Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
"That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only which gives everything its value."- Thomas Paine
Do we value only what we struggle for? Plan your response, and then write an essay to explain your views on this issue. Be sure to support your position with specific points and examples. (You may use examples from your reading, observations, and inputs from subjects such as History, Science and literature)
Advertisements
Solution
The quote by Thomas Paine, "That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only which gives everything its value," holds a profound truth that resonates across cultures and eras. This perspective suggests that the worth of something is often linked to the effort, determination, and challenges faced in acquiring or achieving it. While it is true that struggle can significantly influence how we perceive and value things, it is not the sole determinant.
The concept of valuing what is obtained through struggle is evident in many historical narratives. Consider the American Revolution, a struggle against British colonial rule. The challenges and sacrifices endured by the colonists during this period imbued the idea of independence with immense value, making the resulting freedom all the more cherished. Similarly, in the field of science, breakthroughs achieved after years of relentless research and experimentation tend to be celebrated more vigorously due to the arduous journey involved. The discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming, for instance, revolutionized medicine and was highly valued due to its potential to save lives, which was understood in the context of the extensive struggle behind its development.
However, it is important to recognize that the relationship between struggle and value is not absolute. Many times, things obtained effortlessly can hold significant value due to their inherent rarity or uniqueness. Precious gemstones like diamonds, which are scarce by nature, are valued for their scarcity rather than the effort exerted to obtain them. In literature, a fleeting moment of profound insight or beauty can often hold immense value despite its ephemeral nature, even if it wasn't achieved through struggle.
Struggle does play a pivotal role in shaping our perception of value at a personal level. A person who has faced financial hardships and worked tirelessly to achieve success is likely to value their accomplishments more deeply than someone who has never experienced such difficulties. This is evident in the stories of self-made entrepreneurs, whose journey from adversity to success imbues their achievements with a unique significance.
Notes
The marks may be divided as:
- Content – 2 marks
- Organisation – 1 mark (fluency, coherence, logical flow)
- Expression – 2 marks (vocabulary, originality of ideas, grammatical accuracy)
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Fill in the blank with the suitable word.
Her aunt looks _____________ her aging grandparents.
In what sense is the tree ‘the harvest of a coming age’?
Explain how diction is important in the poem with the help of an example.
What are the poetic devices (figurative language) in the poem? How do they contribute to the meaning/how do they effect the poem?
In which context is the expression, ‘mountain mist’ used here?
Why is the word ‘ cried’ used by the poet in the line, ‘It was the English, Kaspar cried’?
How can the heart dance?
Identify examples of the following devices in the poem: alliteration, personification, rhyme, rhythm. How do these devices contribute to the overall effect of the poem?
It was roses, roses, all the way,
With myrtle mixed in my path like mad;
The house-roofs seemed to heave and sway,
The church-spires flamed, such flags they had,
A year ago on this very day.
Read the above lines and answer the question that follow.
When was the patriot welcomed?
Show how the author uses tone and style to reinforce his memories and make an impact upon his audience.
Discuss how the author uses comic irony to describe the incident surrounding the statue?
What is the climax of Ray Bradbury’s “All Summer in a Day?”
Fill in the blank with an appropriate word:
The school playground is out __________ bounds for the pupils of the primary school.
I was laid________for three weeks with a broken leg.
The programme ran________six hours.
The character of King Richard I is presented in Ivanhoe not only with all his admirable qualities but also with his shortcomings. Elaborate with close reference to the text.
Fill in the blank with an appropriate word:
The paper dart went gliding ______ the air.
Fill in the blank with an appropriate word:
The young child carried the heavy bucket _______ the stairs.
I have never seen a film as bad as this. ·
(Begin: This is ........................................ )
What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults and the children when faced with danger?
Name some leaves and flowers that are used as adornments in our country.
Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow's comments on Crocker-Harris?
A sadist is a person who gets pleasure out of giving pain to others.
Given below are some dictionary definitions of certain kinds of persons.
