English Prose Class 9-1

THE FUN THEY HAD
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THE FUN THEY HAD

~Summary~
-by Isaac Asimov

Diary Entry by Margie
The present story is set in the future when children don't have traditional books and schools.
Margie, a little girl in the story, makes a diary entry-Tommy found a real book'. The entry reveals
the date, 21st May 2157, showing that the story is set much into the future. The book was a very
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old one, just like the one that her grandfather had in his time as a student. Its pages were yellow
and she found it funny to read the words that were not moving like that on a computer screen.
Feelings about the Book

When Tommy had the book in his hand, he called it a waste because after one time reading, it
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could be thrown away. The same feeling was with Margie too. Tommy found that book in the
attic of his house and that book was about a school. Margie hated her school and her mechanical
teacher a lot. Her teacher was not a living being. He was an image that flashes on her screen in
her study room. He gave her test after test in geography, and she was not doing well. Her failure
in geography had invited an inspector who tried to trace out the problem. So, her mother had
asked the County Inspector to come and find what was wrong.
The Arrival of the County Inspector

A
The County Inspector was a round little man with a red face. Margie had thought that he would
take her mechanical teacher away completely, but it was not so. The Inspector set the teacher
right within an hour or so. He told her mother that nothing was wrong with the girl rather the
screen was too fast for the girl and therefore Margie was having troubles. Now, it had been
B
slowed down so that, she would be okay with its level.
The Old Kind of School

On reading that book, Tommy had a discussion about the school with Margie. The old kind of
schools were a building common to all and with human teachers who would teach all the boys
and girls the same thing if they were of the same age.
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He gave them tests as well as homework. Margie wanted to know more about those kinds of
funny schools, but it was time for her to go to her school. It was time for Tommy too for his school
and both of them decided to read the book later.
Margie's Schoolroom
Margie's schoolroom was next to her bedroom, where the mechanical teacher was on and
waiting for Margie. Her school was open every day except Saturday and Sunday. Margie's mother
believed that girls learn better if they do it regularly. The mechanical teacher (the screen lit up
and started) was going to teach lesson on arithmetic. It was about the addition of proper factions.
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Margie had no interest in it. Margie had to put yesterday's homework in the proper slot too. The
mechanical teacher never forgot to ask for the homework.
Margie being Nostalgic

Margie was sitting in front of her mechanical teacher, but she was thinking of the good old days
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when the kids had a common time and place to study. She was also thinking of the human teacher
that used to teach them. She was thinking of the fun they had at the school.
Conclusion of The Fun They Had

In the chapter – The Fun They Had illustrates how emerging technology is slowly taking
precedence over various things around us. In the near future, it wouldn’t be surprising to see if
human teachers are replaced by mechanical devices or robots.
A
B
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THE FUN THEY HAD
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NCERT SOLUTIONS
Questions (Page No. 10-11)
(Thinking about the Text)
Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.
Question 1. How old are Margie and Tommy?
Answer: Margie is eleven and Tommy is thirteen years old.
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Question 2. What did Margie write in her diary?
Answer: Margie wrote in her diary “Today Tommy found a real book!”
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Question 3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?
Answer: No, Margie had never seen a book before.
Question 4. What things about the book did she find strange?
Answer: The things about the book that she found strange were:
a. The pages of the book were yellow and crinkly.

A
b. The words stood still instead of moving.
c. When they turned back to the previous page, it still had the same words on it that it had
when they first read it.
B
Question 5. What do you think a telebook is?
Answer: I think the telebook must be a book that gets displayed on the screen of the television.
Question 6. Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Answer: Margie’s school was next to her bedroom.
No, she did not have any classmates.
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Question 7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?
Answer: Margie and Tommy learnt Geography, History and Arithmetic.
Answer the following with reference to the story.
Question 1. “I wouldn’t throw it away.”
a. Who says these words?

b. What does ‘it’ refer to?
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c. What is it being compared with by the speaker?
Answer:
a. Tommy says these words.

b. “It” refers to the books.
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c. The paperback book is being compared with the telebooks by the speaker.
Question 2. “Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”
a. Who does ‘they’ refer to?

b. What does ‘regular’ mean here?
c. What is it contrasted with?
A
Answer:
a. “They” refers to the students centuries ago.

b. “Regular” means the usual for the people in 2157. Here, regular teacher means the
B
mechanical teacher.
c. The mechanical teacher is contrasted with humans as teachers of earlier times.
Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
Question 1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?
Answer: Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers. The mechanical teachers had big screens
on which all the lessons were shown and questions were asked. The children were taught through
computer and television screens. They did not have humans as teachers.
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Question 2. Why did Margie’s mother send for the County Inspector?
Answer: Margie’s mother sent for the County Inspector because the mechanical teacher of
Margie was not functioning properly. It kept giving Margie Geography tests and Margie was
performing worse every time. Margie’s mother was concerned and thus sent for the County
Inspector.
Question 3. What did he do?
Answer: The County Inspector smiled at Margie and gave her an apple. He took the mechanical
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teacher apart from her. Then he fixed the mechanical teacher. He told Margie’s mother that the
geography sector of the mechanical teacher was geared a little too quick and that he has slowed
it up to an average ten-year level.
Question 4. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County Inspector do to
help her?
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Answer: Margie was doing badly in geography because the questions that were displayed on the
screen of the mechanical teacher were too quick for her age.
The County Inspector slowed its speed to an average ten-year level so that Margie would be able
to perform satisfactorily.
Question 5. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?

A
Answer: Tommy’s teacher had to be taken away altogether for a month as the history sector had
blanked out completely.
B
Question 6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Answer: Yes, Margie had regular days and hours for school because Margie’s mother believed
that little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours.
Question 7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?
Answer: Tommy says that the old kind of school had special buildings. All the kids went to that
building for studying.
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Question 8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers?
Answer: He tells Margie that the old kind of teachers were humans instead of machines. The
human teacher would educate the boys and girls and give them homework and ask questions.
Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs (100 –150 words).
Question 1. What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that
Margie and Tommy have in the story?
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Answer: The main features of the mechanical teachers that Margie and Tommy have are:
The mechanical teachers have big black screens on which lessons are displayed and questions
are asked. The students need to put their homework and test papers in a slot that is present in
the mechanical teacher. The students write answers in punch code and the mechanical teacher
calculates the results right away.
LA
The main features of the schoolrooms that Margie and Tommy have are:
In the story, the schools are there in the homes. For instance, Margie’s school was right next to
her bedroom.
The students do not have classmates. They study subjects like arithmetic, history, geography, etc.
The mechanical teacher would turn on at the same time every day except on the weekends.
A
Question 2. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have
been fun?
B
Answer: Margie hated school because she felt it boring. The mechanical teacher started the class
at the same time regularly. Margie’s mechanical teacher was giving her test after test on
Geography and she was performing badly.
Margie also did not like inserting homework and test papers in the slot on the mechanical
teacher.
She thought that the old kind of school must have been fun because it would have had kids from
various places of the neighbourhood. It would have been so interesting to sit together in the
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classroom and leave the school together at the end of the day. All the kids learned the same
things so they could help each other in studies and homework.
Question 3. Do you agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the
story? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer: Yes, I agree with Margie that schools today are more fun than the school in the story. In
the story, the schools are in the students’ homes. This gives no space for interaction between
students. Studying from screen and taking up tests sounds boring. Inserting homework and test
papers in a slot on a mechanical teachers every day is monotonous. Writing answers in punch
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codes is even more draining.
Learning together in a class gives students a wider view of the people. Students also get familiar
with others and learn how to interact and socialize. Getting taught by human teachers is way
more dynamic than being taught by a machine. If there is any issue with any lesson or concept,
the student can ask the human teacher then and there. But, mechanical teachers are
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programmed with a certain lesson and concept for a particular day. During the time when the
student solves homework, he/she can get help from classmates. That’s how the schools today
are more fun than the school in the story.

(Thinking about Language)
Adverbs
A
Read this sentence taken from the story:
They had once taken Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had
B
The word complete is an adjective. When you add –ly to it, it becomes an adverb.
Question 1. Find the sentences in the lesson which have the adverbs given in the box below.
awfully sorrowfully completely loftily carefully differently quickly nonchalantly
Answer:
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awfully:
They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words
that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to — on a screen, you know.
sorrowfully:
The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing
worse and worse until her mother had shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the County
Inspector.
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completely:
They had once taken Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had
loftily:
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He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago”.
carefully:
He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago”.

A
differently:
“But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches
and that each kid has to be taught differently.”
B
quickly:
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly. She wanted to read about those funny schools.
nonchalantly:
“Maybe,” he said nonchalantly.
Question 2. Now use these adverbs to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.
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a. The report must be read ________ so that performance can be improved.

b. At the interview, Sameer answered our questions _________, shrugging his shoulders.
c. We all behave _________ when we are tired or hungry.
d. The teacher shook her head ________ when Ravi lied to her.
e. I ________ forgot about it.
f. When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled ________ and turned away.
g. The President of the Company is ________ busy and will not be able to meet you.
h. I finished my work ________ so that I could go out to play.
Answer:
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a. The report must be read carefully so that performance can be improved.
b. At the interview, Sameer answered our questions loftily, shrugging his shoulders.
c. We all behave differently when we are tired or hungry.
d. The teacher shook her head sorrowfully when Ravi lied to her.
e. I completely forgot about it.
f.
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When I complimented Revathi on her success, she just smiled nonchalantly and turned
away.
g. The President of the Company is awfully busy and will not be able to meet you.
h. I finished my work quickly so that I could go out to play.
Question 3. Make adverbs from these adjectives.
(i) angry (ii) happy

A
(iii) merry (iv) sleepy
(v) easy (vi) noisy

B
(vii) tidy (viii) gloomy
Answer:
(i) angry – angrily (ii) happy – happily
(iii) merry – merrily (iv) sleepy – sleepily
(v) easy – easily (vi) noisy – noisily
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DISCUSSION GROUP
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THE FUN THEY HAD
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(vii) tidy – tidily (viii) gloomy – gloomily
II. If Not and Unless
Complete the following conditional sentences. Use the correct form of the verb.
a. If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, _________.

b. If you don’t telephone the hotel to order food, __________.
c. Unless you promise to write back, I __________.
d. If she doesn’t play any games, ___________.
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e. Unless that little bird flies away quickly, the cat _________.
Answer:
a. If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, she will get irritated.

b. If you don’t telephone the hotel to order food, you will miss your meal.
c.
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Unless you promise to write back, I will not write you another letter.
d. If she doesn’t play any games, she will become lazy.
e. Unless that little bird flies away quickly, the cat will pounce on it and kill it.

(Writing)
Question 1. A new revised volume of Issac Asimov’s short stories has just been released.
A
Order one set. Write a letter to the publisher, Mindfame Private Limited, 1632 Asaf Ali Road, New
Delhi, requesting that a set be sent to you by Value Payable Post (VPP), and giving your address.
Your letter will have the following parts.
B
• Addresses of the sender and receiver

• The salutation
• The body of the letter
• The closing phrases and signature
Answer:
416, Sector 18
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THE FUN THEY HAD
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Nagpur, Maharashtra
04/08/2020
Mindfame Private Limited, 1632
Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi
Dear Sir/Madam,
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I recently came to know that a new revised volume of Issac Asimov’s short stories has been
released. This is to request you to send me a set of the same by Value Payable Post (VPP) on my
mailing address. I shall be highly obliged.
Yours sincerely,
Adwait Tiwari
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Questions (Page No. 14)
(Speaking)
Question 1. In groups of four discuss the following topic.
‘The Schools of the Future Will Have No Books and No Teachers!’

A
Your group can decide to speak for or against the motion. After this, each group will select a
speaker to present its views to the entire class.
B
You may find the following phrases useful to present your argument in the debate.
• In my opinion . . .
• I/we fail to understand why . . .
• I wholeheartedly support/oppose the view that . . .
• At the outset let me say . . .
• I’d/we’d like to raise the issue of/argue against . . .
• I should like to draw attention to . . .
• My/our worthy opponent has submitted that . . .
• On the contrary . . .
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• I firmly reject . . .
Answer:
For the motion
I would like to put forth my views in favour of the motion “The Schools of the Future Will Have
No Books and No Teachers!”
The emergence of digital technologies like computers, laptops, mobile phones, etc. has brought
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about a lot of changes in the way education is imparted and received. Now itself, we can see how
important the electronic gadgets and internet have become. We learn so many things through
Google, YouTube and other platforms. The concept of online classes is getting more
acknowledgement than ever. The internet speed is improving with time and usage. More and
more people are being drawn towards the limitless possibilities of learning online. Gradually, we
might see the schools teaching the students online with soft copies of books.
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When the robots become a part of our lives, we shall see the time when the schools will have no
real books and no human teachers, instead we will have online books and robots as teachers!
A
B
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THE SOUND OF MUSIC
02
THE SOUND OF MUSIC

~Summary~
PART- I
Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound Without Hearing it
-by Deborah Cowley
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Evelyn Lost her Hearing at a Young Age
This part is about a Scottish girl named Evelyn. She was very fond of music and wanted to make
it her life slowly. Evelyn's lost her sense of hearing. It was first noticed when she was eight years
old. By eleven year, she was completely deaf due to nerve damage.
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Evelyn didn't Give up Hope and Never Looked Back
She was determined to lead a normal life and pursue her interest in music. One day, she noticed
a girl playing a xylophone and decided that she wanted to play it too. Most of the teachers
discouraged her but percussionist (a person who plays tabla or drum) Ron Forbes encouraged
her. He began by tuning two large drums to different notes. Evelyn could feel the different notes
of the drum in her body.
The rest was sheer determination and hard work. She travelled the United Kingdom with a youth
A
orchestra and by the time she was sixteen, she had decided to make music her life. She
auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the highest marks in the history of
the academy. She gradually left the orchestral work and started giving solo performances. At the
end of her three year course, she had received most of the top awards.
B
Evelyn Senses Music

She explains that music flows through every part of her body. It tingles in the skin, her
cheekbones and even in her hair. When she plays the xylophone, she can sense the sound passing
up the stick into her fingertips.
By leaning against the drums, she can feel the resonances (sounds) flowing into her body. On a
wooden platform, she removes her shoes so that the vibrations pass through her bare feet and
up her legs.
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Evelyn: An Inspiration
Evelyn is a perfect example that disability can not stop a person to achieve if he/she is determined
and works hard towards it. Evelyn earned many awards and rewards. She has given enormous
pleasure to millions.
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LA
A
B
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PART- II
The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan
Pungi was Banned and then Revived

Emperor Aurangzeb had banned the playing of a musical instrument called pungi in the royal
residence, as it had a shrill and unpleasant sound. A barber of a family of professional musicians
decided to improve the tonal quality of the pungi. He played the improved instrument before
royalty and everyone was impressed. The instrument had to be given a new name. As the story
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goes, since it was first played in the Shah's chambers and was played by a nai (barber), the
instrument was named the 'shehnai'.
Ustad Bismillah Khan Brought Shehnai to the Classical Stage

The sound of the shehnai began to be considered auspicious. And for this reason, it is still played
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in temples and is an indispensable component (important part) of any North Indian wedding. In
the past, the shehnai was part of the naubat or traditional ensemble (group) of nine instruments
found at royal courts. The credit for bringing this instrument onto the classical stage goes to
Ustad Bismillah Khan.
Music was in Bismillah Khan's Blood

Bismillah belongs to a well-known family of musicians from Bihar. His grandfather, father and
A
other paternal ancestors were also great shehnai players.
Bismillah was fascinated at watching his uncles practise the shehnai. He started accompanying
his uncle Ali Bux and slowly, he started getting lessons in playing the instrument and would sit
practising throughout the day. The flowing waters of the Ganga inspired him to put together and
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create ragas that were earlier considered to be beyond that range of the shehnai.
The Bright Future of Bismillah Khan

With the opening of the All-India Radio in Lucknow in 1938 came Bismillah's big break. He soon
became an often-heard shehnai player on radio. When India gained independence on 15th
August 1947, Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai.
Film director Vijay Bhatt was so impressed after hearing him play at a festival that he named a
film after the instrument called 'Gunj Uthi Shehnai'.
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A Renowned Musician and a True Indian

Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to be invited to perform at the prestigious Lincoln Centre
Hall in the United States of America. National awards like the Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan
and the Padma Vibhushan were conferred on him.
In 2001, Ustad Bismillah Khan was awarded India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
Despite travelling to many countries, he was exceedingly fond of Benaras and Dumraon and they
remain for him the most wonderful towns of the world.
He even refused a position in America saying that he cannot find the Ganga there. Whenever, he
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was travelling abroad his heart kept aching for his homeland.
Conclusion of The Sound of Music

