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Question
Discuss the following in pairs or in small groups.
Exceptionally talented people are born so; talent cannot be cultivated
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Solution
Exceptionally talented people are born so, talent cannot be cultivated. Some genetic scientists opine that talent is determined by the genetic factor. It is inherited genetically. It cannot be cultivated . Had it been so, it would have been possible to produce exceptionally talented people by grooming individuals. But in reality that is not the case.
Another perspective:
There are other group of scientists who believe that talent is not exclusively determined by the genes or heredity. Environment plays a vital role in shaping talent. They call it meme and not gene.
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Read the following passage and complete the activities given below :
A1 Find out :
Find from the passage the related words to the sea and write them.

ON FIERCE monsoon nights, about one and a quarter-mile off the Mumbai harbor, there have been occasions when 52-year-old Bikaji Ramchandra Dhuri is the only man on the sea. From the watchtower of the Prongs Reef Lighthouse, which is surrounded on all sides by the Arabian Sea, he has heard the sea rage like a possessed spirit – the darkness dispelled only by the beam of light flung across the waters from the tower he mans.
Dhuri is one of the last breeds of lighthouse keepers on the Indian coast, as a majority of the 182 lighthouses in the country are now unmanned. Built-in 1871, the Prongs Reef lighthouse was modeled on Scotland’s Skerryvore Rocks Lighthouse and is located at a strategic spot on the western coast, marking the entrance to the busy Mumbai Harbour. It was meant to stem the number of shipwrecks off the harbor, which the lone Colaba lighthouse could not illumine on its own. “Even now, during nights, for fishing vessels without any gadgets, it’s the soft light from this tower which directs us to Mumbai,” says Vinayak Koli, a boatsman who helps ferry people and also goes on fishing expeditions.
Throughout the year, Dhuri lives in the lighthouse for 15 days at a stretch, when he is relieved by another keeper. In the monsoon, it becomes his home for three months. “We call it the Kalapana as we are alone in the middle of the sea for days, with basic supplies – and the revolving light that keeps the sea awake,” he says.
A2 Fill in the following information using words from the passage :
(i) The Prongs Reef lighthouse was modeled on _______.
(ii) Dhuri lives in the lighthouse for _______ at a stretch.
(iii) _______ is one of the last breeds of lighthouse keepers on the Indian coast.
(iv) The majority of the _______ lighthouses in the country are now unmanned.
| Violent | Scattered | Place of shelter for ships | Shine light |
A4
A5 Personal Response
Imagine you have to spend a night in a lighthouse. Narrate your experience.
Read the following extract carefully and complete the activities given below :
A1 Complete the following :
(i) Books were found on the _____________ and ____________.
(ii) The tales are described as ______________ and __________.
|
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?
We'll say it very loud and slow:
THEY ... USED ... TO ... READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One-half of their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
|
Read the following passage and do the activities:
B1 Match:
Match the areas given in Column ‘A’ with the description of Mehendi design given in Column ‘B’:
| 'A' | 'B" | ||
| (i) | North African | (a) | A mix of Indo-Pakistani and Arabic design |
| (ii) | Indian | (b) | Delicate loops and curves, paisleys, teardrops |
| (iii) | Arabic | (c) | Geometrical images |
| (iv) | South Asian | (d) | Local textiles, paintings, and architecture |
Henna comes from the leaves of the plant Lawsonia inertias. The plant grows in hot and dry climes and is native to North Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. The leaves of the plant are dried and crushed to powder. Various additives such as coffee decoction, tea, lime juice, Mehendi and eucalyptus oil are mixed with the henna powder to increase the potency of the dry, this also helps to bind the powder to a paste-like consistency. The mixture is applied through cones in intricate patterns depending on the region of use.
Album of Patterns
Four major styles can be found in the vast dictionary of Mehendi designs. Earlier the application was restricted to hand and feet, but the adoption of Mehendi by different cultures throughout the world has seen experimentation on different body parts including the neck naval and back.
North African patterns rely on geometrical images to trace the shape of hands and feet, Arabic designs borrow heavily from local textiles, paintings, and architecture. These are more spaced out, to allow the design to stand out boldly from the skin parts left untouched by henna. The Indian style comprises of delicate loops and curves, paisleys, teardrops and flowers that give a dainty filigreed glow-like effect. Though intricate patterning is the name of the game today, this trend took off in India only during the 20th century. The patterns preferred by the South Asian countries are mixed with Indo-Pakistani and Arabic design schemes. Chinese and Celtic symbols now find a place in the vast repertoire of Mehendi designs as well.
