Vocabulary
A. 1. need 2. rush 3. indulge 4. compose 5. surround 6. gather
7. leave 8. long
B. Free response
Pronunciation
1. ee 2. ment 3. ful 4. ese 5. eous 6. ity 7. eer 8. ist
Dictionary Work
1. AmE 2. BrE 3. AmE 4. BrE 5. AmE 6. BrE
Writing
Pandit Ravi Shankar was born on 7 April 1920 in Benaras. His name was Ravi Shankar Chowdhury
then. He started his schooling at Bengalitola High School. Being inclined towards dance and music, by
13 years of age, he became a member of Uday Shankar’s dance group and learned to dance and play
various Indian instruments. In fact, he studied Indian classical music under Ustad Allauddin Khan. He
first began to play the sitar publicly in December 1939. His first performance was with sarod-player,
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. He soon began to record music for HMV India and also worked as a music
director for All India Radio. He went on many international tours and taught in many colleges in
different countries.
Pandit Ravi Shankar has received many awards, including four Grammy Awards. He also founded the
Kinnara School of Music in Mumbai and Los Angeles.
UNIT 12: AN ENCOUNTER IN THE FOREST
Embedded Questions
1. Nakula is filled with gladness and relief on seeing the pond.
2. ● Sahadeva thinks that Nakula has fainted due to thirst and exhaustion.
●● No, Sahadeva is not able to keep his word to Yudhishthira.
3. Arjuna should have listened to Yaksha because he had warned Arjuna that he too would die like
his brothers.
4. Bhima wanted to drink the water first so that he would be able to fight better.
5. Yudhishthira found it magical that there were no wounds on his brothers’ bodies and no traces of
enemy footprints nearby.
6. Yudhishthira decided to answer Yaksha’s questions first because Yaksha had warned him that if he
did not do so, he too would die like his brothers.
7. ● Kunti is Yudhishthira’s mother.
●● Yudhishthira’s sense of justice pleased Yaksha.
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Comprehension
A. 1. One day, a deer ran away with a poor man’s fire-kindling wood. The poor man went to the
Pandavas for help. The deer, being a magical one, sped away into the forest. In its pursuit, the
Pandavas wandered deep into the forest.
2. Nakula became unconscious as he decided to drink the water before answering Yaksha’s
questions, as he was very thirsty.
3. Yudhishthira sent Arjuna to look for Nakula and Sahadeva as both of them failed to return and he
was worried about them.
4. Madri was Nakula’s mother.
5. Yama had taken the form of the deer to test Yudhishthira.
B. 1. a. Nakula said this to Yudhishthira.
b. At this point of time, Nakula had climbed up a tall tree to look for a waterbody nearby, as all of
them were very thirsty.
c. Nakula drew this conclusion based on the presence of water plants and cranes, which are
usually found near waterbodies.
2. a. Yaksha said this to Yudishthira.
b. Here ‘them’ refers to Bhima and Arjuna. Yudhishthira did not choose ‘them’, as like him, they
were also Kunti’s sons. Instead he chose Nakula, one of Madri’s children, so that Madri would be
spared the grief of losing all her children.
c. Yaksha rewarded Yudhishthira by restoring the lives of all his brothers.
C. 1. After the Pandavas lost sight of the deer, Yudhishthira said that it was pointless looking for it. Also,
he suggested that they rest for a while under a banyan tree since they had been running after
the deer for a long time. Then, he asked Nakula to climb a tree and see if there was a pond or river
nearby, where they could quench their thirst.
2. Arjuna was angry when he heard Yaksha’s words. This shows that Arjuna was impatient and short
tempered, and these clouded his judgement.
3. Bhima was shocked to see his brothers lying dead. He realised that it was the work of the Yakshas
and decided to hunt them down and kill them. However, feeling very thirsty he decided to drink
some water first, so that he would be able to fight better. He was angry and defiant and hence did
not listen to the Yaksha.
4. Yudhishthira realised that there was something magical about what had happened to his brothers
as there were no warriors who could overcome his brothers. Also, there were no wounds on their
bodies that could have led to their death or any traces of enemy footprints nearby.
5. Yaksha warned Yudhishthira that he too would die like his brothers if he did not listen to Yaksha
and answer his questions before quenching his thirst. Seeing the condition of his brothers and
realising that there was something unusual about it, Yudhishthira decided to answer the questions
before drinking the water.
6. Yudhishthira’s father, Pandu, had two wives—Kunti and Madri. Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna
were Kunti’s children, while Sahadeva and Nakula were Madri’s children. Since he, a child of
Kunti’s, was alive, he chose Nakula, one of Madri’s children, to spare Madri the grief of losing all her
children.
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D.
Yudhishthira was wise as he could answer all the questions. He was respectful of Yaksha and decided
to heed his warning. Although grief-stricken, he did not lose his temper and seek to avenge the death
of his brothers impulsively. He was patient and used his sense of judgement. He was also fair and
compassionate, as he wanted Yaksha to restore the life of Nakula.
Grammar
A. 2. has 3. have 4. have 5. Is 6. is
B. 2. 3.
4. 6. are → is 7. is → are 8.
5.
Vocabulary
A. 1. d 2. c 3. b 4. g 5. f 6. a 7. h 8. e
B. 1. make ends meet 2. pulling, leg 3. once in a blue moon 4. eat humble pie
5. beside herself 6. between the devil and the deep sea
7. went through, with a fine-tooth comb 8. piece of, mind
Writing
Free response
POEM: ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE
Comprehension
A. 1. Infancy or the first stage of life is that of a little baby. According to the speaker, an infant usually
cries or vomits in the arms of the nurse or person looking after it.
2. The speaker drew up a picture of a schoolboy walking slowly to school with his satchel. Though his
face is shining, as it has probably been scrubbed and washed by his mother, he is unwilling to go
to school, as he is reluctant to leave the protected environment of his home. The details help us to
clearly visualise the schoolboy.
3. The lover is presented in a mocking way by exaggerating his reactions and emotions. As the
emotions of a lover flows and ebbs, he sighs loudly. He sings songs dedicated to his lady love, in
praise of her beauty. The speaker mocks this by saying that his song of love is not based on an
important aspect of her but her eyebrow, which is a relatively insignificant part of her.
4. The judge is a metaphor for the middle-aged man. He has reached a stage where he has
gained prosperity and social status, and expounds the wisdom he has gained in his life. The
phrase ‘good capon lined’ represents the rewards one reaps in life. The round belly filled with
many meals of good food symbolises wealth, power, and prestige. The middle-aged man is
serious and formal. The man is at that age when one starts giving advice and stating general
truths of life.
5. In these two stages, a person loses many of the traits he used to possess, while many of his
childhood traits appear again. His clothes seem too big for him as he shrinks in size, his deep
manly voice grows more and more high pitched, eventually resembling a boyish shrill voice. And
like a child, he also becomes naive and carefree, losing all his self consciousness as he slowly loses
everything—his mobility, sight, taste, hearing and so on.
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