INTRODUCTION

This study material covers the twenty chapters of the text book Everyday English,
prescribed for the students studying English (Stream C) in the first year of the two year
English course of the B.A. Programme of the University of Delhi. Before using this study
material you should read the respective chapters of your text book.
Attempt all the exercises in reading comprehension, vocabulary, reading and writing.
There are answer keys provided to help you check your answers. In addition there are
practice activities in grammar, vocabulary, everyday English and writing.

15

Graduate Course

Everyday English
Contents :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Flowers
A Minor Bird
Penny Post
Promoting Philately
The Swan and the Princess
Einstein's Formula for Success
The Diary of Anne Frank
Through the Looking Glass
An Old Man Dreams
Dreamsfrom "Children's Encyclopaedia Britannica" (Vol. V)
Kiran Bedi's Acceptance Speech
The Art of Public Speaking
The Bag
Guidelines for a Healthy Diet
What I Wanted To Be
Chains of Slavery
The Conjurer's Revenge
A Sense of Humour
Balraj, My Brother
My Father's Trees in Dehra

Dr. Seema Suri

Dr. Seema Suri
Dr. Seema Suri
Dr. Seema Suri
Neeta Gupta
Neeta Gupta
Neeta Gupta
Dr. Anil Aneja
Dr. Anil Aneja
Dr. Anil Aneja
Usha Anand
Usha Anand
Usha Anand
Nalini Prabhakar
Nalini Prabhakar
Nalini Prabhakar
Nalini Prabhakar
P.K. Satpathy
P.K. Satpathy
P.K. Satpathy

SCHOOL OF OPEN LEARNING

UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
5, CAVALRY LANE, DELHI -110007

Session 2007-08 (10,000 Copies)

School of Open Learning

Published By : Executive Director, School of Open Learning, 5, Cavalry Lane, Delhi-7

Laser Type Setting by : Chetan Printers, Nirankari Colony, Delhi-9 #9868041360
Printed by :

UNIT 1

FLOWERS
Dr. Seema Suri
I. Key
Reading Comprehension
1.
Given below are a few statements based on the text. Say whether you agree or
disagree with them.
(a) Flowers are used both on happy and unhappy occasions. True
(b) Poets have praised flowers in their poems. True
(c) All roses are red.
False
(d) The lily is regarded as the king of flowers. False
(e) Jawaharlal Nehru carried a rose in his hand every day. False
2.

Give short answers to the following questions :

(a) Which qualities are associated with flowers ?
Delicacy and beauty are associated with flowers. Flowers bloom for a short time
and their beautiful colours and smells are very appealing.
(b) Why is the spring season so special ?
Spring is the season when all flowers bloom and you can smell them. The sight of
so many bright colours is beautiful.
(c) How does one feel on entering the garden early in the morning ?
In the early morning there is a light wind blowing in the garden. It seems as if the
flowers are dancing when their petals move in the breeze. The sight fills the heart
with joy.

3.

What
(a) a
(b) a
(c) a

does
place
place
place

the word 'heaven' in para 2 mean ?

where God lives.
where we find great happiness.
situated above the earth.

Vocabulary
1. Look at the expression 'a feast for the eyes.' Discuss the meaning with your
partner.
What does it mean ?
(a) a large tasty meal.
(b) something that provides great pleasure.
(c) a medicine for the eyes.

2.
Words associated
with happiness

Words associated
with unhappiness

pleasure
joy
fun
satisfaction
recreation
delight

trouble
dejection
regret
hopelessness
pain
sorrow

Nouns

Adjectives

wonder
duty
success
pain
care

wonderful
dutiful
successful
painful
careful

3.

4.
(i) Everyone thinks that Shah Rukh Khan is a wonderful actor.
(ii) This brother had some heart problem; he had to undergo a painful
operation.
(iii) Dhirubhai Ambani was a very successful industrialist.
(iv) We must be very careful while driving.
(v) She has a very dutiful and caring son; he is always ready to do
what she asks him to do.
Writing
making medicines : The essential oil of the rose is used to prepare many Ayurvedic medicines.

giving gifts : Bouquets of red roses are the most popular gift on Valentine's Day.
preparing perfumes : Roses are used to prepare 'ittar', a traditional Indian perfume. Hundreds
of kilos of roses are used to get one litre of rose oil.
using for decoration : All over the world, flowers are a major part of wedding celebrations.
flower arrangements : On every festival in India people decorate their homes with flowers.
2.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Rose Garden
Notice
Do not smoke in the garden.
Do not litter. Use dustbins.
Plucking of flowers prohibited. Penalty Rs. 50
Do not stick bills on trees.

Speaking
3.
Person

Time

Greetings

Your friend, Nimimi

a) at 10 a.m.
b) at 3 p.m.

Hi ! How are you ?

Hi ! What are you doing
here at this time?

Your teacher, Mr. Manav

a) at 9 a.m.

Good morning, sir.

How are you ?
Good afternoon, sir.
Pleased to meet you.

b) at 4 p.m.
Your sister, Ruchi

a) at 8 a.m.
b) at 2 p.m.

Your friend's father

a) at 11.30 a.m.
b) at 6.00 p.m.
3

Hello! Are you taking

a walk for a change?
Hello ! Where are you
going ?
Good morning, uncle.
How are you?
Good evening, uncle.

II.

Revision Exercises

(a) Grammar - Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe nouns. They have the same form in both the singular
and the plural. They also go alone (without nouns) after the verbs : appear, be, become, feel,
smell, taste, etc.
l
Adjectives normally go before nouns.
She bought an expensive house.
Adjectives can also be used without a noun after certain verbs (appear, be, feel, etc.)
He felt nervous.
l
The adjectives afraid, alone, alive, awake, asleep, etc. are never followed by a
noun.
l
Nouns can be used as adjectives if they go before another noun.
Could you repair the kitchen sink ?
I have a morning class.
We went for a two-week holidays.
l
Certain adjectives can be used as plural nouns refering to a group of people in
general. Those are : the poor, the rich, the old, the elderly, etc.
We should have more respect for the elderly.
1.
How can you best describe the experiences below ? Use an adjective from the box.
frightening, surprising, terrifying, boring, exhausting, exciting.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
2.

You get stuck in a lift.

You walk for 15 Kilometers.
You find a snake in the bathroom.
Your sister buys you a new shirt with her pocket money.
You go to see a film that lasts for four hours.
You and your friends decide to go on a mountain trek.

1. ing adjectives describe a situation, person, or thing.

an interesting life
a boring teacher
an exciting film
2. ed adjectives describe how people feel.
I'm very interested in chess.
We were bored at the end of the lesson.
She's excited about going on holiday tomorrow.
4

Complete the sentences using one of these adjectives.

excit
frighten
bor
interest
confus
disappoint
worry
surprise
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

ed
ing

'I met a famous film star today'. "Really ? How ................... !"
'I spent four hours going around the museum.
It was quite ........................................
I am .................................. I haven't heard from my brother for two weeks.
I failed my exam. I worked really hard for it. I'm so.............................
A man followed me home last night. I was .................................
This computer manual is so .....................................
I don't understand anything.

B.

Everyday English

1.

Social Expressions.
We use certain expressions in different social situations.
Match the expressions and responses.
How are you ?
Hello, Janet !
How do you do ?
See you tomorrow !
Good night !
Good Morning !
Hello, I'm Ajay Das
Have a good weekend.
Thank you very much, indeed

Bye
Same to you.
Good morning
Fine, thanks.
How do you do ?
Not at all. Don't mention it.
Hi, Ramesh.
Sleep well.
Pleased to meet you, Ajay

2.

Making conversation.
All of us visit places like a clothes shop or a chemist. Complete these conversations
and check your answers.
1.
A. Hello. Can I help you.
B. I ............................., thanks.
A. What were you looking for ?
B. I'm looking for a sweater.
.................................... Have you got ............................. ?
A. I'll just have a look.
................................................ are you ?
B. Medium.
A. Here, I found your size.
B. Thank you .................................. ?
A. Of course. The changing rooms are over there.
B. I'll take it. How much is it ?
A. It is .............................
B. .....................................
A. I'll pay cash.
Where are the conversation taking place ?
How does the shop assistant help the customer ?

UNIT 2

A MINOR BIRD
Dr. Seema Suri
I. Key
Reading comprehension.
1.
The four stanzas of the poem describe different moods or emotions of the poet. Match
the moods given below to the stanza that describes them.
(i) the poets extreme unhappiness and invitation stanza 2
(ii) his sense of guilt stanza 3
(iii) his desire stanza 1
(iv) self doubt and review of earlier feeling stanza 4
2.
Stanza 1
(i) The poet is annoyed with the bird because its singing disturbs him.
(ii) The bird sings all day next to the poets house.
Stanza 2
(i) The poet claps his hands to frighten the bird and make it fly away.
(ii) The phrase 'bear no more' suggests that the bird was singing loudly and the poet
could not tolerate the constant noise.
Stanza 3
(i) The poet realizes that the little bird was not to blame for its 'key'.
(ii) The poet realizes that the 'fault must have partly been in me'. He accepts that he
was impatient with the poor little creature.
3.
What do you think the birds song suggests here ?
i)
its chirping notes.
ii) its creativity
iii) its freedom of expression.
iv) or, all of these.
4.
The poem does not end with the poets irritation. The poets attitude has changed in the
last stanza. He accepts that his annoyance with the bird was a result of his own inability
to understand that each living creature has the freedom to express. Nature does not put
any restrictions on its creations. The little bird is called 'minor' because the poet thinks,
in the beginning of the poem at least that the bird is an unimportant object. He is not
open to enjoying his song.
Vocabulary
1.

Wish
Want

Sing
Song

Fault
Blame
Wrong
7

2.
A : Creatures
lion
mouse
elephant
bee
dove / pigeon

B : Sounds
roar
neigh
trumpet
buzz
coo

Speaking
1.
What is rhyme ?
Rhyme is the echoing effect produced by matching sounds at the end of two (or more)
different words. In this poem the words at the end of the lines, in all four stanzas,
rhyme with each other.
I have wished a bird would fly away.
And not sing by my house all day.
Have clapped my hands at him from the door.
When it seemed as if I could bear no more.
The fault must partly have been in me.
The bird was not to blame for his key.
And of course there must be something wrong.
In wanting to silence any song.
You will find most rhymes in poetry and at the end of lines. But it is not necessary for
poems to have rhymes, and for a poem not to rhyme is now considered perfectly
normal.
Why do poets use rhyme in poetry ?
Poets use rhyme for a number of reasons. The most important ones are listed.
l
Rhymes produce a pleasant, harmonious and echoing effect which is satisfying
and enjoyable to listen to as in music.
l
Rhymes echo similar sounds and thus generate a natural rhythm.
l
Rhymes also help readers to, remember the poem more easily.
2.

The poem by Victor Hugo has two lines that do not rhyme. They are underlined.
Be like the bird, who
Halting in his flight
On limb too slight
Feels it gives way beneath him.
Yet sings
Knowing he hath wings.
8

UNIT 3

PENNY POST
Dr. Seema Suri
Key
Reading
1.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)

Comprehension
The modern postal system started in England.
At first, the receiver of the letter had to pay for the postage.
The burden of paying for the postage shifted from the addresse to the sender.
Rowland Hill, the well known postal reformer was responsible for this change.
(iv) The first stamp was issued in 1840 and carried an image of the head of Queen
Victoria of England.
(v) At first people had to spend a penny on a postage stamp.

2.
a) Who delivered /
delivers letters ?

b) Who paid / Pays

3.

(i)

(ii)

Old Times

Modern Times

Recent Additions

Runners,
carrier,
pigeons and
post riders
Receiver
paid in
cash

Postmen

Computers used
for e-mail

Sender
pays the
postage

None. It is free.

As a child, Rowland Hills, mother sent him out to sell a bag of clothes to raise
three shillings. She needed the money to receive some letters. In those days the
receiver had to pay the postage. This childhood experience inspired Rowland
Hill to invent a scheme whereby the sender bore the cost of the postage.
In England the first postage stamps issued had the image of Queen Victoria. But
when the post office put a stamp on the figure people felt unhappy as they
thought it was disrespectful to their Queen.