In the chapter – The Sound of Music illustrates how music binds people and is not limited to one
person only. Music is a universal language that is loved and adored by people of different caste,
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creed, colour or race.
A
B
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NCERT SOLUTIONS
(Thinking about the Text – I)
Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.
Question 1. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?
Answer: Evelyn was sixteen years old when she went to the Royal Academy of Music.
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Question 2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Answer: Her deafness was first noticed when she was just eight years old. It was confirmed by
the time she was eleven.
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Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30–40 words).
Question 1. Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?
Answer: Ron Forbes who was a percussionist, helped her to continue with music. He asked Evelyn
not to listen through ears but to try to sense it some other way.
Question 2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
A
Answer: Apart from the regular concerts, Evelyn performs in prisons and hospitals. She also takes
classes for young musicians.
B
Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100–150 words).
Question 1. How does Evelyn hear music?
Answer: Evelyn hears music through different parts of her body. Ron Forbes asked her to try to
sense the music some other way instead of ears. He started by tuning two big drums to varied
notes.
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Evelyn realized that she could feel the higher drum from her waist up and the lower drum from
her waist down. Forbes kept repeating the same exercise and then Evelyn realized that she can
sense certain notes in different parts of her body.
She says that when she plays the xylophone, she could feel the music passing up the stick into
her fingertips. When she leans against the drums, she could sense the resonances flowing into
her body. When she performs on a wooden platform, she removes her footwear so that the
vibrations pass through her bare feet and up her legs.
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(Thinking about the Text – II)
The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan
I. Tick the right answer.
a.
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The (shehnai, pungi ) was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’
b. (Bismillah Khan, A barber, Ali Bux) transformed the pungi into a shehnai.
c. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were (barbers, professional musicians).
d. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz
Khan).
e. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to (Afghanistan, U.S.A., Canada).
Answer:
A
a. The pungi was a ‘reeded noisemaker.’

b. A barber transformed the pungi into a shehnai.
c. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were professional musicians.
B
d. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.

e. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to Afghanistan.
II. Find the words in the text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan’s feelings about the items listed
below. Then mark a tick in the correct column. Discuss your answers in class.
Bismillah Khan’s feelings about Positive Negative Neutral
1. teaching children music
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2. the film world
3. migrating to the U.S.A.
4. playing at temples
5. getting the Bharat Ratna
6. the banks of the Ganga
7. leaving Benaras and Dumraon
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Answer:
Bismillah Khan’s feelings about Positive Negative Neutral

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1. teaching children music ✓
2. the film world ✓
3. migrating to the U.S.A. ✓
4. playing at temples ✓
5. getting the Bharat Ratna ✓

A
6. the banks of the Ganga ✓
7. leaving Benaras and Dumraon ✓

B
Answer these questions in 30–40 words.
Question 1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Answer: Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi because of the shrill unpleasant sound of
the instrument.
Question 2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
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Answer: A shehnai’s stem is hollow, longer and broader than that of a pungi. Shehnai has holes
in its body.
Question 3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Answer: Traditionally, shehnai was a part of the naubat or traditional ensemble of nine
instruments found at royal courts. It was played in temples and at marriages.
Bismillah Khan took it onto the classical stage.
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Question 4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Answer: Bismillah Khan got his big break with the opening of All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938.
He became an often-heard shehnai player on radio.
Question 5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event
historic?
LA
Answer: Bismillah Khan played the shehnai from the Red Fort on 15th August 1947. He was the
first Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai. The event was historic because that is the day
when India got independence. Bismillah Khan played Raag Kafi to an audience that included
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Question 6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
A
Answer: Bismillah Khan refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A because he did not want to
leave his country. He felt an unbreakable bond with his towns- Dumraon and Benaras, and with
River Ganga.
B
Question 7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India
and Benaras.
Answer: Two instances in the text which tell us that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras are:
• He says that whenever he is in a foreign country, he keeps yearning to see Hindustan.

• He also says that when he is in Mumbai, he thinks of only Benaras and the holy Ganga.
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Question 1. Look at these sentences.
• Evelyn was determined to live a normal life.

• Evelyn managed to conceal her growing deafness from friends and teachers.
The italicised parts answer the questions: “What was Evelyn determined to do?” and “What did
Evelyn manage to do?” They begin with a to-verb (to live, to conceal).
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Complete the following sentences.
Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets.
a. The school sports team hopes (What does it hope to do?)

b.
c.
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We all want (What do we all want to do?)
They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother (What did they advise her to do?)
d. The authorities permitted us to (What did the authorities permit us to do?)
e. A musician decided to (What did the musician decide to do?)
Answer:
a. The school sports team hopes to win the competition.

A
b. We all want to succeed in our lives.
c. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to take care of the child.
d. The authorities permitted us to perform the dance in the stadium.
e. A musician decided to play the music in front of the audience.
B
Question 2. From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these
definitions and write them down. The number of the paragraph where you will find the
words/phrases has been given for you in brackets.
a. the home of royal people (1) ________

b. the state of being alone (5) ________
c. a part which is absolutely necessary (2) ________
d. to do something not done before (5) ________
e. without much effort (13) ________
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f. quickly and in large quantities (9) ________ and ________
Answer:
a. the home of royal people (1) royal residence

b. the state of being alone (5) solitude
c. a part which is absolutely necessary (2) indispensable
d. to do something not done before (5) invent
e. without much effort (13) effortlessly
f. quickly and in large quantities (9) thick and fast
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Question 3. Tick the right answer.
a. When something is revived, it (remains dead/lives again).

b. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped/started).
c. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it/avoid it).
d.
LA
When we take to something, we find it (boring/interesting).
e. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful/find it of no use).
f. When you replicate something, you do it (for the first time/for the second time).
g. When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting/no longer upsetting).
Answer:
a. When something is revived, it lives again.

A
b. When a government bans something, it wants it stopped.
c. When something is considered auspicious, welcome it.
d. When we take to something, we find it interesting.
e. When you appreciate something, you find it good and useful.
B
f. When you replicate something, you do it for the second time.

g. When we come to terms with something, it is no longer upsetting.
Question 4. Dictionary work
• The sound of the shehnai is auspicious.

• The auspicious sound of the shehnai is usually heard at marriages.
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THE SOUND OF MUSIC
02
The adjective auspicious can occur after the verb be as in the first sentence, or before a noun
as in the second. But there are some adjectives which can be used after the verb be and not
before a noun. For example:
• Ustad Faiyaz Khan was overjoyed.
We cannot say: *the overjoyed man.
Consult your dictionary and complete the following table. The first one has been done for you.
JI
adjective Only before noun Not before noun Both before and after the verb ‘be’
Indispensable ✓
LA
Impressed
Afraid
A
Outdoor
Paternal
B
Countless
Priceless
Answer:
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THE SOUND OF MUSIC
02
adjective Only before noun Not before noun Both before and after the verb ‘be’
Indispensable ✓
Impressed ✓ ✓
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Afraid ✓ ✓
Outdoor ✓
LA
Paternal ✓
Countless ✓
A
Priceless ✓ ✓
Indispensable: Electronic gadgets have become indispensable to modern life.

B
Impressed: He was impressed by his friend’s speech.
Afraid: Raghav is afraid of dark.
Outdoor: Outdoor games are necessary for keeping yourself healthy.
Paternal: My paternal uncle lives in Mumbai.
Countless: There are countless stars in the sky.
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THE SOUND OF MUSIC
02
Priceless: Children’s smiles are priceless.

(Speaking)
Question 1. Imagine the famous singer Kishori Amonkar is going to visit your school. You have
been asked to introduce her to the audience before her performance. How would you introduce
her?
Answer: Do it yourself.
JI
Question 2. Use your notes on Kishori Amonkar to introduce her to an imaginary audience.
You may use one of the following phrases to introduce a guest:
I am honoured to introduce…/I feel privileged to introduce…/We welcome you…

LA
Answer: I am honoured to introduce you to the finest female vocalist of her generation, Kishori
Amonkar. She is a Padma Bhushan awardee who was born in 1931 to another great artist Smt.
Mogubai Kurdikar. She is a singer besotted by the mysterious world of the raagas. She dissects
them until the most subtle of shades emerge and re-emerge. She is highly inspired by the
teachings of the Vedic sages. She has been bestowed with several significant awards – Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award (1985), the Padma Bhushan (1987), and one of the most prestigious
awards in Indian Classical Music- Sangeet Samradhini Award (1997).
A

(Writing)
B
Question 1. “If you work hard and know where you’re going, you’ll get there,” says Evelyn
Glennie.
You have now read about two musicians, Evelyn Glennie and Ustad Bismillah Khan. Do you think
that they both worked hard? Where did they want to ‘go’?
Answer these questions in two paragraphs, one on each of the two musicians.
Answer: Yes, they both worked extremely hard. They wanted to pursue music as their career and
achieve heights.
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THE SOUND OF MUSIC
02
Evelyn Glennie is an inspiration to everyone. She grew profoundly deaf by the time she was
eleven years old. But, she did not let the disability to listen become a hurdle in pursuing her
career in music. She auditioned in Royal Academy of Music in London when she was not even
seventeen years old and scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy. In a field
like music that’s entirely linked to listening, she began to sense music through different parts of
her body. She brought percussion to the front of the orchestra. She was awarded with the Royal
Philharmonic Society’s Soloist of the Year Award in the year 1991. She inspires people with her
life and optimism.
Ustad Bismillah Khan belonged to a family of professional musicians. Shehnai was being used in
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temples and at marriages, but the credit of bringing the shehnai onto the classical stage goes to
Ustad Bismillah Khan. He took to music in early years of his life. At the age of three, he was quite
fascinated watching his uncles playing the shehnai. On the day of independence of India, he was
the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai. He was strongly bonded to Benaras and the
holy Ganga. He was awarded India’s highest civilian award- Bharat Ratna.
LA
A
B
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THE LITTLE GIRL
03
THE LITTLE GIRL

~Summary~
-by Katherine Mansfield
Kezia is Afraid of her father

The little girl Kezia was afraid of her father. She always wanted to avoid meeting him. She felt
relieved when he went out of the house as his presence made her uncomfortable out of fear
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Kezia used to stammer in front of her father whereas with others she used to talk normally. He
appeared so big to Kezia that she would compare him with a giant. Kezia's grandmother wanted
that Kezia should talk to her parents more and therefore on Sunday afternoons she would send
her to the drawing room to talk to them, where they would be relaxing.
LA
Kezia Makes a Birthday Gift for her Father
When one day Kezia had a cold and she did not go to school, her grandmother suggested her to
make with her own hands a pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her father, whose birthday was next
week. So Kezia stitched three sides of it. Then, not finding any scraps to fill it with, she filled it by
tearing into small pieces some papers which she found on her mother's bedroom table.
Then, she completed the pin-cushion by sewing its fourth side. Later, her father was very angry
when he could not find the papers on which he had written the speech to be given to the Port
A
Authority next day. When Kezia was asked, she told her father that she had torn up and stuffed
the papers in the pin-cushion she had made! So her father punished her by hitting her hand with
a ruler to teach her not to touch anything that did not belong to her.
B
Kezia's Neighbours : The Macdonalds

Kezia was jealous of the happy family living next door Mr Macdonald, his wife and five children.
Mr Macdonald was always playing with his children when he was free. They were laughing and
enjoying each others' company. That is when Kezia realised that there were different kinds of
fathers.
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THE LITTLE GIRL
03
Kezia's Opinion about her Father Finally changed

When Kezia's mother fell ill and had to be hospitalised, Kezia's grandmother went to look after
her, leaving Kezia to be looked after by Alice, the cook. While sleeping, Kezia had a frightful
nightmare of a butcher with a knife and rope and woke up crying, to find her father standing
there. He took Kezia with her to his room and lay down beside her to give her comfort. He slept
off due to being tired. That is when Kezia realised that he had to work very hard and felt sorry for
tearing up his papers. She told him that he had a very big heart.
Conclusion of The Little Girl
JI
In the chapter – The Little Girl teaches us how a loving and caring relationship between
parents and children can help in strengthening the bond and attachment in the family. We
should try to understand each other instead of finding faults in others.
LA
A
B
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THE LITTLE GIRL
03
NCERT SOLUTIONS
Question 1. Given below are some emotions that Kezia felt. Match the emotions in Column A
with the items in Column B.
A B
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1. fear or terror (i) father comes into her room to give her a
2. glad sense of relief goodbye kiss
(ii) noise of the carriage grows fainter
3. a “funny” feeling, perhaps of
understanding (iii) father comes home
(iv) speaking to father
LA (v) going to bed when alone at home
(vi) father comforts her and falls asleep
(vii) father stretched out on the sofa, snoring
Answer:
A B
1. fear or terror (iv) speaking to father

A
2. glad sense of relief (iii) father comes home
3. a “funny” feeling, perhaps of (v) going to bed when alone at home
understanding
(vii) father stretched out on the sofa, snoring
B
(i) father comes into her room to give her a

goodbye kiss
(ii) noise of the carriage grows fainter
(vi) father comforts her and falls asleep
II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences.
Question 1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
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THE LITTLE GIRL
03
Answer: Kezia was afraid of her father because he was extremely strict and commanding. He
never played with her. He used to give her a terrifying look over his spectacles.
Question 2. Who were the people in Kezia’s family?
Answer: Kezia’s family comprised her father, mother and grandmother and herself.
Question 3. What was Kezia’s father’s routine?
(i) before going to his office?
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(ii) after coming back from his office?
(iii) on Sundays?
Answer: i) Before going to office, Kezia’s father would come to Kezia’s room and give her a
goodbye kiss.
LA
ii) After coming back from his office, he would order his tea to be brought to the drawing room
and would ask his mother to get his papers and slippers. He would then order Kezia to take off
his boots.
iii) On Sundays, he would stretch out on the sofa with his handkerchief on his face, his feet on
one of the best cushions, sleep and snore.
A
Question 4. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father
better?
B
Answer: Kezia’s grandmother would encourage her to know her father better by asking her to go
down to the drawing room and have a nice talk with her father. She also asked Kezie to stitch a
pin-cushion out of a beautiful yellow silk piece and give it to her father as a birthday present.
III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two
or three paragraphs each.
Question 1. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did
this happen?
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THE LITTLE GIRL
03
Answer: Kezie stitched three sides of the pin-cushion. She was confused at what to fill the cushion
with. Grandmother was not around. So, Kezie went to her parents’ room to ask her mother for
some scrap. But, her mother wasn’t there in the room.
Kezie then saw some sheets of papers on the bed table. She collected them all, tore them into
small pieces and stuffed the cushion with those pieces.
Her efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much when at night her father
searched for those sheets of paper on the bed table. The sheets of paper had the speech for Port
Authority. Her father scolded and beat her with a ruler for touching things that did not belong to
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her.
Question 2. Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”. What kind of father was Mr
Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?
Answer: Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”.

LA
Mr Macdonald was a loving father. He was very gentle and forgiving. He used to play and laugh
with his children. He was friendly with them.
He was quite different from Kezia’s father. Her father was very strict and unfriendly.
Question 3. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
A
Answer: One day, when her mother and grandmother were at the hospital, Kezia was left at
home with Alice, their cook. At night, she had a nightmare. Shivering with fear, she called for her
grandmother but saw her father near her bed. He took her in his arms and carefully tucked her
on his bed. He then lay down beside her. Half asleep, she went close to him, snuggled her head
B
under his arm and held onto his shirt tightly.
She saw her father go off to sleep before her. She understood that he had to work so hard every
day which made him too tired to behave like Mr Macdonald. She told his father that he had a big
heart.

I. Look at the following sentence.
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THE LITTLE GIRL
03
There was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter…
Here, glad means happy about something.
Glad, happy, pleased, delighted, thrilled and overjoyed are synonyms (words or expressions that
have the same or nearly the same meaning.) However, they express happiness in certain ways.
Read the sentences below.
• She was glad when the meeting was over.
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• The chief guest was pleased to announce the name of the winner.
Question 1. Use an appropriate word from the synonyms given above in the following sentences.
Clues are given in brackets.
a. She was __________ by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased)
b.
LA
I was __________ to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)
c. She was __________ at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy)
d. The coach was __________ with his performance. (satisfied about)
e. She was very __________ with her results. (happy about something that has happened)
Answer:
a. She was thrilled by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased)
A
b. I was delighted to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)
c. She was overjoyed at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy)
d. The coach was pleased with his performance. (satisfied about)
e. She was very happy with her results. (happy about something that has happened)
B
Question 2. Study the use of the word big in the following sentence.
He was so big — his hands and his neck, especially his mouth…
Here, big means large in size.
Now, consult a dictionary and find out the meaning of big in the following sentences. The first
one has been done for you.
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THE LITTLE GIRL
03
a. You are a big girl now. older

b. Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career. __________
c. Their project is full of big ideas. __________
d. Cricket is a big game in our country. __________
e. I am a big fan of Lata Mangeskar. __________
f. You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater. __________
g. What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear. __________
Answer:
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a. You are a big girl now. older
b. Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career. most crucial
c. Their project is full of big ideas. amazing
d. Cricket is a big game in our country. popular
e. I am a big fan of Lata Mangeskar. great
f. You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater. glutton
g.
LA
What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear. magnanimous
II. Verbs of Reporting
Study the following sentences.
• “What!” screamed Mother.

• “N-n-no”, she whispered.
A
• “Sit up,” he ordered.
The italicised words are verbs of reporting. We quote or report what someone has said or thought
by using a reporting verb. Every reporting clause contains a reporting verb. For example:
B
• He promised to help in my project.

