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Question
Thinking about the poem
Discuss what these phrases mean to you.
(i) a yellow wood
(ii) it was grassy and wanted wear
(iii) the passing there
(iv) leaves no step had trodden black
(v) how way leads on to way
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Solution
(i) Yellow wood symbolises the autumn season. As Autumn corresponds to withering of the old leaves, the poet could be symbolically talking about the later stages of life of a man.
(ii) It conveys that the road was full of grass and less travelled one. The poet personifies the road by saying ‘wanted wear’. It could imply the road needed to be explored or travelled as only very few has done so.
(iii) The phrase is used with respect to the path he chose to walk or rather is used as ‘while walking the path’.
(iv) The poet uses this phrase to lay emphasis on the fact that he was unable to decide which path to choose. Both the paths seemed same, as the leaves had not changed their colour into black by people walking on them. Figuratively, it could represent a dilemma to choose a one path over the other for the fear of uncertainty.
(v) The phrase is used in continuation to the idea that poet wanted to return and try the first road for another day. But, he soon realizes how one way leads to another until one is very far from where it started. Figuratively, this phrase means how certain decisions one makes in life could pave the way for many other decisions.
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What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?
Why is the author deeply embarrassed the next day in school? Which words show his fear and insecurity?
Read this article about the great Indian Rhinoceros. [You will find the information useful for your group discussion in 5.]
The Indian Rhinoceros or the Great One-Horned Rhinoceros or the Asian Onehorned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicomis) is a large mammal primarily found in north-eastern India, Nepal and parts of Bhutan. It is confined to the tall grasslands and forests in the foothills of the Himalayas.
The Indian Rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo Gangetic Plain but excessive hunting reduced their natural habitat drastically.
Today, about 3,000 Indian Rhinos live in the wild, 1,800 of which are found in Assam alone. In 2008, more than 400 Indian Rhinos were sighted in Nepal's Chitwan National Park.
In size it is equal to that of the White Rhino in Africa; together they are the largest of all rhino species. The Great One-Horned Rhinoceros has a single horn; this is present in both males and females, but not on newborn young. In most adults, the horn reachee a length of about 25 centimetres, but has been recorded up to 57 .2 centimetres in length. The nasal hom curves backwards from the nose. The horn is naturally black.
This prehistoric-looking rhinoceros bas thick, silver-brown skin which becomes pinkish near the large skin folds that cover its body. The male develops thick neckfolds. It has very little body hair aside from eyelashes, ear-fringes and tail-brush.
These rhinos live in tall grasslands and riverine forests, but due to the loss of habitat, they have been forced towards cultivated land. They are mostly solitary creatures, with the exception of mothers and calves and breeding pairs, although they sometimes, congregate at bathing areas.
The Indian Rhinoceros makes a wide variety of vocalizations. At least ten distinct vocalizations have been identified: snorting, honking, bleating, roaring, squeak panting, moo-grunting, shrieking, groaning, rumbling and humphing. In addition to noises, the rhino also uses olfactory communication.
In aggregation, Indian Rhinos are often friendly. They will often greet each other by waving or bobbing their heads, mounting flanks, nuzzling noses, or licking. Rhinos will playfully spar, run around, and play with twigs in their mouth. Adult males are the primary instigators of fights. Fights between dominant males are the most common cause of rhino mortality. Indian rhinos have few natural enemies, except for tigers. Tigers sometimes kill unguarded calves, but adult rhinos are less vulnerable due to their size. Humans are the only other animal threat, hunting the rhinoceros primarily for sport or for the use of its horn. Indian Rhinos have been somewhat tamed and trained in circuses, but they remain dangerous and unpredictable animals.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the Indian Rhinoceros was hunted relentlessly. Reports from the middle of the nineteenth century claim that some military officers in Assam individually shot more than 200 rhinos. In the early 1900s, officials became concerned at the rhinos' plummeting numbers. By 1908 in Kaziranga, one of the Rhinos' main ranges, the population had fallen to around 12 individuals. In 1910, all rhino hunting in India became prohibited.
