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Question
Read the lines given below and answer the following question:
| Sophocles long ago Heard it on the Agean… |
What did he hear on the Agean?
Options
The tremulous, sad note of the sea.
The sound of gulls.
The sound of human misery.
The note of hope.
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Solution
The sound of human misery.
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After having read the story, you realise the anguish of the illiterate adults. You want to make your friends aware of it and contribute something in bringing about a change in the lives of the illiterate adults. Deliver a speech in the morning assembly at your school about the Importance of Adult Education and ways to implement it.
Read the following to make your speech effective:
The introduction of a speech is like the nose of an airplane. The nose sets the course and leads the plane off in a specific direction. A good introduction sets the direction of your speech by
- getting the attention of your audience
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Read the song once again.
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens.
When I cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated.
The field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
I quench the thirst of the one;
I cure the ailment of the other.
The voice of thunder declares my arrival;
The rainbow announces my departure.
I am like earthly life which begins at
The feet of the mad elements and ends
Under the upraised wings of death.
I emerge from the heart of the sea and
Soar with the breeze. When I see a field in
Need, I descend and embrace the flowers and
The trees in a million little ways.
I touch gently at the windows with my
Soft fingers, and my announcement is a
Welcome song. All can hear, but only
The sensitive can understand.
I am the sigh of the sea;
The laughter of the field;
The tears of heaven.
So with love -
Sighs from the deep sea of affection; Laughter from the colourful
field of the spirit; Tears from the endless heaven of memories.
About the Poet
Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) was a Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer. His
poetry is notable for its use of formal language as well as insights on topics of life using
spiritual terms. One of his most notable lines of poetry in the English-speaking world is
from Sand and Foam (1926) which reads 'Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say
it so that the other half may reach you.'
Listen to an interview between a radio jockey and a pilot.
Some are Purple and gold flecked grey
For she who has journeyed through life midway,
Whose hands have cherished , whose love has blest,
And cradled fair sons on her faithful breast,
And serves her household in fruitful pride,
And worship the gods at her husband's side.
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow:
What fulfills the life of an Indian wife and mother?
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow.
What happens to the poet when he is sometime in a pensive mood?
Unleashing the goats from the drumstick tree, Muni started out, driving them ahead and uttering weird cries from time to time in order to urge them on. Me passed through the village with his head bowed in thought. He did not want to look at anyone or be accosted. A couple of cronies lounging in the temple corridor hailed him, but he ignored their call. They had known him in the days of affluence when he lorded over a flock of fleecy sheep, not the miserable grawky goats that he had today.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Did Muni know his age?
This woman had been despised, scoffed at, and angrily denounced by nearly every man, woman, and child in the village; but now, as the fact of, her death was passed from lip to lip, in subdued tones, pity took the place of anger, and sorrow of denunciation.
Neighbours went hastily to the old tumble-down hut, in which she had secured little more than a place of shelter from summer heats and winter cold: some with grave-clothes for a decent interment of the body; and some with food for the half-starving children, three in number. Of these, John, the oldest, a boy of twelve, was a stout lad, able to earn his living with any farmer. Kate, between ten and eleven, was bright, active girl, out of whom something clever might be made, if in good hands; but poor little Maggie, the youngest, was hopelessly diseased. Two years before a fall from a window had injured her spine, and she had not been able to leave her bed since, except when lifted in the arms of her mother.
“What is to be done with the children?” That was the chief question now. The dead mother would go underground, and be forever beyond all care or concern of the villagers. But the children must not be left to starve.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Why did the neighbour’s attitude change when they heard the news of her death?
After considering the matter, and talking it over with his wife, farmer Jones said that he would take John, and do well by him, now that his mother was out of the way; and Mrs. Ellis, who had been looking out for a bound girl, concluded that it would be charitable in her to make choice of Katy, even though she was too young to be of much use for several years.
“I could do much better, I know,” said Mrs. Ellis; “but as no one seems inclined to take her, I must act from a sense of duty expect to have trouble with the child; for she’s an undisciplined thing—used to having her own way.”
But no one said “I’ll take Maggie.” Pitying glances were cast on her wan and wasted form and thoughts were troubled on her account. Mothers brought cast-off garments and, removing her soiled and ragged clothes, dressed her in clean attire. The sad eyes and patient face of the little one touched many hearts, and even knocked at them for entrance. But none opened to take her in. Who wanted a bed-ridden child?
“Take her to the poorhouse,” said a rough man, of whom the question “What’s to be done with Maggie?” was asked. “Nobody’s going to be bothered with her.”
“The poorhouse is a sad place for a sick and helpless child,” answered one.
“For your child or mine,” said the other, lightly speaking; “but for tis brat it will prove a blessed change, she will be kept clean, have healthy food, and be doctored, which is more than can be said of her past condition.”
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Who came to mourn the dead woman? Why did no one follow the dead cart?
What was the assignment? How was our assignment different from the others?
Complete the following poem with words from the box below. Then recite the poem.
Soldiers live in barracks
And birds in ———————,
Much like a snake that rests
In a ———————. No horse is able
To sleep except in a ———————.
And a dog lives well,
Mind you, only in a ———————.
To say ‘hi’ to an ant, if you will,
You may have to climb an ———————.
| hole | kennel | nests | anthill | atable |
Why the king changed his clothes and left behind his bodyguards and horse before meeting the hermit?
How was the wicked farmer punished for his greed?
Why the early man was afraid of fire?
What was the problem of the two shoppers? What were they going to try?
Why is it necessary to enjoy sound sleep?
What does mother Warn him?
What makes the child comfortable the next time he sees the garden snake?
Why did the Dog say goodbye to the Wolf?
Answer the following question:
Describe Kalpana Chawla’s first mission in space.
Multiple Choice Question:
According to the poet, a lot is left unsaid because of _________.
Complete the following sentences from memory choosing a phrase from those given in brackets.
____________ was held at the time of the Eid festival.
Who was the bearded man?
How did the spirit of the dog help the farmer first?
How did it help him next?
Add im- or in- to each of the following words and use them in place of the italicised words in the sentences given below.
| patient, proper, possible, sensitive, competent |
He appears to be without sensitivity. In fact, he is very emotional.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
| Shylock: | Shall I not have barely my principal'? |
| Portia: | Thou shalt have nothing but forfeiture. To be so taken at thy peril, Jew. |
- What is the 'principal' that Shylock asks for?
Why does Portia refuse to give it to him? [3] - What is the 'forfeiture' they are referring to?
What danger ('peril') would Shylock be in if he took the forfeiture? [3] - What further hold does the law of Venice have on Shylock? [3]
- What concession does Antonio offer to Shylock?
On what condition does he make this offer? [3] - Why is Shylock in a hurry to leave the courtroom after the trial?
How far can Shylock be blamed for the outcome of the trial?
Give one reason for your response. [4]
Where did B. Wordsworth live in the short story, B. Wordsworth?