• “How are you doing?” Seema asked.
We use verbs of reporting to advise, order, report statements, thoughts, intentions, questions,
requests, apologies, manner of speaking and so on.
Question 1. Underline the verbs of reporting in the following sentences.
a. He says he will enjoy the ride.
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THE LITTLE GIRL
03
b. Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.

c. No one told us that the shop was closed.
d. He answered that the price would go up.
e. I wondered why he was screaming.
f. Ben told her to wake him up.
g. Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.
Answer:
a. He says he will enjoy the ride.
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b. Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.
c. No one told us that the shop was closed.
d. He answered that the price would go up.
e. I wondered why he was screaming.
f. Ben told her to wake him up.
g. Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.
LA
Question 2: Some verbs of reporting are given in the box. Choose the appropriate verbs and fill
in the blanks in the following sentences.
were complaining, shouted, replied, remarked, ordered, suggested
a. “I am not afraid,” __________ the woman.

b. “Leave me alone,” __________ my mother .
A
c. The children __________ that the roads were crowded and noisy.
d. “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” __________ the master.
e. “Let’s go and look at the school ground,” __________ the sports teacher.
f. The traffic police __________ all the passers-by to keep off the road.
B
Answer:
a. “I am not afraid,” declared the woman.

b. “Leave me alone,” shouted my mother .
c. The children complained that the roads were crowded and noisy.
d. “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” remarked the master.
e. “Let’s go and look at the school ground,” suggested the sports teacher.
f. The traffic police ordered all the passers-by to keep off the road.
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THE LITTLE GIRL
03

(Speaking)
Form pairs or groups and discuss the following questions.
Question 1. This story is not an Indian story. But do you think there are fathers, mothers and
grandmothers like the ones portrayed in the story in our own country?
Answer: Yes, there are fathers, mothers and grandmothers like the ones portrayed in the story
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in our own country. In a run to make their children disciplined enough, parents sometimes forget
that their child needs their love and care too. They forget that their one is yet to learn and accept
his/her environment. Giving the kid time, compassion and care is very necessary so that the kid
grows up having good bond with his/her parents. Punishing and creating an extremely strict
image of oneself only makes children slip away from their parents’ hands emotionally.
LA
Question 2: Was Kezia’s father right to punish her? What kind of a person was he?
You might find some of these words useful in describing him:
Undemonstrative, loving, strict, hard-working, responsible, unkind, disciplinarian, short-

tempered, affectionate, caring, indifferent
Answer: No, Kezia’s father was not right to punish her. He should have understood that Kezia is
A
a child and that it is okay for her to make mistakes. He could have explained her how important
those papers were to him and that she should never do such a thing again.
He is a father who is undemonstrative, strict and short-tempered. He also has a loving and
affectionate heart but he lets his disciplinarian behaviour get the better of him. He does unkind
B
actions like beating her with a ruler but then he is also a caring dad who pacifies her when she
wakes up from a bad dream.

(Writing)
Question 1. Has your life been different from or similar to that of Kezia when you were a child?
Has your perception about your parents changed now? Do you find any change in your parents’
behaviour vis-à-vis yours? Who has become more understanding? What steps would you like to
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THE LITTLE GIRL
03
take to build a relationship based on understanding? Write three or four paragraphs (150–200
words) discussing these issues from your own experience.
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LA
A
B
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A TRULY BEAUTIFUL MIND
04

~Summary~
Early Life of Einstein

Albert Einstein was born to German parents on 14th March, 1879 in Ulm, Germany. His mother
thought that he was abnormal because his head was too large compared to other children. He
started speaking, that also with difficulty, only by the time he was two-and-a-half years old. He
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loved to play with mechanical toys and preferred to play alone; thus other children called him
'Brother Boring'. Even his school headmaster was not happy with him, telling his father that
Albert would never be successful, whatever career he took up. His mother made him learn how
to play the violin at the age of six years. He, later on, became a talented amateur (non-
professional) violinist.
LA
Education and Married Life of Einstein
When Einstein's parents shifted to Milan, they allowed him to continue school in Munich, but he
left the high school there at the age of 15 years as he felt uneasy with the strictness there. He
was extraordinary in Mathematics and interested in Physics. So, he continued his studies at the
university in Zurich. There he met a Serbian girl, Mileva Maric, who was also an intellectual. They
fell in love and ultimately married after Albert found a job on finishing his university studies. But,
their family life was not happy despite having two sons. They finally divorced in 1919.
A
Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity

Einstein finally secured a job as a technical expert in the patent office in Bern, where he assessed
B
(judged) other people's inventions. Side-by-side, he continued developing his own ideas secretly.
He published his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905, according to which time and distance are
not absolute (independent).
He derived (obtained the world's most famous formula describing the relationship between mass
and energy: E = mc2.
In 1915, Einstein published his 'General Theory of Relativity'. The solar eclipse of the sun proved
his theory as correct. He became famous, as his work was considered a 'scientific revolution'. For
this and his other achievements, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
(1)
04
Einstein Works for Peace and Democracy

When the Nazis came to power in Germany, Einstein emigrated (moved away) to the USA. When
the world's scientists came to know that Germany had developed nuclear fission, they became
afraid that the Nazis could build and use an atomic bomb. He was persuaded by a colleague to
write to Franklin D Roosevelt, President of the USA, that this development could cause large-
scale devastation. This made the Americans develop their own atomic bomb and use it against
Japan near the end of the Second World War.
Einstein was shocked by the extent of destruction caused by these bombs and wrote an open
letter to the United Nations to stop the arms buildup by forming a 'world government'. Einstein
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continued campaigning (push or press) for an end to the arms buildup and used his popularity to
campaign for peace and democracy during the next ten years, till his death in 1955. He was
known and celebrated as a visionary and 'world citizen' as much as a scientific genius.
Conclusion of A Truly Beautiful Mind

LA
The chapter – A Truly Beautiful Mind illustrates the life story of the scientific genius, Albert
Einstein. He was not just a scientist but was deeply concerned about human welfare. Due to this
reason, the story is entitled as ‘A Truly Beautiful Mind’.
A
B
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04
NCERT SOLUTIONS
Question 1. Here are some headings for paragraphs in the text. Write the number(s) of them
paragraph(s) for each title against the heading. The first one is done for you.
a. Einstein’s equation – 9
b. Einstein meets his future wife
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c. The making of a violinist
d. Mileva and Einstein’s mother
e. A letter that launched the arms race
f. A desk drawer full of ideas
g. Marriage and divorce
Answer:
LA
a. Einstein’s equation – 9
b. Einstein meets his future wife – 7
c. The making of a violinist – 3
d. Mileva and Einstein’s mother – 10
e. A letter that launched the arms race – 15
A
f. A desk drawer full of ideas – 8
g. Marriage and divorce – 11
Question 2. Who had these opinions about Einstein?

B
a. He was boring.
b. He was stupid and would never succeed in life.
c. He was a freak.
Answer:
a. He was boring – Einstein’s playmates

b. He was stupid and would never succeed in life – Einstein’s headmaster
c. He was a freak – Einstein’s mother
(3)
04
Question 3. Explain what the reasons for the following are.
a. Einstein leaving the school in Munich for good.

b. Einstein wanting to study in Switzerland rather than in Munich.
c. Einstein seeing in Mileva an ally.
d. What do these tell you about Einstein?
Answer:
a. Einstein left the school in Munich for good because he disliked the school’s regimentation
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and often had arguments with his school teachers.
b. Einstein wanted to study in Switzerland rather than in Munich because Switzerland was a
city that was much more liberal than Munich.
c. Einstein saw an ally in Mileva because just like him, she too was against ‘Philistines’ i.e. the
people in Einstein’s family and at the university with whom he was constantly at odds.
d. The above things tell us that Einstein was a very liberal person who liked freedom. He was
LA
a person who had his own view about life.
Question 4. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why?
Answer: Einstein called his desk drawer at the patent office the ‘bureau of theoretical physics’.
He called it so because he was secretly developing his own ideas and inventions related to
physics.
A
Question 5. Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?
Answer: Einstein wrote a letter to Franklin Roosevelt because he wanted to warn America that
Germany had the ability to build and use an atomic bomb, which if exploded in a port, would
B
destroy the entire port as well as some of the surrounding territory.
Question 6. How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Answer: He was deeply shaken by the extent of destruction due to the bombing of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. He wrote a public missive to the United Nations and proposed the formation of a world
government.
Question 7. Why does the world remember Einstein as a “world citizen”?
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04
Answer: The world remembers Einstein as a “world citizen” because he agitated for an end to
the arms buildup and campaigned for peace and democracy in the world.
Question 8. Here are some facts from Einstein’s life. Arrange them in chronological order.
[ ] Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity. [ ] He is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
[ ] Einstein writes a letter to U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and warns against Germany’s
building of an atomic bomb. [ ] Einstein attends a high school in Munich. [ ] Einstein’s family
moves to Milan. [ ] Einstein is born in the German city of Ulm. [ ] Einstein joins a university in
Zurich, where he meets Mileva. [ ] Einstein dies. [ ] He provides a new interpretation of gravity. [
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] Tired of the school’s regimentation, Einstein withdraws from school. [ ] He works in a patent
office as a technical expert. [ ] When Hitler comes to power, Einstein leaves Germany for the
United States.
Answer: [7] Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity. [9] He is awarded the Nobel Prize
in Physics. [11] Einstein writes a letter to U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and warns against
LA
Germany’s building of an atomic bomb. [2] Einstein attends a high school in Munich. [3] Einstein’s
family moves to Milan. [1] Einstein is born in the German city of Ulm. [5] Einstein joins a university
in Zurich, where he meets Mileva. [12] Einstein dies. [8] He provides a new interpretation of
gravity. [4] Tired of the school’s regimentation, Einstein withdraws from school. [6] He works in
a patent office as a technical expert. [10] When Hitler comes to power, Einstein leaves Germany
for the United States.

A
I. Here are some sentences from the story. Choose the word from the brackets which can be
substituted for the italicised words in the sentences.
B
a. A few years later, the marriage faltered. (failed, broke, became weak).
b. Einstein was constantly at odds with people at the university. (on bad terms, in
disagreement, unhappy)
c. The newspapers proclaimed his work as “a scientific revolution.” (declared, praised,
showed)
d. Einstein got ever more involved in politics, agitating for an end to the arms build-up.
(campaigning, fighting, supporting)
e. At the age of 15, Einstein felt so stifled that he left the school for good. (permanently, for
his benefit, for a short time)
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04
f. Five years later, the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin had American physicists in an
uproar. (in a state of commotion, full of criticism, in a desperate state)
g. Science wasn’t the only thing that appealed to the dashing young man with the walrus
moustache. (interested, challenged, worried)
Answer:
a. A few years later, the marriage became weak. (failed, broke, became weak).
b. Einstein was constantly in disagreement with people at the university. (on bad terms, in
disagreement, unhappy)
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c. The newspapers declared his work as “a scientific revolution.” (declared, praised, showed)
d. Einstein got ever more involved in politics, campaigning for an end to the arms build-up.
(campaigning, fighting, supporting)
e. At the age of 15, Einstein felt so stifled that he left the school permanently. (permanently,
for his benefit, for a short time)
f. Five years later, the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin had American physicists in a state
LA
of commotion. (in a state of commotion, full of criticism, in a desperate state)
g. Science wasn’t the only thing that interested to the dashing young man with the walrus
moustache. (interested, challenged, worried)
II. Study the following sentences.
• Einstein became a gifted amateur violinist, maintaining this skill throughout his life.
• Letters survive in which they put their affection into words, mixing science with
A
tenderness.
The parts in italics in the above sentences begin with –ing verbs, and are called participial phrases.
Participial phrases say something more about the person or thing talked about or the idea
B
expressed by the sentence as a whole. For example:
– Einstein became a gifted amateur violinist. He maintained this skill throughout his life.
Complete the sentences below by filling in the blanks with suitable participial clauses. The
information that has to be used in the phrases is provided as a sentence in brackets.
• __________, the firefighters finally put out the fire. (They worked round the clock.)
• She watched the sunset above the mountain, __________ (She noticed the colours
blending softly into one another.)
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• The excited horse pawed the ground rapidly, __________ (While it neighed continually.)
• __________, I found myself in Bangalore, instead of Benaras. (I had taken the wrong train.)
• __________, I was desperate to get to the bathroom. (I had not bathed for two days)
• The stone steps, __________ needed to be replaced. (They were worn down).
• The actor received hundreds of letters from his fans, __________ (They asked him to send
them his photograph.)
Answer:
• Working round the clock, the firefighters finally put out the fire. (They worked round the
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clock.)
• She watched the sunset above the mountain, noticing the colours blending softly into one
another. (She noticed the colours blending softly into one another.)
• The excited horse pawed the ground rapidly, neighing continually. (While it neighed
continually.)
• Having taken the wrong train, I found myself in Bangalore, instead of Benaras. (I had taken
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the wrong train.)
• Having not bathed for two days, I was desperate to get to the bathroom. (I had not bathed
for two days)
• The stone steps, being worn down, needed to be replaced. (They were worn down).
• The actor received hundreds of letters from his fans, asking him to send them his
photograph. (They asked him to send them his photograph.)

A
(Writing Newspaper Reports)
Here are some notes which you could use to write a report.
B
21 August 2005 — original handwritten manuscript of Albert Einstein unearthed — by student

Rowdy Boeynik in the University of the Netherlands — Boeynik researching papers — papers
belonging to an old friend of Einstein — fingerprints of Einstein on these papers — 16-page
document dated 1924 — Einstein’s work on this last theory — behaviour of atoms at low
temperature — now known as the Bose-Einstein condensation — the manuscript to be kept at
Leyden University where Einstein got the Nobel Prize.
Write a report which has four paragraphs, one each on:
• What was unearthed.
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• Who unearthed it and when.

• What the document contained.
• Where it will be kept.
Your report could begin like this:
Student Unearths Einstein Manuscript
21 AUGUST 2005. An original handwritten Albert Einstein manuscript has been unearthed at a
university in the Netherlands…
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Answer:
Student Unearths Einstein Manuscript
21 AUGUST 2005. An original handwritten Albert Einstein manuscript has been unearthed at a
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university in the Netherlands.
It was unearthed by a student Rowdy Boeynik while researching papers when he came across
some papers belonging to an old friend of Einstein.
The 16-page document dated 1924 contained fingerprints of Albert Einstein. It has Einstein’s
work on this last theory i.e. the behaviour of atoms at low temperature which is now known as
the Bose-Einstein condensation.
A
The manuscript will be kept at Leyden University where Einstein got the Nobel Prize.

(Dictation)
B
Your teacher will dictate these paragraphs to you. Write down the paragraphs with correct
punctuation marks.
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THE SNAKE AND THE MIRROR
05

~Summary~
-by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer
Doctor Sees his face in Mirror

The narrator, who is a doctor, explains his experience with a snake. It was a hot summer night
when he used to live in a room in the village. When he came to his room, it was about ten o'clock.
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The doctor was sitting in a chair in his house at night and wondering how to look more handsome
as he watched his face in a mirror. He decided that he would shave daily, keep a thin moustache
and always have a smile on his face. These measures would make him look smarter and more
handsome. He heard a noise. There were many rats in the room that constantly made noise.
LA
Snake Falls on the Doctor
Suddenly, a snake fell on doctor's shoulder from above. It may have come into the house due to
the presence of many rats there. The snake coiled round doctor's left arm above the elbow. The
snake's hood was only three to four inches away from the doctor's face. The doctor turned
absolutely still in the face of danger so close by. He prayed to God and then realised that he was
a foolish and stupid doctor as he did not have any medicine for snakebite with him. Thus, he
would surely die if the snake bit him.
A
Doctor's Escape from the Snake
When the snake turned its hood, it saw its reflection in the mirror on the table. The snake
unwound (freed) itself from the doctor's arm and crept over to the table to have a closer look at
itself.
B
The doctor, thus, got an opportunity to escape from the house. He ran very fast and went to a
friend's house. After bathing there, he spent the night at the friend's place.
Doctor Shifts from the House

The next morning, the narrator went to his room with his friend, as he had decided to vacate the
house immediately, he went to collect his belongings. However, he found that some thieves had
stolen most of his belongings, leaving behind only one of the doctor's dirty vests.
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Conclusion of The Snake and the Mirror

The chapter – The Snake and the Mirror teaches students that we should not be boastful of our
looks and should accept whatever we have and consider it as a blessing from God.
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LA
A
B
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NCERT SOLUTIONS
I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30–40 words).
Question 1. “The sound was a familiar one.” What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think
it was? How many times did he hear it? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the
sounds stop?
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Answer: The doctor heard some noise from above when he opened the door.
He thought that the sound was of rats.

