Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Write a summary of the poem.
- Title
- Introductory paragraph (about the poem, type, nature, tone)
- Main body (central idea, the gist of the poem)
- Conclusion (opinion, views, appeal).
Advertisements
Solution
The Planners
The title of the poem is 'The Planners' and it focuses on the planners' need for perfection and uniformity, which leads to the loss of history as well as nature.
The poem is a satire as it mocks the planners' desire to build a flawless world. The poet has written this poem in a free-verse format as he strongly opposes structural uniformity. The tone of the poet throughout the poem is sarcastic, except for the last stanza where it changes to melancholic. The poet's reference to the city's structures as rigid mathematical designs and his comparison of the planners to dentists convey his sarcastic tone with great clarity.
The poet expresses how his country, the island-state of Singapore, is being torn down by the planners for building perfectly measured and confined structures that erase Singapore's history and push nature away from its landscape. The planners destroy the ancient structures that form a part of Singapore's past by terming them as 'flawed' and 'useless'. The poet stresses how the skyscrapers built by the planners resemble perfect rows of teeth, which symbolize artificiality, just like a dentist straightens crooked teeth to create the perfect smile. Though aesthetically appealing, the smile is not real. Similarly, Singapore's scene has also lost its originality. The planners want to reinvent history and therefore recklessly drill to build sky-high structures without being sensitive to the country's heritage. At the end of the poem, in a state of acceptance, the poet declares that he shall not stain with his poetry, the immaculate world that the planners have built. This is ironic because the poet is writing the poetry while declaring that he won't write one.
The poem's appeal lies in its unique stance on the destruction caused by modernisation, as it emphasizes the consequences of urbanisation on history, as opposed to just nature. In my opinion, this makes the poem stand out from the others that talk about the ill-effects of building a concrete jungle.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
FOR SALE
You had gone on a trekking expendition with a group of friends. As night closed in, you realised that you were separated from the group. Describe your initial feelings and the place where you got lost. How did you spend the night alone before you were reunited with your group?
How does a tree planter do civic good?
Pick out words and phrases which are examples of visual and auditory imagery in the poem.
In which context is the expression, ‘mountain mist’ used here?
What kinds of stories captivated the young minds in the past?
But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
Read the above lines and answer the question that follow.
Explain with reference to the context.
There's nobody on the house-tops now...
Just a palsied few at the windows set;
For the best of the sight is, all allow,
At the Shambles' Gate-or, better yet,
By the very scaffold's foot, I trow.
Read the above lines and answer the question that follow.
Why does Browning say that the palsied watched the execution?
Thus I entered, and thus I go!
In triumphs, people have dropped down dead,
"Paid by the world, what dost thou owe
Me? "....God might question; now instead,
'Tis God shall repay: I am safer so.
Read the above lines and amswer the question that follow.
Explain with reference to the context.
Discuss the art of Ruskin Bond as depicted in the story ‘A face in the Dark.’
Choose two of the passages (a) to (c) and answer briefly the questions that follow:
Benedick: I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter. There's her cousin, she were not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December. But I hope you have no intent to turn husband, have you?
Claudio: I would scarce trust myself though I had sworn the contrary if I Hero would be my wife.
(i) Whom is Benedick referring to in the above lines?
(ii) Benedick says: 'I see no such matter.' What does he mean by it?
(iii) Explain the lines:
"There's her cousin, she was not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December".
(iv) What does the comparison of Beatrice with May suggest about Benedick?
(v) What does Claudio mean by 'sworn the contrary'?
(vi) Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage: possessed; fury; intent
(A) Ramesh said, "Rajiv, please bring your physics book to school tomorrow."
(B) Ramesh………………………….
Choose two of the passages (a) to (c) and answer briefly the questions that follow:
Raina :
Come away from the window (She takes him firmly back to the middle of the room. The moment she releases him he turns mechanically towards the window again. She seizes him and turns him back, exclaiming) Please! (He becomes motionless, like a hypnotized rabbit, his fatigue gaining fast on him. She releases him, and addresses him patronizingly). Now listen. You must trust to our hospitality. You do not yet know in whose house you are. I am a Petkoff.
The Man: A pet what?
Raina : [rather indignantly] I mean that I belong to the family of the Petkoffs, the richest and best known in our country.
The Man: Oh yes, of course. I beg your pardon. The Petkoffs, to be sure. How stupid of me!
Raina: You know you never heard of them until this moment. How can you stoop to pretend!
The Man: Forgive me. I'm too tired to think, and the change of subject was too much for me. Don't scold me.
