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प्रश्न
'All right!' you 'll cry.'All right!' you'll say,
'But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children?Please explain!'
We'll answer this by asking you,
'What used the darling ones to do?
'How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?'
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?
We'll say it very loud and slow:
THEY ... USED ... TO ... READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Read the lines given above and answer the question given below.
Explain with reference to context.
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उत्तर
These lines are taken from the poem TELEVISION, written by Roald Dahl, a British novelist, short story writer and a poet. It is taken from his collection ‘Revolting Rhymes’. It is a stinging satire on Television. In this poem Roald Dahl expresses concern over what the modem invention the television set has done to children. He points out that watching TV has become a craze in modem time. Children of today spend hours together in front of the ‘idiot box’. Roald Dahl is addressing all British parents and telling them that the most important thing one must learn while raising children is to keep them away from the television set. He also says that it is possible to come to a better solution to the problem by not installing a television set in their homes in the first place.
In these lines, Dahl anticipates what the parents’ next question would be. They might agree to take away the television set from their children but will ask how they are supposed to now keep their children entertained and occupied.
In these lines, Dahl tells parents that they cannot have forgotten how children kept themselves entertained before the recent invention of the television.
In these lines, Dahl says that before the coming of television children would read and it is a shame that now they don’t.
In these lines, Dahl creates the alternate landscape that has been mentioned in the section on the poem’s setting. In this landscape, children’s rooms are filled to the brim with books.
APPEARS IN
संबंधित प्रश्न
Choose extracts from the story that illustrate the characters of these people in it.
| Person character | Extracts from the story | What does it tell us about their character |
| Mrs Bramble | (Para 12) "Bill we must keep it from Harold" | She was not honest and open with her son; concerned mother |
| Mrs Bramble | (Para 33) | |
| Percy | (Para 109) | |
| Jerry Fisher | (Para 110) |
The following are the dictionary entries for some of the words that appear in 'The Mystery of Bermuda Triangle'. Study the words and their meanings before you read the mystery for better comprehension.
• Halloween/halau in/ : the night of 31st October when it was believed in the past that dead people appeared from their graves. This is now celebrated in the US, Canada and Britain by children who dress as ghosts and witches.
• vector/'vekta/: an insect or animal which carries a disease from one animal or plant to another; a course taken by an aircraft; a quantity, such as velocity, completely specified by a magnitude and direction.
• crackle/' krak(a)l/: to make short sharp sounds .
• ascent/ a' sent/: the act of climbing or moving up .
• roger/' rod3a /: in communication by radio to show that they have understood a message; an expression of agreement.
• probe/praub/: to ask questions in order to find out some secret or hidden information; an exploratory action; expedition, or device, especially one designed to investigate and obtain information on a remote or unknown region.
• abduct/ ab' dAkt/ : to take somebody away illegally, by using force.
• time warp/ taimwarp /: a situation in which it is possible for people or things from the past or the future to move to the present.
• phenomenon/ fa' nomrnan/: a fact or an event in nature or society, especially one that is not fully understood.
• erratic/ I' rat.Ik/: not happening at regular times.
• engulf /In· g /\ If/,/ &n · g /\ If/: to surround or to cover somebody or something completely.
It matters little where we pass the remnant of our days. They will not be many. The Indian’s night promises to be dark. Not a single star of hope hovers above his horizon. Sad-voiced winds moan in the distance. Grim fate seems to be on the Red Man’s trail, and wherever he will hear the approaching footsteps of his fell destroyer and prepare stolidly to meet his doom, as does the wounded doe that hears the approaching footsteps of the hunter.
A few more moons, a few more winters, and not one of the descendants of the mighty hosts that once moved over this broad land or lived in happy homes, protected by the Great Spirit, will remain to mourn over the graves of a people once more powerful and hopeful than yours. But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man whose God walked and talked with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We will see.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
How does the speaker realize that he should not mourn the untimely fate of his people?
Joe did not see the Guardians of the Poor on that day, on the next, nor on the day following. In fact, he never saw them at all on Maggie’s account, for in less than a week Mrs. Joe Thompson would as soon leave thought of taking up her own abode in the almshouse as sending Maggie there.
What light and blessing did that sick and helpless child bring to the home of Joe Thompson, the poor wheelwright! It had been dark, and cold, and miserable there for a long time just because his wife had nothing to love and care for out of herself, and so became soar, irritable, ill-tempered, and self-afflicting in the desolation of her woman’s nature. Now the sweetness of that sick child, looking ever to her in love, patience, and gratitude, was as honey to her soul, and she carried her in her heart as well as in her arms, a precious burden. As for Joe Thompson, there was not a man in all the neighbourhood who drank daily of a more precious wine of life than he. An angel had come into his house, disguised as a sick, helpless, and miserable child, and filled all its dreary chambers with the sunshine of love.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Why did Joe not see the Guardians of the poor on that day or ever again?
Complete the following sentence.
Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran________________________________.
Why did Soapy not like to go to his known persons?
Answer the following question:
Describe Kalpana Chawla’s first mission in space.
Replace the italicised portion of the sentence below with a suitable phrase from the box. Make necessary changes, wherever required.
The patient needs to be properly taken care of.
Referring closely to the poem, The Darkling Thrush, examine the poet's encounter with the aged thrush as a passage from amazement to introspection.
Tarapada, the central character in the short story, Atithi, is a free soul who cannot be restrained by the bonds of society. Examine this statement in 200-250 words.
