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Question
The convict is the product of the society he had lived in, both, in terms of the
suffering that led him to steal a loaf of bread, as well as the painful sentence he
received as a punishment for his "crime". He was imprisoned for stealing money
to buy food for his sick wife. This filled him with despair, hopelessness,
bitterness and anger at the injustice of it all.
Conduct a debate in the class (in groups) on the following topic. Instructions for
conducting a debate and use of appropriate language are given in the unit “Children” of
the Main Course Book.
'Criminals are wicked and deserve punishment'
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Solution
Respected President and Dear Friends!
They say hate the sin and not the sinner. How did the convict in the story become a “convict”? He was a man like us once. He had a wife. Then suddenly, things changed for the worse. He was out of job. His wife fell ill. She was starving and dying. He stole for food, caught and sentenced to ten years in prison.
Sir, do we think the punishment he received justified his crime? He was not a seasoned criminal. He had no previous record of stealing. A poor man out of job and his wife ill and dying. What would he do? Let me ask it the other way round: What will we do in these circumstances?
The laws are to punish the guilty and not to punish the victims of circumstances, disease and poverty. The prisons are to reform the criminals. Sir, certainly, they are not the slaughter houses. They can’t be turned into little ‘hells’ where prisoners are fed on filth and tortured. I personally feel, and all of you will agree with me, that such a cruel punishment for such a petty offence only makes a person a hard-hearted criminal like the convict.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Answer the following question briefly:
Private Quelch looked like a ‘Professor’ when the author first met him at the training depot. Why?
Answer the following question briefly:
Did Private Quelch’s day to day practices take him closer towards his goal? How can you make out?
Answer the following question:
What was strange about the manner in which Mrs. Bramble addressed her son? What did he feel about it?
You already know the two literary devices generally used by writers and poets for comparison, i.e. metaphor and simile.
e.g. a) He was a lion in the battle, (metaphor)
b) He fought like a lion, (simile)
In (a) the writer talks of the soldier in terms of a lion. The comparison is implied.
In (b) the writer compares the soldier to a lion with the use of the word like, (as may also be used for such comparisons.)
Read the poem again and note down the metaphors and similes. Complete the following chart.
| Reference | Metaphor | Simile |
| world | all the world's a stage | |
| men, women | ||
| school-boy | ||
| lover | ||
| soldier | ||
| reputation | ||
| voice |
Which comparison(s) do you find most interesting? Why?
On the basis of your reading of the poem, complete the following table.
| Stages in the life of the poet | Activities | Consequences |
| Youth | eating toffees ____________ |
____________ |
| Adulthood | ____________ | gazing at the dentist in despair. |
Answer the following question.
With reference to the poem, how can you look after your teeth?
The poet draws conclusions about the family without having met them. He does this in lines such as :
Something went wrong, says the empty house
in the weed-choked yard ...
This is a style of English that is very suitable for a poem. But in ordinary speech or writing we use expressions such as :
|
So it is Therefore it is |
probable likely possible |
that |
| It |
seems appears |
that....... | because..... |
| This suggests that ... |
For example, we could say :
• There are large shoes in the farmhouse. So it is likely that the farmer was a big man.
• It seems that they had a child, because there is a sandbox made from a tractor tyre.
• The kitchen shelves were covered with oil cloth. This suggests that a woman lived in the farmhouse.
Make other sentences like this, using ideas from the poem.
(a) Answer the following questions:
- Where were the characters at the time of narration?
- Who was travelling with the aunt?
- How did the children pass their time?
- How long would they take to reach Templecombe?
- How does the aunt respond to the children’s antics? Why do you say so?
(b) You must have used a variety of articles in your answer. Why did you use them? Discuss the reasons with your teacher.
Study the following pair of sentences from the description. Notice the use of
articles-a, an or the or no article (X).
e.g. The next stop was at X Templecombe.
An aunt belonging to the children sat in one corner.
In the corner sat a stranger.
Hence we conclude
1. No article is used before a proper noun.
2. 'The' is used to refer to a specific place/person/ object.
3. 'A' is used when the person/place is referred to for the first time.
4. 'An' is used before a vowel sound.
First, you will hear a local radio programme, read out by teacher / student which is given below which will give you ideas for your own programme. First, listen without writing anything.
Presenter 1: A very good day to all our listeners. This is your local radio station, Class IX Local Radio - bringing you up-to-the - minute news, current affairs, music, interviews, round-ups - and much much more.
Presenter2: Yes, and in today's programme we have a special report from Ketaki Lahiri on "Safety at School".