(i) Why did the man keep turning to the window?
(ii) Which examples of the social superiority of the Petkoff's does Raina give the man?
(iii) Which opera does Raina mention? With whom does she compare herself? What does this tell you about her?
(iv) In Raina's opinion, what should the man have done instead of threatening her?
(v) What does the man tell Raina about his father? Why does he do so?
(vi) What does the man do at the end of the scene?
Hardly had the teacher left the room, when all the children started making a noise.
(Begin : No sooner ………..)
Write a composition (350 – 400 words) on the following:
All Girls or all-Boys Schools provide a better learning environment than co-educational schools. Express your views either for or against the statement.
Join the following sentence to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so.
The child helped her mother to make breakfast. She washed the tomatoes.
Give reasons for the following.
What were the results of the CT scan?
Below is a topic for essay writing. Follow the steps listed above to write on these topics.
Public Health In Transition
Below is a topic for essay writing. Follow the steps listed above to write on these topics.
Success begins in the mind
Approval from the outside world and approval within the family.
‘Kalpana Chawla was a heroine’. How did a journalist support his statement?
Read the descriptions below of what the snake did and what the mongoose did. Arrange their actions in the proper order
| (i) ceased to struggle |
|
| (ii) tried to mesmerised the mongoose |
|
| (iii) coiled itself around the mongoose |
|
| (iv) struck the crow |
|
| (v) struck again and missed |
|
| (vi) struck on the side that the mongoose pretended to attack |
|
Find out from your grandparents or parents the names of vegetables and fruits they had eaten in their childhood and mention how the vegetables and fruits are different from the one's today.
| Name of the vegetable or fruit | Shape | Colour | Taste |
| 1. | |||
| 2. | |||
| 3. |
Match the following.
| Sr. No | A | B |
|
| 1. | Constitution | a. | It is the freedom to go where you want, do what you want, etc. |
| 2. | Liberty | b. | It is the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities. |
| 3. | Equality | c. | It is a sense of common brotherhood. |
| 4. | Fraternity | d. | It is an aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization, or other types of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. |
Write your views/opinions in brief on the following topic.
Liberty, equality, and fraternity lead to an ideal nation.
The cherry tree is a narrative poem. Features that make it a narrative poem are given below. Justify them with proper examples.
Characters are referred to.
Choose the correct alternative for the given line. Focus on the inference of the poet.
‘Earth has not anything to show more fair:’
The line means - _________________.
Write two lines from this poem which you find most humorous. Justify your choice.
Think and write in your own words.
How can the tender maiden Autumn become a full-grown woman? What change in nature does this imply?
Say ‘WHY’?
One should avoid getting angry about a difference of opinion.
Read the following Headline and write the dateline, intro and a short continuing paragraph.
| Achievers narrate their success stories at career counselling events. |
Read the following headline and write a news report. Follow the steps as given.
- Headline: ‘Tiger attacks 8 years old at Rajiv Gandhi National Park.’
- Date line: ....................
- Leadline: ....................
- Body of the Report (Use only 3rd person pronouns/Passive voice): ....................
Prepare and present a short speech on the following.
How I accomplished a difficult task.
Your class has to stage a Puppet Show in the Assembly Open Forum on the topic ‘Child Labour’. Divide yourselves into groups and discuss the requirements for the presentation like a storyline, characters, dialogues, choice of puppets, and music for the interlude. Now complete the dialogues given below.
| Ramesh | Let us present a Puppet Show on CHILD LABOUR for our Assembly Open Forum. |
| Mohammed | That is a very good idea! Let us start planning right away. |
| Geetha | _______________________________________________________? |
| Leema | I suggest we begin with the storyline first. |
| Mani | How ___________________________________________________ ? |
| Ramesh | We can have around five characters. |
| Mohammed | What __________________________________________________ ? |
| Meena | We can focus on the problems of poverty and illiteracy as the major reasons for child labour. |
| Ramesh | Can _________________________________________________? |
| Leema | I am good at making stick puppets. I will make them myself. But I require some help. |
| Mani | I ________________________ . Tell me, ______________________. |
| Leema | Thank you, Mani. Let us stay back after the meeting and discuss. |
| Ramesh | Have ___________________________ ? |
| Meena | I think we should have some music for the interlude. |
| Geetha | That would make it really interesting. I will get my music group to start working on the tunes for our puppet show. |
Look at the two trees. One is a green flourishing tree and the other, a brown withering tree.