The rhino has been a major success in conservation. Only 100 remained in the early 1900s; a century later, their population has increased to about 2500 again, but even so, the species is still endangered. The Indian rhino is illegally poached for its horn. Some cultures in East Asia believe that the hair has healing and potency powers and therefore is used for traditional Chinese medicine and other Oriental medicines.
The Indian and Nepalese Governments have taken major steps towards Indian Rhinoceros conservation with the help of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park in Assam, Pobitora Reserve Forest in Assam {having the highest Indian rhino density in the world), Orang National Park of Assam, Laokhowa Reserve Forest of Assam (having a very small population) and Royal Chitwan National Park in Nepal are homes to this endangered animal.
Personal Pronouns
Read the following conversation:
Malavika and Deepak are looking through some photographs of Malavika’s family.
Malavika : Now … this is my brother Shantanu. Shantanu is in Class VIII. Shantanu is brilliant at playing tennis. Shantanu is also good at singing. Shantanu sings a lot.
Deepak : Shantanu sounds interesting. I’d like to meet Shantanu. I’m looking for someone to play tennis with.
Malavika : Well … why don’t you come around tonight and meet Shantanu? My parents will be out. My parents always go out on Tuesdays.
Improve the above conversation by using suitable pronouns where required.
Form pairs - one student will read the text for 'Hockey', and the second student will read the text for 'Football'.
Hockey
The game starts when the umpire blows his whistle for the opening pass-back. The passback is made at the centre of the field to start the game (also after half- time and after each goal is scored). The ball, which may be pushed or hit, must not be directed over the centre line. All players of the opposing team must stand at least 5 yard from the ball and all players of both teams, other than the player making the pass-back must be in their own half of the field.
There are two umpires to control the game and to administer the rules. These umpires are the sole judges of the game. The umpires are responsible for keeping time for the duration of the game.
In front of each goal is an area known as the penalty area. This is a rectangular area, 40.2m wide and extending 16. Sm into the field where the goalkeeper operates.
A standard adult football match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each, known as halves. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time. Anytime during the match, a team can substitute upto three players maximum.
The game is controlled by a referee who is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. There are also two linesmen who keep guard of the touchlines or sidelines, signalling when the ball crosses the boundary lines. The referee alone signals the end of the match.
Handling the ball deliberately, pushing or tripping an opponent, or hitting a player from behind are examples of fouls, punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick.
The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card). A player is given a yellow card is said to have been 'booked'.
• Red - Serious misconduct resulting in ejection from the game. If a player has been sent off, no substitute can be brought in his place.
Old Kaspar took it from the boy,
Who stood expectant by;
And then the old man shook his head,
And,with a natural sigh,
"Tis some poor fellow's skull," said he,
"Who fell in the great victory.
"I find them in the garden,
For there's many here about;
And often when I go to plough,
The ploughshare turns them out!
For many thousand men,"said he,
"Were slain in that great victory."
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow.
What did Old Kasper do when Peterkin came to him with the object?
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good , what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr.Tod,the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin,Pigling Bland,
And Mrs.Tiggy-Winkle and-
Just How The Camel Got His Hump,
And How the Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There's Mr.Rat and Mr. Mole-
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
Read the lines given above and answer the question given below.
Which animal characters does Dahl mention?’
It matters little where we pass the remnant of our days. They will not be many. The Indian’s night promises to be dark. Not a single star of hope hovers above his horizon. Sad-voiced winds moan in the distance. Grim fate seems to be on the Red Man’s trail, and wherever he will hear the approaching footsteps of his fell destroyer and prepare stolidly to meet his doom, as does the wounded doe that hears the approaching footsteps of the hunter.
A few more moons, a few more winters, and not one of the descendants of the mighty hosts that once moved over this broad land or lived in happy homes, protected by the Great Spirit, will remain to mourn over the graves of a people once more powerful and hopeful than yours. But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man whose God walked and talked with him as a friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We will see.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follows.
How does the speaker differentiate his tribal people from the white people?
