IX English

Beehive (literature Text Book) English

The Fun They Had
Summary
The story opens with Margie writing in her diary about an old book that Tommy had
found. Margie was reminded of her grandfather who had once talked about his
grandfather who went to an actual school where the students were taught by human
teachers.
However, Margie and Tommy lived in the future world, in the year 2157 where
education was completely computerized. They did not go to schools. Instead, they
had a special study room where a computer taught them. The computer teacher was
programmed and adjusted according to the needs of each child. Now and then the
computer teacher developed faults which were fixed by a County Inspector.
Both Tommy and Margie wondered at the book found by Tommy in his attic. They
wondered at it as they read books on the screen of their computer teacher. Margie
felt that the computer teacher was boring; she disliked the mechanical teaching and
learning. She also wondered how much fun it would be studying in a school. Studying
in a fun way, with other children and that too from a human teacher.
Question and Answers
Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.
1. How old are Margie and Tommy?
Ans. Margie and Tommy live in the future, in the year 2157. They are neighbours and
spend time together. Margie is a girl of eleven years of age while Tommy is a boy
of thirteen.
2. What did Margie write in her diary?
Ans. On 17 May 2157, Margie wrote that that day Tommy had found a real book in the
attic of his house. It was an old book with yellow, crinkly pages.
3. Had Margie ever seen a book before?
Ans. No, Margie had not seen a book before the one found by Tommy in his house. She
had only heard from her grandfather that his grandfather went to school as a boy
and that they read books that were printed on paper.
4. What things about the book did she find strange?
Ans. As Margie lived in an era where students studied from a mechanical teacher and all
the books appeared on the screen, she found it strange that the words on the printed
book did not move. It was strange to see the same words appear on the pages as
she flipped them over.
5. What do you think a telebook is?
Ans. A telebook is an electronic book also known as an e-book. It is stored in a computer
and can be read by scrolling up or down the screen.
6. Where was Margie‘s school? Did she have any classmates?
A. Margie‘s school was in her house. It was a room next to her bedroom. It was a
personal classroom where the computer was adjusted to her level of learning. She
studied by herself and had no classmates.
7. What subjects did Margie and Tommy learn?
Ans. Margie and Tommy learnt a lot of subjects like Geography, History and
Mathematics.
Answer the following with reference to the story.
1. ―I wouldn‘t throw it away.‖
(i) Who says these words?
Ans. Tommy says these words.
(ii) What does ‗it‘ refer to?
Ans. ‗It‘ refers to the Computer screen on which Tommy reads various books.
(iii) What is it being compared with by the speaker?
Ans. ‗It‘ is being compared to the paper book that Tommy found in his house.
2. ―Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn‘t a regular teacher. It was a man.‖
(i) Who does ‗they‘ refer to?
Ans. ‗They‘ refers to the ancestors of the children who went to school and studied from a
human teacher.
(ii) What does ‗regular‘ mean here?
Ans. ‗Regular‘ means the mechanical teacher which teaches Margie and Tommy.
(iii) What is it contrasted with?
Ans. The mechanical teacher is contrasted with a human teacher.
Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
1. What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?
Ans. Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers. They were computers which had
preloaded lessons on different subjects according to the learner‘s level. Whenever
they malfunctioned, they were opened and repaired.
2. Why did Margie‘s mother send for the County Inspector?
Ans. Margie‘s mother called the County Inspector to check Margie‘s teacher. She thought
that probably, Margie‘s teacher had a malfunction. Margie was failing the
Geography tests repeatedly which could be due to a fault in the teacher.
3. What did he do?
Ans. The County Inspector was trained to repair the computer teacher. He opened the
machine and checked it. The Geography sector was set on a higher level. He reset it
to Margie‘s level and closed the teacher.
4. Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County Inspector Do to
help her
Ans. Margie was failing in the Geography tests as the teacher had developed a fault.
The County Inspector told Margie‘s mother that Margie was not at fault. Her progress
was good. He reset the teacher to Margie‘s level.
5. What had once happened to Tommy‘s teacher?
Ans. Once Tommy‘s teacher had developed a fault as the entire section on History had
been deleted. His teacher had been taken for repairs and it took them a month to set
it right.
6. Did Margie have regular days and hours for school? If so, why?
Ans. Margie studied at the same time every day, except Saturdays and Sunday. Her
mother was very particular and had told Margie that she would learn better if she
studied at the same time every day.
7. How does Tommy describe the old kind of school?
Ans. Tommy said that in the old kind of schools, there was a man teacher who told a few
things to the students gave them home work and then asked them questions. The man
teacher was as knowledgeable as the machine teacher.
8. How does he describe the old kind of teachers?
Ans. He says that the old teachers were not the regular kind they had. They were human
beings and not machines.
Answer each of these questions in two or three paragraphs (100 –150 words).
1. What are the main features of the mechanical teachers and the schoolrooms that
Margie and Tommy have in the story?
Ans. Margie and Tommy were taught by mechanical teachers. They had large black
screens on which the lessons appeared. The lessons were followed by questions. The
students had to insert homework and test papers in the slots provided. They had to
write down the work in a punch code which was a computing language. The
mechanical teacher checked the papers and gave them marks within a few seconds.
These classrooms were in the student‘s home itself. Every student studied from his
respective mechanical teacher. Each teacher was adjusted according to the level of
the learner. They did not have classmates. They studied various subjects like
Geography, History and Mathematics. Margie studied everyday at the same time
except Saturdays and Sundays. Her mother said that she would learn better if she
studied that way. The learning process was mechanical, dull and boring for them.
2. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think the old kind of school must have
been fun.
Ans. Margie hated school because it was not fun. There was a mechanical teacher and the
learning process lacked life. It was like a machine carrying out the usual working,
there was nothing new, no fun or laughter. Margie‘s mechanical teacher was giving
her tests in Geography and she was performing bad at them. Later it was discovered
that the teacher had developed a fault due to which it was giving her tests of a
higher level. Margie‘s mother called the County Inspector. He opened the teacher,
found the fault and rectified it. Margie disliked the teacher and hoped that he would
not be able to repair it. She hated inserting the homework and test papers into the
slot provided.
She thought that the children in the past must have had a lot of fun when they went to
school with fellow children. She found it amazing that all the children studied
together, the same things and could discuss studies and help each other with the
homework too. As the teachers were people, they would not behave like machines.
The human aspect of education in the past made her feel that the school of the past
were fun.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q.1 How was the book that Tommy found different from his own books ?
Ans. The book that Tommy found was an old, real book which belonged to his
grandfather‘s grandfather. It had crinkly, yellow pages whereas, Tommy‘s books
were telebooks by mechanical teachers, computers.
Q.2 What kind of book did Tommy show to Margie ?
Ans. The book that Tommy showed to Margie was an old, real book which belonged to his
grandfather‘s. It had crinkly yellow pages, where all the stories were printed on
paper and the words stood still.
Q.3 Why did Margie hope that the County Inspector would take away hermechanical
teacher?
Ans. Margie hoped that the County Inspector would take away her mechanical teacher
because she had performed poorly in all the geography tests and haddeveloped a
strong disliking for the school.
Q.4 Tommy thought the old books were funny and a big waste. Why?
Ans. Tommy thought that the old books were a waste because the words stood stilland
did not run. He also thought that they were a big waste because they could not be
reused like the screen of their mechanical teacher.
Q. 5 What did County Inspector do to improve Margie‘s performance ?
Ans. The County Inspector found that the geography sector had been geared too quick.
He slowed it up to an average 10-years level. He found the overall pattern of
Margie quite satisfactory.
Q.6 What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have ?
Ans. Margie and Tommy had mechanical teachers, computer, and telebooks. Their school
had. no separate building. They had robotic teachers showing lessons andtesting
papers. Their teachers were always on and kept waiting for them.
Q.7 Why did Margie hate school ?
Ans. Margie hated school, which was a room in her house only, because her teacher was a
mechanical one. It kept giving her test papers where answers had to bewritten as
punch codes. The results were given instantaneously.
Q.8 What differences do you find in present school and the school described in the lesson
‗The Fun They Had‘ ?
Ans. In present day schools, students study together in a separate building and teachers
are human beings whereas, in the lesson the school was at home and theteacher was
mechanical.
Q.9 How does Tommy describe the old kind of teachers ?
Ans. Earlier, the teachers were not mechanical teachers, they taught the children in a
special building where all children went to learn. They asked questions and gave
themhome work.
Q.10 Why did Margie find the book strange ?
Ans. The book had yellow and crinkly pages and the words standing still unlike moving on
a screen. When they turned back to the pages read before, there were thesame
words on it when they read it the first time. All these things were strange forMargie.
Q.11 Why did Margie‘s mother send for the County Inspector ? What did he do?
Ans. Margie was not performing well in her geography tests. The County Inspectortook
the teacher apart and put it together again as its geography sector was geared a
little to quick.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q. 1 In spite of all comforts and luxuries in today‘s world, our grandparents still cherish
their own time when life was quite tough. Give your own views regarding this.
Ans. Our grand parents lived during the years of 1950s to 1970s. At that time life was
very simple yet tough. They had time to explore the surroundings and the world. They
had parks to play with less of pollution around them. Mechanical gadgets were there
but were used only for necessary activities. There were rivers where they could go
for picnics and treks without the fear of being getting any allergy. The school was
more of a fun place where they met their friends. They studied but were not
competing against each other. For them togetherness was important rather than
competition.
In today‘s world we are competiting against our friends. We have all the facilities of
life but we do not have time for our family and friends. We like to play but on
computers and play station rather than with our sibilings and friends.
Q.2 How was Margie‘s school different from the schools that existed hundreds of years
ago ?
Ans. Margie‘s school was at home. She had a mechanical teacher, telebooks, no other
students were there in the class and work was fed in by the mechanical teacher by
punch codes. Whereas, the old schools had proper buildings, many students, human
teachers who gave homework and asked questions. Everyone learned the same
things and books were of paper. So, it is clearly visible that Margie‘s school was
totally different from the schools that existed hundreds of years ago
(Poetry)
The Road Not Taken
Summary
The poet says that once, he was walking down the road and reached a fork. He
could walk over one of the paths only. He took time to choose the right path. He
inspected them to decide which was a better option and then chose the one which
seemed less walked over. He kept the other one for some other day although he
knew that he would never get the chance to walk over it. He would go further on the
chosen path and not get a chance to go back on it. As he walked on the chosen path,
he realized that both the paths were similar. He felt that his future depended on the
choice that he made.
Question and Answers
1. Where does the traveller find himself? What problem does he face?
A. The traveller finds himself standing on a fork in the path. He is in a problem as he
must choose one path and is unable to decide which one to choose.
2. Discuss what these phrases mean to you.
(i) a yellow wood
A. ‗Yellow wood‘ refers to the forest which has withering leaves as in the season of
autumn. It represents a world full of aging people.
(ii) it was grassy and wanted wear
A. It means that the path had a lot of grass on it. This means that it had not been
walked over by many people. It had to be worn out by the steps of the people who
walked on it.
(iii) the passing there
A. It means that when he walked over the path that he had chosen.
(iv) leaves no step had trodden black
A. It means that no one had walked over the leaves as they were still green. If they had
been walked over, they would have turned black.
(v) how way leads on to way
A. It means that as we walk on a path, we come across more options and make choices
further. We keep on walking ahead on that way.
3. Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them
(i) in stanzas two and three?
A. The two paths were similar. In the beginning, the poet felt that one of them was
grassy and had not been walked over by many people, but when he walked on it
for some distance; he realized that it was like the other road.
(ii) in the last two lines of the poem?
A. Here, again the poet talks of his initial decision when he thought that the roads were
different and chose the one that had been walked over by a lesser number of
people.
Extract Based Questions
Read the extract given below and answers the question that follow.
Q.1 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows:
Two roads divergedin yellow wood. And sorry I could not travel both And be one
traveller, long I stood And locked down once as far as I could To where it bent in the
undergrowth;
1. At which point had the poet reached ?
2. Why was the traveller feeling sorry ?
3. Give the opposite to ‗met at a point‘ from the passage ?
Ans. 1. The poet is standing at a point where two roads diverged in the yellow wood.
2. The poet is feeling sorry because he could not travel both the roads.
3. ‗Diverged‘.
Q.2 And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden back Oh, I kept the
first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted it if I should
ever come back
1. Which road does the poet choose ?
2. Why was the poet doubtful about the first road ?
3. Find a word from the extract that means ‗crushed‘.
Ans. 1. The poet took the second road.
2. The poet chose the second road over the first thinking that he would come to it
some other day. Yet, he was very doubtful that he would ever be able to
come back to it someday.
3. Trodden.
Extra Questions & Answer
Q.1 Why will the choice between two roads that seem very much alike make such a
big difference many years later in the life of the poet?
Ans. A choice between two roads that seem very much alike will make such a big
difference many years later in the poet‘s life‘since this particular decision, this path
opened up many different opportunities for him in future. The decision that he now
makes will influence him and his life and his rest of the decisions since the two roads
are same they still have varied options in them.
Q.2 Does the speaker feel that he has made the wrong choice in taking the road ―less
travelled by‖? If not, why does he ―sigh‖? What does he regret ?
Ans. No, the speaker does not feel that he has made a wrong decision by taking the road
less travelled. The poet wanted to explore both the roads. He tells himself that he
will explore one and then come back and explore the other, but he knows that he will
probably be unable to do so.
Q.3 Why will the choice between two roads that seem very much alike, make such a
big difference many years later in the life of the poet?
Ans. A choice between two roads that seem very much alike, will make such a big
difference many years later in the poet‘s life since this particular decision, the path
opened up many different opportunities for him in future. The decision that he now
makes, will influence him and his life along with his rest of the decisions, since the two
roads are same, they still have varied options in them.
Q.4 After reading the poem, can you detail the tone in the entire poem?