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He heard it four times, including the sound he heard when he opened the door:
“Again I heard that sound from above.”
“Again came that noise from above.”
“Suddenly there came a dull thud as if a rubber tube had fallen to the ground…”
The sounds stopped when the snake appeared in front of the doctor.
A
Question 2. What two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor take while he
was looking into the mirror?
B
Answer: The two important and earth-shaking decisions that the doctor took while he was
looking into the mirror are:
a. He would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome.
b. He would always keep that attractive smile on his face.
Question 3. “I looked into the mirror and smiled,” says the doctor. A little later he says, “I forgot
my danger and smiled feebly at myself.”
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What is the doctor’s opinion about himself when: (i) he first smiles, and (ii) he smiles again? In
what way do his thoughts change in between, and why?
Answer:
a. When the doctor smiled first, he was thinking that his smile was very attractive.
b. When he smiled again, he was thinking that he was a poor and stupid doctor.
His thoughts changed from being a handsome doctor to being a stupid doctor between the two
situations. His thoughts changed because his life was now in danger.
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II. 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.)
Question 1.
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a. The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)
b. The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition)
Answer:
a. The doctor is a person whose earnings were meagre. His house was a small rented room.
He only had 60 rupees, some shirts, dhotis and a black coat.
A
b. He believes in making himself look handsome. He decides that he would shave daily and
grow a thin moustache.
Question 2.
B
a. The person he wants to marry

b. The person he actually marries
Answer:
a. He wants to marry a fat woman doctor who had plenty of money.

b. He marries to a thin reedy person with the gift of a sprinter.
Question 3.
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a. His thoughts when he looks into the mirror

b. His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm
Write short paragraphs on each of these to get your answer.
Answer:
a. When he looks into the mirror, he thinks that he has a very attractive smile. He decides to
keep that smile on his face always and to shave daily. He seems contented when he looks
into the mirror.
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b. When the snake is coiled around his arm, he keeps sitting there holding his breath. He
thinks that he is a poor and stupid doctor. He is terrified by the snake’s presence.

LA
I. Here are some sentences from the text. Say which of them tell you, that the author: (a) was
afraid of the snake, (b) was proud of his appearance, (c) had a sense of humour, (d) was no longer
afraid of the snake.
a. I was turned to stone.

b. I was no mere image cut in granite.
c. The arm was beginning to be drained of strength.
d. I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words, ‘O God’.
A
e. I didn’t tremble. I didn’t cry out.
f. I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile.
g. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood.
h. I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!
B
i. The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness…! The rascal could have taken it and used it
after washing it with soap and water.
j. Was it trying to make an important decision about growing a moustache or using eye
shadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion spot on its forehead.
Answer:
a. Was afraid of the snake: Sentences 1, 3, 4, 5.

b. Was proud of his appearance: Sentences 6, 8.
c. Had a sense of humour: Sentences 9, 10.
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d. Was no longer afraid of the snake: Sentence 2, 7.
II. Expressions used to show fear
Can you find the expressions in the story that tell you that the author was frightened? Read the
story and complete the following sentences.
a. I was turned ________________.

b. I sat there holding ________________.
c. In the light of the lamp I sat there like ________________.
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Answer:
a. I was turned to stone.

b. I sat there holding my breath.
c. In the light of the lamp I sat there like a stone image in the flesh.
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III. In the sentences given below some words and expressions are italicised. They are variously
mean that one
• is very frightened.
• is too scared to move.
• is frightened by something that happens suddenly.
• makes another feel frightened.
A
Match the meanings with the words/expressions in italics, and write the appropriate meaning
next to the sentence. The first one has been done for you.
B
a. I knew a man was following me, I was scared out of my wits. (very frightened)
b. I got a fright when I realised how close I was to the cliff edge.
c. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him.
d. You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that.
e. Wait until I tell his story — it will make your hair stand on end.
f. Paralysed with fear, the boy faced his abductors.
g. The boy hid behind the door, not moving a muscle.
Answer:
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a. I knew a man was following me, I was scared out of my wits. (very frightened)
b. I got a fright when I realised how close I was to the cliff edge. (too scared to move)
c. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him. (to be
suddenly surprised or frightened by something)
d. You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that. (too scared/ frightened)
e. Wait until I tell his story — it will make your hair stand on end. (feel shocked or scared)
f. Paralysed with fear, the boy faced his abductors. (too horrified to move)
g. The boy hid behind the door, not moving a muscle. (too frightened to move)
IV. Reported questions
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Report these questions using if/whether or why/when/where/how/which/what.
Remember the italicised verbs change into the past tense.
a. Meena asked her friend, “Do you think your teacher will come today?”
b.
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David asked his colleague, “Where will you go this summer?”
c. He asked the little boy, “Why are you studying English?”
d. She asked me, “When are we going to leave?”
e. Pran asked me, “Have you finished reading the newspaper?”
f. Seema asked her, “How long have you lived here?”
g. Sheila asked the children, “Are you ready to do the work?”
Answer:
A
a. Meena asked her friend if he/she thought his/her teacher would come that day.
b. David asked his colleague where he would go that summer.
c. He asked the little boy why he was studying English.
B
d. She asked me when we were going to leave.

e. Pran asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.
f. Seema asked her how long she had lived there.
g. Sheila asked the children if they were ready to do the work.

(Speaking)
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Question 1. Using some of the expressions given above in exercise III, talk about an incident when
you were very scared. You may have a competition to decide whose story was the most
frightening.
Answer: Students are advised to try answering this question themselves.

(Dictation)
Question 1. The following paragraph is about the Indian cobra. Read it twice and close your book.
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Your teacher will then dictate the paragraph to you. Write it down with appropriate punctuation
marks.
The Indian cobra is the common name for members of the family of venomous snakes, known
for their intimidating looks and deadly bite. Cobras are recognised by the hoods that they flare
when angry or disturbed; the hoods are created by the extension of the ribs behind the cobras’
heads. Obviously the best prevention is to avoid getting bitten. This is facilitated by the fact that
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humans are not the natural prey of any venomous snake. We are a bit large for them to swallow
whole and they have no means of chopping us up into bite-size pieces. Nearly all snakebites in
humans are the result of a snake defending itself when it feels threatened. In general snakes are
shy and will simply leave if you give them a chance.

A
(Writing)
Question 1. Try to rewrite the story without its humour, merely as a frightening incident. What
details or parts of the story would you leave out?
B
Question 2. Read the description given alongside this sketch from a photograph in a newspaper
(Times of India, 4 September 1999). Make up a story about what the monkey is thinking, or why
it is looking into a mirror. Write a paragraph about it.
Answer: THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL
On a bright day, a monkey was having fun climbing and jumping across trees. Suddenly he saw a
shining piece of mirror on the ground. He jumped down and had a close look at the mirror. At
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first, he could not understand what it was. After some time, he realised that the thing in his hand
showed him his reflection. He looked at his face in the mirror. He removed twigs and dust that
were stuck on his face. He made several faces and kept looking at his reflection. He touched his
head and rubbed his hair. He preened himself for long. Then he threw the mirror back on the
ground and took a leap onto the next tree.

(Translation)
Question 1. The text you read is a translation of a story by a well-known Malayalam writer,
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Vaikom Muhammad Basheer.
In translating a story from one language to another, a translator must keep the content intact.
However, the language and the style differ in different translations of the same text.
Here are two translations of the opening paragraphs of a novel by the Japanese writer, Haruki
Murakami. Read them and answer the questions given below.
LA
A B
When the phone rang I was in the kitchen, I’m in the kitchen cooking spaghetti when the
boiling a potful of spaghetti and whistling woman calls. Another moment until the
along with an FM broadcast of the overture spaghetti is done; there I am, whistling the
A
to Rossini’s The Thieving Magpie, which has prelude to Rossini’s La Gazza Ladra along with
to be the perfect music for cooking pasta. the FM radio. Perfect spaghetti-cooking
music!
I wanted to ignore the phone, not only
because the spaghetti was nearly done, but I hear the telephone ring but tell myself,
B
because Claudio Abbado was bringing the Ignore it. Let the spaghetti finish cooking. It’s
London Symphony to its musical climax. almost done, and besides, Claudio Abbado
and the London Symphony Orchestra are
coming to a crescendo.
Compare the two translations on the basis of the following points.
• the tense of narration (past and present tense)

• short, incomplete sentences
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• sentence length
Which of these translations do you like? Give reasons for your choice.
Answer:
Tense of narration:
In translation A, the narration is in past tense.
In translation B, the narration is in simple present tense.
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Short, incomplete sentences:
Sentences in translation A are long and there are no incomplete sentences.
Sentences in translation B are short and we find some incomplete sentences too.
Sentence Length:
LA
Sentence length is more in translation A as compared to the translation B.
I like the translation B more as compared to the translation A. This is because translation B is in
present tense and thus gives a clearer understanding to the reader. Sentences are crisp and short.
A
B
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MY CHILDHOOD
06
MY CHILDHOOD
~Summary~
-by APJ Abdul Kalam
Birth, Childhood and First Earning of Abdul Kalam

Abdul Kalam was born in a middle class Muslim family in 1931 in the island town of Rameswaram,
Tamil Nadu. In his childhood, he was greatly influenced by his parents, his teachers and his
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friends.
Abdul's father, Jainulabdeen, was not much educated but he was a very generous and kind
person. He was not rich but provided a secure childhood to Abdul and his brothers and sisters.
Abdul's mother's name was Ashiamma. Abdul inherited honesty and self-discipline from his
father and faith in goodness and deep kindness from his mother.
LA
Abdul earned his first wages by working as a helper to his cousin, Samsuddin, who distributed
newspapers in Rameswaram. When the Second World War broke out in 1939, Abdul was only
eight years old. There was a great demand of tamarind seeds at that time. Abdul used to collect
these seeds and sell them in market.
Incidents of Abdul Childhood

In his childhood, he had three close friends - Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindam and Sivaprakashan.
A
All these boys were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. Once when he was in the fifth
standard, a new teacher asked him not to sit in the front row along with the high caste Brahmin
boys. Abdul found Ramanadha Sastry crying when he got up and went to the last row. This made
a lasting impression on Abdul. This matter was brought to the knowledge of Lakshmana Sastry
(Ramanadha Sastry's father). He was the head priest of the Rameswaram temple.
B
He told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal
intolerance in the minds of innocent children. The teacher accepted his mistake.
Anti-Casteist Action of Abdul's Science Teacher

On the other hand, Abdul was greatly influenced by his science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer. He
learnt the lesson of breaking social barriers from him. Iyer invited him to his home for a meal. His
wife was an orthodox Brahmin who refused to serve food to a Muslim boy in her so-called 'ritually
pure' kitchen. Iyer served him with his own hands and sat down beside him to eat his meal. He
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MY CHILDHOOD
06
convinced his wife to serve Abdul with her own hands next time he came, thus, successfully
changing the conservative attitude of his wife.
Abdul gets Permission for Higher Education

For higher education, Abdul asked permission from his father to leave Rameswaram and study
at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram. His father happily gave permission, so that
Abdul could develop his own career. His father convinced his hesitant mother by quoting Khalil
Gibran, who had said that parents are a means for children to become independent from them -
they don't belong to the parents themselves.
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Conclusion of My Childhood
The chapter – My Childhood portrays the childhood memories of one of India’s greatest
aerospace scientists, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and how he spent his early days. He also served as
the eleventh President of India from the year 2002 to 2007.
LA
A
B
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MY CHILDHOOD
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NCERT SOLUTIONS
I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each.
Question 1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?
Answer: Abdul Kalam’s house was on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.
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Question 2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer: I think Dinamani is the name of a newspaper because Kalam says that when his brother-
in-law would tell his stories of the War, he would later try to trace it in the ‘headlines’ of
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Dinamani. This implies that Dinamani would have been a newspaper.
Question 3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?
Answer: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan were Abdul Kalam’s school friends.
Ramanadha Sastry took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram temple from his father.
Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims. Sivaprakasan
A
became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.
Question 4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?
Answer: Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by catching bundles of the newspapers thrown out
B
from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi and
distributing them.
Question 5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?
Answer: Yes, he had earned money before that too. He used to collect tamarind seeds and sell
them to a provision shop on Mosque Street. A day’s collection would let him earn one anna.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words)
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Question 1. How does the author describe: (i) his father (ii) his mother (iii) himself?
Answer:
i. The author describes his father as honest and self-disciplined. His father used to avoid
inessential comforts and luxuries. The author tells that his father never had a formal
education or much wealth but he possessed great wisdom and was very generous.
ii. The author describes his mother as being an ideal helpmate to his father. She used to feed
a lot of outsiders along with her family members.
iii. The author describes himself as a short boy with undistinguished looks born to tall and
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handsome parents.
Question 2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents?
Answer: He says that he inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father; and faith in
goodness and deep kindness from his mother.
LA
III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two
or three paragraphs each.
Question 1: “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the
segregation of different social groups,” says the author.
i. Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example,
A
by the way they dressed)?
ii. Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and
experiences? (Think of the bedtime stories in Kalam’s house; of who his friends were; and
of what used to take place in the pond near his house.)
B
iii. The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them
and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text?
iv. Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can
be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?
Answer:
i. The social groups that he mentions are Hindus and Muslims. Yes, these groups were easily
identifiable by their dressing, tradition, culture, etc. For instance, Kalam used to wear a cap
on his head which identified him as a Muslim. Ramanadha Sastry wore a sacred thread.
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MY CHILDHOOD
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ii. They were not aware only of their differences. They also naturally share friendships and
experiences. Kalam’s mother and grandmother would tell events from the Ramayana and
from the life of the Prophet as bedtime stories. All his friends belonged to orthodox Hindu
families. During the annual Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony, his family would arrange boats
with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site
situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near his house.
iii. The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them
and those who tried to bridge these differences. Yes, we can identify such people in the
text. The new school teacher and Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife were very aware of the
differences among the social groups but Sivasubramania Iyer and Lakshamana Sastry tried
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to bridge these differences.
iv. Two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be
resolved are:
When Lakshamana Sastry got to know about the way the new school teacher had made
Kalam sit on the back bench because he was a Muslim, he asked the teacher to apologize
LA
or quit the school. The new teacher not only regret his behavior but also was reformed by
the Lakshamana Sastry’s strong sense of conviction.
Kalam’s science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, asked Kalam to his home for a meal. His wife
was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to her pure kitchen. Sivasubramania
Iyer served Kalam food with his own hands and sat down beside him to eat his meal.
The next time he invited Kalam to his home, Sivasubramania Iyer’s wife served him food
A
with her own hands inside the kitchen.
Question 2:
B
i. Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram?

ii. What did his father say to this?
iii. What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words?
Answer:
i. Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram because he wanted to study at the district
headquarters in Ramanathapuram.
ii. His father said, ““Abul ! I know you have to go away to grow. Does the seagull not fly across
the sun, alone and without a nest?”
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iii. His words meant he understood that Kalam had to leave his house and get a good higher
education to grow. He spoke these words because he knew the harsh reality of life that
the children need to move away from their home and parents to make a career and earn.

I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur:
Erupt, surge, trace, undistinguished, casualty
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Look these words up in a dictionary which gives examples of how they are used.
Now answer the following questions.
Answer: Sentences in the text where these words occur are:

LA
Erupt: “For reasons I have never been able to understand, a sudden demand for tamarind seeds
erupted in the market.”
Surge: “Half a century later, I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the
first time.”
Trace: “My brother-in-law Jallaluddin would tell me stories about the War which I would later
A
attempt to trace in the headlines in Dinamani.”
Undistinguished: “I was one of many children — a short boy with rather undistinguished looks,
born to tall and handsome parents.”
B
Casualty: “The first casualty came in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram
station.”
Question 1. What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings
of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?
Answer: Things that can erupt are: volcanoes, emotions, anger.
– A volcano erupted in the Mauna Kea last night.
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– Ranjan’s anger erupted as a result of Ashima’s continuous nagging.
Things that can surge are: prices, wave, crowd, storm, etc.
Question 2: What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the
word in the text?
Answer: The meanings of the word ‘trace’ are:
– to draw an outline
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– to copy
– to find out
The meaning that is closest to the word in the text is ‘finding out’.
Question 3. Can you find the word undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look up the word
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distinguished and say what undistinguished must mean.)
Answer: No, I cannot find the word undistinguished in my dictionary.
The meaning of the word distinguished as given in the dictionary is specific, distinct.
Thus, undistinguished must mean ‘not specific’, ‘not distinct’.

A
II.
Question 1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

B
A B
(i) broke out (a) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely
(ii) in accordance with (b) was not able to tolerate
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(iii) a helping hand (c) began suddenly in a violent way
(iv) could not stomach (d) assistance
(v) generosity of spirit (e) persons with power to make decisions
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(vi) figures of authority (f) according to a particular rule, principle, or system
Answer:
A
LA B
(i) broke out (c) began suddenly in a violent way
(ii) in accordance with (f) according to a particular rule, principle, or system

A
(iii) a helping hand (d) assistance

B
(iv) could not stomach (b) was not able to tolerate
(v) generosity of spirit (a) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely
(vi) figures of authority (e) persons with power to make decisions
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Question 2. Study the words in italics in the sentences below. They are formed by prefixing un –
or in – to their antonyms (words opposite in meaning).
• I was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks. (un + distinguished)

• My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts.(in + essential)
• The area was completely unaffected by the war.(un + affected)
• He should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance. (in +
equality, in + tolerance)
Now form the opposites of the words below by prefixing un- or in-. The prefix in-can also have
JI
the forms il-, ir-, or im- (for example: illiterate–il + literate, impractical –im + practical, irrational –
ir + rational). You may consult a dictionary if you wish.
__adequate __acceptable __regular __tolerant

LA
__demanding __active __true __permanent
__patriotic __disputed __accessible __coherent

A
__logical __legal __responsible __possible
Answer:
B
inadequate unacceptable irregular intolerant
undemanding inactive untrue impermanent
unpatriotic undisputed inaccessible incoherent
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illogical illegal irresponsible impossible
III. Passive Voice
Study these sentences:
• My parents were regarded as an ideal couple.