Of the seven hundred villages dotting the map of India, in which the majority of India’s five hundred million live, flourish and die, Kritam was probably the tiniest, indicated on the district survey map by a microscopic dot, the map being meant more for the revenue official out to collect tax than for the guidance of the motorist, who in any case could not hope to reach it since it sprawled far from the highway at the end of a rough track furrowed up by the iron-hooped wheels of bullock carts. But its size did not prevent its giving itself the grandiose name Kritam, which meant in Tamil coronet or crown on the brow of the subcontinent. The village consisted of fewer than thirty houses, only one of them built from brick and cement and painted a brilliant yellow and blue all over with
gorgeous carvings of gods and gargoyles on its balustrade, it was known as the Big House. The other houses, distributed in four streets, were generally of bamboo thatch, straw, mud and other unspecified material. Muni’s was the last house in the fourth street, beyond which stretched the fields. In his prosperous days Muni had owned a flock of sheep and goats and sallied forth every morning driving the flock to the highway a couple of miles away.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Name the village in which Muni lived.
“I love the West,” said the girl irrelevantly. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away out the car window. She began to speak truly and simply without the gloss of style and manner: “Mamma and I spent the summer in Deliver. She went home a week ago
because father was slightly ill. I could live and be happy in the West. I think the air here agrees with me. Money isn’t everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid—” “Say, Mr. Marshal,” growled the glum-faced man. “This isn’t quite fair. I’m needing a drink, and haven’t had a smoke all day. Haven’t you talked long enough? Take me in the smoker now, won’t you? I’m half dead for a pipe.”
The bound travellers rose to their feet, Easton with the Same slow smile on his face. “I can’t deny a petition for tobacco,” he said, lightly. “It’s the one friend of the unfortunate. Good-bye, Miss Fairchild. Duty calls, you know.” He held out his hand for a farewell. “It’s too bad you are not going East,” she said, reclothing herself with manner and style. “But you must go on to Leavenworth, I suppose?” “Yes,” said Easton, “I must go on to Leavenworth.”
The two men sidled down the aisle into the smoker. The two passengers in a seat near by had heard most of the conversation. Said one of them: “That marshal’s a good sort of chap. Some of these Western fellows are all right.” “Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn’t he?” asked the other. “Young!” exclaimed the first speaker, “why—Oh! didn’t you catch on? Say—did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?”
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What does the other passenger conclude about Easton?
Portia: To these injunctions every one doth s'vear That comes to hazard for my worthless self.
Arragon: And so have I address'd me. Fortune now To my heart's hope! - Gold, silver and base lead.
(i) Who had tried his luck in tn; ing to choose the correct casket before the prince of Arragon? Which casket had that suitor chosen? What did he find inside the casket?
(ii) What are the three things Arragon was obliged by the oath to obey?
(iii) What was the inscription on the golden casket? How do the actions of the martlet illustrate this inscription?
(iv) Which casket does Arragon finally choose? Whose portrait does he find inside? Which casket actually contains Portia's portrait?
(v) Who enters soon after? What does he say about the young Venetian who has just arrived? What gifts has the Venetian brought with him?
The constitution of the animal farm had elapsed for two years. As the summer wore on,. various unforeseen shortages began to make themselves felt. There was need of paraffin oil, nails, string, dog biscuits, and iron for the horses' shoes, none of which could be produced on the farm. Later, there would also be need for seeds and artificial manures, besides various tools and, finally, the machinery for the windmill.
Answer the following question.
Where was the tiger cub hiding when Grandfather found him?
Why was everyone in the Control Room greatly excited?
What was the farmer’s comment on his wife’s fears?
How did the other governors try to humiliate the new governor (the shepherd)?
Answer the following question.
What was the ‘game’ that every child in the school had to play?
Complete the following sentences from memory choosing a phrase from those given in brackets.
The owner of the Lucky Shop wanted everybody present ____________
Can there be a good reason behind speaking when everybody else is silent?
Read the lines given below and answer the following question:
| Iris: Of her society Be not afraid. I met her deity Cutting the clouds towards Paphos, and her son Dove-drawn with her. |
Why was the person addressed afraid of “her”?