Ans. The overall tone of the poem is of regret. The poet believes that at some time far in
the future, he would still be thinking of his two possible paths ‗with a sigh‘. He does
not anticipate being any less conflicted then or any more satisfied with his choice. He
realizes that his choice will make ‗all the difference‘ in his life, but he is presently
uncertain about what the difference would turn out to be.
Q.5 Was the poet doubtful or clear that he would return to take the other path which
he could not take earlier?
Ans. Throughout the poem and the poet‘s journey, he faces an archetypal dilemma. He
doubts if he would ever be able to come back to take that other road which might
have given him some other more lucrative options in life. The poet believes and we
all know that one road leads to another, so going back to the original path is not
easy.
Q.6 Does the speaker feel that he has made the wrong choice in taking the road ‗less
travelled by‘? If not, why does he ‗sigh‘? What does he regret?
Ans. No, the speaker does not feel that he has made a wrong decision by taking the less
travelled road. The poet wanted to explore both the roads. He tells himself that he
will explore one and then come back and explore the other, but he knows that he
would probably be unable to do so.
Q.7 And that has made all the difference. What is your opinion of the difference —
was it for the better or the worse? Substantiate your answer.
Ans. The poem does not clearly state whether the choice made by the poet made him
happy or sad. However, if examined by the way of the world, we find that the
individuals who have achieved recognition and fame have always eschewed the
beaten track. Hence, we can reason that the poet – traveller was happy by choosing
the less travelled path, not the beaten track. The concluding line of the poem — ‗And
that has made all the difference‘ connotes the poet‘s joy.
Q.8 What do the two roads symbolize in the first stanza? What is the significance of
choosing a road?
Ans. The two roads that the poet-traveller faces in his walk or journey are symbolic of the
choices that we have to make in our life. The journey or a simple walk itself is a
metaphor for the great journey of life whether one should adopt the way of
spiritualism or materialism. In this poem, the poet, after prolonged thought, decides to
take the road less travelled, road which is the road of spiritualism accepting its
challenges and uncertainties. The decision is final and irreversible and it has its own
consequences, may be positive or negative. In real life also, we confront such critical
situations where we face life-altering options. The decision we make is crucial. We
should contemplate over the choices before and then decide our priorities. Once, we
make the decision and proceed accordingly, we can never reverse it. The life takes
its own course and it does not give a second chance to alter our decision and change
our course of life. Hence, we should decide wisely about the choices we make.
The Sound of Music
Part I - Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound without Hearing It
Summary
Evelyn Glennie is a multi – percussionist. She has attained mastery over almost a
thousand musical instruments despite being hearing – impaired. She learnt to feel
music through the body instead of hearing it through the ears.
When Evelyn was eleven years old, it was discovered that she had lost her hearing
power due to nerve damage. The specialist advised that she wear hearing aids and
be sent to a school for the deaf. On the contrary, Evelyn was determined to lead a
normal life and follow her interest in music. Although she was discouraged by her
teachers, her potential was noticed by master percussionist, Ron Forbes. He guided
Evelyn to feel music some other way than to hear it through her ears. This worked
well for Evelyn and she realized that she could sense different sounds through
different parts of her body.
Once she had overcome this hurdle, Evelyn began her career in music. She got
admission in the Royal Academy of Music, London and scored the highest marks in the
history of the academy. Evelyn says that hard work and dedication towards her goal
helped her achieve success. Evelyn gives solo performances and even gives free
concerts for hospitals and schools. In the year 1991, she won the Royal Philharmonic
Society‘s prestigious ‗Soloist of the Year‘ Award. Evelyn‘s story is an inspiration for
the differently abled who are motivated to fulfil their dreams like she did.
Question and Answers
Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.
1. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?
Ans. Evelyn was seventeen years old when she got admission in the Royal Academy of
Music, London. She was nervous as she boarded the train from Scotland as she lived
on farms in the countryside and was not exposed to the life in cities. Evelyn was
excited as she was about to begin her career in music which was her aim in life.
2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Ans. When Evelyn was eight years old, her mother, Isabelle Glennie noticed that Evelyn
did not respond to her name being called out at the piano class. Evelyn‘s loss of
hearing was gradual and for some time she was able to hide her disability from her
teachers and friends. By the time she turned eleven, her marks deteriorated, and her
parents took her to a doctor. Then, it was discovered that Evelyn was profoundly
deaf.
Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30–40 words).
1. Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?
Ans. Evelyn was discouraged by her teachers but master – percussionist Ron Forbes
spotted her talent and potential. He guided Evelyn to feel music some other way
rather than hearing it. He got two large drums and tuned them to different notes.
When he played the drums, Evelyn reacted to the distinct notes differently. She
realized that she could feel the higher notes produced by one of the drums through
the upper part of her body, above the waist and the lower notes of the other drum
through the lower part of her body, below the waist. This worked well for Evelyn and
gradually, she found that she could sense different sounds and vibrations through
different parts of her body.
2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
Ans. Evelyn made her first tour at the age of sixteen, when she performed with a youth
orchestra. She toured the United Kingdom and after that tour she decided that she
would make a career in music. She has made her name in the field of music. Evelyn is
a popular musician with a busy international schedule. Apart from the regular
concerts, she also does charity and performs for hospitals and prisons. Evelyn also
holds classes for young musicians.
Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100–150 words).
1. How does Evelyn hear music?
Ans. Evelyn Glennie was passionate about music but unfortunately, she lost her sense of
hearing by the age of eleven. She wanted to learn playing the xylophone but was
discouraged by her teachers. They opined that as she could not hear, she could not
learn music. Master percussionist Ron Forbes spotted Evelyn‘s potential. He guided
her to feel music some other way than to hear it through her ears. He trained her by
tuning two large drums to different notes. Evelyn realized that she could sense
different sounds and vibrations through different parts of her body. She could feel
the higher notes produced by one of the drums through the upper part of her body,
above the waist and the lower notes of the other drum through the lower part of her
body, below the waist.This experiment worked well for Evelyn and she responded to
the finer sounds of music too.
Evelyn can feel music penetrate her body though various parts – cheeks, hair, skin,
etc. When she plays the xylophone, she feels the sound move from the sticks into her
finger tips. When the drums are played, she can feel the echo of the drum beats
through her body. Evelyn removes her footwear as she performs on a wooden floor
so that she can feel the vibrations produced by different instruments pass through her
feet up her legs. Thus, Evelyn has sensitized her body to music.
Part 2 - The shehnai of Bismillah Khan
History of ‗Shehnai‘ Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of pungi in the palace.
The reason was that it had a sharp and unpleasant sound. A barber thought to
improve it. He chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem. He made seven holes on its
body. He played on it closing and opening some of these holes. It produced a sweet
sound. He played it before the royalty. It needed a name. So it was named after the
player. He was a ‗nai‘ (barber). It was first played in the Shah‘s chambers.
‗Shehnai‘and Bismillah Khan The sound of the shehnai was considered auspicious. So it
is played in temples and at weddings in north India. Earlier it was part of the
traditional music groups. Ustad Bismillah Khan has brought it onto the classical stage.
Bismillah‘s childhood
As a five-year old Bismillah Khan played Gilli Danda near a pond in Dumraon in
Bihar.
He would go to the nearby Bihariji temple. There he would sing the Bhojpuri chaita.
Atthe end he would earn a big laddu weighing 1.25 kg. It was on behalf of the local
Maharaja. This happened 80 years ago. This little boy later earned the Bharat
Ratna. It is the highest civilian honour.
Bismillah Khan‘s birth and parents
Bismillah Khan was born on March 21,1916 in a family of musicians in Bihar.
His grandfather Rasool Bux Khan was the shehnai- nawaz of the Bhojpur king‘s
court. His father Paigambar Bux and other ancestors were great shehnai players.
Bismillah as a young singer
The young boy Bismillah Khan took to music early in life. At three, his mother took him
to his maternal uncle‘s house in Benaras. He was attracted towards his uncle‘s
practisethe shehnai. Soon he started going with his uncle Ali Bux to the Vishnu temple
inVaranasi to play the shehnai. Soon he started practising the playing of the
instrument.For years the temple of Balaji and Mangla Maiya and the banks of the
Ganga becamethe places where he could practise. The flowing waters of the Ganga
inspired him toinvent new raagas.
Bismillah‘s rise
At the age of 14 Bismillah accompanied his uncle to the Allahabad Music Conference.
The opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938 became a big break for him.
Hebecame a shehnai player on radio.
Bismillah as ‗the first Indian‘
Bismillah Khan became the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai on August
15, 1947. He played Raag Kafi Irom Red Fort to people like Mahatma Gandhi and
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Bismillah Khan goes abroad and his effect on film world Bismillah Khan has given
many memorable performances both in India and abroad. His first trip abroad was to
Afghanistan. King Zahir Shah was deeply impressed by his shehnai. He gave him
priceless Persian carpets. Film director Vijay Bhatt was greatly impressed. He
named his film Gunj Uthi Shehnai after the instrument. The film was a hit and his
composition Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya became a record breaker.
Film world not Bismillah‘s like
Bismillah Khan‘s music in films didn‘t go beyond Vijay Bhatt‘s Gunj Uthi Shehnai
And Vikram Srinivas‘s Kannada film Sanadhi Apanna. He found the film world
artificial andglamorous. He could not compromise with it.
Bismillah Khan‘s awards
Awards came in plenty for him. He became the first Indian to perform at the
Lincoln Centre Hall in the USA. He took part in the World Exposition in Montreal, in
the Cannes Art Festival and in the Osaka Trade Fair. An auditorium in Teheran was
named afterhim ‗Tahar Mosiquee Ustaad Bismillah Khan‘. National awards like the
Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan were conferred on him.
‗Bharat Ratna‘ awarded
In 2001 he was awarded India‘s highest civilian award the ‗Bharat Ratna‘. At this
He said, ―Teach your children music. This is Hindustan‘s richest tradition : even the West
Is now coming to learn our music‖.
Bismillah Khan‘s love for his roots
Bismillah Khan has travelled all over the world. But he is greatly fond of Benaras and
Dumraon. A student of his once wanted him to head a shehnai school in the USA. He
promised to recreate an atmosphere of Benaras by making temples there. But
Khansaab asked him if he would transport River Ganga there. He says that
wheneverhe is abroad, he yearns to see Hindustan. While in Mumbai he thinks of
only Varanasiand the holy Ganga. And while in Varanasi, he misses the ‗mattha‘ in
Dumraon.
Bismillah Khan‘s life—a great example
Ustad Bismillah Khan‘s life is a perfect example of the rich cultural heritage of India.
It accepts that a Muslim like him can play the shehnai every morning at the Kashi
Vishwanath temple.
Answer these questions
Q.1 Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Ans. Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi because it had a shrill and unpleasant
sound.
Q.2 How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
Ans. A shehnai is a pipe with a natural hollow that is longer and broader than a pungi. It
has seven holes on the body of the pipe.
Q.3 Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Ans. The shehnai was played traditionally in the temple at the royal courts and on the
occasion of weddings. The credit must go to Bismillah Khan to take this instrument onto
the classical stage.
Q.4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Ans. Bismillah Khan got his big break with the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow in
1938.
Q.5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event
historic?
Ans. Bismillah Khan played the shehnai on 15 August 1947 at the Red Fort. He was the
first Indian to greet the nation with his musical instrument. This event was historic
because. We got independence on that day. He poured his heart out in the presence
of a large number of people including Pt. Jawahar Lai Nehru.
Q.6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Ans. He refused to start a shehnai school in the USA because he never wanted to leave
India. He loved India so much and he did not want to settle anywhere except India.
Thatis why whenever he was in a foreign country, he kept yearning to see Hindustan.
Q.7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India
and Benaras.
Ans. Bismillah Khan loves India and Banaras The sound of Music 197 from the bottom of
his heart. He says that he misses the holy Ganga and India when he goes abroad.
While in Mumbai, he thinks of only Benaras and the holy river. And when he is in
Benaras, he remembers the unique mattha of Dumraon.
Q.1 How did Evelyn Glennie fight with her physical disability?
Ans. Evelyn Glennie was a very brave girl. She learnt to open her body and mind to the
sounds and vibrations. She used to feel as if music was flowing through her body. So
she joined an orchestra and later the Royal Academy of Music. She did not want to
be deprived of the joy of music that made her happy. She later even gave solo
performances on stage in many countries and became famous
Q.2 In spite of her towering success Evelyn Glennie does not accept any hint of heroic
achievement.Explain.
Ans. Evelyn Glennie had a hearing loss and was discouraged by most of the teachers but
she did not give up. Ron Forbes guided her to listen through her body not ears.
Eventually, Evelyn learnt to open her body and mind to sound and vibrations. She
scored the highest marks in the history of Royal Academy of Music. She also captured
many top awards and brought percussion to the front of the orchestra. She has given
pleasure to millions and in spite of this towering success she does,
not accept any hint of heroic achievement and is a very simple person.
Q.3 ―There is always a teacher to bring out the latent potential of a pupil/‘ Justify with
reference to the role played by Ron Forbes and Ustad Faiyaz Khan in the lives of
Evelyn Glennie and BismillahKhan.
Ans. Teachers craft us to become better individuals both personally and professionally.
Ron Forbes understood Evelyn‘s passion for music. He taught Evelyn the nuances of
hearing music not through her ears but through her body. He taught her to feel the
vibrations in her hands and parts of legs to get the pitch. So, he crafted her to be
more musical and confident. Bismillah Khan‘s teacher and mentor was his maternal
uncle Ali Bux. Bismillah used to be transfixed when Ali Bux used to play Shehnai. As a
child, Bismillah used to accompany his material uncle to Vishnu Temple of Benares
where Ali Bux was employed to play Shehnai. Bismillah picked up the finer nuances
of Shehnai and practiced for hours on the banks of river Ganga. He attained
perfection only because of his uncle and mentor
Q.4 Give a brief character sketch of Ustad Bismillah Khan.
Ans. Ustad Bismillah Khan was a Shehnai master of great national and international fame.