Vocabulary
1.

2.

i)
ii)
iii)

Person

Things

Writer
Singer
Teacher
Instructor
Driver
Sailor

Cooker
Eraser
Stapler
Cutter

Will you pay in cash or through credit card ?

The students organized a carnival to raise money for the tsunami victims.
The lowering of taxes on entertainment will give a boost to the industry.

Writing :
1.
The
iv)
i)
v)
ii)
vi)
iii)

correct sequence is
We write our letter, put it in an envelope, and stick a postage stamp on it.
We put it in the mail-box.
It is taken out of the mail box by a postman alongwith other letters.
All the mail is sorted out at the post office and put in different bags.
These bags are sent by air, or rail, or road to different places.
The letters from these bags are then delivered by hand to people who have been
waiting for these messages of love.
2.
First we write our letter, put it in an envelope, and stick a postage stamp on it. Then
we put it in the mail-box. From there it is taken out by a postman, alongwith other letters.
Later, all the mail is sorted out at the post office and put in different bags. After that those
bags are sent by air, or rail, or road to different places. Finally, the letters from these bags
are then delivered by hand to people who have been waiting for these messages of love.

10

UNIT 4

PROMOTING PHILATELY
Dr. Seema Suri
Key
Reading Comprehension
1.

Match the following headings to the four paragraphs in the passage :

i.
Use of the media for making philately popular para 2.
ii.
Philately : a serious hobby para. 1
iii.
Benefits of philately - para 4
iv.
Ways of interest in creating philately - para 3

2.

What does the writer mean by saying that philately is for the serious minded ?
i. Only serious people like philately, or
ii. Philately demands careful attention and real effort.

3.

Complete the table :

Means of promoting philately

Ways of promoting philately

1. the media

1. stories highlighting the valuable nature of

stamps.
2. highlighting usefulness of stamps
3. award prizes at annual exhibitions,
for meritorious exhibits
4. nominal subscription
5. nominal entrance.

2. Comic Strips
3. stamp clubs in schools
and colleges
4. magazine on philately
5. a library

4.

(i)

(ii)

What are the benefits of philately ?

Philately helps people make friends and sustain the friendship because of the
common interests. Young people can learn a lot about each other's countries by
providing stamps and discussing the significance of each picture.
How does philately sustain friendship ?
Philately sustains friendships because people common interests. The shared interest
helps them overcome minor differences of caste, religion and nationality.

11

Vocabulary
1.
i)
The media means
a) radio and television
b) newspapers and magazines, or
c) both (a) & (b).
ii)
'Pen-friends are
a) friends who use the same pen.
b) friends who gift pens to each other, or
c) friends who may not have met but who know each other through exchange
of letters.
2.
Find words from the passage which have a meaning similar to the following :
mainly (para 1) essentially
the hobby of stamp-collecting (para 2) - philately
occurring once in a year (para 3) annual
costs (para 3) - expenses
advantages (para 4) - benefits
3.

(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)

Will you give me your story book in return for my racket?

Encroachments on public land a serious problem for the civic authorities.
This allowance is not enough to cover expenses.
Education and travel always open up awareness for intellectual growth.

12

UNIT 5

THE SWAN AND THE PRINCES

Neeta Gupta
Introduction
The Swan and the Princes is a short play that describes a peculiar situation faced by
the King of Kapilvastu regarding his two sons Prince Dev Datt and Prince Sidhartha. Sidhartha
is better known as Gautam Buddha. There are many stories that have generated from the
time that Gautam Buddha spent as the Prince of Kapilvastu when he was known as Prince
Sidhartha.
This unit gives you an example of how a story can be presented in the form of a
dramain a dramatic form. At first you are given a list of characters who will appear in the
play. Then a dialogue takes place between these characters in a certain sequence which then
forms a story. All stage directions are given within parenthesis i.e. within brackets, which
indicates that these words are not to be spoken but the action described has to be performed.
The entire dialogue is in Direct speech.
Detailed Summary
The scene opens in the court of King Sudodhana who is also the father of the two
PrincesPrince Dev Datt and Prince Sidhartha. Prince Dev Datt seeks permission to enter
the Court (Darbar). The King and his ministers wonder what the Prince wants. When Dev
Datt comes in he says he wants justice from the King. On being asked what has happened,
he tells that he had shot a Swan which Prince Sidhartha has taken away and is not giving
back. The King is unable to believe that Prince Sidhartha would do such a thing. The
Ministers too whisper amongst themselves that Prince Sidhartha is a good boy and would not
do such a thing. Probably there is some mistake.
The King calls Sidhartha to question him about the complaint. Sidhartha comes holding
the swan in his arms which he says now belongs to him. We begin to wonder what the matter
may be. Then Prince Dev Datt explains in detail how he had shot the Swan and how Prince
Sidhartha had saved it and picked it up and now refuses to part with it. According to Prince
Dev Datt the Swan belongs to him since he shot it. According to Prince Sidhartha however,
the Swan belongs to him since he saved its life. Both the Princes claim to be following the
dharma of a kshatriya. [What is your opinion? Who do you think the swan belongs to? Is it
a difficult problem?] The king is confused and seeks the help of his Chief Minister who is
a wise man. He lets the Swan decide the case. Placing the Swan in the middle he first asks
Dev Datt to go to him. When Dev Datt goes near the Swan, it cries in fear and pain. When
Sidhartha calls the Swan to him asking it not to be afraid, the Swan comes to his arms.
The case is therefore easily decided.

16

Glossary
1. Bows
2. Suppliant
3. Injustice

: To bend down with respect (>qddj ueLdkj djuk)

: Someone who asks for help (tks fuosnu djrk gks)
: An act of being unfair (vU;k;)

4. Puzzled

: Confused (nqfo/kk

esa

5. Trembles

: Shake with fear (Mj

ls

gksuk)
dkiuk)

Solved Exercises from the Text

Reading Comprehension
1. (a) Dev Datt came to the king for Justice.
(b) Prince Sidhartha picked up the Swan from the ground because it came to him
for protection.
(c) Sidhartha felt that the Swan belonged to him and not to Dev Datt because he
had saved its life.
(d) The King took the Chief Ministers help to solve the problem.
(e) The King was puzzled because he believed that both the parties were saying the
right thing.
(f) The Swan came flying to Sidhartha for protection.
(g)
King

Dev Datt

Sidhartha

Chief Minister

Confused

Cruel

Kind

Wise

just

Compassionate

Vocabulary :
1.

The names of five other birds are as follows :

(i)

Sparrow

(ii)

Crow

(iii) Parrot
(iv) Peacock
(v)
2.

Koel

Animals and Insects

Homes

Dogs

Kennels

Pigs

Sties
17

Horses

Stables

Lions

Dens

Bees

Hives

Writing :
One day Dev Datt shot a Swan with an arrow. The Swan fell on the ground. It was
picked up by Sidhartha. Dev Datt asked Sidhartha to give him the bird. But Sidhartha refused
to give it to him. Dev Datt quarreled with him and then complained to the king about it. The
king called both of them and asked the Swan to choose one of them. The Swan went to
Sidhartha. Sidhartha felt happy to get it back.
Capital letters and Punctuation :
Read the explanation of the use of capital letters and punctuation carefully from page
25-26 of your text book. Now try and solve the following exercises. (Answers are provided
at the end of the lesson.)
Exercise - 1
Use Capital letters wherever necessary
1.
my father has gone to london for some work.
2.
we are going to have classes every saturday and sunday.
3.
mrs. and mr. mehta visited delhi and saw the qutub minar, the purana quila, the
birla mandir and many other places of tourist interest.
4.
on festivals like diwali, id and christmas the markets are brightly lit.
5.
my friend asked me if i would like to go for the movie hum tum.
6.
my favourite writer is r.k. narayan and my favourite book is swami and friends.
7.
her son has gone to the u.s.a. for further studies.
Exercise 2. (Use of punctuation)
1.
The sun rises in the east
2.
All that glitters is not gold
3.
No I cannot come today
4.
Can you come here please
5.
Are you coming over today
6.
What a beautiful necklace
7.
Oh God Im going to be late
8.
How are you feeling now she asked
Speaking
Further Examples of Informal and Formal speech.
I.
Informal Speech
Introducing yourself and others
18

1. Hello, Im Geeta Sarin.

2. Hello, you must be Geeta.
Im Anand.
3. Geeta
: Anand, meet my friend Shikha.
Shikha, this is Anand.
Anand
: Glad to meet you Shikha.
Shikha
: Same here.
II. Formal
Introducing oneself in a formal situation
(i)
Anand : Good morning, Im Anand.
Geeta : Good morning Mr. Anand. Im Geeta Sarin.
(ii) Anand : May I introduce myself ? Im Anand Mehta, Sales Manager of this
Company.
(iii) Geeta : Allow me to introduce myself. Im Geeta Sarin, your English teacher.
Introducing others in a formal situation
(i)
Anand : May I introduce our new marketing manager, Mr. Gupta.
(ii) Mr. Lal : Ladies and gentlemen, this evening I would like to introduce to you
the Chairman of Vishakha Enterprises, Mr. K.C. Pant. He shall talk to us about
our marketing strategies.
Solutions to exercises on use of Capital Letters and Punctuation
Exercise 1 (Use of Capital Letters)
1. My father has gone to London for some work.
2. We are going to have classes every Saturday and Sunday.
3. Mrs and Mr. Mehta visited Delhi and saw the Qutub Minar, the Purana Quila, the Birla
Mandir and many other places of tourist interest.
4. On festivals like Diwali, Id and Christmas, the markets are brightly lit.
5. My friend asked me if I would like to go for the movie Hum Tum.
6. My favourite writer is R.K. Narayan and my favourite book is Swami and Friends.
7. Her son has gone to the U.S.A. for further studies.
Exercise 2 [Use of Punctuation]
1. The sun rises in the east.
2. All that glitters is not gold.
3. No, I cannot come today.
4. Can you come here, please?
5. Are you coming over today?

19

6. What a beautiful necklace!

7. Oh God! Im going to be late!
8. How are you feeling now ? she asked.

20

UNIT - 6

EINSTEINS FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

Neeta Gupta
Introduction
We have all heard the name of Einstein. He was a great scientist and a genius. He is
famous for his theory of relativity. His formula for success was a very simple one. According
to him, to achieve success one needs hardwork, rest and silence.
It would be interesting to make a list of things that you think are important for success
in life. Some of us may think that hard work, concentration, imagination, creativity etc. are
all important. You can add any number of things to this and make your own list of things
necessary to achieve success in life.
Explanation
This short piece is about Einstein one of the greatest scientists of the world and talks
about his formula for success. Einstein was a simple man who worked with just paper, pencil
and a blackboard. With the help of these three things he could solve the most difficult
problems in Physics.
According to Einstein there are three things necessary for success. One is hard work,
the other is rest or relaxation and the third is silence. Without hard work it is impossible to
achieve success in any field. All successful people have worked hard for their success. In
addition to hard work rest is equally necessary. One needs to relax at times before putting
in or after putting in that hard work. Rest or Relaxation freshens the mind and with a fresh
mind one can think of new solutions to problems.
There can be many different ways of relaxing. Some may like to go for a walk while
others may just listen to music or paint or even dance. Einsteins way of relaxing was to play
the violin.
Last but not the least is silence. Silence lets us think deeply and makes our mind
peaceful. It helps us imagine and be creative which in turn helps us to find solutions to our
problems.
Do you agree with Einsteins formula for Success ? Would you like to add a few things
to his list. Do you think luck also plays a part in making a man successful? These are points
you can think about.
Glossary
1. Unique : the only one of its kind (vuks[kk)
2. Wrestled with : Struggled with (tw>uk)

21

3. Achievements : Accomplishments (miyfC/k;k)

4. Brevity : Saying something in very few words (cgqr de kCnksa esa dqN

dguk)
5. Universally valid : accepted by everyone in the world (lalkj esa lcds }kjk

ekuk

tkuk)

6. Essential : absolutely necessary (vR;f/kd

vko;d)

7. Fond : to like something (vPNk yxuk)

8. Distressed : Worried (O;fFkr)
9. Complex : Complicated (tfVy)
10. Several : Many (cgqr)
11. Endows : fills (iznku

djuk)

12. Serenity : Peace (kkafr)

13. A sense of Proportion : to understand what is important and what is not (Hkys&cqjs dk

Kku

gksuk)

Solved Exercises from the Text

Reading Comprehension
1. Say whether the following statements are true or false.
(i)

Einstein was the greatest scientist in the world. (False)

(ii) Einstein did not believe in talking too much. (True)

(iii) Great batsmen do not need practice before the match. (False)
(iv) Einstein could not play violin. (False)
2. Answers to the question in the text
(i)

The materials that Einstein used to solve the most difficult Physics problems were
only paper, pencil and the blackboard.

