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Question
'Now I hold Creation in my foot' – explain the centrality of this assertion in the poem. What makes the hawk's assertion of its invincibility so categorical?
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Solution
As posed in the poem, the Hawk appears to be absolute and indomitable. It ascribes itself to the summit of the jungle. The highest of all the social ladder, it sits on the highest point from where it can see it all beneath and small. The Hawk exaggerates that it took the whole of the Creation to design it. It sits on a bark that is rough and it at the highest point of the tree. The perspective of the Hawk is bounded by its vision. The little of the wood that it sees from its seat it takes it to be the whole of the world and presumes itself as its God. The little bird's petty egocentricity is amusing as when it flies it believes itself to be the one rotating the planet and moving the whole of the life. So now that the roles are reversed, the Hawk exclaims, “Now I hold Creation in my foot.” The Hawk declaring its assertion as invincibly categorical. It is the Hawk who is in control of the whole creation, even the Sun abides by it. Nothing that its eyes do not permit can flourish or even exist.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. Air pollution is an issue which concerns us all alike. One can willingly choose or reject a food, a drink or a life comfort, but unfortunately there is little choice for the air we breathe. All, what is there in the air is inhaled by one and all living in those surroundings.
2. Air pollutant is defined as a substance which is present while normally it is not there or present in an amount exceeding the normal concentrations. It could either be gaseous or a particulate matter. The important and harmful polluting gases are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone and oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. The common particulate pollutants are the dusts of various inorganic or organic origins. Although we often talk of the outdoor air pollutions caused by industrial and vehicular exhausts, the indoor pollution may prove to be as or a more important cause of health problems.
3. Recognition of air pollution is relatively recent. It is not uncommon to experience a feeling of 'suffocation' in a closed environment. It is often ascribed to the lack of oxygen. Fortunately, however, the composition of air is remarkably constant all over the world. There is about 79 per cent nitrogen and 21 per cent oxygen in the air − the other gases forming a very small fraction. It is true that carbon dioxide exhaled out of lungs may accumulate in a closed and over-crowded place. But such an increase is usually small and temporary unless the room is really air-tight. Exposure to poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide may occur in a closed room, heated by burning coal inside. This may also prove to be fatal.
4. What is more common in a poorly ventilated home is a vague constellation of symptoms described as the sick-building syndrome. It is characterized by a general feeling of malaise, head-ache, dizziness and irritation of mucous membranes. It may also be accompanied by nausea, itching, aches, pains and depression. Sick building syndrome is getting commoner in big cities with the small houses, which are generally over-furnished. Some of the important pollutants whose indoor concentrations exceed those of the outdoors include gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and organic substances like spores, formaldehydes, hydrocarbon aerosols and allergens. The sources are attributed to a variety of construction materials, insulations, furnishings, adhesives, cosmetics, house dusts, fungi and other indoor products.
5. By-products of fuel combustion are important in houses with indoor kitchens. It is not only the brining of dried dung and fuelwood which is responsible, but also kerosene and liquid petroleum gas. Oxides of both nitrogen and sulphur are released from their combustion.
6. Smoking of tobacco in the closed environment is an important source of indoor pollution. It may not be high quantitatively, but significantly hazardous for health. It is because of the fact that there are over 3000 chemical constituents in tobacco smoke, which have been identified. These are harmful for human health.
7. Micro-organisms and allergens are of special significance in the causation and spread of diseases. Most of the infective illnesses may involve more persons of a family living in common indoor environment. These include viral and bacterial diseases like tuberculosis.
8. Besides infections, allergic and hypersensitivity disorders are spreading fast. Although asthma is the most common form of respiratory allergic disorders, pneumonias are not uncommon, but more persistent and serious. These are attributed to exposures to allergens from various fungi, molds, hay and other organic materials. Indoor air ventilation systems, coolers, air-conditioners, dampness, decay, pet animals, production or handling of the causative items are responsible for these hypersensitivity − diseases.
9. Obviously, the spectrum of pollution is very wide and our options are limited. Indoor pollution may be handled relatively easily by an individual. Moreover, the good work must start from one’s own house
(Extracted from the Tribune)
(a) (i) What is an air pollutant? (1)
(ii) In what forms are the air pollutants present? (2)
(iii) Why do we feel suffocated in a closed environment? (1)
(iv) What is sick building syndrome? How is it increasing? (2)
(v) How is indoor smoking very hazardous? (1)
(vi) How can one overcome the dangers of indoor air pollution? (2)
(b) Find the words from the above passage which mean the same as the following: (3)
(i) giddiness (para 4)
(ii) constant (para 8)
(iii) humidity (para 8)
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.)
|
Does the poem talk of an exclusively personal experience or is it fairly universal?
List the steps taken by the captain
(i) to protect the ship when rough weather began.
(ii) to check the flooding of the water in the ship.
How does Russell's definition of knowledge differ from what is commonly understood by the term?
'New Literature' is a misnomer for the wealth of the Indian Literary tradition. How does G. N. Devy explain this?
'Whose roots lay deeper than our lives' – what aspect of human behaviour does this line reflect?
Why did Ajamil refuse to meet the sheepdog's eyes?
Name the world-famous personality who reached great heights despite of humble circumstances.
Make sentence of your own using the following expression.
bargain:
Think and answer in your own words.
How do parents react when they see children soil their clothes in dust and heat?
Make a list of the preparations made for an assault on Tiger Hill.
Bofors guns _____________.
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:
Suggest what you would do in the following situation:
You realise that you no longer want to pursue your studies in the stream you have selected.
Name any four periods of History of British Drama.
