day begins, a fresh start. Birds chirp, nature wakes up, A peaceful feeling in my heart. |
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
| (1) | Hiking is a great source of pleasure to us besides being beneficial for health. Once we leave the crowded streets of a city and go out for a walking tour away from the mad world, we really feel free. The open air has a bracing effect on the mind. The congestion of the city, the uproar and tumult, the intolerable noise of traffic, the hectic daily routine, all these are forgotten and the mind is at ease. We then feel like running, leaping, singing and laughing. We travel merrily mile after mile in the company of friends and associates. |
| (2) | Hiking takes us in the midst of nature. The sight of waterfalls, flowers, streams, trees and bushes is pleasing. A connect is established between us and nature. Various sounds of nature, like the murmur of a brook or the song of a bird, acquire a new meaning and significance of us. |
| (3) | You enjoy the beauty of nature. Minute observations like a snake casting its slough, a mouse peeping out of its hole, a squirrel leaping about on the branches of a tree, a bird flying past as, all these are noticed and they arouse our interest. We have no business worries, no fear of the examination, no anxiety about the home. We have leisure to stand, to walk and talk. It is more thrilling and pleasurable to hike. in a mountainous region than in the plains. The excitement of climbing up to the top of a hill, the adventure of corning down a slope, the grandeur of sunset behind a mountain - All these sights. lend a rare charm and interest to our journey. |
| (4) | We walk along a zigzag motor road or cut across a mountain path in search of adventure. We may have bright sunny weather or might get caught in a shower of rain. We may look below us into the yawning chasm or up at the mountain peak. The feeling of unlimited freedom makes our hearts leap with joy. |
| (5) | Hiking is one of the healthiest sports. It ensure a complete escape from the urgent and busy activities of life and therefore gives solace to our brain. It regains its lost energy and is able to do twice as much work as before. |
| (6) | The fresh air, beautiful mountains, majestic trees, chirping sound of birds make one's mind and soul at peace with nature. |
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions below:
- To go out for a walking tour is ______. (1)
- to stroll.
- to ramble.
- to hike.
- to saunter.
- Why does the writer say that the mind is at ease when you hike? (1)
- because hiking is an inexpensive activity.
- because it brings families together
- because of intolerable noise of traffic.
- because the depressing daily routine is forgotten.
- Complete the following with a phrase: (1)
The various sounds of nature acquire ______. - Infer one reason for the following based on information in paragraph 2. (1)
A contact is established between us and nature. - Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from paragraph 2. (1)
Aroma : cooking : fragrance : ______. - Given one reason why it is a pleasure to hike in the mountains than in the plains. (1)
- because observation is sharpened.
- because of the excitement of climbing up and adventure of coming down.
- because it is leisure to stand, to walk.
- because there are no worries.
- Hiking gives the brain, the rest it needs because ______. (1)
- it is a short time activity.
- it is one of the heathiest sports.
- it makes up sleep peacefully.
- it is an escape from our busy schedule.
- List any two example of minute observations you make while on a hike. (1)
- Supply one point to justify the following: (1)
Hiking gives us a feeling of unlimited joy. - Substitute the word 'leap with joy' with one word similar in meaning in the following sentence from the passage. (1)
The feeling of unlimited freedom makes our hearts leap with joy.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
| 1. | The man with the white face entered the carriage at Rugby. He moved slowly in spite of the urgency of his porter, and even while he was still on the platform I noted how ill he seemed. He dropped into the corner over against me with a sigh, made an incomplete attempt to arrange his travelling shawl and became motionless, with his eyes staring vacantly. Presently he was moved by a sense of my observation, looked up at me, and put out a spiritless hand for his newspaper. Then he glanced again in my direction. I feigned to read. I feared I had unwittingly embarrassed him, and in a moment I was surprised to find him speaking. |