(ii) Einstein played the violin to relax himself.

(iii) The two ways in which silence helps us achieve success are
(1) Silence helps us to think deeply
(2) It gives us a sense of proportion.
Vocabulary
1. Matching the words in Column (A) with their meanings in Column (B).
Column (A)

Column (B)

Unique

extraordinary; being the only one of its kind.

22

Genius

outstanding talent

Wrestled with

struggled with

Complex

difficult

Universally valid

accepted by everyone in the world

2.

The phrase getting to the heart means : understanding something thoroughly.

3.

What does keeping ones mouth shut, mean? keeping ones mouth shut means to keep
quiet about something.

4.

(i) Active

Actively

The students participated actively in the Annual Day of the school.

(ii) Pure

Purity

One should always check the purity of gold before buying it.
(iii) Real

Reality

Reality is very different from dreams.

(iv) Creative

Creativity

The paintings showed the creativity of the artist.

(v) Public

Publicity

The government carries out publicity campaigns to create awareness about diseases
like polio and T.B.
5.

Making pairs by using an Adjective and a Noun.

Active

member

Creative writing
Public

speech

Pure

water

Real

story

Writing :
Without hard work no one can achieve excellence in any field. Whether it is the field
of science, technology, medicine or even fine arts or sportshard work is absolutely essential
to excel in any area of work or study. A sportsman, a singer or a musician, all have to practise
daily in order to perform well. A doctor, an engineer or a scientist has to constantly upgrade
his knowledge about his field to know the latest. Therefore hard work is essential for
excellence and success.
3. The topic sentence of the given paragraph can be
There are many benefits of rising early in the morning.
UNIT 7
23

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

Neeta Gupta
Introduction
Many people like to keep a diary. Some use it to record the daily happenings in their lives
while some others use it as a substitute for a friend in whom they can confide their inner most
thoughts. The Diary of Anne Frank is a combination of both and you have a short extract from
it in your course.
Anne Frank was a thirteen year old girl when she wrote this diary. The year was 1944 and
being a Jew, she and her family were hiding from the German soldiers in the basement of a
deserted house along with one other family. While hiding she began writing a diary and treated it
as a friend in whom she could confide her fears, her hopes and her dreams. She longed to be
free, but Anne and her family were found out by the Germans and taken to the concentration
camp where she later died. Her diary was found and given to her father who was the only one
to survive.
The diary entry of Wednesday, 23rd Feb, 1944, which is in your course gives us a glimpse
into the life of this young girl living in abnormal circumstances.
Detailed Summary
Anne Frank begins her diary entry with a date Wednesday, 23rd Feb, 1944 and addresses
it as Dear Kitty. Normally diary entries begin with a record of the date of that entry and the
usual form of address is Dear Diary. Anne Frank however gives her diary a nameKitty
which shows that she treats it as a friend in whom she can confide and share her deepest
thoughts. Annes diary entry for 23rd Feb, 1944, records a typical day in her life during those
days of living in hiding. She says that the weather is good and she is feeling better than yesterday.
This indicates that probably the previous day she had been feeling sad and lonely. She then
describes how she goes up to the attic to breathe in fresh air and to look at the sky. She can even
see the bare chestnut tree and the birds gliding by. Her language is almost poetic and she gives
a beautiful description of what she can see through the attic window.
Peter, who is the son of the other family staying in the same basement as Annes family, is
also there and both of them just breathe in the fresh air and look outside. They do not talk
because there is peace and understanding in that silence. Both quietly enjoy that peace and the
beauty of the day.
What is significant in this diary entry is Annes optimism, her search for happiness even in
the fearful circumstances that she is living in. As she looks out over the city, on to the horizon
and the pale blue sky, she is convinced that as long as there is this sunshine, these cloudless skies,
there cannot be unhappiness. The threat of being killed by the German soldiers any time, is a
very real threat. Despite that she firmly believes that God wants to see people happy. Nature
brings comfort to people in their times of sadness and suffering. Looking at the simple beauty of
nature that day, Anne gets a very strong feeling of happiness and expresses a hope that may be,
very soon she will be free and will be able to share this feeling with someone who feels the same
way.

24

Annes diary entry ends with the above feeling and she closes it by writing yours Anne.
We know from historical records that Anne Frank did not live for long. Her familys hiding place
was discovered and they were taken to a concentration camp where Anne finally died. She was
just fourteen. Her diary however survived and brings alive for us this young girl with her hopes
and dreams and her deep longing to escape into a free world.
Glossary
Perked up : Cheerful than before (igys ds eqdkcys [kqk gksuk)
Attic : the highest storey of a house (vVkjh)
Stuffy : When it is difficult to breathe (?kqVu Hkjk)
Bare : Uncovered ([kkyh)
Glisten : Shine (peduk)
Seagull : a grey and white bird of the sea (leqnzh fpfM+;k)
Glide : to slide or to press gently (/khjs&/khjs pyuk)
Beam : large piece of wood (dM+h)
Spell : Charm

(lEeksgu)

Loft : an attic (vVkjh)

Chop : cut (dkVuk)
Remedy : Solution (lek/kku)
Amidst : in the middle of (chp esa)
Solace : Comfort (fnyklk] jkgr)
Overwhelming : powerful (kfDrkkyh)
Bliss : perfect happiness (ije vkuUn)
Solved Exercises from the Text
Reading Comprehension
(Para 1)
(i) Why does Anne go to the attic every morning?
Ans. to breathe in fresh air.
(ii) Two things that Anne enjoys looking at from her favourite spot on the floor are the blue sky
and the birds sliding by.
(Para 2)
(iii)

Why did Anne and Peter not talk to each other?

Ans. They felt that words would destroy their sense of togetherness.
25

(iv)

While Peter chopped wood Anne looked out of the open window over a large area of
Amsterdam over all the roofs and on to the horizon.

(v)

Being a young teenager Peter was trying to show off in front of Anne because he probably
wanted to impress her.

(Para 3)
(vi)

According to Anne, lonely and unhappy people should go outside, somewhere where they
can be alone with Nature. This brings peace and happiness too.

(vii) Annes idea of God is that He wants people to be happy and be one with nature whose
simple beauty itself brings happiness.
2. Anne along with her parents and one other family, was living in the basement of an empty
house, trying to hide from the German soldiers. Anne continuously longs for freedom because
she is forced to stay locked up in the dark and dingy basement where no sunshine reaches and
where the air is stale. That is why she talks about looking at the sky, at the birds who are free, at
the sunshine which she cannot enjoy because she dare not step out into the open. The fact that
she talks about the beauty of Nature outside, indicates how deeply Anne longs to be free. She
longs to feel that sunshine, that breeze outside. She longs to go out and look at the clear, cloudless
skies. She tries to comfort herself by believing that may be some day she shall be able to enjoy
all this with someone who feels the same way as she does.
Vocabulary :
Words

Descriptions

1. Humid

When the air is hot and wet in a way that makes us

uncomfortable

2. Chilly

When it is uncomfortably cold

3. Sunny

When the sun is shining

4. Dull

When it is cloudy and there is no sunshine

5. Stormy

When there is a lot of rain, wind and even thunder

and lightning

Writing and speaking :

The simple beauty of nature and the happiness it brings.
Nature is beautiful and its simple beauty is there for everybody, irrespective of whether a
person is rich or poor, young or old. There is beauty in a clear blue sky, in the chirping of birds, in
the soft breeze, in raindrops that shine like diamonds in the bright and shining new leaves on
trees, in the flowers that grow wild or in a garden. The list can go on and on. This beauty of
Nature is always available to us provided we have the time to enjoy it. If we can find even half
an hour to be alone amidst Nature, it brings a feeling of contentment and peace like nothing else
can bring. It is almost as though we connect to our roots.

26

UNIT 8

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

By Lewis Carroll
Dr. Anil Aneja
This short extract is taken from a dream narrative titled Through the Looking Glass
by Lewis Carroll. The story Through the Looking Glass is a dream narrative in which Alice,
a little girl looks through a mirror. Gradually the mirror disappears and Alice finds herself in
the midst of numerous adventures. Her encounters with several strange characters and their
peculiar usage of English language creates a lot of confusion and is quite hilarious. One such
encounter is described in Unit 8 of your book. The confusion created by varying usage of
English language and the multiplicity of meanings is the result. Normally, the purpose of using
any language is to achieve a better understanding of one another. But here in the piece
presented for your study in Unit 8, the opposite is achieved. The confusion takes place
because the speakers are not on the same wave-length and are speaking from different
cultural contexts. A word may have one meaning for a particular speaker, but for the other
it may have a totally different meaning. Therefore, it is not only important for you to know
the correct meanings of words, but also how the particular words and expressions are used
in different cultural situations. To give one example, the word owl in Hindi means Ulloo.
Confusion occurs when the Red Queen asks Alice what would remain if you take the bone
from a dog. Alice replies that nothing would remain because once the bone is taken away,
the dog would come and bite her and go away. So nothing will remain. But the Red Queen
says that that something will still remain and that is the dogs temper (anger). Alice finds it
hard to understand how the temper would still remain when the dog has gone.
The second confusion takes place when the White Queen asks Alice to tell how bread
is made. This confusion is caused by the use of similar sounding words and a word having
more than one meaning. Alice answers to make bread one has to pick flour which in Hindi
means ataa. But some people like the White Queen also speak flour as flower which
has a totally different meaning and in Hindi it means phool. So when Alice uses flour the
White Queen hears it as flower. Similarly when Alice says that the flour is ground she
means ground as the third form of the verb grind which in Hindi means peesna, but the
White Queen takes the meaning of the word ground to mean land which is the noun form
of the word.
So now you see that in order to convey your meaning correctly to the other person, you
need to know the precise meanings of the words, the various ways in which the words can
be used and also their correct grammatical usage. For this purpose you must use a good
grammar book and a dictionary.
In the exercises of this Chapter, you are told how to use a dictionary.
After telling you how to use a dictionary and various kinds of information that you find
in it, some words are given and you are asked to organize these in alphabetical order from
the dictionary point of view. In order to make things easy for you, the correct order of these

27

words is given below:

Really
Remain
Respect
Routine
Ruler
Now make sentences of your own using these words.
Under the Spelling and Pronounciation exercises, you are asked to identify words which are
pronounced like rough. These words are:
i.
enough, tough, cough.
ii. The two words which have silent first letters in the list given in your book are: honest,
psychology.
UNIT 9