• I was asked to go and sit on the back bench.
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• Such problems have to be confronted.
The italicised verbs in these sentences are made up of a form of the verb be and a past participle.
(For example: were + regarded, was + asked, be + confronted)
LA
These sentences focus on what happens, rather than who does what. Notice that the doer of the
action is not included in the sentences.
If necessary, we can mention the doer of the action in a by-phrase. For example:
• The tree was struck by lightning.

• The flag was unfurled by the Chief Guest.
A
IV. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the verbs in brackets into the passive form.
1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes (give away) by the Principal.

2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers (pay) on time.
3. On Republic Day, vehicles (not allow) beyond this point.
B
4. Second-hand books (buy and sell) on the pavement every Saturday.

5. Elections to the Lok Sabha (hold) every five years.
6. Our National Anthem (compose) Rabindranath Tagore.
Answer:
1. In yesterday’s competition the prizes were given away by the Principal.

2. In spite of financial difficulties, the labourers were paid on time.
3. On Republic Day, vehicles were not allowed beyond this point.
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MY CHILDHOOD
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4. Second-hand books were bought and sold on the pavement every Saturday.
5. Elections to the Lok Sabha are held every five years.
6. Our National Anthem was composed by Rabindranath Tagore.
V. Rewrite the paragraphs below, using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.
Question 1. How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket
Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket
team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari
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Contractor (seriously injure and collapse). In those days helmets (not wear). Contractor (hit) on
the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull (fracture). The entire team (deeply
concern). The West Indies players (worry). Contractor (rush) to hospital. He (accompany) by
Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood (donate) by the West Indies players.
Thanks to the timely help, Contractor (save). Nowadays helmets (routinely use) against bowlers.
LA
Answer: How Helmets Came To Be Used in Cricket
Nari Contractor was the Captain and an opening batsman for India in the 1960s. The Indian cricket
team went on a tour to the West Indies in 1962. In a match against Barbados in Bridgetown, Nari
Contractor was seriously injured and collapsed. In those days helmets were not worn. Contractor
was hit on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith. Contractor’s skull was fractured. The
entire team was deeply concerned. The West Indies players were worried. Contractor was rushed
to hospital. He was accompanied by Frank Worrell, the Captain of the West Indies Team. Blood
A
was donated by the West Indies players. Thanks to the timely help, Contractor was saved.
Nowadays helmets are routinely used against bowlers.
Question 2. Oil from Seeds

B
Vegetable oils (make) from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from tiny
sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil (produce) from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya beans
and sunflower seeds. Olive oil (use) for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives (shake) from the trees
and (gather) up, usually by hand. The olives (ground) to a thick paste which is spread onto special
mats. Then the mats (layer) up on the pressing machine which will gently squeeze them to
produce olive oil.
Answer: Oil from Seeds
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Vegetable oils are made from seeds and fruits of many plants growing all over the world, from
tiny sesame seeds to big, juicy coconuts. Oil is produced from cotton seeds, groundnuts, soya
beans and sunflower seeds. Olive oil is used for cooking, salad dressing etc. Olives are shaken
from the trees and gathered up, usually by hand. The olives are grounded to a thick paste which
is spread onto special mats. Then the mats are layered up on the pressing machine which will
gently squeeze them to produce olive oil.

(Dictation)
JI
Question 1. Let the class divide itself into three groups. Let each group take down one passage
that the teacher dictates. Then put the passages together in the right order.
To Sir, with Love
1. From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey. Talking to Nona
LA
Walia on the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s
toughest lessons learnt and his mission — being a teacher to the Indian youth. “A proper
education would help nurture a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth,” says
President Kalam.
There’s still a child in him though, and he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a
mission for President Kalam.
A
2. Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was
studying in Standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer
was telling us how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the
wings, tail and the body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At
B
the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they
had understood, but nobody had understood how birds fly,” he recalls.
3. “That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswarm shore,” the President continues.
“My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and how
their wings flapped. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the birds’ engine and how is it
powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I
understood all about birds’ dynamics. This was real teaching — a theoretical lesson
coupled with a live practical example. Sri Siva Subramania Iyer was a great teacher.”
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That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be
about flight and flight systems.
Answer:
To Sir, with Love
From Rameswaram to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it’s been a long journey. Talking to Nona Walia on
the eve of Teacher’s Day, President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam talks about life’s toughest lessons learnt
and his mission — being a teacher to the Indian youth. “A proper education would help nurture
JI
a sense of dignity and self-respect among our youth,” says President Kalam.
There’s still a child in him though, and he’s still curious about learning new things. Life’s a mission
for President Kalam.
Nonetheless, he remembers his first lesson in life and how it changed his destiny. “I was studying
LA
in Standard V, and must have been all of 10. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramania Iyer was telling us
how birds fly. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail and the
body with the head and then explained how birds soar to the sky. At the end of the class, I said I
didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had
understood how birds fly,” he recalls.
“That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameswaram shore,” the President continues. “My
teacher showed us sea birds. We saw marvellous formations of them flying and how their wings
A
flapped. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the birds’ engine and how is it powered?’ I knew
then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’
dynamics. This was real teaching — a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example. Sri
Siva Subramania Iyer was a great teacher.”
B
That day, my future was decided. My destiny was changed. I knew my future had to be about
flight and flight systems.

(Speaking)
Question 1. Here is a topic for you to
1. think about;
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06
2. give your opinion on.
Find out what other people think about it. Ask your friends/seniors/parents to give you their
opinion.
‘Career Building Is the Only Goal of Education.’
or
‘Getting a Good Job Is More Important than Being a Good Human Being.’
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You can use the following phrases
i. while giving your opinion:

• I think that…
• In my opinion…
LA
• It seems to me that…
• I am of the view that…
• As far as I know…
• If you ask me…
ii. saying what other people think:
• According to some…
• Quite a few think…
• Some others favour…
A
• Thirty per cent of the people disagree…
• Fifty per cent of them strongly feel…
iii. asking for others’ opinions:
• What do you think about…
B
• What do you think of…

• What is your opinion about…
• Do you agree…
• Does this make you believe…

(Writing)
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Question 1. Think and write a short account of what life in Rameswaram in the 1940s must have
been like. (Were people rich or poor? Hard working or lazy? Hopeful of change, or resistant to
it?).
Answer: I think that life in Rameswaram in the 1940s must have been very different from how it
must be today. People were orthodox and did not accept changes in their way of living. They
would have been hard working and poor. The story mentions the way some people at
Rameswaram used to differentiate among various social groups. They were more religious.
JI
LA
A
B
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PACKING
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PACKING
~Summary~
-by Jerome K Jerome
The Narrator (Jerome) Boasts of Being the Master of Packing

The narrator was going on a trip with his friends, George and Harris. He told them that he would
do the packing. They accepted his offer and relaxed while he packed the bag.
JI
The narrator's real intention was to supervise his friends in packing. He wanted to teach his
friends how to pack. However, they misinterpreted him and as a result narrator had to do the
packing.
Haphazard Packing by the Narrator

LA
The narrator started packing. It took him a bit longer than he had expected. He packed the bag
but forgot to put the boots inside. So, he had to reopen the bag and put them in. He forgot
whether he had put his toothbrush in the bag or not. So, he had to open the bag again and empty
its contents. He put the contents back in the bag by shaking them one by one and found his
toothbrush inside a boot. He had to reopen the bag once again as he had forgot his spectacles in
the bag.
George and Harris Do the rest of the Packing

A
George asked the narrator whether he had packed the soap or not. The narrator got extremely
angry hearing this as he had already opened and packed the bag a few times. So, George and
Harris took the task of completing the rest of the packing.
B
Situation Becomes Worse

George and Harris commit a lot of mistakes while packing. They broke cups, put things behind
them and couldn't find them when they needed them, packed heavy things on top of light things
and stepped on things.
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Montmorency Joins the Packing

Montmorency (Narrator's pet dog) came and sat down on things, put his leg into the jam and
scattered the teaspoons. He went into the hamper and attacked three lemons thinking them to
be rats. He was shooed away by Harris.
End of Packing
Finally, the packing ended late in the night at 12:50 AM. The three friends were very tired and
decided to sleep. Before sleeping they had an argument about when to wake up in the morning.
JI
Conclusion of Packing
The chapter – Packing teaches students how packing can indeed be a tiring task if not done
properly. Moreover, when done with friends, it may become a little messy and time-consuming
but it has its own charm and fun.
LA
A
B
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NCERT SOLUTIONS
I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30–40 words).
Question 1. How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don’t forget the dog!).
Answer: There are four characters in the narrative. They are Jerome (the narrator), George, Harris
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and Montmorency (the dog).
Question 2. Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing?
Answer: Jerome volunteered to do the packing because he felt that he knew about more about
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packing than any other living being. He thought that he would get a chance to boss over the job.
Question 3. How did George and Harris react to this? Did Jerome like their reaction?
Answer: George and Harris reacted very differently from what the author had wanted them to.
When Jerome said that he would do the packing, they readily accepted the suggestion. George
spread himself over the easy-chair and Harris plonked his legs on the table.
A
No, Jerome was irritated at their reaction.
Question 4. What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack?
Answer: Jerome’s real intention was to boss over the job and George and Harris to follow his
B
orders.
Question 5. What did Harris say after the bag was shut and strapped? Why do you think he waited
till then to ask?
Answer: After the bag was shut and strapped, Harris said, “Ain’t you going to put the boots in?”
He waited till then to ask the question so as to irritate Jerome.
Question 6. What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later?
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Answer: The horrible idea that occurred to Jerome a little later was if he had packed the
toothbrush. The narrator says that he doesn’t know why he would always forget whether he had
packed his toothbrush or not.
Question 7. Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?
Answer: Jerome unpacked everything and began to put the things back one by one. He held
everything up and shook it. Then he finally found the toothbrush inside a boot.
Question 8. Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag?
JI
Answer: Jerome had to reopen the bag because he realised that he had packed his spectacles in
it and had to re-open it.
Question 9. What did George and Harris offer to pack and why?
LA
Answer: George and Harris offered to pack the hamper. George said that he and Harris would
better do the rest of the packing and let Jerome take some rest.
Question 10. While packing the hamper, George and Harris did a number of foolish and funny
things. Tick the statements that are true.
i. They started with breaking a cup.

ii. They also broke a plate.
A
iii. They squashed a tomato.
iv. They trod on the butter.
v. They stepped on a banana.
vi. They put things behind them, and couldn’t find them.
B
vii. They stepped on things.

viii. They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top.
ix. They upset almost everything.
x. They were very good at packing.
Answer:
The statements that are true are:
i. They started with breaking a cup.
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PACKING
07
iii. They squashed a tomato.

iv. They trod on the butter.
vi. They put things behind them, and couldn’t find them.
vii. They stepped on things.
II.
Question 1. What does Jerome say was Montmorency’s ambition in life? What do you think of
Montmorency and why?
JI
Answer: Jerome says that Montmorency’s ambition in life was to get in the way and get scolded.
The poet says that Montmorency would feel that his day was not wasted if he could squirm in
anywhere where he was not wanted and make people mad at him. The narrator continues to say
that Montmorency’s highest aim and objective was to get somebody stumble over him and curse
him for an hour.
LA
I think that Montmorency is just another dog who seeks love and attention of the people around
him. He wants to irritate people so as to make his presence felt.
III. Discuss in groups and answer the following questions in two or three paragraphs (100–150
words)
Question 1. Of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the best or worst
packer? Support your answer with details from the text.
A
Answer: Of the three, Jerome is the best packer as he knows how to arrange things properly. He
is not a flawless packer as he forgets things outside. Later, he searches for spectacles and finds
out that he packed them too in the bag. Also, he has an odd habit of forgetting if he had packed
B
his toothbrush.
George and Harris are equally worse in packing. They stepped on things. They put things behind
them and then couldn’t find them when they wanted them. They packed the pies at the bottom,
and put heavy things on top and smashed the pies in. They upset salt over everything and created
a chaos in the room.
Question 2. How did Montmorency ‘contribute’ to the packing?
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Answer: Montmorency’s ambition in life was to get in the way and get scolded. The poet says
that Montmorency would feel that his day was not wasted if he could squirm in anywhere where
he was not wanted and make people mad at him.
Montmorency came and sat down on things, just when they had to be packed. He labored under
the fixed belief that whenever George or Harris reached out their hand for anything, it was his
cold damp nose they wanted!
He put his leg into the jam and disturbed the teaspoons. He pretended that the lemons were
rats. So, he got into the hamper and killed three of them before Harris could beat him with the
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frying pan. In this way, he contributed to the packing.
Question 3. Do you find this story funny? What are the humorous elements in it? (Pick out at
least three, think about what happens, as well as how it is described.)
Answer: Yes, the story is very funny. All the characters in the story and the way the events are
LA
described are humorous. Here are three such elements:
– When Jerome proposes to do the packing, George and Harris readily accept the suggestion.
They sit comfortably leaving the entire job to Jerome.
The real intention behind Jerome’s suggestion was that he would boss over the job while
George and Harris would follow his orders.
A
– George trod on the butter. He got it off his slipper and tried to put it in the kettle. Then
they put it on a chair. Harris sat on it and it stuck to him. They went looking for it in the
entire room. Finally, George saw it stuck on Harris’ back.
– Montmorency’s ambition in life was to get in the way and get scolded. He laboured under
B
the fixed belief that whenever George or Harris reached out their hand for anything, it was
his cold damp nose they wanted! He pretended that the lemons were rats. So, he got into
the hamper and killed three of them.

I. Match the words/phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
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A B
Slaving (i) a quarrel or an argument
Chaos (ii) remove something from inside another thing using a sharp
tool
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Rummage (iii) strange, mysterious, difficult to explain
Scrape out (iv) finish successfully, achieve

LA
Stumble over, tumble (v) search for something by moving things around hurriedly or
into carelessly
Accomplish (vi) complete confusion and disorder

A
Uncanny (vii) fall, or step awkwardly while walking

B
(to have or get into) a (viii) working hard

row
Answer:
A B
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Slaving (viii) working hard
Chaos (vi) complete confusion and disorder
Rummage (v) search for something by moving things around hurriedly or

carelessly
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Scrape out (ii) remove something from inside another thing using a sharp
LA tool
Stumble over, tumble (vii) fall, or step awkwardly while walking

into
Accomplish (iv) finish successfully, achieve
Uncanny (iii) strange, mysterious, difficult to explain

A
(to have or get into) a (i) a quarrel or an argument

row
B
II. Use suitable words or phrases from Column A above to complete the paragraph given below.
A Traffic Jam
During power cuts, when traffic lights go off, there is utter _________ at crossroads. Drivers add
to the confusion by _________ over their right of way, and nearly come to blows. Sometimes
passers-by, seeing a few policemen _________ at regulating traffic, step in to help. This gives
them a feeling of having _________ something.
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Answer:
During power cuts, when traffic lights go off, there is utter chaos at crossroads. Drivers add to
the confusion by getting into a row over their right of way, and nearly come to blows. Sometimes
passers-by, seeing a few policemen slaving at regulating traffic, step in to help. This gives them a
feeling of having accomplished something.
III. Look at the sentences below. Notice that the verbs (italicised) are all in their bare form.
• Simple commands:
JI
– Stand up!
– Put it here!
• Directions: (to reach your home)
Board Bus No.121 and get down at Sagar Restaurant. From there turn right and walk till you reach
a book shop. My home is just behind the shop.
LA
• Dos and don’ts:
– Always get up for your elders.
– Don’t shout in class.
• Instructions for making a fruit salad:
Ingredients
A
Oranges – 2
Pineapple – one large piece

B
Cherries – 250 grams
Bananas – 2
Any other fruit you like
Wash the fruit. Cut them into small pieces. Mix them well. Add a few drops of lime juice. Add
sugar to taste. Now add some cream (or ice cream if you wish to make fruit salad with ice cream.)
Question 1. Now work in pairs. Give
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PACKING
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i. two commands to your partner.

ii. two dos and don’ts to a new student in your class.
iii. directions to get to each other’s houses.
iv. instructions for moving the body in an exercise or a dance, or for cooking something.
Answer:
i. Commands: Sit properly.
Respect your elders.
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ii. Dos: Do your homework regularly.
Stand whenever a teacher enters the class.
Don’ts: Don’t leave your lunch unfinished.

