Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
List the pair of opposites found in the poem.
Advertisements
Solution
(a) Day, night
(b) Reck’d, unreck’d
(c) Rise, descend
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Read the passage given below and answer the questions (a), (b) and (c) that follow :
(1) At the Literary Society’s meeting, Isola read out the letters written to her Granny Pheen, when she was but a little girl. They were from a very kind man – a complete stranger. Isola told us how these letters came to be written.
(2) When Granny Pheen was nine years old, her cat died. Heartbroken, sitting in the middle of the road, she was sobbing her heart out.
(3) A carriage, driving far too fast, came within a whisker of running her down. A very big man in a dark coat with a fur collar, jumped out, leaned over Pheen, and asked if he could help her. Granny Pheen said she was beyond help. Muffin, her cat, was dead.
(4) The man said, ‘Of course, Muffin’s not dead. You do know cats have nine lives, don’t you?’ When Pheen said yes, the man said, ‘Well, I happen to know your Muffin was only on her third life, so she has six lives left.’ Pheen asked how he knew. He said he always knew - cats would often appear in his mind and chat with him. Well, not in words, of course, but in pictures.
(5) He sat down on the road beside her and told her to keep still – very still. He would see if Muffin wanted to visit him. They sat in silence for several minutes, when suddenly the man grabbed Pheen’s hand.
(6) ‘Ah – yes! There she is! She’s being born this minute! In a mansion – in France. There’s a little boy petting her, he’s going to call her Solange. This Solange has great spirit, great verve – I can tell already! She is going to have a long, venturesome life.’
(7) Granny Pheen was so rapt by Muffin’s new fate that she stopped crying. The man said he would visit Solange every so often and find out how she was faring.
(8) He asked for Granny Pheen’s name and the name of the farm where she lived, got back into the carriage, and left.
(9) Absurd as all this sounds, Granny Pheen did receive eight long letters. Isola then read them out. They were all about Muffin’s life as the French cat − Solange. She was, apparently, something of a feline musketeer. She was no idle cat, lolling about on cushions, lapping up cream – she lived through one wild adventure after another – the only cat ever to be awarded the red rosette of the Legion of Honour.
(10) What a story this man had made up for Pheen – lively, witty, full of drama and suspense. We were enchanted, speechless at the reading. When it was over (and much applauded), I asked Isola if I could see the letters, and she handed them to me.
(11) The writer had signed his letters with a grand flourish :
VERY TRULY YOURS,
O.F. O’F. W.W.
It was highly possible that Isola had inherited eight letters written by Oscar Wilde, for who else could have had such a preposterous name as Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Willis Wilde.
Adapted from : The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society – By Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
(a) (i) Given below are four words and phrases. Find the words which have a similar meaning in the passage :[4]
(1) adventurous
(2) cat-like
(3) appreciated
(4) received something on someone’s death
(ii) For each of the words given below, write a sentence of at least ten words using the same word unchanged in form, but with a different meaning from that which it carries in the passage :[4]
(1) kind (line 2)
(2) mind (line 13)
(3) still (line 15)
(4) sounds (line 26)
(b) Answer the following questions in your own words as briefly as possible:
(i) Where did Isola get the letters from to read at the Literary Society’s meeting?[2]
(ii) Who consoled Granny Pheen when she was heart-broken? What did he say about Muffin’s lives?[2]
(iii) What did the man say when Granny Pheen asked him how he knew about cats’ lives?[2]
(iv) According to the man, what was Muffin’s new fate?[3]
(c) In not more than 100 words, summarise why the eight letters were a treasure to Granny Pheen. (Paragraphs 2 to 10). Failure to keep within the word limit will be penalised. You will be required to write the summary in the form of a connected passage in about 100 words.[8]
Who holds ‘all the growth of our land’? Which land has the poet in mind?
Which line(s)/stanza(s) do you enjoy most? Why?
Is there repetition used in the poem? Why?
Explain briefly how Abou Ben Adhem demonstrated his love for God.
Who won the race and how? Explain in about 50 words.
The eight other runners pulled up on their heels
The ones who had trained for so long to complete
one by one they all turned around and went back to help him
And brought the young boy to his feet.
Then all the nine runners joined hands and continued
The hundred-yard dash now reduced to a walk
And a banner above that said (Special Olympics)
Could not have been more on the mark.
That's how the race ended, with nine gold medals
They came to the finish line holding hands still
And a standing ovation and nine beaming faces
Said more than these words ever will.
Read the lines given above and answer the following question:
Explain with reference to context.
Show liow Narayan depicts women in the story and their role in a man’s life.
Discuss with reference to the story An Angel in Disguise how love has the power to transform.
Is the story Didactic and gives a moral?
