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Question
Read the passage given below.
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5 |
Technology is making advancements at a rapid rate but at the cost of a valued tradition - the crafts industry. The traditional crafts industry is losing a lot of its trained and skilled craftsmen. With that, the art of embellishing brass and copper utensils with fine engravings is also disappearing. The government has identified around 35 crafts as a languishing craft. |
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10 |
The speciality of handcrafted items is their design, an association with long traditions belonging to a specific region. The word ‘handcrafted’ does not imply the involvement of dexterous human fingers or an agile mind with a moving spirit anymore. Lessening drudgery, increasing production and promoting efficiency have taken precedence. The labour-saving devices are taking the place of handcrafted tools and this has jeopardized the skills of these artisans. |
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15 |
Mechanisation has made its way into everything - cutting, polishing, edging, designing etc. Ideally, the use of machinery should be negligible and the handicrafts should be made purely by hand with a distinguishable artistic appeal. However, with the exception of small-scale industries, the export units are mostly operated by machines. The heavily computerised designs contribute to faster production at lower costs. |
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20 |
Although mechanization of crafts poses a challenge to safeguarding traditional crafts, the artisans are lured with incentives in order to impart handicrafts training. Some makers do see machines as a time-saving blessing since they are now able to accomplish difficult and demanding tasks with relative ease. These machines might give a better 25finesse to these products but they don’t stand out as handcrafted. The quantity has overtaken quality in this industry. |
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30 |
A need to highlight the importance of the handmade aspect is required by both the government and private sectors, in order to amplify awareness and also support the culture of making handicrafts. A few artisans are still trying their best to rejuvenate and revive their culture and heritage but it’s an uphill task competing with the machine-made goods. A multitude of artisans have changed their professions and are encouraging their progeny to follow suit. There are others who have stayed their ground but are clearly inclined towards buying machines. |
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35 |
Nearly two decades ago, there were around 65 lakh artisans in the country. Three years ago, when the government started the process of granting a unique number to the artisans based on the Aadhaar card, 25 lakhs were identified. Loss of traditional crafts is clearly a worrying issue, but it stands to reason that forcing any artisan to follow old ways when concerns of livelihood overrule other considerations, is unfair. |
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
- What does the writer mean by calling handicrafts a ‘valued tradition’?
- Rewrite the following sentence by replacing the underlined phrase with a word that means the same from lines 5-15.
If it continues, the workcation (work + vacation) trend will be a powerful boost to domestic tourism operators failing to make progress in the economic slump caused due to the pandemic. - State any two reasons why artisans are choosing to work via machines rather than handcrafted tools.
- Why do the artisans need to be ‘lured with incentives’ to impart handicrafts training?
- List one likely impact of the support of government and private sectors towards the culture of making handicrafts.
- How does the writer justify an artist’s act of abandoning her/his traditional craft for a more lucrative option?
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Solution
- valued - showcase talents that are associated with artisans’ lifestyle and history.
tradition - represent rich our artistic culture/ heritage/ tradition. - If it continues, the workcation (work + vacation) trend will be a powerful boost to domestic tourism operators languishing in the economic slump caused due to the pandemic.
- Saves labour
reduces drudgery
increases production
finesse
efficiency - Because if artisans impart training to mass/bulk producers, they run the risk of losing their traditional livelihood to them and hence need to be tempted via benefits or rewards, to do so.
- Creation of awareness and public support for the artisans and their work/more artisans would be incentivized to continue their tradition/artisans wouldn’t change their professions seeking a better livelihood.
- Via the argument that the artisans cannot be expected to continue their profession if it is not profitable, even though the loss of traditional crafts is perturbing.
Notes
Guidance:
i. The learner is required to respond to - Why are handicrafts valued? Why have they considered a part of our tradition?
- Award maximum 1 mark for the complete correct answer.
- Award partial credit of ½ mark if just ‘valued’/ ‘tradition’ is addressed in the response.
ii. 1 mark for the correct answer.
- No partial credit.
- No marks are to be deducted if the learner fails to rewrite the complete sentence and just lists the chosen meaning - the purpose of the given sentence is to share a context.
iii. The learner is required to state 2 clear points that indicate the advantage of using machines over working with hands and tools.
- Award 1 mark for any two points (½ + ½).
- ½ mark as partial credit for one point stated.
iv. The learner is required to rationalise why the bulk producers have to tempt/ attract/ entice artisans to share their craft secrets/ training with them.
- Award 1 mark for complete rationalisation.
- ½ mark for a partial explanation - just elaborating on either the reason or the effect.
v. The learner is required to list an advantage that is the outcome of the support of government and private sectors towards handicraft making.
- Award 1 mark for anyone's impact.
- No partial credit.
vi. The learner is required to state how the writer agrees that an artisan is justified in moving to options that pay better than traditional handicraft making, in order to support his livelihood.
- Award 1 mark for the correct answer.
- No partial credit.
- No marks for lines just copied from the text.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
If you are addicted to coffee, and doctors warn you to quit the habit, don’t worry and just keep relishing the beverage, because it’s not that bad after all! In fact, according to a new study, the steaming cup of Java can beat fruits and vegetables as the primary source of antioxidants. Some studies state that coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in American diet, and both caffeinated and decaf versions appear to provide similar antioxidant levels.
