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Question
In the story, Patrick does difficult things he hates to do because the elf pretends he needs help. Have you ever done something difficult or frightening, by pretending about it in some way? Tell your classmates about it.
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Solution
Do it yourself
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Answer of these question in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
What did he do?
Thinking about the Text
Here are some headings for paragraphs in the text. Write the number(s) of the
paragraph(s) for each title against the heading. The first one is done for you.
| (i) | Einstein’s equation 9 |
| (ii) | Einstein meets his future wife |
| (iii) | The making of a violinist |
| (iv) | Mileva and Einstein’s mother |
| (v) | A letter that launched the arms race |
| (vi) | A desk drawer full of ideas |
| (vii) | Marriage and divorce |
Answer the question in a short paragraph.
The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three examples each of
(i) the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for
example: some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside…)
(ii) the things he sees
(iii) the sounds he hears
Have you seen anybody winnow grain at home or in a paddy field? What is the word in your language for winnowing? What do people use for winnowing? (Give the words in your language, if you know them.)
Thinking about the Poem
How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.
1. I first met Private Quelch at the training depot. A man is liable to acquire in his firs week of Army life - together with his uniform, rifle and equipment- a nickname. Anyone who saw Private Quelch, lanky, stooping, frowning through horn-rimmed spectacles, understood why he was known as the Professor. Those who had any doubts on the subject lost them after five minutes' conversation with him.
2. I remember the first lesson we had in musketry. We stood in an attentive circle while a Sergeant, a man as dark and sun-dried as raisins, wearing North-West Frontier ribbons, described the mechanism of a service rifle.
3. "The muzzle velocity or speed at which the bullet leaves the rifle", he told us, "is
well over two thousand feet per second."
4. A voice interrupted. "Two thousand, four hundred and forty feet per second." It
was the Professor.
5. "That's right," the Sergeant said without enthusiasm, and went on lecturing. When he had finished, he asked us questions; and, perhaps in the hope of revenge, he turned with his questions again and again to the Professor. The only result was to enhance the Professor's glory. Technical definitions, the parts of a rifle, its use and care, he had them all by heart.
6. The Sergeant asked, "Have you had any training before?"
7. The Professor answered with a phrase that was to become familiar to all of us. "No, Sergeant. It's all a matter of intelligent reading."
8. That was our introduction to him. We soon learned more about him. He saw to that. He meant to get on, he told us. He had the brains. He was sure to get a commission, before long. As a first step, he meant to get a stripe.
9. In pursuit of his ambition he worked hard. We had to give him credit for that. He borrowed training manuals and stayed up late at nights reading them. He badgered the instructors with questions. He drilled with enthusiasm, and on route marches he was not only miraculously tireless but infuriated us all with his horrible heartiness. "What about a song, chaps?" is not greeted politely at the end of thirty miles. His salute at the pay table was a model to behold. When officers were in sight he would swing his skinny arms and march to the canteen like a Guardsman.
10. And day in and day out, he lectured to us in his droning, remorseless voice on every aspect of human knowledge. At first we had a certain respect for him, but soon we lived in terror of his approach. We tried to hit back at him with clumsy sarcasms and practical jokes. The Professor scarcely noticed; he was too busy working for his stripe.
11. Each time one of us made a mistake the Professor would publicly correct him. Whenever one of us shone, the Professor outshone him. When, after a hard morning's work of cleaning out our hut, we listened in silence to the Orderly Officer's praise, the Professor would break out with a ringing, dutifully beaming, "Thank you, sir!" And how superior, how condescending he was. It was always,
"Let me show you, fellow," or, "No, you'll ruin your rifle that way, old man."
12. We used to pride ourselves on aircraft recognition. Once, out for a walk, we heard the drone of a plane flying high overhead. None of us could even see it in the glare of the sun. Without even a glance upward the Professor announced, "That, of course, is a North American Harvard Trainer. It can be unmistakably identified by the harsh engine note, due to the high tip speed of the airscrew."
What could a gang of louts like us do with a man like that? 13. None of us will ever forget the
drowsy summer afternoon which was such a turning-point in the Professor's life.
14. We were sprawling contentedly on the warm grass while Corporal Turnbull was taking a lesson on the hand grenade.
15. Corporal Turnbull was a young man, but he was not a man to be trifled with. He had come back from Dunkirk with all his equipment correct and accounted for and his kitten in his pocket. He was
our hero, and we used to tell each other that he was so tough that you could hammer nails into him without his noticing it.
16. _"The outside of a grenade, as you can see," Corporal Turnbull was saying, "is divided up into a large number of fragments to assist segmentation"
17. "Forty-four"
18. "What's that?" The Corporal looked over his shoulder
19. "Forty-four segments." The Professor beamed at him.
20. The Corporal said nothing, but his brow tightened. He opened his mouth to
resume.
21. "And by the way, Corporal." We were all thunder-struck.
22. The Professor was speaking again. "Shouldn't you have started off with the five characteristics of the grenade? Our instructor at the other camp always used to do that, you know."
23. In the silence that followed a dark flush stained the tan of the Corporal's face. "Here," he said at last, "you give this lecture". As if afraid to say any more, he tossed the grenade to the Professor. Quite unabashed, Private Quelch climbed to his feet and with the attitude of a man coming into his birth-right gave us an unexceptionable lecture on the grenade.
