Samacheer Kalvi solutions for English Class 11 TN Board chapter 4.1 - Tight Corners [Latest edition]

Many of us have unused, old but valuable items at home. If we wish to get rid of them, we can sell them at an auction. Items like paintings, jewels, household articles, vehicles, even houses can be auctioned.

The flowchart below will help you understand how an auction is conducted.

Describe the activity that was going on in the sale-room at King Street.

What can you say about the author’s attitude when he high-handedly participated in the auction?

Why was the author sure he would not be caught?

What made the author ignore his friend’s warning?

How had the author managed the auction without getting involved in the deal?

What came as a shock to the author?

What did the falling of the hammer indicate?

What made the friend laugh heartily?

What kind of excuses did the narrator think he could make?

Why did the friend desert the narrator, a second time?

How does the narrator describe the man who approached him?

How does the Narrator show the presence of mind in the sudden turn of events?

The narrator would not forget two things about his friend. What are they?

‘Tight Corner’ means a ______.

Barbizon refers to a ______.

The narrator visited the sale-room as he ______.

The narrator had been a safe contributor at the auction, as ______.

“And I got it.” Here ‘it’ refers to the ______.

What is a tight corner? What happens when one finds oneself in a tight corner?

What is the difference between a physical and mental tight corner?

Why did the narrator visit Christie’s?

The narrator heard his own voice saying, ‘and fifty’. What does this suggest?

What was the narrator’s financial condition?

The narrator could not pretend to have made a mistake in bidding. Why?

What could have been the best way for the narrator, to get himself out of the tight corner?

Why did the narrator feel he could have welcomed a firing party?

What was the bidder’s offer to the narrator?

How did the narrator take advantage of the situation?

Form a meaningful summary of the lesson by rewriting the numbers in the correct sequence:

Narrate the circumstances that led to the narrator getting into a tight corner, by his own folly

Trace the thoughts that went on in the mind of the narrator when picture after picture was put up and sold at the auction.

Explain how the narrator got out of the tight corner that he was in.

As the narrator, make a diary entry about the tight corner you faced at Christie’s and how you were saved from the dire situation.

Auction House Puzzler

You have come across many terms associated with an auction, in the lesson. Now solve the crossword puzzle with words from the lesson. Make use of the clues given.

Across

1. conducts auction 
2. a protective garment 
3. strip with numbers
4. offer

Down

1. painter
2. school of painting
3. auction house 
4. painting

Idioms:

An idiom is an expression in English with a special meaning of its own. Idioms do not give the literal meaning of the individual words used in them.

You come across the idiom ‘by the skin of one’s teeth’ in the lesson. It means ‘a narrow escape’.

Here are some more idioms taken from the lesson. Find out their meaning and use them in sentence of your own.

tight corners

Here are some more idioms taken from the lesson. Find out their meaning and use them in sentence of your own.

shot his bolt

Here are some more idioms taken from the lesson. Find out their meaning and use them in sentence of your own.

in a nice pickle

Here are some more idioms taken from the lesson. Find out their meaning and use them in sentence of your own.

have cold feet

Match the following idioms related to difficult situations with their meanings.

We use a variety of idioms in our daily life to describe various situations. Describe the narrator’s situation in your own words, making use of some of the new idioms you have just learnt.

Use the following phrasal verbs in sentences of your own. 

stand

1. up
2. for
3. by

Use the following phrasal verbs in sentences of your own. 

look

1. into
2. at
3. through

Use the following phrasal verbs in sentences of your own. 

run

1. over
2. away
3. into

Use the following phrasal verbs in sentences of your own. 

put

1. on
2. up
3. off

Listen to the announcement made by your teacher and answer the questions that follow.

The Department of School Education has organized a one-day seminar on ‘Career Guidance and Counselling for the students appearing for the oncoming Public Examination. The programme is scheduled at 3 p.m. today, at Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Auditorium, on our School campus. You are to assemble at the venue at 2.45 p.m. sharp, with a notebook and a pen. The main purpose of the programme is to create awareness among students on the numerous career options available and the various institutions that offer relevant courses.

The other objective is to boost their self-confidence and prepare them to face the challenges they encounter from time to time with courage. You are expected to be attentive throughout the programme, actively participate in discussions and get all your doubts clarified without any hesitation. The second session will be conducted in the first week of next month. Those who are interested in attending the next session can register your names with the School Pupil Leader within two days.

Complete the following sentences based on your listening.

1. The programme is organized by the Department of ______.
2. The topic of the seminar is ______.
3. The programme is to be held at ______p.m. at ______.
4. Students are instructed to carry a ______and a ______to the programme hall.
5. The main purpose of the programme is to provide information on ______options and the ______that offer relevant courses.
6. Students who wish to attend the second session should register within ______.