Antioxidants in general have been linked to a number of potential health benefits, including protection against heart diseases and cancer, but Vinson, a dietitian said that their benefits ultimately depend on how they are absorbed and utilized in the body. The research says that coffee outranks popular antioxidant sources like tea, milk, chocolate and cranberries. Of all the foods and beverages studied, dates actually have the most antioxidants based solely on serving size, but since dates are not consumed anywhere near the level of coffee, the drink comes as the top source of antioxidants, Vinson said.
Besides keeping you alert and awake, coffee has been linked to an increasing number of potential health benefits, including protection against liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease, according to some recently published studies. The researchers, however, advise that one should consume coffee in moderation, because it can make you jittery and cause stomach pains
(a) What do doctors advise us about the habit of drinking coffee?
(b) What are the two versions of coffee that are drunk in America?
(c) State any two benefits of antioxidants.
(d) What does Vinson say about the consumption of antioxidants?
(e) Name any two popular sources of antioxidants.
(f) How does coffee outrank dates in the level of antioxidants?
(g) Mention any two benefits of coffee.
(h) What do researchers warn us about the excessive use of coffee?
Read the passage given below:
1. I rested for a moment at the door of Anand Bhawan, on Market Road, where coffee-drinkers and tiffin-eaters sat still at their tables, uttering low moans on seeing me. I wanted to assure them, "Don't mind me, you hugging the cash box − you are a coward, afraid even to breathe. Go on, count the cash, if that is your pleasure. I just want to watch, that's all. If my tail trails down to the street, if I am blocking your threshold, it is because, I'm told, I'm eleven feet tip to tail. I can't help it. I'm not out to kill − I'm too full. I found a green pasture full of food on my way. I won't attack until I feel hungry again. Tigers attack only when they feel hungry, unlike human beings who slaughter one another without purpose or hunger."
2. To the great delight of children, schools were being hurriedly closed. Children of all ages and sizes were running helter-skelter, screaming joyously. "No school, no school. Tiger, tiger!" They were shouting and laughing and even enjoying being scared. They seemed to welcome me. I felt like joining them. So I bounded away from the restaurant door. I walked along with them, at which they cried, 'The tiger is coming to eat us; let us get back to school!"
3. I followed them through their school gate while they ran up and shut themselves in the school hall securely. I climbed up the steps of the school, saw an open door at the far end of a veranda, and walked in. It happened to be the headmaster's room. I noticed a very dignified man jumping on the table and heaving himself up into an attic. I walked in and flung myself on the cool floor, having a special liking for cool stone floors.
4. As I drowsed, I was aware of cautious steps and hushed voices all around. I was in no mood to bother about anything. All I wanted was a little moment of sleep; the daylight was very bright.
On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following questions:
(a) How did the diners at Anand Bhawan react on seeing the tiger?
(b) When do tigers attack? In this context, how are human beings different from tigers?
(c) Why were children happy and even enjoying being scared?
(d) What did the headmaster do on seeing the tiger? What did the tiger like to do in the headmaster's office?
(e) Identify the word which means the same as 'hugging'. (Para 1)
(i) counting
(ii) hiding
(iii) rubbing
(iv) holding tightly in the arms
(f) Identify the word which means the same as 'delight'. (Para 2)
(i) pleasure
(ii) fear
(iii) sorrow
(iv) nervousness
(g) Identify the word which means the same as 'dignified'. (Para 3)
(i) tall
(ii) honourable
(iii) terrified
(iv) tired
(ii) jumped forward
(iii) walked with heavy steps
(iv) ran lazily
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
But even in a poverty-free world where every man and woman would earn enough to take care of themselves and their family, there would still be situations of temporary poverty due to a sudden catastrophe or misfortune, a bankruptcy or business downturn leading to failure, or some personal disease or disaster.
A poverty-free world might see a whole group of families, locations, or even regions devastated by some shared disasters, such as floods, tire, cyclones, riots, earthquakes or
other disasters. But such temporary problems could be taken care of by the market mechanism through insurance and other self-paying programmes, assisted of course by social-consciousness-driven enterprises.
There would always remain differences in lifestyle between people at the bottom of society and those at the top income levels. Yet that difference would be the difference between the middle-class and luxury class, just as on trains in Europe today you have only first-class and second-class carriages, whereas in the nineteenth century there were third- class and even fourth-class carriages - sometimes with no windows and just hay strewn on the floor.
Can we really create a poverty-free world? A world without third-class or fourth-class citizens, a world without a hungry, illiterate, barefoot under-class?
(1) What is the extract about?
(2) How will the poverty-free world take care of natural disasters?
(3) According to the writer, what would, 'the world without poverty' be like?
(4) What can we do to help the poor in our society?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
(i) Temporary problems could be taken care of by market mechanisms.
(Rewrite the sentence beginning with 'Market mechanism ........ ')
(ii) In the nineteenth century, there were third-class carriages.
(Form a Wh-question to get the underlined part as an answer.)
(iii) There would still be situations of temporary poverty.
(Rewrite it using 'can'.)
( 6) What do the following words in the extract mean -
(i) devastated
(ii) hay
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below :
One day, I saw the tree was being cut. I rushed to the site and begged the tree cutters to spare the trunk as it wast the home of many a parrot. But I was laughed at and the tree fell with a great thud. I ran to the top end to see two just hatched chicks thrown out of their nest and smashed to death. I looked into all the nests and saw smashed eggs in two of them and one little chick in the other one. Fortunately, the little one survived the fall. I brought it home. The chick can be identified as a parrot only by the shape and colour of its beak. No feathers had come out. 1 carefully fed it with milk and within two weeks it began to eat bananas; and two months later, it started to fly and I let him fly away. But he would not fly long. He used to liner on the coconut trees in our compound and when I reached home from school, he would fly down and land on my head!
