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Question
Answer the following question briefly.
Does the speaker seem happy about his decision?
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Solution
The speaker doesn’t seem to be happy about his decision. Whether the choice is right or wrong can’t be decided on the spur of the moment. Only after ‘ages and ages’ he will realise the mistake that he made years ago. He will be ‘telling with a sigh’ to others that it was not a wise decision. Two roads diverged in a wood and he ‘took the one less travelled by’. The roads are fascinating metaphors for life. The choice has made all the difference in his life.
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You are the grandmother. How did you feel when your granddaughter gave you the novel ‘Kashi Yatre’ ? Write your feelings in your diary.
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Here is a story about Swami and his grandmother. After reading the excerpt, change it into a conversation between Swami and his Grandmother.
After the night meal with his head on his granny’s lap, nestling close to her, Swaminathan felt very snug and safe in the faint atmosphere of cardamom and cloves. ‘Oh, Granny !’ he cried ecstatically. ‘You don’t know what a great fellow Rajam is.’ He told her the story of the first enmity between Rajam and Mani and the subsequent friendship.
‘You know, he has a real police dress,’ said Swaminathan. ‘Is it? What does he want a police dress for?’ asked Granny.
‘His father is the Police Superintendent. He is the master of every policeman here.’ Granny was impressed. She said that it must be a tremendous office indeed. She then recounted the days when her husband, Swaminathan’s grandfather, was a powerful sub-magistrate, in which office he made the police force tremble before him and the fiercest dacoits of the place flee. Swaminathan waited impatiently for her to finish the story. But she went on, rambled, confused, mixed up various incidents that took place at different times. ‘That will do, Granny,’ he said ungraciously. ‘Let me tell you something about Rajam. Do you know how many marks he gets in arithmetic?’
‘He gets all the marks, does he, child?’ asked Granny.
‘No silly. He gets ninety marks out of one hundred.’
‘Good. But you must also try and get marks like him…. You know, Swami, your grandfather used to frighten the examiners with his answers sometimes. When he answered a question, he did it in a tenth of the time that others took to do it. And then, his answers would be so powerful that his teachers would give him two hundred marks sometimes.
‘Oh, enough, Granny ! You go on bothering about old unnecessary stories. Won’t you listen to Rajam?’
‘Yes, dear, yes.’
‘Granny, when Rajam was a small boy, he killed a tiger.’
Swaminathan started the story enthusiastically : Rajam’s father was camping in a forest. He had his son with him. Two tigers came upon them suddenly, one knocking down the father from behind. The other began chasing Rajam, who took shelter behind a bush and shot it dead with his gun.
‘Granny, are you asleep?’ Swaminathan asked at the end of the story.
Now read the dialogue and complete the conversation:
Swarni: You don’t know what a great fellow Raj am is! In the beginning I could not get along with him but now he is my good friend. And you know, he has a real police dress.
Grandmother: Is it? What does he want a police dress for?
Swarni: His father is the Police Superintendent. He is the master of every policeman here.
Grandmother: I think, it must be a tremendous office. Do you know, your grandfather was a powerful submagistrate and the Police Force trembled before him? Even the fiercest dacoits of the place fled.
Swarni: That will do, Granny. It’s so boring. Let me tell you something about Raj am. Do you know how many marks he gets in arithmetic?
Grandmother: He gets all the marks, doesn’t he, child?
With your partner, discuss and narrate an incident about a person who likes to show off.
Check whether your classmates agree with you.
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by ticking the correct choice.
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Answer the following questions:
Name the different things that can be found floating in the brook.
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Share your choices and decisions with your partner.
Work individually, and rank the seven stages in order of attractiveness. If you
think being a schoolboy is most attractive stage, you could rank it number 1.
Then, work in groups of four and compare your individual rankings.
On the basis of your reading of the poem, complete the following table.
| Stages in the life of the poet | Activities | Consequences |
| Youth | eating toffees ____________ |
____________ |
| Adulthood | ____________ | gazing at the dentist in despair. |
Below are certain words that appear in the story of Amelia Earhart's journey.The meanings have been given in a jumbled order. Match the words with their meanings.
| Words | Meanings |
| 1.Navigator | (a) an infection of the bowels |
| 2.Skirting | (b) a person who flies an aircraft. |
| 3.Dysentery | (c) a person who plans a route for a ship or plane |
| 4.Parachute | (d) to put something in a safe place |
| 5.Cable | (e) to leave something with no intention of returning |
| 6.Precise | (f) to go or around the edge of something |
| 7.Transmit | (g) a device that is attached to people or objects to make them fall slowly and safely. |
| 8.Implement | (h) a small boat made of rubber or plastic that is filled with air. |
| 9.Raft | (i) a set of wires, covered in plastic or rubber that carries electricity or telephone signals |
| 10.Stowed | (j) carry out |
| 11.Aviator | (k) exact |
| 12.Abandoned | (l) to send an electric signal |
Complete the following paragraph with suitable words/ phrases highlighting the
theme of the play. You can do it in pairs.
The play deals with a _________ and _________ Bishop who is always ready to lend a
__________ hand to anyone in distress. A __________ breaks into the Bishop's house
and is __________and warmed. The benevolence of the Bishop somewhat
_____________ the convict, but, when he sees the silver candlesticks, he
________them, and runs away. However, he is __________ and brought back. He
expects to go back to jail, but the Bishop informs the police they are a ___________.
The convict is_________by this kindness of the Bishop and before he leaves he seeks
the priest's blessing.