B2 Complete:
Complete the following and write:
(i) The procedure before applying henna _______
(ii) The reasons for using additives _______
(iii) The suitable climatic conditions for the henna plant _______
(iv) Mehendi is used on _______
B3 Find words:
Look at the following description and find out proper words from the passage and write:
(i) Existing naturally in the place : - n _______
(ii) Consist of something: - c _______
(iii) Delicate decoration made from gold, silver and copper wire: - f _______
(iv) Substance that is added in small quantity : - a _______
B4 Language study:
Fill in the blanks with suitable subordinators given in the box:
| as well as, so that, however, which |
(i) The mixture is applied through cones in intricate patterns _______ depend on the region of use.
(ii) The intricate pattern is the name of the game of today _______, this trend took off in India, recently.
(iii) North African pattern relies on geometrical images ______ they can trace the shape of hands and feet.
(iv) The patterns preferred by the South Asian countries are mixed with Indo-Pakistani _______ Arabic design schemes.
B5 Personal Response:
Which Mehendi design do you like? Why?
Notice these expression in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.
salt flats
Examine the communication channels in the story between Paul and his mother.
Explain the metaphor in the line: ‘Poets are the mirrors of gigantic shadows that futurity casts on the present’.
Discuss in pairs
Choice of diction is very crucial to the communication of meaning.
Give a brief account of the interaction between Grandpa and Jo.
Make groups and discuss the following:
Name a few scientists/explorers/social reformers/inventors/discoverers, who spent most of their lives to find solutions to some major problems/setbacks, that mankind faced.
Think of one of your favourite stories. Fill in the following facts about the story.
- Name of the story:
- Type of story:
- Setting (time and place):
- Important characters:
- Theme/Plot:
- Conflict/Dilemma:
- Solution:
- End:
Given below are various professions in column A and in column B, the nature of work in respective professions. Match the columns.
| A | B |
| (i) Anaesthetist | (a) Specialist in the treatment of problems concerning the position of teeth and jaws. |
| (ii) Pharmacist | (b) A person who designs buildings and supervises the process of constructing them. |
| (iii) Orthodentist | (c) A person who is in charge of a newspaper or of a part of a newspaper. |
| (iv) Dermitologist | (d) The medical study of the skin and its diseases. |
| (v) Architect | (e) A person who has been trained to prepare medicines and sell them to the public. |
| (vi) Chartered Accountant | (f) A person whose job is to give drugs which makes the person not feel pain especially in preparation for a medical operation. |
| (vii) Editor | (g) A person who is engaged in the profession of accounting and examining the statements and records of accounts. |
Form suitable groups and discuss the following.
You have heard/read stories of Akbar and Birbal, Tenali Raman, Mulla Nasruddin. Recollect and write down the names of those stories.
Pick out those aspects of a story that you find a common in all their stories.
- Humour
- Supernatural event
- Wisdom
- Suspense
- Magic
- Beauty of Nature
- Wit
- Play upon words
- Sadend
- Violence
Fill in the gap, choosing a word from the bracket to make an appropriate comparison.
as ______ as a worm
Read the following sentence carefully and choose the correct meaning.
The Peacock had a gorgeous tail like no other bird.
Divide the story into different sections to show the different events and time periods in it. Give a suitable title to each section.
What are the games/play activities, entertainments that use a wheel?
Using your imagination, and information from other sources, describe anyone stalls in detail.
What is your favourite time of the day? Describe it in detail.
Prepare similar word chains using the following ideas.
waterbody - pool ____________.
Find the words that mean the following from the first stanza.
- Gold hammered into a flat, thin shape: ______
- show off proudly: ______
- tilt, move at an angle: ______
- across, especially in a slanting direction: ______
The items in the programme below have got mixed up. Rearrange them in the proper order. Just add the number in the left-hand column.
| Balanand Vidyalaya Art Festival Programme | |
| ( ) | → Koli Dance |
| ( ) | → igniting the Lamp |
| ( ) | → Chief Guest Speaks |
| ( ) | → Appraisal of the Art Festival |
| ( ) | → Dignitaries Arrive |
| ( ) | → Recital of ‘Taal kacheri’ |
| ( ) | → Welcome and Introduction of Guests |
| ( ) | → Prize Distribution |
| ( ) | → The Boy Comes Home - A skit by Std IX |
| ( ) | → Vote of Thanks |
Complete the following diagram.

Say whether you agree or disagree.
The children showed disinterest even in the bachelor’s story-telling, throughout.
Make groups. One person in the group chooses an announcement. Everyone in the group reads that announcement silently but carefully and closes their books. Then that person presents the announcement, changing one of the details in the announcement. Others spot the change. For example, you might say ‘red’ key chain instead of ‘blue’ in the last announcement.
