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प्रश्न
This play, written in the 1950s, is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status of the mother in the family.
What are the issues it raises?
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उत्तर
Mother's Day is a comical satire. The story is a simple one, yet it strongly condemns the position of women in society. Our mothers and wives work hard daily, turning our houses into homes. They receive no wages and have no weekends off and work all day long, round the clock. Little do we realise the hard work they put in to make it all perfect. We take them for granted and never appreciate them or stop by to drop a word of 'thanks'. The story very clearly states that our mothers and wives have equal right to relax, enjoy their lives and deserve acknowledgement and appreciation. They sacrifice their whole lives building ours'. Husbands stay busy at work and kids are occupied in their own lives. Amidst all this women lose their self trying to contain our world.
APPEARS IN
संबंधित प्रश्न
B1. What does the poet want us to do in the following situation?
(a) While struggling ………..
(b) While making money ………
(c) While dreaming ………………
(d) While losing …………..
It's doing your job the best you can,
And being just to your fellow man;
It's making money-but holding friends,
And being true to your aims and ends.
It's figuring how and learning why,
And looking forward and thinking high;
And dreaming a little and doing much,
It's keeping always in closest touch.
With what is finest in word and deed,
It's being through, yet making speed;
It's daring blithely the field of chance,
While making labour a brave romance.
It’s going onward despite defeat
And fighting staunchly, but keeping sweet;
It's struggling on with the will to win,
But taking loss with a cheerful grin.
B2. Achieving Success
Hints given by the poet to become successful are
(a) Doing your job the best
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
B3. Poetic Device
Select the appropriate rhyme scheme for the 3rd stanza.
(1) abab
(2) aabb
(3) aaba
B1. Select
Fill in the blanks choosing the correct alternatives from those given in the bracket:
(i) The author was inspired and motivated to read ............................................ by the time she was eleven.
[Shakespeare, Chaucer, G.B. Shaw]
(ii) Every lesson .......................... ......... took was spiced with half a dozen or more anecdotes.
[Mrs. Rowlands, Sister Monica, Mr. A.N. Patil]
(iii) The teachers helped the narrator to become ..................................... . .
[confident, happy, independent]
(iv) Mrs. Cynthia Nesamani and Sister Monica gave .......................................... to the narrator.
[freedom to do what he wanted, advice to do something, instructions to produce better results]
In a way, one of the greatest gifts any teacher can give a student, I think, is to inculcate a curiosity to learn.
I've been incredibly lucky to have at least one such teacher at every stage in my life. The first was Mrs. Rowlands who taught me in primary school. She taught me to read without ever pushing me. She made me want to read more by giving 'me some of the most interesting children's books available. And although I still love to go back to those books from time to time, it was only because of her that I was able to read Shakespeare by the time I was ten, and Chaucer a year later.
In later years, it was Mr. A.N. Patil, my Marathi and Hindi Teacher who made a huge impression on me. Every lesson he took, was spiced with half a dozen or more anecdotes from a wide variety of subjects: among them history, politics, religion and sociology. I was, and still am in awe of his knowledge, which despite rather desperate attempts, I doubt I'll ever be able to match.
There have also been other teachers who helped me to try to become independent: to think and act for myself using my own judgement, which to my mind has been just as, if not more important, than actually learning anything.
After all, it's much too easy to become a completely useless repository of facts and little else.
Two teachers whom I remember in particular are Mrs. Cynthia Nesamani and Sister Monica, both taught me in school. The former, by and large, gave me a free rein to do what I wanted to do. I, being one of those people who dislike instructions, she helped me to produce much better results than I'd have otherwise done.
B2.Complete
Read the extract and complete the following:
The teacher can
(i) .............
(ii) ..............
(iii )..............
(iv).................
B3. Similar word
Look at the following sentences arid pick the word having similar meaning to the given word and rewrite:
(i) Spiced His conversation is always with a lot of humour. (made interesting, garnished, flavoured)
(ii) Repository
The library should not merely be a ................ of books. (store-house, reservoir, tank)
(iii) Inculcate
It is the responsibility of the parents and teachers to .......values in the child's formative years. (imbibe, give, show)
(iv) Incredibly
I have been .. lucky to have at least one such teacher at every stage in my life. (importantly, unbelievably, beautifully)
B4. Language study
(i) There have also been other teachers. They have helped me to try to become
independent. (Combine using 'who')
(ii) It was only because of her that I was able-to read Shakespeare.
(Rewrite beginning with: If it was not for her, ).
B.5 Out motivators
Look at the following table and complete it by presenting your own views
| Personalities | Influence on your life |
| (i) Teachers | |
| (ii) Parents | |
| (iii) Relatives | |
| (iv) Friends |
Read the passage carefully.
1. I remember my childhood as being generally happy and can recall experiencing some of the most carefree times of my life. But I can also remember, even more vividly, moments of being deeply frightened. As a child, I was truly terrified of the dark and getting lost. These fears were very real and caused me some extremely uncomfortable moments.
2. Maybe it was the strange way things looked and sounded in my familiar room at night that scared me so much. There was never total darkness, but a street light or passing car lights made clothes hung over a chair take on the shape of an unknown beast. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw curtains move when there was no breeze. A tiny creak in the floor would sound a hundred times louder than in the daylight and my imagination would take over, creating burglars and monsters. Darkness always made me feel helpless. My heart would pound and I would lie very still so that 'the enemy' wouldn't discover me.
3. Another childhood fear of mine was that I would get lost, especially on the way home from school. Every morning, I got on the school bus right near my home ‒ that was no problem. After school, though, when all the buses were lined up along the curve, I was terrified that I would get on the wrong one and be taken to some unfamiliar neighbourhood. I would scan the bus for the faces of my friends, make sure that the bus driver was the same one that had been there in the morning, and even then ask the others over and over again to be sure I was in the right bus. On school or family trips to an amusement park or a museum, I wouldn't let the leaders out of my sight. And of course, I was never very adventurous when it came to taking walks or hikes because I would go only where I was sure I would never get lost.
4. Perhaps, one of the worst fears I had as a child was that of not being liked or accepted by others. First of all, I was quite shy. Secondly, I worried constantly about my looks, thinking people wouldn't like me because I was too fat or wore braces. I tried to wear 'the right clothes' and had intense arguments with my mother over the importance of wearing flats instead of saddled shoes to school. Being popular was very important to me then and the fear of not being liked was a powerful one.
5. One of the processes of evolving from a child to an adult is being able to recognise and overcome our fears. I have learnt that darkness does not have to take on a life of its own, that others can help me when I am lost and that friendliness and sincerity will encourage people to like me. Understanding the things that scared us as children helps to cope with our lives as adults.
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using headings and subheadings. Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary.
(b) Make a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words using the notes made and also suggest a suitable title.
Read the passage given below :
(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 :
(ii) ancient traditions of the kingdom.
(iii) its small area and small population.
(iv) the poverty of the subjects.
(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 :
(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:
(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:
(ii) evidence (para 4)
What do the following utterance indicate?
(i)“I told her, through Daniel ...”
(ii)“It’s a cold,” he said finally through Tsetan.
Discuss the following statement in groups of two pairs, each pair in a group taking opposite points of view.
The methods of inquiry of history, science, and philosophy are similar.
Read the play out in parts. Enact the play on a suitable occasion.
How does the poem capture the elusive nature of the peacock?
Explain the phrase.
his bending sickle's compass
What, according to the poet, are human beings out of tune with?
Comment on the physical features of the hawk highlighted in the poem and their significance.
The poetic effect is achieved in the poem through understatement and asides. Discuss this with examples.
The poem is a satire against the present political class. How effectively does it convey the anger and anguish of the common man trapped in the system?
Find from the story one word for the following.
the highest-ranking officer in the Municipality of a city/town ______
Discuss the activities carried out by a farmer.

