English

“I have done something; oh, God! I've done something real at last.” Why does Andrew say this? What does it mean?

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Question

“I have done something; oh, God! I've done something real at last.” Why does Andrew say this? What does it mean?

Answer in Brief
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Solution

A model answer has been provided for students' reference.

It is strongly recommended that students prepare the answer on their own.

Andrew, the protagonist of the story Birth, utters these words as he is able to bring a still born child back to life which seemed impossible in the beginning. The child is born still to the wife of Joe Morgan. The child is the first child of the couple who has been married for nearly twenty years. The child is born under critical condition. Both the child and the mother are in critical condition requiring urgent attention. The nurse dumps the child thinking it to be still born.

Andrew takes care of the mother first and seeing her in the recovery path turns his attention to the child. Andrew pulls the child out. It is a perfectly formed boy. Its limp white body is white and soft. Its head is hanging loosely on the thin neck. Andrew at once understands that it is a case of asphyxia pallida. He orders the nurse to get him cold water and hot water and basins. He lays the child upon a blanket and begins the special method of respiration. Fifteen minutes passes but no breath comes from the body of the child. In sheer desperation, he rubs the child with a towel, crushes and relaxes the chest with both hands. Then a miracle happens. The little chest gives a short, convulsive heave and then another. Andrew redoubles his effort. The child is now gasping, deeper and still deeper. Then comes the child's cry. He hands over the child to the nurse and climbs down the stair. He utters the quoted words out of deep satisfaction on achieving the seemingly impossible task.

It means that Andrew has been able to do something wonderful. He has been able to apply what ever he learnt in the medical textbooks and even beyond that. It is really a great achievement for Andrew. The above words mean that a doctor is a medium through which God or Almighty grants life to the patients. The miracle happened by the grace of the Almighty. Andrew acknowledges this fact in the above quoted words. These words bring home the fact that saving the life of a patient is the most coveted achievement of a doctor.

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Reading Skills
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Chapter 4: Birth - Reading with insight [Page 70]

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NCERT English Snapshots (Core) Class 11
Chapter 4 Birth
Reading with insight | Q 1 | Page 70

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(a) Maharana Pratap became immortal because :
(i) he ruled Mewar for 25 years.
(ii) he added a lot of grandeur to Mewar.
(iii) of his valour, sacrifice and patriotism.
(iv) both (ii) and (iii)

(b) Difficulties in the way of Mewar were :
(i) lack of cooperation of the nobility.
(ii) ancient traditions of the kingdom.
(iii) its small area and small population.
(iv) the poverty of the subjects.
 
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(i) the flag of Mewar seemed to be lowered.
(ii) the flag of Mewar was hoisted high.
(iii) the people of Mewar showed gallantry.
(iv) most of the rulers heaved a sigh of relief.

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(i) all of its rulers were competent.
(ii) most of its people were competent.
(iii) most of its rulers were competent.
(iv) only a few of its people were incompetent.
 
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“I don’t believe in taking the right decisions. I take decisions, I take decisions and then make them right:” One of them make them right. One of Ratan Tata’s inspiring words which made me dream beyond shadows. I feel fortunate that I discovered him in the early stage of my life, and now I am using his teachings to mould my future the way I want.

Even though Ratan Tata was born into a very posh family in India, he never took money and power for granted. He graduated from Riverdale country from New York, Ratan Tata began his career in the Tata Group working on the shop floor of Tata Steel. After working for almost 10 years, he was appointed as the director-in-charge of the National Radio and Electronics Company Limited (NELCO) in order to help its struggling finances. He worked hard to build a better consumer electronics division, but the economic recession and union strikes prevented him from achieving success, and this success helped Tata to be appointed as the chairman of the Tata Group of companies. He started with a very basic job in his father’s company, and today he owns a billion-dollar company.

The tag of greatness does not come without making any sacrifices, and this tag on Ratan Tata suits to its best.

Tata Group launched its passenger car Tata Indica in the year 1998 but Tata Indica was a failure in its first year, and the experiment seemed to be failing. Many people started advising Ratan Tata that he should sell the passenger car business. Ratan Tata also agreed to this, and a proposal was given to Ford; they showed interest too. The three-hour meeting at Ford headquarters in Detroit, chairman of Ford (Bill Ford) said to Ratan Tata, “Why did you enter in the passenger car business when you were not knowing of it. It will be a favour if we buy this business from you.”

Ratan Tata decided to move back home. While travelling, he was very tense as the feeling of being insulted was on his mind. After earlier failures, Tata Motors did well with its business of passenger cars but in the same period, Ford did very bad. In 2008 when Ford was on it way of bankruptcy, Tata Group offered Ford to buy its luxury car brand, Jaguar Land Rover. Ford arrived in Mumbai for the meeting. In the meeting, Bill Ford said to Ratan Tata, you are doing a big favour for us by buying-Jaguar-Land Rover is now owned by Tata Group and is currently making profits.

A1. Rewrite the following sentences as per their occurrence in the extract:   (2)

  1. He was appointed as the Director-in-charge of the National Radio and Electronics Company Limited.
  2. Tata Group launched its passenger car “Tata Indica” in the year 1998.
  3. Billi Ford said to Ratan Tata, "You are doing a big favour for us by buying Jaguar-Land Rover."
  4. He graduated from Riverdale country from New York.

A2. Explain:   (2)

The writer says, "I don't believe in taking right decisions. I take decisions and then make them right."

A3. Give reasons:  (2)

Ratan Tata decided to sell his passenger car business.

A4. Personal Response:  (2)

Right decision at the right time is important success. Express your opinion.

A5. Grammar:   (2)

Do as directed:

  1. He worked hard building a better consumer electronics division.
    (Rewrite the sentence using the infinitive form of the underlined word)
  2. Tata Group launched the passenger car Tata Indica.
    (Rewrite it beginning with 'The passenger car Tata Indica......')

A6. Vocabulary:

Give antonyms.

  1. Profit × ______
  2. Prevent × ______

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