English

Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each other change?

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Question

Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each other change?

Short Answer
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Solution

The story highlights the evolving relationship between the author and his grandmother. In his early childhood, they shared a close bond, but it weakened when they moved to the city. She stopped accompanying him to school, and the distance grew further when he went to university and later abroad for five years. Despite these changes, their affection for each other remained unchanged. Though she rarely showed emotions, she celebrated his homecoming wholeheartedly after his return.

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Reading Skills
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Chapter 1.1: The Portrait of a Lady - Talking about the text [Page 7]

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NCERT English (Core) - Hornbill
Chapter 1.1 The Portrait of a Lady
Talking about the text | Q 2 | Page 7

RELATED QUESTIONS

A1. (i) Two activities that mother was free to do:
(a)...........................................
(b)............................................
(ii)Two activities that children avoided doing because of television:
(a) .....................................
(b) ...................................

Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don't climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash thedishes in the sink
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
It rots the sense in the head!
It kills imagination dead!
It clogs and clutters up the mind!
It makes a child so dull and blind
He can no longer understand
A fantasy, a fairyland!
His brain becomes as soft as cheese!
His power of thinking rust and freeze!
He cannot think - He only sees!
'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say,
'But if we take the set away,
What shall-we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!'
We'll answer this by asking you,
'What used the darling ones to do?'
'How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?'
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?

A2. According to the poem, why is excessive watching of TV harmful?

A3. His brain became as soft as cheese. The figure of speech is ..........because............


Attempt the following in 150-200 words.

Bring out the importance of the diary in Anne's life.


How did Helen display her passion for Radcliffe College?


Write a summary of the above passage in about 100 words. 


Read the following passage and do the activities:
A1 True or False:
Rewrite the following statements and state whether they are ‘true’ or ‘false’.
(i) Mashelkar’s mother did menial work to bring him up.
(ii) Mashelkar’s father died when he was twelve.
(iii) Mashelkar was born in a very rich family.
(iv) Tatas added much value to Mashelkar’s life. 

I start with my greatest guru-my mother. I was born in a very poor family and my father died when I was six. We moved to Mumbai and my mother did menial work to bring me up. Two meals a day was a tough challenge. I studied under street lights and I walked barefoot until, I think, I was twelve. I remember when I passed the seventh standard and I wanted to go into the eighth standard, our poverty was such that even to secure 21 rupees for secondary school admission became a big challenge. We had to borrow from a lady, who was a housemaid in Chaupati in Mumbai. That was the tough life I had.

In fact, I remember, my passing the SSC Examination-i.e. 11th standard. Those days it used to be not 10th standard or 12th standard but 11th standard. I stood 11th among 1,35,000 but I was about to leave higher education and find a job. What helped me was the scholarship by Sir Dorab Tata Trust. It was just 60 rupees per month and would you believe that 60 rupees per month from Tatas added so much value to my life that I have been able to stand here today before you to speak to you.

 I am on the Board of Tatas now and it is very interesting that the same Bombay House where I used to go to collect that 60 rupees per month now one goes and sits there like a Director on the Board of Tata Motors. The turn that these 40 years have taken is very interesting. It has all been possible because of the chance I got to do higher studies at the insistence of my mother. She gave me the values of my life. She was one of the noblest parents I have met in my life.

So, my greatest guru was my mother. My second guru was Principal Bhave, about whom I made a mention earlier. He taught us Physics. Because it was a poor school, I remember, it had to innovate to convey to the young students the message of Science. 

A2  Complete: 
 Complete the following sentences and write:
(i) Mashelkar was inspired by his greatest guru _______
(ii) Mashelkar studied under _______
(iii) Principal Bhave taught _______
(iv) The scholarship by _______ Trust helped him in higher education. 

A3 Find the meaning:
Choose the appropriate meaning of the underlined words from the given alternatives:
(i)
We moved to Mumbai and my mother did menial work.
(a) skilled
(b) hard
(c) unskilled
(d) of low status

(ii) Because it was a poor school, it had to innovate to convey to the young students the message of science.
(a) do a cheap experiment
(b) introduce new things
(c) avoid
(d) try hard

(iii) I got to do higher studies at the insistence of my mother.
(a) firm saying
(b) being inspired
(c) being inspected
(d) being instigated 

(iv) That was the tough life I had.
(a) difficult
(b) soft
(c) cheap
(d) simple 

A4  Match:
Match the following sentences with their tags: 

  'A'   'B'
(i) I stood 11th 
 among 1,35,000 
(a) aren’t I? 
(ii) I am on the Board of Tatas  (b)  didn’t we? 
(iii) It was a poor school  (c) didn’t I? 
(iv) We moved to Mumbai  (d)  wasn’t it? 

A5  Personal Response: 
 “Mother is the greatest Guru.” Discuss.