I would show him my finger and he would jump on to it from my head and drink the milk I offered him in a little plate. By putting the sharp end of the upper beak stationaty in the plate, he would drink the milk by moving his tongue and lower beak to and fro. Then he would fly on to my shoulder and eat paddy from mypahn.
(1) What is the extract about? (1)
(2) Describe how did the boy save the life of a chick ? (2)
(3) What was the parrot's daily routine at the author's home? (2)
(4) Do you think, we have deprived the birds of their natural habitats? What are its effects? (2)
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) I rushed to the site. (Rewrite the sentence using 'used to'.) (1)
(ii) The tree was being cut. (Rewrite it beginning with 'They .... .' (1)
(iii) I looked into all the nests and saw smashed eggs in two of them. (Rewrite the sentence using the word 'when'. (1)
(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean -
(i) neatly (1/2)
(ii) stay for longer (1/2)
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
So what is a city? It's a dense amalgamation of buildings and people. A city must provide equity and also be sustainable. As an architect who has been closely connected with Delhi and its planning, my wish list is more about the direction we need to take so that future generations don 't end up living in chaotic dysfunctional cities.
The first requirement for a city is a pragmatic plan. Many of our cities such.as Delhi and Bhubaneswar and even Port Blair in the Andamans have reasonably good master plans. Many also have City Development Plans which have been made an essential requirement to draw funds. from the government's Urban Renewal Programme (JNNURM). But they should be updated frequently based on the changing needs of its people.
And let's not forget its citizens - they need to be more pro-actively involved when evolving master plans. But often, there's lack of planning and inadequate implementation systems. This applies to all essential components of a city-streets, public transport system, traffic management, affordable housing, cars and parking, drainage. water supply, sewerage, and garbage. Any deficiency in these will lead to poor quality cities that won't be able to handle the pressure of increased population and changing needs.
The second require1nent of a good city is good social infrastructure such as parks and places for leisure such as rivers and seafronts. It needs to preserve and protect its heritage. We are a nation with a rich diversity in culture, arts, and crafts.
Questions:
(1) What issue is raised in the above extract?
(2) What are the requirements for a good city?
(3) Why is it necessary to update our city development plan?
(4) Do you think unplanned cities make the life of its people
miserable? How?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) A city must provide equity and also be sustainable.
(Rewrite the sentence using 'not only ...... but also'.)
(ii) Many of our cities have good master plans.
(Frame a Wh-question to get the underlined part as its answer.)
(iii) It needs to preserve and protect its heritage.
(Identify the tense used in the sentence.)
(6) Find out from the extract the words which mean:
(i) practical
(ii) blend
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
To read a lot is essential. It is stupid not to venture outside the examination 'set books' or the textbooks you have chosen for intensive study. Read as many books in English as you can., not as a duty but for pleasure. Do not close the most difficult books you find, with the idea of listing and learning as many new words as possible. choose what is likely to interest you and be sure in advance, that it is not too hard. You should not have to be constantly looking up new words in the dictionary, for that deadens interest and checks real learning. Lookup a word here and there, but as a general policy try to push ahead. guessing what words mean from the context. It is extensive and not intensive reading that normally helps you to get interested in extra reading and thereby improve your English. You should enjoy the feeling which extensive reading gives. As you read, you will become more and more familiar with words and sentence patterns you already know, understanding them better and better as you meet them in more and more contexts, some of which may differ only slightly from others.
Some people say that we cannot learn to speak a language better with the help of a book. To believe that the spoken language and written language are quite different things. This is not so.
Questions:
(1) What does the author tell us about the importance of reading English?
(2) What different steps are suggested to improve reading?
(3) What do some people say about learning the spoken form of a language?
(4) What will you do to improve your English?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
i. To read a lot is essential.
(Rewrite using gerund form of the words underlined.)
ii. Some people say that we cannot learn to speak a language better with the help of a book.
(Rewrite it using 'be able to'.)
iii. It is extensive.
(Make it a Rhetorical question.)
(6) You should not have to be constantly looking up new words in the dictionary, for that deadens interest and checks real learning.
The underlined word here means:
(i) develops
(ii) deprives of
(iii) creates
(B) Write a summary of the above extract with the help of the outline given below and suggest a suitable title.
Read a lot --- outside the textbooks --- for pleasure --- avoid difficult books ---read interesting ones --- avoid dictionary --- guess meanings --- extensive and not intensive reading --- different opinions.
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on ecological processes, biodiversity, and cycles adapted to local conditions. Organic farmers ensure soil fertility with the help of crop rotation, compost, and other biologically-induced soil amendments. A healthy soil structure increases and insects and there is no need to depend on synthetic fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, plant growth regulators, livestock feed additives and genetically modified organisms, all of which are extremely harmful to the plants as well as human beings who consume them.
According to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements: "Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation, and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and good quality of life for all involved.... ." In India,
the Green Revolution, which was water-intensive and involved a heavy dose of chemical fertilizers, has not been a boon. Many farmers have seen the effects of chemical farming - soil erosion and loss of soil nutrients, loss of nutrition in food, and human diseases resulting from the chemicals that seep into the water table.