Select words from the above box to describe the characters in the play as
revealed by the following lines from the play.
| Lines from the play | Speaker | Quality revealed | |
| 1. | “You told him she was feeling poorly, did you ? And so my brother is to be kept out of bed, and go without his supper because you told him she was feeling poorly. ” | ||
| 2. | ….. “take my comforter, it will keep you warm. ” | ||
| 3. | “If people lie to me they are poorer, not I. ” | ||
| 4. | “You are like a child. I can’t trust you out of my sight. No sooner my back is turned than you get that minx Marie to sell the silver salt cellars. ” | ||
| 5. | “My dear there is so much suffering in the world, and I can do so very little. ” | ||
| 6. | “My mother gave them to me on—on her death bed just after you were born, and…. and she asked me to keep them in remembrance of her, so I would like to keep them. ” | ||
| 7. | “I am too old a bird to be caught with chaff. ” | ||
| 8. | “You have your soul to lose, my son.” | ||
| 9. | “Give me food or I’ll stick my knife in you both and help myself. ” | ||
| 10. | “…they have made me what I am, they have made me a thief. God curse them all. ” | ||
| 11. | “Why the devil are you kind to me? What do you want? ” | ||
| 12. | “I—I—didn’t believe there was any good in the world… but somehow I—I—know you’re good, and —and it’s a queer thing to ask, but could you, would you bless me before I go? ” |
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow by choosing the
correct options.
I offered to take her in here for a day or two, but she seemed to think it might distress
you.
(a) The Bishop wanted to take Mere Grngoire in because _________.
(i) she was sick.
(ii) she had no money.
(iii) she was unable to pay the rent of her house.
(iv) she was a close friend of Persome.
(b) Persome would be distressed on Mere Gringoire's being taken in because
________
(i) she did not want to help anyone.
(ii) she felt that Mere Gringoire was taking undue advantage of the Bishop.
(iii) she was a self-centred person.
(iv) she would be put to a great deal of inconvenience.
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how the author creates interest through a step-by-step organisation of his ideas.
| Within the diamond haze of the beach, something dark was fumbling along. Ralph saw it first and watched until the intentness of his gaze drew all eyes that way. Then the creature stepped from the mirage on to clear sand and they saw that the darkness was not all shadow but mostly clothing. The creature was a party of boys marching approximately in step falling on two parallel lines. |
The author uses these words to create an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. The 'something' becomes clearer ... clearer still .... until finally we learn what it really is. |
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I haven’t seen him since the day before yesterday.
I have not seen him for ages.
During your discussions in groups, and in your individual written report, you will find the following language useful :
GROUP DISCUSSION
When recommending
| I | Propose suggest recommend |
that..... |
| what about ? why don't we....... |
| we could think |
consider...... about......... |
WRITTEN REPORT
When recommending
| I |
propose |
that..... |
| I strongly recommend that ........ |
| I urge the commision to ....... |
| It is | recommended proposed |
that.... |
| My | recommendation proposal |
is that...... |
When giving reasons
| ................. as .............. ................because ......... ..............since ............... |
| My reason is that .................... |
When giving reasons
| ................. as .............. ................because ......... ..............since ............... |
| My reason is that....................... In view of the fact that.............. |
Duties and privileges of an Environment Monitor.
e.g. You must ensure that the campus is clean.
Did you know?
should and ought to have similar meanings. They show obligation or duty. However there is a slight difference in meaning.
ought to has an objective meaning whereas should is more subjective.
We ought to / should save water.
We ought to save money but we are unable to. (In this sentence should will not be appropriate.).
Study the map and the key given below carefully, and complete the sentences that follow.
Key
- Lalnagar
- Sarkor
- Timpur
- Rampur (Capital)
- Marwah
- Chickoor
- Strange Lake
- Neverest Hills
- Nafran
- Lakshrnanpur
(a)
|
__________________________ Rampur
|
is is situated lies ____________ is located |
half-way along the west coast of Halsi Island.
on the south coast of the island, north of ___ |
(b) Now describe the position of the other eight places, using some of the words in
the box.
| at | along | among |
| to | next to | opposite |
| on | between | |
| in | above | |
| by | below | |
| over | ||
| under |
Use the adjectives and prepositions from the box above to fill in the gaps below. Add eight sentences of your own.
- Mary is bad ________ Maths.
- Fruit is good ________ you.
- Ram was married ________ Beena for 10 years. They were very happy.
- This tool is more ________ planing wood.
- What good news! I’m so ________ you.
- He’s ________ her; she looks ill.
- She’s ashamed ________ her bad behaviour.
- They are fond ________ dancing.
- He was absent ________ the Science Club yesterday.
- He is sensitive ________ criticism.
Think of a person in your class, and use adjective + prepositions to describe him/her in about two or three sentences. Don't give a name.
(a) e.g. She’s good at Maths.
She’s keen on hiking.
Show your description to your partner. Let her or him guess who it is.
(b) The following diagram explains the use of some of these prepositions.
| Destination | Position | Destination | Position | Reference |
| to •X | at •X | away from x ⇒ |
away from x • |
Referring to a |
| on (to) | on | off | off | Referring to a line or surface. |
| into | in | out of | out of | Referring to an enclosed area |
Notice the following peculiarities in the use of Prepositions.
1) at relates to a small extent of space or time while in relates to a wider extent.
2) with relates to the instrument used for doing something.
by relates to the doer
e.g. (1) This poem was composed~me
(2) I wrote with a Shaffer's pen.
3) between, among: between is used when there are two things or persons or
ideas, among is used for more than two.
e.g. ( 1) The property was divided between the twins.
(2) The gossip spread among the villagers.
4) beside, besides : beside means by the side of, besides means in addition to
e.g. (1) Ram sat beside his grandmother.
(2) Besides music, he is interested in painting.
5) in and within : in denotes at the close of some future period, within denotes
sometime short of the close
e.g. (1) The project will be implemented in a week's time.(= at the close)
(2) The plan will be sanctioned within a fort night(= less than)