AN OLD MAN DREAMS

By Anonymous
Dr. Anil Aneja
Most of you must have experienced that when we grow up, we often think of pleasant
moments spent during our childhood and early youth. We also often remember with a pleasant
thought certain small incidents and things that gave us a lot of happiness during our early
years. The poem An Old Man Dreams written by an unknown poet depicts a similar
situation and experience.
This poem has two stanzas. It describes the thoughts of an old man sitting by the fire
and thinking of what he did when he was a little child and also of the things that gave him
happiness as he grew a bit older. The old man in this poem thinks of his early walks as a
child and also of his feeling of delight when he heard a thunder storm or the sweet sound of
a bird. Linnet is the name of a bird. He also thinks of the short poems which children normally
recite.
Such thoughts lead him to his later years as a child when he started taking interest in
sports such as cricket. From the description in the poem it is clear that the old man enjoyed
cricket a lot, even when he is old he still wishes to once again hear the sweet sound of the
bat and the ball.
In the second stanza of the poem we see the old man thinking of some incidents related
to his successes as a cricket player when he was a bit grown up. You must have experienced
that such memories spontaneously flash in our minds when we think of our early years. So
the old man in this poem thinks of how he scored runs when none else could withstand the
balling of the opposite side, and how he firmly stood at the crease and not only saved his
wicket but also won the match.
Many of you will agree that the experience described in the poem is a very familiar
28

experience. Even when you are not very old, many of you must have derived the kind of
happiness which the old man feels thinking of his early days.
Glossary
The glossary at the end of the poem has been designed with two purposes in view: firstly,
the glossary helps you understand the meaning of the difficult words in the poem. Secondly,
you must learn to use these words in your every day usage of English. If you learn to
correctly use the words given in the glossary at the end of each chapter, by the time you
complete your B.A. you would have learnt a lot of words and your command over English
language will significantly improve.
Exercises
There are four kinds of exercises at the end of this poem. In the comprehension
exercises you are expected to answer questions based on your understanding of the poem.
The purpose of the vocabulary exercise is to help you learn the correct usage of some of
the words which occur in the poem. The writing exercises are meant to help you learn to
write short descriptive paragraphs. One often has to write short prose pieces in ones every
day use of English language. The correct way of pronouncing words is important for a good
speaker of English. The speaking exercise given at the end of this poem will help you to
pronounce words which are used in this poem with right emphasis. The more you will try to
read aloud or speak a particular language, the more fluent you will find yourself in the usage
of that language.
As in the previous chapter, some exercises have been solved here in order to help you
learn the right method of attempting these exercises.
Reading and Comprehension Exercises
The answers to some of the questions are given below:
1. i. The old man is rather nostalgic and happy while thinking of his
childhood.
ii. Words such as dream, long for, sweet singing sound and at peace
are indicative of the mood of the old man.
2. a) The old man is sitting by the fire.
b) The old man dreams of his early walks, of the sound of the linnet and cricket.
c) The barley was as tall as he himself when he was young.
d) The old man, while playing cricket in his childhood took good catches, stood
firm at the crease and saved the match by not losing his wicket against tough
bowling.
3. The stubborn effort in stanza 2 means strong and determined effort.
Vocabulary
1. In this part of the exercise you are asked to give the opposite of some of the words and
then fill in the blanks in the given sentences with the appropriate word. The original
words and their opposites are given below:
Early
Late

29

Tall
Short
Small
Large
Sweet
Bitter
Now use these words to fill in the blanks in the sentences given in your book. Choose
the most appropriate word to fill in the blank.
2. In this exercise you are asked in the book to match terms associated with cricket with
their meanings in column B. For instance, the term Umpire would match with its meaning
in column B which is: an official who enforces the rules of a game. Fielding would
match with players turn in cricket to catch or stop the ball. Now match the remaining
terms with their meanings.
Writing
Do the writing assignments and show these to your teachers or send these to us by post.
Correct writing skills are very important to learn and these can be learnt only if you come
to know of your writing mistakes. Therefore, do not hesitate to show your writings to your
teachers and to your friends. We all learn from each other.
UNIT 10
DREAMS
From Childrens Encyclopaedia Britannica (Vol. v)
Dr. Anil Aneja
Introduction
Most of us have dreams sometime or the other. But often we are not able to understand
as to why we have the kinds of dreams that we have. Some of us believe that dreams are
linked to our daily experiences or desires, whereas others feel that these have no relation to
our everyday life. Many believe that some of the dreams indicate what is to happen in our
lives in the near future. Some people in India are of the view that some early morning dreams
often come true. The psychologists on the other hand have tried to find a relation between
our dreams and the workings of our sub-conscious mind. In short, though dreams are experienced by almost everyone, the reasons and meanings of these dreams are very different for
different kinds of people.
The extract which forms Unit 10 of your book is taken from Childrens Encyclopaedia
Britannica. An encyclopaedia is a compilation having a vast and varied collection of useful
information on numerous subjects. Just as you consult a dictionary to understand the meaning
of a particular word, you should consult an encyclopaedia if you want to gather information
on a particular topic or person. What kind of information does an encyclopaedia provide? Unit
10 of your book is a good example of it. The extract here, which, as I have said earlier is
taken from Childrens Encyclopaedia Britannica gives useful information about dreams in
eight paragraphs. It first tells us that man has experienced dreams for thousands of years,
then it talks about the recent researches about dreams, then it tells us about different kinds
of dreams which the children and the adult have, and finally, it talks about various causes of
dreams.
30

Textual Analysis
1. The first paragraph tells us that for thousands of years people have been interested in
dreams. While some have been frightened of them, to others, dreams have
remained a puzzle, and, for some others it has been a belief that dreams always come
true. Also, during the earlier times it was generally thought that certain kinds of dreams
have a particular meaning.
2. We are told in this section that studies conducted by various scientists and psychologists
since the 19th century, that is during last two hundred years or so have shown that
dreams
are not caused by any agent from outside, but rather, these occur due to the
dreamers
own mental and physical state. Normally, dreams are of two kinds:
day dreams when the
person is awake but his/her mind wanders off unconsciously
and starts dreaming, and
night dreams, when the person is asleep. In both situations the person is in a relaxed
frame of mind and has no control on his
thought processes.
3-5. Sections 3, 4 and 5 describe some of the common kinds of dreams that most people have.
Most people have sometime or the other dreamt that their dearest wish is being fulfilled. That
is: what you cannot get in your real life you are able to experience that in your dreams. Often
people also have frightening dreams such as being chased by robbers or being in danger of
fire or flood. There are two kinds of dreams which only children have, but adults usually dont.
The first of these is the dream of the imaginary play-mate, a friend whom you lack in real
life, but you experience his/her company through your dreams. The other is the dream of the
adopted child when a child starts imagining that his/her parents are someone special, rich
people, kings or queen. Such dreams are normally a way of fulfilling what a child lacks from
his/her parents in real life.
6-7. These two sections provide various possible reasons for dreaming. Changes in the brain
during sleeping and a persons health largely affect his/her dreams. Bodily needs and sleeping
conditions also play a part in determining the kind of dreams one has. Most of our dreams
are influenced by the events of the day before. What we dream in the night often has some
kind of link with what has happened in our lives during the day before. Various emotions such
as happiness and disappointment which come out in our dreams are often already a part of
the dreamers perceptions and thought processes. All that the dreams do is to bring these out.
8. Though dreams serve a useful purpose in almost everyones life, people no longer think
that these are mysterious. Often dreams serve as a means of wish fulfillment. The
meaning of dreams for each individual may be different, but almost everyone now
believes that these do not have any magical implications or are caused by any force
outside oneself. Dreams are something people tell themselves.
Reading Comprehension
By now you must have understood that the reading comprehension exercises are designed to
test your understanding of a particular prose piece or poem. The answers to some of the
questions are given below. You should answer the remaining questions on the basis of the
sample answers provided here.
31

I.

A. You are expected here to identify the paragraph in which a particular idea
occurs.
Answers
i.
This idea occurs in paragraph 4.
ii. Paragraph 2.
iii. Paragraph 1.
iv. Paragraph 3.
B. i.
Paragraph 8.
ii. Paragraph 6.
iii. Paragraph 7.
iv. Paragraph 5.
II. Here you are asked to decide whether a particular statement is true or false.
Answers
1. True.
2. True.
3. False.
4. True.
5. False.
Now you know how to attempt reading comprehension exercises. Now do the remaining
exercises yourself.
Vocabulary
Certain meanings are given here and you are asked to find words from the text to match these
meanings.
Answers
Feeling afraid (para 1): frightened.
Someone who studies the workings of peoples minds (para 2): psychologist.
Not related to real things that happen (para 2): unrealistic.
A terrible and upsetting dream (para 4): nightmare.
People belonging to the family of kings and queens (para 5): royalty.
Difficult to explain or understand (para 8): mysterious.

32

UNIT 11

KIRAN BEDIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

Usha Anand
Introduction
You are all aware of Kiran Bedi. She was the first woman officer to join the Indian
Police Service. That was in 1972.
Twenty-two years later, she was given the Ramon Magsaysay Award. When a distinguished person accepts an award, she is also required to make a brief acceptance speech.
The speech also throws light on the eminent persons area of public service. Kiran Bedis
speech in your book does the same thing.
Pre-reading activity
Many Indians have received the Magsaysay award. One of them is Ela. R. Bhatt (born
1933) who organised the poorest working women into the Self-Employed Womens Association, popularly known as SEWA. Her revolutionary method of helping a very large number
of poor, directionless, hardworking women has been recognized all over the world. She won
the Ramon Magsaysay award for community leadership in 1977.
Aruna Roy (born 1946) is another winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award. A member
of the Indian Administrative Service till 1974, she left the service to work among the common
people of Rajasthan. She is based in Tilonia. She is a strong supporter of the movement for
the Right to Information. She is the force behind the Right to Information Act passed
recently. The public has a right to examine official records. This act gives them power to
get information which officials otherwise hide. This helps to check abuse of power.
Aruna Roy received the Ramon Magsaysay award in 2000.
Activity 2
You know that there are many areas of activity in life. All are equally important in
adding value to life. You might have heard of the Sahitya Academy Award for excellence
in literary work. The Sangeet Natya Kala Award and the Sangeet Natak Academy Awards
recognise excellence in the field of the performing arts. Dance and drama along with music
are the soul of any culture.
With some idea of the area of activity chosen by Kiran Bedi, let us take a look at her
acceptance speech delivered on 31st August 1994 in Manila, Philippines.
The Speech Itself
See how it begins in a formal way. It addresses the first citizen-the President, the wife
of the person who started and provided funds for the award, the members of the Board of
Trustees, and members of the audience.
This should give you some idea of how a formal speech begins.
The first paragraph itself shows that Kiran Bedi sees the Police in a positive light. They
33

can do something: protect human rights and the rule of law. News of the world today gives
you a good idea of what happens when human rights are violated. There is sheer misery,
physical and mental. And when there is lawlessness, the rule of law is destroyed; it is
replaced by the law of the jungle. We become like animals. To help society, she felt that the
Indian Police Service would give her legitimate power and authority. A senior police officer
can do a lot, can get things done and has the power to correct what is wrong with the system.
She states that the Ramon Magsaysay Award has seen the job of policing in a different
and varied light. How?
(i)
We are used to thinking of the police as a corrective or law enforcing and
punishing agency. When violent crime is committed, the police have to act. This
somehow is given more importance than preventing crime. Registration of senior
citizens and registration of domestic servants is a preventive measure. Catching
a murderer or robber is an act of enforcing the law and bringing the culprit to
book.
(ii) According to Bedi prevention is a very significant part of policing. Since policing
is for people, people should be involved with the law and order situation in their
areas. It is a partnership between the public and the officers of the police force.
You must be aware of the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme and Traffic Wardens,
members from the community who help the police with their duties.
(iii) The third point made by Kiran Bedi is that policing is not a one-man job. Individuals alone cannot establish or preserve law and order. The whole system has to
co-operate. Leaders must not interfere too much. Competent officers must have
the power to bring in new ideas and practices. Most importantly, people must
learn the value of professional integrity. Both responsibility and rewards and
recognition must be shared to keep up the morale of the police.
Then, she sums up her areas of interest and activity.
Glossary
trustees:
members of a board having power to administer a property in trust
potential:
having the capacity of development in the future.
protector:
one who take care, keeps safe
violator:
one who treats with force intended to hurt, damage or kill.
priority:
greater importance
under activated:
not given due importance or value
breach of peace:
breaking or disturbing the state of peace in a community.
violent crime:
physical, forceful crime intended to physically hurt or kill
partners:
those sharing a responsibility
policing:
performing the task of the police
initiatives:
new ways of doing a job

34

delegation:
authorizing another person
non-interference:
not coming in the way of action
crucial:
decisive
propelled:
pushed forward
consolidate:
make stronger
expand:
to increase the scope of
Reading Comprehension
Q 1. For how many years had Kiran Bedi served in the Indian Police Service when she
got the Award?
A
It was after serving the IPS for twenty-two years that Kiran Bedi got the
Magsaysay Award.
Q 2. Which three powers did Kiran Bedi think she would get on joining the police?
A. The three powers Kiran Bedi thought she would get on joining the police were
i.
the power to do
ii. the power to get things done and
iii. the power to correct
Q 3. In Kiran Bedis views, the police can both protect and break the rule of law. Do
you agree?
A. Yes, when the police become high-handled and unbalanced/unfair, they break the
rule of law.
Q 4. Matching exercise
Power
Work
Results
The power to prevent

stops people from breaking

laws

prevents violent crime

The power of policing

with people

makes them partners in

policing

It brings transparency
to the system
It brings accountability
to the system

The power of the team

forms team to share

responsibility

Q 5. How did Kiran Bedi plan to expand her activities after receiving the Award?
Name any three areas
A. i.
Prison Reform
ii.
Drug Abuse Prevention

35

iii.
Empowerment of Women
Q 6. What is the name of the trust formed by Kiran Bedi?
A. Kiran Bedis trust is called India Vision
Q 7. Kiran Bedis team consists of
i.
Police
ii.
Prison
iii.
People
Q 8. Which sentence in the text shows us that the prisoners in India were very happy
when Kiran Bedi was receiving the award?
A. The concluding sentence of the speech tells us about the happiness of prisoners who
were having special celebrations within the prison premises.
Vocabulary
1.
Forming nouns from verbs
Verb
Noun
celebrate
celebration
prevent
prevention
achieve
achievement
promote
promotion
accept
acceptance
Sentences using names:
i.
I felt a great sense of achievement when I finished my work
ii.
Ajay has sent his letter of acceptance for the new job.
iii.
Neha has topped in the IAS examination. They are going to have a celebration
in their house next week.
iv.
Crime prevention is one of aims of the Police.
v.
Sudhir felt very happy when he got a promotion in his job.
2.
Transparency is a noun. The adjective for transparency is transparent. Consult a
dictionary to find adjectives for the following nouns:
Noun
Adjective
accountability
accountable
priority
prior
disability
disabled
variety
varied
security
secure
3. Now match adjectives formed in Q 2 with their meaning in Column B.