He was a great musician. Ali Bux, his maternal unde perfected him in music. Shehnai
was brought to the classical stage by Ustad Bismillah Khan. He practiced for hours
and worked very hard to attain perfection. It was his melodious music that made him
the first Indian to greet tire independent India. Ustad Bismillah Khan created many
new rags. He was given many awards and he even received the ―Bharat Ratna‖. He
was a true patriot who declined many offers to settle aborad. He was a true artist
but a simple man. He had great regard for Hindustani Classical Music
Poetry
Wind
Summary
The first part of the poem describes the action of the wind. The poet asks the wind to
come softly. He requests the wind not to break the shutters of the windows, not to
scatter the papers and throw down the books from the shelf. But the wind throws the
books and tears the pages. The poet says that the wind makes a mockery of
weaklings. It brings down frail houses, crumbling doors, rafters, and even weak
hearts. It crushes everything that is weak.
The poet advises us to be strong. Only then can we save ourselves from the wind. We
should build strong homes with firm doors. Our bodies and hearts should also be
strong. It is the way of the world to kick the weak and to be friends with the strong.
The wind blows out the weak fires but makes the strong fires roar and flourish. Thus,
the poem conveys the idea that nobody cares for the weak. Even the wind is on the
side of the strong people. We must make ourselves strong to become successful and
overcome the challenges in life.
Literary devices in the poem
Rhyme scheme - The entire poem is written in free verse. There is no rhyme scheme in
the poem.
The literary devices used are as follows –
i. Anaphora - When a word is repeated at the start of two or more consecutive
lines, it is the device of Anaphora. Lines 2, 3, 4 begin with ‗don‘t‘. Lines 6, 7,
8 begin with ‗you‘.
ii. Personification – wind has been personified. When the poet says ‗you are‘,
he is referring to wind as ‗you‘ that means he is treating wind as a person.
iii. Repetition - ‗crumbling‘ is repeated many times to lay emphasis. The poet
wants to say that the wind crushes everything that is weak. That is why he
repeats the word crumbling.
iv. Alliteration - the repetition of a consonant sound in close connection. ‗wind
winnows‘. ‗won‘t want‘
Symbolism - Symbolism means that the thing refers to some other thing. wind
is a symbol. It refers to the challenges in life. He is using wind as a symbol
for the adversities in our life.
Question and Answers
1. What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?
Ans. When the wind blows violently, it destroys everything. It breaks the shutters of
windows, scatters the papers, throws the books down from the shelves, tears their
pages and brings along a lot of rain.
2. What does the poet say the wind god winnows?
Ans. The wind God winnows means that nature sifts the weak things from the strong ones.
Everything that is weak is tossed by the powerful wind and gets destroyed. Just like
the winnower separates the grains of wheat from the chaff, similarly, the wind god
separates the weak from the strong.
3. What should we do to make friends with the wind?
Ans. We must make ourselves strong to face the violent wind. When we will be strong, the
wind will not harm us, instead it will become a friend and help us to grow and
flourish.
4. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?
Ans. The last four lines of the poem carry an important message that the strong people
emerge stronger and victorious in the face of adversities. We must make ourselves
strong like a burning fire which grows and flourishes in the violent wind, we also
prosper in the face of challenges.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q.1 Describe the central idea of the poem.
Ans. The poem ―Wind‖ inspires us to face the challenges thrown at us with grit and firm
determination. We should be strong enough to face all the hardships of life with
courage. Wind symbolizes problems and obstacles that we all face and go through
at some point time in our lives
Q.2 Is wind regarded as a symbol of destruction in the poem? Explain.
Ans. In the poem, first stanza depicts the destruction caused by wind. The wind tears the
pages of the books, brings rain again, and destroys the daily life of the weaker
section of the world. The strong or gusty winds represent turmoil and trouble in our
life. These troubles are to be ignored
Q.3 What are the figures of speech in the poem ‗Wind‘?
Ans. The most common figure of speech in the poem is ‗Anaphore‘ which means repeating
of certain words. The repetition of the word ‗don‘t‘ in the first three lines of the poem
is an example of Anaphore. Also, the entire poem is a metaphor as it ends on a note
of application to humanity to stand against all ravages, natural or man-made.
Q.4 Can wind ever be friends with us ?
Ans. Wind, literally, can be our friend. Wind is a phenomenon which teaches us to be
strong. Our friends always teach us to be strong and determined. In times of need,
wind wants us to bravely face our obstacles. Hence, we have to be strong when there
are obstacles in our life so that we don‘t get beaten up by them.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q.1 What challenges are posed by wind in the life of the poet and the common
man?
Ans. In our lives, wind destructs our daily routine. It hampers and dampens the spirit of life
around. According to the poet, rain and wind were deeds of nature that are
perceived as the tempest forces which destroy the old and evil inside a man in order
to create joy and liberty in his mind. Wind is that difficult natural phenomenon which
is very difficult to be predicted accurately just as our problems which can arise from
nowhere. It can hit us at any time of our life. It mocks the very being of being alive.
For frail people, literally and metaphorically, wind creates barriers. Winds do not let
a frail body or a frail mind survive but on the other hand if you are strong, you have
the power and the will to survive and fight back, wind can never be a threat to your
living being.
Q.2 Does the poem reflect the human suffering being initiated by wind? Explain with
examples.
Ans. I believe that wind is a poignant example of the methaphor of God‘s will for a
variety of reasons. First wind is invisible, but the effects it has on other aspects of this
world are clear and evident. Our poem reflects upon both the constructive and
destructive paths taken by the wind. Wind is extreme and violent, but not necessarily
legitimately with anger and emotions. Wind creates compassion, but apathy at the
same time in human life. Winds emphasize the passionate, intense nature of the poet,
while the decay and death inherent in the metaphor suggest the sacrifice and
suffering of humans. We also see that wind is a metaphor for the god‘s will because
its effects in this world can be both beneficial or ostensibly destructive.
The Little Girl
Summary
‗The Little Girl‘ is the story of a little girl, Kezia who misunderstood her father‘s
strictness and usually remained scared of him. She kept a distance from him,
whenever he would be at home. She considered him to be as big as a giant. She
would often get nervous and stutter while talking to him. She longed for his love and
affection like her neighbour Mr Macdonald
Once she was kept indoors as she was affected by cold. Her grandmother suggested
that she make a gift for her father‘s birthday next week. They decided that Kezia
would make a pincushion for him. Kezia made a beautiful pin-cushion; but she
accidentally made a mistake. She filled it with bits of paper that she got by tearing
her father‘s important speech. She was punished for that. This incident further
estranged Kezia from her father.
She would often look at the neighbours, the Macdonalds playing joyously in their
lawn. Mr. Macdonald was such a good father and played so lovingly with his
children. She wondered he might be a different sort of father.
Once her mother fell ill and was hospitalized. She was left alone at home under the
care of the cook. At night she had a nightmare and woke up screaming. She found
her father standing by her bedside. He picked her up and took her to her room. He
tucked her up in his bed and soon fell asleep. Kezia felt secure lying near her father.
She realized that her father was not as big as a giant. She felt the beating of her
father‘s loving large heart. Finally, she realized her father was very loving and had
a generous heart.
Question and Answers
I. Given below are some emotions that Kezia felt. Match the emotions in Column A with
the items in Column B.
AB
1. fear or terror
2. glad sense of relief
3. a"funny" feeling, perhaps
of understanding
(i) father comes into her room to give
her a goodbye kiss
(ii) noise of the carriage grows fainter
(iii) father comes home
(iv) speaking to father
(v) going to bed when alone at home
(vi) father comforts her and falls asleep
(vii) father stretched out on the sofa,
snoring
Ans.
AB
fear or terror
(iii) father comes home
(iv) speaking to father
(v) going to bed when alone at home
(vii) father stretched out on the sofa, snoring
glad sense of relief
(i) father comes into her room to give her a goodbye
kiss
(ii) noise of the carriage grows fainter
a ―funny‖ feeling, perhaps
of understanding (vi) father comforts her and falls asleep
II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences.
1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
Ans. Kezia was afraid of her father because he was strict. He stared at her and even
gave her physical punishment. Instead of the love and affection that Kezia sought
from her father, he gave her scoldings which instilled a fear in her mind. Her father‘s
giant structure also terrified little Kezia.
2. Who were the people in Kezia‘s family?
Ans. In all there were four members in Kezia‘s family – her strict father, her stern mother,
a loving grandmother and Kezia herself.
3. What was Kezia‘s father‘s routine
(i) before going to his office?
(ii) after coming back from his office?
(iii) on Sundays?
Ans. i) Before going to office, Kezia‘s father would visit Kezia in her room, give her a kiss
and then leave for work in his carriage.
ii) After coming back from office in the evening, Kezia‘s father would order that tea
be brought for him in the drawing room. He would order for his slippers and the
newspapers in a loud voice.
iii) On Sunday afternoons, he would stretch out on the sofa, his handkerchief on his
face, his feet on one of the best cushions, and would sleep soundly and snore.
4. In what ways did Kezia‘s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father
better?
Ans. Kezia‘s grandmother wanted Kezia to have a strong bond of love and affection with
her parents. In order to develop that, she encouraged Kezia to go downstairs every
Sunday afternoon to spend time with her parents and to get to know them better.
III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in
two or three paragraphs each.
1. Kezia‘s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much.How did
this happen?
Ans. Kezia was at home as she was down with fever. Her grandmother suggested that she
make a surprise gift for her father as his birthday was approaching. Kezia and her
grandmother planned that Kezia would make a pin cushion for him and her
grandmother gave her a piece of yellow – coloured silk fabric for it. Kezia stitched
the cushion from three sides and was looking for pieces of torn cloth or paper to stuff
into the cushion.
As her grandmother was out in the garden, the innocent child reached her parents‘
room. She found a heap of paper lying on the bed table, tore the sheets of paper
into tiny bits and stuffed it into the cushion. Kezia was glad that finally, the surprise
gift was ready but, in fact she had committed a serious mistake of destroying her
father‘s speech that he had prepared for the Port Authority.
Kezia‘s father was angry with her and wanted to teach her an important lesson, not
to touch anything that did not belong to her. So, he hit Kezia‘s palms with a ruler to
teach her a lesson.
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?
Ans. Mr Macdonald, Kezia‘s next door neighbour had five children. Kezia often saw them
playing in the garden.
One day, she peeped through a gap in the fence and saw them having fun. Baby
Mao was sitting on Mr Macdonald‘s shoulders, his two daughter stuck to his coat‘s
pockets and they ran all around the flower beds, laughing and having fun. His sons
opened the hose on him and he tried to catch them.
This fun scene made her conclude that there were different kinds of fathers. Mr
Macdonald was different from her father. He was not strict, played with his children
and they laughed all the while.
On the other hand, Kezia‘s father was always angry at her. He remained busy with
work and later, was too tired that he slept most of the time. He stared at her,
scolded her for stammering and being silly.
His strict nature made Kezia wonder that what for had God made fathers.
3. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
Ans. One day, Kezia‘s mother was taken ill and went to the hospital. Grandmother too
accompanied her. Kezia was left alone with the cook, Alice to look after her. At
night, Alice put Kezia to bed but Kezia was reluctant to sleep
without her grandmother as she would go to her in case she got scared by a
nightmare. Alice put Kezia to sleep all alone and ordered her not to scream and
disturb her father who was asleep in the next room. But she was again bother by the
nightmare of a butcher with a knife, a rope and a dreadful smile. Kezia screamed
and called her grandmother. Upon hearing her screams, her father woke up. He was
holding a candle and lifted Kezia in his arms. He took her to his room and comforted
her. He lay Kezia in his bed and told her to rub her feet against his legs to make
them warm. Kezia felt his affection and snuggled towards him. At that moment, Kezia
realized that her father worked really hard was a tired poor man who needed
sympathy and concern. There was no one to look after him. Although he was big and
not as soft as grandmother, Kezia realized that he loved her, and she had affection
for him.
Poetry
Rain on The Roof
Summary
Kinney caught an inspiration one night while trying to woo sleep in the old college
dormitory, and there put on paper this beautiful bit of verse, ‗The Rain on the Roof‘.
This poem made Kinney famous. He began travelling and is on the journey yet.
Kinney has written very little poetry and no great amount of prose, yet several of his
production is still live.
He lived in an elegant residence and lived well. He is described as keen and witty in
conversation and quite agreeable. He died in Ohio.
Central Idea of the PoemThe poet exhibits that the rain brings the poet maximum
happiness, when he is lost in dream and so many fancies go on revolving in his mind.
He loves the pattering of soft rain on the roof.
Theme of the Poem
The presented poem ‗Rain on the Roof‘ reveals the healing power of Nature‘s Rain,
especially when it is heard from a cozy bed in a lovely cottage.
The first stanza of the poem tells that it is pleasant to lie on the bed in a cottage and
listening to pitter-pater sound on a rainy night. In the second, the tinkle of the rain
bringsdreamy fancies with bright hues of recollection. In the third, the fondest
memory of hismother is stirred before him in all her gentle loveliness by the pattern
of the rain.
Question and Answer:-
Thinking about the Poem
Q. 1. What do the following phrases mean to you? Discuss in class.
(i) humid shadows
(ii) starry spheres
(iii) what a bliss
(iv) a thousand dreamy fancies into busy being start
(v) a thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof
Ans1 (i) ―Humid shadows‖ refer to the dark clouds that produce rain.
(ii) ―Starry spheres‖ refer to the night sky abounding in stars.
(iii) ―What a bliss‖ refers to the happiness of the poet. When it rains poet gets into
his cottage and enjoy the patter of rain upon the roof.
(iv) This refers to the various imaginary thoughts and fantasies that are aroused in
the poet‘s mind.
(v) This phrase means that numerous memories intermingle to form a beautiful picture
that the poet recollects.
Q.2. What does the poet like to do when it rains?