Presenter 1: Nikhil Gomes brings you his regular weekly review of "Beyond the Timetable",
Presenter 2: And Leena invites you to "Meet the Teacher".
Presenter 1: And lots more - jokes, news -you name it and we have it. We start with the round-up of School News by our roving correspondent - Anant Singh. Anant, over to you.
Anant: Good morning, everybody! The highlight of this weeks' School News is that our school football team lost every single match it played in the YMCA football tournament at league level. The physical education teacher is so livid that he has threatened to make the school team practice on a doubletime schedule from tomorrow. So, friends, it's "wake-up" at 4 a.m for all footballers henceforth.
In another school news, the tiny tots were taken on a visit to the zoo. Some, it is said, did not wish to return. One accompanying teacher, we are told, had a tough time convincing them that life outside is better!
Class XII put on a one-act play "Examination Fever" which was written, directed and produced by them. The proceeds from this show are being sent to "Prathyasha" - an organisation that helps handicapped children.
Look out next week for new faces around the school. A group of 20 students from Japan are arriving on a cultural exchange programme, We might even get one of them on our next edition ofThe Class IX Radio Show!
Presenter 1: So ... Lots happening at school, it seems,-and lots more on your Local Radio. It's time for jokes now. Over to you, Hafeez and Aarohi.
Aarohi: Waiter , Waiter , what's wrong with these eggs ?
Hafeez: I don't know. I only laid the table;
Aarohi: Waiter, waiter, what's this fly doing in my soup?
Hafeez: Breaststroke, I think, Sir,
Teacher: I wish-you would pay a little more attention.
Pupil: I'm paying as little as I can.
Teacher: You should have been here at 9 o'clock.
Pupil: Why, what happened?
Presenter 2: Thank you, Hafeez and Aarohi. And don't forget, listeners, to send in your jokes. Every original joke will win you a reward of RslO/- for each one played on your favourite radio programme - Class IX Local Radio - the station just for you.
Presenter 1 : And now to your regular spot "Meet the Teacher", in which Leena interviews one of your favourite teachers to discover the real person "behind the chalk dust".
So it's all yours, Leena.
Leena: Thank you ! I'm delighted today to be able to interview the Head of the Science Department, Mr Chirag Sharma. Mr Sharma, what all our listeners are dying to know is - are you as strict at home as you are at school?
Mr Sharma: (Laughs heartily). I don't have a bunch of forty naughty children at home.
Leena: Did you ever get into trouble when you were at school?
Mr Sharma : Have you ever thought about how I am able to catch you in your tricks? I was usually up to the same tricks at school! No, I'm afraid my teachers were not very happy with me.
Leena: How good were you in your studies, Sir?
Mr Sharma: Ah, that was my strong point. My work was always up-to-date and fairly good. I was naughty, but I was also keen to learn more.
Leena: How do you spend your evenings and holidays, Sir?
Mr Sharma: I like to spend time at home with my teenage children. We have common tastes in music.
Leena: Any message for our listeners Sir?
Mr Sharma: Yes. Fun and-play have their place in our lives. We must enjoy our play. At the same time, we must work with enthusiasm and sincerity.
Leena: Thank you, sir !
Presenter 2 : Thank you Leena for that fascinating interview. I'm sure we all know, now what makes Mr Sharma 1tick1• And now it's time for a break. It's "advert time".
"Buy two but pay for one!"
Ruchita of VIIC has a fabulous offer. Two pencil boxes for the price of one. Pay Rs 5 / for the bargain.
Lost - A Keltron calculator. Krishna of Class XIIA has offered a treat in the school canteen to the finder.
Presenter 1: And now, a very serious subject. Ketaki has been researching the topic 'Safety at School'. She has come up with some very disturbing findings. This is the report. Ketaki?
Ketaki: As I went around the senior school I was alarmed to find a number of broken electric sockets with exposed wires. Beware of this hidden danger, senior students. That brings me to another danger - this time in the primary block. The lid of the ground level water tank is broken. Till it is repaired, students are warned not to go anywhere near it.
Presenter 2 : Well, time1s up boys and girls of Class IX Local Radio - bringing you news and entertainment of interest to you, in your school and locality. Until next week ...
Before you listen for the second time, discuss the following with your partner.
- Why are there two presenters?
- What is the presenter’s role?
- What is the presenter’s style? Do you like their style? Why / Why not?
- Why do the presenters outline some of the contents right at the start of the programme?
Is there enough variety of content?