But organic farming is often hard for the farmers who have to invest considerable time, energy and resources to regenerate the soil and reestablish the delicate balance between soil, water, air, animals and plants. further, the lack of support on maintaining such a balance makes the products more expensive, putting the burden on consumers who choose to eat healthy.
(1) What does the first paragraph focus on?
(2) Why was the Green Revolution not a boon for Indian farmers?
(3) How is organic farming advantageous to farmers?
(4) What agricultural problems, according to you, do farmers face?
(5)
Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
(i) Organic farmers ensure soil fertility with the help of crop rotation.
(Rewrite the beginning of the sentences with 'Soil fertility'.)
(ii) A healthy soil structure increases its ability to hold water. (Frame a 'Wh-question' to get the underlined part as its answer.)
(iii) Chemical fertilizers are extremely harmful to the plants as well as human beings.
(Rewrite the sentence using 'not only..... but also'.)
(6)
Find out the words from the extract which mean:
(i) leak slowly (ii) substance added to improve something.
Read the first activity, read the extract and then do all the activities:
A1. Complete the following sentence choosing the correct alternatives:
He goes for a morning walk at 1 p.m., because -
(1) ______________________________________________
(2) ______________________________________________
(a) He arrives from work past midnight.
(b) He has to stay in bed for a longer time till late morning.
(c) He has a special plan for early morning.
(d) He does not like to join the early birds' club.
|
Some people can just never wake up early. They munch their breakfast on the way to work. They have excuses ready when they reach the office late. They miss trains on a regular basis. They have never seen a sunrise or met the milkman. Until a loved one turned over a new leaf recently, she was one such late riser. Try as she might, she couldn't help pressing the snooze button a hundred times before she finally got up. She felt terrible about this tendency but there was nothing she could do about it. Come morning, She would just not be able to shrug off the desire to sleep a while more. Only when divine intervention answered her prayers recently was she able to join the early bird's club. Another relative has no plans of joining this league through. She is rather unabashed about waking up past noon on a daily basis. To be fair, her husband is a media personality who typically arrives home from work past midnight. That does indeed give them sufficient justification to stay longer in slumberland each morning. This practice does lead to certain oddities through. He goes for his 'morning' walk at 1 pm, heatwaves, and appalled onlookers notwithstanding. They once returned from a night out only to meet the neighbour's son who was off on an early morning jog! Early risers clearly have the edge in life. By the time most of us wake up, they've been through their morning rituals, enjoyed their walk, had their tea and read the daily news. They're also likely to have made long-distance calls before dawn to those similarly inclined. Thus, by the time the sun warms up they're likely to have discussed all varieties of 'men, matters, and affairs' with a dozen people. |
A2. Web :
Complete the following web :
A3. Complete the following statement :
Early risers clearly have the edge in life, because -
(1)
(2)
A4. Vocabulary :
Match the words in column 'A' with their meanings in Column 'B'.
| Column 'A' | Column 'B' |
| (1) justification | (a) dismiss |
| (2) oddities | (b) sleep |
| (3) slumber | (c) strange things |
| (4) shrug off | (d) clarification |
A5. Personal Response:
State two things that you can do to join the early birds' club.
A6. Grammar:
Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(1) She felt terrible about this tendency but there was nothing she could do about it. (Rewrite the sentence using 'although'.)
(2) They have never seen a sunrise or met the milkman. (Rewrite using 'neither ... nor'.)
Read the first activity, read the extract and then do all the activities:
A1. Correct the following statements with the help of the facts from the extract :
(1) Everybody in every part of the globe would have access to administration and social care services because he or she would not be able to afford them.
(2) We would avoid boom and bust cycles and be able to surmount natural disaster with great ease.
|
To me, a world without poverty means that every person would have the ability to take care of his or her own basic life needs. In such a world, nobody would die of hunger or suffer from malnutrition. This is a goal world leaders have been calling for decades, but have never set out any way of achieving it. Today 40,000 children die each day around the world from hunger-related diseases. In a poverty-free world, no children would die of such causes. Everybody in every part of the globe would have access to education and health-care services because he or she would be able to afford them. Unlike today, the state would not be required to provide free or subsidized health-care or schooling. All state organizations created to provide free or subsidized services for the poor would no longer be required and welfare agencies, or the national welfare department. No free schools, no free hospital care, no begging in the streets. State-run safety-net programmers would have no rationale for existence because no one would live on charity anymore. State-run social security programmers, income-support programmes would be unnecessary. Social structures in a poverty-free world would, of course, be quite different from those that exist in a poverty-ridden world. But nobody would be at the mercy of anyone else, and that is what would make all the difference between a world without poverty and one riddled with it. Finally, a poverty-free world would be economically much Stronger and far more stable than the world today. one-fifth of the world's inhabitants who today live a life of extreme poverty would become income earners and income spenders. They would generate extra demand in the market to make the world economy grow. They would bring their creativity and innovations into the market-place to increase the world's productive capacity. Since nobody would ever become poor, except on a temporary and limited basis, the economy would probably not go through extreme swings. We would avoid boom-and-bust cycles and be able to surmount man-made disasters with greater ease. |
A2.