Ans. When it rains, the poet feels delighted to lie with his head pressed against the pillow
of his cottage chamber bed and listen to the patter of the soft rain.
Q.3. What is the single major memory that comes to the poet? Who are the ―darling
dreamers‖ he refers to?
Ans. The single major memory that comes to the poet is that of his mother and her fond
look.
The ―darling dreamers‖ are the poet and his siblings in their childhood when they
were lovingly put to sleep by their mother.
Q.4. Is the poet now a child? Is his mother still alive?
Ans. No, the poet is not a child now. He is a grown up man. He remembers her when he is
inside his cosy cottage and enjoy the pattern of rain on the roof.
II. 1. When you were a young child, did your mother tuck you in, as the poet‘s did?
Ans. Yes, my mother used to tuck me in when I was a young child, just like the poet‘s
mother did. (Self-experience question)
2. Do you like rain? What do you do when it rains steadily or heavily as described
in the poem?
Ans. Yes, I like the rain. When it rains steadily I get into my house and enjoy the weather
with family. We enjoy tea. It is wonderful experience (self-experience question)
3. Does everybody have a cosy bed to lie in when it rains? Look around you and
describe how different kinds of people or animals spend time, seek shelter etc.
during rain.
Ans. No, everybody is not fortunate enough to have a cosy bed to lie in when it rains. Not
everybody gets to enjoy the comfort of cosy homes during rain. I have seen animals
seeking shelter under trees and under the tin roofs of the small roadside tea stalls.
The people passing by shoo away these animals and try to shrink themselves under
the limited space of these shops. The poor animals are left shivering and drenching
on the roads. The shopkeepers of such stalls are delighted as the people waiting for
the rain to subside often end up buying tea and snacks.
A Truly Beautiful Mind
Summary
Albert Einstein was born on 14th March in 1879, in the German city of Ulm. Till the
age of two and half years, he could not speak and when he started speaking, he
spoke every word twice. His playmates considered him to be boring and his mother
thought that he was crazy because of the abnormally large size of his head. At
school, his head master regarded him as stupid and good for nothing. But he proved
them all wrong.At the age of 6, at the insistence of his mother, he learned to play the
violin. He became a gifted violinist. At the age of 15, his family moved to Munich. He
did not feel comfortable with the strict discipline at the school and left it. On
completing his schooling, he joined the University at Zurich because the atmosphere
there was more liberal and accepted new ideas and concepts. He showed more
interest in Physics and Mathematics. He met a fellow student, Mileva Maric at the
University. She was equally intelligent and clever. Later on, they married and had 2
sons but unfortunately their marriage did not survive and were divorced in 1919.
After completing his education, Albert worked as a technical expert in the patent
office at Bern. Here, he worked secretly on his idea on relativity. In 1915, he
published his paper on special theory of relativity, followed by the world-famous
equation E = mc2.In 1915, he published his paper on General Theory of Relativity,
which gave an absolutely new definition to the concept of gravity. This theory made
him a famous figure. In 1919, during the solar eclipse, his theory came out to be
accurate and revolutionized physics. In 1933, he emigrated to the USA as Nazis had
come to power in Germany. He did not want his finding and research to be used for
destruction. In 1938, when Germany discovered the principle of Nuclear Fission, he
was the first person to write to the American President about the dangers of the
atomic bombs.In 1945, when America dropped the Atomic Bombs on Nagasaki and
Hiroshima, he was deeply hurt and wrote to the United Nations for the formation of a
world government to prevent recurrence of such destruction.
He spent his later days in politics advocating world peace and democracy. He died
at the age of 76 in the year 1955.
Question and answers
1. Who had these opinions about Einstein?
(i) He was boring.
(ii) He was stupid and would never succeed in life.
(iii) He was a freak.
Ans. (i) playmates
(ii) headmaster
(iii) mother
2. Explain what the reasons for the following are.
(i) Einstein leaving the school in Munich for good.
(ii) Einstein wanting to study in Switzerland rather than in Munich.
(iii) Einstein seeing in Mileva an ally.
(iv) What do these tell you about Einstein?
Ans. (i) strict regimentation at school.
(ii) Liberal atmosphere
(iii) Like him, Mileva also disapproved of the ‗philistines‘ – those who disliked art,
literature or music.
(iv) He loved freedom. He was a liberal and cultured person
3. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why?
Ans. He called his desk drawer at the patent office ‗the bureau of theoretical physics‘
because he stored his secret papers on ideas on physics there.
4. Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?
Ans. Einstein feared that the Germans under the rule of the Nazis had developed the
atomic bomb and could misuse it. He wrote to the president of the USA to warn him
of this development.
5. How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Ans. Einstein was deeply shaken by the disaster caused in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He
wrote a public missive to the United Nations demanding the formation of a world
government to stop the development of nuclear weapons.
6. Why does the world remember Einstein as a ―world citizen‖?
Ans. Einstein was a ‗world citizen‘ because of his efforts for world peace and non –
violence.
1. Why did Einstein leave the school in Munich?
30 | P a g e V i d h y a K u n j S c h o o l , L o h a r s i D h a m t a r i
Ans. Einstein used to hate the schooling system in Munich and he protested against it. He
often clashed with the teachers. He felt suffocated by the school authorities and the
entire system and, finally, at the age of 15, he decided to leave school for good.
2. Why did Einstein want to study in Switzerland rather than studying in Munich?
Ans. After his parents moved to Milan, Einstein used to live with his relatives. He wished to
continue his education in German-speaking Switzerland as it was much more liberal
than the city of Munich. Einstein felt stifled by the education system in Munich.
3. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office and Why?
Einstein called his desk drawer at work the ―bureau of theoretical physics‖ because
while he was supposed to be assessing other people‘s inventions, he was actually
developing his own ideas in secrecy.
4. Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt?
Many American Physicists were afraid that the Nazis were capable of building and
using an atomic bomb. So, at the urging of a colleague, Einstein wrote a letter to the
American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, warning him about the impact and
consequences of using the atomic bomb.
5. What was the relationship between Einstein and Mileva Maric?
Mileva Maric was a fellow student at the University of Zurich where Einstein went to
get his degree. Einstein found Mileva to be a ―clever creature‖ and developed a
special interest in her. They fell in love and exchanged a number of love letters and
finally married each other in 1903. They had two sons but after a few years the
marriage failed and they got divorced in 1919.
6. What was Einstein‘s Theory of Relativity?
According to Einstein‘s Theory of Relativity, time and distance are not absolute. For
instance, two completely accurate clocks will not continue to show the same time if
they come together again after a journey if one of them has been moving very fast
relative to the other. From this theory was established the relationship between mass
and energy.
Solved Long Questions of ―A Truly Beautiful Mind‖
10. How does the world remember Einstein as a ―world citizen‖?
Einstein contributions to the world have been legendary and glorious. He made the
world aware of various unknown and unexplored areas in Physics. One of the most
famous papers in 1905 was Einstein‘s Theory of Relativity on the basis of which the
famous formula describing the relationship between mass and energy was
established. Einstein had rightly calculated in advance the extent to which light from
fixed stars would be deflected through the sun‘s gravitational field. His General
Theory of Relativity provided a new interpretation of gravity to the world. He
received the Nobel Prize for his valuable contributions in Physics in 1921. Apart from
this, Einstein attempted to warn the people about the impact of an atomic bomb by
writing a letter to the President, describing the consequence of such an action. After
the dreadful incident of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Einstein even
proposed the formation of a world government. Later, he became actively involved
in Politics and promoted peace and democracy, and demanding an end to the arms
build-up.
11. How did Einstein develop a special interest in Mileva Maric?
Einstein met the ―clever creature‖, Mileva Maric, at the University of Zurich. She had
to come to Switzerland because the University of Zurich was one of the very few
Universities in Europe where women could get degrees. Einstein saw in her a friend
against the ‗philistines‘ and became romantically involved with her. They exchanged
a number of love letters. Einstein amalgamated science with romance as he wrote to
her: ―How happy and proud I shall be when we both have brought our work on
relativity to a victorious conclusion.‖
Einstein wished to marry Mileva right after finishing his studies but due to his mother‘s
reservations against her, he had to put the wedding off. Einstein‘s mother
disapproved of Mileva‘s age and intelligence. Finally, he married Mileva in January
1903 and had two sons. But in due course of time, Mileva was losing her intellectual
focus and becoming a despondent housewife. They fought a lot over the years and
finally got divorced in 1919.
Poetry
A Legend of Northland
Summary
The poem is a legend about an old lady who angered Saint Peter because of her
greed. The story goes‘ on like this. One day, Saint Peter was preaching around the
world and reached the door of a cottage where this woman lived. She was making
cakes and baking them on a hearth. St. Peter was fainting with hunger. He asked the
lady to give him a piece of cake. The cake that she was baking then appeared to be
too big, so she did not give him that and instead, she baked another smaller one.
That also appeared to be big so she did not give him that also. The second time she
baked yet another smaller cake but found it too big to give away. In the third
attempt, she took an extremely little scrap of dough and rolled it flat. She had it as
thin as a wafer but was unable to part with that also. This angered St. Peter a lot. He
said that she was not fit to live in human form and enjoy food and warmth. He cursed
her and transformed her into a woodpecker bird who had to bore in hard, dry wood
to get its scanty food. She can be seen in the trees all day boring and boring for
food.
Question and Answers
1. Which country or countries do you think ―the Northland‖ refers to?
Ans. The northland refers to the region around the north pole which is extremely cold. It
could be any country like Russia, Canada, Greenland, Norway, etc.
2. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady‘s reaction?
Ans. Saint Peter asked the lady to give him a cake as he was hungry. The lady did not
give him a cake out of the ones that she had baked, instead she baked a smaller one
for him.
3. How did he punish her?
Ans. He punished the selfish lady by turning her into a woodpecker bird that had to bore
into the dry wood all day to get some food and shelter.
4. How does the woodpecker get her food?
Ans. The woodpecker gets food by boring holes in the wood.
5. Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who
Saint Peter really was? What would she have done then?
Ans. If the old lady knew who Saint Peter was, then she would not have been ungenerous.
On the other hand, she would have served him well for the fulfilment of her greedy
desires.
6. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?
Ans. It is not a true story. The point of the story where the woman is turned into a
woodpecker bird is the most important. This is so because the punishment teaches
everyone the lesson to be generous.
7. What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?
Ans. A legend is a popular story from the past which is believed to be true but cannot be
verified. It contains a moral which is narrated to the children to teach them moral
values.
8. Write the story of ‗A Legend of Northland‘ in about ten sentences.
Ans. One day, Saint Peter was preaching around the world and reached the door of a
cottage where this woman lived. She was making cakes and baking them on a
hearth. St. Peter was fainting with hunger. He asked the lady to give him a piece of
cake. The cake that she was baking then appeared to be too big, so she did not give
him that and instead, she baked another smaller one. That also appeared to be big
so she did not give him that also. The second time she baked yet another smaller
cake but found it too big to give away. In the third attempt, she took an extremely
little scrap of dough and rolled it flat. She had it as thin as a wafer but was unable
to part with that also. This angered St. Peter a lot. He said that she was not fit to live
in human form and enjoy food and warmth. He cursed her and transformed her into a
woodpecker bird who had to bore in hard, dry wood to get its scanty food. She can
be seen in the trees all day boring and boring for food.
Long answer type questions
Q.1. A holy man should not curse the lady. Justify this statement in the context of the poem
‗A Legend of the Northland‘.
Ans. A holy man is known for his wisdom. He teaches moral lessons to the people whether
they are liberal or greedy. All are equal in his eyes. In the present story, Saint Peter
is a holy man. He is also famous for his preaching. He has preached and travelled a
lot. So, he is hungry. He asks the lady for some food but she does not share her food
with him. Finally, the saint becomes angry and curses her. In fact, he should have
shown some mercy and the example of his wisdom. Therefore, it is appropriate to
say that a holy man should not curse the lady.
Q.2. How can you say that the old lady was greedy?
Ans. The old lady was running a bakery. Saint Peter was a wise saint. He had travelled
and preached a lot so he was tired and hungry. He had arrived at her door for some
food. Still the lady made him wait for the cake for a long time. Every time she tried
to bake too small cake but unfortunately the cake often seemed to her of a bigger
size. The old lady did not want to share the cake of this size with the saint. At last,
the saint grew angry and cursed her. So, it can be said that her greed had no limit.
Q.3. Why was St. Peter forced to curse the greedy little woman? Do you justify the action
of St. Peter?
Ans: St. Peter was a holy man. He was a Christian saint. He spent his time moving around
places and preaching the people there. Saints generally bless the people. They don‘t
curse them. However, these holy men resort to cursing when people defy good sense
and become evil. The little woman in the story was extremely selfish and greedy.
After much travelling and preaching, St. Peter had become tired. He had become
weak and hungry after the fast. He came to the cottage of the little woman for food.
Seeing her baking cakes, St. Peter asked her to give one from her store of cakes. The
greedy woman made a very little piece of cake for him. Even that small piece looked
too large to be given away to the saint. Hence, she went on making it smaller and
smaller. The hungry St. Peter cursed the selfish and greedy woman. She was cursed
to be a woodpecker boring and struggling for her scanty food. St. Peter was justified
in cursing her. She had deprived a tired and hungry saint even from a small piece of
cake. She was rightly punished for her greed.
Q.4. Why was the little woman cursed particularly to be a woodpecker and not another
bird? How did she struggle to get her scanty food?
Ans. The little woman aroused the anger of a holy man. The saint spends most of his time
in travelling and preaching. Constant fasting had made him hungry and weak.
Saint Peter asked for a small piece of cake when he saw a little woman baking
cakes. The greedy woman could have easily given a piece of cake to the saint. But
the selfish woman thought that even a very little piece was too large to be given
away to him. She denied even this little offering. The saint cursed her to be a
woodpecker. A woodpecker has to bore for a long time to get even a scanty food.
