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Question
Read the passage and write a summary of it in a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title.
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Fireflies are beetles and go through several life stages, starting out as an egg, then hatching into larvae. At the juvenile stage, they turn into pupae and then, finally adults. Fireflies spend most of their lives in a larval stage, hidden away. There are 2000 different species of fireflies. But they all go through a long juvenile stage and a short adult life, which is mainly about courtship, mating and reproduction. The juveniles living underground or underwater, are very different though-they're hunters, they eat snails and soft-bodied insects and they have very different habitats. Conserving them is essential for human life as fireflies are a key part of the food web. They are predators of agricultural pests. In turn, they are prey for spiders and other insects. They are completely enmeshed in the web of life. In addition, about 70 years ago, scientists unravelled the mystery of fireflies' light-producing talents. Since then, the bio-chemical reactions that fireflies experience have been used in detecting bacterial contamination in foods, testing drugs against cancer, developing drought-resistant crops. They have been used in space exploration. So fireflies give us beauty and inventions. Fireflies carry oxygen, calcium, magnesium and a natural chemical called luciferin. These react together to produce the photons. This is how the fireflies glow. Firefly tourism is growing across the world. In Maharashtra, for example, a particular species monsoon fireflies, emerge before the rains. They're beautiful and a festival is held in Purushwadi, encouraging firefly tourism. Its wonderful that people around the world go to see fireflies in their natural habitat. We need to be cautious. Too many people can disturb adult and larval habitats. Fireflies need darkness to communicate with each other and we need fireflies because they are harbingers of hope. |
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Solution
The Life and Light of Fireflies
Fireflies, a type of beetle, go through several life stages, spending most of their time as larvae and only briefly as adults focused on mating and reproduction. With 2000 species worldwide, these insects play a vital ecological role by preying on pests and serving as food for other creatures. Beyond their environmental function, fireflies have contributed to scientific advancements, including cancer research and space exploration, thanks to their unique light-producing chemical reactions. While firefly tourism, like in Maharashtra’s Purushwadi festival, promotes appreciation for these creatures, excessive tourism could disrupt their habitats. Fireflies symbolize both natural beauty and hope, emphasizing the need for their conservation.
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Summary:
Read the passage given in question 4(A) and write a summary of it in a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title.
Use of noun in apposition:
Apposition is a grammatical construction in which two elements, normally noun phrases, are placed side by side, with one element serving to identify the other in a different way; the two elements are said to be in apposition.
Apposition can be used to make compound sentences short and simple.
Neha is their eldest child and she is very intelligent.
- Neha, their eldest child, is very intelligent. [Here, Neha and their eldest child are the same person.] Provide two such examples of apposition.
Transforming Complex to Simple: By using phrases like ‘too...to’ or using noun phrase instead of a clause:
Nagpur is the city where oranges grow.
- Oranges grow in Nagpur
The old man is so weak that he cannot walk.
- The old man is too weak to walk.
Change the following sentence into simple:
Mr Rohit is the member and he is also the director.
Transforming Complex to Simple: By using phrases like ‘too...to’ or using noun phrase instead of a clause:
Nagpur is the city where oranges grow.
- Oranges grow in Nagpur
The old man is so weak that he cannot walk.
- The old man is too weak to walk.
Change the following sentence into simple:
You have to prove that you are innocent.
Find some professions that require the skill of summary writing and editing. Write them in your notebook.
Read the following incident.
Lokesh had always been a class-topper in tests and examinations. However, invariably, he used foul means during exams to gain those high marks.
Once, on the day of History examination, Lokesh realized that his classmate and friend Farhan came all prepared for Maths instead of History. Farhan had become desperate. So Lokesh offered to let him copy from his answer-sheet since Farhan sat just behind him.
Farhan refused. He said, ‘‘It’s all right even if I get a zero, but I can call it my own zero. I do not want to score a single mark, unearned. Cheating in exams is for cowards. Not me!’’
These words were a turning point in Lokesh’s life. He gave up cheating for ever. He worked hard for what he desired and never, ever used false measures to acquire anything.
Summarize the incident in 6 to 8 lines making Lokesh, the narrator:
Begin with: ‘I was always a class topper.
Complete the information from following graphic organiser and prepare summary.
Summary Maker
Title of the text:
- Name of the personality:
- Age:
- Books (As Author):
- Field of Excellence:
- Achievements:
From the library or Internet, read the story ‘How much land does a man need?’ by Leo Tolstoy and write a review of the same, covering the following points.
- Background of the story
- Characters
- Plot/Theme
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Write a brief summary of the following extract with the help of the given points and suggest a suitable title.
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The call of the seas has always found an echo in me. Not being rich enough to roam in a private yacht, I have taken the poor man's way out. I swim across them. I have always been fascinated by the Indian ocean, whether at Mumbai, at Puri or at Gopalpur. I have swam in all these places and have felt the thrill. But the idea of swimming the Palk Strait did not occur to me until after I swam in the English channel. Steeped in the history and tradition of this nation, practically unconquered. teaming with hair-raising hazards, the sea between India and Sri Lanka had all the elements of challenge, danger and difficulty that tempted me. By the way, for preparation, I continued a strict and rigorous course of training which began in 1960. I also had to collect a comprehensive range of facts and information about this sea. Neither of these was easy. Despite all the information I had gathered, I soon found that very little was known about the Palk Strait, especially about the tides and currents. Everything about the English channel is known-there is the Channel Swimming Association, there are trained pilots there are wants to be hired, accurate weather forecasts, dependable tide tables and every other form of assistance was readily available. All that one needed was money. Here in the Palk Strait one has to find out firstly from where information could be obtained and then decide how much of it could be incorrect or misleading! |
Attraction for the seas - fascination for the Palk Strait - comparison between the English channel and the Palk Strait.
