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Question
What were Soapy’s hopes for the winter?
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Solution
Soapy did not have high hopes for the winter. He had no thought of sailing away on a ship. He was not thinking of southern skies or of the Bay of Naples. He hoped to spend three months in the prison on Blackwell’s Island.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Tick the right answer.
When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped/started).
This story about a frightening incident is narrated in a humorous way. What makes it
humorous? (Think of the contrasts it presents between dreams and reality. Some of them
are listed below.)
1. (i) The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)
(ii) The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition)
2.(i) The person he wants to marry
(ii) The person he actually marries
3.(i) His thoughts when he looks into the mirror
(ii) His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm
Write short paragraphs on each of these to get your answer.
Thinking about the Poem
What should we do to make friends with the wind?
Read a short story about an exemplary boss.
Working 12 to 18 hours a day was not uncommon for scientists at the rocket launching station, Thumba. A group of such scientists was frustrated due to the work pressure and meeting their boss's demands; however, they were loyal to him.
One day, a scientist gathered enough courage to go up to his boss and say, "Sir, I have promised my children that I will take them to the exhibition this evening. Therefore, I have to leave the office by 5.30 pm. Can I leave early today, Sir?"
His boss replied, "Alright. You may leave early today."
The scientist was happy for having received the permission and continued with his work. He stayed on to work after lunch, and, as always, got so engrossed in his work, that he peered at his watch only when he thought he was done. Unfortunately, it was past 08: 15 pm.
With a jolt. he remembered his promise to his children. He looked for his boss who was not in his omee. Having told him just that morning. he wrapped up hia work and hurried home.
A.P.J. he drove home, he felt very guilty for having let hla children down. When he reached, the chlldren were not at home. His wife was busy reading. He felt that initiating any conversation with her would only add fuel to fire, so he stayed quiet.
Looking up at him, bis wife asked, "Do you want eomething hot to drink or would you like to have dinner right away?"
The man could only aak, "Where are the children?"
His wife said, "Don't you know? Your boss came here around quarter past five and took the children to the exhibition you had promised to take them to."
He was surprised, but, it did not take him very long to guess what had happened.
The boss who had granted him permission had observed him working very seriously well past 5.00 pm. He realized that the scientist would not leave the work half' done, but if he had promised his children visit to the exhibition, then they deserved it. So, he took the lead in taking them to the exhibition himself.
The boss did not have to do it every time. But once it was done, loyalty was established.
No wonder, all scientists at Thumba continued to work under this boss in spite of the great pressure.
This boss was none other than Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Following are eight incidents from the story but their order is mixed up. Put them in the right sequence.
(a) The scientist rushed home anticipating the disappointment of his children.
(b) Scientists were working for 12-18 hours at Thumba.
(c) The boss consented.
(d) Scientists had heavy work pressure but they were loyal.
(e) A scientist approached the boss for permission to leave at 5.30 pm to take his children to the exhibition.
(f) To his surprise, he learnt that his boss had kept his appointment for him.
(g) Suddenly, he remembered his promise to his children.
(h) The scientist became so engrossed in his work that he continued working till 8.15 pm.
Now it is your turn. Write and produce your own radio programme. You will need to select your own content. The following are some ideas. You are free, of course, to add your own ideas. Remember, the programme must be in English.
• News stories: about people in your class, about school, about sports (school and local), about the local community
• Comedy: jokes, short plays
• Interviews: with teachers, with exstudents of your school, with a Class IX student who has recently done something very interesting
• Games: general knowledge quiz, panel game, word game
• Advertisements: for shops/ industries in the local community, things 'for sale' and 'wanted' by students
• Local sites: monuments / sites of historical importance and of tourist interest
• Special reports: e.g. safety at school, examination results, school uniform, school assemblies
• Interesting people: role-play interviews with film stars, sports personalities, TV personalities, etc.
• Entertainment reviews: music, films, videos, books, etc.
• Plays
• Songs with lyrics
• Speeches on important personalities
• Tele conference with students, teachers, experts.
What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants, in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty
And far-cast thought of civic good____
His blessing on the neighbourhood,
Who in the hollow of his hand
Holds all the growth of all our land____
A nation's growth from sea to sea
Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow:
What is the reference to in the phrase ‘stirs in his heart’?
"Now tell us what 'twas all about,"
Young Peterkin, he cries;
And little wilhelmine looks up
with wonder-waiting eyes;
"Now tell us all about the war,
And what they fought each other for."
"It was the English," Kaspar cried,
"Who put the French to rout;
But what they fought each other for,
I could not well make out;
But everybody said,"quoth he,
"That 'twas a famous victory.
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow.
Name the two opposing sides. Who won?
To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and their resting place is hallowed ground. You wander far from the graves of your ancestors and seemingly without regret. Your religion was written upon tablets of stone by the iron finger of your God so that you could not forget. The Red Man could never comprehend or remember it. Our religion is the traditions of our ancestors — the dreams of our old men, given them in solemn hours of the night by the Great Spirit; and the visions of our sachems, and is written in the hearts of our people.