Complete the following statement :
The situation in the world without poverty would be different, because -
(1) the state need not ___________
(2) nobody __________
A3. Find out :
Find and write in the blank boxes :
One-fifth of the world's inhabitants today live a life of extreme poverty. How would they economically Stand in a poverty-free world?
| They would be income earners and income spenders |
A4. Vocabulary :
Find out the words from the extract that mean the following :
(1) calamity (2) overcome
(3) bringing new ideas (4) financially
A5. Personal Response :
Suggest at least four solutions to overcome the problems of increasing poverty.
A6. Grammar :
Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(1) Nobody would die of hunger or suffer from malnutrition.
(Remove the negative and rewrite.)
(2) Everybody in every part of the globe would have accessed education and health-care services.
(Rewrite the above sentences beginning with 'Education'.)
Read the following extract and answer the questions given
below:
So what is a city? It's a dense amalgamation of buildings and people. A city must provide equity and also be sustainable. As an architect who has been closely connected with Delhi and its planning, my wish list is more about the direction we need to take
so that future generations don't end up living in chaotic dysfunctional cities.
The first requirement for a city is a pragmatic plan. Many of our cities such as Delhi and Bhubaneshwar and even Port Blair in the Andamans have reasonably good master plans. Many also have City Development Plans which have been made an essential
requirement to draw funds from the government's Urban Renewal Programme (JNNURM). But they should be updated frequently based on the changing needs of its people.
And let's not forget its citizens-they need to be more proactively involved when evolving master plans. But often, there's a lack of planning and inadequate implementation systems. This applies to all essential components of city-streets, public transport system, traffic management, affordable housing, cars and parking, drainage, water supply, sewerage, and garbage. Any deficiency in these will lead to poor quality cities which won't be able to handle the pressure of increased population and changing needs.
The second requirement of a good city is good social infrastructure such as parks and places for leisure such as river and sea fronts. It needs to preserve and protect its heritage.
(1) What does a city require to emerge as a good city?
(2) What is the second requirement of a good city?
(3) What are the basic requirements to draw funds from the government's-Urban Renewal programme (JNNURM)?
(4) What suggestions will you give to make your city ideal?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
(i) It's a dense amalgamation of buildings and people.
(Rewrite it using 'as well as'.)
(ii) A city must provide equity and also be sustainable.
(Rewrite it using another modal auxiliary showing "advice".)
(iii) The first requirement for a city is a pragmatic plan.
(Frame a 'Wh' ·question to get the underlined part as an answer.)
(6) Match the words in column 'A' with their meaning in 'B':
| Column A | Column B |
| 1 pragmatic | 1 blend |
| 2 amalgamation | 2 fantastic |
| 3 realistic | |
| 4 ancient |
Read the following passage carefully.
1. Few guessed that this quiet, parentless girl growing up in New York City would one day become the First Lady of the United States. Even fewer thought she would become an author and lecturer and a woman much admired and loved by people throughout the world.
2. Born Anna Eleanor Roosevelt in 1884 to wealthy, but troubled parents who both died while she was young, Roosevelt was cared for by her grandmother and sent to school in England. In 1905, she married her distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She and her husband had six children. Although they were wealthy, her life was not easy and she suffered several personal tragedies. Her second son died when he was a baby. In 1921, her strong athletic husband was stricken with polio, which left him physically disabled for life.
3. Eleanor Roosevelt was a remarkable woman who had great intelligence and tremendous strength of character. She never let things get her down. She nursed her husband back to good health and encouraged him to remain in politics. She then helped him to become Governor of New York, and in 1933, President of the United States.
4. While her husband was President, she took a great interest in all the affairs of the country. She became her husband's legs and eyes; she visited prisons and hospitals; she went down into mines, up scaffoldings, and into factories. Roosevelt was tireless and daring. During the depression, she travelled all over the country bringing goodwill, reassurance, and help to people without food and jobs. During World War II she visited American soldiers in camps all over the world. The United States had never known a First Lady like her.
5. Roosevelt also kept in touch with the American people through a daily newspaper column called 'My Day'. She broadcast on the radio and delivered lectures, all first for a First Lady.
1.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage answer the following questions: (any eight)
(a) How was Eleanor Roosevelt's personality in contrast to what she became?
(b) Apart from being the First Lady what else did she have to her credit?
(c) What challenges did she face in her personal life but remained unfazed?
(d) Eleanor was a strong woman who helped her husband become the President of America. How?
(e) What does the statement: 'she became her husband's legs and eyes' mean?
(f) What was her special contribution during the depression?
(g) How did she motivate soldiers during World War II?
(h) What did she do for the first time for a First Lady?
(i) What side of her personality is reflected in this passage?
A. Read the following passage and do the given activities:
A1. List the benefits of Yoga (02)
- ______
- ______
- ______
- ______
We give undue importance to our health and the treatment of diseases. A large number of medicines treat only the symptoms of the disease, and not the root cause. In fact, the cause of many chronic ailments is still being researched. It is here that Yoga therapy comes to our assistance. Yoga emphasizes the treatment of the root cause of an ailment. It works in a slow, subtle and miraculous manner. Modern medicine can claim to save a life at a critical stage, but, for complete recovery and regaining of normal health, one must believe in the efficiency of Yoga therapy.
The Yogic way of life includes a code of ethics, regulations, discipline, combined with prayer and meditation. Even a discussion of these subjects helps one relieve mental tensions and change attitudes. Simple Asana has helped to stretch and relax the whole body and release tensions. The sincere practice of Yoga postures is beneficial, for the mind and body.