Choose two of the passages (a) to (c) and answer briefly the questions that follow:
Raina :
Come away from the window (She takes him firmly back to the middle of the room. The moment she releases him he turns mechanically towards the window again. She seizes him and turns him back, exclaiming) Please! (He becomes motionless, like a hypnotized rabbit, his fatigue gaining fast on him. She releases him, and addresses him patronizingly). Now listen. You must trust to our hospitality. You do not yet know in whose house you are. I am a Petkoff.
The Man: A pet what?
Raina : [rather indignantly] I mean that I belong to the family of the Petkoffs, the richest and best known in our country.
The Man: Oh yes, of course. I beg your pardon. The Petkoffs, to be sure. How stupid of me!
Raina: You know you never heard of them until this moment. How can you stoop to pretend!
The Man: Forgive me. I'm too tired to think, and the change of subject was too much for me. Don't scold me.
(i) Why did the man keep turning to the window?
(ii) Which examples of the social superiority of the Petkoff's does Raina give the man?
(iii) Which opera does Raina mention? With whom does she compare herself? What does this tell you about her?
(iv) In Raina's opinion, what should the man have done instead of threatening her?
(v) What does the man tell Raina about his father? Why does he do so?
(vi) What does the man do at the end of the scene?
You are to be awarded a Special Prize at the Annual Prize Day ceremony of your school. Write a letter to a lady relative, giving her the news. Be sure to include details of the prize that you are to receive, and tell her why you have been chosen for this honour.
Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage, but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space.
Example:
(0) From his perch behind the clock, Hugo could (0)……. (see) everything.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep.
(Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening: Robert Frosty)
(i) Who is ‘I’ referred to in the extract? Which season of the year is it? What evidence is there in the poem to support your answer?
(ii) Who has made him aware of his mistake? How does it make the speaker aware of his mistake? What does it seem to say?
(iii) What are the three sounds heard?
(iv) What has been said earlier by the poet about the owner of the woods?
(v) What does lovely, dark and deep suggest? What is the underlying significance in the repetition of the last two lines of the extract? Mention the moral tag that the poet attaches to the poem.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
The morning stretched calm, beautiful, and warm.
Sprawling half-clad, I gazed out at the form
Of shimmering leaves and shadows. Suddenly
A strong flash, then another, startled me.
I saw the old stone lantern brightly lit.
(A Doctor’s Journal Entry for August 6, 1945: Vikram Seth)
(i) In which country did the incident described in the poem occur? What had caused the flashes? What happened to his home soon after?
(ii) Describe the injuries suffered by the Doctor.
(iii) What was his wife’s name? What happened to a house standing before them?
(iv) How does he describe the people he met on the way?
(v) Why were the people walking with their hands away from their bodies? What was common to all of them? What message does the poem convey?
Give reasons for the following.
Tut’s body was buried along with gilded treasures.
Discuss the following statement in groups of four.
“The Emperor may rule over the territory he has conquered, but only the artist knows the way within.”
Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expressing your views on the deteriorating law and order situation in your city.
‘Mrs. Croft’s was the first death I mourned in America, for, hers was the first life I had admired; she had left this world, at last, ancient and alone, never to return’—how do these lines encapsulate the bond that is possible between two strangers?
It took the narrator quite some time to understand that what he heard as 'piper', in fact, meant 'paper' and the phrase 'mind the gap' in the Tube. What do you think caused the problem?
Give reasons for the following.
Satyajit's feeling that he was an impostor.
Look at this cartoon by R.K. Laxman. Read the sentence given below the cartoon. Discuss the following questions with your partner.
- What is it about?
- Do you find it funny? If so, why?
- Do you think a cartoon is a serious drawing? Why or why not?
Now write a paragraph or two about these two stories, comparing them.
Multiple Choice Question:
What does the phrase in the extract ‘turned black’ mean here?
We add ‘un-’ to make opposites. For example, true — untrue. Add ‘un’– to the word below to make its opposite. Then look up the meaning of the word you have formed in the dictionary.
answerable: ____________
The extract deals with the atmosphere of two homes. Collect the words associated with - Home.
Frame a pointwise Analysis of the poem ‘The worm’. Use the following points.
- Poem and poet:
- Theme:
- Tone:
- Structure and stanzas:
- Rhyme and Rhythm:
- Language and Imagery:
- Figures of Speech:
There are a number of challenges a farmer in India faces. Discuss with your friend, how it is possible to improve the condition of farmers.
| Sr. No. | Challenges | Solutions |
| 1. | Water Scarcity | Rain Water Harvesting |
| 2. | Credit and In-debtedness | |
| 3. | Land Issues | |
| 4. | Climatic changes | |
| 5. | Social Groups | |
| 6. | Lack of advanced technology | |
| 7. | Diversification | |
| 8. | Market Risks |
You have just returned after your first experience of the kite - festival in Gujarat / Ahmedabad. You were thrilled with the festivities.