Find out the words that fit these descriptions.
1. A person who considers it very important that things should be correct or genuine e.g. in the use of language or in the arts: P...
2. A person who believes that war and violence are wrong and will not fight in a war: P...
3.A person who believes that nothing really exists: N...
4. A person who is always hopeful and expects the best in all things: O...
5. A person who follows generally accepted norms of behaviour: C...
6. A person who believes that material possessions are all that matter in life: M...
Try to write four lines of poetry or four sentences of prose with one of these as the starting point.
The contrast between the outward elegance of a person and his private behaviour.
Give reasons for the following.
Srinath and his family members’ eager expectation of Satyajit’s arrival.
Use the phrase in a sentence of your own, after finding out its meaning.
streaked over
How did Kalpana Chawla meet her end? When did this tragedy in space take place?
While building a bridge, a group of people comes together. They are architects, designers, engineers, officers, masons, politicians, building material suppliers, carpenters, etc. Write about the qualifications of these people. Choose any career from the list above and complete the table.
| Your choice of career/ careers | Skill/Qualifications |
Writing is considered to be one of the most challenging, demanding, and lucrative careers in the world. Match the professions in table (A) with their descriptions in a table (B) and also what they are called from the table (C).
| Sr No. | A Profession | B Description | C Known as |
| 1. | Blog Writing | Writes in scientific journals, university magazines, etc as a result of their Studies and Research | a. Translator |
| 2. | Story Writing | Writes on trends or comments on issues in a column every day or weekly | b. Blogger |
| 3. | Song/Lyric Writing | Writes in National, State, and local newspapers as a staff member | c. Journalist |
| 4. | Academic Writing | Writes long stories of fiction, non-fiction, and other genres | d. Story Writer |
| 5. | Translating | Writes for theatre on genres like fiction and non-fiction, historical, etc. | e. Song Writer/Lyricist |
| 6. | Newspaper Writing | Writes lyrics/songs for films, plays, etc. on a given topic. | f. Academic Writer |
| 7. | Column Writing | Writes/Publishes an information piece, views, opinions, etc. on (www-World Wide Web) | g. Dramatist/ Playwright |
| 8. | Screen Writing | Writes in short on one or more genres of fiction/ in magazines, anthologies, etc. | h. Novelist |
| 9. | Fiction/Novel Writing | Translates an original work from one language into another | i. Screenplay Writer |
| 10. | Drama/ Play Writing | Writes Scripts for Films/ Movies/ TV etc. | j. Columnist |
Form pairs. Discuss how ‘Part II’ of the story could have been different. Write your storyline in the form of bullets showing the main events.
Think and write in 5-6 lines, why most of the people on a road/street ignore those in need of help. What about you? Write about your feelings after you have helped/ not helped when needed
Prepare a formal invitation card for the Art Festival.
Imagine the Stranger-man narrates how the Neolithic ladies overpowered him. Write an account of the same making him the narrator.
Write your opinion, in your own words:-
Why do you think the children dislike their aunt’s story?
Develop the following hints.
Tortoise - hare - forest - tortoise walking- seen by a hardware laughs - tortoise speed - tortoise sad - bet - race - tortoise moving- slow speed -hare moves - fast - sleepy tortoise - reaches a winning point - first - wins the bet.
Arrange the jumbled sentences and write a paragraph. Use appropriate conjunctions.
Jane Eyre is an orphan.
She lives with her aunt Mrs. Reed.
Mrs. Reed does not like Jane because Jane is not her daughter.
Jane’s uncle Mr. Reed likes Jane, but he dies.
He makes Mrs. Reed promise to take care of Jane, but instead she sends Jane away.
Jane is ten years old, she is sent to Lowood school.
Jane graduates and stays there to teach.
She leaves for Thornfield, where she is a governess.
She is very happy there.
Fill in the blank with choosing the preposition from the option.
“It would be a pity ______ destroy it now.”
Write five things that you do at home to make your home look neat and clean.
