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Question
What was troubling the talking fan?
Solution
The talking fan was being troubled by lack of oiling on its various parts, disabling him from functioning smoothly.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Think about the Text
Discuss in pairs and answer the question below in a short paragraph (30 − 40 words).
“The sound was familiar one.” What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think it
was? How many times did he hear it? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the
sounds stop?
Thinking about Language
Here are some sentences from the text. Say which of them tell you, that the author:
(a) was afraid of the snake, (b) was proud of his appearance, (c) had a sense of humour,
(d) was no longer afraid of the snake.
1. I was turned to stone.
2. I was no mere image cut in granite.
3. The arm was beginning to be drained of strength.
4. I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words, ‘O
God’.
5. I didn’t tremble. I didn’t cry out.
6. I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile.
7. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood.
8. I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!
9. The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness…! The rascal could have taken it and used it
after washing it with soap and water.
10. Was it trying to make an important decision about growing a moustache or using eye
shadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion spot on its forehead?
How does Toto come to grandfather’s private zoo?
Complete the following statement.
During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her _________ while _________endeared her to fellow climbers.
Now rewrite the pair of sentences given below as one sentence.
What do you do after you finish the book? Perhaps you just throw it away.
Subject Verb Agreement.
A verb must be in the same number and person as its subject e.g.
(a) A man and his wife have lived here since January 2009.
(b) Arun, a great scholar, is dead.
(c) Either James or Peter is to be promoted.
( d) The horse as well as its rider was hurt by the fall.
(e) Not only India, but also the whole world recognises Gandhiji's
achievements
(f) Eachman was rewarded.
(g) Every tree has been saved.
(h) The Adventures of Tom Jones is a great novel.
Personal Pronouns
Read the following conversation:
Malavika and Deepak are looking through some photographs of Malavika’s family.
Malavika : Now … this is my brother Shantanu. Shantanu is in Class VIII. Shantanu is brilliant at playing tennis. Shantanu is also good at singing. Shantanu sings a lot.
Deepak : Shantanu sounds interesting. I’d like to meet Shantanu. I’m looking for someone to play tennis with.
Malavika : Well … why don’t you come around tonight and meet Shantanu? My parents will be out. My parents always go out on Tuesdays.
Improve the above conversation by using suitable pronouns where required.
“There were three animals altogether,” he explained. “There were two goats and a cat and then there were four pairs of pigeons.”
“And you had to leave them?” I asked.
“Yes. Because of the artillery. The captain told me to go because of the artillery.” “And you have no family?” I asked, watching the far end of the bridge where a few last carts were hurrying down the slope of the bank.
“No,” he said, “only the animals I stated. The cat, of course, will be all right. A cat can look out for itself, but I cannot think what will become of the others.”
“What politics have you?” I asked.
“I am without politics,” he said. “I am seventy-six years old. I have come twelve kilometers now and I think now I can go no further.”
“This is not a good place to stop,” I said. “If you can make it, there are trucks up the road where it forks for Tortosa.”
“I will wait a while,” he said, “ and then I will go. Where do the trucks go?” “Towards Barcelona,” I told him.
“I know no one in that direction,” he said, “but thank you very much.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Why cannot the old man walk further?
Who is Canynge? What scandal is being referred to? Why will it be a scandal?
How long does it take for a grub to become a complete ant?
The phrases on the left in the following box occur in the text. Match each of them with a phrase on the right.
| (i) an endless stretch of sand | •fertile place with water and plants in a desert |
| (ii) waterless and without shelter | •not visible because the grass is thick |
| (iii) an oasis | •nothing but sand as far as one can see |
| (iv) hidden by a cover of grass | •no water and no shade |
Discuss the following topic in groups.
Freedom is life. Discuss this with reference to ‘Chandni’ and ‘I Want Something in a Cage’.
Find in the poem an antonym (a word opposite in meaning)of the following word
quietness
How did the fishmongers lure the customers to buy Hilsa?
The last two lines of the poem are not prohibitions or instructions. What is the adult now asking the child to do? Do you think the poet is suggesting that this is unreasonable? Why?
What lesson does the young child narrator learn from his mother?
What makes him envy his teacher?
In groups of four, discuss the following lines and their meanings.
But only words can free a thought
From its prison behind your eyes
Why did Jumman Shaikh and Algu Chowdhry, the two good friends, become sworn enemies?
"Since I don’t know when" suggests ...