You have a friend who lives abroad. Write a letter to your friend describing how you enjoyed the kite-festival.
'The Road Not Taken' (Robert Frost), 'O Captain My Captain' (Walt Whitman), etc. are inspirational poems. Search these poems on the internet and write down your opinion about the poems in your notebook.
Given below are a few famous bridges in India. Find out more information about them and write in your notebook.
- The Howrah Bridge.
- Laxman Zhula
- Pambum Bridge
- Worli Sea Link
Write the appreciation of the poem.
- About the poem/poet/title
- Theme
- Poetic devices, language, style
- Special features/novelties/focusing elements
- Values, message
- Your opinion about the poem.
Write a letter to your friend about the Great Indian Bustard. You may use the following points:
- Why we need to protect the bird.
- What you plan to do to help the bird.
Complete the table. One is done for you.
| The World around you | What we should aim to be | |
| 1. | Callous | Caring for people, environment, life |
| 2. | Violent | |
| 3. | Greedy | |
| 4. | Corrupt |
Narrate the story of Sushruta in your own words.
Write the reason in your own words.
Akbar strongly desired to hear Ostad sing.
Complete the remaining blocks determining the types of news.
Write about a day when you felt very happy. Use the following questions to help you. Think/Recollect a day ____________
Note down the points.
- Do you remember the exact day and date?
- Was it a special occasion or celebration?
- What happened on that day?
- How did you react to the things that happened on that day?
- How did other people react when they saw you were so happy?
- What did you do next ?
- What happened in the end?
- Describe any other emotions you felt that day
Now, with the help of the guidelines write a short paragraph of at least 100 words about that happy day. Give a suitable title for your narrative/write up.
Write a speech for your school Literary Association celebration with the given lead.
| 1) Opening | |
| 2) Purpose | |
| 3) Audience | |
| 4) Language – Some Good Describing Words (Adverbs And Adjectives), Emotive Words, Imagery etc. | |
| 5) Ending |
Nalan’s grandfather showed him an old treasure trunk. A road map was stuck on the trunk. It showed the spot where a key was hidden. Look at the road map and write five directions to reach the spot where the key is hidden. Discuss with your partner and compare your directions with those of your classmates.
- ____________
- ____________
- ____________
- ____________
- ____________
Write a paragraph from the contents of the table given below. Frame sentences with these words – but, as well as, whereas.
eg. A turtle as well as a tortoise belongs to the reptile family.
| Tortoise | Turtle |
| reptile family | reptile family |
| land animal | sea animal |
| has a long life | lives for many years |
| uses tiny feet to walk | uses flippers to swim |
| eats grass, weeds and flowers | eats insects and bugs |
Look at the picture and write a paragraph using the clues in the picture.
| GROW AND PROTECT TREES |
Fill in the blank by choosing the preposition from the option.
The frogs jumped ______ the well.
Reference to context.
Draw pictures of the speakers of the above lines.
Punctuate the following passage.
mother father neelam said i have got a fire engine ive got a fire engine whats this whats this called mother somewhat confused by the noise ive got a fire engine mother come and see it.
Using a red pencil, choose and circle the things whose smell you like. Now with a blue pencil circle the things whose smell you do not like. Make five sentences like this
I like/do not like the smell of ______ because it reminds me of______.
- ______.
- ______.
- ______.
- ______.
- ______.
Some words have similar sound, but different meaning. Choose the correct word from the option and fill in the blank.
The bird sits on a______.
How is school education in the village different from that in the city?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of Jimmy Wells from Bob’s point of view?
How did the other Women react to Woman 5?
What was the only similarity between Leacock’s face and his photograph?
Fill in the following forms with imaginary details.
What sounded absurd to Aunt Jane?
‘Just one more installment and BABY’S REALLY OURS!’ This tells us that the couple
Write letter to your father asking permission to go on a educational tour.
Think of an occasion when you did not like the decision/actions of your family members but realised later on that they were right. Write about it in 5-8 lines.
Translate the following sentence into your mother tongue.
The first question we must ask ourselves before we speak is - is it true?
Write points and counter points on the following topic:
You must memorise the rules of grammar
Imagine someone has invited your family to a programme and you were the only person at home when the invitation was given orally.
Write a note (4-5 lines) to pass on the message to the other people in your family. Or, Write an imaginary conversation in which you pass on the message to your parents.
As the Head of Environmental Initiatives at school, you have to deliver a speech on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5th. Write a speech following the guidelines given below:
- Greeting or salutation and purpose – the importance of World Environment Day
- Key issues such as climate change, and pollution – the role of students in fostering a sense of environmental responsibility
- Concrete steps required towards a more sustainable and an eco-friendly lifestyle – strong call for action.