Given alongside are the pictures of two boys - Shravan Kumar and Narendra Kumar. (They are not related.) Working with a partner, look at their pictures and predict how each boys lives. Write your answer in points .
| Shravan Kumar | Narendra Kumar |
Write a magazine article about both the boys, in which you bring out the similarities and differences in their lives. Use the table you completed in Question 3. Give your article a suitable title. Remember 'CODER'.
Organise your article like this
Paragraph 1 : Give their names and ages. Compare their families, parents and backgrounds.
Paragraph 2 : Compare how each spends a typical day and their recreation/ hobbies.
Paragraph 3 : Compare their hopes / dreams / ambitions and your assessment of their future.
Complete the following information about yourself
SURVAYS ON THE USE OF COMPUTERS
| Age: | |
| Boy I Girl: | |
| Hours spent at the computer: | |
| Hours spent playing games and chatting on the internet: | |
| Hours spent surfing the Internet/ websites for learning: | |
| Hours spent per week studying at home: | |
| Hours spent for leisure activities: | |
| If you reduce your time spent on the computer, how would you spend the extra time? | |
| I like to spend my time on the computer because: |
You will now hold an actual class debate on the topic 'Computers and Children: A Boon or a Bane'.
In groups of four decide whether your group is FOR or AGAINST the motion. Then draft your debate. Each member of the group must participate in the written as well as the spoken matter. The spoken matter can be divided thus
• One introduces the topic
• One discusses points favouring the motion
• One argues the opponent's points
• One concludes
Thinking about changes in Reported Speech.
Look at the cartoon and read the dialogue.
Now read the following paragraph, which reports what happened in the cartoon.
A customer walked into a bakery and complained that the bread he had bought the previous day had too much baking powder in it. The man at the counter told him that that was because they only served those people who wished to rise and shine.
Note the choice of tense in reported speech.
bought (simple past) → had bought (past perfect)
In the box below list the words that have been changed
List the two verbs of speaking that have been added.
- __________ that …..
- __________ that ….
Reported speech in Extended practice.
Read the dialogue between Mr Coomer (Mr C), the British Scholarship Officer, and an applicant, Miss Reena Banerjee (R).
Mr C : Come in, Miss Banerjee.
R : Thank you.
Mr C : Please sit down. Can I get you a cup of coffee or a cold drink?
R : Yes thank you. A cold drink, please.
Mr C : I’m just going to ask you a few questions. How long have you been studying English?
R : I’ve had private as well as school lessons for 14 years.
Mr C : Just as background information, what do you do in your spare time?
R : I’ve always enjoyed drama, and also debating.
Mr C : Why do you wish to obtain a scholarship to study in Britain?
R : Well, I’m interested in studying Immigration Law, and there are several good colleges in Britain dealing with his.
Mr C : Very interesting. Finally, do you know that the grant only covers teaching fees?
What about your living expenses?
R : My sister will pay for my personal expenses.
Mr C : Well, Miss Banerjee, we’ll be writing to you next week. Thank you for coming.
Reena meets her friend, Latha, after the interview. She is very excited and tells Latha exactly what happened. Fill in the spaces using reported speech.
Fill in the [boxes] with reporting verbs.
A student from a lower class asks you to help her illustrate for her class, the use of different prepositions.
In groups of four, choose one of the following lists of prepositions and draw simple pictures to illustrate their meaning.
| Time | Place | Movement |
| since | on | through |
| at | in | along |
| until | behind | across |
| for | beside | down |
| after | above | round |
Verbs and Prepositions
Fill in the gaps with suitable prepositions
- You’re right. I agree __________ you.
- The conclusions are based __________ extensive research.
- He arrived __________ Delhi airport at 2 am and then arrived the city at 4 am.
- He angrily shouted __________ the pupil.
- “Remember the party!” she shouted __________ her friend.
- A differs __________ B in a number of ways.
- He applied __________ the teaching job but was turned down.
- She replied __________ his last letter.
- They apologized __________ breaking the vase.
- Do you believe __________ ghosts?
Rearrange the following words and phrases to form meaningful sentences. The first one has been done for you as an example.
was/ about twenty / childhood / delight / years ago.
Childhood was a delight about twenty years ago.
(a) the leisure hours/of a child/ of the TV / today / are spent / in front
________________________________________________
(b) of most / now – a – days / the attitude / parents is / different
________________________________________________
(c) work and play / different things / they see / as / two
________________________________________________
(d) playing / feel / is a / waste of / they / time / that
________________________________________________
