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महाराष्ट्र राज्य शिक्षण मंडळएचएससी कला (इंग्रजी माध्यम) इयत्ता ११ वी

Expand the idea inherent in the following proverb: A Bad workman blames his tools. - English

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प्रश्न

Expand the idea inherent in the following proverb:

A Bad workman blames his tools.

लेखन कौशल्य
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उत्तर

A bad workman blames his tools

A workman who is not good at his work blames his tools and not himself. Blaming his tools is a bad workman’s way of not owning up to his mistakes or taking responsibility for a job not done well.
When a workman doesn’t do his job right, he loses credibility, and his clients are driven away. Thus, he cannot take ownership of the bad work since that will establish him as a poor workman. Fearing this bad reputation, he blames everything but himself for his mediocre deliverables.

Citing excuses, delaying deadlines, and pointing fingers are some of the many arrows in a bad workman’s quiver of fallacy. According to him, everything conspires against him whenever he is trying to do his job well. This saying is suitable for people who lack certain skill sets or qualities, and instead of correcting them and improving, they make excuses for themselves by blaming it on external factors. The saying thus continues, 'A bad workman always quarrels with his tools.'

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  या प्रश्नात किंवा उत्तरात काही त्रुटी आहे का?
पाठ 3.1: Expansion of Ideas - Brainstorming [पृष्ठ १००]

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बालभारती English Yuvakbharati [English] Standard 11 Maharashtra State Board
पाठ 3.1 Expansion of Ideas
Brainstorming | Q (A1) (i) | पृष्ठ १००

संबंधित प्रश्‍न

Read the passage given below : 

1. Maharana Pratap ruled over Mewar only for 25 years. However, he accomplished so much grandeur during his reign that his glory surpassed the boundaries of countries and time turning him into an immortal personality. He along with his kingdom became a synonym for valour, sacrifice and patriotism. Mewar had been a leading Rajput kingdom even before Maharana Pratap occupied the throne. Kings of Mewar, with the cooperation of their nobles and subjects, had established such traditions in the kingdom, as augmented their magnificence despite the hurdles of having a smaller area under their command and less population. There did come a few thorny occasions when the flag of the kingdom seemed sliding down. Their flag once again heaved high in the sky thanks to the gallantry and brilliance of the people of Mewar.
 
2. The destiny of Mewar was good in the sense that barring a few kings, most of the rulers were competent and patriotic. This glorious tradition of the kingdom almost continued for 1500 years since its establishment, right from the reign of Bappa Rawal. In fact, only 60 years before Maharana Pratap, Rana Sanga drove the kingdom to the pinnacle of fame. His reputation went beyond Rajasthan and reached Delhi. Two generations before him. Rana Kumbha had given a new stature to the kingdom through victories and developmental work. During his reign, literature and art also progressed extraordinarily. Rana himself was inclined towards writing and his works are read with reverence even today The ambience of his kingdom was conducive to the creation of high-quality work of art and literature. These accomplishments were the outcome of a longstanding tradition sustained by several generations.
 
3. The life of the people of Mewar must have been peaceful and prosperous during the long span of time; otherwise, such extraordinary accomplishment in these fields would not have been possible. This is reflected in their art and literature as well as their loving nature. They compensate for the lack of admirable physique by their firm but pleasant nature. The ambience of Mewar remains lovely thanks to the cheerful and liberal character of its people.
 
4. One may observe astonishing pieces of workmanship not only in the forts and palaces of Mewar but also in public utility buildings. Ruins of many structures which are still standing tall in their grandeur are testimony to the fact that Mewar was not only the land of the brave but also a seat of art and culture. Amidst aggression and bloodshed, literature and art flourished and creative pursuits of literature and artists did not suffer. Imagine, how glorious the period must have been when the Vijaya Stambha which is the sample of our great ancient architecture even today, was constructed. In the same fort, Kirti Stambha is standing high, reflecting how liberal the then administration was which allowed people from other communities and kingdoms to come and carry out construction work. It is useless to indulge in the debate whether the Vijaya Stambha was constructed first or the Kirti Stambha. The fact is that both the capitals are standing side by side and reveal the proximity between the king and the subjects of Mewar.
 