Complete the following stories by using an appropriate word from the box given below –
| my, his, he, your |
Ram was a farmer. wanted to sell ______ ______ goats and sheep. So he went to the market. There sold all ______ animals to a rich man and got a lot of money. When he was going back to village, three thieves
stopped him. “Stop! Give us all ______ money.” Ram was very clever. He said, “I'll give ______ money to the strongest of you.” On hearing this, the thieves started fighting amongst themselves. Ram slipped away quietly.
Some word have similar sound, but different meaning. Choose the correct word from the options and fill in the blank.
I can ______ the bird's song.
Give another word from the story that means
| completed | |
| surprised | |
| strange | |
| make up your mind |
Write a few lines on Mithoo and his little dog named Shadow.
What was the happiest time of the day for grandmother?
State whether the following statement are true or false
The friends grew up together in the city of New York.
Now, find and write the antonyms for the words in Box A from the set of words in Box B
| A | B | ||
| amateur | professional | leader | eccentric |
| compulsory | respective | elusive | cheap |
| traditional | unnecessary | supportive | ancillary |
| expensive | hateful | desperate | trivial |
| hopeful | modern | fanciful | repulsive |
| accepted | fulfilled | refused | showered |
| invaluable | novice | optional | |
| complex | antique | determined | |
Read and understand the data presented in the pie-chart below on factors affecting health, and write an article for your school magazine highlighting the fact that it’s our lifestyle that determines how healthy we remain. Write your article in about 150 words. Give a suitable title too.
The factors which affect health are given percentage-wise in the pie chart.
Woman 5 was not aware of what was happening. Why?
Write conversation on the following situation.
Between two friends about the uses of the internet
Why are photographs taken?
| e.g. to freeze our favourite moments | |
What changes had the photographer effected on Leacock’s face in the picture?
What was the only similarity between Leacock’s face and his photograph?
Fill in the following forms with imaginary details.
What did Aunt Jane like about Jack’s ‘little nest’?
The Government of Tamil Nadu has imposed a ban on the use of plastic. Effective implementation of this ban depends on public awareness and individual responsibility.
Write an article of 150 words for your school magazine to create an awareness of the dangers posed by indiscriminate use of plastic. Expand the ideas given below as notes.
Notes:
a. Introduction
(i) Plastic – synthetic material – doesn’t decompose in soil
(ii) Inevitable role of plastic – man’s day-to-day life
b. Human Health Hazard
(i) Leeching of plastic into food – micro plastic entering food chain
(ii) Human body’s inability to deal with this unnatural substance
(iii) Reaction of microplastic in human body and ill effects
c. Adverse Effects on Plants and Animals
(i) Plastic particles choking waterways – affect aquatic animals
(ii) Ingestion by aquatic and terrestrial animals–blocking of intestines and respiratory passages
d. Environmental Degradation
(i) Manufacturing process and burning of plastics–pollute atmosphere
(ii) Plastic–non-biodegradable – interferes with soil microorganisms – affects soil fertility
e. Conclusion
(i) Suggestions for restricted use – alternatives for one-time use of plastics
(ii) Segregation of plastic waste – for recycling
Write a paragraph of about 150 word, on the following topic.
The importance of Reading
You had to cycle home through the town on the day of a festival. Describe the sights, the sounds and the mood of the people around you. What were your feelings at the end of the ride?
Find some examples of antithesis from your mother tongue and translate them into English.
You must have seen and liked a play (in any language) on the stage. Write down the following details about it.
- Name of the play
- Important Characters
- Its main theme
- Whether it was a Comedy/Tragedy /Social Theme or any other
- Why you liked it
- The message of the play
- Any other information about the play
Imagine you are a tourist guide at Tadoba. Write two sentences each about the following points to help foreign tourists.
- About the place: History, languages spoken, special attractions
- Food: speciality, local delicacies, options (Indian, continental)
- Shopping: authenticity of local artefacts, price, variety
