Question

Read the following passage and do the activities:
A1. Choose the correct alternatives from the given options and rewrite the sentences :
(appealing, casually, flattery, well-oiled) (2)
(1) I followed ….........
(2) Anil talked about the ….........wrestlers.
(3) I gave him my most ….........smile.
(4) A little …......... helps in making friends.

I was still a thief when 1 met Anil. And though only 15, was an experienced and fairly successful hand.
Anil was watching a wrestling match when I approached him. He was about 25 — a tall, lean fellow — and he looked easy-going, kind and simple enough for my purpose. I hadn’t had much luck of late and thought I might be able to get into the young man’s confidence.
“You look a bit of a wrestler yourself,” I said. A little flattery helps in making friends.
“So do you,” he replied, which put me off for a moment because at that time I was rather thin.
“Well, I said modestly, “I do wrestle a bit.”
“What's your name ?”
“Hari Singh,” I lied. I took a new name every month. That kept me ahead of the police and my former employers.
After this introduction, Anil talked about the well-oiled wrestlers who were grunting, lifting and throwing each other about. I didn't have much to say. Anil walked away. I followed casually.
“Hello again,” he said.
I gave him my most appealing smile. “I want to work for you”. I said.
“But I can't pay you.”
I thought that over for a minute. Perhaps I had misjudged my man. I asked, “Can you feed me ?”
“Can you cook ?”
“I can cook,” I lied again.
“If you can cook, then may be I can feed you.”
He took me to his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop and told me I could sleep on the balcony. But the meal I cooked that night must have been terrible because Anil gave it to a stray dog and told me to be off. But I just hung around, smiling in my most appealing way, and he couldn’t help laughing.

A2. Complete the following web-chart: (2)

A3. Find the similar meaning words from the passage for the following : (2)
(1) endearing
(2) miscalculated
(3) humbly
(4) awful

A4.
(1) “I want to work for you,” I said. (1)
     (Change it into indirect speech)
(2) I can’t pay you.                           (1) 
    (Rewrite making it affirmative)

A5. “We should learn from our own mistakes.” Explain. (2)

Answer 1

A1 
(1) I followed casually.
(2) Anil talked about the well – oiled wrestlers.
(3) I gave him my most appealing smile.
(4) A little flattery helps in making friends.

A2

A3
(1) appealing
(2) misjudged
(3) kind
(4) terrible

A4
(1) I said that I wanted to work with him.
(2) I refused to pay.

A5
We need to learn from our mistakes so that we do not run the risk of repeating them. We must develop the wisdom and sense to make good decisions and choices. If you have a difficult time making decisions or always blame your bad outcomes on others, then you have not learned anything.
We should forget our mistakes and more on but never forget what it taught you. Take your mistakes as learning and try to improve it.