LA
Don’t fight in the school.
iii. From the Globe Chowk, take right turn to arrive onto street 21. Take the first left. You will
find a park on the right. Keep walking till you find the end corner of the park on the same
road. Take a right turn to arrive onto street 36. Look for the house with two palm trees and
that is my house.
iv. Sit with your spine straight. Take a deep breath. Place both your palms near your head. Put
A
your forefingers above the eyebrows. Place your middle and ring fingers on your eyelids.
Place your little finger under your eyes. Make a humming sound while keeping your mouth
closed. This is called Bhramari Pranayam.
B
Question 2: The table below has some proverbs telling you what to do and what not to do. Fill in
the blanks and add a few more such proverbs to the table.
Positive Negative
(i) Save for a rainy day. (i) Don’t cry over spilt milk.
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(ii) Make hay while the sun shines. (ii) Don’t put the cart before the horse.
(iii) ________ before you leap. (iii) ________ a mountain out of a mole hill.
(iv) ________ and let live. (iv) ________ all your eggs in one basket.
JI
Answer:
Positive Negative
LA
(i) Save for a rainy day. (i) Don’t cry over spilt milk.
(ii) Make hay while the sun shines. (ii) Don’t put the cart before the horse.
(iii) Look before you leap. (iii) Don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill.
A
(iv) Live and let live. (iv) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
B
(v) Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. (v) Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
(vi) Cross the stream where it is shallowest. (vi) Don’t blow your own trumpet.
(vii) Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. (vii) Don’t judge a book by its cover.
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(Writing)
Question 1. You have seen how Jerome, George and Harris mess up their packing, especially of
the hamper. From their mistakes you must have thought of some dos and don’ts for packing. Can
you give some tips for packing by completing the paragraph below?
First pack all the heavy items, especially the ones you don’t need right away.
JI
Then . . .
Here are some words and phrases you can use to begin your sentences with:
• Then
• Next
• Now
LA
• Remember
• Don’t forget
• At last/Finally

A
(Speaking)
Question 1. Look at this sentence.
B
“I told George and Harris that they had better leave the whole matter entirely to me.”
The words had better are used
• in an advice or suggestion:
You had better take your umbrella, it looks like it will rain.
• in an order
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PACKING
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You had better complete your homework before you go out to play.
• as a threat
You had better leave or I’ll have you arrested for trespass!
When we speak, we say you’d/I’d/he’d better, instead of you had better, etc.
Work in pairs to give each other advice, orders or suggestions, or even to threaten each other.
Imagine situations like the following: Your partner
JI
1. hasn’t returned a book to the library.
2. has forgotten to bring lunch.
3. hasn’t got enough change for bus fare.
4. has found out a secret about you.
5. has misplaced your English textbook.
LA
Answer:
1. You had better return the book to the library.

2. You had better bring lunch.
3. You had better get enough change for bus fare.
4. You had better tell me the secret you found out about me.
5. You had better not misplace your English textbook.
A
B
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REACH FOR THE TOP
08
REACH FOR THE TOP

~Summary~
PART- I
Santosh Yadav
Santosh's Early Life
JI
Santosh was born in a small village named Joniyawas of Rewari district in Haryana. In her village,
birth of a girl child was not welcomed. Before her birth, a 'holy man' was about to give her mother
the blessing of a son but her grandmother insisted that they wanted a daughter. Santosh is the
only sister to her five brothers. Her family named her 'Santosh' as it means contentment which
shows their happiness on her birth.
LA
Santosh was not like the other village girls in her childhood. She wore shorts while other girls in
her village wore traditional Indian dresses. At sixteen, most of the girls in her village used to get
married, but she refused to get married and wanted to study.
Santosh's Education
Despite being rich, her parents sent her to the village school. She decided to fight the system so
she enrolled herself in a school in Delhi against her parents' wishes. She went to Jaipur for higher
A
studies after completing her schooling.
Santosh's Dream of Mountaineering

As Santosh's hostel room in Jaipur faced the Aravalli Hills, she used to watch people climbing the
B
hill. She got curious and went to meet the mountaineers one day. She asked them if she could
join them. They agreed and encouraged her to take mountaineering. She enrolled herself in a
course at Uttarkashi's Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and then she didn't look back. She
informed her parents about this and apologised to them for taking admission without their
permission.
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REACH FOR THE TOP
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Santosh as Remarkable Climber

Santosh went for an expedition every year and developed a remarkable resistance to cold and
the altitude. Her determination and strong will power helped her a lot. She had physical stamina
and mental toughness which were most necessary for climbing.
Santosh's Dream Comes True

Conquering Mt Everest is a dream that every climber wishes to fulfil. Santosh achieved this
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success in 1992 when she was only 20 years old. She became the youngest woman in the world
to climb Mt Everest. Within a year, she scaled Mt Everest again and became the only woman
mountaineer in the world to climb Mt Everest twice. She also saved the life of Mohan Singh who
was her fellow climber.
Santosh as True Environmentalist

LA
Santosh shares her feeling of hoisting the national flag on the top of the world. She says that
unfurling Indian tricolour on the Everest was a proud, spiritual and undescribable moment for
her. She collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas.
Honour by the Indian Government Santosh Yadav was honoured with one of the top awards,
the Padmashri in recognition of her achievements, by the Government of India.
A
B
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REACH FOR THE TOP
08
PART- II
Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova Attains Top Position in World Tennis

Maria Sharapova, a teen sensation, attained the number one position in world women's tennis
on 22nd August, 2005. She took only four years to achieve her dream. The journey actually
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started nine years ago when she was sent to America for her formal training.
Maria's Training in America

Maria was born in Siberia, Russia but Maria's father Yuri took her to America for training as a
tennis professional. She was separated from her mother for almost two years when she was not
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even 10 years old. Her father earned as much as he could to keep her tennis training going.
Maria's Tough Times Make her Strong

Maria felt lonely and missed her mother badly. The other athletes made her to tidy up the room
and clean it. The tough time made her strong and determined. She also learnt how to take care
of herself. Her motto was to work hard to fulfil her desires.
A
Maria as a True Patriot
Maria lives in America but she still calls herself a Russian. However, the United States is a big part
of her life but at heart, she is a Russian. She dreams of playing Olympics for Russia if they allow
her to play. It clearly shows that she is a true patriot.
B
Hobbies and Interests of Maria

Maria's hobbies are singing and dancing. She reads Arthur Conan Doyle's novels. She has a great
sense of fashion. She is fond of pancakes with chocolate and orange drinks.
She finds money as motivation but she dreams to become number one in the world and this
dream keeps her going.
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REACH FOR THE TOP
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Conclusion of Reach for the Top

In the chapter – Reach for the Top, students learn from two inspiring women that due diligence,
dedication and hard work always pays off and reaps us a fruitful outcome. This chapter serves as
an encouragement for students to take note that if they find some motivation to pursue their
dreams, they should make the best use of it in order to walk the path of success.
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A
B
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NCERT SOLUTIONS
(Thinking about the Text Part I)
I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. (The paragraph numbers within brackets
provide clues to the answers.)
Question 1. Why was the ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings surprised? (1)
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Answer: The ‘holy man’ who gave Santosh’s mother his blessings was surprised because
Santosh’s grandmother sought that Santosh’s mother be blessed with a daughter. This was quite
astonishing for the holy man because people mostly seek blessings for having a son.
Question 2. Give an example to show that even as a young girl Santosh was not ready to accept
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anything unreasonable. (2)
Answer: Even as a young girl, Santosh was not ready to accept anything unreasonable. She was
not content with her place in traditional way of life and began living life on her own terms from
the start. While other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh used to wear shorts.
Question 3. Why was Santosh sent to the local school? (3)

A
Answer: Although Santosh’s parents were rich landowners and could have sent her to the best
schools, Santosh was sent to the local school because of the prevailing custom in the family.
Question 4. When did she leave home for Delhi, and why? (4)
B
Answer: She left home for Delhi when she was sixteen because she wanted to get a proper
education.
Question 5. Why did Santosh’s parents agree to pay for her schooling in Delhi? What mental
qualities of Santosh are brought into light by this incident? (4)
Answer: Santosh’s parents agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi when she informed them
about her plans to earn money by working part time to pay for her education.
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By this incident, we get to know that Santosh had a very clear goal of getting properly educated
no matter what.
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words)
Question 1. How did Santosh begin to climb mountains?
Answer: Kasturba Hostel where Santosh used to stay during her college days, faced Aravalli Hills.
She used to watch the villagers go up the hill and vanish after a while. She decided to check out
the mountains herself. She asked the villagers if she could join them to which they agreed. This
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is how Santosh began to climb mountains.
Question 2. What incidents during the Everest expedition show Santosh’s concern for her team-
mates?
Answer: During the Everest expedition in 1992, Santosh provided special care to a climber who
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was dying at the South Col. She could not save him but she managed to save another climber,
Mohan Singh, by sharing her oxygen with him.
Question 3. What shows her concern for the environment?
Answer: Santosh collected and brought down 500 kilograms of garbage from the Himalayas on
her way back from the 1992 Everest expedition. This shows her concern for the environment.
A
Question 4. How does she describe her feelings at the summit of the Everest?
Answer: She says that it took her some time for the enormity of the moment to sink in. She
unfurled the Indian tricolor and held it aloft on the roof of the world.
B
She tells that the feeling is indescribable to watch the Indian flag flying on top of the world. She
felt proud as an Indian.
Question 5. Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. What
were the reasons for this?
Answer: Santosh Yadav got into the record books both times she scaled Mt Everest. The first time
she climbed Mt Everest, she got the record of the youngest woman in the world to achieve the
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feat. The second time she climbed Mt Everest, she became the only woman to climb the Everest
twice.
III. Complete the following statements.
1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to _________________.

2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because
_________________.
3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her _________________
while _________________ endeared her to fellow climbers.
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Answer:
1. From her room in Kasturba Hostel, Santosh used to watch villagers from her room, going
up the hill and suddenly vanishing after a while.
2. When she finished college, Santosh had to write a letter of apology to her father because
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without his permission she had got herself enrolled at Uttarkashi.
3. During the Everest expedition, her seniors in the team admired her climbing skills, physical
fitness and mental strength, while her concern for others and desire to work together
with them endeared her to fellow climbers.
IV. Pick out words from the text that mean the same as the following words or expressions. (Look
in the paragraphs indicated.)
A
1. took to be true without proof (1):
2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable (2):
3. the usual way of doing things (3):
4. a strong desire arising from within (5):
B
5. the power to endure, without falling ill (7):
Answer:
1. took to be true without proof: assumed

2. based on reason; sensible; reasonable: rational
3. the usual way of doing things: custom
4. a strong desire arising from within: urge
5. the power to endure, without falling ill: resistance
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(Thinking about the Text Part II)
I. Answer these questions in one or two sentences each. (The paragraph numbers within brackets
provide clues to the answers.)
Question 1. Working in small groups of 4–5 students, go back over the two passages on Santosh
Yadav and Maria Sharapova and complete the table given below with relevant phrases or
sentences.
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Points of Comparison/Contrast Santosh Yadav Maria Sharapova
1. Their humble beginning

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2. Their parents’ approach
3. Their will power and strong desire to succeed

A
4. Evidence of their mental toughness
5. Their patriotism
B
Answer:
Points of Santosh Yadav Maria Sharapova

Comparison/Contrast
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1. Their humble She was born in the small village of “My father was working
beginning Joniyawas of Rewari District in as much as he could to
Haryana. keep my tennis-training
going.”
2. Their parents’ But, in line with the prevailing “My father was working
approach custom in the family, Santosh had to as much as he could to
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make do with the local village keep my tennis-training
school. going.”
3. Their will power and “And I was supposed to be in “When you come from
strong desire to succeed Uttarkashi on the twenty-first. So, I nothing and you have
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headed straight for the training.”
nothing, then it makes
you very hungry and
determined…”
4. Evidence of their Equipped with an iron will, physical “Instead of letting that
mental toughness endurance and an amazing mental depress me, I became
toughness, she proved herself more quietly determined
A
repeatedly. and mentally tough.”
5. Their patriotism “Then I unfurled the Indian tricolour “My blood is totally
B
and held it aloft on the roof of the Russian. I will play the
world. The feeling is indescribable. Olympics for Russia if
The Indian flag was flying on top of they want me.”
the world. It was truly a spiritual
moment. I felt proud as an Indian.”

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Question 1. Look at the following sentences. They each have two clauses, or two parts each with
their own subject and verb or verb phrase. Often, one part (italicised) tells us when or why
something happened.
• I reached the market when most of the shops had closed. (Tells us when I reached.)
• When Rahul Dravid walked back towards the pavilion, everyone stood up. (Tells us when
everyone stood up.)
• The telephone rang and Ganga picked it up. (Tells us what happened next.)
• Gunjan has been with us ever since the school began. (Tells us for how long he has been
with us.)
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I. Identify the two parts in the sentences below by underlining the part that gives us the
information in brackets, as shown above.
1. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts. (Contrasts her
dress with that of others)
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2. She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi. (Tells us what happened after
the first action.)
3. She decided to fight the system when the right moment arrived. (Tells us when she was
going to fight the system.)
4. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in
the United States. (Tells us when Maria was sent to the U.S.)
Answer:
A
1. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts. (Contrasts her
dress with that of others)
2. She left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi. (Tells us what happened after
B
the first action.)

3. She decided to fight the system when the right moment arrived. (Tells us when she was
going to fight the system.)
4. Little Maria had not yet celebrated her tenth birthday when she was packed off to train in
the United States. (Tells us when Maria was sent to the U.S.)
II. Now rewrite the pairs of sentences given below as one sentence.
1. Grandfather told me about the old days. All books were printed on paper then.
2. What do you do after you finish the book? Perhaps you just throw it away.
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3. He gave the little girl an apple. He took the computer apart.

4. You have nothing. That makes you very determined.
5. I never thought of quitting. I knew what I wanted.
Answer:
1. Grandfather told me about the old days when all books were printed on paper.
2. After you finish the book, perhaps you just throw it away.
3. He gave the little girl an apple and took the computer apart.
4. When you have nothing, that makes you very determined.
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5. I never thought of quitting as I knew what I wanted.

(Dictation)
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Question 1. Read the passage once. Then close your books. Your teacher will dictate the story to
you. Write it down with the correct punctuation and paragraphing.
The Raincoat
After four years of drought in a small town in the Northeast, the Vicar gathered everyone
together for a pilgrimage to the mountain, where they would pray together and ask for the rain
to return.
A
The priest noticed a boy in the group wearing a raincoat.
“Have you gone mad?” he asked. “It hasn’t rained in this region for five years, the heat will kill
you climbing the mountain.”
B
“I have a cold, father. If we are going to ask God for rain, can you imagine the way back from the
mountain? It’s going to be such a downpour that I need to be prepared.”
At that moment a great crash was heard in the sky and the first drops began to fall. A boy’s faith
was enough to bring about a miracle that not even those most prepared truly believed in.
(translated by JAMES MULHOLLAND)
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(Speaking)
Question 1. Imagine that you are Santosh Yadav, or Maria Sharapova. You have been invited to
speak at an All India Girls’ Athletic Meet, as chief guest. Prepare a short speech to motivate the
girls to think and dream big and make an effort to fulfil their dreams, not allowing difficulties or
defeat to discourage them. The following words and phrases may help you.
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• self confident/confidence/sure of yourself
• self assured/assurance/belief in yourself
• morale/boost morale/raise morale
• giving somebody a boost/fillip/lift
• demoralising/unsure of yourself/insecure/lack confidence
Answer:
LA
Good Morning Girls!
It is an honor to address you all from this stage. You definitely have sheer will and determination.
That is what has brought you this far. As you proceed with the same passion, I want to iterate
that everything you have and all that you will achieve in life will solely depend on your
A
confidence. Believe in yourself and your dreams. Do whatever it takes to accomplish your goals.
Never ever doubt your skills. Never let the difficulties discourage you. Never lose trust in yourself
just because you had to face a defeat. Whenever you fail, remember to rise and chase your
passion.
B
Thank you.