The continued practice of Yoga has a profound effect on the inner dimensions of life. Yoga aims at developing mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional facilities. Other forms of physical exercises, like aerobics, assure only physical well-being. They have little to do with the development of the soul and mind.
A2. Complete the following statement according to the passage: (02)
- One must believe in the ________
- Aerobics assure only __________
A3. Fill up the word-formation chart: (02)
| Noun | Verb | Adjective |
| development | ______ | ______ |
| ______ | believe | ______ |
A4.
- Yoga emphasizes the treatment of the root cause of an ailment.
(Frame ‘Wh-‘ Question to get the underlined part as an answer) (02) - We give undue importance to our health.
(Begin with Undue importance......) (02)
A5. Do you believe Yoga Asanas are better than physical exercises? Justify your answer.
B. Summary Writing (5)
Write a short summary of the passage given in above and suggest a suitable title.
Read the following excerpt from a case study.
| Impacts of Festivities on Ecology | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Festivals are synonymous with celebration, ceremony and joy. However, festivals bring to the fore the flip side of celebrations – pollution – air, water, soil and noise. This led to the need of assessing the awareness level among people about ecological pollution during festivals. So, a study was conducted by scholars of an esteemed university in India. This study was titled Awareness Towards Impact of Festivals on Ecology. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | There were two main objectives of the study. The first one was to assess the awareness level among people about ecological protection during festivities. Exploring solutions to bring awareness about celebrating festivals without harming ecology was the second objective. The method used to collect data was a simple questionnaire containing 6 questions, shared with 50 respondents across four selected districts of a state in the southern region of India. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 |
The research began by understanding the socio-economic conditions of the respondents before sharing the questionnaire. Once the responses were received, the data collected were tabulated (Table 1), for analysis. Table-1: Awareness level among respondents
|
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| 20 | The study recommended the imposition of strict rules and regulations as opposed to a total ban on all festive activities which have a drastic impact on our environment. The researchers believed that such measures would help in harnessing some ill-effects that add to the growing pollution and suggested further studies be taken up across the country to assess awareness about ecological degradation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | The observations made in the study pointed to the environmental groups and eco-clubs fighting a losing battle due to city traffic issues, disposal of plastics, garbage dumping and all sorts of ecological degradation. The researchers stressed that the need of the hour is increasing awareness among people to reduce environmental pollution which can be facilitated by celebrating all festivals in an eco-friendly manner. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
- Why do the researchers call pollution the ‘flip side’ of festivals?
- Comment on the significance of the second objective of the study with reference to lines 7-12.
- Justify the researchers’ recommendation for limiting the drastic impact of festival pollution on the environment with reference to lines 16-21.
- Why do the researchers feel that environmental groups and eco-clubs are fighting a losing battle in the given scenario?
- Even though a larger number of people say ‘no’ to bursting crackers than those who say ‘yes’, festival pollution persists. How does evidence from table 1 support this statement?
- What purpose does the ‘Can’t Say’ column serve in the questionnaire (table 1)?
Read the passage and write a summary of it in a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title.
|
Vegetarianism promotes a natural way of life. But despite its implicit message of universal love and nonviolence, it has not spread as it should have. This may be because it usually is an inward looking habit and is best cultivated in the mind. Leading a vegetarian way of life helps the animal kingdom to coexist with man. The animals supply milk, manure and energy. This has been central to Indian culture for thousands of years. A vegetarian lifestyle is natural, multifaceted and helps preservation in a healthy way. Food and health are closely related. Vegetarians are of various types. There are lacto-vegetarians who consume dairy products; Lacto-ovo-vegetarians include eggs in addition to dairy products. Vegans are pure vegetarians who do not consume any food derived from animals. The Western science of food considers food as something to sustain only the human body, whereas Indian science considers food as something which sustains not only the body but also maintains the purity of heart, mind and the soul. Thus, an item of food that is injurious to the mind is not considered to be fit for consumption, even if it is otherwise beneficial to the body or satisfies the taste. Indian food science does not give so much importance to protein or even to a balanced diet but it gives importance to food that increases the strength of the body and its vitality. Vegetarian foods provide an infinite variety of flavours whereas non-vegetarian foods have hardly any taste of their own. In fact, non-vegetarian foods have to be seasoned with ingredients from the vegetable kingdom to make them palatable. |
Read the following passage and do the activities.
A1. Choose the correct option. (2)
- Thousands of birds were killed due to oil spills because ______.
- It suffocated them
- It was poisonous
- Birds couldn't enter the sea
- There was no fish to feed on
- The primary components of crude oil are ______.
- Methane and ethane
- Carbon and hydrogen
- Sulphur compounds
- Naphthalene
| During the Gulf War, a few years back, tens of thousands of sea birds were killed due to oil spills. Do you know what makes crude oil on ocean water so deadly? Crude oil is not used in the state it is produced at the off-shore wells. It is converted in refineries into a wide range of products such as gasoline, kerosene, diesel, fuel oils, and petrochemical feed-stocks. Before it is refined, the oil also contains potentially fatal components. Crude oil is made up of compounds of carbon and hydrogen called hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons may be paraffin, the oil that is used as fuel in heaters and lamps or cycloparaffins (naphthenes) or aromatic compounds in varying proportions. While crudes found in the US are mostly paraffinic, these found along the Gulf Coast are naphthenic which contain sulphur compounds in varying amounts, a small amount of nitrogen and very little oxygen. Every variety of crude oil has nickel and vanadium in high concentration. Iron may be found in organic form due to the corrosion of pipes. Paraffins like methane and ethane are asphyxiants, substances that cause suffocation. The effects of cycloparaffins are more or less similar to those of paraffins but unsaturated paraffins are more noxious, than saturated ones. The sulphur present in crude oil may be toxic. The mechanism of toxic action seems to involve its breakdown to hydrogen sulphide. They will act principally on the .nervous system with death resulting mainly from respiratory paralysis. Sulphur in the form of aromatic thiophenes, benzothiophenes can damage the livers and kidneys of sea animals. Sulphur compounds like mercaptens can be very dangerous too. |
A2. Crude oil may be toxic and fatal. Justify. (2)
A3. Rewrite the sentences using one word from the passage for the underlined phrase/word. (2)
- Over consumption of alcohol may lead to death.