Work with a partner. Your friend has lost her books just before the annual examination and she is upset. How will you help her? Take up roles and enact the situation.

You have recently shifted to a new locality. You cannot find your way back, after school. Your uncle spots you and takes you home. Narrate the incident to the class.

As a friend of the narrator, describe how you would have behaved at the auction.

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

The Stationmaster’s Supreme Sacrifice by Sanchari Pal (Adapted)

1. Thirty-three years ago, on the night of December 2, 1984, Bhopal was hit by a catastrophe that had no parallel in the world’s industrial history. An accident at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal had released almost 30 tons of a highly toxic gas called methyl isocyanate, turning the city into a vast gas chamber. The result was a nightmare; more than 600,000 people were exposed to the deadly gas cloud that left thousands dead and many more breathless, blind and in agonizing pain. Few people know that during the Bhopal gas tragedy a heroic stationmaster risked his own life to save others.
2. On the evening of December 3, 1984, Ghulam Dastagir was settling down in his office to complete some pending paperwork. This work kept him in his office till 1am in the night, when he emerged to check the arrival of the Gorakhpur Mumbai Express. As he stepped on to the platform, the deputy stationmaster felt his eyes burn and a queer itching sensation in his throat. He did not know that poisonous fumes leaking from Union Carbide’s pesticide factory were stealthily enveloping the railway station.
3. Beginning to choke, Dastagir did not know then that twenty-three of his railway colleagues, including his boss, station superintendent Harish Dhurve, had already died. It was later reported that Dhurve had heard about the deadly gas and had immediately tried stopping the movement of trains passing through Bhopal before collapsing in his office chamber. His suddenly worsening health and years of experience told Dastagir that something was very wrong. Though he did not fully comprehend what was happening, he decided to act immediately when he did not get any response from the station master. He alerted the senior staff at nearby stations, like Vidisha and Itarsi, to suspend all train traffic to Bhopal.
4. However, the jam-packed GorakhpurKanpur Express was already standing at the platform and its departure time was 20 minutes away. Listening to his gut instinct, Dastagir summoned his staff and told them to immediately clear the train for departure. When they asked if they should wait until the order to do so came from the head office, Dastagir replied that he would take complete responsibility for the train’s early departure. He wanted to ensure that the train left immediately, without any delay. His colleagues later recalled that Dastagir could barely stand and breathe as he spoke to them. Breaking all rules and without taking permission from anyone, he and his brave staff personally flagged off the train.
5. But Dastagir’s work was not done. The railway station was filling up with people, desperate to flee the fumes. Some were gasping, others were vomiting, and most were weeping. Dastagir chose to remain on duty, running from one platform to another, attending, helping and consoling victims. He also sent an SOS to all the nearby railway offices, asking for immediate medical help. As a result, four ambulances with paramedics and railway doctors arrived at the station. It was winter and the gas was staying low to the ground, a thick haze poisoning everything in its path. Besieged by hordes of suffering people, the station soon resembled the emergency room of a large hospital. Dastagir stayed at the station, steadfastly doing his duty, knowing that his family was out there in the ill-fated city. That day all he had for his protection was a wet handkerchief on his mouth.
6. Ghulam Dastagir’s devotion to duty saved the lives of hundreds of people. However, the catastrophe didn’t leave him unscathed. One of his sons died on the night of the tragedy and another developed a lifelong skin infection. Dastagir himself spent his last 19 years shuttling in and out of hospitals; he developed a painful growth in the throat due to prolonged exposure to toxic fumes. When he passed away in 2003, his death certificate mentioned that he was suffering from diseases caused as a direct result of exposure to MIC (Methyl Isocyanate) gas. A memorial has been built at platform No.1 to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty on the fateful night of December 3, 1984. However, Ghulam Dastagir, who died later, is not one of them. A forgotten hero whose sense of duty and commitment saved countless lives, Dastagir’s story deserves to be recognized and remembered by our fellow countrymen.

1. Why was the accident at Union Carbide unparalleled in the world’s industrial history?
2. How was Dastagir affected by the poisonous gas?
3. What was the action taken by the station superintendent?
4. How did Dastagir and his staff break rules?
5. What was the cause of Dastagir’s death?
6. Find words from the passage which mean the opposite of the following.

1. safeguard (para 1)
2. common or familiar (para 2)
3. prompt (para 4)
4. cause (para 6)

Complete the following with appropriate conditional clause.

We will miss our train, ______.

Complete the following with appropriate conditional clause.

Jayashree would travel to France, ______.

