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Question
How does the poem capture the elusive nature of the peacock?
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Solution
The peacock, as the poet narrates, is not so easy to find. Its elusive nature makes one work really hard to get a glimpse of it. The poet says that she was told that one has to sit in the veranda and read a book, preferably a favourite one, with great concentration. The moment the person begins to live inside the book and forgets about the surroundings, the peacock descends casting a blue shadow over the person. The steady humming of the bees in the nearby bushes will stop, the cat will awaken and stretch. The attention will brake and then one has to look up in time else the peacock will disappear again somewhere for it is evanescent. Even when one gets to see it once, the peacock runs out of sight quickly gathering its tail.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
B1. Find reasons
(i) The effect of receding forest …………………………………. .
(ii) The number of animals is reduced because ………………………. .
(iii) Elephants entered the city because…………………… .
(iv) Elephants lived a wary life …………………….. .
On the left bank of the Ganga, where it emerges from the Himalayan foothills, there is a long stretch of heavy forest. There are villages on the fringe of the forest, inhabited by bamboo cutters and farmers, but there are few signs of commerce or pilgrimage. Hunters, however, have found the area an ideal hunting ground during the last seventy years, and as a result, the animals are not as numerous as they used to be. The trees, too, have been disappearing slowly; and, as the forest recedes, the animals lose their food and shelter and move further on into the foothills. Slowly, they are being denied the right to live
Only the elephants can cross the river. And two years ago, when a large area of the forest was cleared to make way for a refugee resettlement camp, a herd of elephants - finding their favourite food, the green shoots of the bamboo, in short supply - waded across the river. They crashed through the suburbs of Haridwar, knocked down a factory wall, pulled down several tin roofs, held up a train, and left a trail of devastation in their wake until they found a new home in a new forest which was still untouched. Here, they settled down to a new life but an unsettled, wary life. They did not know when men would appear again, with tractors,bulldozers and dynamite.
B2. Find out
Mention four things the elephants did when they found shortage of food:
(i)………………
(ii)………
(iii) …………
(iv) ………….
B3.Phrases
Make meaningful sentences by selecting any two of the following phrases:
(i) to make way for
(ii) in short
(iii) on the fringe of.
B4. Language study
Select the proper alternative to make the correct voice:
(i) Hunters have found an ideal hunting ground.
-An ideal hunting ground ........found by hunters. (had been, has been, was)
(ii) They are being denied the right to live.
- The people ........them the right to live. (are denying, were denying, denying)
B5.Personal response
What would be your contribution to protect the natural habitat of animals?
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............
Life is a gift to be used every day,
Not to be smothered and hidden away,
It isn’t a thing to be stored in the chest
Where you gather your keepsakes and treasure your best;
It isn’t a joy to be sipped now and then
And promptly put back in a dark place again
Life is a gift that the humblest may boast of
And one that the humblest may well make the most of
Get out and live it each hour of the day,
Wear it and use it as much as you may,
Don’t keep it in niches and corners and grooves,
You’ll find that in service its beauty improves.
(1) What do we treasure in a chest?
(2) How does the poet went us to use the gift of life?
(3) Do you agree that life should be measured un deeds and not in years? Why?
(4) Which words in the poem mean the following :
(a) Kept from developing
(b) Hollow places in a wall
(5) Life is a gift to be used every day. [Name and explain the figure of speech]
How does Anne criticize the attitude of the grown-ups in her diary?
Anne describes herself as a 'little bundle of contradictions'. Why? Explain in your own words.
The black kite may start a fire because
Briefly comment on:
The author’s meeting with Norbu.
Look at the words given in the box below
|
snigger |
wriggle |
sneak |
squeak |
|
squawk |
titter |
pant |
chuckle |
|
giggle |
jeer |
chortle |
guffaw |
|
sigh |
sidle |
boo |
shriek |
|
scramble |
croak |
straggle |
plod |
|
gasp |
|
|
|
Now classify them according to their closeness in meaning to the words given below
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
|
snigger |
wriggle |
squeak |
jeer |
sigh |
Identify instances in the story that show the business acumen of Ramanand.