Discuss and write 1-2 lines about the following.
Yonamine’s fight with Bushi (disguised as a bandit).
Write a short note on the following:
Sujata’s offering
Form groups of five and discuss:
There are many things that seem small, minor, or insignificant to some people but the same may be the cause of great pain, suffering for others. Can you list such things? What can you do to provide help on those occasions?
Read the following sentence aloud. Write who said it and to whom.
“What! ... how ! ... That’s impossible! ”
What do the following events/actions tell us about the characters? Discuss.
Sir Ector kneeled before Arthur.
Complete the following sentence with reference to the passage.
It is believed that _________ Homer, who __________ and who ________ to all who __________________.
Gather more information about the following from your Science textbook, the internet, and other sources.
Gravitational force
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 |
Mention the various places that the brook flows past.
Use the following outline to develop a story as a group activity. Then write the story individually.
Family returns home late at night ______ hear converstation between thieves from inside the locked house ______ family gets ready to counter ______ attack ______ father opens the door ______ all enter ______ no one is seen ______ but TV is on detective serial midway.
Fill in the blank choosing the appropriate word/idiom from the lesson.
The ______ solved the mysterious crime.
Guess the meaning of the following word.
novel
How was Gulliver taken to the city?
Write a short note/story based on the ill effects of pollution.
Choose a word that has at least four letters in it. Imagine that it is a short form. Write the name /phrase /words it stands for.
For example, STEP : Sunday and Thursday Evening Programmes.
Mahatma Gandhi, Che Guevera, Guru Nanak, and Gauthama Buddha are some of the famous personalities and thinkers who made extensive journeys to understand life. Do you think journeys can be life-changing?
Read the following line from the poem and answer the question that follow.
Let me but live my life from year to year, With forward face and unreluctant soul; Not hurrying to, nor turning from the goal; Not mourning for the things that disappear.
Identify the rhyme scheme of the given lines.
The narrator searched for three days to buy ceramic paint.
Answer the following question in about 80-120 word.
If you were to live in the Complaining Street, how would you deal with the people who grumble?
Tom lay thinking. Presently it occurred to him that he wished he was sick; then he could stay home from school. He examined himself. He found no symptoms or sickness, and he investigated again. This time he felt he had a stomach ache, but it soon grew feeble, and presently died wholly away. He reflected further.
What was the result of Tom’s self-examination?
They may have______ in______.
- soft
- vain
- fear
- joy
- love
- heard
- toiled
- mild
- good
- sand
- life
- harsh
Why does Alice drink from the bottle that says ‘DRINK ME’ and why does she eat from the cake that says ‘EAT ME’?
Look at the number pattern. Fill the blank in the middle of the series or end of the series.
CMM, EOO, GQQ, ______, KUU
Read these lines and answer the question given below.
The laughter and beauty of women long dead;
Explain the meaning of the above line.
Describe Gulliver’s encounter with the army of Blefuscu.
They all stood around the little jewel of blue means______.
You don’t need ______ and ______ in the Earth.
Which planet has rings around it?
Find the rhyming word from the poem.
Crowd - ______.
The battle of Nauranang lasted for three days.
Read the passage three times and colour a bull for each time.
Mr. Murugan is a farmer. He has a small piece of land and two bulls. He takes good care of his bulls as they help him in farming. Every morning, he takes the bulls for grazing. When it rains he ploughs the land with the bulls. As he has no one to help he starts sowing the seed before sunrise. He irrigates the crop till it grows. He reaps and binds the crop then takes it to thrash the paddy. Finally, with the help of the bulls, he takes the paddy to his house.
Choose the correct option from the given homophones.
I saw a ______ on the flower.
Who is the guest?
Take out the correct rhyming pair from the poem and match with the given word.
| 1. | tall | |
| 2. | light | |
| 3. | might |
Why was the fish floating on top?
______is good at cooking.
The official and his wife liked______.
Number the actions of Pandi and Nandhini in order.
Read the advertisement and answer the question given below.
What is the advertisement about?
Jana and her family moved to the village _______ ago.
Why did Jana’s friends stop her from going near the tree?
Let us learn a few more word by joining the dots. Join the dots and fill the table below.
| subway | |
| holiday | |
| closet | |
| pants | |
| chips |
Finally, ______, he got permission to study Science.
Why did Nasruddin say, “It was my aim,” the third time?
Read the passage given below and make notes.
To match the best cities across the world, the Government of India initiated ‘smart cities’ to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people. The agenda under smart city promises to resolve urban sustainability problems. Urban forests provide a range of important ecosystem services that are critical for the sustainability of cities. Urban forestry, which is defined more as ‘Management of Trees’ contributes to the physiological, sociological and economic well-being of the society. Mangroves, lakes, grasslands, and forests in and around our cities, act as sponges that absorb the air and noise pollution and they present themselves as our cultural and recreational hotspots. However, these spots are rapidly being reclaimed and replaced in the name of development. Presence of urban green has shown to increase the economic value of the place.
Urban forests contribute to reduce the cost of building storm water drain systems for municipalities and neutralizing urban heat island effect. Plants not only provide shade but also help in regulating the micro-climate. They help regulate energy budgets, improve air quality, and curtail noise pollution. Trees, herbs, shrubs, and grasses arrest sedimentation and prevent other pollutants from entering our water systems. This will give a chance for our urban lakes and rivers to recover and help improve aquatic ecosystems. Biodiversity also gets a boost through the urban forestsand helps create corridors connecting the forest areas. High biodiversity areas can also help to build resilient ecosystems. Availability of forests within our urban areas gives an opportunity for children to connect to the natural environment and learn about native species.