Complete the following with appropriate conditional clause.

People get sun-burnt, ______.

Complete the following with appropriate conditional clause.

Vicky would have passed, ______.

Complete the following with appropriate conditional clause.

I wouldn’t refuse, ______.

Complete the following with appropriate conditional clause.

Sundar would have waited, ______.

Complete the following with appropriate conditional clause.

Vijayshree will be busy, ______.

Complete the following with appropriate conditional clause.

Adhvika will not go to play, ______.

Complete the following paragraph.

Did you hear about that boy who won one crore in a game show? If I ______(win) that much money, I ______(quit) my job the next day. I ______(travel) round the world and ______(stay) in the most luxurious hotels. If I ______(want) anything, I ______(buy) it. If I ______(see) a Mercedes that I wanted, I ______(buy) it. I ______(can) do anything in the world if I had one crore rupees. Oh, I am starting to sound a little materialistic. Well, I ______(do) good things with the money as well. If anybody ______ (need) help, I ______(take) care of their needs. I ______(donate) money to charities. I ______(give) money to help support the arts. If I ______(win) that much money, I wouldn’t keep it all for myself. I ______(help) as many people as possible.

Fill in the blanks in the following dialogue.

Seema goes to a hotel for lunch. The waiter explains to her the different items available at that time. Here is the conversation between them. Complete the dialogue. You may use modals to frame questions.

Read the following story and do the exercises that follow.

Last night somebody broke into our neighbor’s house. He stole everything he found. The neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Umar, saw him while he was running away but they couldn’t catch him. This morning an inspector arrived to make an inquiry.

The Inspector posed certain questions to Mr. Umar.

The Inspector also asked Mrs. Umar some questions:

The inspector was suspicious about Mr.Umar, so he asked him to come to the station for further questioning.

Answer the questions after reading the story.

1. Did Mrs. Umar see the thief?
2. What was Mrs. Umar doing when the thief broke into the house?
3. Was Mr. Umar watching movie with his wife when the thief broke in the house?
4. What was Mr. Umar doing in the kitchen?

Frame suitable questions for the following statements.

1. Mr. Umar was at home when the event occurred
2. Yes, Mr. Umar saw the thief entering the neighbour’s house.
3. Mrs. Umar was watching the movie while her husband was drinking water.
4. The thief broke into the house while they were watching a movie.

Add appropriate question tag to the following sentence.

Cities are increasingly becoming urbanised.

Add appropriate question tag to the following sentence.

They experiment with various ways to improve air quality.

Add appropriate question tag to the following sentence.

The aim should be to reduce congestion.

Add appropriate question tag to the following sentence.

There is an urgent need to provide clean, reliable and affordable energy to their growing populations.

Add appropriate question tag to the following sentence.

Automation and shared mobility will play a key role in this transformation.

Add appropriate question tag to the following sentence.

It changes the way people commute in cities.

Add appropriate question tag to the following sentence.

Before long, a fleet of electric autonomous vehicles (AVs) could drive people to their destinations.

Add appropriate question tag to the following sentence.

These shared AVs will run at higher utilization rates.

Add appropriate question tag to the following sentence.

They can substantially reduce the cost of mobility and congestion.

Add appropriate question tag to the following sentence.

These should not be thought of as luxury but as necessity.

Add appropriate question tags and role play the dialogue with your friend.

Read the information in the table below and answer the following questions.

1. What kinds of natural disasters have occurred before 2005?
2. Name the disasters that are common in India.
3. Mention the states often affected by disasters.
4. List out the disasters that are common in North India
5. Write three sentences on your inference about the data given.

Study the pie-chart carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Percentage of people who speak each language as their first language.

1. Which language is spoken by most people?
2. What are the Indian languages that rank among the top five spoken languages?
3. Which are the languages that are spoken by less than three percent of people?
4. With the help of the questions and answers, draw your own conclusions from the pie chart. Then, write a paragraph on the popular spoken languages.

Write conversation on the following situation.

Between two friends about uses and abuses of mobile phone

Write conversation on the following situation.

Between two friends about planting trees

Write conversation on the following situation.

Between two friends about the importance of reading newspapers

Write conversation on the following situation.

Between two friends about the uses of the internet

Write conversation on the following situation.

Between a father and a son on choice of a career

Write conversation on the following situation.

Between you and a bookseller on buying books

Write conversation on the following situation.

Between two friends on the benefits of early rising

Write conversation on the following situation.

Between two friends on an exciting cricket match

Write conversation on the following situation.

Between two friends on the importance of punctuality

Write conversation on the following situation.

Between two friends on a picnic they enjoyed recently