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प्रश्न
‘To this day, I don’t know how I did it’ - What does ‘it’ refer to?
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उत्तर
Once, the author knocked a soft drink onto the lap of a sweet little lady sitting beside him. The flight attendant came and cleaned her up and brought him a replacement drink. Instantly he knocked ‘it’ onto the woman again. To this day, the author does not remember how he spilled the drink twice on the same lady passenger seated next to him in the airplane.
He just remembers reaching out for the new drink and watch helplessly as his arm, like some cheap prop in one of those 1950 horror movies with a name swept the drink from its perch and onto her lap. The sweet lady was an mm. She looked at him with a stupefied expression. She uttered an oath that started with oh! and ended with sake. In between, she used some words the author had never heard before in public.
“I don’t know what is messier, my room or my life. ”
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संबंधित प्रश्न
What is your favourite sport? Do you play any sport?
In India, the number of women pursuing careers in sports is considerably less, when compared to men. What do you think are the reasons? Discuss with a partner and share the ideas with the class.
How forgetful are you?
How sharp is your memory?
Take this five-minute memory test. The teacher will read out a series of 30 words, one by one. Some of them will be repeated. Whenever you hear a word for the first time, write ‘N’ (for New) in the corresponding box, and when you hear a repeated word write ‘R’. After completing this task, check your results. Compare it with your friends and see where you stand.
| 1 | N | 11 | 21 | ||
| 2 | 12 | 22 | |||
| 3 | 13 | 23 | |||
| 4 | 14 | 24 | |||
| 5 | 15 | 25 | |||
| 6 | 16 | 26 | |||
| 7 | 17 | 27 | |||
| 8 | 18 | 28 | |||
| 9 | 19 | 29 | |||
| 10 | 20 | 30 |
What are the articles the writer forgets most often?
Who are the citizens of ‘dreamland’? Why?
What are our memories filled with?
The list of articles lost in trains suggest that sportsmen have worse memories than their ordinary serious-minded fellows. Why does Lynd say this?
Many of us have unused, old but valuable items at home. If we wish to get rid of them, we can sell them at an auction. Items like paintings, jewels, household articles, vehicles, even houses can be auctioned.
The flowchart below will help you understand how an auction is conducted.

What kind of excuses did the narrator think he could make?
Barbizon refers to a ______.
How did the narrator take advantage of the situation?
Form a meaningful summary of the lesson by rewriting the numbers in the correct sequence:
| a) The narrator had only 63 pounds with him and did not know how to manage the situation. | |
| b) The narrator thought of all his relations from whom he could borrow. | |
| c) Unfortunately he had made the highest bid. | |
| d) The narrator entered Christie’s as his friend persuaded him to visit the saleroom. | |
| e) Every time someone else made a higher bid and the narrator was not caught. | |
| f) The narrator on a sudden impulse added 50 more guineas, to the amount offered. | |
| g) His friend joined him then but left immediately unable to control his laughter. | |
| h) He even thought of borrowing from moneylenders and considered the possibility of confessing the truth to the staff at Christie’s. | |
| i) The picture was declared sold to the narrator. | |
| j) After some time a picture was put up and a bid for 4000 guineas was raised. | |
| k) A sudden stroke of luck befell the narrator when he heard that the gent who had made the bid of 4000 guineas would offer him the additional 50 guineas and buy the picture. | |
| l) The narrator kept bidding just for fun. | |
| m) The picture was given away to the other bidder and the narrator was saved from humiliation. | |
| n) His friend had left the place roaring with laughter at the narrator’s predicament. | |
| o) The narrator was quite happy at the offer but demanded 100 guineas instead of the 50. Now there was no need for him to make any payment. |
Trace the thoughts that went on in the mind of the narrator when picture after picture was put up and sold at the auction.
Work in pairs. Look at the mind map below and add a few other features of democracy you can think of. Share your answers with the class.
- e.g. sharing and caring
Discuss this aspect with your partner and share your views on how students can give back to society.
Who does the speaker claim to represent?
What was the role of scholars and poets in olden days?
In what ways have universities improved the society?
Students are instilled with some of the essential values and skills while at the universities. Enumerate them.
What are the hindrances graduates face in their task of serving the society?
How do Universities mould students apart from imparting academic education to them?
How does the speaker highlight the importance of giving back to the society?
Give a few instances of Bryson’s confused acts.
Why did the author’s concern over tobacco shift to his finger?
How would staying away from liquid mischief benefit Bryson?
‘… But, when it’s my own - well, I think hysterics are fully justified’ – How?
As a fellow passenger of Bill Bryson on the flight, make a diary entry describing his clumsy behaviour during the trip and the inconveniences caused to others as a result of his nervousness.