5. The cycle of time does not remain the same Whereas the reign of Rana Sanga was crucial in raising the kingdom to the acme of glory, it also proved to be his nemesis. History took a turn. The fortune of Mewar – the land of the brave, started waning. Rana tried to save the day with his acumen which was running against the stream and the glorious traditions for some time.
 
On the basis of your understanding of the above passage answer each of the questions given below with the help of options that follow :
 
(a) Maharana Pratap became immortal because :
(i) he ruled Mewar for 25 years.
(ii) he added a lot of grandeur to Mewar.
(iii) of his valour, sacrifice and patriotism.
(iv) both (ii) and (iii)

(b) Difficulties in the way of Mewar were :
(i) lack of cooperation of the nobility.
(ii) ancient traditions of the kingdom.
(iii) its small area and small population.
(iv) the poverty of the subjects.
 
(c) During thorny occasions :
(i) the flag of Mewar seemed to be lowered.
(ii) the flag of Mewar was hoisted high.
(iii) the people of Mewar showed gallantry.
(iv) most of the rulers heaved a sigh of relief.

(d) Mewar was lucky because :
(i) all of its rulers were competent.
(ii) most of its people were competent.
(iii) most of its rulers were competent.
(iv) only a few of its people were incompetent.
 
Answer the following questions briefly:
(e) Who is the earliest king of Mewar mentioned in the passage?
(f) What was Rana Kumbha's contribution to the glory of Mewar?
(g) What does the writer find worth admiration in the people of Mewar?
(h) How could art and literature flourish in Mewar?
(i) How did the rulers show that they cared for their subjects?
(j) What does the erection of Vijaya Stambha and Kirti Stambha in the same fort signify?
(k) Find words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following:
(i) surprising (para 4)
(ii) evidence (para 4)

Read the passage carefully and complete the activities given below :
A1 True or False

(i) Cross-cutting swords were used to seal the wall.
(ii) Hearing Mataprasad’s footsteps the cobra glided out of the wall.

                                               Passage
“Go, tell Neel,” I whispered to Akhil. “Tell him to get help.
”While I waited, I prayed that Rex would not make any sudden movements. The cobra would lash out in swift, sure revenge. I do not know how long I stood there, riveted by the horrifying tableau being enacted before me. At last, I heard footsteps coming along the passage. It was Mataprasad, the mali, with a solid reassuring stick.

At the sound of his approach, the cobra lowered its head and glided out of a hole in the wall.
 
The next day, masons came to seal the hole through which the cobra had slid in. And men in gumboots armed with scythes and grass-cutting swords cleaned up the compound. They hacked away at the tall grass. And what had lain hidden for years surfaced. For instance, we discovered that someone had laid out a badminton court many years ago. And we discovered a grave. It was a small grave, close to the boundary wall. There was a moss blackened stone at its head with just the faintest trace of the words engraved on it. We identified the words with our fingers.

A2  Mention the two things that were found when the tall grass was hacked.

A3 The narrator prayed that Rex should not make any sudden movements meets. Explain giving reasons.

Divide the article into four sections based on the shifts in the sub-topics and give a suitable sub-heading for each section. One has been done for you in the article as an example.


Read the play out in parts. Enact the play on a suitable occasion.


Explain the line:
She makes too much steam–you want to hang the monkey wrench on the safety valve!


Why does Russell call the three passions 'simple'?


Qua story’: what does the word mean? Find other expressions using the word qua.


Answer in your own words.

Why did she decide to keep her new knowledge ‘a secret’?


The special thread for kite - flying is sharpened by adding sugar and glass pieces.


Discuss with your partner and complete the web, highlighting the sad and gloomy aspects of life mentioned in the first part of the poem.


Refer to a good dictionary that carries phonetic transcriptions printed next to words. The word below is familiar to you. Copy the phonetic transcription from the dictionary and say it aloud as you write.

work ........


Say WHY. . . . . .