The class will now be divided into two groups. Group A will list down the agents that support a tree’s growth. Group B will list down those that prevent it. Once the groups are ready with their lists, a few representatives from each group will write down the lists on the black board.
Tortoises and Turtles are not the same. Read the facts given below. List the similarities and differences between them.
| Tortoise | Turtle |
| reptile family | reptile family |
| land animal | sea animal |
| has a long life | lives for many years |
| uses tiny feet to walk | use flippers to swim |
| eats grass, weeds and flowers | eats insects and bugs |
| Similarities | Differences |
Look at the picture and write a paragraph using the clues in the picture.
| GROW AND PROTECT TREES |
Read the informal letter given below.
|
Sender’s address: 15, Beach Road Salutation: Dear Rosy, Body of the letter: How are you? I am fine. I couldn’t write earlier, because I was very busy. I like my new home. It is a lovely house. I have a big bedroom looking over the garden. I helped Mummy paint the bedroom walls yesterday. We chose a pretty yellow. A boy called Sundar lives next door. He likes animals not just like we do but even more. He says he is going to be a Vet when he grows up. I am still thinking about being a writer. Do you want me to send the story I am writing. It is all about Ooty – the Queen of Hill Stations. Write soon. I am looking forward to hear all your news. Subscription: Yours lovingly Signature: Mangai |
Now write a reply to Mangai.
| Sender’s Address | |
| Date | |
| Salutation | |
| Body of the letter | |
| Subscription | |
| Signature |
Reference to context.
Draw pictures of the speakers of the above lines.
Now, write a letter to your friend or relative in another city telling him/her about activities/events in your school. Follow the same pattern as the above letter.
Choose two friends in your class who are very different from each other. Use the clues in the box to describe their nature. You may also add your own words to describe them.
| naughty | lively | sharing | careless | studious |
| quiet | friendly | helpful | regular | cheerful |
Punctuate the following sentence.
next wednesday my sister mita is going to join the state bank of india.
Punctuate the following sentence.
when I went fishing I caught an old shoe a plastic bag and a bad cold.
Punctuate the following sentence.
wasn't tim born on the 26th of january 1989.
- Find out how many people are there in our country.
- Do we have enough land for all people on this earth?
- Is there enough food and water for all people?
Punctuate the following passage.
mother father neelam said i have got a fire engine ive got a fire engine whats this whats this called mother somewhat confused by the noise ive got a fire engine mother come and see it.
Make opposites with the words –
| dis ______ in______ |
| respect | |
| able | |
| efficient | |
| own | |
| capable | |
| secure |
The girl slept ______ [sound]
Describe the author’s grandmother.
A message is a verbal, written, or recorded communication sent to or left for a recipient who cannot be contacted directly.
You are the Sports Captain of your school. Write a message to the Physical Director, requesting him to be present during the football team selection scheduled for tomorrow.
Describe Honario Saltpen-Jago.
How did Woman 5 spend her time in the waiting hall?
Write conversation on the following situation.
Between two friends on the importance of punctuality
Write an e-mail to the General Manager of a local hospital requesting him/her to send a senior doctor to talk to the participants at the event about the quality of mask which would give them the best protection.
On returning home, Tishani Doshi writes her thoughts reflecting on how her decision to enrol for the Students on Ice programme has been the single most important decision of her life that has completely transformed her.
Imagine yourself to be Tishani and express these thoughts.
You may begin like this:
I can’t thank my stars enough for having cashed in on the opportunity of........
"A Daniel come to judgement! Yea a Daniel" Who is being described in these words? By whom?
These two passages are examples of a short introduction to works of art - a short review. They cover the following points:
- The name of the creator
- The theme or subject matter
- Type of art
- Individual style
- Presentation techniques
- Its effect on viewers
- Message or interpretation
What points will you include if you had to review a book or film or a play? List the points.
The following are the different steps in a drama/play. They are in a mixed-up order. Rearrange them in ‘a’ proper order. Just write the order numbers in brackets.
- Characters Enter
- Climax
- Curtain opens
- Action begins
- Scene of the play
- Curtain closes
- Finale (Final outcome)
- Interaction of characters
Imagine someone has invited your family to a programme, and you were the only person at home when the invitation was given orally.
Write a note (4-5 lines) to pass on the message to the other people in your family. Or, Write an imaginary conversation in which you pass on the message to your parents.
Imagine someone has invited your family to a programme and you were the only person at home when the invitation was given orally.
Write a note (4-5 lines) to pass on the message to the other people in your family. Or, Write an imaginary conversation in which you pass on the message to your parents.