She was cursed to labour hard by boring into the tree to get even her scanty food as
she had made the saint to wait so long for such a small piece of cake.
Supplementary Reader Moments
The Lost Child
Summary
It was the season of spring. The people of the village came out of their houses, in
colourful attire and walked towards the fair. A child along with his parents was
going to the fair and was very excited and happy. He was attracted to the stalls of
toys and sweets. Though, his father got angry but his mother pacified him and
diverted his attention towards other things. The child moved forward but once again
lagged behind because his eyes were caught by one thing or the other every now
and then.
As they moved forward, the child wanted the various things on the stalls. His mouth
watered seeing sweets decorated with gold and silver leaves. He wanted his
favourite burfi but knowing that his parents would refuse on the ground that he was
greedy, he walked ahead. Then he saw beautiful garlands of gulmohur but didn‘t
ask for it, then he saw balloons but he knew very well that his parents would deny
due to the fact that he was too old to play with balloons, so he walked away.
Then he saw a snake charmer and a roundabout swing. As he stopped to ask his
parents for permission to enjoy the swing, to his astonishment, there was no reply.
Neither his father nor his mother was there. Now the child realized that he was lost.
He ran here and there but could not find them. The place was overcrowded. He got
terrified but suddenly a kind hearted man took him up in his arms and consoled the
bitterly weeping child. He asked if he would like to have a joyride but the child
sobbed ―I want my father, I want my mother.‖ The man offered him sweets, balloons
and garland but the child kept sobbing ―I want my father, I want my mother.‖
Question and Answers
Q.1 What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?
Ans. On his way to the fair, the child sees the following things1. He saw toys that were
displayed in the shops lined up on the way.
2. He saw the vast mustard field which seemed like melting gold.
3. There were brightly coloured dragonflies, butterflies and black bees which
flapped their wings and sat on the flowers to suck nectar from them.
4. He also saw little insects and worms along the footpath that were crawling out of
the holes in the footpath to get sunshine.
5. The child saw a dove bird in the grove.
6. Also, he saw hordes of people walking towards the fair.
The child often lagged behind because he would watch the different happenings
around him. He would get attracted to these things and would stop in his way. Then,
his parents would walk ahead and he would be left behind.
Q.2. In the fair he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without
waiting for an answer?
Ans. In the fair, the boy wanted the following things1. He wanted to buy a burfi from the
sweetmeat seller.
2. He wanted a garland of flowers from the flower seller.
3. Next, he saw a balloon seller and wanted a balloon.
4. When he saw the snake - charmer he was attracted to the music of the flute and
wanted to listen to it.
5. He wanted to take a ride on the roundabout swing.
The child moved ahead from all the stalls without waiting for a reply because he
knew that his parents would not heed to his demands. He knew their replies in each
case would be as follows -
1. For the burfi, they would say that he was a greedy child.
2. The garland of flowers would not be bought because it was considered cheap.
3. They would not buy him a balloon because he was grown up to play with it.
4. The child‘s parents had warned him from listening to such unpleasant music as was
played by the snake - charmers.
3. When does he realise that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity
been described?
Ans. When the child raised his demand for a ride on the round about, his parents did not
reply. He moved his head up to look for them. It was then that he discovered that he
had lost his way. His anxiety and insecurity have been described in the following
ways1. The child saw hefty men with murderous eyes and got scared of them.
2. He ran here and there looking for his parents.
3. His turban untied.
4. His clothes became dirty.
5. He was screaming at the top of his voice.
4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?
Ans. The lost child loses interest in the things that he wanted earlier because now he is sad
as he has lost his parents. Before getting anything of his choice like sweets, flowers,
balloons, joy rides and music, he wants to reunite with his mother and father.
5. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?
A. The ending of the story is not given. I think that in the end, the boy finds his parents
standing at the fair reception. Thus, the child finds his parents and they reunite once
again.
Short Answer Questions
Q.1 How did the child react when there was no sign of his parents ?
Ans. The child was very innocent. He gets confused and panic-stricken on not seeing his
parents. He felt lonely without his parents amidst so much of crowd. The man who
tries to console the child also does not achieve any success as the boy only needs his
parents and no monetary benefit.
Q.2 Where did the child go with his parents ? What did he want there ?
Ans. The child went to a fair with his parents. He wanted garlands, balloons and sweets
over there. He also wanted to see the snake and take a ride on the swing.
Q.3 Why did the lost child refuse to take his favourite things in the fair after loosing his
parents ?
Ans. The child refused to take his favourite things in the fair after he lost his parents as he
missed them and wanted to meet them only. Now, he had lost interest in all his
favourite things.
Q.4 How did the mother distract the child‘s mind from the toy seller ?
Ans. The mother distracted the child‘s mind from the toy seller by pointing towards a
flowering mustard field. He saw colourful dragon flies and staffed running after
them.
Q.5 How was the child separated from his parents ?
Ans. The boy was attracted to toys, balloons and sweets in the fair. He got fascinated
withthe flute music being played by the snake charmer. While watching the
roundaboutswing he got separated from his parents.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q.1 What changes do you notice in the behaviour of the child, once he is separated from
his parents in the story ―The Lost Child‖ ?
Ans. A child along with his parents had been to a fair. He was very excited and happy
with the stalls of toys and sweets. He gets separated from his parents and starts
crying. He runs hither and thither in search of his parents, but in vain. Since the place
was overcrowded he got real scared. He started cryjng as he was all alone. A kind
hearted man offers him many things but he refuses. The child who wanted everything
from the fair was now not interested in any of these things as he only yearned to be
with his parents.
Q.2 Compare the attitude of the child before and after his separation from his parents.
Ans. Before separation the child was very happy and excited at the fair. He was
fascinated with all the things that were displayed at the stalls. He wanted to have all
the things like his favourite toys, sweets, flowers, etc. He also wanted to go for a
ride. But after separation the boy just wanted to be with his parents. He was not
interested in any of those things which he kept longing to have from the stalls. In the
absence of his parents these things did not give him any satisfaction.
Q.3 How did the man who found the little boy in the fair, try to soothe him ?
Ans. The man who found the little boy in the fair tried every possible way to soothe him.
He took himto a roundabout swing then offered a horse ride, tried to make him listen
to the snake charmer‘ssong and offered him a balloon, as he thought that this would
distract his mind, but in vain. Heoffered him flowers and sweets, but the child kept
crying. The child could not be distracted byany of the things at the fair as he longed
to be with his parents.
The Adventures of Toto
Summary
The writer‘s grandfather liked to collect animals and had a zoo at home. Once he
bought a monkey named Toto from a tonga driver for a sum of five rupees.
Toto was kept secretly as the grandmother disliked animals. Toto was very
mischievous. When the writer and his grandfather hid Toto in a cupboard, and tied
him to a hook, he broke the hook and caused havoc in the room. The next day, when
he was kept in the servants room along with other animals, he did not let them sleep
all night.
As grandfather had to go to Saharanpur for work, he decided to take the monkey
along with him. He carried Toto in a strong bag made of canvas and closed the zip
nicely so that Toto could not escape. Toto made unsuccessful attempts to get out of
the bag, which made the back jump and roll. This aroused the curiosity of fellow
passengers at the railway station. At the Saharanpur railway station, when
grandfather was getting his ticket checked, Toto peeked out of the bag and smiled
at the ticket collector. As the ticket collector declared that it was a dog, grandfather
had to buy a ticket for 3 rupees, much to his annoyance.
When toto was accepted by grandmother, it was given a place in the stable along
with the donkey- Nana. Toto did not get along with nana as well.
Toto enjoyed taking bath in warm water during the winter season. One day, he
almost boiled himself when he jumped into a kettle of boiling water.
One afternoon, Toto ate the family meal of pulao. He threw the empty dish from the
tree and it broke it into several pieces.
Toto‘s mischiefs grew by the day and grandfather realized that they could not keep
him at home. Finally, he found the same tonga driver and sold Toto back to him for a
sum of three rupees.
Question and Answers
1. How does Toto come to grandfather‘s private zoo?
Ans. The writer‘s grandfather liked to collect animals and had made a zoo at home. One
day, he saw a red - coloured monkey tied to a trough with a tonga driver. He liked
the monkey and wanted to add it to his collection. He bought Toto from the tonga
driver for a sum of five rupees.
2. ―Toto was a pretty monkey.‖ In what sense is Toto pretty?
Ans. The writer says that Toto was pretty. He had bright, shining eyes which were full of
mischief. His teeth were like pearls. He had a long tail which was like a third hand
for him. The writer‘s grandfather felt that a tail added to the beauty of an animal.
So, Toto was thought to be a pretty animal.
3. Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket
collector insist on calling Toto a dog?
A. Grandfather took Toto along with himself to Saharanpur because as he was
mischievous, it was not safe to leave him alone at home. A bag made of strong
canvas material was arranged. Some straw was placed in it. Toto was placed inside
the bag and the bag was sealed with the zipper.
The ticket collector did not accept grandfather‘s claim that Toto was not a dog. He
called it a dog and charged a ticket fee for it because only dogs were allowed to
travel on trains. If Toto had to travel by train, then, he would have to be termed a
dog.
4. How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto almost
boil himself alive?
Ans. Toto would check the temperature of the water by inserting his hand in it. Then he
would step into the tub, one foot at a time. Finally, he would sit in it, with his face out.
Then he would rub soap on his body. When the water became cold, he would jump
out and run to the stove in the kitchen to dry himself.
He had learnt this way of bathing from the writer.
On day, Toto jumped into a kettle of water kept on the stove for boiling as he found
it warm enough for a bath. As the water grew hotter, he thought of ascending but the
cold weather made him go back into the kettle. Toto kept on doing this for a while till
he was spotted by the grandmother. She pulled him out of the kettle in time or else
he would have boiled himself that day.
5. Why does the author say, ―Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long‖?
Ans. The author says that Toto was not the kind of pet that they could keep for long
because he was extremely mischievous. He destroyed many things - he tore the
wallpapers, clothes and curtains. He broke dishes too. The family could not afford all
this and so, decided to get rid of Toto.
Short Answer Questions
Q.1 Why did the author‘s grandfather decide to buy Toto ?
Ans. Grandfather was an animal lover and took pity on Toto as it was kept tied to a
feeding trough. Toto looked out of place and grandfather decided to bring it to his
private zoo. He was much impressed by Toto.
Q.2 Why could not Toto and Nana become friends?
Ans. Toto was very naughty and wicked and could not stay still for a long time. Nana was
a well behaved and docile animal. When they were together Toto bit on the long
ears of Nana and Nana got annoyed with Toto. Thus, Nana and Toto could not
become friends.
Q.3 How does Toto become a problem to grandfather while going to Saharanpur?
Ans. While going to Saharanpur, Toto behaved well. When grandfather was producing
his ticket, Toto suddenly poked his head out of the bag. He gave the ticket collector a
wide grin. The ticket collector insisted that grandfather must buy the ticket for the
pet and proved to be a big problem for grandfather.
Q.4 Where was Toto kept immediately after grandfather got him ? Why ?
Ans. Toto was kept in a closet. He was tied securely to a peg because his presence was to
be kept a secret from the writer‘s grandmother as she abhorred animals.
Q.5 Who was Nana ? How did Toto tease Nana ?
Ans. Nana was the family donkey. Toto was kept in the stable with Nana, where Toto
Used to tease Nana by fastbiting on to her long ears with his sharp little teeth. Even
Nana got fed up with Toto.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q.1 Write your views in the form of short paragraph on the topic ―Should animals be
kept as a pet‖.
OR
While keeping pets at home, what all things should be kept in mind ?
Ans. Before bringing a pet in the house, we should remember that these animals can
neither speak nor express as humans. As a pet owner we should know that there are
a number of dangers that lurk in our households for these little creatures. We should
always keep pesticides and medicines at a bay from the animals and children as
they are a potential threat to them. The areas where pets might start fire
inadverently such as kitchen or fire places or plugs should be covered, we should
never have pets unattended around the open flames. Small electrical couds are also
harmful for them hence they would be wounded and kept at distance. All the pots
and oil bottles should be properly closed.
Q.2 How can you say that Toto was a mischievous pet ?
Ans. Toto was indeed a very mischievous pet. He tore the wall papers of the rooms, and
also tore the school blazer. He troubled other fellow animals. He even managed to
get himself into trouble by nearly half boiling himself in a kettle. He made holes in
dresses and curtains. Once he even scared the ticket checker. He even broke dishes in
the houses. He proved to be a big troublemaker for everyone. Thus, we can say that
Toto was a mischievous pet.
In the Kingdom of Fools
Summary
‗In the kingdom of fools‘ is an interesting story of a kingdom run by a foolish king.
One day, a saint and his disciple reached the kingdom. The saint was astonished to
see that the people were sleeping during the day and worked during the night. He
was disturbed to see that all the food items in the kingdom costed the same- one
duddu. He analysed that it was a kingdom of fools and ordered his disciple to leave
the place. The disciple did not leave with his guru as he was lured by the abundance
of cheap food.
One day, a man approached the king for justice. He claimed that his brother was
committing his ancient trade of theft and during that, the wall of a man's house fell on
him and he died. He asked the king to get him compensated. As the king was foolish,
he did not analyse that the dead man was a criminal. On the contrary, he tried all
the people who were involved in the death of the thief- the rich merchant who was
the owner of the house whose wall had broken, the man who had built the wall, the
dancing girl due to whom the builder had built a weak wall and the Goldsmith
because of whom the dancing girl had to move around in the street that day. Finally,
the king decided that the merchant‘s father was the real culprit. As he was dead and
his son had inherited all his property, so, he would also get punished in place of his
father. Another turn of events takes place when the minister feels that the merchant is
too thin to be killed by the stake. The king orders his men to find a fat person who
could be punished in place of the merchant. As the disciple had become very fat, the
men took him to the king. The innocent man prayed to his guru for help . The guru
visualizes that his disciple is in trouble and reaches to save him. He uses his
Intelligence and wisdom to trap the foolish king. Finally, the king and his minister get
themselves killed by the stake in place of the Guru and his disciple. The people of
the kingdom beg the guru and his disciple to become their new king and minister. The
guru agreed on a condition that the kingdom would function normally like all other
kingdoms did.