Hardy and Ramanujan could not talk freely with each other.


Form pairs and decide whether the following statements are those of a Great Indian Bustard or not.

Statements Great Indian Bustard Some Other Bird
(a) I am the heaviest flying bird in India.    
(b) I am known as Maldhok or Hoom in Marathi.    
(c) I live in mountainous regions.    
(d) I don’t like grasshoppers or beetles.    
(e) We don’t believe in building nests.    
(f) Our chick stays with the mother for a period of nearly one year.    
(g) I am the State bird of Maharashtra.    
(h) We have been pushed away from more than 90 percent of our home regions.    

Fill in the gap, choosing a word from the bracket to make an appropriate comparison.

as ______ as a worm


List all the words specially used in the game of Kabaddi.


Read aloud the speech in which Thiruvalluvar explains how the fabric was made. Present the process in the form of a chart. Draw pictures for the chart and label them.


Answer the following question in one sentence.

What does the man who misses all the fun do?


Antonio’s ships were lost at sea.


How was the committee formed?


Visit a library:
Read Lewis Carroll’s book ‘Alice in Wonderland.’


Make a time table of your daily routine

  1. On a school day
  2. On a holiday, and
  3. During examinations.

Start at the time you normally get up and list your activities
hourly: 7 am to 8 am, and so on.


Put the following events in chronological order.

  1. The sword in the stone appeared in the churchyard.
  2. Lord Uther died.
  3. Lord Uther drove the barbarians away.
  4. The Lords and knights began to fight for the kingdom.
  5. Sir Kay left his sword behind at home.
  6. Merlin announced that Arthur was the son of Lord Uther.
  7. Arthur brought the sword from the churchyard.
  8. Ancient Britain was invaded by wild barbarians.
  9. Many knights tried to pull the sword out of the stone.
  10. Arthur grew up in Sir Ector’s house.
  11. Merlin entrusted a baby to Sir Ector.

Read the following sentence aloud. Write who said it and to whom.

“I would rather not go to the party.”


Complete the following sentence with reference to the passage.

They may be composed and sung or recited for many years before __________________.


There are many popular lines like:-

  • ‘Life is a gameplay it well’.
  • ‘Life is a journey- keep going ahead’.

Discuss and write down a few such metaphorical lines about ‘life’. You can make them up yourselves.

  1. ____________________________
  2. ____________________________
  3. ____________________________
  4. ____________________________
  5. ____________________________

The table-tennis set was gifted by ______.


Write in your own words.

How does the poet describe his home in the second stanza?


Describe the following in one or two lines.

The world around the bird’s nest.


Read the word. Write the words that combine to make it.

gentle-hearted 


What examples of plentiful things does the poet give?


Read the following and say whether the statement tells you about a fact or whether it is imaginary.

There is a man in the Moon.


Where was the well situated?


Find a word that has a similar meaning.

happily


How did the bird try to reach its parents without having to fly?


Identify the character or speaker.

I was Duke of Milan, and you were a princess.


Identify the character or speaker

I must finish my task before I take my rest.”


Who am I?

Who Am I? is a guessing game where players use ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions to guess the identity of a famous person. Questions are based upon the traits and characteristics of a person everyone will be able to identify.

Divide the class into groups. One group should decide the personality while the other group should ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ type questions. To win the game, a team needs to find out the person within 10 clues.

Sample questions to ask. Answers must be ‘yes’ or ‘no’ only

  1. Are you a male (female)?
  2. Are you a famous personality?
  3. Are you a singer (dancer, actor)?
  4. Are you a historical figure?
  5. Are you young (old)?
  6. Are you alive now?
  7. Does your name start with ‘___’?
  8. Is he/she ____ ?

Complete the following table with information from the anecdote about Mr. Scotti’s short trip.

Name Nicholas Scotti
Occupation  
Reason for his trip  
Means of transport  
Destination  

Usha went to visit her______ house after shopping in the market.


What made the trip a memorable one?


Identify the speaker/character.

"Don't let us down now, Gulliver; we need your help."