| 2. | "I beg your pardon?" said I. "That book," he repeated, pointing a lean finger, "is about dreams." "Obviously," I answered, for it was Fortnum Roscoe's Dream States, and the title was on the cover. He hung silent for a space as if he sought words. "Yes," he said at last, "but they tell you nothing." I did not catch his meaning for a second. "They don't know," he added. I looked a little more attentively at his face. "There are dreams," he said, "and dreams." That sort of proposition I never dispute. "I suppose--" he hesitated. "Do you ever dream? I mean vividly." "I dream very little," I answered. "I doubt if I have three vivid dreams in a year." "Ah!" he said and seemed for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Your dreams don't mix with your memories?" he asked abruptly. "You don't find yourself in doubt; did this happen or did it not?" "Hardly ever. Except just for a momentary hesitation now and then. I suppose few people do." "Does he say--?" He indicated the book. "Says it happens at times and gives the usual explanation about intensity of impression and the like to account for its not happening as a rule. I suppose you know something of these theories--" "Very little--except that they are wrong." |
| 3. | His emaciated hand played with the strap of the window for a time. I prepared to resume reading, and that seemed to precipitate his next remark. He leant forward almost as though he would touch me. "Isn't there something called consecutive dreaming--that goes on night after night?" "I believe there is. There are cases given in most books on mental trouble." "Mental trouble! Yes. I daresay there are. It's the right place for them. But what I mean--" He looked at his bony knuckles. "Is that sort of thing always dreaming? Is it dreaming? Or is it something else? Mightn't it be something else?" |
| 4. | I should have snubbed his persistent conversation but for the drawn anxiety of his face. I remember now the look of his faded eyes and the lids red stained--perhaps you know that look. "I'm not just arguing about a matter of opinion," he said. "The thing's killing me." "Dreams?" "If you call them dreams. Night after night. Vivid!—so vivid . . . this--" (he indicated the landscape that went streaming by the window) "seems unreal in comparison! I can scarcely remember who I am, what business I am on . . . ."He paused. "Even now--" "The dream is always the same--do you mean?" I asked. "It's over." "You mean?" "I died." "Died?" |
| 5. | "Smashed and killed, and now, so much of me as that dream was, is dead. Dead forever. I dreamt I was another man, you know, living in a different part of the world and in a different time. I dreamt that night after night. Night after night I woke into that other life. Fresh scenes and fresh happenings--until I came upon the last--" "When you died?" "When I died." "And since then--" "No," he said. "Thank God! That was the end of the dream.. . " |
| 6. | It was clear I was in for this dream. And after all, I had an hour before me, the light was fading fast, and Fortnum Roscoe has a dreary way with him. "Living in a different time," I said: "do you mean in some different age?" "Yes." "Past?" "No, to come--to come." "The year three thousand, for example?" "I don't know what year it was. I did when I was asleep, when I was dreaming, that is, but not now--not now that I am awake. There's a lot of things I have forgotten since I woke out of these dreams, though I knew them at the time when I was--I suppose it was dreaming. They called the year differently from our way of calling the year . . . What did they call it?" He put his hand to his forehead. "No," said he, "I forget." He sat smiling weakly. For a moment I feared he did not mean to tell me his dream. As a rule, I hate people who tell their dreams, but this struck me differently. I proffered assistance even. "It began--" I suggested. |
| 7. | "It was vivid from the first. I seemed to wake up in it suddenly. And it's curious that in these dreams I am speaking of I never remembered this life I am living now. It seemed as if the dream life was enough while it lasted. Perhaps--But I will tell you how I find myself when I do my best to recall it all. I don't remember anything clearly until I found myself sitting in a sort of loggia looking out over the sea. I had been dozing, and suddenly I woke up--fresh and vivid--not a bit dreamlike—because the girl had stopped fanning me." |
On the basis of your reading of the above excerpt, choose the correct option to answer the following questions:
- How did the man with the white face behave as he entered the carriage? (1)
- Excited and enthusiastic
- Scared
- Excited and nervous
- showed no enthusiasm
- What was the name of the book which the narrator was reading? (1)
- Fortnum Roscoe's Dream States
- Dream States
- Dreams of the States
- State of the Dream
- What was the man’s opinion about the theory of dreams given in the narrator’s book? (1)
- He felt that it was all correct.
- He felt the book painted a wrong picture.
- He felt that the book explained nothing.
- He felt that the book was confusing.
- Statement 1: The narrator couldn’t snub the man’s conversation.
Statement 2: The man with the white face looked anxious. (1)
- Both 1 & 2 are correct and 2 is the reason for 1.
- Both 1 & 2 are correct and 2 is not the reason for 1.
- 1 is correct and 2 is incorrect.
- Both 1 & 2 are incorrect.
- What is NOT the reason for narrator being interested in listening to the man’s description of his last dream? (1)
- The man’s dream was about an alien.
- It was getting dark.
- The narrator had still an hour’s journey left.
- His book was getting boring.