Think and answer in your own words.
Why does the poet call our life ‘poor’?
Ask your parents to show you TV programs on animals, wildlife and conservation on channels like the following:
DD National, National Geographic, Discovery, and Animal Planet.
Draw a diagram to show a volcanic eruption from its description given in this passage. Label the diagram. Show the following in it :
Volcano; earth’s crust; crack in the earth’s crust; hot molten rock; red, hot lava; smoke; ash; burning chunks of rock.
Where does the story take place?
How do the following avoid giving anything to the traveller?
Motiram
(Answer in one or two lines.)
Write the following in short:
The story of the three caskets.
How was the committee formed?
To whom is the poem addressed?
Guess the meaning of the following from the context.
The meadow is wrapped in shadow.
Write one line about the following with the help of the poem.
wind in the autumn evening
Think and answer:
Does the last line make you happy or sad? Why?
Who is the speaker in this poem?
The poet uses a free, conversational style in his poem. It is also called Colloquial style.
Pick out and write down such lines or expressions that support the above statement.
- ______ you have not done what I asked.
- _______________________.
- _______________________.
- _______________________.
- _______________________.
- _______________________.
Find out what 'Braille' is.
Identify the character or speaker.
He was the chief of all spirits.
Identify the character or speaker
He repented and implored his brother’s forgiveness.
Why was the narrator sorry to have paid attention to the footsteps?
Gilson asked the narrator to buy a tie.
Identify the speaker/character.
‘ It’s Somu’s thoughtless ways that reduce me to tears’
Why did Mrs. Jhunjhunwalla buy the painting?
Find a sentence/word from the text which express the following.
One of the qualities of the teacher.
What kind of a life do you want to lead in this world?
Read the lines and answer the questions.
There are many legends based on their heroic exploits
a legacy of tales which have been told with much adroit
- What does ‘heroic exploits’ mean?
- What are legends?
Tackling the Issues
Ask the class to discuss solutions to an issue that plagues contemporary society at large or just your community—for example, homelessness, violence, environmental degradation, hunger.
Half the class should mention idealistic solutions to the chosen issue; the other half should mention only realistic approaches to solving the problem.
See if, in listening to both sides, someone can come up with a proposal that is both realistic and unconventional—an idea that hasn't been tried yet.
Read the line and answer the question.
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying
Why does the poet ask for a windy day?
The terrorists asked Neerja to collect the passports of the passengers because ______.
Identify the speaker/character.
He'll have to be given artificial respiration and kept warm.
Grandfather helped grandma out with the gardening because he______.
Find example of alliteration and write them in the blank.
to muddy roads
monsoons and mangoes
Which line tells you that the girl was faster than the boy?
The battle of Nauranang lasted for three days.
How did Vicky change at the end?
Look at the picture and Choose the correct word.

How will you treat your guest?
Answer the following yes or no question.
Did Bujju realise his mistake?
What party is that?
List out the questions to which you seek answer using 'Why?'

Who showed love and care to the children?
What was the reason behind Nandhini’s dullness?
Try your own.

Choose the correct one.
Elephant

Choose the correct one.
Rooster

What did Bala want to learn?
Does the brush bend to her will?
Being a bachelor, the stranger had no patience with children.