- The flowers displayed at the exhibition differ in properties.
A4. Identify and change the voice of the following sentence. (1)
Tens of thousands of sea birds were killed due to oil spills.
A5. With reference from the passage what can you do to control air pollution? (3)
Read the extract given below:
| (1) | Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. When areas in and around Leh began to experience water shortages, life didn't grind to a halt. Why? Because a retired civil engineer in the Jammu and Kashmir Government came up with the idea of artificial glaciers. |
| (2) | Ladakh, a cold desert at an altitude of 3,000 - 3,500 meters above sea level, has a low average annual rainfall rate of 50 mm. Glaciers have always been the only source of water. Agriculture is completely dependent on glacier melt, unlike the rest of river/monsoon-fed India. But over the years, with increasing effects of climate change, rainfall and snowfall patterns have been changing, resulting in severe shortage and drought situations. Given the extreme winter conditions, the window for farming is usually limited to one harvest season. |
| (3) | It is located between the natural glacier above and the village below. The one closer to the village and lowest in altitude melts first, providing water during April-May, the crucial sowing season. Further, layers of ice above melt with the increasing temperature, thus ensuring continuous supply to the fields.
Therefore, farmers have been able to manage two crops instead of one. It costs about 1,50,000 and above to create a glacier. |
| (4) |
Fondly called the glacier man, he has designed over 15 artificial glaciers in and around Leh since 1987. In recognition of his pioneering effort, he was conferred the Padma Shri by The President of India. |
| (5) |
There are a few basic steps followed while creating an artificial glacier. River or stream water at high altitude is diverted to a shaded area of the hill, facing north, where the winter sun is blocked by a ridge or a mountain range. At the start of winter ie., in November, the diverted water is made to flow on sloping hills facing distribution channels. Stone embankments are built at regular intervals which impede the flow of water, making shallow pools which freeze, forming a cascade of ice along the slope. Ice formation continues for 3-4 months resulting in a large accumulation of ice which is referred to as an ‘artificial glacier’. |
Based on your understanding of the extract, answer the questions below:
- Infer one reason for, the following, based on information in paragraph 1. (1)
Areas in and around Leh began to experience water shortage but life didn't grind to a halt. - Select from the passage the appropriate option to fill in the blanks: (1)
Agriculture is completely dependent on ______ unlike the rest of river/monsoon-fed India.- rainfall pattern
- climate change
- glaciers melt
- extreme winter conditions
- Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 3: (1)
Icing : cake :: layers : ______. - Select the correct option to complete the following sentence: (1)
At the start of winter the diverted water is made to flow ______.- on sloping hills facing distribution channels.
- on high altitude.
- on ice-cold water level.
- on mountain range.
- From the chart select the months of water surplus. (1)
- January, February.
- November, December.
- July, August, September.
- March, April
- Fill in the blank by selecting from the passage the correct option: (1)
The ______ have been the only source of water in areas in and around Ladakh.
- glaciers
- rivers
- streams
- water springs
- The word 'located' in paragraph 3 means: (1)
- found
- locally found
- situated
- adapted
- Write any two steps followed while creating the glaciers. (1)
- List one reason why artificial glaciers seem the best option. (1)
- Select the most suitable title from the following for the passage: (1)
- Water Shortage.
- New Ways Pool Water.
- Artificial Glacier.
- River Beds.
Read the following extract and Complete the activities given below:
|
Love is a great force in Private life; it is indeed the greatest of all things, but love in public affairs does not work. It has been tried again and again; by the people of the Middle Ages, and also by the French Revolution, a secular movement which reasserted the Brotherhood of Man, And it has always failed. The idea that nations should love one another, or that business concerns or marketing boards should love one another or that a man in Portugal should love a man in Peru of whom he has never heard — it is absurd, unreal, dangerous. ‘Love is what is needed,” we chant, and then sit back and the world goes on as before. The fact is we can only love what we know personally. And we cannot know much. In public affairs, in the rebuilding of civilization, something much less dramatic and emotional is needed, namely tolerance. Tolerance is a very dull virtue. It is boring. It is negative. It merely means putting up with people, being able to stand things. No one has ever written an ode to tolerance or raised a statute to her. Yet this is the quality which will be most needed after the war. This is the sound state of mind which we are looking for. This is the only force which will enable different races and classes and interests to settle down together to the work of reconstruction. The world is very full of people— appallingly full; it has never been so full before and they are all tumbling over each other. Most of these people one doesn’t know, and some of them doesn't like. Well, what is one to do? If you don't like people, put up with them as well as you can. Don't try to love them; you can't. But try to tolerate them. On the basis of that tolerance, a civilized future may be built. Certainly, I can see no other foundation for the post-war world. |
A1. Choose two correct alternatives which define the theme of the extract: (2)
- Love is a greater force in private as well as in public affairs.