Look at the photographs on textbook pages 19-20 carefully and imagine the following:
- The colours, shape, size, actions, etc. of what you see in the picture.
- The sound/sounds you may hear at the scene of the photograph.
- How the different things, birds, animals, etc. in the picture feel to the touch.
- The smell / smells you may smell at the scene of the picture.
- The taste of what you see in the pictures.
In short, let your imagination include oil your five senses.
Now, write short descriptions of any 8-10 of your choice.
Remember to make use of your senses (one or more!) when you describe a photograph. You will find the following words and phrases useful. You may also use other words you know.
How did Helen overcome her handicaps?
Read the following line from the poem and answer the question that follow.
In the dim past, nor holding back in fear From what the future veils; but with a whole And happy heart, that pays its toll To Youth and Age, and travels on with cheer.
- What does the poet mean by the phrase ‘in the dim past’?
- Is the poet afraid of future?
- How can one travel on with cheer?
How did the Bodwells react, when a shoe was thrown into their house?
How were offerings carried during the ancient period?
Read the comic strip and answer the following question.
What do you mean by cyber safety?
Read the comic strip and answer the following question.
Do you think that all the information online can be used without any permission?
ashen – pale
His face was ashen.
Read the following lines and answer the questions.
It isn’t an instantaneous thing
Born of despair with a sudden spring
- What does ‘it’ refer to?
- What does ‘born of despair mean’?
Identify the speaker/character.
A man fell into the sea. Please save him.
The hatchlings use a tiny egg-tooth to come out of the eggs.
A turtle’s flippers help it to ______.
What did Amma mean when she said tomatoes, ladies' fingers and corn came from other countries?
Why did the girls snigger?
Narrate the story based on the story map
Did Santhosh enjoy his morning walk? How do you know?
Karmugilan went to __________ for higher studies.
What was the epidemic that broke out in the story?
Which place was the last stand of the Indian army?
What did you learn from this lesson?
Some words sound the same but their spelling and meaning are different. Such words are called homophones. There are many homophones.
Answer using Yes or No and pick sentence from the story to support your answer.
Was Robinson interested in sea adventures?
The old man is _____.
Where is Keeraikuppam located?
Which is as important as our health?
The merchants sold things made of______.
Name the animal and sound it makes.

Appa weaves beautiful sarees with______.
What did the books in the library look like ?
Why did he go there?
How can we identify insecure websites?
Read the passage below:
| 1. | Our history makes it evident that the Indian Plastics Industry made a vigorous beginning in 1957 but it took more than 30 years for it to pervade Indian lifestyles. In 1979, "the market for plastics' was just being seeded by the state-owned Indian Petro-Chemicals and it was only in 1994 that plastic soft drink bottles became a visible source of annoyance. |
| 2. | In the same year, people in other cities were concerned about the state of public sanitation and also urged regulatory bodies to ban the production, distribution and use of plastic bags. However, the challenge was greater than it appeared at first. |
| 3. |
The massive generation of plastic waste in India is due to rapid urbanisation, spread of retail chains, plastic packaging from grocery to food and vegetable products, to consumer items and cosmetics. The projected high growth rates of GDP and continuing rapid urbanisation suggest that India's trajectory of plastic consumption and plastic waste is likely to increase.
|
| 4. | According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report of 2018, India stands among few other countries like France, Mongolia and several African countries that have initiated total or partial nationallevel bans on plastics in their jurisdictions. On World Environment Day in 2018, India vowed to phase out single-use plastics by 2022, which gave a much needed impetus to bring this change |
| 5. | In this context, thereafter ten states (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu) are currently sending their collected waste to cement plants for co-processing, twelve other states/UTs are using plastic waste for polymer bitumen road construction and still four other states are using the plastic waste for waste-to-energy plants and oil production. A world of greater possibilities has now opened up to initiate appropriate and concrete actions to build up the necessary institutions and systems before oceans turn, irreversibly into a thin soup of plastic. |
| 6. | However there is no one single masterstroke to counter the challenges witnessed by the staggering plastic waste management in the country. The time is now to formulate robust and inclusive National Action Plans and while doing so, the country will establish greater transparency to combat the plastic jeopardy in a more sustainable and holistic way. |
Based on your understanding of the passage answer any six out of the seven questions given below:
- What does the writer mean by 'visible source of annoyance'?
- Why did people demand a ban on plastics?
- What created a demand for plastics in India?
- With reference to the graph write one conclusion that can be drawn about the production of plastics in 2019 (approximately).
- What does the upward trend of the graph indicate?
- What does the line, oceans turning 'irreversibly into a thin soup of plastic', suggest?
- What step must be taken to combat the challenges of plastic waste management? What will be its impact?