Identify the common characteristics shared by tribal communities all over the world.
Study each of the following sentences and notice the balance between its parts. Pick out other sentences in the text that reflect this kind of balance
a. It is right that a false Latin quantity should excite a smile in the House of Commons; but it is wrong that a false English meaning should not excite a frown there.
b. Let the accent of words be watched, by all means, but let the meaning be watched more closely still, and fewer will do the work.
How does the banyan tree stand out as different from other trees? What details of the tree does the poet highlight in the poem?
Find from the story one word for the following.
the highest-ranking official who commands a ship ______
Discuss with your partner and describe the atmosphere in the woods when Mrs. Adis didn’t hand over Peter Crouch to the keepers because -
- _________________
- _________________
- _________________
Compare and contrast the two opposing human feelings as expressed by the poet.
Who gives medicine/treatment to sick animals and birds?
Suggest what you would do in the following situation:
You are going through a crisis that is making you short-tempered and impatient, due to which you end up causing harm to your family and friends. They have started complaining about it quite often.
Compare the features of a comedy and tragedy.
Give reasons :
Oberon and Titania fight for the custody of the Indian boy because - Titania wants ______________________.
The wheel, which was probably invented more than 6000 years ago, is thought of as one of the greatest technological advances made by man. Why do you think the wheel is so important in human civilization?
Write any three of the silly remarks made by the characters other than Alice. Write why you think the remark is silly.
What do the following events/actions tell us about the characters? Discuss.
Sir Ector kneeled before Arthur.
Discuss:
Is it necessary to develop a good accent? Why? What efforts can you take to improve your pronunciation? With your teacher’s help, find out how to use online dictionaries for the purpose.
Find the pairs of rhyming words used at the end of the lines in the poem.
How long does the whole event described in this passage take? Work it out by reading the passage.
Why did Marouckla’s stepmother hate her?
Name the following.
Hosts of the 1936 Olympic Games.
Why does the poet say that the dewdrops greet the dawn?
Guess the meaning of the following word.
finely
__________________was the chief of all spirits
When and where was the first ATM installed?
Which theory of Ramanujan helps the ATMs to dispense cash?
Let no ______ tone be______.
- soft
- vain
- fear
- joy
- love
- heard
- toiled
- mild
- good
- sand
- life
- harsh
Read these lines and answer the questions given below.
Our lays are of cities whose lustre is shed,
Here ‘Lays’ means______
Everyone in the ship started to pray because ______.
The boar slept until the fading sun told him it was time to get up. What does the phrase until the fading sun mean?
Work in pair, find answer for the question and share in the class.
When is it autumn in India? Why does the poet say this? Is there an autumn season in India?
Which place was the last stand of the Indian army?
Read scene I of the play carefully and answer the question below.
Whom does Mother Wolf talk about? How does she describe him?
Name the character or speaker.
"Why don't you do that yourself?"
Anitha shares her experience about______.
The hut was very ______.
What was the dish served to the old man?
Match the words with the pictures.
| Robinson |  |
| cannibals |  |
| Friday |  |
| footprint |  |
What was the age of Robinson Crusoe when he left for sea?
List out the questions to which you seek answer using 'Why?'
Choose and write the adverbs to complete the sentence.
She won the game _____
Three waves hit the village.
Guess how would the sparrow pull the elephant and the crocodile.
Meena went to ______ her father.
Why should we close the tap after using it?
Mostly piggy banks look like______.
Leaf cutter ants drink ______.
Ani valued honesty.
What does she paint?
What incident made Mugund make a wooden drum?
The rabbit had
What did he learn about the birds?
How did the jackal become blue?
Being a bachelor, the stranger had no patience with children.