- To rebuild civilization we need tolerance more than love.
- Patience is the solution in any sort of confrontation.
- When you do not like people, nations or civilizations, you need to love them to change them.
A2. Complete the following table with the help of the extract: (2)
Give one merit and one demerit of ‘Love’ and ‘Patience.’
| Love | (i) ______ |
| (ii) ______ | |
| Patience | (i) ______ |
| (ii) ______ |
A3. Write how we can build up a civilized society; with the help of the extract: (2)
A4. ‘Love and tolerance are the true indicators of a civilized person.’ Justify. (2)
A5. Do as directed: (2)
- It has been tried again and again.
(Identify the Active Voice of the above sentence from the given options and rewrite.)
- They had tried it again and again.
- They has tried it again and again.
- They tried it again and again.
- They have tried it again and again.
- It is the sound state of mind which we are looking for.
(Identify the correct simple sentence from the given options and rewrite.)- It is the sound state of mind and we are looking for it.
- We are looking for the sound state of mind.
- We are looking for it but it is the sound state of mind.
- The sound state of mind is looked for.
A6. Match the words in column ‘A’ with their meanings in column ‘B’. (2)
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ |
| (i) Secular | (a) feeling of great friendship and understanding between people. |
| (ii) Absurd | (b) a society which has its own highly developed culture and ways of life. |
| (iii) Civilization | (c) not connected with any religion. |
| (iv) Brotherhood | (d) not at all logical or sensible. |
Read the following passage carefully:
|
(1) Rotation of crops is a universal phenomenon which is practised by most of the farmers of the tropical and temperate countries. The main objective of rotation of crops is to obtain higher agricultural returns on the one hand, and to maintain the soil fertility on the other. (2) In other words, the rotation of crops helps in making agriculture more sustainable. The importance of crop rotation is more in the areas where farmers grow two, or more than two crops in the same field in a year. Irrigation facilities have also been appreciably developed in the country during the last three decades. The availability of water to the arable land has helped in the intensification of agriculture. (3) In the areas such as Punjab and Haryana, where the Green Revolution is a big success, one soil exhaustive crop (rice) is followed by another soil exhaustive crop (wheat). Subsequently, the field vacated by wheat is devoted to either rice or maize or cotton. Thus, in one year, the farmers are harvesting three soil exhaustive crops from the same field. Such a rotation of crops may fetch more income to the farmers, but depletes the soil fertility at a faster pace. (4) A number of field studies were conducted to assess the traditional crop rotation pattern. One such field study about the changes in the rotation of crops was conducted in the village Banhera (Tanda), Haridwar district. The main rotation of crops of the village is shown in the table below. |
| Traditional Rotation of Crops (1960-65) in Banhera (Tanda) | ||||
| Year | Kharif (mid-June to mid-October) | Rabi (mid-October mid-April) | Zaid (April to June) | No. of days land left fallow |
| 1960 | Millet/fodder/rice | Gram | Fallow | 90 |
| 1961 | Fallow | Wheat | Fallow | 210 |
| 1962 | Millet/fodder/rice | Gram | Fallow | 90 |
| 1963 | Fallow | Wheat | Fallow | 210 |
| 1964 | Millet mixed with urad/fodder/rice | Gram | Fallow | 90 |
| 1965 | Fallow | Wheat | Fallow | 210 |
Answer the following questions, based on the above passage:
- Fill in the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in brackets, based on your understanding of para 2.
One of the reasons that there has been an intensification of agriculture in the country is the development of irrigation facilities is a/an ______ (fact/opinion) because it is a/an ______ (subjective judgement/objective detail). - Based on your understanding of paras 1 and 2, state whether the following statement is true or false.
If proper irrigation facility is provided, higher agricultural returns can be obtained by making crop rotation more sustainable. - Justify the following in about 40 words.
Crop rotation may fetch more income to the farmers, but depletes the soil fertility at a faster pace. - Based on the table, mention the years when the land was left fallow for maximum number of days.
- The study conducted in village Banhera (Tanda) reflects that during the years 1960 to 1965, from April to June, the land was left fallow or uncultivated throughout. State any one inference that can be drawn from this.
- Select the option that correctly states the significance of crop rotation as given below:
- Crop rotation is done to obtain higher agricultural returns.
- Higher agricultural returns can be obtained by harvesting soil-exhaustive crops.
- Crop rotation demands that land should be left fallow for a few months to increase the fertility of soil.
- Better irrigation facility to the arable land has helped in the intensification of agriculture.
- If crops to be harvested are chosen wisely, crop rotation can help in maintaining fertility of soil.
- (1), (2) and (4)
- (1) only
- (3) and (5)
- (1) and (5)
- Crop rotation is helping in making agriculture more sustainable. Mention one benefit and one drawback of crop rotation. (Answer in about 40 words)
- Which of the following is the main takeaway from the study mentioned in the passage?
- The study needs to include more valid data to support the practice of crop rotation
- Crop rotation is a sustainable practice that can transform the agricultural sector.
- The impact of crop rotation on farmer’s upliftment has been thoroughly explained.
- Crop rotation is independent of the type of crops harvested and availability of water for irrigation.