(Writing)
Question 1. Working in pairs, go through the table below that gives you information about the
top women tennis players since 1975. Write a short article for your school magazine comparing
and contrasting the players in terms of their duration at the top. Mention some qualities that you
think may be responsible for their brief or long stay at the top spot.
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Top-Ranked Women Players
I. The roll of honour of women who enjoyed life at the summit since everybody’s favourite player,
Chris Evert, took her place in 1975.
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LA
A
B
II. Which of these words would you use to describe Santosh Yadav? Find reasons in the text to
support your choices, and write a couple of paragraphs describing Santosh’s character.
contented, determined, resourceful, polite, adventurous, considerate, weak-willed, fearful,

independent, pessimistic, patient, persevering
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Answer: Santosh Yadav is determined and polite. She is adventurous as she gets fascinated by
the mountaineers climbing the Everest and approaches them to ask if she could join them. She is
a considerate person who helps her fellow climbers in their journey. She has determination and
strong will to achieve her goals. She is a patriot and says that the feeling of watching the Indian
flag on top of the world is an indescribable feeling.
JI
LA
A
B
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THE BOND OF LOVE
09
THE BOND OF LOVE

~Summary~
-by Kenneth Anderson
The Narrator Finds an Orphaned Bear Cub

The narrator found a bear cub by chance when he and his friends were passing through the fields
of sugarcane near Mysore. People were driving away the wild pigs from their fields by shooting
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at them. Then they spotted a sloth bear. His friend shot towards the bear and it died. After the
sloth bear died, her cub (which was riding on her back) ran around her dead body making a sad
noise. The narrator caught the bear cub and gifted him to his wife.
The narrator's wife felt so happy on seeing the bear cub and named him Bruno. She treated him
as her own child and took good care of him. She gave him many things to eat and drink. He ate
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porridge, vegetables, fruits, nuts, meat, rice, eggs, etc, and drank tea, milk, beer, coffee, etc.
He spent his time in playing with the pet dogs of the narrator and his tenant's children. He slept
in their beds.
Incidents with Bruno

Once an incident took place in the house. The narrator had put down a rat poison in the library
and Bruno ate it and suffered a stroke of paralysis. He dragged himself to the narrator's wife.
A
They took him to the veterinary doctor and he recovered after some time. Another time, Bruno
drank one gallon of old engine oil but it had no ill-effect on him.
Baba : New Name of Bruno

B
As Bruno grew, he learnt some tricks and at the narrator's wife's command, he could perform
them. He could hold a stick like a gun. When she said wrestle or box, he did the same. She
changed his name to Baba when he grew up. Baba had to be chained most of the time because
of the children of narrator's tenants'.
As time passed, baba grew in size and equalled the two dogs in height, so the narrator and his
friends advised the narrator's wife to send him to the zoo in Mysore because he needed a
bigger and open space. She was not ready to send him initially but later she agreed and sent
him to the zoo.
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Effect of Separation on Narrator's Wife and Baba

The narrator's wife was in grief for weeks after Baba left. She wrote a letter to the curator
(custodian) of the zoo to know about Baba.
The curator replied that he was fretting and not eating food. The narrator tried to keep her away
from the zoo for about three months but after knowing Baba's condition, she decided to meet
him.
Reunion of the Narrator's Wife and Baba
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The narrator took his wife to the zoo. Some of her friends told her that Baba would not recognise
her but when she went to the zoo, Baba recognised her at once and became very happy. They
sat together for three hours.
She gave him food. She urged the curator to send Baba with her but he was helpless and
suggested her to ask the superintendent for that.
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Baba Returns Home Happily
The superintendent allowed her to take Baba and he was hoisted on the top of the narrator's car.
At home, a twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide island was made for him.
A wooden box was kept for Baba to sleep. He was happy to be at home again. The narrator's wife
and Baba spent hours sitting there.
A
A Bond of Love Between a Human and an Animal
The affection and love between the narrator's wife and Baba, the sloth bear, was a symbol of
true love. The story shows that animals also feel love and express their feelings to them who love
them. Baba showed so many qualities like that of humans like love, affection, care and loyalty;
B
and shared a bond of love with the narrator's wife.
Conclusion of The Bond of Love

The chapter – The Bond of Love teaches students that a true bond of love is not restricted to
humans only, even pet animals understand the care and love that we share with them. Being
loved is one of the most prized gifts that can be felt by anyone.
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NCERT SOLUTIONS
I. Given in the box are some headings. Find the relevant paragraphs in the text to match the
headings.
An Orphaned Cub; Bruno’s Food-chart; An Accidental Case of Poisoning; Playful Baba; Pain of
Separation; Joy of Reunion; A Request to the Zoo; An Island in the Courtyard
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Answer: An Orphaned Cub- 3;
Bruno’s Food-chart- 6;
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An Accidental Case of Poisoning- 8;
Playful Baba- 12;
Pain of Separation- 14;
Joy of Reunion- 16;
A Request to the Zoo- 18;

A
An Island in the Courtyard- 21
II. Answer the following questions

B
Question 1. “I got him for her by accident.”
i. Who says this?

ii. Who do ‘him’ and ‘her’ refer to?
iii. What is the incident referred to here?
Answer: “I got him for her by accident.”
i. The narrator says the statement.
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ii. ‘Him’ refers to the baby sloth bear and ‘her’ refers to the narrator’s wife.
iii. The incident is about how the narrator got the baby sloth bear to his house.
Question 2. “He stood on his head in delight.”
i. Who does ‘he’ refer to?

ii. Why was he delighted?
Answer: “He stood on his head in delight.”
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i. ‘He’ refers to Bruno, the sloth bear.
ii. Bruno was sent to the zoo. He was delighted to see the narrator’s wife after a long time.
Question 3. “We all missed him greatly: but in a sense we were relieved.”
i. Who does ‘we all’ stand for?

ii.
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Who did they miss?
iii. Why did they nevertheless feel relieved?
Answer: “We all missed him greatly: but in a sense we were relieved.”
i. ‘We all’ stands for the narrator and his family members- wife and son.
ii. They missed the bear.
iii. They felt relieved because it was becoming difficult to keep the bear at home due to his
A
growing size.
III. Answer the following questions in 30 to 40 words each.

B
Question 1. On two occasions Bruno ate/drank something that should not be eaten/ drunk. What
happened to him on these occasions?
Answer: The first time when Bruno ate something that should not be eaten was the poison that
the narrator had put to kill the rats and mice in his library. Bruno entered the library and ate
some of the poison. He was paralyzed to such an extent that he could not stand on his feet. He
was taken to the vet’s residence.
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The second time he found nearly one gallon of old engine oil which the narrator had drained from
the sump of the Studebaker and was keeping as a weapon against the inroads of termites. He
promptly drank the lot but there was no ill-effect on him.
Question 2. Was Bruno a loving and playful pet? Why, then, did he have to be sent away?
Answer: Yes, Bruno was a loving and playful pet. The bear became very attached to narrator’s
two Alsatian dogs and to all the children of the tenants living in the bungalow. He was left quite
free in his younger days and spent his time in playing and running into the kitchen.
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He had to be sent away because he had grown many times the size he was when he came. It was
becoming difficult to keep him in the house.
Question 3. How was the problem of what to do with Bruno finally solved?
Answer: Bruno was sent to a zoo because he could not be kept in the house anymore due to his
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growth. But in the zoo, he was fretting and was not eating food. He was becoming weak. Then
the narrator drove his wife to the zoo and she fed Bruno with a lot of food and drink. She
understood that Bruno would not be alright in the zoo and requested the zoo authority to give
him back to her.
The narrator and his wife got Bruno back and created a special island for him.

A
I.
B
Question 1. Find these words in the lesson. They all have ie or ei in them.
f__ld; ingred__nts; h__ght; misch__vous; fr__nds; __ghty-seven; rel__ved; p__ce
Answer: field; ingredients; height; mischievous; friends; eighty-seven; relieved; piece
Question 2. Now here are some more words. Complete them with ei or ie. Consult a dictionary if
necessary.
bel__ve; rec__ve; w__rd; l__sure; s__ze; w__ght; r__gn; for__gn; gr__f; p__rce
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Answer: believe; receive; weird; leisure; seize; weight; reign; foreign; grief; pierce
II:
Question 1. Here are some words with silent letters. Learn their spelling. Your teacher will dictate
these words to you. Write them down and underline the silent letters.
knock wrestle walk wrong
knee half honest daughter
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hours return hornet calm
could sign island button
Answer:
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knock wrestle walk wrong
knee half honest daughter
hours return hornet calm
could sign island button

A
III. How to look at an Index
An index is a list of names or topics that are to be found in a book. It is a list arranged in
B
alphabetical order at the end of a book.
The following paragraph shows that the doctor is consulting the index of a medical book to find
out which injection is appropriate for Bruno.
“Out came his medical books, and a feverish reference to index began:
What poison did you say, sir?” “Barium carbonate”. “Ah yes—B—Ba— Barium Salts—Ah! Barium
carbonate! Symptoms—paralysis— treatment—injections of … Just a minute, sir. I’ll bring my
syringe and the medicine.”
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Question 1. You have read about the French Revolution and you want to know more about the
Third Estate in the context of the French Revolution. You can refer to the index of the book Living
World History by T. Walter Wallbank and Arnold Schrier:
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LA
On which pages in this book will you find information about the French Revolution and the Third
Estate?
A
Answer: The French Revolution: 393, 404-405, 408, 427, 489
Third Estate: 404, 405
Question 2. To know what ‘Food Security’ and ‘Minimum Support Price’ mean in the context of
B
the economic growth of a country you can go to the subject index given below from Poverty and
Famines — An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation by Amartya Sen. Under which heading in
the index are you likely to find these topics?
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Answer: The heading under which we are likely to find these topics is Famine Relief. Famine
relief: 43, 57, 87-8, 96-8, 116-17, 131-2
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Question 3. Given below is a portion of an index page from the book, French’s Index of
Differential Diagnosis, edited by F. Dudley Hart M.D., F.R.C.P.
A
B
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Study the entries and find out whether the following topics are discussed in the book.
i. bronchitis due to cigarette smoking

ii. heart failure due to bronchitis
iii. bronchitis in children
Answer:
i. bronchitis due to cigarette smoking- Yes, it is discussed in the book on page 223.
ii. heart failure due to bronchitis- Yes, it is discussed in the book on page 82.
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iii. bronchitis in children- Yes, it is discussed in the book on page 178.
IV.
Question 1. The Narrative Present

LA
Notice the incomplete sentences in the following paragraphs. Here the writer is using incomplete
sentences in the narration to make the incident more dramatic or immediate. Can you rewrite
the paragraph in complete sentences?
(You can begin: The vet and I made a dash back to the car. Bruno was still floundering…)
i. A dash back to the car. Bruno still floundering about on his stumps, but clearly weakening
rapidly; some vomiting, heavy breathing, with heaving flanks and gaping mouth.
A
Hold him, everybody! In goes the hypodermic—Bruno squeals — 10 c.c. of the antidote
enters his system without a drop being wasted.
B
Ten minutes later: condition unchanged! Another 10 c.c injected! Ten minutes later:
breathing less stertorous — Bruno can move his arm and legs a little although he cannot
stand yet. Thirty minutes later:
Bruno gets up and has a great feed! He looks at us disdainfully, as much as to say, ‘What’s
barium carbonate to a big black bear like me?’
Bruno is still eating.
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ii. In the paragraphs above from the story the verbs are in the present tense (eg. hold, goes,
etc.). This gives the reader an impression of immediacy. The present tense is often used
when we give a commentary on a game (cricket, football, etc.), or tell a story as if it is
happening now. It is, therefore, called the narrative present.
You will read more about the present tense in Unit 10.
Answer: The vet doc and I made a dash back to the car. Bruno was still floundering about
on his stumps, but clearly weakening rapidly. He was vomiting. He was breathing heavily.
His flank was gaping and he was gaping open his mouth.
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The vet ordered his assistants, “Hold him, everybody!” Bruno squealed when he was
injected with hypodermic. 10 c.c. of the antidote was injected to his system without a drop
being wasted.
Ten minutes later, condition was still unchanged!

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Bruno was then injected with another 10 c.c of the antidote. After ten minutes, his
breathing became less stertorous. Bruno was now able to move his arm and legs a little
although he could not stand yet. Thirty minutes later, Bruno got up and had a great feed!
He looked at us disdainfully, as much as to say, ‘What’s barium carbonate to a big black
bear like me?’ Bruno was still eating.
Question 2. Adverbs
A
Find the adverbs in the passage below. (You’ve read about adverbs in Unit 1.)
We thought that everything was over when suddenly a black sloth bear came out panting in the
B
hot sun. Now I will not shoot a sloth-bear wantonly but, unfortunately for the poor beast, one of
my companions did not feel that way about it, and promptly shot the bear on the spot.
i. Complete the following sentences, using a suitable adverb ending in –ly.

a. Rana does her homework ____________.
b. It rains ____________ in Mumbai in June.
c. He does his work ____________.
d. The dog serves his master ____________.
Answer:
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We thought that everything was over when suddenly a black sloth bear came out panting in the
hot sun. Now I will not shoot a sloth-bear wantonly but, unfortunately for the poor beast, one of
my companions did not feel that way about it, and promptly shot the bear on the spot.
i.
a. Rana does her homework neatly.
b. It rains heavily in Mumbai in June.
c. He does his work diligently.
d. The dog serves his master obediently.
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ii. Choose the most suitable adverbs or adverbial phrases and complete the following
sentences.
a. We should ____________ get down from a moving train. (never, sometimes, often)
b. I was ____________ in need of support after my poor performance. (badly,
occasionally, sometimes)
c. Rita met with an accident. The doctor examined her ____________. (suddenly,
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seriously, immediately).
Answer:
a. We should never get down from a moving train. (never, sometimes, often)
b. I was badly in need of support after my poor performance. (badly, occasionally,
sometimes)
c. Rita met with an accident. The doctor examined her immediately. (suddenly, seriously,
A
immediately)
Question 3. Take down the following scrambled version of a story that your teacher will dictate
to you, with appropriate punctuation marks. Then, read the scrambled story carefully and try to
B
rewrite it rearranging the incidents.
A grasshopper, who was very hungry, saw her and said, “When did you get the corn? I am dying
of hunger.” She wanted to dry them. It was a cold winter’s day, and an ant was bringing out some
grains of corn from her home. She had gathered the corn in summer.
“I was singing all day,” answered the grasshopper.
“If you sang all summer,” said the ant, “you can dance all winter.”
(11)
THE BOND OF LOVE
09
“What were you doing?” asked the ant again.
The grasshopper replied, “I was too busy.”
“I collected it in summer,” said the ant. “What were you doing in summer?
Why did you not store some corn?”
Answer: It was a cold winter’s day, and an ant was bringing out some grains of corn from her
home. She had gathered the corn in summer. She wanted to dry them.
JI
A grasshopper, who was very hungry, saw her and said, “I am dying of hunger. When did you get
the corn?”
“I collected it in summer,” said the ant. “What were you doing in summer? Why did you not store
some corn?”
LA
The grasshopper replied, “I was too busy.”
“What were you doing?” asked the ant again.
“I was singing all day,” answered the grasshopper.
“If you sang all summer,” said the ant, “you can dance all winter.”
A

(Speaking)
B
Question 1. ‘Animals also feel the pleasure of love and the pain of separation’.
Make a presentation by giving examples from your own experience.

(Writing)
(12)
THE BOND OF LOVE
09
Question 1. Pets have unique care and handling requirements and should only be kept by those
with the commitment to understand and meet their needs. Give your argument in support of or
against this statement.
or
There is an on-going debate on whether snake charmers should continue in their profession. You
can get some idea about the debate from the newspaper clipping (The Hindu, 16 June 2004) given
below. Read it, discuss in pairs or groups, and write either for or against the profession of snake
charmers.
JI
Report comes in support of snake charmers
By Our Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI, JUNE 15. Over 30 years after the introduction of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA)
LA
that banned the catching of snakes in India, a small community of snake charmers continues to
practise the trade catching over 400,000 snakes every year — which ultimately die — in defiance
of the law.
A report based on new research by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), however, has strongly
recommended that the traditional knowledge of the snake charmers and skills be now utilised
for education and medicine by setting up sapera centres. This is mainly because the community
has virtually no access to land, education or employment opportunities. They are dependent on
A
snake charming to earn a livelihood. They trade around as vendors of traditional medicine, snake
catchers and musicians. Ignorance about the law is quite common.
The report entitled ‘Biodiversity, Livelihoods and the Law: The Case of the Jogi-Nath Snake
B
Charmers of India’ based on path-breaking research was formally released by the Inspector
General of Forests, V.K. Bahuguna, along with a presentation by members of the sapera
community in the Capital on Monday.
“Despite thirty years of the law being in existence, over 70 per cent of the Jogi-Naths are still
dependent on snake charming to earn a livelihood. Ignorance about the law was quite common.
None of them own land, even though they would like to,’’ said Bahar Dutt, who led this research.
Notably, most of those practising the trade in the current generation are all under 35 years of
age.
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THE BOND OF LOVE
09
Trapping occurs throughout the year and during their travels, though this activity increases
during the monsoons. According to the data, each family on an average collects at least seven
snakes.
Most snakes were force-fed and snake husbandry methods and health were found to be poor.
“The snake charmers community council imposes a heavy fine on a person if the snake dies in his
custody as it is considered an extremely bad omen. As a result, the snakes are released when the
charmers realise that their condition is deteriorating,’’ said Dutt. Their ambition to showcase the
reptiles and earn money was not fulfilled, as they flouted four WPA provisions, for illegally
possessing the animals, not feeding them properly, causing injuries by extracting teeth
JI
unscientifically and killing snakes for the valuable snake parts and bones. Their offence generally
invites imprisonment for three to seven years and a fine up to Rs 25,000 in each case.
“On the positive side researchers found that the snake charmers possess a unique ability to
handle venomous snakes with a tremendous knowledge of the different species and their
behaviour. They are also called by local farmers to retrieve snakes, who would otherwise just kill
LA
them, from agricultural fields or human inhabited areas,’’ she said.
Answer: To be attempted by the student.