Question and Answers
1. What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of
Fools?
Ans. When the guru and his disciple reach the kingdom of fools, they find the following
two strange things4
a) All the people sleep during the day and work during the night time. They have
trained the cattle and all the other animals also to do the same as they fear
punishment at the hands of the king.
b) Everything in the kingdom of fools- a bag of rice or a bunch of bananas costs
one duddu. The guru is astonished and his disciple is excited to realise that food is so
cheap in the kingdom.
2. Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea?
Ans. The disciple loves food. He gets excited to see such cheap food available in the
kingdom of fools. As he wants to relish more and more food, he stays back in the
kingdom of fools. His decision was not a good one as he got into trouble. Although he
was innocent, the king's men took him for execution as they needed a fat person who
could be killed easily by the stake.
3. Name all the people who are tried in the king‘s court, and give the reasons for their
trial.
Ans. The names of the people who were tried in the king's court are as followsa) The rich
merchant who was the owner of the house was tried because the wall that
collapsed onto the thief belonged to him. Later, on he was again tried and held
guilty on behalf of his dead father who had ordered the goldsmith to deliver the
ornaments in a haste due to which the goldsmith could not deliver the dancing girl‘s
ornaments in time.
b) The bricklayer who had built the weak wall was also tried for constructing the wall
that collapsed and killed the thief.
c) The dancing girl was tried for distracting the bricklayer. As she walked in the lane
again and again, the jingling sound of her anklets distracted the bricklayer because
of which he constructed a weak wall.
d) The goldsmith was tried because it was due to him that the dancing girl had to
walk up and down the lane again and again.
e) The rich merchant‘s dead father was tried because he had ordered the goldsmith
to deliver his ornaments first as there was a wedding with his family. Due to his order
the goldsmith was unable to make the dancing girl‘s ornaments in time.
4. Who is the real culprit according to the king? Why does he escape punishment?
Ans. According to the king, the real culprit was the merchant‘s dead father. As he was
dead, he could not be punished and in place of him, his son who had inherited all his
property would be punished.
The merchant escapes the punishment as the minister feels that he is too thin to be
killed by the stake.
5. What are the Guru‘s words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember them?
Ans. The Guru had told his disciple that the place was a kingdom of fools and they was
unsafe for them. He had asked his disciple to leave the place at once. The disciple is
reminded of his Guru‘s words of wisdom when he lands into trouble. When the king's
men take him for execution, he prays to his Guru and asks him to save his life.
6. How does the guru manage to save his disciple‘s life?
Ans. The guru is a wise and intelligent man. He traps the foolish king in his talks. He says
that as he is the Guru, he is senior to his disciple and so, he should be killed first. The
king gets confused to see the Guru‘s eagerness to die. He asks him the reason for it.
On being promise that he would be killed first, the Guru says that as the stake is a
new one, it has not killed any criminal. He adds that the person who would be killed
by the state first would be reborn as the king of the kingdom. The second person who
would be killed by the stake would be reborn as the Minister of the kingdom. The
king considers the Guru to be genuine and so, tells his minister that they should not
lose their kingdom in the next birth. In this way, the king decides to save his kingdom
and get himself and his minister killed by the stake in place of the guru and his
disciple. Hence, the Guru saves his disciple‘s life.
Short Answer Questions
Q.1. Why were the people of the kingdom confused when they saw the dead bodies of
the king and his minister ?
Ans. The people of the kingdom were confused as to how their king and the minister were
dead instead of the Guru and the disciple* The peoplevere not able to see through
the plan which was executed by the Guru against their king and minister.
Q.2 When does the disciple remember the words of his Guru?
Ans. The disciple did not pay any heed to the advice of his Guru, when the Guru asked
him to leave the kingdom of fools. When the king decided that the disciple was the
suitable person for execution, he remembered the words of the Guru
Q.3 How was the kingdom of fools different from any other place ?
Ans. Everything was different at the kingdom of fools. The night was considered as day
and day as night. Not only the human beings even the animals stayed awake at
night. Anything and everything could be bought for a Dudu.
Q.4 Why did the Guru want that he and his disciple should die first ?
Ans. The king had ordered the execution of the rich merchant. Since the rich merchant
could not be executed the disciple was chosen to fit the stake. The disciple‘s Guru
had a vision and saw everything. In order to save his disciple, the Guru hatched a
plan
Q5 On what conditions did the Guru and his distiple agree to rule that kingdom ?
Ans. He laid the condition that he would be free to change all the old and foolish laws.
Hence night was considered as night and day was regarded as a normal working
day. Even persuaded prices were changed according to the value of the material.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q.1 Disciple in the story didn‘t look into the depth of the matter and took a hasty decision
of not leaving the kingdom of fools. What light does the story throw on the importnce
of good decision making one‘s life ?
Ans. Disciple in the story didn‘t look into the depth of the matter and took a hasty decision
of not leaving the kingdom of fools. Disciple was waylaid by the prices of the
commodities. Anything could be • bought with a ‗Dudu‘. Either it could be a mass of
rice or a bunch of bananas. So, the disciple decided to stay back not listening to his
Guru who advised his disciple that it was dangerous to stay back in the kingdom of
fools as there was no justice, prevalent in such kingdom. It was when the disciple was
chosen as the suitable person for execution that he realized his mistake. He regretted
his decision of staying back. Just one small decision costed his life.
Q.2 Do you believe in the fact that our prayers are often heard and answered ? There
are miracles which change the course of life. Which miracle took place in the story. ‗In
the Kingdom of Fools? What lesson do you learn from the Guru‘s word of wisdom ?
Ans. It is often believed that our prayers are often heard and answered which was
proved in the story. ‗In the Kingdom of Fools‘. The king had ordered to execute the
disciple. He prayed to Guru to save him. It was a miracle that his Guru heard his
prayer and came to rescue him. He whispered something in his ears and then asked
the king to execute him first and then the disciple. The king released them both on
knowing that whoever died first would be the king in his next birth. It was his Guru‘s
advice and presence of mind that saved the disciple. The disciple realized his
mistake for Guru‘s not listening to the Guru‘s words of wisdom.
The Happy Prince
Summary
Once in a town there lived a prince. He was called the Happy Prince because he had
been happy all his life. After his death, his statue was erected on a tall pedestal in
the middle of the town. The statue was covered with gold and had two precious
sapphire stones embedded in the eyes. A ruby stone had been fitted into the handle
of his sword. From there, he could see all around the place and realized that the
people lived in a lot of poverty and misery. This sight saddened the prince and
being helpless, he would weep to see the plight of his people.
One day a swallow bird was flying through the city, on its way to Egypt to meet its
friends. On the way, it took shelter for the night at the feet of the statue of the
happy prince. The bird realized that the statue was weeping and upon inquiry,
realized the plight of the prince. The helpless prince requested the bird to help it by
becoming its messenger. After initial refusal, the bird agreed and took the ruby stone
out of the sword hilt and delivered it to a poor seamstress. The next morning, as he
went to bid goodbye, the statue convinced him to stay back for one more day. That
day, the bird was asked to remove the sapphire stone from one of the statue‘s eyes
and deliver it to a young playwright. Also, on the third day the bird had to pull out
the second sapphire stone for a poor match girl. By this time, the weather had
become cold and the bird had developed an attachment with the statue. The bird did
not want to leave the statue which had now become blind. The happy prince asked
the bird to go around the city and inform him the condition of the people living there.
The bird told him that the rich were making merry while the poor lived in misery. As
the happy prince did not have any more precious stones, he ordered the bird to
remove the gold foils from his body and distribute among the living who needed
money for survival. Gradually, the statue of the prince lost its covering of gold and
became dull and grey. On the other hand, the poor became joyous as they got
bread to eat. The swallow bird was now unable to withstand the cold weather and
realized that death was approaching. It informed the statue that it had to leave and
the statue, who loved the bird asked it to kiss him. As the bird died and fell at the
statue‘s feet, a strange sound came out of the statue - the sound of the breaking of
its heart. Although the statue‘s heart was made of lead, it broke as it was
overwhelmed with affection towards the bird. When the statue was melted in the
furnace, the heart did not melt and was thrown in the garbage. It landed near the
swallow‘s body. God‘s angels took both the dead swallow and the broken heart to
him as they were the most precious things on land.
Question and Answers
Q1. Why do the courtiers call the prince ‗the Happy Prince‘? Is he really happy? What
does he see all around him?
Ans. The prince was called the ‗Happy Prince‘ because all his life, he had lived in
happiness. After his death, his statue was put up in the middle of the town. From there
he could see the plight of the people which made him unhappy. The sight of poor,
sad people made him unhappy.
Q2. Why does the Happy Prince send a ruby for the seamstress? What does the swallow
do in the seamstress‘ house?
Ans. The happy prince saw that the poor seamstress was tired and had no money to look
after her ill son. He thought of helping her by sending her the ruby. The swallow
placed the ruby stone on the worktable next to the thimble. Them it flew over to the
sick child who was uneasy. As his mother had dozed off while working, and the boy
was feeling hot, the swallow flapped its wings to give him some air. This comforted
the boy and put him to sleep.
Q3. What does the swallow see when it flies over the city?
Ans. The swallow bird saw the rich making merry in their beautiful houses, while the
beggars were sitting at the gates. He flew into dark lanes, and saw the white faces
of starving children looking out listlessly at the black streets. Under the archway of a
bridge two little boys were lying in each other‘s arms trying to keep themselves
warm. They were hungry. They ran away from there when the watchman shouted at
them.
Q4. Why did the swallow not leave the prince and go to Egypt?
Ans. The swallow bird did not leave the prince as it loved him. As the statue was blind, the
bird wanted to remain with it.
Q5. What are the precious things mentioned in the story? Why are they precious?
A. The two precious things are the dead swallow bird and the statue‘s broken heart.
According to God, they were precious because in the garden of paradise, the little
bird shall sing for ever more and in heaven, the Happy Prince‘s heart shall praise
God.
Short Answer Questions
Q.1 Why did the Swallow cry when the Happy Prince asked him to pluck out one of the
sapphires?
Ans. The swallow cried when the Prince asked him to pluck out one of the sapphires
because the Prince would go blind. The Prince himself suffered too much so as to help
the poor and needy people.
Q.2 Where was the swallo going ? Why did he decide not go there ?
Ans. The little swallow was going to Egypt to join his friends. The happy Prince looked so
sad that the swallow decided to stay back and be his messenger. The swallow died
helping the happy Prince in the service of poor people.
Q.3 What were the drops of the rain actully ? Why did they fall ?
Ans. The drops of rain were actually the Happy Prince‘s tears. The Happy prince was sad
and moved by the widespread poverty and misery. He had always seen happiness
around him. He could not fathom that people were sick and crying because of the
misery around them.
Q.4 Describe the statue of the Happy Prince as described in the beginning of the story ?
Ans. At the beginning of the story the statue was fixed on a tall column, full of thin leaves
of gold on the body, and had two sapphires for eyes. It had a large red ruby fixed
on the hilt of thesword.
Q.5 How did the Happy Prince help the poor children in the city?
Ans. As per the orders of the Happy Prince, the gold leaves and the jewels on his boy
weretaken out by the swallow and distributed among the poor. Thus, the Happy
Prince was able to help the poor children in the city.
Q.6 In the story ―The Happy Prince‖ what are the two most precious things ? What makes
them so precious ?
Ans. The two most precious things were the leaden heart of the Happy Prince and the
dead swallow. The former wept for the poor and helped them by giving sapphires,
gold leave and ruby. While the latter helped the prince in his noble cause and
sacrificed her life while staying with him.
Q.7 How did the Happy Prince help the seamstress ?
Ans. The Happy Prince asked the swallow to take the ruby out of his sword, where it was
hidden and give it to the seamstress, whose son was lying on the bed with fever. The
swallow took the ruby and placed it on the table.
Q.8 How did the prince and the swallow enable the playwright to finish his work ?
Ans. The playwright was very poor. He could not buy food and firewood. It was difficult
for him to write a play without food and firewood. The Prince took pity on him and
decided to help him by sending the sapphires with the help of the swallow.
Q.9 What were the drops of the rain actually ? Why did they fall ?
Ans. The drops of rain were actually tears of the Happy Prince because he was weeping
onseeing the misery and suffering of the people.
Q.10 Why was the ―Happy Prince‖ not really happy ?
Ans. When the ‗Happy Prince‘ was alive, he did not know what tears and sorrow were.
Afterhis death, he could see the ugliness and misery of the city. Therefore, he weeps
and is not really happy.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q.1 How did the little swallow carry out the wishes of the Happy Prince ?
Ans. The swallow wanted to go to Egypt just like his friends who had already gone there.
He had rested • at the base of the statue of the Happy Prince for just a night. He
postponed his trip as he had to carry a ruby to the needy playwright and another to
the seamstress. When the Happy Prince gave the sapphire from his eye to the match
girl he became blind. So the swallow decided to stay there and help the needy just
like the prince. The swallow died carrying out the wishes of the Happy Prince in the
service of the needy.
English Grammar
Diary Entry
Guidelines for Diary Writing:-
A diary entry has no fixed format or style of writing. However, a good diary entry
does contain the following features:
1. A good diary writing contains the place, the date, the day and even the time
of writing. For example:
Agra
20th July, 20XX
Friday, 8:00 p.m.
2. A diary doesn‘t need any formal heading. However, it is optional. If you want,
you can give a suitable heading.
3. The style and tone is generally informal and personal. However, it depends on
thesubject. Sometimes the tone can be philosophical and reflective too. You
canfreely express your viewpoints and feelings.