- What did the man NOT say about the last dream which he had? (1)
- It was a dream which wasn’t clear.
- He was sitting in the loggia.
- His last dream was very clear.
- He would wake up in these dreams suddenly.
- Which of the following is NOT true for the Man with the white face? (1)
- He moved around slowly.
- He looked sickly.
- He didn’t want to talk about his dream.
- He didn’t believe in theories of Fortnum Roscoe's Dream States.
- "I dream very little," I answered. "I doubt if I have three vivid dreams in a year. This line highlights that the narrator did not – (1)
- Have normal dreams.
- Good sleep pattern.
- Give much importance to the science behind dreams.
- like talking to the man with the white face.
- How does the use of vivid and descriptive language in the passage enhance the reader's understanding of the man's experience? (1)
- Complete the sentence appropriately. (1)
It is fair to say that the man's experience of consecutive dreaming is similar with being lost in a maze because ______. - Choose the right answer which explains the phrase: (1)
He hung silent for a space as if he sought words.
- he was at a loss of words.
- he was indecisive.
- he was left hanging because of his indecisiveness.
- he stayed silent for some time as if he searched for words.
- State whether the following opinion is TRUE or FALSE. (1)
The author implies that memory and consciousness are not objective, but rather are shaped by our subjective experiences and perceptions. - What does the man with the white face, most likely mean by "there are dreams, and dreams"? (Reference - paragraph 2) (1)
- What do the man's "vacant" stare and "spiritless" hand suggest about his condition? (1)
- In paragraph 2, the narrator says, “I did not catch his meaning for a second.”
Which of the following expressions correctly display the usage of “catch”? (1)- catch a glimpse
- catch a hunger
- catch an anger
- catch a skill
Read the passage given below:
| (1) | Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) are products that sell quickly at relatively low cost. FMCG is the fourth-largest sector in the Indian economy. There are three main segments in the sector – food and beverages, which accounts for 19% of the sector; healthcare, which accounts for 31% of the share; and household and personal care, which accounts for the remaining 50% share. The urban segment contributes to about 55% of the revenue share, while the rural segment accounts for 45%. Rise in rural consumption will drive the FMCG market. The Indian processed food market is projected to expand to US\[\$\] 470 billion by 2025, up from US\[\$\] 263 billion in 2019-20. |
| (2) | The Indian FMCG industry grew by 16% in 2021, a 9-year high, despite nationwide lockdowns, supported by consumption-led growth and value expansion from higher product prices, particularly for staples. Real household spending is projected to increase 9.1% after 2021, after a decrease of 9.3% in 2020 due to the economic impact of the pandemic. Price increases across product categories will offset the impact of rising raw material prices, along with volume growth and a resurgence of demand for discretionary items. |
| (3) | The FMCG sector has received good investments and support from the Government in the recent past. The sector witnessed healthy FDI inflows from April 2000-March 2022. Furthermore, as per the Union Budget 2022-23, a substantial amount has been allocated to the Department of Consumer Affairs, and an increased amount has been allocated to the Department of Food and Public Distribution. In 2021-22, the Government approved the Production-Linked Incentive Scheme for the Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) with an outlay of a larger amount to help Indian brands of food products in the international markets. |
| (4) | The Government's Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme gives companies a major opportunity to boost exports. The future outlook of the FMCG rural sector looks on track now. Rural consumption has increased, led by a combination of increasing income and higher aspiration levels. There is an increased demand for branded products in rural India. The growth of the organised sector in FMCG is expected to rise with an increased level of brand consciousness, augmented by the growth in modem retail. |
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|
| Table. FMCG Products | |
| 1. Processed foods: | Cheese products, cereals |
| 2. Prepared meals: | Ready-to-eat meals |
| 3. Beverages: | Bottled water, aerated drinks, and juices |
| 4. Baked goods: | Biscuits, bread |
| 5. Fresh foods, frozen foods, and dry goods: | Fruits, vegetables, milk, butter, frozen food, and nuts |
| 6. Medicines: | Aspirin, pain relievers, and over-the-counter medication that can be purchased without a prescription |
| 7. Cleaning products: | Baking soda, washing powder |
| 8. Cosmetics and toiletries: | Beauty products, soaps, toothpaste |
| 9. Office supplies: | Pens, pencils |
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below:
- Does the following statement agree with the information given in para 1? (1)
Food and beverages segment dominates the Global FMCG market and is expected to retain its dominance.