Day and night cannot dwell together. The Red Man has ever fled the approach of the White Man, as the morning mist flees before the morning sun. However, your proposition seems fair and I think that my people will accept it and will retire to the reservation you offer them. Then we will dwell apart in peace, for the words of the Great White Chief seem to be the words of nature speaking to my people out of dense darkness.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Why do the dead of the Tribals never forget them or this beautiful world?
Sibia sprang.
From boulder to boulder she came leaping like a rock goat. Sometimes it had seemed difficult to cross these stones, especially the big gap in the middle where the river coursed through like a bulge of glass. But now she came on wings, choosing her footing in midair without even thinking about it, and in one moment she was beside the shrieking woman. In the boiling bloody water, the face of the crocodile, fastened round her leg, was tugging to and fro, and smiling. His eyes rolled on to Sibia. One slap of the tail could kill her. He struck. Up shot the water, twenty feet, and fell like a silver chain. Again! The rock jumped under the blow. But in the daily heroism of the jungle, as common as a thorn tree, Sibia did not hesitate. She aimed at the reptile’s eyes. With all the force of her little body, she drove the hayfork at the eyes, and one prong went in—right in— while its pair scratched past on the horny cheek. The crocodile reared up in convulsion, till half his lizard body was out of the river, the tail and nose nearly meeting over his stony back. Then he crashed back, exploding the water, and in an uproar of bloody foam he disappeared. He would die. Not yet, but presently, though his death would not be known for days; not till his stomach, blown with gas, floated him. Then perhaps he would be found upside down among the logs at the timber boom, with pus in his eye. Sibia got arms round the fainting woman, and somehow dragged her from the water.
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
What was the reaction of the crocodile when he saw Sibia?
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
De Levis: Confront me with Dancy and give me fair play.
Winsor: [Aside to Canynge] Is it fair to Dancy not to let him know?
Canynge: Our duty is to the Club now, Winsor. We must have tills cleared up. [Colford comes in, followed by Barring and Dancy].
St. Erth: Captain Dancy, a serious accusation has been made against you by this gentleman in the presence of several members of the Club.
Dancy: What is it?
St. Erth: That you robbed him of that money at Winsor's.
Danny: [Hard and tense] Indeed! On what grounds is he good enough to say that?
(i) How does De Levis respond to Dancy's last question in the extract?
(ii) How did Dancy wish to settle the matter? What was St. Erth's suggestion?
(iii) Why did Dancy's friends wish him to take legal action against De Levis? What reasons did Dancy give for not wanting to do so?
(iv) When Mabel Dancy later requests De Levis to withdraw the charge, how does he respond? What declaration does Dancy wish De Levis to sign?
(v) What information does Gilman give to Twisden? Why did Twisden decide to withdraw from the case?
Describe the hermit in one or two sentences.
He used to work really hard to make each pair of shoe. But still everything he earned went on paying the rent of his shop and in buying leather. There wasn’t much money with him. He nearly killed himself working for hours at the shop without any food and rest.
Quality is an important aspect of business. Elaborate
What did the monkey do as he reached the tree?
In what respect was the wrestling match strange? Who were the two rivals? Who was the winner?
Which all houses are characterised by the term ‘meadow houses’?
What must have been called as the ‘drinking straws’ by the poet?
How did Vijay Singh outwit the ghost with his wit and wisdom?
Answer the following question. (Refer to that part of the text whose number is given against the question. This applies to the comprehension questions throughout the book.)
How did Patrick help him? (7)
Read the following passage and do the exercises that follow. Then complete the family tree of dogs given on the facing page.
The Dog Family
The dog family is one of the 11 families that make up the Carnivores, a large group of intelligent, flesh-eating, backboned animals. In this group are such varied animals as bears, pandas, raccoons, cats, hyenas, and even seal. The dog or canine family has many wild species like wolves, foxes, coyotes, jackals, and wild dogs. The dog is the only domesticated member of the canine family though now and then someone tames a wolf, fox or coyote as a pet. All members of the dog family are descendants of a wolf-like animal which lived about 15 million years ago. From this distant ancestor, the true dogs gradually developed. But nobody knows the exact ancestor of the modern domestic dog.
Several wild dogs look and behave like domestic dogs. The dingo or wild dog of Australia is one of these. It is possible that the dingo was a tamed dog brought to Australia long ago which then ran wild. Dogs were the first animals tamed by humans — perhaps 20,000 years ago. Tamed dogs were brought from Asia to the New World 5,000 or more years ago. Dogs were first used for hunting.
Find the opposites of these words in the text above.
(i) ancestor _________
(ii) wild t _ m _
(iii) ancient _________
(iv) near d _______ t
(v) suddenly gr ___________
Complete the following sentences.
(i) The dingo is __________________________________________________.
(ii) Dogs were the ____________________________________________animals tamed by humans. The other animals tamed by humans are __________________________
_________________ (Think and name some other such animals.)
(iii) The New World refers to ___________________________.
Dogs were brought there from ________________________.
Family Tree of Dogs
Who says this to whom and why?
“What have you to say in your defence?”