24. The squad listened in a cowed, horrified kind of silence. Corporal Turnbull stood and watched, impassive, except for a searching intentness of gaze. When the lecture was finished he said, "Thank you, Private Quelch. Fall in with the others now." He did not speak again until we had fallen in and were waiting to be dismissed. Then he addressed us. 25. "As some of you may have heard," he began deliberately, "the platoon officer has asked me to nominate one of you for…." He paused and looked lingeringly up and down the ranks as if seeking final confirmation of decision.
26. So this was the great moment! Most of us could not help glancing at Private Quelch, who stood rigidly to attention and stared straight in front of him with an expression of self-conscious innocence.
27. ______"…..for permanent cookhouse duties, I've decided that Private Quelch is just the man for the job."
28. Of course, it was a joke for days afterwards; a joke and joy to all of us.
29. I remember, though.............
30. My friend Trower and I were talking about it a few days later. We were returning from the canteen to our own hut.
31. Through the open door, we could see the three cooks standing against the wall as if at bay; and from within came the monotonous beat of a familiar voice.
32. "Really. I must protest against this abominably unscientific and unhygienic method of peeling potatoes. I need to only draw your attention to the sheer waste of vitamin values.............."
33. We fled.
About the Author
Alexander Baron (1917-1999) has written many novels, including 'There's no Home',
' The Human Kind', 'Queen of the East', 'Seeing Life' and The How Life', along with
film scripts and television plays. He started life as an Asstt. Editor of The Tribune and
later edited the 'New Theater.' He served in the army during the Second World War.
Before you read "Keeping It From Harold", the teacher will encourage you to answer or discuss the following.
- What are the different weight categories in Boxing?
- Have you ever heard the song whose lyrics go like...."He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee"? Who does 'he' refer to? He is also known as 'The Greatest' boxer of all times. What was his original name? How many times did he win the World Heavyweight Belt?
- Find out from your friend if he /she watches WWE and who is his/her favourite wrestler. Also find out why he/she likes this wrestler.
- Discuss with your friend as to why these wrestlers have such a large fan following. Has the perception of the people changed over the century with respect to those who fight in the ring?
The following are the dictionary entries for some of the words that appear in 'The Mystery of Bermuda Triangle'. Study the words and their meanings before you read the mystery for better comprehension.
• Halloween/halau in/ : the night of 31st October when it was believed in the past that dead people appeared from their graves. This is now celebrated in the US, Canada and Britain by children who dress as ghosts and witches.
• vector/'vekta/: an insect or animal which carries a disease from one animal or plant to another; a course taken by an aircraft; a quantity, such as velocity, completely specified by a magnitude and direction.
• crackle/' krak(a)l/: to make short sharp sounds .
• ascent/ a' sent/: the act of climbing or moving up .
• roger/' rod3a /: in communication by radio to show that they have understood a message; an expression of agreement.
• probe/praub/: to ask questions in order to find out some secret or hidden information; an exploratory action; expedition, or device, especially one designed to investigate and obtain information on a remote or unknown region.
• abduct/ ab' dAkt/ : to take somebody away illegally, by using force.
• time warp/ taimwarp /: a situation in which it is possible for people or things from the past or the future to move to the present.
• phenomenon/ fa' nomrnan/: a fact or an event in nature or society, especially one that is not fully understood.
• erratic/ I' rat.Ik/: not happening at regular times.
• engulf /In· g /\ If/,/ &n · g /\ If/: to surround or to cover somebody or something completely.
Bangle sellers are we who bear
Our shining loads to the temple fair...
Who will buy these delicate, bright
Rainbow-tinted circles of light?
Lustrous tokens of radiant lives,
For happy daughters and happy wives.
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow.
What is the tone in this stanza? Quote.
The blocks were all lined up for those who would use them
The hundred-yard dash and the race to be run
These were nine resolved athletes in back of the starting line
Poised for the sound of the gun.
The signal was given, the pistol exploded
And so did the runners all charging ahead
But the smallest among them,he stumbled and staggered
And fell to the asphalt instead.
He gave out a cry in frustration and anguish
His dreams ands his efforts all dashed in the dirt
But as sure I'm standing here telling this story
The same goes for what next occurred.
Read the lines given above and answer the following question:
Explain with reference to context.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Duke: What, is Antonio here?
Antonio: Ready, so please your grace.
Duke: I am sorry for thee: thou art come to answer
A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch
Incapable of pity, void and empty
From any dram of mercy.
(i) What are the terms of the bond that Antonio has signed?
(ii) Why does the Duke call Shylock ‘inhuman’? What does the Duke expect Shylock to do?
(iii) What reason does Shylock give for choosing rotten flesh over money? What are the things hated by some people?
(iv) State three examples Antonio gives to illustrate Shylock’s stubborn attitude.
(v) How is Shylock’s property distributed at the end by Antonio? Do you think Shylock deserves the punishment given to him? Give a reason to justify your answer.
Was the spacecraft manned or unmanned? How do you know it?
Complete the sentence below by appropriately using anyone of the following
if you want to/if you don’t want to/if you want him to
Please use my pen_____________________.
Find in the poem lines that match the following. Read both one after the other.
He says cats are better.
Is there a room in your house or a house in your neighborhood/locality where you would rather not go alone, and never at night? If there is such a place and a story to go with it, let others hear all about it.
Why did the king send two messengers throughout his kingdom?
How did Golu help the python?
Why do the fathers find trees useful?
This story has a lot of rhyming words, as a poem does. Can you write out some parts of it like a poem, so that the rhymes come at the end of separate lines?
For example:
Patrick never did homework. “Too boring,” he said. He played baseball and hockey and Nintendo instead.
In the short story, The Story of an Hour, what according to the doctor did Mrs. Mallard die of?