Select from the following:- True - If the statement agrees with the information.
- False - If the statement contradicts the information.
- Not Given - If there is no information on this.
- What do you think gives opportunities to boost exports? (1)
- Select the option that displays the most likely reason for FMCG rural sector being on track. (1)
- FMCG sector has been unable to get investments from the government.
- PLI schemes don't reach the rural sector.
- Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of the online grocery segment in India is expected to double in the next five years.
- There is a desire to buy branded products in the villages too.
- Complete the sentence based on the following statement: (1)
The Indian FMCG industry grew by 16% in 2021, a 9-year high, despite nationwide lockdowns because ______. - From the given pie chart, which segment of FMCG accounts for the maximum percentage of the sector? (1)
- Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option: (1)
The combination of increasing income and higher aspiration levels in the rural areas has led to ______.- the Government taking a direct interest
- the demand for branded products
- price increases across product categories
- the fall of supply in urban areas
- How is the Government trying to help Indian brands of food products in the international markets? (1)
- Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option: (1)
The concluding paragraph of the passage makes a clear case ______.- that the rural people also want branded products
- that the FMCG industry will not focus on brand consciousness
- for the role of data analytics in the FMCG industry
- for the Government's role by providing incentives
- What will be the impact of the increased level of brand consciousness? (1)
- Based on the reading of the passage, correct the following statement: (1)
The urban segment contributes to about 45% of the revenue share, while the rural segment accounts for 55%.
Read the following extract and Complete the activities given below:
|
Love is a great force in Private life; it is indeed the greatest of all things, but love in public affairs does not work. It has been tried again and again; by the people of the Middle Ages, and also by the French Revolution, a secular movement which reasserted the Brotherhood of Man, And it has always failed. The idea that nations should love one another, or that business concerns or marketing boards should love one another or that a man in Portugal should love a man in Peru of whom he has never heard — it is absurd, unreal, dangerous. ‘Love is what is needed,” we chant, and then sit back and the world goes on as before. The fact is we can only love what we know personally. And we cannot know much. In public affairs, in the rebuilding of civilization, something much less dramatic and emotional is needed, namely tolerance. Tolerance is a very dull virtue. It is boring. It is negative. It merely means putting up with people, being able to stand things. No one has ever written an ode to tolerance or raised a statute to her. Yet this is the quality which will be most needed after the war. This is the sound state of mind which we are looking for. This is the only force which will enable different races and classes and interests to settle down together to the work of reconstruction. The world is very full of people— appallingly full; it has never been so full before and they are all tumbling over each other. Most of these people one doesn’t know, and some of them doesn't like. Well, what is one to do? If you don't like people, put up with them as well as you can. Don't try to love them; you can't. But try to tolerate them. On the basis of that tolerance, a civilized future may be built. Certainly, I can see no other foundation for the post-war world. |
A1. Choose two correct alternatives which define the theme of the extract: (2)
- Love is a greater force in private as well as in public affairs.
- To rebuild civilization we need tolerance more than love.
- Patience is the solution in any sort of confrontation.
- When you do not like people, nations or civilizations, you need to love them to change them.
A2. Complete the following table with the help of the extract: (2)
Give one merit and one demerit of ‘Love’ and ‘Patience.’
| Love | (i) ______ |
| (ii) ______ | |
| Patience | (i) ______ |
| (ii) ______ |
A3. Write how we can build up a civilized society; with the help of the extract: (2)
A4. ‘Love and tolerance are the true indicators of a civilized person.’ Justify. (2)
A5. Do as directed: (2)
- It has been tried again and again.
(Identify the Active Voice of the above sentence from the given options and rewrite.)
- They had tried it again and again.
- They has tried it again and again.
- They tried it again and again.
- They have tried it again and again.
- It is the sound state of mind which we are looking for.
(Identify the correct simple sentence from the given options and rewrite.)- It is the sound state of mind and we are looking for it.
- We are looking for the sound state of mind.
- We are looking for it but it is the sound state of mind.
- The sound state of mind is looked for.
A6. Match the words in column ‘A’ with their meanings in column ‘B’. (2)
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ |
| (i) Secular | (a) feeling of great friendship and understanding between people. |
| (ii) Absurd | (b) a society which has its own highly developed culture and ways of life. |
| (iii) Civilization | (c) not connected with any religion. |
| (iv) Brotherhood | (d) not at all logical or sensible. |