36

Adjective
Meaning
i. disabled
unable to use a part of the body properly
ii. secure
safe
iii. varied
different
iv. accountable
answerable; expected to give an explanation for ones actions
v. prior
earlier in time
4.
We can form the opposite of interference by adding non to it. Given below are some
more words formed by adding non to them. Match the words given in Column A with their
meanings in Column B.
Words
Meaning
non-violence
form of protest without fighting
non-co-operation
unwillingness to extend support
non-payment
failure to pay
non-aligned
not joining either of the two large groups
non-existent
not present
non-essential
not necessary
non-resident
not staying in a particular place.
Writing Informal Letters
Item 2 shows you a sample of an informal letter inviting a friend to a birthday party.
There can be other types of celebration too. Someone who buys a new flat might throw a
house warming party. A person who tops a tough exam might throw a party too.
Example:
Dear Neeta,
You will be happy to know that we have recently purchased an apartment in Rohini,
near my workplace. As we plan to move in very soon, we are having a small housewarming
party this coming Sunday, i.e. 29th Nov. 06. Do come.
Yours
Usha
The reply would be:
Dear Usha,
Thanks for your invitation to the party on 29th Nov. 06. I do look forward to being there
and sharing your happiness in the new home.
Yours
Neeta.

37

THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

38

 Usha Anand
Introduction
Public speaking in basic terms is speech making. You know that speaking to a large
number of people collectively is an art. The ability to hold the attention of a large audience
requires a certain strength within the speaker. Self-confidence, logical development of ideas,
direct language and an ability to relate to people is crucial. A successful speaker must learn
to connect with his audience.
Pre-reading Activity
1.
When we are in School, we hear principals and chief guests address us. At that stage,
they talk about matters concerning our education and our future. This is because
education is a preparation for life. On days of national importance like Republic Day,
Independence Day, or even Gandhi Jayanti, national and social issues are raised. On all
occasions, however, the serious speaker must speak clearly, have great clarity of thought
and logical and connected development of ideas. He should be able to persuade the
listener about what he is saying. Body language is also important.
2.
I imagine that if I have to address the college assembly, I would feel nervous. To
overcome that nervousness, I would organize the points I wish to make in my speech.
If I have the time, I would even practice my speech in front of a mirror. Slight gestures
also add value to a speech though too much gesturing can be unpleasant. I am sure
that as with practice, I get a hold on my audience, I shall start enjoying public speaking,
holding the stage, so to say.
About the Extract
The piece on public speaking in your book touches upon a very vital component of our
livesthe ability to speak convincingly and coherently. The ability to communicate is always
useful. A speech made on stage can make you a better-known and better-recognized person.
Knowing what to say and how to say it makes you a successful bargainer and shopper. Good
talking skills make you very popular. You can also serve your organization better.
The second paragraph tells you that even the greatest of public speakers in history were
initially hesitant, nervous and fearsome. But they worked very hard to overcome their stage
fright. They used their will power to face their audience inspite of mouths drying up and
words refusing to come out. Through sheer determination they succeeded and became great
orators. Their names are mentioned with great respect as orators. Disraeli, Churchill and
Kennedy are some of the famous ones.
Glossary
participate
take part in
debate
a formal discussion in a public meeting or legislative assembly; on-going
exchange of views.
professional
engaged in a paid occupation rather than as an amateur
a raise
an increase in salary
capacity
the amount that something can contain or produce
39

fearsome
frightening
convince
cause to believe firmly in the truth of something
stage fright
nervousness before or during a stage performance
orators
good public speaker
attempted
tried
misery
physical and mental discomfort
jeers
rude and mocking remarks
ridicule
mockery
Reading Comprehension Exercises
Q1 On what occasion are students required to speak in public?
A1 Students may be asked to welcome a guest of honour or thank him for a speech
made by him. Students may also be required to participate in debates or speak on a
topic.
Q2 Mention one situation in your personal life when you were required to be a public
speaker.
A2 I once went to judge a Poetry Recitation Contest for children. I was required to tell
the audience about the art of Poetry Recitation.
Q3 How do you prepare yourself to talk to your employer?
A3 I can prepare myself for a talk with my employer by assembling my arguments and
rehearsing what I say.
Q4 How does the ability to speak effectively help us in life?
A4 i) We get more friends and admirers
ii) It improves our capacity to serve our organization.
iii) It prepares us for leadership.
Q5 What are the two kinds of feelings that a speaker experiences when he begins to speak
in public for the first time.
A5 The speaker experiences nervousness and stage fright.
Q6 Churchill and Kennedy were nervous when they made their first speech. How did
they manage to overcome their nervousness?
A6 They overcame their nervousness through will power and forced themselves to face
their audience, no matter what happened.
Q7 How was Disraelis first speech received by the public? How did he react to public
criticism?
A7 Disraelis first speech was met with jeers and ridicule. In the face of public criticism,
he determined to acquire the skills needed for getting the audience interested in what
40

he had to say. Later, he became a brilliant orator.

Q8 What is the most important factor for becoming a successful speaker?
A8 The will to succeed makes a good speaker.
Vocabulary
1.
One who gives a speech in public is called a public speaker. Complete the following
table with job descriptions of the following:
Professions
Description
actor
someone who acts in a play, movie etc
orator
a proficient public speaker
lawyer
a person who studies or practises the law
professor
a university academic of the highest rank; a well-read scholar
and teacher
TV anchor
a person who presents or co-ordinates a TV programme
Vice-chancellor
a deputy chancellor who discharges most of the administrative
duties of a university
editor
person incharge of a newspaper/magazine
company director
person incharge of the activities of a company
2.
A store is a shop where you can buy different type of goods. What can you buy at
the
following shops?
i. at the florists
flowers
ii. at the bakers
bread
iii. at the stationers
books and stationery
iv. at the greengrocers
vegetables
v. at the butchers
meat
vi. at the antique shop
antiques
3.
Sentences using the given verb phrases are given below:
i.
The President of the Students Union was called upon to welcome the Chief
Guest at the Annual Function held on 10th April 2005.
ii.
The employees were asking for a raise in their salary.
iii.
These days students are busy preparing for their exams.
iv.
A lot of people are participating in the quiz competition held in the College.
v.
Who would like to speak on the subject of drug abuse?
Writing
1.
On several occasions, good speaking skills prove useful.
2.
In student life, you might need to welcome or thank a guest.

41

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

You might enter a debate competition.

In working life you interact with superiors and subordinates.
Communication skills help even in business and politics.
Day to day activities need communication skills.
A communicative person has many friends and admirers.
He is socially useful.
He has qualities of leadership.
He moves faster to the top.
Even the greatest of speakers were nervous in the beginning.
They used their will power to become great public speakers.
UNIT 13

THE BAG
Usha Anand
Introduction
1.
This item in your textbook is a narrative. It is a story with a connected series of details
which lead up to an interesting ending. It is about a poor woman who loses her bag containing
money and a few things. When she finds it, she finds more things in it than those she had
lost. This is a story of the kindness of humanity. It is about spreading a little happiness among
the needy.
Pre-Reading Activity
Once an atheist (one who doesnt believe in God) suffered a headache. In terrible pain,
he gasped, Oh! God! Surprised at an atheist calling out to him God appeared before him
and asked, How can I help you? The atheist, shocked at Gods appearance before him
following a mere call, managed to say, Take away my headache, please. God replied, I
shall take away the headache but replace it with a stomach-ache. Suffer an ache you must,
wherever it might be.
The story is about the nature of human life. Trouble and suffering, in some form or
the other, has to be endured by all human beings. The atheist (non-believer) and God are only
speakers who help to establish a dialogue to convey this fact.
2.
These days, a newspaper report is described as a story. It is a highly descriptive, wellinvestigated piece of narrative about something that has actually happened. However in the
strictly literary sense, a story is fiction while news is based on facts.
3.
The questions coming to mind in todays world are
i.
Could the bag be a terror device?
ii.
Does it contain a lot of cash?
iii.
Is it deliberately left there to test peoples response to an unclaimed object?
iv.
Does the bag seem to have been forgotten on a bench by its owner?

42

v.
How can we trace its owner to return it to her?
vi.
Could it be stolen property?
These are some of the questions that come to mind when you see an abandoned or
unclaimed object.
The Story
It is the story of a bag lost and found. The old woman left it on the bench opposite
the monument. Then she forgot to pick it up. It contained money, the keys to her home, a
picture of her husband and some grocery. The policeman tried to comfort her when she came
to lodge a report. He told her to wait while he checked with the Lost Property Department.
Soon he returned with her bag. It contained all the items she had listed along with some
more grocery. The kind-hearted finder of the bag had decided to fill it up with butter, oranges,
grapes and nougat chocolates.
The person had also put in a note to tell her that he wanted the poor old lady to be
compensated for the shock of losing her bag.
Glossary
stumbled
walked unsteadily
guiding
showing the way
comforted
provided relaxation
nervously
anxiously
clutched
held tightly
rexene
artificial leather
dobbing
pressing a handkerchief against the eyes to dry away tears.
trembling
shaking
tonelessly
without conveying any emotion
reassuring
removing doubts and fears
compensation
something awarded to make up for a loss
Reading Comprehension
Q1
How many characters are there in the story?
A1
There are only two characters present in the storythe old woman and the
policeman.
Q2
Can you guess the country in which the incident takes place?
A2
The country where this incident takes place is France.
Q3
Who is Pierre? Is he alive?
A3
Pierre is the old womans dead husband. No, he is dead. This is indicated by
the woman keeping his picture and her referring to his soul.

43

Q4
A4
Q5
A5
Q6
A6
Q7
A7

Q8
A8

Is it a case of theft or loss of an article?

It is a case of loss of the bag.
What is the main reason for the old womans helplessness?
The womans helplessness arose from the fact that the purse contained all that
was left to see her through that month.
What is the surprise that the woman gets at the end?
The surprise is the presence of butter, oranges, grapes and nougat chocolates.
She only accepts them when she reads the note accompanying them.
Which actions of the policeman tell us that he is kind and considerate towards
the old woman?
The policeman helping to steady the distraught old woman guiding her into his
room and comforting her indicates a kind and considerate person. When she
seems hopeless, he tells her somebody might have found the bag and deposited it in the
Lost Property Department. He then quickly goes to trace it in the Lost Property
Department. His kind smile as he tells her about the note and additional items in the
bag also point to a positive personality.
Words and phrases describing the woman, the policeman and the stranger.
Old Woman

Policeman

Stranger

honest, nervous, worried

skeptical, poor, forgetful
with no faith in mankind

reassuring, considerate
sincere in doing his job

kind, generous

Q9

Out of the given list the items which belonged to the woman are
i.) purse ii) bread iii) cheese iv) a picture of the old womans husband v) keys
A9 Those which do not belong to her are
i) butter ii) chocolates iii) oranges iv) grapes.
Q10 The following question will help you understand what the story is about. The
story is about an old woman reporting a missing bag at a police station and its
recovery. The loss of a bag is reported and the bag is found.
Is the story only about the loss and recovery of a bag or is it about something else that
touches us? Is it about
a.
human warmth
b.
a sense of caring
c.
the loneliness and despair of an old woman
d.
the unexpected goodness that we come across
e.
the reassurance about life and its goodness
44

f.
or all of the above
A10 It is about all of the above.
Q11 The old woman in the story has no hope of finding her bag because she believes that
There arent any honest people in this world any more. When she does find her bag,
what does she find?
i.
butter, oranges, grapes and nougat chocolates
ii.
something even more precious, namely her faith in human goodness
iii.
or both (i) and (ii)
A11 She finds both (i) and (ii)
Vocabulary
1(A) Given below in Column A are words and phrases from the story. In Column B are their
basic meanings indicated below is the missing component of the two phrases.
Rushed back in Column A means went back in Column B but the sense of urgency
is missing in Column B
Sank back in Column A means sat back in Column B but the sense of fatigue and
heavy-heartedness is missing in Column B
Protested in Column A means said in Column B but the sense of difference of opinion
and opposition is missing.
Whispered in Column A means said in Column B but the sense of quiet and
secrecy is missing.
1(B) The exercise is already solved.
2(A) Pay attention to the fact that the story describes mental and emotional states of
people. If therefore uses expressions that say something extra about actions and
behavior of people.
2(B) Fill in the blanks:
i.
Though it was hot out there, the man waited patiently for his turn.
ii.
He whispered softly in her ears, I Love You.
iii.
The policeman comforted the old woman who was sitting nervously in the chair.
iv.
I could see a blank look on her face as she said tonelessly that it was all over.
Writing
Given below is the input for a reporters account of the incident of the story:
1.
An unexpected incident took place at the police station today.
2.
An old woman came to report the loss of her bag containing keys, grocery, a
purse and her husbands photograph.
3.
The officer on duty gave her patient hearing

45

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

He immediately went to the Lost Property Department.

He returned with the womans bag.
The woman was happy as she recognized her bag
But she was in for a shock.
The bag contained more things than she had left behind in her lost bag.
The additional grocery and food were put in there by the finder.
There was also a note to explain that these things were there to compensate for
the suffering the woman would have undergone on discovering her loss.
Let us convert it into a newspaper report. It would read something like this:
Today I saw a heart-warming act of human kindness at the Police Station. An old
woman in worn out clothes came to report the loss of her bag. The bag she said contained
all her money and supplies for the rest of the month. The police officer fortunately was a
considerate young man. Having comforted the woman, he immediately went to the Lost
Property Department. Soon he returned with the bag. The old woman immediately recognized it as her own. But she was in for a shock. It contained more than the stuff she had
left in it. There was additional food and grocery along with a note from the unknown finder.
The kind stranger was indeed a fine specimen of humanity.

46

47

UNIT 14

GUIDELINES FOR A HEALTHY DIET

Nalini Prabhakar
Our body requires different kinds of food to grow and remain healthy. Some foods give
us energy to do our work. Cereals, rice, bread, sugar and potatoes are foods that give us
energy. Protein rich foods like fish, eggs, pulses, milk, meat, beans help us to grow. Some
other foods like fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs help us to keep healthy and free from diseases.
These foods are rich in minerals, vitamins and nutrients. It is therefore very important to
balance different kinds of foods in our diet, so that our body gets the required amounts of
protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
The following guidelines will help you in deciding on a healthy, balanced diet.
1. Enjoy your food
It is important that we enjoy the food we eat. Eating with family and friends and trying
out new recipes enhances the pleasure of eating. One should give thought to what one eats
without becoming obsessive about what one should eat or should not eat.
2. Eat a variety of different foods :
Mothers milk takes care of all the babys needs, but that is just for a few months.
There is no single food that completely fulfills all our nutritional requirements. Hence it is
necessary to incorporate a wide variety of foods in our diet to take care of our nutritional
requirements.
3. Eat the right amount
People who eat more calories than they will use, end up becoming fat. On the other
hand eating less (dieting) to lose weight, hampers the well being of the body. It is therefore
ideal to eat the right amount of food and burn up the excess calories by doing physical
exercise.
4. Eat foods rich in starch fibre
Starchy foods especially whole grain cereals are rich sources of fibre. A major portion
of any meal should consist of starchy foods and vegetables.
5. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contain minerals and vitamins, which keep our body healthy and
free from diseases. They are known to protect the body from some forms of cancer and heart
attacks.
6. Cut down on fatty foods
A certain amount of fat is essential for our body. However an excess of fat in diet leads
to many problems. Hence it is best to reduce the amount of fat used in cooking food.
7. Cut down on sugary foods and drinks

48

Sugar in all its forms provides energy (Calories) but very little of the other nutrients
Other foods that we eat eg. starchy foods also provide us with enough calories. Therefore
it is best to cut down on our intake of sugar to maintain good health.
Key to the Exercises
Glossary
nutrients
: things that provide nourishment
versatile
: that can be used for different purposes
coronary
: relating to the heart
palatable
: tasty
manufacture : to make
Reading Comprehension (to be done orally)
1. Say whether the following statements are true or false :
i. Worrying about food will increase our tension in life. (T)
ii. Milk provides complete nutrition for people of all ages (F)
iii. If we are conscious about the calories we eat, we will become fat. (F)
iv. Starchy foods can be eaten in a variety of ways. (T)
v. Fresh fruits can prevent cancer. (T)
vi. We should avoid taking fats completely in our diet. (F)
vii. Sugar has absolutely no nutrition value. (F)
Vocabulary
1. Given below in column A are some words / expressions associated with food. Match
them with their description in column B.
A
Words/Expressions
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.

banquet
fast food
ingredients
menu
recipe

vi.

buffet

vii. dessert
viii. eat out
ix. take away

B
Description
to buy food from a restaurant in a container and take home (ix)
to eat in a restaurant (viii)
directions for preparing a dish (v)
a sweet dish served towards the end of a meal (vii)
a meal for many people, usually served on a special and
formal occasion. (i)
things required for making a dish, such as a cake, pudding
etc. (iii)
a meal in which guests serve themselves from the table (vi)
a list of dishes served in a restaurant (iv)
food such as burgers, prepared quickly and available on
49

demand. (ii)
2. A plate contains food. Match each container in Column A with its contents in
Column B.
A

i
bag
hot tea, cold drinks (v)
ii. tank
chocolates (vii)
iii. vase
water, milk (iv)
iv. jug
shopping (i)
v. (thermos) flask
petrol, water (ii)
vi. kettle
flowers (iii)
vii. box
boiling water (vi)
3. The following exercise will make you aware of collocations in English, i.e. words that
generally go together. Form appropriate phrases, matching the verbs given in Column A
with the words given in Column B.
Column A: Verbs

Column B : Nouns and Noun Phrases

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.

intake of sugar (iv)

food (i)
weight (ii)
diseases (iii)
good health (v)

enjoy/eat
gain/lose
protect from
cut down on
maintain

UNIT 15

WHAT I WANTED TO BE
Nalini Prabhakar
Nandita Das is a name we are familiar with. She shot into limelight as an actor in the
film Fire directed by Deepa Mehta. In this lesson Nandita recalls the various career options
she explored before she was offered the role in Fire. Interestingly, she says here, that she
didnt set out to be an actor. According to her, the role in the film was just one of those chance
things, which came her way. She writes that, in their very first meeting, she and the Director
Deepa Mehta established such a good rapport that Deepa Mehta cast her for the part without
a screen test and audition.
Acting was not a new field of experience for Nandita Das. After school she had joined
the street theatre led by Safdar Hashmi. The focus of the street theatre was to use the
platform of theatre to raise various social issues with an end to enhance awareness and to
make people think about them. Acting therefore was only of secondary importance in street
theatre. Nandita Das confesses that she was attracted to the street theatre, because it

50

appealed to the idealistic aspect of her nature.

Nandita Das opted to pursue an Honours course in Geography for her Bachelors degree.
She writes that her interest in the subject was awakened by a very good teacher, she had
at school. Her interest however did not last. Three years of Geography at Delhi Universitys
Miranda House killed her interest in the subject.
Being at a loose end and not knowing what to do, Nandita says that she took a year off
after her B.A. to do some travelling. During this period, she spent four months at Rishi Valley
School, which she rates as the best months of her life. Here she taught everything except
maths and she readily admits to also having learnt a lot. Some of the things she learnt here
include pottery, block printing and batik. She also helped the children in performing arts like
folk dances and theatre. It was also during this period that she attended a workshop in Orissa
and travelled with her father, Jatin Das to England. It was around this time she realized, that
she wanted to work with people. Hence she did her M.A. in social work. Nandita Das writes
that although one does not need a degree to do social work, but during the course one does
acquire a wider perspective on the various areas of work in this field. She admits that whether
it was women, children, physically or mentally challenged people or Aids patients, her
committment to all these areas was so strong, that she could not decide on any one particular
area for specialization.
Nandita Das did her field work with Ankur, a womens organisation in Delhi and later
worked there as an Area co-ordinator. This was also her first job. It was here that she met
Lakshmi Krishnamurti who was running an organization for children called Allaripu. Nandita
joined this organization. One of the important things that this organization does is organize
workshops for primary school children to make education and learning process holistic. It was
at this point of time in her life that she was offered the role in Fire and the rest as they say
is history.
Glossary
performing art :
arts such as dance, music or drama, which are performed to entertain
people.
theatre activist :
Someone who does theatre or stages plays to convey a social or
political message.
highlight :
to make something more noticeable
idealistic :
believing in principles or perfect standards that cannot really be
achieved.
pottery :
the activity of making pots, dishes, etc. out of clay
block-printing :
printing with wood or metal blocks on which designs or a text have
been cut
batik :
a way of painting coloured patterns on cloth
an academic :
someone who does research or teaches at a college or university.
perspective :
a way of thinking about something.

51

mentally challenged :having difficulty in doing things because of some problem in the
brain.
stigma :
a mark of disgrace
hierarchy :
a system of organizing people according to their status/importance in
a society or organisation.
holistic :
based on the principle that a person or thing is more than just their
many small parts added together.
mainstream :
accepted by most people
audition :
a short performance by an actor, singer, or other artists to test how
good he/she is to act in a play, sing in a concert, and so on
screen test :
an audition that is shot and used to see whether an actor is right for
the part in a film
art film :
These are the less-commercial films generally screened at festivals
but not on general releaseunlike mainstream or commercial cinema.
Reading Comprehension
(para i)
1. Did Nandita Das want to become an actress ? (No)
2. Complete the following columns:
Nandita Dass interests at school
Theatre
Dance

Her activities after school

Joined street
theatre group led
by activist Safdar Hashmi

Vocabulary
i. Note that the following words take a particular preposition after them :
a perspective on, sense of, specialize in, work on
ii. Make as many phrases as possible choosing one word from Column A, a preposition
from Column B and an expression from Column C.
Column A

Column B

Column C

1. apart
2. terrible
3. involved
4. disinterested

at
in
from

Maths
social work
theatre
working there
UNIT 16

CHAINS OF SLAVERY
52

 Nalini Prabhakar
Introduction
This lesson is a conversation between two friends, the narrator and Vanita and both of
them are women. The subject of their conversation is the position of women in our society.
The title of the lesson Chains of Slavery suggests that the position of women in our society
is that of a slave and the chains that bind her to this slavery are very strong. Ours is a
patriarchal society and as in all patriarchal societies, the male occupies a privileged position
and the female an inferior position. This essentially means that in all areas of social life,
including family, the power equations are heavily loaded in favour of men. Let me simplify
this for you by way of an example. In most homes the boy child gets preferential treatment
right from birth. Whether it is food, clothes or education, the boy child gets the best the family
can afford. The girl child is almost always a burden. You must have also noticed that all house
work is actively discouraged for boys, where as the girl children are expected to do it as part
of their duty. Rampant female foeticide and infanticide are an illustration of this mindset of
the society.
Explanatory Notes
The narrator in this lesson is unburdening herself to her friend Vanita. They are sitting on
the terrace of Vanitas house around 10 O clock at night and are having a conversation. This
is probably the first time that the narrator has stepped out of her house all by herself to attend
the haldiKum Kum ceremony. She seems to be from a very conservative as well as an
uneducated family. We can draw this conclusion from some parts of her conversation. For
instance she says that
1. She has never seen a sunset before and this is probably because she is not allowed
outdoors.
2. She entered wed-lock with her eyes shut. Later on she says, that the position of women
must be different from hers in educated, cultured households implying that her own house
hold is not educated, cultured.
The narrator is very distressed about her life, because she thinks that it has been a waste.
She describes herself as cowardly and useless. She bemoans the fact that a girl is always
dependent and never experiences freedom. According to her the worth of a daughter in our
society is less than that of a cow. Where as a cow gets food as a matter of right, and is worshipped twice a year as the holiest of holy, and whose death can cause riots, the daughter on the
other hand is uncared for, and is considered a burden. A woman in our society right from birth is
socially conditioned to think of herself as a burden and this conditioning curbs her laughter, play
and enjoyment as a child and also as an adult. The narrator does not blame any one individual for
the injustice meted out to women. She holds the society responsible for this injustice. It is the
customs, traditions and value systems, evolved by the society over thousands of years that are to
be blamed for the woeful position of women in our society. The narrator uses an oft quoted
saying to drive home her point
Sakhu will leave for her husbands home. Baku will go to her spouses home. It is only
my Jubrya (Son) who will be of use to me. A mother does not care for her daughter because
53

she will eventually go away. A mother-in-Law doesnt care for her daughter-in-Law because
she is someone elses daughter. And men because they are men who have been conditioned into
thinking that they are masters, invariably try to control women and keep them submissive. The
woman in our society, like a creeper which is pruned everyday, does not have a chance to grow.
The narrator seems to be envious of Vanita, in a good natured way. She thinks that her
friend Vanita is courageous, full of initiative and brimming with thoughts. Vanita admits that her
life is much different from the kind of life that her friend, the narrator has been talking about.
According to Vanita, her own, parents treated both son and daughter, alike. Her In-Laws and her
husband were equally loving with similar progressive ideas Vanita therefore is assertive with an
independent mind and has not experienced what most women in our society go through.
Vanita admits that very few women in our society are as privileged as she is. She also
admits that it is difficult to wage a war against those forces in our society which keep women in
slavery. But the war none-the-less is to be fought no matter how powerful these forces. To turn
ones back on the enemy, because the enemy is strong is a sign of cowardice. The women need
to unite and be brave to break their chains of slavery.
Glossary
Unburden myself:
to talk about something, which I had been worrying about secretly.
Persuasion :
repeatedly asking someone to do something.
Initiative:
the ability to make decisions without asking anyone else
Invoke:
to ask someone powerful, such as a god, for help
riots:
situations in which large crowds of people behave violently
saddled with:
burdened with
strife:
conflict, fighting
perpetrated:
done
subdue:
to bring under control
maltreatment:
cruel and unjust behaviour
prune:
to cut off some of the branches of tree or bush
retreat:

to move away from the enemy forces so that one avoids fighting them

Reading Comprehension
1. What is the relationship between I and Vanita? Are they
i. Friends
ii. Sisters
iii. Colleagues
2. As you read the extract, you will notice that the speaker and Vanita have had different
experiences as girls, still they have the same view regarding the role of the society in
treat
ing girls unjustly. Column A gives the speakers experiences; complete
Column
B
with
relevant information from the text:

54

A
The speakers experiences at home
1. no independence, no control over her own life
2. not needed by anyone
3. thought to be a burden
4. parents worried only about her marriage
5. distinction between son and daughter, treating
the two differently

B
Vanitas experiences at home
1. Loved by every one.
2. Allowed to be independent and
to assert herself.
3. No distinction made between the
daughter and son.

3. Given below are some expressions describing different qualities. Decide which ones apply
to the speaker and which to Vanita. Put a tick mark against each expression in the relevant
column.
Expressions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

The speaker

Vanita

Cowardly
courageous
having initiative
useless
subdued
without a will of ones own.
like a doll ashamed of herself
determined to fight the society

4. Do you think that the speaker is upset about injustices done to

i. herself
ii. girls in general
iii. both of the above
UNIT 17

THE CONJURERS REVENGE

Nalini Prabhakar
1. A conjurer is someone who entertains people by doing tricks. He makes things appear and
disappear as if by magic. The reputation of a conjurer therefore depends entirely on making
impossible things happen, things which are strange, wonderful and unexpected. A good conjurers
tricks therefore should make the audience feel stupefied awestruck and excited. But where
the audience begins to question the tricks or begins to offer mundane explanations for the
tricks performed, the very reputation of the conjurer is at stake.
In this lesson The Conjurers Revenge, the conjurer is faced with loss of his reputation,

55

all because of one member in the audience, The Quick Man. The lesson is about how the
conjurer takes his revenge against this man.
2. The lesson is in two sections. The first section deals with the tricks performed by the
conjurer, and his rising anger at the absurd explanations offered by the Quick Man for all
these tricks. Let us now list the tricks performed, and the explanations offered by the Quick
Man, and see if the anger of the conjurer is justified.
Tricks performed by the conjurer
1. Produces a bowl of goldfish from an empty cloth.
2. Joins several separate rings into one.
3. Produces 17 eggs from the hat of a man in the audience.
4. The conjurer also produces various other articles like a pack of cards, a loaf of bread,
a dolls cradle, a rocking chair, as if from thin air.
Quick Mans explanation
The Quick Man has only one explanation for all the wonderful tricks performed by the
conjurer. According to him, the conjurer has concealed all these things up his sleeve, and is
producing them by a sleight of hand.
The absurdity of the quick Mans claim becomes evident if one examines the number and
the kind of things the conjurer is supposed to conceal up his sleeve. It is possible to hide rings,
pack of cards and coins up ones sleeve. But to propose that the conjurer has a live hen up
his sleeve which lays seventeen eggs at a time is stretching imagination too far. According
to the Quick Man, the conjurer has not only a live hen, but also a rocking chair, a gold fish
bowl and a guinea-pig up his sleeve. The Quick Man is doubtful about the Conjurers magic
powers. But one single man in the audience cannot really ruin the conjurers reputation. The
audience reacts with wonder and stupefaction at the conjurers tricks. But their wonder and
stupefaction changes to skepticism, the moment Quick Man loudly whispers his explanation.
The audience in this case is easily led by the Quick-Man and instead of asking him to shutup begins to agree with him. So the Quick Man by his constant whisperings manages to spoil
the show.
The second section deals with the conjurers revenge. The conjurer does this by his last
trick of the show which he says is a Japanese trick invented by the natives of Tipperary. He
asks the Quick Man to give him his watch, handkerchief, silk hat, celluloid collar. With his
permission he then pounds the watch in a mortar with a sledgehammer, punches holes into
the hanky, crushes the hat by dancing on it and finally burns the collar. The Quick Man, true
to his nature, suggests that the conjurer has slipped the watch up his sleeve. But after a while
the Quick Man is puzzled and confesses that he cannot crack or unravel this trick. The Quick
Man could see his handkerchief, his hat and collar being destroyed in front of his eyes and
therefore could not offer his ready explanation of all concealment up the sleeve.
What the conjurer does is not a trick. He deliberately destroys the Quick Mans things
just as the Quick Man had tried to destroy the conjurers reputation. The conjurer has his
revenge by playing a practical trick on the Quick Man. As all his wonderful tricks had found
56

no appreciation from the audience, he concludes the show by doing something which is
practical, mundane and involves no skill, just to teach the unappreciative audience and especially the Quick Man a lesson.
Glossary
conjurer :
Someone who entertains people by performing clever tricks in
which things appear, disappear, or change as if by magic
Presto :
used in speech to show someone, something unbelievable
have it up his sleeve :
to have a secret plan in ones head; here, also used in its literal
sense
stupefaction :
a feeling of great surprise
brow :
forehead
extracted :
took out
transpired :
happened
live :
given in front of an audience, not recorded; a performance in
which the entertainer performs for people who are watching, rather
than for a film, record, etc.
natives :
people who belong to a place originally
mortar :
a mixture of sand, water and cement
pound :
to hit something with great force, crush something into powder or
small pieces
savagely :
in a violent and cruel manner
punch :
a quick, strong hit made with the fist
celluloid collar :
a kind of collar
suspenders :
straps that go over a persons shoulders and are fastened to the
front of the trousers
dispersed :
went away in different directions
UNIT 18

A SENSE OF HUMOUR
P. K. Satpathy
Humour, according to the dictionary, is a quality in something that makes you laugh, for
example in a situation, in someones words or actions or in a book or film. All of us like to
laugh. Narrating and exchanging Jokes, therefore forms an important part of our social
interaction. Comedy shows, and comic actors on television or in live performance for the
same reason are very popular. Most of us also laugh at other peoples mistakes. As Will
Rogers rightly puts it Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else. But
we do not see the humour in the same thing, or situation, if it happens to us. In other words
we are incapable of laughing at ourselves.
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In this lesson the writer, is making an attempt to explain why it is important for us to laugh
at ourselves. By the use of apt quotations and real life situations he is trying to drive home
this point. The writer quotes his friend and psychologist Walter Buzz O Connell and says
that life is too important to take seriously. This line in a sense sets the tone of this essay.
Life is important and also precious, and one cannot waste it by being serious all the time.
Being human, each one of us is liable to make mistakes. If we cannot see the humour in the
mistakes we make and are unable to laugh at ourselves, there is always the danger of feeling
embarrassed or discouraged. Embarassment and discouragement are negative feelings which
rob us of our sense of well being. In order to overcome these feelings we might end up
making more mistakes. It is essential for our happiness and well being to accept that we are
human and liable to make mistakes. This acceptance enables us to accept ourselves as we
are. This acceptance is possible only if we have a sense of humour vis-a-vis ourselves. The
writer by quoting Ether Barrymore you grow up the day you have the first real laugh - at
yourself suggests that the ability to laugh at ones own self is a sign of maturity.
When we recall certain events, incidents, in retrospect, we laugh at them. However at
the time when the incidents had occurred, we do not see any humour in them. With the help
of two examples the writer shows us how a sense of humour can change ones frame of
mind. A child eager to help with laundry washes crayons with the clothes. A sense of humour
in this instance can prevent anger. Where as anger can lead to a disturbed state of mind,
humour on the other hand, helps one to deal with the situation positively.
When an item of crockery drops on the floor and breaks, one can either react to it as
if a disaster has occurred or as something which is a routine matter. The attitude one adopts
decides the frame of mind, as in the earlier instance of the laundry.
What is important to note here is that almost everything can be understood differently.
Ultimately, everything boils down to the perspective that one adopts in dealing with situations.
By adopting a humourous perspective, one becomes tolerant and also enjoys a balanced,
happy state of mind.
A sense of humour makes one optimistic and prevents feelings of depression and loneliness from taking over. In short, it alters ones life altogether when problems occur in life and
things do not work out according to plan, humour enables one to look for alternatives instead
of tamely accepting defeat.
The writer concludes this essay by citing the example of David Jacobsen who was held
as a hostage in Lebanon with a Gun at the back of his head and death staring in his face.
David Jacobsen did not lose his sense of humour. This probably also saved his life. Whatever
the situation, terrifying, mundane, embarrassing, a sense of humour enables us to see the
funny side and accept our imperfections, and mistakes thereby making us live more honest
and tension free lives.
sitcom :
situation comedy, an amusing TV drama series
embarrassed :
feeling shy
discouraged :
not keen to do something