4. As the diary is writer‘s personal document, the diary entry doesn‘t need any
signature. It is totally optional.
5. You can evolve your own suitable style depending on the topic of your writing.
Solved Examples
Q.1 You recently visited the 24th Crafts Mela at Suraj Kund, Faridabad. It was Mini India
assembled at one place. Using the hints, make a diary entry of what you saw and
experienced there.
Hints: • More than 20 states of India represented • Rajasthan - the theme state •
Participation of foreign countries • cultural programmes, dances at ‗Chaupal‘ and
‗Rangmanch‘ • Food courts catering all kinds of foods • arts and handicrafts
from the awarded artisans.
Ans. New Delhi
20th March, 20XX
Monday, 8:00 pm
Dear Diary,
The Crafts Mela at Suraj Kund was much more impressive and grand than what I had
imagined. This year the ‗Theme State‘ was Rajasthan. The whole campus was painted
with the visuals of Ranthambore, Chittor, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. It was Mini India
assembled on a few hundred acres of land. All the awarded artisans from different
states had set up their workshops and stalls there. Many countries, more particularly
Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan gave it an international look. Bangles, jewellery
decoration pieces, wall-hangings, purses, shoes, sarees, garments and cosmetics
found thousands of buyers. Every evening there were cultural shows at the ‗Chaupal‘
and the ‗Rangmanch‘. The ‗Food Court‘ provided all kinds of delicacies for foodlovers.
Basically, it was India in all its colours, tastes and sounds scattered on the
Aravalli hills.Sameer
Q.2: You paid a visit to an ‗Old Home‘ with other N.S.S. Volunteers. Using the hints given
below together with your own ideas, make a diary entry of what you saw and
experienced there.
Hints: • Old home • Mostly senior citizens above 60 • Peaceful surroundings •
Spacious • Clean rooms and baths • Regular Medical check-ups • a good library •
Means of recreation • A home away from home.
Ans. Bhiwadi
10thMarch,20XX
Monday, 4:00 pm
Dear Diary,
With the disintegration of the joint family system, the old people find themselves
deserted and alone. It is unfortunate that in the evening of their lives, they are not looked after
by their children. The concept of ‗Old homes‘ is for such old people. I made it a point to visit
the ‗Old Home‘ at Bhiwadi. The Home is situated at a peaceful place. The building is simple
but spacious and clean. It seems to be an ideal place for the senior citizens.
A doctor visits the Home daily to check up the senior citizens. There is a permanent nurse
employed to look after and give them medicine on time. The home has a good library and
several means of recreation All the inmates showered their parental love by insisting on
having lunch with us. What a satisfying and rewarding visit it was to meet our grandpas and
grannies!
Sonu
Articles
General Guidelines for Article Writing
1. Always study the given input, information or notes carefully.
2. Arrange them in a systematic order.
3. Develop each point in a simple, grammatically correct language.
4. Your article must present your ideas not in a sketchy but in a coherent and logical
manner. Develop your writing into paragraphs.
5. Confine yourself to the given subject. Superfluous and unnecessary details must be
avoided at all cost.
SOLVED EXAMPLES
Q.1 Taking help from the verbal input given below along with your own views, write an
article on ‗Cleaning and Rejuvenating the Ganga‘. You are Nikhi/Neha.
Hints: • Cleaning the Ganga • an unprecedented national social effort • Govt,
committed to clean and rejuvenate the Ganga • SC not satisfied • a time bond
proposal to fulfill the mission • inland waterways • river navigation • extending
sewerage infrastructure • prevent open defecation • restoring wholesomeness of the
Ganga • development of ghats • Zero liquid discharge by industries • provisions for
public amenities for pilgrims and tourists.
Ans. Cleaning and Rejuvenating the Ganga
Nikhi/Neha
The Ganga is not merely a river for all the Indians and more particularly to the
Hindus, but it is the lifeline of India and the physical and spiritual nourisher of crores
of its people. It is a symbol of India‘s great heritage, ancient traditions, cultures,
songs and stories. We can‘t think of India without the Ganga and the Himalayas.
Unfortunately, the sacred Ganga has become one of the most polluted rivers of the
world in recent years. Fortunately, the Modi government has shown its commitment to
clean and rejuvenate the Ganga. Uma Bharti heads a specially created ministry for
cleaning the holy river. Cleaning the Ganga will be an unprecedented national social
effort. What makes the Ganga a heavily polluted river? Various factors and causes
contribute to make the river what it is. The worst criminals are more than one
thousand industries that discharge their toxic wastes into the river. The government
will have to take strict measures to treat solid and liquid discharges making them
totally pollution free. The sewerage infrastructure will have to be exteftded and
updated. The people residing on the banks will be involved and enlightened. Burning
and throwing of dead bodies into the river must be stopped. Open defecation on the
banks will have to be stopped.
Development of ghats at Kedamath, Haridwar, Varanasi, Kanpur, Allahabad and
Patna is an important feature of the plan. Provisions for public amenities for pilgrims
and tourists will be made. Inland waterways river navigation will be another priority.
Q.2 Taking help from the information given below and inventing your own ideas, write an
article on ‗Swachha Bharat Abhiyan‘ or ‗Clean India Campaign‘.
Hints: • ‗Swachha Bharat Abhiyan‘ • announced by the PM on 15th August, 2014 •
launched on 2nd October • addressed public rally at Rajpath • himself swept a
parking at Mandir Marg Police Station and pavement in Valmiki Basti • aims to
accomplish the vision ‗Clean India‘ by 2019 • 3 million govt, employees and students
to participate • responsibility of all 1.25 billion Indians • not only the responsibility of
‗Safai Kaamgar‘ • mission beyond politics • inspired by patriotism • good response
on the social media.
Ans. Swachha Bharat Abhiyan or Clean India Campaign
Abhishek
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his nationwide cleanliness campaign, the
‗Swachha Bharat Abhiyan‘ or ‗Clean India Campaign‘ from the Valmiki Basti on 2nd
October, 2014. Addressing the nation at the launch, Modi asked 1.25 billion people
to join the ‗ Swachha Bharat Abhiyan‘ and promote it to everyone. Modi himself
swept a pavement at Valmiki Basti, a colony of sanitary workers. Launching the
campaign, Modi reminded the people that cleanliness is not only the responsibility of
the ‗Safai Kamgars‘ but also the responsibility of 1.25 billion Indians. The Prime
Minister assured the nation that ‗Swachha Bharat Abhiyan‘ is beyond politics.
The Prime Minister also started a social media campaign. He invited nine people to
join the campaign and they would invite another nine people. He invited master
blaster Sachin Tendulkar, Bolywood stars Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Salman
Khan, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev and industrialists like the Ambanis. The Prime
Minister showed his deep concern at mothers and daughters going in the open to
relieve themselves. More than 60% people in India defecate in the open.
Constructing toilets in schools and villages, particularly for girls and women, would be
the top priority for the government. The Prime Minister also pledged to people `
saying, ―I would not litter and won‘t allow anyone to do so‖.
Tenses
1. Time and Tense
Time is universally divided into past, present, and future. Tense is a form of the verb
that expresses time. For example, ―she goes‘ is the present tense and ‗she went‘ is the
past tense of the verb ‗to go‘. Thus the verb changes its form to show whether an
action takes place in the present or it took place in the past.
2. Tenses
There are two tenses in English—the simple present and the simple past.
Note. Remember that there is no future tense in English to express future time. We
use the modal auxiliaries shall and will in the present simple tense, etc, to express
future time.
3. Aspect
There are two aspects in English—the progressive (continuous) and the perfect. The
progressive aspect shows that an action is still in progress, while the perfect aspect
shows that the work is complete.
4. The following table shows the different forms of the verb:
5. Forms of the Present Simple Tense:
 Thus we have seen that the simple present tense is formed by using the
plain infinitive. But -s or -es are added to the bare infinitive (i.e. infinitive
without ‗to‘) for the third person singular (He, She) and singular noun (Nitu).
 We form the negative sentences by using doesn‘t or don‘t before the main
verb.
 The interrogative sentences are formed by using do or does before the
subject.
 The negative interrogative sentences are formed by using do or does before
the subject andnotafterthesubject.But the short forms don‘t and doesn‘t
come before the subject.
6. Uses of the Present Simple Tense:
The simple present tense is used
(i) to express universal truths, facts, customs:
 The sun sets in the west.
 The earth revolves round the sun.
 Water freezes at 0°
 The Hindus cremate their dead.
(ii) to express habitual action:
 I go to temple daily.
 My father goes for a walk in the evening.
 He gets up at 4 a.m daily.
 She walk to the office every day
(iii) to express a permanent state:
 My house faces west.
 Delhi stands on the bank of the yamuna,
 NH-1 (National Highway) leads to Amritsar.
 The house has four rooms.
(iv) in exclamatory sentences:
 Look out!
 Here comes the bus!
 There goes the train!
(v) in subordinate clauses beginning with ‗if‘ and when‘:
 If you request him, he will help you.
 If he works hard, he will pass.
 When you go there, try to meet him.
(vi) in imperative sentences:
 Let us go out for a walk.
 Obey your elders.
 Shut the door.
 Please, give me a glass of water.
(vii) to indicate a planned future action or series of action when they refer to a
journey.
 He comes here tomorrow.
 This aeroplane files for London next week.
 Our examination commences on next Monday.
 We leave Delhi at 9 a.m. and reach.
(viii) for narrative events in a dramatic way:
 The sound of firing is heard.
 Lights are switched on.
 The hero is seen lying dead on the stage.
(ix) in running commentaries on sports events:
 Mohit passes the ball to Rohit.
 Rohit hits the ball straight into the goal.
(x) to introduce quotations:
 Our teacher says, ―Slow and steady wins the race.‖
 My father says, ‖ Hard work is the key to success.‖
Note: We generally use the following adverbs or adverbial phrases in the
present tense:
always, often, daily, generally, usually, everyday, every week, frequently, etc.
7. Present Progressive Tense Form:
(i) The present progressive tense is formed by adding present participle (verb +
ing) to the present forms of the auxiliary, be: am/is/are + present participle:
 She is singing.
 I am working.
 They are sleeping.
(ii) The negative is formed by putting not after the auxiliary:
 She is not singing, (isn‘t)
 I am not working, (ain‘t)
 They are not sleeping, (aren‘t)
(iii) The interrogative is formed by placing the auxiliaries before the subject:
 Is she singing?
 Am I working?
 Are they sleeping?
(iv) The negative interrogative is formed by placing the auxiliary verbs before
the subject and by placing not after the subject:
 Is she not singing? (Isn‘t she … ?)
 Am I not working? (Ain‘t I… ?)
 Are they not sleeping? (Aren‘t they … ?)
Note: The negative interrogative form of ‗/ am‘ is Am I not? But the contracted
form is: Ain‘t I?
Uses of the Present Progressive Tense:
(i) The present progressive tense is used for an action that is in progress at the
time of speaking:
 He is reading a newspaper.
 The children are playing football.
 The girl is singing a song. I am doing my work.
(ii) The present progressive tense is used for an action that is in progress and will
continue in future. It may not be going on at the time of speaking:
 He is learning English.
 My neighbour is writing a novel.
(iii) It is used to describe an action that is planned to take place in the near
future:
 I am meeting him tomorrow.
 He is going to England next week.
 They are not coming here on Monday.
(iv) The present progressive tense is used to express disapproval of a persistent
habit or something done again and again. We generally use adverbs such as
always, constantly, repeatedly, etc:
 She is continually watching movies on T.V.
 He is always doing one mischief or the other.
 He is repeatedly making the same mistakes.
 They are constantly changing their statements.
Note: Verbs of perception and some other verbs are not generally used in the
present progressive tense, for example see, smell, hear, taste, know, understand,
hate, like, want, wish, etc.
8. Present Perfect Tense Form:
(i) The present perfect tense has the form ‗have/has +past participle‘, be verb +
ed/en. Has is used with the third person singular and singular nouns and have is
used with plural forms and I, we, you, they.
 She has written this essay.
 I have completed my work.
 They have helped me.
(ii) The negative sentences have the form ‗‗have/has + not‘ or haven‘t, hasn‘t in
contracted form.
 We haven‘t made any mistake.
 He hasn‘t played with us.
(iii) The interrogative sentences have the form ‗have/has + subject‘.
 Have you packed your all books?
(iv) negative interrogative sentences are formed by putting have/has before the
subject and not after it or haven‘t, hasn‘t before the subject.
 Have you not finished your homework so far?
Uses of Present Perfect
The present perfect tense is used
(i) to express an action that has been recently completed:
 He has just left the place.
 Our team has won the match.
 She has finished her work.
(ii) for past actions whose time is not given:
 He has been to Agra.
 Has she cooked the lunch?
 I have met him before.
(iii) with adverbs like already, often, recently, yet,
 I have already read this novel.
 He has recently met the Prime Minister.
 She has not replied to my letter yet.
(iv) for an action which began in the past and is still continuing:
 They have lived in this city for a long time. He has been ill since Tuesday.
 I have always helped him.
9. Present Perfect Progressive Tense Form:
(i) The present perfect progressive tense has the form ‗have/has+present
participle‘ (verb+ing):
 The farmers have been ploughing their fields since morning.
 The children have been playing for the last two hours.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by placing ‗not ‘ after ‗have/has ‘ and
before ‗been‘:
 He has not been doing his work.
 I have not been going there.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by putting have/has before the
subject.
 Has he been doing his work?
 Have you been going there?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences have the form : ‗have/has + subject +
not‘ or ‗haven ‘t/hasn ‘t+subject‘:
 Hasn‘t he been doing his work?
 Have you not been going there?
Uses of the Present Perfect Progressive Tense:
The present perfect progressive tense is used
(i) to express an action which began at some time in the past and is still
continuing:
 It has been raining since morning.
 The farmers have been ploughing their fields since 8 o‘clock.
 He has been working for the last two hours.
 She has been teaching for ten years.