Read the following passage and do the given activities: 
B.1) Comparison
Write the comparison between the parts of the modular phone and the human body: 

Modular Phone Parts of Human Body 
   

            Every phone you buy, no matter how costly and latest it is, will go out of date in a year or so. That’s how quickly the smartphone world is moving right now. To keep yourself up to date with the current specification you will have to keep switching phones every once a while. What’s the solution to this problem?
                                                         MODULAR PHONES! 
               A modular device is a phone, tablet or another device where individual components such as the screen, camera, CPU, battery, memory can be removed by the user and replaced by others with a different specification. Imagine your body to be your phone and your clothes as the components, you can wear anything according to your needs and moods. Similarly, modular phones let you choose between components of different properties and specifications.
              This would mean we’ll have the liberty to customize our phones, just like Lego building blocks! The main components of the phone will be Brain (processor), Spine (frame, screen) and Heart (battery). The other components may include a camera, storage memory, GPS, audio jack, speakers, USB module, etc. and the phone will have a motherboard, i.e. a base that will hold all components together

B.2) Give examples:
Write two examples that give the liberty to customize our phone. 
•   ____________________
•   ____________________

B.3) Framing sentence:
Use the given phrases in sentences of your own:

(i) up to date
(ii) once a while 

B.4) Write as instructed:
Rewrite the sentence as interrogative:
(i) We’ll have the liberty to customize our phones.
(ii) We will have the liberty to customize our phones.   (Rewrite using the present participle form of the underlined word) 

B.5) Personal Response
If given a chance to design a modular phone, what new features would you add? 


Give reasons for the following statement.
The author was disappointed with Darchen.


Tick the statement that is true.

The story is an account of real events.


In which language do you think Gangadharpant and Khan Sahib talked to each other? Which language did Gangadharpant use to talk to the English receptionist?


Explain the line:
'I seemed to detect in myself a sort of sneaking fellow-feeling for the mummy in the museum, and a desire to swap news with him.


Notice these words in the poem and guess their meaning from the context

turquoise darts

What, according to the poet, are human beings out of tune with?


How does the banyan tree stand out as different from other trees? What details of the tree does the poet highlight in the poem?


Read the extract 'Being Neighborly' and complete the following statement:

Jo swept a path around the garden for ________________.


Discuss with your partner and describe the atmosphere in the woods when Mrs. Adis didn’t hand over Peter Crouch to the keepers because - 

  1. _________________
  2. _________________
  3. _________________

Answer the given question in your own words.

Why was the Prince sad?


Refer to a good dictionary that carries phonetic transcriptions printed next to words. The word below is familiar to you. Copy the phonetic transcription from the dictionary and say it aloud as you write.

work ........


Read the following phrase and use it in a sentence of your own in proper form.

To voice something


Have you ever given up on something good? Share your story with your friend.


Read the passage and answer the following question:

What is seen on the obverse and reverse of the PVC medal? 


Do you know any poem or song about the moon in your own language? Sing it in the class.


Hold a mock trial for the following offence. There should be a complainant, a defendant, and lawyers to argue the case on behalf of them. The whole class can vote to pass the judgment. On what occasions will you plead for justice? What punishment will you suggest? When will you plead for mercy?

A very poor and honest servant has broken a vase while cleaning it. The vase was valuable and the employer liked it very much.


Read the following sentence aloud. Write who said it and to whom.

“Look, here’s something for you.”


Prepare similar word chains using the following ideas.

waterbody - pool ____________.


Write your own impressions about the news items given in (a), (b), (c), and (d) in the table below. 

News item Good news Bad news Reliable Unreliable Interesting Uninteresting Boring Others
(a)        
(b)        
(c)        
(d)        

Read the highlighted words. They are adverbs.

  • I was pulling hard.
  • They ran away.
  • Later, I was taken to the city.
  • I went very carefully.
  • They were greatly pleased.

In what way can we help to reduce or minimize waste generation?
Discuss the issue in groups of 4 or 5 and note down all good suggestions.
Resolve to follow them yourself. Some have been given below for your reference.

  • Don’t waste food.
  • Take as much as you want but finish everything that’s on your plate.
  • Don’t throw away broken or half-used things. Repair them and use them.
  • Avoid things which can be used only once.
    For example: thermocol (polysterene) cups, plastic glasses, etc.
  • Reuse!
  • Recycle!

Read the following and say whether the statement tells you about a fact or whether it is imaginary.

There is a man in the Moon.


What did the Judge tell Ahmad?


Guess the meaning of the following word. 

finely


Give an instance that shows the pathetic condition of the young bird.


What did the bird suggest Chulong, in exchange for its freedom?


Identify the speaker/character.

‘Come in, Zigzag, come in dear!’


How is Karagattam performed?


‘Finally the day had come’. Here the day refers to ______.


Hamid thought that his grandma would be pleased if he bought______


Identify the character/speaker.

Wake up. You've been sleeping for too long.


What did she sell to support her family?


Why did Muthu and his friends step out of the train?


Which planet has red storm?


They went out through the broken windows.


What was the epidemic that broke out in the story?


Vicky wanted a ______ to do all his work.


They use ______ as bait.


Identify the character/speaker.

He bought a new fish tank.


What did the oil seller perform?


Choose and write the adverbs to complete the sentence.

The lion fought _____.


Name the character or speaker.

"Why does Nandhini look so sad?"


Where do the moles save their food?


Choose the correct one.

Elephant


Write the word with same meaning.

dustbin- ______.


Mugund loved wild animals.


What was the truth finally learned by Chris?


What is the main idea of the story?


The fir tree was sad ______.


While listening to the story, what did Alice see?


Describe in your own words the garden that Alice saw.


Draw the garden of your dreams.


What did the boy make with the branches of the tree?


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