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humanness :
being kind and considerate towards other people
adverse :
difficult, unfavourable
terrifying :
frightening
mundane :
dull and boring
imperfections :
weaknesses
perspective :
a way of looking at things in general
perceptual switch :
a change in perspective
depression :
feeling sad
catastrophe :
an event that causes great suffering
sanity :
ability to think normally
breezily :
in a lively and cheerful way
Reading Comprehension
Question 1 will help you with the general understanding of the text.
1. We give below some key ideas from the text. Identify the paragraphs in which these
ideas occur.
i.
Humour helps us to shift from a sad state of mind to that of happiness. (Para V)
ii. Humour can help us to overcome fear. (Para VII)
iii. We should develop the ability to laugh at ourselves. (Para III)
iv. It is easier to laugh at things that happened in the past. (Para IV)
v. Humour teaches us to accept things as they are. (Para VI)
Questions 2 and 3 will help you understand the text in more detail.
2. Say whether the following statements are true or false. Discuss with your partner and
answer the questions orally.
i.
When we feel discouraged, we do not make mistakes. (F)
ii. We laugh when we remember the mistakes we made in the past. (T)
iii. A sense of humour can turn a sad mood into a happy one. (T)
iv. A sense of humour prevents us from accepting the circumstances of our life. (F)
v. What are the feelings associated with a sad state of mind :
(a) discouragement
(b) depression
(c) Loneliness
(para 5)
Vocabulary
1. Given below are some words associated with the feelings of happines and sadness. Put
them in the relevant columns. tears, enjoyment, grief, delight, congratulations, heart-

59

2.

broken, sob, laughter, celebration, worry, humour, jokes

Words associated with happiness
Words associated with sadness
Enjoyment
Tears
Delight
Grief
Congratulations
Heart broken
Laughter
Sob
Celebration
Worry
Humour
Jokes
Look at the following phrases that occur in the text. Note the prepositions used in them.
capable of, laugh at, lead to, in the face of, instead of
Complete the sentences given below with an appropriate phrase from those given
above :
i.
Lets eat out today instead of cooking at home.
ii. We should not lose hope in face of difficulties.
iii. This doctor is not capable of performing such a complicated operation.
iv. Misunderstandings can sometimes lead to serious quarrels.
v. We should develop the ability to laugh at ourselves.
UNIT 19

BALRAJ, MY BROTHER
P. K. Satpathy
In this Lesson Bhisham Sahni is paying a tribute to the memory of his brother, Balraj
Sahni. Balraj Sahni, was not only on actor of great repute but he was also a writer. Balraj
Sahnis role in Bimal Roys classic Do Bigha Zameen is a fine example of the kind of
sensitivity and emotional intensity that this actor brought to bear on the roles that he portrayed.
This sensitivity was limited not just to his acting skills, but was an extension of the kind of
person he was in real life. Bhisham Sahnis focus in this tribute is not Balraj the actor, but
Balraj the man.
Bhisham Sahni writes that Balraj had an intense love for life and he passed this passion
on, to all those around him. It was his love for life, which made him give his best, to whatever
it was that he did, be it acting in films, theatre or punjabi language. This involvement therefore
was total and never mechanical. It was this attitude towards life which made him overcome
the darkest moments of his life, his failures and disappointments.
Bhisham Sahni in the second paragraph recalls the days when Balraj would come to
Delhi. The two brothers would set out on an old motorcycle, visiting relatives and friends.
They also undertook long journeys to Sanawar where their respective children were studying.

60

Once out and on the bike, Balraj would burst out into song or recite verses. This carefree,
joyous temperament was very charateristic of Balraj. He was not the one to shy away from
spontaneity because of what people would say or think. At a friend Gul Kapoors sons
wedding, Balraj following Punjabi tradition danced on the street, totally unmindful of the fact
that a crowd had gathered around him.
Balraj Sahni was a generous and warm hearted person. Despite the fame that he
achieved, he remained humble. He kept in touch with his old school and college friends as
also his relatives till his death.
The last paragraph is a testimony to Balraj Sahnis generosity. This incident was related
by Mr. Rajinder Bhatia, who was Balrajs friend and associate. A young man who was the
son of a friend of Balraj, had stolen Balrajs typewriter and had left it in a shop to be sold.
Mr. Bhatia, who had chanced upon the typewriter, informed Balraj about it. On hearing this
Balraj did not get angry instead he gave money to Mr. Bhatia to buy the typewriter, saying
that the young man who had stolen it must be in need of money and the money therefore
would bail him out of the difficulty, which had prompted him to steal in the first place.
This then, was Balraj the manfull of life, generous, carefree and warm-hearted.
Glossary
went all out for it :
put all his efforts into doing it
the theatre :
writing or acting in plays
passionately :
with great enthusiasm and interest
mechanically :
like a machine, without any involvement
optimism :
a tendency to believe that good things will always happen
failings :
weaknesses, faults
yarn :
a story of adventures and travel
filial attachments :
feelings of affection and care that a son or daughter has for their
parents
revealing :
showing others something that is not generally known
2. The passage mentions many qualities of Balraj Sahni and also many incidents and
actions which illustrate these qualities. Read the passage again and complete the
following columns :
Qualities
Actions illustrating the qualities
1. zest for life, passionate involvement
1. Theatre, Films, Punjabi Language
in whatever he did
2. frankness, lack of consciousness
2. Singing while on bike.
about what others would say
Dancing on the streets in the barat of
friends Sons Wedding
3. warmth of feelings, generosity
3. contact with friends & relatives
Giving money to buy back his own
typewriter (stolen)
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Vocabulary
1. Match the following phrasal verbs given in column A with their meanings in
Column B:
Column A
Column B
1. take up (something)
to do something suddenly (4)
2. set out
to help someone by doing something or by giving money (5)
3. give up
to do something because one is interested in it (1)
4. burst out (crying)
to start a journey (2)
5. help (someone) out
to stop trying to do something (3)
Now fill in the blanks in the following sentences with a suitable phrasal verb given above,
making changes in the form of the verb if necessary :
(i) She tried to write a poem on the rainbow but somehow no ideas came to her mind,
so she gave up the attempt.
(ii) As soon as the teacher was out of the class, the children burst out singing and
dancing.
(iii) Amita helped him out when he was short of money.
(iv) Wear Swift shoes when setting out on a long walk.
(v) After retirement, Shashi took up farming as a hobby.
2. The passage uses many words and phrases of similar meaning in describing Balraj
Sahni. Make pairs of synonymous expressions from these given below :
(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Zest for life

(4)
without caring for

candour
(1)
love of life

passionately
(2)
frankness

unmindful of
(3)
intensely
UNIT 20

MY FATHERS TREES IN DEHRA

P. K. Satpathy
This lesson is in two sections. The two sections deal with a different period in the life
of the writer, Ruskin Bond.
In section I, the writer is a young boy, who is assisting his father in planting trees. Ruskin
Bond writes that his father was a man with a mission and this mission was planting trees.
His father was not content with merely planting fruit trees, around the house and in the
garden. On rainy days, he would with his son walk beyond the river bed, and into the jungle,
to plant flowering shrubs between sal and shisham trees. His son the writer being a young
62

boy questioned the logic behind planting these shrubs saying that they would not be seen by
anyone, as no one ventured into these parts. The writers fathers explained to him that
constant felling of trees, would result in the world turning into a vast desert, and hence the
need to prevent this by afforestation. This reply, left such a deep impression on the writers
mind, that as a child, the worst nightmare for him was a world without trees. He therefore
assissted his father whole-heartedly in tree plantation. Perhaps to make the whole venture
more appealing to the boy, the father added that the trees would one day move again and walk
about just like they once did, thousands of years ago. Towards this end the trees make a
constant effort by stretching their arms (branches).
In the foot-hills most river-beds are dry in summer but are flooded during monsoon. In
one such river bed in Dehra just when the rains had begun, and the river bed was only a
stream which could be crossed by foot, the writer and his father planted tamarind, Laburnum
and Coral-tree saplings on a rocky island in the middle of the river bed. A few months after
this plantation the writers father died in Calcutta. With the death of his father, the tree
planting ventures come to an end. The writer was sent to a boarding school, and later after
school went to England. His grandparents sold the house and left Dehra. They too died after
some years. So when the writer returned to India, he was the only member of the family in
the country.
The second section deals with the return of the writer to Dehra as an adult. The writer
is on the road, towards the river-bed, but this time he is all alone and he is no longer a young
boy. Looking at the dry river-bed and depleted sal trees, he is full of misgivings about the
condition of the trees he had planted many years ago with his father, on the rocky island.
Leave alone the trees, he fears that the entire Island probably has been washed away by the
flash floods. Looking across the river bed, he is pleasantly surprised by the red plumes of
Coral blossom. The little Island is right there, where he had left it, but now it is no longer
rocky, but is a green oasis. The trees are home to a number of parrots and koels.
Although the writer had mentioned at the end of section I that he had no other member
of his family in India, it seems that this isnt true. At Dehra, in the island, on the river bed,
he discovers that he has a whole big family. The trees there knew him and beckoned to
him with warmth and love. The trees and even the koel singing who-are-you seem to
consider him as one of them. This probably is because he had planted them and given them
a new life and this becomes the basis for bonding into a family. That the writer can communicate with the trees and feel them calling him shows that there is a communion that is formed
between him and the trees there.
The trees planted by the writer and his father had not only taken root but had multiplied.
Wild grasses and plants had come up under the protection of the trees. Mother Nature had
worked its magic and multiplied the few trees that the writer and his father had planted.
Looking at the wide expanse of trees, it occurs to the writer that the trees had indeed moved
and would keep moving. His fathers dream of moving trees had become real on the Island
in Dehra.
Glossary

63

river-bed :
amble :
prospect :
nightmare :
rooted :
foothills :
trim (gardens) :
skinny :
flash-flood :
spectacular :
oasis :

the ground over which a river flows

to walk in a slow relaxed manner
possibility
a frightening dream, a terrible thing to happen
fixed in the earth by its roots
lower hills around the base of a mountain
tidy and attractive (gardens)
extremely thin
a sudden flood
grand and impressive
a small area in a desert where water and plants are found, a pleasant
place.
challenge :
here, to ask someone to stop and say who they are
beckon :
to signal to someone to come, to call
Reading Comprehension
1. The writers father planted various kinds of trees in different spots. Read the passage
and
fill in the missing information in the columns given below :
Kinds of trees

Places where he planted trees

1. fruits trees
2. Flowering Shrubs
3. tamarind, laburnum and
coral-tree saplings

1. Garden, Around the house

2. in the jungle between the sal and shisham tree
3. On the rocky Island in the middle of a riverbed.

Vocabulary
1. Notice the following phrases that occur in the passage :
walk about, stretch away, go away, wash away, spring up
All the above verbs are called phrasal verbs and are made up of a verb and an adverb.
Replace the underlined phrases in the following sentences with an appropriate phrasal
verb from those given above, making necessary changes in the form of the verb:
i. The writer feared that a sudden flood might have destroyed the trees they had
planted. (washed away)
ii. When he looked across the river-bed, he saw a carpet of red leaves lying spread
before him. (stretched away)
iii. When he looked round, he saw many bushes had suddenly appeared. (sprung up)
iv. They loved to walk here and there in the jungle collecting berries. (walk about)

64

2.

v. He left home to study abroad (went away)

As the passage deals with trees, you will notice that the passage has a number of words
related to plants and growing of plants. You should develop awareness of such clusters
of words which are related to a particular object/idea/theme.
Arrange the words given below in two columns, Trees and Desert, according to their
meaning associations :
garden, cuttings, saplings, jungle, shrubs, forest, trees, treeless, dry, shelter, fields, a
carpet of yellow blossom, grass, graze, green, wild, sprung up, multiplied, skinny,
thinned out, rocky.
Trees

Desert

Garden, Cuttings, saplings, jungle,

shrubs, forest, trees, shelter, fields,
yellow blossom, grass, graze, green,
sprung up, multiplied

Treeless, dry, skinny, thinned out, rocky

Laser Type Setting by : Chetan Printers, Nirankari Colony, Delhi-110009

1. Apart from

social work

theatre

2. Terrible at

Maths

social work

theatre

3. Involved in

4. Disinterested in

social work
theatre

social work

theatre

working there

65