(ii) to express an action which has already been finished:
 He has been watering the plants (but is not doing so now).
 She has been working all the day.
 I have been working in the field.
10. Simple Past Tense Form:
(i) The simple past tense is formed by using the past tense form of the verb:
 She sang.
 The children played.
 I wrote a letter.
(ii) The negative sentences have the form ‗did not/didn‘t + the main verb ‘:
 She did not sing.
 The children didn‘t play.
 I did not write a letter.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‗did‘ before the subject
and the base form of the verb after the subject:
 Did she sing?
 Did the children play?
 Did I write a letter?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‗did‘ before the
subject and not‘ before the verb:
 Did she not sing? or Didn‘t she sing?
 Didn‘t the children play?
Uses of the Simple Past:
The simple past tense is used
(i) to indicate an action that was completed in the past. Generally the adverbials
of the past time are used:
 I went to Delhi yesterday.
 He wrote a letter to her last week.
 She met us two days ago.
(ii) sometimes without adverbials of time:
 My father congratulated me on my brilliant success.
 Our team won the match.
(iii) for an activity done in the past:
 Satish studied for three hours.
 I swam for half an hour.
 We talked for five minutes.
(iv) to express a habitual or regular action in the past:
 My father always got up at 4 a.m.
 She visited the temple every day.
 He worked in his garden every Sunday.
(v) in conditional clauses:
 If you went there, you should meet him.
 If she worked hard, she would pass.
 If he accepted my advice, he would overcome his difficulty.
(vi) in the indirect form of speech:
 He said, ―I work for eight hours every day.‖
 He said that he worked for eight hours every day.
 My teacher said, ―I pray to God for your success.‖
 My teacher said that he prayed to God for our success.
11. The Past Progressive Tense Form:
(i) The past progressive tense has the form ‗was/were + present participle‖ (verb
+ ing):
 He was writing a letter.
 The children were playing.
 The girls were singing.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by placing not between was/were and
the present participle:
 He was not writing a letter.
 The children were not playing.
 The girls were not singing.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by placing was/were before the
subject:
 Was he writing a letter?
 Were the children playing?
 Were the girls singing?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by putting was/were
before the subject and not before the present participle. In contracted forms, we
write wasn‘t/weren‘t.
 Was he not writing a letter? Were the children not playing?
Or Or
Wasn‘t he writing a letter? Weren‘t the children
playing?
Were the girls not singing? Or Weren‘t the girls singing?
Uses of the Past Progressive Tense:
The past progressive tense is used
(i) to express a state or an action that was continuing at a certain point of time in
the past. It had begun before that point and was probably continuing after it.
We use adverbials of time.
 She was cooking at 8 a.m.
 I was going to college in the morning.
 Was the farmer returning from his fields in the evening?
(ii) to express an action that was in progress in the past:
 He was sleeping.
 She was singing.
 I Was reading a newspaper.
(iii) to express an action in progress at some point of time in the past when
another event took place:
 She was watching T.V. when he came.
 He was reading a novel when the door bell rang.
 I was sleeping when my father came from his office.
(iv) to describe two or more actions continuing at the same time:
 While I was bathing, my sister was washing clothes.
 While he was doing homework, his brother was listening to songs.
(v) to indicate a frequently repeated action or persistent habit in the past:
 He was constantly complaining about something or the other.
 She was always finding fault with my work.
 Sohan was always smoking whether at home or in office.
12. Past Perfect Tense Form:
(i) The past perfect tense has the form ‗ had+past participle ‘.
 He had taken his lunch.
 I had read this book before.
 She had never been to Agra.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by placing ‗not‘ after ‗had‘. The contracted
form is ‗hadn‘t:
 He had not taken his lunch.
 I hadn‘t read this book before.
 She had not been to Agra.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by using had before the subject:
 Had he taken his lunch?
 Had I read this book before?
 Had you ever been to Agra?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‗hacT before the
subject and ‗not‘ before the past participle:
 Had he not taken his lunch?
 Had you not read this book before?
 Had you never been to Agra?
Uses of Past Perfect Tense:
The past perfect tense is used:
(i) for an action that had been completed before another action began in the
past:
 I had done my work before he came.
 The guests had already left when she reached there.
(ii) to describe an action taking place before a particular time in the past:
 By 2 p.m. all the students had left the school.
 By 6 a.m. he had left for Delhi.
(iii) to describe an action in the past which became the cause of another action:
 The child was crying because the father had beaten him.
 Sonu was weeping because he had lost his bag.
(iv) to describe an action in the past using the time adverbials such as already,
since, before, etc:
 He had already left for Ludhiana.
 She had not come here since 1960.
 They had not met each other before.
(v) to express an unfulfilled wish:
 If you had worked hard, you would have passed.
 If they had left early, they would have caught the train.
13. Past Perfect Progressive Tense Form:
(i) The past perfect progressive tense has the form ―had + been + present
participle ‘:
 They had been waiting here since morning.
 She had been dancing for half an hour.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by using ‗not‘ between ‗had‘ and ‗been‘
(had not been):
 They had not been doing any work.
 She had not been dancing.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by using ‗had‘ before the subject:
 Had they been doing any work?
 Had she been dancing for half an hour?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‗had‘ before the
subject and ‗not ‘before ‗been ‘:
 Had they not been waiting for us?
 Had she not been dancing for half an hour?
Uses of Past Perfect Progressive Tense:
The past perfect progressive tense is used
(i) to describe an action in the past that had begun and had been going on for
sometime before another action took place in the past:
 She had been dancing for half an hour when we reached there.
 The match had been going on for several hours.
(ii) to express a repeated action in the past:
 She had always been asking us for help.
 They had been trying to meet the Prime Minister.
(iii) to describe an action which began before the time of speaking in the past.
The action either stopped before that time or continued upto it:
 The farmer had been ploughing since morning.
 The children had been playing for the last one hour.
14. Future Time Reference
Future time in English can be expressed in the following ways:
(i) Simple Present Tense
(ii) Present Progressive Tense
(iii) to be/be to
(iv) be about to
(v) be going to.
(i) The simple present tense can be used to express a series of planned actions in
the future, specially a journey.
 The meeting starts at 10 a.m.
 He goes to Delhi tomorrow.
(ii) The present progressive tense is used when the planned action for the future is
definite.
 They are leaving for Japan next week.
 We are visiting the Taj on Monday.
(iii) To be/be to: ‗To be/be to‘ is used to express a necessity or duty or something
planned for the future:
 We are to be in the school at 8 a.m.
 I am to attend the meeting at 10 a.m.
(iv) Be about to: ‗Be about to‘ may be used to express events or actions which
are likely to happen in a very short time.
 The train is about to leave.
 The headmaster is about to come.
 The bell is about to ring.
(v) Be going to: ‗Be going to‘ is used to refer to express events or actions that
happen in the future as a result of present intention or situation:
 She is not going to give us money.
 Prices are going to rise.
 Do you think it is going to rain?
Note: We generally use the modals ‗shall‘ and ‗will‘ to express future time.
Form:
(i) The future time is expressed by using ‗shall‘ or ‗will‘ with the base form of the
verb:
 I shall go there tomorrow.
 They will come here in the evening.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by placing ‗not‘ after ‗shall‘ or ‗will‘‘.
 I shall not go there tomorrow.
 They will not come here in the evening.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by putting ‗shall‘ or ‗will‘ before the
subject:
 Shall I go there?
 Will he come here?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences have the form: ‗shall/will + subject + not
‘:
 Shall I not go there?
 Will he not come here?
Uses of the Simple Future:
(i) Shall is used with the second and third persons to express determination,
promise, intention, etc.
 I shall not apologise, whatever may happen.
 You shall get a reward if you win the race.
 He shall be fined if he does not attend classes.
(ii) Shall is used with the first person to express an offer or suggestion:
 Shall I open the door?
 Which dress shall I wear?
(iii) Will is used with the first person to express willingness, determination, etc:
 I will do it myself.
 I will help you.
 We will never commit such a mistake again.
(iv) The simple future is used to express the speaker‘s opinion, for something to be
done in the future. We use such verbs believe, know, suppose, think, We also use
such adverbs as perhaps, possibly, surely, etc:
 We think he will reach there in time.
 They suppose that he will never help them.
(v) The simple future is used to express habitual action:
 They will abuse you again and again.
 He will go to church daily.
(vi) The simple future is used for an action that is yet to take place:
 I shall help him.
 He will come here tomorrow.
15. Future Progressive Form:
(i) The future progressive has the form shall/will + be + present participle:
 I shall be doing this work tomorrow.
 He will be going to Delhi tomorrow.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by placing not after shall/will:
 I shall not be doing this work tomorrow.
 He will not be going to Delhi tomorrow.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by placing shall/will before the
subject:
 Shall I be doing this work tomorrow?
 Will he not be going to Delhi tomorrow?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by putting shall/will before
the subject and not before be:
 I Shall I not be doing this work tomorrow?
 Will he not be going to Delhi tomorrow?
16. Future Perfect Form:
(i) The future perfect has the form: ‗Shall/will + have + past participle ‘.
 We shall have reached there.
 He will have done this work.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by putting ‗not‘ between ‗shall/will‘ and
‗have‘:
 We shall not have reached there.
 He will not have done this work.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‗shall/will‘ before the
‗subject‘:
 Shall we have reached there?
 Will he have done this work?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by putting ‗shall/will
‘before the ‗subject‘ and ‗not‘ after it:
 Shall we not have reached there?
 Will he not have done this work?
Uses of Future Perfect:
(i) The future perfect expresses an action that is expected to be completed by a
certain time in the future:
 They will have reached the station in half an hour.
 He will have finished his homework by this time.
(ii) The future perfect is used to express the speaker‘s belief that something has
taken place:
 He will have known the Sharmas.
 She will have read ―The Tempest.‖
17. Future Perfect Progressive Form:
(i) The future perfect progressive has the form: shall/will + have + been +
present participle:
 She will have been cooking now.
 I shall have been preparing for my examination.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by putting ‗not ‘ between ‗shall/will‘ and
‗have ‘:
 She will not have been cooking now.
 I shall not have been preparing for my examination.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‗shall/will‘ before the
‗subject‘:
 Shall I have been preparing for my examination?
 Will she have been cooking now?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‗shall/will
‘before the subject and ‗not‘ after it.
 Will she not have been cooking now?
 Shall I not have been preparing for my examination?
Uses of Future Perfect Progressive:
The future perfect progressive expresses an action as being in progress over a
period of time that will end at some point in the future.
 By next June, I shall have been completing my studies.
Exercise (Solved)
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs given in the brackets.
1. The police…………………… four thieves last night, (catch)
2. I was………………………….. food when he came in. (cook)
3. It……………………… since 9 o‘clock, (rain)
4. I certainly………………….. my colleague if I had been there, (help)
5. Stars………………….. in the sky at night, (twinkle)
6. All the students………………. the classwork when the teacher came in. (do)
7. Mahesh ……………………. tomorrow from Patna, (come)
8. The patient……………… before the doctor came, (die)
9. I saw that the policemen………………… the thieves, (chase)
10. He is a very rude person, I……………………………….. him. (not help)
Answer:
1. caught
2. cooking
3. has been raining
4. would have helped
5. twinkle
6. were doing
7. will come
8. had died
9. were chasing
10. won‘t help
Gap Filling Exercises
I. Study the given notes and complete the paragraph that follows by filling up the
gaps with the most appropriate option from those given:
1. Notes:
 Rainy day
 Busy traffic
 Car collision with a speeding bus
 5 badly injured, 1 died on the spot
 Injured taken to the hospital
 Local help
It was a rainy day. Traffic (a)………… busy on the road. A (b)…………. hit a car
badly in the market. Five commuters were badly injured while one
person (c)……………………..on the spot. The injured persons were taken to the
nearest hospital. The local people were of great help.
(a) (i) will be (ii) was (iii) is (iv) has been
(b) (i) speeding bus (ii) speeded bus (iii) sped up bus (iv) speed bus
(c) (i) was died (ii) had died (iii) died (iv) is died
2. Instructions for opening a bank A/C
 Select the Bank of your choice
 Contact the Customer Care Officer in the Bank
 Contact the proper Authority as instructed by the Customer Care
 Submit the required documents
 Contact the bank as instructed for collecting your Passbook and ATM card
For opening a bank A/C you (a)……………….. to select a bank of your choice.
You (b)……………… to visit the bank and contact the Customer Care Officer there.
Thereafter you should meet the concerned Authority. You (c)………………… to
submit the required documents. Don‘t forget to visit the bank for collecting the
passbook and ATM card.
(a) (i) require (ii) are required (iii) will require (iv) have to require
(b) (i) will (ii) should (iii) need (iv) are
(c) (i) must (ii) shall (iii) are required (iv) should
3. Polishing your shoes
 Clean shoes
 Polish coated
 Let them soak
 Brush to shine
Shoes (a)…………….. of dust with a brush. A layer of polish (b)………………..
over the shoes. One should wait a little till the polish (c)………………….. Then shoes
are brushed to shine.
(a) (i) is cleaned (ii) will be cleaned
(iii) are cleaned (iv) has to be cleaned
(b) (i) has coated (ii) need be coated
(iii) is coated (iv) will be coated
(c) (i) was died (ii) had died (iii) died (iv) is died

Editing Exercises
I. ERROR CORRECTION
TYPE – I
The following passages have not been edited. There is one error in each line.
Write the incorrect word and the correction against the correct question number.
Remember to underline the word you have supplied.
Omission Exercises
Question 1:
The following passage has not been edited. One word is missing from each line. Identify the
missing word and write it in your answer sheet. Remember to underline the missing word.
The first one has been done as an example for you. (4 marks)
Answer:
Question 2:
The following paragraph has not been edited. One word has been omitted in each
line. Write the omitted word along with the word that comes before and the word
that comes after in your answer sheet against the correct blank number as shown in
the example. (4 marks)
Answer: