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Question
Write a summary of the poem.
- Title
- Introductory paragraph (about the poem, type, nature, tone)
- Main body (central idea, the gist of the poem)
- Conclusion (opinion, views, appeal).
Solution
The Planners
The title of the poem is 'The Planners' and it focuses on the planners' need for perfection and uniformity, which leads to the loss of history as well as nature.
The poem is a satire as it mocks the planners' desire to build a flawless world. The poet has written this poem in a free-verse format as he strongly opposes structural uniformity. The tone of the poet throughout the poem is sarcastic, except for the last stanza where it changes to melancholic. The poet's reference to the city's structures as rigid mathematical designs and his comparison of the planners to dentists convey his sarcastic tone with great clarity.
The poet expresses how his country, the island-state of Singapore, is being torn down by the planners for building perfectly measured and confined structures that erase Singapore's history and push nature away from its landscape. The planners destroy the ancient structures that form a part of Singapore's past by terming them as 'flawed' and 'useless'. The poet stresses how the skyscrapers built by the planners resemble perfect rows of teeth, which symbolize artificiality, just like a dentist straightens crooked teeth to create the perfect smile. Though aesthetically appealing, the smile is not real. Similarly, Singapore's scene has also lost its originality. The planners want to reinvent history and therefore recklessly drill to build sky-high structures without being sensitive to the country's heritage. At the end of the poem, in a state of acceptance, the poet declares that he shall not stain with his poetry, the immaculate world that the planners have built. This is ironic because the poet is writing the poetry while declaring that he won't write one.
The poem's appeal lies in its unique stance on the destruction caused by modernisation, as it emphasizes the consequences of urbanisation on history, as opposed to just nature. In my opinion, this makes the poem stand out from the others that talk about the ill-effects of building a concrete jungle.
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Have you are wondered why soldiers are always clad in green? This is to enable them to camouflage themselves during wartime. Hiding in the jungles, their green attire blends into the surrounding trees and shrubs, making it difficult for the enemies to spot them.
Long before man-made use of camouflaging, insects have already adopted the tactic of disguise to escape from the clutches of their predators. By having body colour close to those of the rocks and dried leaves, they can escape from being pursued by the predators.
Butterflies and moths have developed a variety of camouflage strategies since they are quite defenceless and their predators are abundant. Possessing wings which resemble dried leaves help certain butterflies and moths to hide among heaps of dried leaves when predators are around.
Fortunately, not all insects choose the art of disguise to escape from their predators; otherwise, the world would be so dull and colourless. There are insects which assimilate the bright body colours of bees and wasps to escape from being pursued by their predator. Long ago, birds have already learnt to avoid brilliantly coloured wasps and bees in fear of their painful stings. Hence, over millions of years, many harmless insects have assimilated the bees and wasps by imitating. their bright body colours and shapes. In this way, they appear dangerous and hence ward them off.
The beefy, not only appears like the bumblebee in terms of body colour, even its hums sound similar too. The only difference is that the beefy does not have a stirring and is hence harmless. The hoverfly is another insect which imitates. the body colours of the wasps. Their bodies are striped yellow and black. The only deviations are that hoverflies do not have stings, and they have only one pair of wings each while wasps have two pairs each. These variations are hardly noticed by the predators and hence help them to escape.
A1. Complete the table with the information from the passage : (2)
| Insects | Similarity | Difference |
| Bumblebee - Beefy | ||
| Wasp - Hoverfly |
A2. Complete the tree diagram : (2)
A3. Find out : (2)
‘Nature has given a self-protection mechanism to insects’.
Find out at least two examples from the passage to prove this statement.
A4. Vocabulary - (2)
Find the words from the passage for :
(i) animal or bird that hunts other for food
(ii) to get free from danger
(iii) to prevent something from harming
(iv) to make a copy
A5. Personal response - (2)
‘Soldiers disguise themselves to prevent enemies to spot them’.
Give two more examples when the disguising technique is used by humans.
A6. Grammar - (2)
Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) They have only one pair of wings.
(Make it negative without changing the meaning)
(ii) Insects have already adopted the tactic of disguise to escape from the clutches of their predators.
(Replace infinitive with gerund and rewrite)
(B) Summary : (3)
Summarise the above extract with the help of the points given and suggest a suitable title.
Camouflage of soldiers and insects - reason and ways for disguising - assimilation of insects - need of imitation.
It rained so heavily that they could not go for the picnic. (Rewrite: Using ‘too………………to’)
Do you consider the title apt?
Do you agree with the poet that a nation’s growth depends upon the wealth of trees? Why/why not?
What colour bangles are preferred by virgin maidens?
How is the last verse different from the other verse? Is the poet deriving a different mood than that expressed in the previous verse?
Which line(s)/stanza(s) do you enjoy most? Why?
What docs the line “and his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream” mean?
What do you like about this poem?
What tells you that the patriot was overambitious?
Thus I entered, and thus I go!
In triumphs, people have dropped down dead,
"Paid by the world, what dost thou owe
Me?"....God might question; now instead,
'Tis God shall repay: I am safer so.
Read the above lines and answer the question that follow.
What does the rain imagery signify?
Show with references from the story how T.S Arthur uses direct and indirect characterisation to highlight the traits of the characters.
How does Ray Bradbury develop the mood in “All Summer in a Day”?
You had been waiting outside the examination hall. Describe what you saw and the sounds you heard when you arrived at the place. What were your feelings? Describe how the scene changed once you entered the hall and the examination started.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Lying in bed, Swami realized with a shudder that it was Monday morning. It looked as though only a moment ago, it had been the last period on Friday; already, Monday was here. He hoped that an earthquake would reduce the school building to dust but that my good building, Albert Mission School, had withstood similar prayers for over a hundred years now.
At nine o'clock, Swaminathan wailed, “I have a headache.”
His mother said, “Why don’t you go to school in a bullock cart?”
“So that I may be completely dead at the other end? Have you any idea what it means to be jolted in a cart?”
“Have you any important lessons today?”
“Important! Bah! That geography teacher has been teaching the same lesson for over a year now. And we have arithmetic, which means for a whole period we are going to be beaten by the teacher............ Important lessons!”
And Mother generously suggested that Swami might stay at home.
At 9:30, when he ought to have been lining up in the school prayer hall, Swami was lying on the bench in Mother’s room.
Father asked him, “Have you no school today?”
“Headache,” Swami replied,
“Nonsense! Dress up and go.”
“Headache.”
“Loaf about less on Sundays, and you will be without a headache on Monday.”
Swami knew how stubborn his father could be and changed his tactics.
“I can’t go so late to class.”
“I agree, but you’ll have to; it is your own fault. You should have asked me before deciding to stay away.”
“What will the teacher think if I go so late?”
“Tell him you had a headache, and so are late.”
“He will beat me if I say so.”
“Will he? Let us see. What is his name?”
“Mr. Samuel.”
“Does he beat the boys?”
“He is very violent, especially with boys who come late. Some days ago, a boy was made to stay on his knees for a whole period in a corner of the class because he came late, and after getting six cuts from the cane and having his ears twisted, I wouldn’t like to go late to Mr Samuel’s class.”
“If he is so violent, why not tell your headmaster about it?”
“They say that even the headmaster is afraid of him. He is such a violent man.”
And then Swami gave a lurid account of Samuel’s violence; how when he started caning, he would not stop till he saw blood on the boy’s hand, which he made the boy press to his forehead like a Vermillion marking. Swami hoped his father would be made to see that he couldn’t go to his class late. But his father’s behaviour took an unexpected turn. He became excited.
“What do these people mean by beating our children? They must be driven out of service. I will see…..”
The result was that he proposed to send Swami late to his class as a kind of challenge. He was also going to send a letter with Swami to the headmaster. No amount of protest from Swami was of any avail: Swami had to go to school.
By the time he was ready, his father had composed a long letter to the headmaster, put it in an envelope, and sealed it.
“What have you written, father?” Swaminathan asked apprehensively.
“Nothing for you. Give it to your headmaster and go to your class.”
Swami’s father did not know the truth—that, actually, Mr. Samuel was a very kind gentleman.
(a) Give the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage. (3)
One-word answers or short phrases will be accepted.
- jolted
- stubborn
- avail
(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words:
- What did Swami wish for on a Monday morning? Why was his wish unlikely to be answered? (2)
- Which sentence tells us that Swami’s father was completely unsympathetic to his son’s headache? (2)
- In what way was Swami’s mother’s response different from his father’s? (2)
- Why did Swami give a colourful account of Mr. Samuel to his father? (2)
- In what way did Father’s behaviour take an unexpected turn? (2)
- What was Swami finally ordered to do by his father? (2)
(c)
(i) In not more than 60 words, describe how Swami tries to prove that Mr. Samuel is a violent man. (8)
(ii) Give a title to your summary in 3
(c). Give a reason to justify your choice. (2)
Not many people read for pleasure these days.
(Begin: Few ................................. )
Since her childhood, Meera has been good in Mathematics.
(End: ............................ childhood)
Here are the terms of different kinds of vessels: yacht, boat, canoe, ship, steamer, schooner. Think of similar terms in your language.
The following common words are used in more than one sense.
-
panel
studio
brush
essence
material
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(ii) Judge H. Hobart Grooms told the jury panel he had heard the reports.
(iii)The panel is laying the groundwork for an international treaty.
(iv)The glass panels of the window were broken.
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(vi)The sink in the hinged panel above the bunk drains into the head.
2. (i) Their repetitive structure must have taught the people around the great composer the essence of music.
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(iii)The implications of these schools of thought are of practical essence for the teacher.
(iv) They had added vanilla essence to the pudding.
Why does the author aver that the growth of the world population is one of the strongest factors distorting the future of human society?
Look for these expressions in the story and guess the meaning from the context
|
brusquely |
attuned himself |
|
queer rhythmic frenzy |
wrenching |
|
flush of prosperity |
daze of bewilderment |
|
wide-eyed wonder and eager homage |
|
|
talking animatedly |
tremulous deliberation |
|
on terms of a perpetual feud |
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chop ______ ______
The story of Kalpana Chawla has become an inspiration for millions of young Indians. How? What message did she send from the space shuttle to students of her college?
Write your views/opinions in brief on the following topic.
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Write in 100 words what the cherry tree in the poem symbolises.
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Given below are a few famous bridges in India. Find out more information about them and write in your notebook.
- The Howrah Bridge.
- Laxman Zhula
- Pambum Bridge
- Worli Sea Link
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| On the Nose | On the Eyes |
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Mathilde and her husband decided to replace the necklace.
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- How he interacts with nature and other animals.
- How humans interact with that species - whether it is fair, necessary, or desirable, etc.
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- The animal getting ready to bid farewell to this world.
Give, in your own words, TWO reasons for the following:
The woman was reluctant to cross the street by herself.
Divide the class into groups and conduct a poster-making competition for an Eye /Blood Donation Camp. Fix up the details of the above camp, like time, place, etc.
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- Interest in this field
- Inspiration
- Coaching and guidance
- Achievement/Records
- Future plans
- Advice to youngsters
Dinesh and Divya have been assigned homework on non-finite. They are not sure when to use a gerund and when to use an infinitive. They decide to meet their teacher and get their doubts cleared. The teacher introduces them to Mr. Gerund and Ms. Infinitive.
It is very late at night and your father hasn’t returned from the office. ______
The first day at school ______
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| Similarities | Differences |
| is similar to | on the other hand |
| both | however |
| also | But |
| too | in contrast to |
| differs from | |
| while | |
| unlike |
Write a short paragraph on 'summer' using the hints given.
you can begin like this
I live in Chennai. The weather is...
Fill in the blank with choosing prepositions from the option.
As they flew ______ the tree they were trapped.
Letters to friends and close family are written in the same way as you speak to them.
|
Krishna Boys’ Hostel writer’s address Model Public School Kolkata 10th July 2000 date My dear Ma, greeting This is my first letter after the summer vacation. We started our classes the day after we reached the hostel. I have settled in well. introduction We have a new teacher for clay modeling and pottery. She tells us how to make fruits and vegetables with clay. We then paint them. They look so real. body We have an inter-house poetry recitation coming up in August. I am really excited about it. It is a long poem but we learn it together with our teacher. It is nice to be back in school with my friends and teachers. I remember you and Baba a lot. Give my love to grandmother and grandfather. ending Do write back soon. Your loving son Pratap, closing |
After reading the letter, answer the following questions.
- Who has written the letter?________
- To whom has the letter been written? ________
- Where is the writer of the letter? _________
- What is the name of his hostel? _________
- On which date was this letter written?________
Use the following clues to complete the following exercise.
| play | stop | buy | learn | see | meet | learn |
| be | eat | go | travel | start | read | visit |
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- I have not played ______
- ____________
- ____________
Now complete the following sentence, choosing the right word.
Ramu’s ______ loved to play in the ______. (sun, son)
Read Sheela's notice. Discuss the questions that follow.
|
Notice The Drama Committee will meet in the classroom on Monday, at two o’clock. We’ll plan a play for our Annual Day. Will each one of you please bring a play? SHEELA |
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- When were they to meet?
- Where were they to meet?
- What were they to do?
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- Write down the story. Also, mention its source.
- Narrate the story to the class.
- Which story did you like the best? Write down your reasons.
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State whether the following statement are true or false
The cop suddenly slowed his walk, when he heard the barking of dogs.
State whether the following statement are true or false
Jimmy grew a little taller after he was twenty.
Why did the author go to the photo studio?
“To me, it is but a worthless bauble.” Why did the photographer’s touch of technical expertise appear a worthless bauble to Leacock?
Now write a short story to explain these proverb.
Despair gives courage to a Coward
‘Just one more installment and BABY’S REALLY OURS!’ This tells us that the couple
What is the conflict between Margot and the other children in the story, “All Summer in a day”?
Write a composition (300 - 350 words) on the following:
Describe an area in your city or hometown which is famous for its street food. Give details of the familiar sights and sounds you would experience on this street.
Read the given sentence and underline the no word.
I have no coat.
Imagine someone has invited your family to a program and you were the only person at home when the invitation was given orally.
Which of the following lines tells us that the poet Wordsworth carried a mental picture of the daffodils?
To whom does Portia compare Bassanio as he steps forward to take the casket test?
Imagine you are a tourist guide at Tadoba. Write two sentences each about the following points to help foreign tourists.
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- Food: speciality, local delicacies, options (Indian, continental)
- Shopping: authenticity of local artefacts, price, variety
Send a formal letter of invitation · in 50 words to Dr. Mehra, noted novelist and educationist, to speak on, The Importance of Books'. You are Lena/Sanjay, Secretary Literary Club, S. S. Public School. Meritionday, date, time and venue.
