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Ghosts and Haunting Have Fascinated the Public for Centuries. Although Many Doubt the Existence of Ghosts Or Other Paranormal Entities - English Communicative

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प्रश्न

Ghosts and haunting have fascinated the public for centuries. Although many doubt the existence of ghosts or other paranormal entities, many people dedicate their lives to searching and recording paranormal activity. Ghost tours, support groups and research societies, to name just a few, permeate our society and seek to answer questions about paranormal activity.   Interview your friends, relatives and people in your neighbourhood about whether they believe in the existence of ghosts. Ask them to tell you of any specific experiences they might have had in this context. In your groups, identify the most fascinating anecdote you have gathered on the basis of your interactions. Narrate it to the class

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उत्तर

Ghosts, paranormal entities all these sound spooky and give me goosebumps. I interviewed some of imy friends and came to know about their most eerie experiences. However, some of the stories were really scary and I want to share one such story with you. It so happened that one of the my friends was visiting his grandparents’ place by train. It was night-time and there was no one in the compartment except my friend. He took out his sleeping bag and making himself comfortable started reading a book. While reading, he fell asleep. He woke up suddenly on hearing a knock at the door of his compartment that was bolted from inside, the train had halted at a platform. He got down from his berth and opened the door. But there was nobody outside. After bolting the door, he turned and again came a knock, this time louder than before. Suddenly, he recoiled in horror as he saw a small, white icy cold hand coming out of the closed door of the compartment. A strange scraping sound could also be hared that frightened him out of his wits. He shrieked loudly and was about to faint when the train began to move and he came back to his senses. When the T.T. arrived he shared this strange experience with him and was shocked to hear that many people had claimed to have seen the hand. For the rest of the journey, my friend just sat and prayed to God and felt relieved only when he reached his grandparents’ home safely. I also shuddered to hear his account.

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A Shady Plot
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पाठ 4: A Shady Plot - Exercises [पृष्ठ ५१]

APPEARS IN

सीबीएसई English Communicative - Literature Reader [English] Class 10
पाठ 4 A Shady Plot
Exercises | Q 10 | पृष्ठ ५१

संबंधित प्रश्‍न

How does the lesson, 'A Shady Plot' remind us that man has no right to invoke supernatural powers through Ouija boards, Tarot cards etc to solve his problems and that one should face life boldly and overcome difficulties using wit and intelligence. Write in 80−100 words.


The title of the story is A Shady Plot. The dictionary defines the words as:
plot noun.


Based on your reading of the story answer the following question by ticking the correct option.

John wants the ghost to disappear before his wife enters the room and waves his arms
at the ghost with something of the motion of a beginner when learning to swim. His
movement shows his ………………………


Based on your reading of the story answer the following question by ticking the correct option.

The ghost says "It's all your fault.'It' here refers to ………………………


Answer the following question briefly.

Does the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence
from the story.


Answer the following question briefly.

How does the ghost undermine the narrator's faith in his ability to write ghost stories?


Answer the following question briefly.

What message does the ghost convey to the group assembled in the narrator's house? What is their reaction to the message?


Answer the following question briefly.

Why does John wish himself to be dead?


Answer the following question briefly.

When confronted by Lavinia about his flirtations over the Ouija Board, John insists that 'the affair was quite above-board, I assure you, my love'. Bring out the pun in John's statement.


Answer the following question briefly.

John's apprehensions about his wife's reaction to her encounter with the ghost are
unfounded. Justify.


The narrator and his wife reveal something about their character through their words and actions. We also learn about them from what other people say. Can you pick out the words that describe them from the box given below? Also, pick out lines and instances from the story to illustrate your choice.

shy      arrogant     loyal     clever      overconfident            manipulative
protective     self- disparaging       suspicious      sceptical       jealous fearless
firm        shrewd           strong          gullible       sly        creative
loves     novelty       and     thrills

 

Person Extract from story What it tells us
about the character
John Hallock  1. …in the end things had always come my way….. somehow I'd always been able to dig one (plot) up for him, so I'd begun to get a bit cocky as to my ability (to write stories). 1. ____________
2. "But my ghosts aren't a bit like you----". 2. sceptical
3. We scout around until we find a writer without ideas and with a mind soft enough to accept impression. 3. gullible
4.  .................................................................. 4. creative
5.  ................................................................... 5. protective
LaviniaHallock 1. .................................................................... 1. loves novelty and thrills 
2..................................................................... 2. spendthrift
3. ..................................................................... 3. suspicious
4. ....................................................................... 4. jealous
5. Buys the Ouija board but says it is for John's research. 5. manipulative
6. Does not flinch when she meets the ghost but talks to her casually. 6. strong

 


Gladolia, the narrator's cook, is an African. The language she speaks is different from that of the others. This is known as Dialect. A dialect consists of words or phrases that reflect the regional variety of a language. An author often uses a dialect to make the dialogue more authentic. Initially, a dialogue may seem a little difficult to understand. However, as you continue reading, the language becomes more comprehensible.
Working in groups, write what Gladolia's words mean as shown.

Column A Column B
• Misto Hallock • Mister Hallock
• de Missus  
• sho t'inks you's lost!  
• she done 'phone you dis mawnin'  
• fo' de lawd's sake  
• not to stop to argify now  
• I's gwine t' quit.  
• I don't like no hoodoos.  
• I'se done lef' dis place  
• I is  

Do you think a story has an atmosphere? Complete the following blanks to make
up your ghost story by choosing the correct options.

                                          A Ghost Story
   She opened the _________________ (secret door/ spaceship's hatch/
   door of the cottage/ cemetery gate/ door of the castle/ cockpit)
   _________________ (brashly/ loudly/ silently/ stupidly/ fearfully/ joyously).
   Standing in front of her was a ________________ (terrifying/ handsome/
  smelly/ anonymous/ tiny/ huge/ bossy) ___________ (policeman/ spy/
  apparition/ witch/ prince/ wizard) with a _________________ (wand/ rose/
  rod/ knife/ scythe/ coded message) in his/ her (its) _________________
  (ghoulish/ bony/ beautiful/ fair/ manly/ gloved/ magical) hand.

Now that you have shared a ghost story/anecdote as well as completed a guided story in the class, create your own ghost story on the basis of the starters given below:

a) Stephen knew he would never sleep. The noises, those horrid sounds, would keep him awake...

b) Tap, tap, tap. Was it the branches of the nearby tree, or fingernails against the window?

c) People often say, 'There's no such thing as ghosts....

You are familiar with the key elements of a short story viz setting, plot, conflict, character and point of view. Given below are specifics to be kept in mind while writing a ghost story. Also make use of the vocabulary that you have learnt from the story ‘A
Shady Plot’.

• Colours, sounds, feeling words
• Strong definite characters
• Creating suspense
• Setting the scene and the atmosphere

• Describing the weather
• Clear opening line
• Personal feelings
• Clear ending
• Describing the sounds
• Adding a dramatic element
• Mystery


Answer the following questions :

The Ghost loved the stormy weather because ….(Complete the statement by
ticking the correct option)


Answer the following question:

The Ghost was particularly angry with Washington and wished to frighten him
because…. ...................................................................(Complete the statement)


Why did Lavinia decide to leave her husband, John ? 


Answer the following question:
In the story "Shady Plot", why did Helen appear in bits and pieces?


Comment on Elsie Brown’s writing style in the story, The Shady Plot.


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