Name the vegetables harvested in the vegetation hab.


Why does the poet fly out of the universe?


How can we make our nation proud?


Jaswantgarh is named after the Indian soldier ______.


Robot asked Vicky to sell him to an ______ master.


It never takes ______ and ______.


Look at the picture and Choose the correct word.


Choose the correct option from the given homophones.

You should never ______ to your parents.


Identify the character or the speaker.

“I hope he is safe.”


Leafcutter ants drink______.


Read the passage three times and colour a dustbin each time.

I am Mani. I had to take a bus to nearby city. I crossed the road to reach the bus stand. I got the bus, sat down, and read a book. Before I started to read, I just looked at the people around me. The two men sitting next to me were talking loudly. Some were listening to music on their phone. I was unable to focus on reading. The men were talking about cleaning the city. As they were talking, they opened a pack of biscuits to eat. After some time I dozed off. When I opened my eyes, the bus had reached the city. The two men were not there but pieces of the biscuits and wrappers were there. I cleaned the wrappers and put them in the dustbin.

  1. What did Mani take out?
  2. What did Mani find on the seat when he woke up?
  3. If you were Mani, what would you do?

What did the children buy with money they have?


What incident made Mugund make a wooden drum?


What was the truth finally learned by Chris?


What do you think birds say to each other in the morning?


What does the poet want us to do at night?


Where did they go to buy books?


On the basis of your understanding of the given passage, make notes in any appropriate format.

The Sherpas were nomadic people who first migrated from Tibet approximately 600 years ago, through the Nangpa La pass and settled in the Solukhumbu District, Nepal. These nomadic people then gradually moved westward along salt trade routes. During 14th century, Sherpa ancestors migrated from Kham. The group of people from the Kham region, east of Tibet, was called “Shyar Khamba”. The inhabitants of Shyar Khamba, were called Sherpa. Sherpa migrants travelled through Ü and Tsang, before crossing the Himalayas. According to Sherpa oral history, four groups migrated out of Solukhumbu at different times, giving rise to the four fundamental Sherpa clans: Minyagpa, Thimmi, Sertawa and Chawa. These four groups have since split into the more than 20 different clans that exist today

Sherpas had little contact with the world beyond the mountains and they spoke their own language. AngDawa, a 76-year-old former mountaineer recalled “My first expedition was to Makalu [the world’s fifth highest mountain] with Sir Edmund Hillary’’. We were not allowed to go to the top. We wore leather boots that got really heavy when wet, and we only got a little salary, but we danced the Sherpa dance, and we were able to buy firewood and make campfires, and we spent a lot of the time dancing and singing and drinking. Today Sherpas get good pay and good equipment, but they don’t have good entertainment. My one regret is that I never got to the top of Everest. I got to the South Summit, but I never got a chance to go for the top.

The transformation began when the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and the New Zealander Edmund Hillary scaled Everest in 1953. Edmund Hillary took efforts to build schools and health clinics to raise the living standards of the Sherpas. Thus life in Khumbu improved due to the efforts taken by Edmund Hillary and hence he was known as ‘Sherpa King’.

Sherpas working on the Everest generally tend to perish one by one, casualties of crevasse falls, avalanches, and altitude sickness. Some have simply disappeared on the mountain, never to be seen again. Apart from the bad seasons in 1922, 1970 and 2014 they do not die en masse. Sherpas carry the heaviest loads and pay the highest prices on the world’s tallest mountain. In some ways, Sherpas have benefited from the commercialization of the Everest more than any group, earning income from thousands of climbers and trekkers drawn to the mountain. While interest in climbing Everest grew gradually over the decades after the first ascent, it wasn’t until the 1990s that the economic motives of commercial guiding on Everest began. This leads to eclipse the amateur impetus of traditional mountaineering. Climbers looked after each other for the love of adventure and “the brotherhood of the rope” now are tending to mountain businesses. Sherpas have taken up jobs as guides to look after clients for a salary. Commercial guiding agencies promised any reasonably fit person a shot at Everest.


Being a bachelor, the stranger had no patience with children.


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