A
B
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KATHMANDU
10
KATHMANDU
~Summary~
-by Vikram Seth
Author's Visit to Pashupatinath Temple

The author arrives at Kathmandu and decides to visit the famous temple of Hindus:
Pashupatinath. Only Hindus are allowed to get inside the temple. There is a great chaos in and
JI
around the temple. All sorts of people like priests, hawkers, devotees and tourists are there.
Cows, monkeys, pigeons and dogs also roam around the place. Everybody wants to enter the
main temple. Some Western devotees are not allowed by the guards as they are not Hindus.
Belief Regarding the End of Kaliyug

LA
The river Bagmati flows by the side of the Pashupatinath temple. There is a small shrine on the
river bank which half protrudes from the stone platform. The people believe that one day, the
entire shrine will come out, then the Goddess inside it will escape and would thus bring an end
to the evil period of Kaliyug.
Author's Visit to the Baudhnath Stupa

The author visits another famous holy shrine: The Baudhnath stupa which is surrounded by
A
tranquility (peaceful atmosphere) unlike the Pashupatinath temple. There is a sense of stillness.
Small shops of Tibetan immigrants (people coming from Tibet) on the outer edge sell bags,
Tibetan prints and silver jewellery.
Vivid Description of Kathmandu

B
The author explores Kathmandu and its local markets. The city is crowded and lively. There are
small shrines and deities along the narrowest and busiest streets. The streets are crowded with
fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers, etc. People play film songs loudly on the radios, car horns play
and cycle bells ring. The author enjoys a lot but plans to return to his home. He goes to a Nepal
Airlines office and buys a ticket for Delhi. Then, he returns to his hotel to take some rest.
(1)
KATHMANDU
10
Author Sees a Flute Seller

Coming back to hotel, the author sees a flute seller. Unlike other sellers he never shouts to sell
his flutes. He looks to be in love with the music of the flute. His music soothes the author's ears.
It reminds him of the commonality of all mankind. The author always gets attached with the
music of flute. He says that every culture has its flute as there is a deep bansuri of Hindustani
classical music, clear and breathy flutes of South America, high pitched flutes of China. So, it can
be said that flute is played universally.
The phrases on the bansuri affect the author deeply. He is surprised as he had not noticed such
details in his earlier visits.
JI
Conclusion of Kathmandu
The chapter – Kathmandu teaches students that we should maintain serenity and have a pure
mind while visiting holy places so that we can have thoughtful ideas and act responsibly.
LA
A
B
(2)
KATHMANDU
10
NCERT SOLUTIONS
Activity
Question 1. On the following map mark out the route, which the author thought of but did not
take, to Delhi.
JI
LA
A
Answer: The route which the author thought of but did not take to Delhi was:
Bihar (Patna)- U.P. (Benaras – Allahabad-Agra)-Delhi

B
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KATHMANDU
10
JI
Question 2. Find out the possible routes (by rail, road or air) from Kathmandu to New
Delhi/Mumbai/Kolkata/Chennai.
LA
I. Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases.
Question 1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
Answer: Pashupatinath temple and Baudhnath temple are the two temples where the author
A
visited in Kathmandu.
Question 2. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?
B
Answer: All this refers to a bar of marzipan, a corn on- the-cob roasted in a charcoal brazier on
the pavement (rubbed with salt, chilli powder and lemon); a couple of love story comics, and
even a Reader’s Digest.
Question 3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
Answer: Vikram Seth sees a flute seller with a pole in his hands with an attachment at the top
from which fifty or sixty bansuris protrude in all directions. He compares it to the quills of a
porcupine.
(4)
KATHMANDU
10
Question 4. Name five kinds of flutes.
Answer: The five kinds of flutes are:
the reed neh
the Japanese shakuhachi
the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music
JI
the clear or breathy flutes of South America
the high-pitched Chinese flutes
II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph

LA
Question 1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other
hawkers?
Answer: The author says that unlike other hawkers, the flute seller plays slowly without excessive
display. He does not shout out his wares. Occasionally he makes a sale, but in a curiously
offhanded way as if this were incidental to his enterprise.
Question 2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?

A
Answer: A small shrine half protrudes from the stone platform on the river Bagmati’s bank. It is
believed that when it emerges fully, the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of the
Kaliyug will end on earth.
B
Question 3. The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three examples each
of
i. the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for example:
some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside…)
ii. the things he sees
iii. the sounds he hears
Answer: The author has drawn powerful images and pictures.
(5)
KATHMANDU
10
i. the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of Pashupatinath: Priests,

hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons and dogs roam through the grounds.
We offer a few flowers. A party of saffron-clad Westerners struggle for permission to enter
the temple as the gate says that only Hindus are allowed in the temple.
ii. the things he sees: Kathmandu is vivid, mercenary, religious, with small shrines to flower-
adorned deities along the narrowest and busiest streets; with fruit sellers, flute sellers,
hawkers of postcards; shops selling Western cosmetics, film rolls and chocolate; or copper
utensils and Nepalese antiques.
iii. the sounds he hears: Film songs blare out from the radios, car horns sound, bicycle bells
ring, stray cows low questioningly at motorcycles, vendors shout out their wares.
JI
III. Answer the following questions in not more than 100–150 words each.
Question 1. Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath shrine with the
Pashupatinath temple.
LA
Answer: The author says that the atmosphere in Pashupatinath temple was an atmosphere of
‘febrile confusion’. He says that priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons and
dogs can be seen roaming through the grounds. There are so many worshippers that people are
elbowed aside by others pushing their way to the front.
At Baudhnath temple, the Buddhist shrine, there was a sense of stillness. There is no crowd. It is
a safe place of quietness in the busy streets around.
A
Question 2. How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
Answer: The author describes Kathmandu’s busiest streets as vivid, mercenary and religious, with
small shrines to flower-adorned deities along the narrowest and busiest streets. The streets are
B
full of fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers of postcards; shops selling Western cosmetics, film rolls
and chocolate; or copper utensils and Nepalese antiques.
Film songs blare out from the radios, car horns sound, bicycle bells ring, stray cows look
questioningly at motorcycles, vendors shout out their wares.
Question 3. “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” Why does
the author say this?
Answer: “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.”
(6)
KATHMANDU
10
The poet says this when he talks about five types of flutes- – the reed neh, the Japanese
shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music, the clear or breathy flutes of South
America and the high-pitched Chinese flutes. He says that a flute is at once the most universal
and most particular of sounds. It is found in every culture. He says that flute links to our common
characteristics. Just like every human being, the motive force is living breath. It too, needs to
pause and breathe before it can go on.

JI
I. Read the following sentences carefully to understand the meaning of the italicised phrases.
Then match the phrasal verbs in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
1. A communal war broke out when the princess was abducted by the neighbouring prince.
2. The cockpit broke off from the plane during the plane crash.
3. The car broke down on the way and we were left stranded in the jungle.
4.
LA
The dacoit broke away from the police as they took him to court.
5. The brothers broke up after the death of the father.
6. The thief broke into our house when we were away.
A B
A
(i) break out (a) to come apart due to force
(ii) break off (b) end a relationship

B
(iii) break down (c) break and enter illegally; unlawful trespassing
(iv) break away (from someone) (d) to start suddenly, (usually a fight, a war or a disease)
(v) break up (e) to escape from someone’s grip
(7)
KATHMANDU
10
(vi) break into (f) stop working
Answer:
A B
JI
(i) break out (d) to start suddenly, (usually a fight, a war or a disease)
(ii) break off (a) to come apart due to force
(iii) break down

LA (f) stop working
(iv) break away (from someone) (e) to escape from someone’s grip
(v) break up (b) end a relationship

A
(vi) break into (c) break and enter illegally; unlawful trespassing
B
II. Question 1. Use the suffixes -ion or -tion to form nouns from the following verbs. Make the
necessary changes in the spellings of the words.
Example: proclaim – proclamation
cremate ___________ act ___________ exhaust ___________
invent ___________ tempt ___________ immigrate ___________
(8)
KATHMANDU
10
direct ___________ meditate ___________ imagine ___________
dislocate ___________ associate ___________ dedicate ___________
Answer:
cremate cremation; act action; exhaust exhaustion
invent invention; tempt temptation; immigrate immigration
JI
direct direction; meditate meditation; imagine imagination
dislocate dislocation; associate association; dedicate dedication
Question 2. Now fill in the blanks with suitable words from the ones that you have formed.
i.
LA
Mass literacy was possible only after the ___________ of the printing machine.
ii. Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks ___________.
iii. I could not resist the ___________ to open the letter.
iv. Hardwork and ___________ are the main keys to success.
v. The children were almost fainting with ____________after being made to stand in the sun.
Answer:
A
i. Mass literacy was possible only after the invention of the printing machine.
ii. Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks direction.
iii. I could not resist the temptation to open the letter.
iv. Hardwork and dedication are the main keys to success.
B
v. The children were almost fainting with exhaustion after being made to stand in the sun.
III. Punctuation
Use capital letters, full stops, question marks, commas and inverted commas wherever necessary
in the following paragraph.
an arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle one day he asked the tiger who is stronger
than you you O lion replied the tiger who is more fierce than a leopard asked the lion you sir
replied the leopard he marched upto an elephant and asked the same question the elephant
(9)
KATHMANDU
10
picked him up in his trunk swung him in the air and threw him down look said the lion there is no
need to get mad just because you don’t know the answer
Answer:
An arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle one day. He asked the tiger, “Who is stronger
than you?” “You, O! Lion,” replied the tiger. “Who is fiercer than a leopard?” asked the lion. “You,
sir,” replied the leopard. He marched up to an elephant and asked the same question. The
elephant picked him up in his trunk, swung him in the air and threw him down. “Look”, said the
lion, “there is no need to get mad just because you don’t know the answer.”
JI
IV. Simple Present Tense
Study these sentences from the lesson.
• A fight breaks out between two monkeys.

LA
• Film songs blare out from the radios.
• I wash it down with Coca-Cola.
The italicised verbs are in the simple present tense. The writer is here describing what he saw
and heard but he uses the present tense instead of the past tense.
A narration or a story can be made more dramatic or immediate by using the present tense in
this way.
A
Now look at the following sentences.
• A small shrine half protrudes from the stone platform on the riverbank.
B
• Small shops stand on the outer edge of the Stupa.
We use the simple present tense to speak about what is usually or generally true. The sentences
above describe facts. We also use the simple present tense in sentences depicting ‘universal
truths’. For example:
• The sun rises in the east.

• The earth revolves round the sun.
We can also refer to habitual actions using the simple present tense.
(10)
KATHMANDU
10
• He usually takes a train instead of a bus to work.

• We often get fine drizzles in winter.
In these sentences words like every day, often, seldom, never, every month, generally, usually,
etc. may be used.
1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
i. The heart is a pump that __________ (send) the blood circulating through our body. The
pumping action __________ (take place) when the left ventricle of the heart __________
JI
(contract). This __________ (force) the blood out into the arteries, which __________
(expand) to receive the oncoming blood.
ii. The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During a drought it
__________ (dig) a pit and __________ (enclose) itself in a capsule of slime and earth,
leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule __________ (dry) and __________ (harden), but
when rain __________ (come), the mud __________ (dissolve) and the lungfish
LA
__________ (swim) away.
iii. MAHESH : We have to organise a class party for our teacher.
__________ (Do) anyone play an instrument?
VIPUL : Rohit __________ (play) the flute.
MAHESH : __________ (Do) he also act?

A
VIPUL : No, he __________ (compose) music.
MAHESH : That’s wonderful!

B
Answer:
i. The heart is a pump that sends (send) the blood circulating through our body. The pumping
action takes place (take place) when the left ventricle of the heart contracts (contract).
This forces (force) the blood out into the arteries, which expands (expand) to receive the
oncoming blood.
ii. The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During a drought it digs
(dig) a pit and encloses (enclose) itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny
(11)
KATHMANDU
10
opening for air. The capsule dries (dry) and hardens (harden), but when rain comes (come),
the mud dissolves (dissolve) and the lungfish swims (swim) away.
iii. MAHESH : We have to organise a class party for our teacher.
Does (Do) anyone play an instrument?
VIPUL : Rohit plays (play) the flute.
MAHESH : Does (Do) he also act?
JI
VIPUL : No, he composes (compose) music.
MAHESH : That’s wonderful!

(Speaking)
LA
Question 1. Discuss in class the shrines you have visited or know about. Speak about one of them.
Question 2. Imagine you are giving an eyewitness account or a running commentary of one of
the following:
A
i. a game of football, cricket or hockey, or some sports event
ii. a parade (e.g. Republic Day) or some other national event
Speak a few sentences narrating what you see and hear. Use the simple present and the present
B
continuous tenses. For example:
• He passes the ball but Ben gets in the way…

• These brave soldiers guard our frontiers. They display their skills here…

(Writing)
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KATHMANDU
10
Diary entry for a travelogue
I. The text you read is a travelogue where the author, Vikram Seth, talks about his visit to two
sacred places in Kathmandu.
Imagine that you were with Vikram Seth on his visit to Pashupatinath temple, and you were
noting down all that you saw and did there, so that you could write a travelogue later.
Record in point form
JI
• what you see when you reach the Pashupatinath temple
• what you see happening inside the temple
• what you do when inside the temple
• what you see outside the temple
• what your impressions are about the place.
Answer:
LA
21-August-20xx
Dear Diary,
Today was a fabulous day. I went to the holy Pashupatinath temple with Vikram Seth. There was
a huge crowd at the temple. I saw priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons
A
and dogs roaming through the ground. We both offered flowers and coconuts to God. We saw
people getting elbowed aside by others pushing their way to the front.
At the gate of the temple, we saw saffron-clad westeners who were struggling for permission to
B
enter the temple as the gate said that only Hindus were allowed.
I felt peace and ascetic satisfaction by visiting the Pashupatinath temple.
Reyansh
II. Here is your diary entry when you visited Agra. Read the points and try to write a travelogue
describing your visit to Agra and the Taj Mahal. You may add more details.
(13)
KATHMANDU
10
January 2003 — rise before dawn — take the Shatabdi Express at 6.15 a.m. from Delhi — meet a
newly-married couple on train — talk about Himachal Pradesh — get off the train — enter the
once-grand city, Agra — twisted alleys — traffic dense — rickshaws, cars, people — vendors
selling religious artifacts, plastic toys, spices and sweets — go to the Taj Mahal — constructed
entirely of white marble — magical quality — colour changes with varying of light and shadow —
marble with gemstones inside — reflection of the Taj Mahal in the pond — school-children,
tourists — tourist guides following people.
Answer: On January 2003, I woke up before dawn. I took the Shatabdi Express at 6.15 a.m. from
Delhi. I met a newly-married couple on the train. We spoke about Himachal Pradesh. I got off
JI
the train and entered the once-grand city, Agra. I saw twisted alleys, with dense traffic,
rickshaws, cars, people. There were vendors selling religious artifacts, plastic toys, spices and
sweets. I went to the Taj Mahal. It is constructed entirely of white marble which has a magical
quality. The colour of the marble changes with varying of light and shadow. Taj Mahal has the
marble with gemstones engraved inside it. I saw the reflection of the Taj Mahal in the pond.
There were many school-children, tourists and tourist guides.
LA
A
B
(14)

English Prose Class 9-1

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THE FUN THEY HAD

THE FUN THEY HAD

-by Isaac Asimov

Feelings about the Book

The Arrival of the County Inspector

slowed down so that, she would be okay with its level.

The Old Kind of School

Margie being Nostalgic

Conclusion of The Fun They Had

Question 1. How old are Margie and Tommy?

Answer: Margie is eleven and Tommy is thirteen years old.

Answer: No, Margie had never seen a book before.

a. The pages of the book were yellow and crinkly.

Question 5. What do you think a telebook is?

Answer: Margie’s school was next to her bedroom.

No, she did not have any classmates.

Question 7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?

Answer: Margie and Tommy learnt Geography, History and Arithmetic.

Answer the following with reference to the story.

Question 1. “I wouldn’t throw it away.”

a. Who says these words?

a. Tommy says these words.

a. Who does ‘they’ refer to?

a. “They” refers to the students centuries ago.

Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

Question 1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?

Question 3. What did he do?

Question 5. What had once happened to Tommy’s teacher?

Question 7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?

Question 8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers?

Questions (Page No. 11-12)

Read this sentence taken from the story:

blanked out completely.

awfully sorrowfully completely loftily carefully differently quickly nonchalantly

He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago”.

“Maybe,” he said nonchalantly.

a. The report must be read ________ so that performance can be improved.

Question 3. Make adverbs from these adjectives.

(i) angry (ii) happy

(iii) merry (iv) sleepy

(v) easy (vi) noisy

(vii) tidy (viii) gloomy

(i) angry – angrily (ii) happy – happily

(iii) merry – merrily (iv) sleepy – sleepily

(v) easy – easily (vi) noisy – noisily

(vii) tidy – tidily (viii) gloomy – gloomily

II. If Not and Unless

a. If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, _________.

a. If I don’t go to Anu’s party tonight, she will get irritated.

Questions (Page No. 12-13)

• Addresses of the sender and receiver

Mindfame Private Limited, 1632

Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi

‘The Schools of the Future Will Have No Books and No Teachers!’

For the motion

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

-by Deborah Cowley

Evelyn Senses Music

f. quickly and in large quantities (9) and